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Using Skip Tracing as a Real Estate Investor

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By Joe Arias

As a real estate investor, especially a wholesale real estate investor, distress or abandoned properties are often the best homes to find under market value. Many of these homes, though, have owners who skipped town and are now just about impossible to find. Luckily, there’s a method for finding these homeowners called skip tracing. You can easily track down someone who has skipped town with no forwarding information through skip tracing as a real estate investor. Skip tracing will allow you to find the homeowner and move forward with a deal to purchase the property you’re after.

Quite a lot goes into skip tracing that you wouldn’t normally expect from real estate investors. You may have to do a little bit of digging to find the homeowner of the property you are looking to buy. Luckily there are tons of tools you can use to find someone who left absolutely zero breadcrumbs. Not only can you utilize search engines, but tons of websites have databases you can look through to find your person.

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What is Skip Tracing?

Essentially, skip tracing is the process of finding someone who has skipped town with little to no warning. They did not tell anyone where they were going and left no information on how to reach them. Despite this person leaving no trail, skip tracing is the process of searching for them or their contact information. To do this, one might hire a professional skip tracer or use their own savvy to try and locate them. There are quite a few tricks you can do on your own to find out where a person has gone even though they have not left any information. Many people utilize Google, social media, the post office, and other assets to find someone. This is considered skip tracing.

What are Skip Tracers?

There are professionals who are often private investigators, and they specialize in helping you find the owners of the properties who are incredibly hard to find. Many real estate investors hire the help of skip tracers to find the owners of properties they are interested in buying. These skip tracers typically start looking for a person by looking through public resources like utility bills, job applications, credit reports, DMV records, public property records, loan applications, background checks, and court records. They also carry out in-depth searches through multiple online databases that contain information not available to the public.

Although skip tracing costs money, it can be a huge benefit to any new or experienced real estate investor. Not many other real estate investors take the time or spend the money to hire skip tracers to find abandoned property owners. So, if there is a property owner who is extremely hard to find, you’re likely going to get to them first and have a better shot at buying the property. With competition for standard properties being high, using the method of skip tracing to beat competitors to vacant properties can be a massive advantage as you look to increase your portfolio and really start growing your wealth.

Why Do Investors Use Skip Tracing for Real Estate

As previously mentioned, abandoned homes can be really great for investors. The two investors who likely have the most interest in these homes are real estate wholesalers and real estate flippers. A wholesaler will offer the homebuyer an agreed-upon amount for the home, then they will find an interested buyer, likely another real estate investor, and connect the two. They will then make a profit based on a percentage of the final sale. While wholesalers are always on the lookout for houses that are under market value, it can be hard to get them against so much competition. When someone disappears and is hard to find, they significantly cut down the competition. Now, all the wholesaler has to do is find the homeowner and convince them to sell, and they have a profitable venture. Similarly, flippers are looking to buy homes like these because they have great potential to be repaired and sold for a large profit margin. Since all of the real estate flippers are after the same homes, finding properties like these can actually be a big break for some investors.

Is Skip Tracing Legal?

If you go through a professional skip tracer, the process is legal. Most states require skip tracers to be employed as independent private investigators who have a license with skip tracing certification options. States also have laws that dictate how you can use the information you got from skip tracing, which your skip tracer should expand upon based on your state. Make sure to only ever use a skip tracer who operates under all rules and regulations.

How to Use Skip Tracing for Real Estate

Skip tracing can actually be a very easy yet effective strategy to find property owners who have properties that are under market value. Essentially, you want to be able to find an alternate address for vacant property owners who are hard to find. From there, you’ll be able to contact them and see if they are willing to make a deal with you. Most people who have abandoned their properties are willing to accept fairly reasonable offers.

The hard part is that these property owners rarely leave details behind of their new address and contact information, so it’s almost impossible to find them once they’ve left. That’s why so many real estate investors either try their own hand in skip tracing or hire a professional.

One trick that many real estate investors try is using the United States Postal Service to get the property owner’s new address. What you do not want to do is walk into the post office and ask for their information. The post office is not obligated to provide you with their forwarding address. They are only allowed to give that information to law enforcement, licensed private investigators, or any other entity under court orders. So how do you get around this? All you have to do is send a letter addressed to the property owner at the address you wish to buy. Mail them a letter and on it, write “Do Not Forward – Return Service Requested.” Now that you wrote this, the post office will not be able to forward your letter to their new address and will have to return it to you. If they set up mail forwarding, you’re in luck! The letter will come back with a sticker on it detailing their new address. If it comes back with no address, that’s when you will have to look into skip tracing to find them.

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What to Try Before Hiring a Skip Tracer

If the post office trick didn’t work, your next step should be to use all of your resources before hiring and paying for a skip tracing service. Depending on what you need from the person, you may be able to do your own version of skip tracing and get what you need. For just an address or phone number, the internet may be your best tool.

