So Many Ways to Buy

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By Bruce Kellogg

#1 – Cash Purchase

This is the simplest method: write a check, wire the funds, etc.  But more needs to be known etc.  a) The investor needs to calculate their percent cash return on their cash invested in order to compare with other investment opportunities in front of them.  b) When buying with cash, try for a price discount.  Don’t pay “retail” unless you have to.  c) After buying with cash, take out a credit line on the property for security if times get tough.  Credit unions are good for this.  In tough times, banks often reduce or cancel credit lines, which makes banks unreliable when you need them.

#2 – Assume an Existing Loan

This involves applying to the existing lender to replace the existing borrower.  You will have to qualify as a new borrower, and pay fees.  In this low interest rate environment, it can be preferable to simply assume the loan.  Some commercial and private loans are assumable as well as institutional loans on 1-4 residential units.

#3 – “Subject to” an Existing Loan

Unlike formally assuming an existing loan, this method involves taking title to the property without disturbing the loan, and just start paying on it.  Conceptually, it is simple, but in practice it is not.  Most loans nowadays are “due on sale”, so if the lender finds out the property was transferred, they can “accelerate” the loan and call it “due and payable”.  They have the right to foreclose if they are not paid, or a satisfactory arrangement made.

#4 – Create Financing

When a property is purchased, the numbers have to add up.  If the down payment and the existing or new loans do not equal the purchase price, then financing has to be created.  Often, the seller will agree to “carry back” a created loan for the buyer to complete the purchase.  This “note” can be sold, often at a discount, or borrowed against by the seller, so they are not stuck with it.  Or, they might like it and keep it in their pension fund, for example. The terms of the loan are whatever the parties agree, as long as the terms are legal.

#5 – Create a “Wraparound” Loan

One really useful created loan is called a “Wraparound” or “All-Inclusive” loan.  This is where a loan is created that “wraps” or “Includes,” the existing loan(s), which the buyer executes in favor of the seller.  Usually , the “wrap” includes the part of the purchase price that is unpaid by the down payment.  It’s basically the “carryback” amount due to the seller over time.

There are a couple of benefits to the “wrap”.  First, it is a useful way to work with a “subject to” transaction, described above as being somewhat complicated. 

Second, if the “wrap” is written at a higher interest rate than the loan(s) enclosed in it, the seller will receive excess interest above what he is paying out.  Yields can be high with a “wrap” this way.

#6 – “Creative” Financing

This is where real estate gets “creative”.  By legal definition, personal property is any property that is not real property.  Examples of personal property are cash, corporate stock, gemstones, art, vehicles, promissory notes, and so on.  How about, instead of cash, use other personal property for the down payment?  A 4 carat diamond was used to purchase the Mt. Diablo Hotel in Contra Costa County. A mid – 1930’s 40 foot wooden motor boat (gorgeous woods) was used to acquire a triplex in Redwood City.  How about a travel trailer for a down payment?  Anything goes, sometimes!

#7 – Funds From a Whole Life Policy

In most cases, it is possible to borrow from a “Whole Life”  insurance policy and use the funds to buy real estate.  This can be investigated by reading the terms of the policy, and then discussing this with the company.  Repayment will be required, and reasonable interest will be charged, but it’s a good source of funds.

#8 – Invest Using Your IRA

Now that interest yields have been low for so long, people are moving to invest in real estate using their  Individual Retirement Account (IRA).  Investments can be made in real property or personal property such as notes, coins, paintings, securities, and so on.  Basically, the method is to move your IRA account to a “custodian” and have them buy, manage, and sell your properties at your direction.  Custodians are plentiful on the internet, and they have literature galore.  Leverage by borrowing from banks can be used to enhance the return in your IRA.  Your custodian can steer you to banks that offer to do this.

#9 – Cash to New Loan

The most common method of purchasing real estate involves the buyer putting up a cash down payment, then qualifying for a new, long-term “purchase money” loan from a bank, credit union, or mortgage broker.  Sometimes, the seller will make (i.e., “carry back”) the loan.  Usually an institution will fund the loan and either keep it in their portfolio, or, more often, they will bundle it with others and sell it as a security on Wall Street.  This replenishes their lendable funds.

Down payments vary.  Commercial loans are usually 20 – 40% down, depending upon the lender’s guidelines and risk assessment.  Owner-occupied, residential loans can be as low as 0 – 3.5% with mortgage insurance usually required.  1 – 4 unit investment properties typically require 20 – 25% cash down, but no mortgage insurance.  Lenders’ programs vary widely, including rates and fees, so comparison shopping is recommended.

#10 – Gifting

Purchasing as described in #9, above, many times offers the opportunity for the borrower(s) to receive a gift of money toward some, or all, of the required down payment.  Acceptable donors include “a relative”, defined as a spouse, child, or other dependent, or any other individual who is related to the borrower by blood, marriage, adoption, or legal guardianship.  A fiancé, fiancée, or domestic partner can also donate.

Lenders will want a “gift letter” signed by the donor stating that repayment of the gifts is not required.  Many lenders will require proof of the funds being transferred, so it is important to learn the lender’s requirements prior to transferring funds around.

#11 – Buy Defaulting Note, Then Foreclose

This method involves buying notes or mortgages that are in default at a substantial discount, then foreclosing to acquire the property.  Notes can be purchased through advertising on Craigslist, newspaper ads, direct mail to purchased lists, or websites dealing with note transactions.  Searching on the  internet will provide organizations with courses on notes.  This method can be highly profitable, but is quite sophisticated.  Additionally, foreclosing on a note usually does not afford the opportunity to conduct inspections, and a title search is essential.  Some states provide a “right of redemption” for the foreclosed borrower to recover ownership, adding further complexity and risk.

