WHY IS NEW CONSTRUCTION THE HOT STRATEGY FOR INVESTORS RIGHT NOW?

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By Michael Poggi

Author, Public Speaker, Professional Investor and President of THE MILLIONAIRES INVESTMENT GROUP LLC.

WHY IS NEW CONSTRUCTION THE HOT STRATEGY FOR INVESTORS RIGHT NOW?

new-home-1664272_1280-1024x678COULD IT EVEN BE SAFER AND MORE LUCRATIVE THAN FLIPPING? And how about 20 percent returns from passive investing from new construction using your IRA OR 401 K PLAN !!

We have all seen the TV shows that make Fix and Flipping appear so simple that anyone can do it and make a huge profit overnight right?

Unfortunately that does not always happen in real life, Sometimes, people purchase a property make a small mistake when estimating the repairs and there go the profits out the door. It comes with lots of aggravation and uncertainties.

Fix and flips are the preferred strategy for most beginners because they have not learned how to build houses from scratch. The problem is, if the fix and flip goes wrong or gets delayed, it can cause big losses or losing the property to a lender. Fix and flips that have good margin are harder and harder to find and take time. The amount of time that it takes to find great deals cost you money. Bidding on houses that gets bought by higher bidders who sometimes even pay retain is also a problem.

Other Times, an Investor will hire a contractor in good faith and the contractor takes much longer than expected, changes their bid in the middle of a job, leaves the job site and goes to work on another job, or even doesn’t show up at all. Hiring different contractors for each flip also causes problems when you don’t know the contractor well or his prices are too high.

Enough is Enough. Time is money. Michael Poggi, President of The Millionaires Investment Group has been using his very profitable way to make a great return utilizing our New Construction Strategy. This Strategy is Turn-Key and very Profitable. Investors that are tired of the high risk and low return of the stock market love new construction for passive, more predictable returns. We have seen around 20 percent returns per year for passive investors who like no hassle turn key strategies. Investors partner with us on new houses but do not need to do any work. It’s all turnkey done for you.

The Millionaires Group is building New Construction Homes in Beautiful well established Residential Neighborhoods in Florida. Our company is making a profit on these homes about every 6 months from the day we start the new houses. We prefer this strategy instead of just fixing up an old property which always seems to come with hidden problems. Instead the group is creating high quality new homes with a 10 year warranty in fabulous neighborhoods.  Which Property Would you Choose? New houses on the market with a ten year warranty sell faster and more profit than a typical fix and flip.

Since the homes we are building are located in different established residential neighborhoods in Florida, the risk is mitigated vs building only in a new subdivision where there are no or very few houses. The neighborhoods have had new homes built years ago all around our lots so that we are seen by hundreds of people driving by from day one. This gives us a chance to sell the house faster and without a realtor and make us more profit.

The permitting process is faster due to building the same 5 floor plans over and over. The planning and zoning department sees that it is the same houses being submitted again and again and now they approve it much faster and easier than if we submitted a new fix and flip which is different every time and could have code violations which slows down the process.

The homes are built by our trustworthy contractor builder teams who are building the same set of 5 Quality floor plans over and over which makes less room for mistakes and surprises. They are modern eco friendly and energy efficient. We build safe 3 bedroom 3 bathroom 3 car garage to sell fast compared to other size and other harder strategies. Picking the right floor plans that are the proven fastest selling houses took lots of practice and experience. The typical square footage is around 2200 square feet. Out cost including the land, the permits, environmental and construction is around $ 180,000 or more. This is the perfect size home to sell fast. We have perfected the strategy to build only what people most likely would say yes to before the house is even finished. We sell the houses before they are finished for just under $300,000.  The net profit is shared with the investor who put up the 180k or 50 k down payment. The investors have seen 20 percent average per year from this method.

When you consider the stock market risk of stocks and mutual funds and the fact that many of those investments never do well, it makes perfect sense to transfer money from stock accounts and IRA’S  and 401 K plans into safer strategies like new construction. What is the risk of stocks or mutual funds going down? Very high !!!  What is the potential upside for typical stocks and funds  ?  Usually not that great or losses. More wealth is made from real estate and safer. IRA’S can be converted to a self directed IRA which can be used for new construction. This helps grow wealth faster than betting on the market. You can get a personal loan from your current 401 K plan for up to $ 50,000 !!!  This can be used for new construction turnkey deals.