#12 – Tax Liens and Tax Deeds

In order to stay solvent, when  owners fail to pay property taxes, countries will issue tax liens or tax certificates which are sold to investors at a certain yield.  Depending upon the state, yields run from 6% to 36%, with 8 -18% being most common.  Under some circumstances, investors can foreclose and obtain ownership of the property.  Searching the internet under “tax liens” will produce teachings and organizations offering to help investors get involved.  Be advised, however, that this axquisition method is also sophisticated and has the same warnings as #11, above.

#13 – “Trade” or 1031 Exchange

A “trade” of real estate involves swapping one property for another.  An example would be if the owner of a vacant lot traded it with the owner of a mountain cabin, probably with some cash changing hands to even out the values.  One party might obtain financing, or one trader might carry back some “owner financing”.  Noteworthy here is that the trade is not a tax-deferred exchange, but just a swap.  These transactions are advertised on real estate and barter websites from time to time, saying “For Sale or Trade”, or similar.

A tax-deferred exchange is a transaction governed by Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code and is designed to defer long-term capital gains taxes for the “exchangor”, the one moving up in property.  The properties have to be “like kind”, such as real estate for real estate.  They do not have to be identical types of real estate.  For example, an airport hangar could be exchanged for a duplex.  However, they do both have to be either an investment property, or a property “used in a trade or business”.  So, a plumber who is retiring could exchange his shop building into a fourplex for retirement income.  However, an investment property CANNOT be exchanged into a property that is promptly turned into a residence after the close.  Capital gains taxes will be due.  The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued “safe harbor” guidelines for a successful exchange, so real estate, accounting, and possibly legal experts need to be used.

#14 – Syndication

When investors get together to buy a property, it is commonly called a “group investment”, which is legally termed a “syndication”.  This is usually done to allow the purchase of a larger property and provide “passive” ownership benefits for the investors.  The common types of syndications are:  1) Limited Partnership 2) Limited-Liability Corporation (LLC), and 3) Tenancy-in-Common (TIC).  Each one has an organizer who usually becomes the manager of the project.  An “offering circular” is prepared describing the project, including financial projections, organizations, management, and risks.  Investors sign a “subscription agreement” and contribute their “share” of the project.  Syndicatiions are a “security” under federal and state laws, so there are regulations to be followed concerning marketing, disclosure, handling of investor funds, management, and reporting.  Larger projects typically require the investors to be “accredited”, which necessitates a substantial income and net worth.  Syndications are easy investments, but investigation of the project and the organizer is essential due to the potential for the promoter to take advantage of the investors through slick marketing.  Additionally, if the organizer is honest yet inexperienced, the project could fail.  Don’t be afraid, but be careful with syndications.

#15 – Equity-Sharing

Another method of investing with lots of potential is “Equity-Sharing”.  This is when an investor and a potential homeowner buy a single-family residence together, and the aspiring homeowner occupies it.  They are called the “resident co-owner” (RCO), and the investor is called the “investor co-owner” (ICO).  Percentage shares are negotiable with the RCO paying the property taxes, insurance, loan payment, and routine repairs, while the ICO puts up the down payment.  There is a “Shared Equity Agreement” or “Joint Ownership Agreement”, which sets the term, allocates the income-tax benefits, and specifies how the arrangement is to be wound-up.  One party could buy out the other, or the property could be sold and the net proceeds divided.

Equity-Sharing works well between relatives.  One Lockheed engineer has seven of these going to help his children, nieces, and nephews become homeowners.  College housing is another application where the son or daughter owns part of the house with the parents then rents bedrooms to other students.

#16 – Joint Venture

A “joint venture” is where two parties undertake a project together, such as a “fix and flip” of a property.  One party usually supplies the funds, while the other supplies the expertise and management.  This is often called a “rich man, poor man partnership” and is a great way to get started.  A “Joint-Venture Agreement” describes the arrangement.  These can be found on the internet.

#17 – Contract-of-Sale

The “Contract-of-Sale”, also called “Contract for Deed”, “Land Sales Contract”, or “Land Contract” is a method of acquisition that defers the buyer’s receipt of the deed (fee ownership) until all of the contract’s terms have been fulfilled.  Meantime, the purchaserhas what is known as an “equitable interest”, an interest under the contract.  It is a security device for the  seller who is financing the transaction.  It’s a good method for selling to a buyer with a low down payment or weak credit that can be improved over time.  Since it is a contract, foreclosure requires an action in court.  Additionally, most states have a “right of redemption” where the foreclosed party has a certain period of time to pay the arrearage plus costs and recover the property.  For a purchaser, it is an easy way to begin ownership of a property.  A good practice is to obtain a quitclaim deed and record it if the contract in not fulfilled.  This cleans up the title.

#18 – Shared-Appreciation Mortgage

When the market is appreciating rapidly it is sometimes difficult to convince a seller to sell on reasonable terms, or to carry back owner-financing.  One approach to this is to create a “Shared-Appreciation Mortgage” which the seller carries back.  Usually, it involves a low interest rate, but then gives the seller a percentage of the profit at the end of the loan term.  This approach also works well in a high interest rate environment because it helps the buyer achieve a reasonable cash flow to sustain the property.  A “standard form” for this type loan is not normally available, so it’s best to have an attorney draw one up, or customize an existing one.