The ability to leverage new construction is even better!!  You can’t leverage your money in mutual funds but you can in real estate. With only $ 50,000 down payment you can borrow the rest of the funds from one of our preferred lenders and spread out your money even farther. So, for investors who only have $50,000 to start, they can get a loan for the rest from our sources that fund new construction and be able to be in a new construction deal quickly. We do not pool investors together and we use one separate entity for each house. EACH INVESTOR IS PROTECTED BY BEING AN OWNER OF THE PROJECT ON TITLE,  and operating agreements to show what the builders responsibility is. The land that we own get put in to the investors name so we can build the house in their name.

The Millionaires Investment Group is excited about the progress that has been made utilizing this strategy. For more information about partnering with us call our office to arrange a call with one of Mr. Poggis staff members. 954-306-3586 or [email protected]

 

A House or a Home?

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By Albert Lowry

What’s the difference between a house and a home, and how do you make the best purchase choice in either case? Those seem like straightforward questions, but there’s a lot to take into consideration to make a smart decision.

First of all, a house is a property from which you expect to make money, and a home is where you live. There are some factors in common for choosing a good deal for either one of these but also some differences that you should be aware of.

In today’s market, for both houses and homes, it generally makes sense to avoid getting the biggest, most expensive dwelling you can. Buy only what you need, and you’ll have the opportunity to make improvements with the money you save. You can determine what would be right for a home size for yourself. In the case of buying houses for investment, the ideal size for a rental unit is 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. It’s what most renters want, so you have a better chance of charging a good monthly rental price and having high rates of occupancy.

Another factor that holds true for both houses and homes is the familiar real estate mantra of “location, location, location.” You can make more money from renting out a house in a desirable area. For the place you call home, you also want to be in a nice neighborhood where you enjoy living and your property retains its value.

That being said, don’t limit yourself to one area. There are good neighborhoods throughout most cities and towns, so it may be to your benefit to get out of your familiar zone and widen your circle to try to find some hidden gems.

When you’re out hunting for properties, one of the best suggestions I have for you is not to restrict yourself to drive-by shopping. A house or home may have little curb appeal, but be a real bargain for its appealing interior. You can always create curb appeal later with some sprucing up, so don’t let the initial let down of the exterior keep you from exploring further. Knowing that little trick will put you in line for some real bargains, plus you won’t be competing with others who passed up a bargain because they didn’t know this important tip.

Another common mistake people make when buying properties is to buy according to emotion rather than taking the time to do the necessary research. Judgement is distorted by emotions and that can lead to bad decisions. Instead, ask yourself whether the home you have your eye on will truly meet your long-term needs. And for a house, objectively determine its future profit potential and back that up with thorough research.

In both cases, you’ll want to consider the proximity of schools and shopping, whether it’s for your own quality of life, or for the house’s perceived value as a rental unit or as a resale. If promises have been made about future desirable development in the area, check for yourself that it really is a sure thing before paying a price that’s based on that expectation.

For any property you are considering purchasing, whether a house or a home, look for anything that has the potential to cost you a lot of money later on, even if it falls outside the scope of the professional inspection.

Now, suppose that you’ve found a property that you would like to buy. How can you get it for the price you want? I want to share with you some professional investor negotiating tips that have worked very well on a good number of deals I’ve made.

The first applies more to house purchases. To be a successful investor, it’s necessary to make a lot of offers. As a buyer, you always want to pay the price that you’ve determined to be a good value for what you’re getting. Plenty of sellers won’t see eye to eye with you, but there are others who will, and you’ll pay the right price.

There are the certain techniques that will help you achieve this. If a realtor has shown you a property you’re interested in, later try contacting the seller directly to ask some questions. Be personable and talk to him as a human being, not as an adversary. Ask him what the basis is for the price of the property. If you do a little research and find that it is not in line with comparable properties in the area, that can give you some leverage with the seller, especially if you present the facts in a reasonable and friendly manner.

If you are going to ask the seller for a lower price or for concessions, it’s a good idea to bring their expectations down with some finesse. One way to do this is to avoid showing interest in a property and point out its shortcomings in a way that allows the seller to save face and see your point of view.

You’ll find that if you perform your property search diligently, make rational judgements, submit a lot of offers, and negotiate effectively, you will pay the right price for either the home of your dreams or investment houses that have big profit potential for you.

Your partner in prosperity,

Dr. Albert Lowry

The Deal of the Century

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By Alton Jones

Is this your last opportunity to create greatness?

For all we know, it might be. That’s certainly how I live my life. But as the holidays come up, I see more people getting into the slowdown mindset. Thinking they won’t be able to do anything between Thanksgiving and new years, they stop trying. There are no good deals to be had this time of year, right?

This mentality is absolutely wrong. I believe that every opportunity might be the last to create greatness. Life is short and uncertain. We’re always existing in one of three zones — green, yellow, or red. When you’re green, you’re kicked back. In yellow, you’re about normal. But in red, you’re working hard every minute, constantly on the move, looking for the next angle and the next opportunity. I’m always in the red zone, and I hate to see people slack off to green this time of year.

Never get a good deal this time of year? I believe that the deal of the century comes along at least once a week. But you have to be operating in that red zone to get it. You have to be looking for the great seller, the private lender who will bring you the deal of the century. You have to be willing to fight to the end to get it.

You also have to deliver value. On our first Rehabs2Riches boot camp, the hotel practically had to kick us all out at the end. I was delivering high-quality content so impactful that the attendees didn’t want to leave. They were scared they’d miss out on the golden nugget that was gonna put them over the top. They stayed until the last minute, the last second of day three, because I delivered value.

I believe that price is only an issue in the absence of value. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. I’ve had people sell their home to me over other buyers not because I offered more money — I didn’t — but because I created a value for them. The home had been their mother’s, and in the family for over 50 years. They needed to know that it was going to be treated with respect.

I understood the emotions behind that, and exercised the golden rule. I asked a few simple questions about what was most important to them, and then showed them they could trust me to respect the house.

I found that deal by operating in the red zone, and I secured it by delivering value to the seller. And it wasn’t really about real estate — it was about building a relationship, because as I always say, we’re in the people business.

And if we’re in the people business, why wouldn’t you be operating in the red zone this time of year? Holiday events, family get-togethers, and business cocktail parties — they’re all opportunities to build relationships and find the deal that will put you over the top. You’re surrounded by people who you should build relationships with, even if they can’t do business with you right now. They might refer you to someone else down the line. But you can’t be dawdling along in the green zone and expect to find it.

The deal of the century is happening this week. Stay in the red zone and go get it.

 

Dealing With “Balloon” Payments

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By Bruce Kellogg

“Amortizing” Versus “Balloon” Notes

An “amortizing” note is one where the principal amount is paid off over the term of the loan. A “balloon” note is one where the payments are not sufficient to retire the debt, and an outstanding balance is due at maturity.

What Is The Problem?

The problem arises when the borrower does not have the funds necessary to pay the “balloon” amount when it comes due. Oh, oh! So, here are some ways to deal with that!

Refinance the Property

The first recourse for an owner who wants to keep the property is to refinance either the property itself, or another property in the portfolio. This is a good approach as long as financing conditions are favorable. If conditions are not favorable, other approaches will need to be considered.

Sell the Property

If the owner does not care to own the property any longer, they can sell it and have the sale pay off the loan. Or, they can sell another property to pay off the loan. If conditions are not favorable for selling, again, other approaches will need to be considered.

Renegotiate With the Lender

This is not an ideal approach because the borrower is negotiating from an inferior position. The lender “has the upper hand” because they can always foreclose. So, the borrower should offer the lender a monetary “inducement” for an extension, either a fee, an increase in interest, or payment amount, or both. But, it gets the job done! (Unless the lender says, “No”!)