#19 – Option to Purchase

An option confers the right, but not the obligation, to do something.  Real estate examples include the option to purchase, option to lease, option to renew, option to extend, and so on.  Usually, a prospective buyer negotiates an option to purchase when they want the property, but sometime later.  They give the owner some agreed “option consideration” for the right to purchase the property on mutually-agreed terms on or before a specified future date.  Option consideration is frequently cash, but it could be personal property, like a used tractor, or even “personal service” where the future buyer fixes up the property before buying it.  If the option is not exercised, the owner is entitled to keep the consideration.  A good practice is to obtain a quitclaim deed and record it if the option expires without being exercised.  This clean up the title.

Options are particularly useful for reserving properties without appearing on the public record until the options are exercised.  Developers do this to accumulate parcels without “tipping off” other players in the market that they are buying.  An individual can negotiate an option in an appreciating market and exercise the option later without the costs of ownership in the meantime.  It’s an excellent way to speculate, and fortunes have been made this way.

#20 – Lease-Option

A lease-option involves leasing and taking possession of the property being optioned.  Prior to exercising the option, the property can be occupied as a residence, or leased to a subtenant.  This is a way to “tie up” a property to take advantage of an appreciating market.

Another possibility is to enter into a contract-of-sale with an owner, then lease-option the property to a tenant.  If/when the tenant exercises the option, pay off the contract-of-sale, and realize a profit.  Option consideration from the tenant can be used for the down payment on the contract-of-sale, resulting in a (nearly) cashless transaction.  This can be done repeatedly as a business model.

Two cautionary remarks:  1) ALWAYS make sure the option and lease agreements are separate documents so a judge cannot order the refund of the option consideration to the tenant by characterizing it as a rental deposit.  2) Obtain a quitclaim deed any time an option is not exercised in order to maintain a clean title.

#21 – Master Lease-Option

This method applies primarily to commercial rehabilitation projects.  The idea is to find a building that has “gotten away from” its owner and become run-down with vacancies that are not being filled.  A “Master Lease” is negotiated with the owner to take over rehabbing and re-tenanting the building, along with an option to purchase the building before an agreed future date when financing the purchase is more likely to succeed.  Since the present owner is obviously short of funds, the purchaser will have to fund the project and receive a lower price or credit toward the purchase, or both.  It is best to have a real estate attorney draw up these agreements.

 

#22 – Adverse Possession

An interesting way to acquire a property is through what is called, legally, “Adverse Possession”.  It involves taking possession of a property and continuously possessing it for a number of years specified by state law.  The years vary by state from six to thirty, with California being just seven.  Possession has to be “open”, which means coming and going at will.  It has to be “notorious”, which means it can be readily observed.  It has to be continuous, so a break disrupts the timeline.  It also has to be “hostile to the interests of the owner”, which means overstaying an invitation by the owner does not qualify.  California also requires the possessor to pay the property taxes, as well.  If all conditions are met, the possessor will sue the owner in a “quiet title action” to obtain title in their name.  This situation occurs more with rural property, and is not common, but is fun to think about! See wikipedia to learn more.

#23 – Involuntary Methods

The other acquisition methods in this series are all voluntary, except two, which are involuntary.  These are: a) Inheriting a property and, b) receiving a property as a gift.  These are mentioned for completeness, but are too simple to warrant discussion.

#24 – “Leftovers”

There are three additional ways to acquire real estate which are more like techniques that can require no cash down payment.  Here they are:

“P-Note” iivolves giving the seller an unsecured promissory note for the down payment.  This works best if the parties know and trust each-other. But it’s a viable approach.

“Sweat Equity” involves the purchaser convincing the seller to allow them to fix up the property in lieu of a down payment while the seller carries back the financing.  Doing the repairs prepares the property to obtain a new loan and, at the same time, it secures the seller’s loan more as the repairs are accomplished.

“Personal Service Contract” Involves a purchaser providing some service to the seller in lieu of a cash down payment.  Examples include a plumber re-piping the seller’s residence, or a dentist providing dental implants to the seller.

These three techniques should probably be used with the help of a real estate attorney.

Conclusion

In many parts of the country, markets are tightening, and inventory is dropping.  Investors are finding it harder to make a deal.  While the 24 acquisition techniques presented here cannot increase the supply of properties, they can open up alternative ways to capture more properties that are available.

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Bruce Kellogg

Bruce Kellogg has been a Realtor® and investor for 36 years. He has transacted about 500 properties for clients, and about 300 properties for himself in 12 California counties. These include 1-4 units, 5+ apartments, offices, mixed-use buildings, land, lots, mobile homes, cabins, and churches. He is available for listing, selling, consulting, mentoring, and partnering. Reach him at [email protected], or (408) 489-0131.

What is Your Why?

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By Grant Trevithick

Are you interested in becoming a real estate investor?  Do you want to be your own boss?  Keep all the fruits of your labor for yourself, instead of making some company or someone else rich? Do you want the freedom of owning your company, working whenever you desire?

Most of us have watched the TV shows of other people buying and flipping houses. It is amazing to see that someone can search an entire city, find the property they want, do the research to determine what the offer should be, negotiate the deal to purchase the property, secure the financing, close on the purchase, prepare the repair budget, do all the repairs, market the property, find the buyer, negotiate with the buyer, and negotiate all the requirements to finally get to the closing table. It is amazing that each of these investors do all this in only 50 minutes, with 3 to 4 commercial breaks, and always seem to make allot of money out of each house.