Protective Note Terms

The best way for a borrower to protect themselves from becoming in an uncomfortable position is to negotiate protective terms in the note in the first place. One might be called a “rollover clause” or an “extension”. Here, for example, the borrower gets a time extension, say two years, for a 2% interest rate increase. This must be written in the note as one of its terms.

Another approach is to convert the note into an amortizing one when the balloon payment is due. Again, these terms need to be negotiated when the note is written and included with the other terms. In some cases, lenders do not need a cash payoff and enjoy receiving reliable note payments from a proven borrower.

Bring In A Cash Partner

If the above approaches aren’t working, the borrower can bring in a cash partner. This basically involves selling a partial interest in the property for cash to pay off the “balloon”. An escrow is recommended with title insurance, and an attorney should draw up an agreement between the parties, who might not be familiar with each-other.

Return the Property to the Lender

This is the least-desirable alternative in most cases. It involves giving up. If it’s going to be done, it needs to be done right, with an escrow, deed with a “Deed-in-Lieu-of-Foreclosure” recitation, title insurance, and transfer of any rents and deposits back to the lender. The lender should cancel the note, and return the original to the borrower. The lender should also record a “Full Reconveyance” in the escrow to clear the title.

File Bankruptcy

This is an alternative, but a risky one. The day a bankruptcy is filed, a 30-day “Automatic Stay” of all collection actions is established. After 30 days, the lender can file a “Relief from Stay” request to foreclose on the property. There is a hearing, and in the case of homeowners the bankruptcy judge will urge the parties to work something out. In the case of investors, the “sympathy factor” is usually low because investors are considered to have resources and several years to handle the “balloon”. The lender is due the money, the judge is likely to rule. (i.e., no relief!)

Conclusion

A “balloon” payment is one of those things that isn’t a problem, until it becomes a problem. It is best to deal with it up-front, in initial negotiations, when the note is originated. During the term of the note, keep working to pay it off. If the due date comes and the payoff funds are not in-hand, find expert help. You’re going to need it!

Good luck!

 

Bruce Kellogg

Bruce Kellogg has been a Realtor® and investor for 36 years. He has transacted about 800 properties in 12 California counties. These include 1-4 units, 5+ apartments, offices, mixed-use buildings, land, lots, mobile homes, cabins, and churches.

Mr. Kellogg is a contributor and copy editor for two national real estate wealth-building magazines: Realty411, and REI Wealth Mag.

He is available for listing, selling, consulting, mentoring, and partnering. Reach him at [email protected], or (408) 489-0131.

TERICA KINDRED: This Girl is ON FIRE!

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By Karen A. Walker

For Terica Kindred it’s not about real estate. It’s not even about money.  For her, it’s all about freedom. Real freedom—the kind you can own…. and share.

Girl On Fire

She bought her first property, a four-plex, at age 20. By age 23, Terica Kindred owned 10 rental properties. By 24 she was a millionaire.

But it wasn’t smooth sailing from there.

At age 30, Terica lost 1.2 million, thanks to what she pithily refers to as “big drama.” Misplaced trust in a construction manager whom she realized, too late, was over his head in his responsibilities, triggered a serious loss of her own funds.

Yes, that was devastating.

But, ultimately, no worries. She’s got this. Terica has a broad view of living, and it includes ongoing learning, serving, growing and always improving.

For Terica, when you hit the wall, it’s a learning opportunity. Dust off your feet, learn from your mistakes, head in a new direction, and move on.

In a nutshell, Terica and Nike share the same motto: JUST DO IT.

Start

Born and raised in south central Los Angeles, Terica earned a computer science degree from the University of California, Irvine.

Entrepreneurial to the core, while in college she and more than 20 student colleagues developed an early computer game for mobile phones. They were going gangbusters, things were starting to take off and eventually the project needed Venture Capital (VC) funds to grow. It was an exhilarating journey… and then, suddenly, it died.  VC funders at the time just couldn’t imagine anyone playing games on their mobile phones. Yes, really!

The short-sightedness of deep-pocket investors was a significant learning moment for Terica. Lack of funding was a limitation.  Depending on someone else for funding could destabilize the trajectory of a project, or even of a life, her life.