Wow, if it were that easy, I would want to jump into the game as well. It surely would beat having to get up each day and head into an office, attend meeting after meeting, make nice with an incompetent boss, do all my work, and then go home and do the same thing every day for the rest of my life. That does not sound like fun… so perhaps we can escape this trap by being a real estate investor. After all, I can make as much money as I make in a year doing 3 to 4 houses, at least according to the television shows.

WRONG!

Virtually every real estate investor that I have ever met only talks about the glamorous part of the business. They only talk about how much money they make and how much fun they are having. First off, most of the ones that do the talking are the ones that have never bought or sold a house (at least according to my experience).

The reality is there are two types of real estate investors: the normal real estate investor and the successful real estate investor.

The normal investor attends allot of classes and reads allot of books or online. They may even sign up with one of the local or one of the traveling mentors / gurus. They attend allot of the networking groups for investors. They may look at several properties, but have never pulled the trigger to actually buy one. They talk a good game, but are more of the posers than the doers.

Then you have the 1%. Yes, only 1%. The statistic that I heard many times is that the top 1% of all real estate investors make 98% of the money. My experience proves this out. We have trained thousands of people, while we have one of the industry highest success rates for those that have attended our training (allot of our students ended up buying houses), yet very few of them have the dedication that is required to truly be successful.

To be a successful investor, you must know What Is Your Why? Why do you want to become an investor? Are you doing this to escape a boring and a mundane life? Are you doing this just to become rich?  Why do you think that you want to be an investor?

Are you willing to work hard?  Are you willing to work 6 days a week, and sometimes 7? Are you willing to work on the holidays?  Are you going to be available to do business whenever your clients are ready? (My definition of an entrepreneur is someone that is willing to work 100 hours a week so you do not have to work 40.)

Are you willing to fail more times than you succeed? Are you willing to be discouraged and disappointed?

Are you willing to spend hours and hours in your car each day? Leaving early in the morning and get home late in the evening?  Are you willing to put 30,000+ miles on your car / truck each year?

Are you willing to work when it is 105 degrees in the summer? When it is thundering and raining? How about when it is 5 degrees and snowing?  Or icing?

Are you willing to clean out dirty nasty houses? Dealing with flea and bed bug infested houses? Drug houses? Are you willing to clean dirty kitchens, with food left over for weeks or even months? Scrub toilets that just plain nasty and disgusting?

Are you willing to listen to the most heartbreaking excuses and still ask someone to get out of the house? Are you willing to spend thousands of dollars on lawyers taking houses back when the seller uses the law to avoid paying their mortgage payments and yet do not want to move out?

Are you willing to be discouraged, wonder if you will ever buy and or sell another house again, feel like a total failure?  And still get out of bed each morning and do what has to be done?

Funny, they do not show that part of the business on television, do they?

If you cannot answer, “absolutely, sounds like fun” to each one of these, then real estate investing is not right for you.

If you can think of anything else to do that would allow you to reach your goals, then my best advice is forget being a real estate investor and pursue that other avenue. If, on the other hand, you cannot imagine doing anything else, then perhaps you might have what it takes to be successful.

Real estate investing is a marathon, not a sprint. If you do investing right, it is not a get rich quick scheme. Working our model, you can become a millionaire in a short period of time, if you are willing to work hard enough and run the business in an honest manner.

But only if you know your Why.  And only if your Why is strong enough.

For me, I love helping people. In our company, our first and primary goal is to always put our clients first and do whatever we can to help them. We buy houses that people are trapped in, giving them the financial freedom move on without the burden of their mortgage. We then sell those houses to good families that desire to have a part of the American Dream, owning their own home, but cannot get a mortgage from a bank (for whatever reason). We help investors by realizing their dreams of becoming a successful investor. And last but not least, we donate the first ten percent of all our profits to charity to help those less fortunate.

That is my why. That is what yanks me out of bed every morning, excites me to make each day as full as I possibly can, with me ready to contribute and help as many people as possible. Of course, along the way we make enough money to become financially comfortable, but our Company never makes money our number one priority. And I think that is what makes us successful.

What is Your Why?

Grant Trevithick, after a successful career in EDS and AT&T, is now the owner of Owner Finance Homes LLC and Owner Finance Academy LLC. Owner Finance Homes LLC operates throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas, buying houses and selling with owner financing. Owner Finance Academy trains people to become real estate investors using owner financing. The Company is accredited by the Better Business Bureau with an “A+” rating.

Luxury Portfolio – Million Dollar Houses are the Shortest Way to Riches

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By Laura Alamery

Luxury portfolio is definitely the quickest way to real estate riches. Have you ever heard the statement, “the surest way to make $1-Million in real estate is to invest in a $10-Million home?” There is definitely some truth to that. The great news about it is that you do not need to have one million or 10 millions to invest in a luxury portfolio – like most of the strategies I teach about real estate investing, it is a matter of knowing how to control real estate.

Luxury Portfolio:

Many real estate investors have been engaged in luxury real estate investing for decades, keeping this as the best kept secret from the masses of real estate investors dealing mainly with “regular” real estate properties, unaware of the gold mine sitting right in front of them.

Mansions follow the same wholesaling principle as smaller homes: you can flip a mansion the same way as you flip a regular home, the only difference is the profit potential. Basically add a zero to your take home check.