 No Limits

Terica wanted no part of funding limitations in the future, so when the opportunity to work for Deloitte in Orange County, California, opened up, she took it. It was a good company and a good job in the field of tech solutions. But her dream was bigger than any corporation could hold.

That’s when real estate became a passion.

“I’m a landlord’s daughter,” says Kindred when asked what sparked her interest in real estate.

“I love freedom, and real estate was an easy way to get that. I quit my job before I turned 30 and earned enough residual income to cover my life using real estate. I love that!”

Although she grew up around real estate, she admits her father has a different approach from hers.  She focuses on flipping, and she’s become an expert at thoroughly having done and understanding every aspect of the business, including construction, managing costs and delivering what buyers want. Her father sighs. As she explains, “my father is a buy and hold guy. He thinks what I do is crazy!”

Most people, however, wouldn’t agree with her father. Instead, they might say she’s a positive force to be respected. No stopping her. Full steam ahead, getting wiser and better every day.

Her mother would agree on this last point, calling her daughter “unstoppable” and even becoming her first investor, with ongoing investing as she sees fit. The pursuit of freedom, it seems, is contagious.

Proof is in results

Terica’s acquired-by-doing expertise in identifying and flipping properties in more affordable locations than her native California, has paid off.  Big Time.

She first focused on building a strong passive income to replace and exceed her corporate income.  Flipping properties prudentially enabled her to cull profits to purchase rental properties that paid a monthly, residual income and provided significant tax breaks.

Terica also employed her computer science and internet marketing savvy to grow her business in ways most real estate entrepreneurs never consider, let alone master.

Moonlighting in real estate while holding down a steady job, Kindred was able to quit her job as soon as she was earning more in passive real estate income than in her corporate paycheck. It’s a strategy she advises to others.

No slowing down

In 2010 she relocated to Atlanta and hasn’t looked back since. Nor has she slowed down.

Amid increasing real estate deals and new ventures, Terica managed to convince her then-boyfriend, Jasen, who had lost his job at the time, to stop looking for a new job and to instead join her on the freedom path. He was stunned…at first. Then he took a deeper look and decided to test it out.

Turned out, Jasen liked the adventure and the profitable results. He became an integral part of the business, and of Terica’s life. They were married more than a year ago and welcomed their first child the end of last year.  Talk about adventures!

Full Circle, Giving Back

Now less than 10 years after quitting her corporate job, Terica’s third book, My Freedom Blueprint, is hot off the press.  She considers the book, and her system, a gift she’d like to share with others.

Not surprisingly, Terica penned the book while pregnant. For her it was fairly easy writing since she continues to follow and live what she advises to others.

MyFreedomBlueprint.com conveys the gist of Terica’s real estate investing strategy and options.  It includes strategies for buying, fixing and flipping properties, investing in high-yield, low-taxed income properties, lending funds to other investors for double-digit returns, wholesaling properties for quick cash and much more.

None of it evokes cheesy gimmicks or impossible promises.  Quite the opposite.

Terica’s newest venture – My Freedom Blueprint – aims to build a mutually profitable community of vetted, trusted investors who can and will help each other achieve their own freedom dreams.

For Terica, ultimately, it’s still all about freedom!

To learn more or to reach Terica, go to MyFreedomBlueprint.com.

 

Karen A. Walker is a seasoned, award-nominated journalist with a passion for real estate.

Warning to All Renters: Renting a House Could Cost You A Million Dollars

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By Lex Levinrad

The Distressed Real Estate Institute has a report called “Warning to All Renters: Renting a House Could Cost You a Million Dollars!”

The report was based on the findings of a Distressed Real Estate Institute study that looked at data on thousands of single family homes in South Florida. “We looked at historical price data for these houses and completed a market analysis of how a typical first time home buyer could benefit by purchasing one of these houses today instead of renting the same house” said Lex Levinrad Founder of the Distressed Real Estate Institute.

“What we found is that prices have actually declined so much in South Florida over the past few years that in many cases it could actually be cheaper to purchase the house than to rent it” said Levinrad. “Even after accounting for property taxes and insurance in many instances it could still be cheaper to purchase a home than to rent it”. “This is a great time to buy real estate – especially if you are a first time home buyer and you can qualify for an FHA loan” said Levinrad.

The basis of the study was a comparison of the costs of a typical 3 bedroom 2 bathroom South Florida house which would appraise for approximately $100,000. There are houses in this price point in many South Florida Cities especially in Broward County cities like Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Margate and Deerfield Beach. These houses would typically rent for approximately $1,100 per month and would cost about the same in monthly mortgage payments if they were purchased with an FHA Mortgage Loan. “Our specialty is low priced single family starter homes which are most attractive for renters and first time home buyers” said Levinrad. “We know this market well because we purchase these houses directly from the bank and we often fix them up and then sell them to first time home buyers or renters that are looking for a rent to own home”.

“Many people that are currently renting in this price point have decent credit and could get approved for an FHA Mortgage” said Levinrad. “They simply do not know that they can afford to own their own home and in most cases there is no one that is marketing to them and informing them of this fact”.

The findings of the study indicate that a typical $100,000 house could be worth as much as $1,000,000 by the year 2041. This is when the 30 year FHA mortgage would be paid off assuming that they purchased in 2011. “Owning real estate always pays off in the long term” said Levinrad. “People have very short term memories and ten or twenty years from now they will wish they had purchased a home.  Making the decision to buy a home versus continuing to rent will result in a substantially better retirement” said Levinrad.

“In many cases this will be the only opportunity in their lifetime to purchase South Florida Real Estate at an affordable price where the monthly payment could be the same amount or even less than the equivalent rent. This market crash and foreclosure crisis has created a unique situation where for the first time in many years housing is actually affordable. It is a great time to buy real estate – especially for first time home buyers” said Levinrad.

 

How To Sell A House In A Difficult Market

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By Lex Levinrad

Are you having a hard time selling your house in today’s market? As prices have declined and as sellers have become more desperate to sell it has become increasingly difficult to sell a house for fair market value.

More than 50% of the properties that are listed on the MLS are either bank owned properties or short sales. These properties are already substantially discounted for cash buyers. This fact can make selling your property for fair market value extremely challenging.

So what do you do in this type of environment if you want to sell a house? The first thing you need to do is to think outside of the box. If you are doing what everyone else is doing then you are probably going to find it very difficult to sell your house. Why? The reason is because the strategies that worked in a good real estate market will not work in a difficult market.

If you want to learn how to sell a house quickly then the first thing you need to do is review what everyone is doing and why that is not working. So what is everyone else doing? Most sellers are listing their properties with a realtor on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and are waiting for a buyer. Why does this strategy not work? This doesn’t work because listings at fair market value do not seem like a great deal to buyers and because it is very difficult for buyers to qualify for conventional financing.

The key to selling a house in a slow market is to do something differently. What you need to do is make your listing so unique, so different to all the other listings that it immediately grabs buyer’s attention. How do you do this? Do the following:

  • Price your property very aggressively i.e. way below all other retail sellers
  • Create an instant buying frenzy for your property by listing aggressively
  • Hold an open house on a Saturday and Sunday
  • Hold an auction for your property the following Saturday at 2 p.m.
  • Advertise your auction online and offline and spend some money marketing
  • Stage your property and make it nicer than all of your competitors
  • Offer to pay all closing costs for the buyers
  • Offer to pay 6% commission to buyers agents even if you are a realtor
  • Offer an incentive such as new appliances to buyers
  • Have a mortgage broker ready to pre qualify buyers on all open house days
  • Be prepared to help contribute towards the down payment for FHA buyers
  • Take a video of the property and post your video on You Tube
  • Make a postlet of your property and place the video into your postlet
  • Create a blog and syndicate your video of your property on your blog
  • Syndicate your video on Facebook, Twitter, Linked in etc.
  • Let the world know that there is going to be an auction for this property
  • Create a buying frenzy even before the auction has begun

If you do all of the above steps then you should be able to easily sell your house quickly. If you purchased a house at a good price from the bank and are selling it for a profit then your goal should be to sell it quickly and move on to the next property. Don’t let greed get in the way of common sense. Book a profit and move on to the next deal.

To your success

Lex