There has been a surge in high-end and luxury flipping nationwide. Between 2011 and today, flips of homes valued at $1 million or more have risen almost 40 percent across the United States, according to RealtyTrac, the housing data company. Two main factors have contributed to this increase in interest on accumulating a luxury portfolio: the first one, with the real estate market collapse, Wall Street investors saw an opportunity in luxury portfolio investing and moved into the mid-market with so much money that they bought nearly every foreclosure in sight, mostly to rent out. The second factor has been the exponential increase of foreign investors in the US real estate market. Last year, Chinese investors spent $12 billion on U.S. real estate, making the country the second-biggest foreign investor, just behind Canada, according to the National Association of Realtors.

With so much money circulating in real estate investing from Wall Street to international investors, some areas are a sure bet for attracting high-end buyers either as owner occupants or investors looking to increase their luxury portfolio. These are some of the most popular cities for luxury real estate investing:

  • Beverly Hills, California
  • Manhattan, New York
  • Bel Air, California
  • San Francisco, California
  • Palm Beach, Florida
  • East Hampton, New York
  • Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts
  • Miami, Florida
  • Malibu, California
  • Denver, Colorado

However all metropolitan areas offer luxury portfolio opportunities – from major cities like Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, to smaller up and coming cities like St Louis, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, all have mansions and expensive homes flipping or investing opportunities.

Now the question is “how do I find luxury homes and buyers wanting these homes?” Like I stated earlier, the concept is the same: you can flip or own and rent out a luxury home the same way as you can flip or own a “regular” home. Motivated sellers are present in every type of real estate. However you have to be aware of a very important principle – motivated sellers of luxury homes do not place their houses in the newspaper, nor do they have “For Sale” signs posted in their yards, as do traditional sellers. The target audience of motivated sellers will most likely be experiencing one or more of what I call the “Five Major Motivators”: Death, Divorce, Loss of Job, Job Transfer and Illness.

Dealing with luxury homes involves a little of a shift in strategy thinking, although the concept of investing and flipping stay the same. Once you understand how to locate motivated sellers and high-end buyers, how to negotiate with them and structure the deals, even just one closing a year can yield more than most people can make on a regular job.

Would you like to learn more about Luxury Portfolio and Real Estate Investing? Check out my exclusive training at a very special price for a limited time only!

 

Laura Alamery

Laura Alamery has been a real estate investor and mentor for almost 30 years. She has been a pioneer of several real estate investing strategies before they became mainstream, from wholesaling to raising private money. Everything she teaches has been developed from personal experience.

She runs real estate clubs in several cities from Chicago to Atlanta and South Florida.

Her focus today is to streamline the real estate investing business by simplifying the process while exponentially growing the financial results. In other words, how to truly live a financially and active lifestyle, without trading time for dollars. Her signature program is Rapid REI Riches.

Read more about Laura and connect at Lauraalamery.com 

The Housing Choice Voucher Program

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By Reggie Brooks

The Housing Choice Voucher Program, aka “Section 8” is a Housing and Urban Development Program that helps to insure that low income families, the disables and the elderly have access to safe and sanitary housing. These private market rentals would ordinarily be out of their financial reach but with assistance, these families can have access to housing where they can live with dignity.

Here’s How It Works…

In order to qualify for a Section 8 voucher, an applicant must apply to the program at a local public housing agency (PHA) that is an extension of the federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agency. The PHA will determine eligibility based on the applicant’s annual gross income and family size. Once the PHA has verified the applicant’s information with other families and approved the applicant for a voucher, the applicant becomes eligible for a voucher. In most cases, the need for assistance is greater than the resources provided to HUD and the family is placed on a waiting list until funds become available.

The voucher operates as a rent subsidy. Individuals and families who are approved for a Section 8 voucher may select a rental from the private market including an apartment, a townhome, or a single-family home.  While the PHA uses the amount necessary to rent a moderately priced home in the local market, recipients can choose to rent a home above or below that cost. They must make up the difference between the subsidy and the home’s rent. The subsidy does not cover the entire rent; recipients must pay 30 percent of their income toward their own rent.

What Does Section 8 Mean to You as a Landlord?

As a landlord, you may question whether or not you should accept a tenant with a Section 8 voucher. The program requires that the landlord must provide safe and sanitary housing for the tenant and adhere to the terms of the lease that both parties agree on.  As a landlord, these should be criteria you are already meeting. Additionally, Section 8 requires that rentals pass a housing inspection to be eligible for the program. The landlord is expected to maintain the property throughout the duration of participation in the program.

Participation in Section 8 has numerous benefits to a landlord:

  • Pre-screened tenants with verified income. The PHA verifies your tenant’s income and employment to ensure they can pay their portion of the rent. Some PHAs will turn away applicants with criminal histories. Combined with your own tenant screening process, you should be able to find excellent tenants for your rental.
  • High demand for properties. Due to a shortage of properties and an overwhelming number of applicants, demand for Section 8 housing is high.  Your property will also be listed on the Section 8 website for your area, providing free marketing to your target audience.
  • Guaranteed income.  Getting rent paid on time is one of the biggest hassles that a landlord faces, but in the Section 8 program, the rent subsidy is paid directly to you. Additionally, most voucher recipients will pay their portion on time as non-payment can risk their continuation in the program.

While there are some drawbacks for landlords, such as continuing with routine inspections to ensure the property is being maintained and some restrictions on how much rent can be charged, the benefits for a landlord are significant.

Reggie Brooks, is an international speaker, author and educator, dedicated to inspiring others to achieve personal success through real estate investment. He is also the #1 Vacant, Abandoned & Distressed Property Specialist in North America.

Having risen above a life of poverty, he has achieved what many people consider to be impossible. He went from making $36,000 per year at the local telephone company, to making over $40,000 per month in his real estate business. Today, Reggie delivers his personal philosophies for success at major business venues and expositions throughout the United States. Reggie attributes his success to faith, dedication to success, and to the invaluable coaches he has had along the way.

 

The Greatest Real Estate Investment

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By Jimmy V. Reed

Your Local Real Estate Investment Club could make you RICH!

By Jimmy V. Reed

I want to make money in real estate, but “I just don’t know how.”  Let me tell you, I cannot count how many time in 20 plus years of investing I have heard that.  I would always respond every time the same way: have you been to your local real estate club?  And the answers would vary from; I didn’t know I had one, to yeah but all they ever want to do is sell me more training.

So first up; I didn’t know I had one.  Well let’s go back about 22 years ago as I sat in my first LIVE Real Estate training class.  Let me tell you I was pumped and ready to go make my first million.  But as the class came to an end my mind started to instill some fear tactics.  Now of course I was the one in control of these infiltrations to my mind, but what starts to happen after your weekend of pumped up steroid training is reality starts to set in.  You start to question what if I cannot find a deal, or any cash, or even a buyer?  What will I do?  Well on the last day of my training the company that was teaching us allowed the local Dallas Real Estate Club Aireo to come in and give out a free pass to their next meeting.  I knew then this was the blessing I was looking for.  They actually talked to the students for about ten minutes, telling us we needed to come because there would be all kinds of investors, money lenders, title companies and even CASH Buyers!

So a few weeks went by and I went to this meeting and let me tell you it was the best thing I ever did.  That first meeting though was really scary for me; I was in a world I didn’t feel very comfortable in.  Then about ten minutes after I was there I saw a familiar face from my training class.  I went up and we started talking about our training and this club we were at, and all the folks there.  A little later we saw someone else from our class. Soon we started all forming a little Networking group, and talking about what we had learned and what our concerns were about investing.  Then we talked about the current situation we were in, the club, how we felt like the little fish in a big pond with some really Big Fish.  We really believed the seasoned investors were going to swallow us up.  Soon the meeting started and there were different folks coming up to the front and one I remembered the most was this guy named John Zarrella.  Man, he was loud and funny and was throwing out ideas I never had even heard at my LIVE training.  I thought this guy knows a lot.  What I really liked is he didn’t look like an investor.  In fact, he had long hair and even an earring in his ear.  But then I found out he was one of the guys who created the club.

Over the years I would go hear him speak and he had his own local trainings.  I attended one of the club sponsored Saturday trainings where they taught me how to fill out my local contract.  I was so happy because this was one of those things that really worried me in the beginning.  Anyway, I learned a lot in that one day training.  In fact,  there must have been a hundred people in it that day. Then I realized there were other newbie investors out there just like me.

Well let’s bring in the Second topic folks are concerned about at clubs: Sales!  At the end of the training that day I felt very sure of myself that I could actually fill out a Texas contract with no problems, especially since they gave me four examples of some already filled out.  As my wife and I started to leave we were talking with other investors who had taken the class and to my surprise they were unhappy with the class.  They were upset that the class cost what it did, and that they had already been spending too much money with all these trainings.

I was thinking to myself yeah I have spent some money but, I also knew that I needed this training if I wanted to get paid in real estate.  I saw the value of someone who already made money doing this business showing me how to do it also, and faster than me trying to do it on my own.  In fact I was sure it would have cost me more and taken longer if I would have tried to do it all myself.

A few months went by and I finally did my first deal and got paid.  I was so happy it had actually worked.  I have to tell you it did not even go as I had planned but it did work.  Years later I started doing my own trainings.  I knew if I taught people what I knew I could multiply my efforts and do more deals.

Twenty something years later that club Aireo had always been there for me to go and network with other investors, learn from the guest speakers they had, and even allowed me to put my deals I had for sale on their Deal Table.  It was still allowing me to make money, in fact in 2002 that club founder John Zarrella and I became partners in the Fort Worth real estate club.  Who would have guessed that one day I would be partners with a great investor, friend and Christian Brother, and all because I went to a real estate club?

Now I write you this story on how you can make money at your local real estate club.  Keep in mind some investors are not really investors. What I mean is they got into this business to get Rich Quick.  They really did not have the right attitude from the beginning.  They just did it for the CASH!  In fact many newbies do not support their clubs; they only go when they think there is something in it for them.  That the guest speaker is going to reveal something they have never heard before.  They seem to forget the basics, and that is the ability to network regularly with like-minded individuals who are interested in real estate.  They tell themselves I will save the money this month by not going since I really already know how to do the topic of the night.  In fact a lot of seasoned investor say the same thing.  What they forget is; one you might learn something you did not know in regards to the topic of the meeting that night. Two, who you might meet at that meeting that could change your business forever.  Oh yeah, remember they know so much that they want to skip the meeting to save the money.  First clue would be if the meeting is going to tap your wallet dry, you may not know as much as you thought.  Well I don’t mean to be harsh but think about how the rich in this country do things.  They are always looking for ways to get together to brainstorm ideas with each other.  They Network all the time, they know the value of it, it’s why they’re RICH!

In closing, that club Aireo had to finally close its doors after some 24 years of teaching and helping investors.  A few days after they did I heard from a lot of folks saying wow! how could it be? Why did it happen? Simple; you have to support the things that mean the most to you in life.  You usually won’t know what you had till it’s gone.  I hope everyone reading will go to www.Nationalreic.org , look under Real Estate clubs for your local meeting, then go to it.  Who knows, someone at that meeting may just change your life, teach you something new, and Oh yeah; make you RICH!

 

Jimmy V. Reed         

Jimmy V. Reed of Fort Worth, Texas has been investing in real estate since 1987.  In 1991, he started conducting full-day training sessions on Wholesaling.  He then began teaching and mentoring others throughout the country. He is currently the founder of the Fort Worth R.E. club www.1REclub.com and has his own real estate training company that includes Wholesale, Probate, Mentoring & a Biblically based Debt Free training course and more!

More info available at www.JimmyReed.net

 

Constructive Receipt: A Hidden 1031 Exchange Danger

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By Dr. Robert G. Hetsler, Jr.

When done correctly, a #1031 exchange can be a fairly straightforward process. However, there is often one area that catches potential exchangers off guard. The concept of constructive receipt often torpedoes the tax deferred nature of an exchange, and subjects the exchanger to immediate capital gains taxes.

So what is constructive receipt and how is it different than actual receipt? Actual receipt is easy to identify – the exchanger directly receives the sale proceeds from the relinquished property. It also doesn’t matter what form the funds take – cash or wire transfer into an account. The bottom line is if the exchanger has direct access to the funds at any time, the transaction no longer qualifies as a 1031 exchange.

But constructive receipt is slightly more elusive. Constructive receipt occurs when the exchanger has the right to receive or control funds, even if he or she does not have direct access to the funds. As an example, if an exchanger receives the proceeds in the form of a check, then he or she is deemed to have constructive receipt even if they never cash the check.

The mere act of accepting the check, made payable to the exchanger (even with no intention of cashing it themselves), cancels the exchange before it really begins. Even if the exchanger plans to immediately endorse the check over to the qualified intermediary.

Because of the concept of constructive receipt, it is critical that any investor planning to conduct a 1031 exchange brings a qualified intermediary on board before the relinquished property is sold. This eliminates the possibility of constructive receipt.

*****

If a 1031 exchange is in your future, visit our website to learn more about these powerful tax deferral tools and our qualified intermediary and replacement property locator services.

Investment Strategy: BRRRR vs. Filthy Riches

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By Larry Goins

Larry Goins on the BRRRR strategy and Filthy Riches…

Not too long ago, founder of Realty411 Magazine, Linda Pliagas and I were hanging out with some fellow investors in Texas. If you know Linda, she has a fantastic personality, is a serious magazine editor, and is great at bringing people together. She also actively invests in real estate herself. She mentioned that she was just getting ready to refinance some of the free and clear rental properties she had purchased for cash. I’m like “oh, you’re are doing the BRRRR method.” She hadn’t related the term to what she was doing, but it is a popular model being thrown around on the online forum BiggerPockets.

So, what’s BRRRR? How does it work? Is it the best solution for investors?

What is BRRRR in Real Estate Investing?

BRRRR stands for Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat.

This is a cash and cash flow real estate strategy. Investors will purchase properties for cash, or use short-term, hard money type loans to purchase property. Then dig into repairs and improvements to add value and get them rent ready. Then once that property is in shape and performing, investors attempt to refinance to get cash out and/or get better long-term financing terms, which create more cash flow. The cash extracted can be used to acquire another rental property, while keeping the previous one as a rental.

An example scenario may look something like this:

ARV: $100,000

Purchase price: $50,000

Rehab costs: $10,000

Refinance: $75,000

Ongoing rental income: $800 per month, gross, before debt service and expenses.

The Pros & Cons of BRRRR

This strategy has both advantages and disadvantages.

The Pros:

  • Can be a way to gradually scale your rental property portfolio.
  • Acting as a cash buyer to acquire houses fast and at good prices.
  • Achieving lump sums of cash and cash flow.

The Cons:

  • Slow approach to cash and wealth building.
  • Long term debt, and skimming equity can leave investors in tight spots.
  • Lots of equity tied up.
  • Headaches and risk of rehabbing and renters.
  • Reliance on refinancing.

The reliance on being able to refinance has been a risky stumbling block for many trying to use this strategy. Some have tapped out credit cards or home equity loans, and have been unable to complete renovations to a stage where they can rent or resale properties. Others haven’t been able to find lenders who will give them cash out loans. There is never a guarantee that refinancing will be possible down the road. There are just too many variables, from personal credit and paperwork requirements, to construction challenges, and a changing lending landscape.

Filthy Riches: A Simpler Strategy for Profiting from Real Estate

‘Filthy Riches’ is all about making great money, on cheaper houses. There are some similarities in these strategies. For example; the ability to generate both lump sum paydays, and cash flow.

However, the Filthy Riches plan stands out with a few additional advantages, including:

NO loans needed.

NO bank loans needed by buyers to resell your properties.

NO problem finding deals.

NO getting stuck on the next step.

NO taking on wild risks or gambling on the market.

NO fixing up properties.

NO credit checks.

NO financing delays.

NO limits on where you can buy or sell.

NO competition.

With this strategy, you can make more money on a $5,000 house than the average investor makes on a $100,000 house with the BRRRR strategy.

In fact, you can make 141.88% returns, on a $5k house, with no rehabbing, and no tenant hassles. That’s $45,563.06, back on a home bought for just $5,000! You can take those returns in monthly cash flow, lump sum payments, or a combination of both. This system allows for far easier scaling and diversification, which can rapidly put 19 deals under the control of an investor, within about 12 months.

About Me

I’ve been investing in real estate for over 30 years. I bought my first house in 1985. I’ve been a licensed broker, contractor, and lender. I’ve done all types of real estate deals during this time. This is by far one of the simplest and fastest ways to get started and grow your income through real estate. I still use it today. I have students making over $1M with this strategy in 12 states, and from at least 8 countries.

Whether you’ve been struggling to just get started, got stuck on a BRRRR deal, or want to grow your results faster, you can find out more about how this works in a FREE 7 part video series at FilthyRiches.com .

The Bottom Line

BRRRR can work. Many investors are trying it. Yet, many could get going faster, and make far better returns, with less work, and less risk, by using this proven system instead. Check out the free videos, and see exactly how it works, and if it is the right fit for you. You may be very surprised at how much easier this is!

Is Timing The Real Estate Market Possible?

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By Fuquan Bilal

Can investors really time the real estate market, or is it wiser to just consistently invest, and hold?

We all know that there can be fluctuations in real estate prices, even if values are constantly going up over time. So, is it possible to time the market? If so, what does it take? What’s the best way to do it?

Why Try to Time the Market

Trying to time the market is critical in publicly traded stocks. Stocks are now believed to be 70% or more overvalued. It can take a decade or more to recover from that, just to get back to par. There isn’t anything you can personally do about the stock prices. You just have to wait. Worse, there is no downside protection. If it goes too deep, there is a PR scandal or the industry changes, all capital may be lost. It is vital to sell before the market begins to dip, and buy again before it begins to go up, if you want to avoid negative returns.

Real estate is a little different. You can absolutely find greater bargains during tougher times, and sell high in bullish times. This strategy can absolutely help to maximize returns.

However, real estate is a tangible, hard asset, that will be there no matter what. It can also produce income, which doesn’t vary much as asset prices fluctuate. Plus, you can control the value of your real estate assets with improvements and repositioning.

Reasons Not to Try and Time the Real Estate Market

There are two main reasons that most individuals and investors shouldn’t try to time the property market. The first is that investors are notoriously bad at it. Most almost invariably wait too long to sell, and end up folding at the bottom of the market. Then they wait far too long to buy, and miss all the gains.

The second reason is that transaction costs can be high. Between time spent on due diligence and hard closing costs, you stand to lose a decent chunk of change if you sell and rebuy the same property in an effort to time it. Depending on where you are, and the fluctuation, this may be more of loss than if you just held, and received income from the property in the meantime.

Factors Involved in Timing the Market

There are an enormous amount of data points and factors to watch when trying to time the market, including:

  • Affordability
  • Interest rates
  • Treasury bond yields
  • Taxes
  • Rents
  • Building costs
  • Seasonal fluctuations
  • Supply and new constructions
  • Default rates and bank balance sheets
  • Days on market
  • Population growth and migration patterns
  • Jobs and wages
  • Local economic trends

Best Moves

There is a lot to know, learn, master and monitor to effectively time the market. If you are epically good, you can do far better than most in timing the market. Even then, you may not want to sell all your holdings, as you’ll probably want to reacquire them within 48 months or so.

At NNG, we leverage a strong research team, deep data that is way ahead of what the public sees, and maintain a strong mix of assets and strategies, so that some are being turned at their ideal timing, while others are held for consistent yields

Investment Opportunities

Find out more about investing in secured debt and real estate, go to NNG Capital Fund

 

What’s Your Best Investment Strategy?

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By Ramon Tookes

Real estate investing is and will always be one of the best ways to build wealth. As with any investment, you must have a strategy. In real estate, three main strategies are wholesale, buy and hold, and fix and flip.

Most people think that fix and flipping is my favorite strategy, but it’s really not!! My favorite is buying and holding. I really enjoy buying and holding for several reasons. One, buying and holding creates long term wealth also known as generational wealth if properly managed. My goals include leaving a legacy and properties for my children and my children’s children and so forth. This is the strategy for that. Two, buying and holding gives you the opportunity to control real estate, which is not being made any more. Three, the properties should and usually appreciate (increase in value) over time. Finally, when you buy and hold properly, you can create cash flow for saving, investing, and financial freedom.

I enjoy wholesaling. Wholesaling is making a fee for finding a property for a buyer that will successfully execute their goal. This can be done with assignments and double closings. I like this strategy because it takes away a lot of the responsibilities and stress of ownership. Wholesaling can lead to quick profits. If you are building a wholesale system, it requires hard work, which most people that want to wholesale fail to realize. There are lots of fast moving pieces in the wholesale business especially in this market. I have wholesaled hundreds of properties during my career, but have had the most headaches using this strategy.

And yes, I do enjoy fixing and flipping. I am known as “Mr. Flipology” because I teach/train investors how to properly flip real estate through my investing educational and training course called Flipology 101:the Bootcamp. This not only includes single family residences, but also land, multifamily, and commercial. I enjoy flipping because it leads to large profits, build communities, and I get a satisfaction of seeing a homeowner own a property that they love. As with the other strategies, to successfully flip, you must create systems. These systems involve lots of other people including contractors.

These strategies are implemented according to your preference and what you can use most effectively. Do not try to use one of the other because someone else is using it. Many of the properties that I wholesaled or flipped I wished that I had bought and held them. I know that this is after the fact, but most people who have built massive wealth in real estate have done so through buying and holding.

Ramon Tookes is a real estate investor, coach, author, wealth builder, public speaker, radio celebrity and developer with 20+ years of experience in the industry. Ramon currently oversees the daily operations of The Tookes Group, a firm that he founded in 2005, specializing in real estate investment consulting.

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]