Often information about someone can be found through a Google search, social media, or through the county assessor’s database. Many people even have their phone numbers linked to their Facebook profile without even knowing it. If they are the owner of a page or group, go into the info section and see if it has a contact email or phone number. Using social media, you may be able to look through their photos or connections’ photos and find out their new location. From there, do a Google search for their name and location and see if you can get an address or phone number. You may even be able to find them through a people search or a phone directory.

The following are a list of sites you can try to track down the property owner:

  • FindPeopleSearch.com
  • Pipl.com
  • TruePeopleSearch.com
  • PeopleSmart.com
  • PeekYou.com
  • YellowPages.com
  • AnyWho.com
  • TLO
  • Spokeo
  • Accurint

If you call a number and it’s not them, see if they have any connection to the person you’re looking for. You never know; sometimes, a dead end is just a redirection.

Hiring Skip Tracing for Real Estate Investments

Once you have exhausted your search to find the new address or phone number of the property owner on your own, you will have to look into skip tracing services.

Luckily there are plenty of skip tracing services to choose from. Speak with some of your real estate connections and see if anyone has had a good experience with a specific skip tracer. If you are unable to find a referral, do your own research. Read the reviews and make sure they look legitimate. Do not, no matter the price, hire a skip tracer who does not act ethically. It doesn’t matter how great the potential property investment is. It’s not worth breaking the law or involving yourself in sketchy practices.

Generally, skip tracing is not a very expensive service. Using a licensed investigator with skip tracing certification will only cost you around $25 per hour for their services. You could hire an unlicensed skip tracer for around $18 per hour, but it’s not worth the risk over such a small price difference.

What to Do If You Don’t Find the Owner

If you’ve exhausted all of your resources and you cannot find the owner of the property that you want to buy, just put this effort on pause. Move on to other projects and start looking for other properties that you find to be good investments. Add this property and any evidence you found into a spreadsheet where you can keep all skip tracing leads. After a few months, revisit your sheet and do a quick search on a few of the tools provided in this article. While there may not have been any information on the homeowner a few months ago, they may have down something to now appear in a search. Continue to do this every few months until either the property is sold, too run down, or you’ve moved on to different business ventures.

Summary

Skip tracing real estate is not for everyone. If you are a real estate investor looking to get into property management, you likely do not need to waste your time tracking down owners of abandoned homes. On the other hand, if you are someone who is just starting out in real estate, this might be a good thing to try. It could get you a step ahead of your competition, and you may be able to strike a really good deal with the homeowner, as they will likely be motivated to buy. If you are in the business of wholesaling or flipping homes, skip tracing is also something you may want to consider for your business. While it’s a lot more effort than other methods, it has a potentially great payoff if you succeed.

Joe Arias and his partners have flipped hundreds of properties in the Southern California Region. He has developed cutting-edge systems to simplify and scale the entire remodel process that can easily be applied to flipping, rentals, wholesaling, and other passive income strategies. More recently, Joe founded a real estate investing education company called RealSuccess Investments, allowing him to share his tools and systems with hundreds of up-and-coming investors. 

RealSuccess is focused on education on flipping, rentals, passive income, and wholesaling.

Joe is also a best-selling author. He has written 4 books: Finding your RealSuccess, First Steps to Flipping, R stands for Rentals and Retirement, and Wholesaling Real Estate.

“I came from Argentina when I was 20, I am 40 years old now. I didn’t know anyone, I am CERO generation, usually people say, I am first or second generation but I was the one that crossed the border, no language, no friends, no family, no money, nothing, nada… If I can do it, anyone can.”

From a young latino immigrant  to a celebrated real estate investor, Joe is a true testament to hard work and discipline. As an investor, he has made it his mission to help others achieve financial freedom while enjoying living a life of passion, fulfillment, and empowerment.

RealSuccess Website

www.ourrealsuccess.com

Personal Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/joeariasinvestor/

Real Estate Investment- Instagram: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realsuccesseducation/

Video For Finding Money from All Day Training (10 Hour Seminar)

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/528446162

1 Hour Webinar

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/530996751

Amazon Book#1:

Amazon Book#2

Learn live and in real-time with Realty411. Be sure to register for our next virtual and in-person events. For all the details, please visit Realty411Expo.com or our Eventbrite landing page, CLICK HERE.

How Much Should I Charge For Rent On My Income Property?

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By Joe Arias

Becoming a real estate investor gives a person the fantastic opportunity to generate passive income, but if you want to be successful, you need to have a strategy. According to HUD, there are between 10 million and 11 million individual investor landlords managing an average of two units each in the United States. While it may be somewhat easy to become a landlord, it is challenging to be a successful landlord who brings in a profit each month.

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Being a landlord should be treated like being a business owner and should include a business plan. Your income property business plan should include things like financing options, marketing strategies, budgeting for maintenance and repairs, and your long-term goals. It should also include identifying your ideal tenant but be wary of fair housing laws. When determining who you would like to rent to helps you narrow down the type of amenities your property should have. Prospective tenants may demand specific amenities like a pet-friendly rental with a yard or that the unit is within close proximity to public transportation and schools. These amenities may call for higher rental rates but could also come with their own headaches and affect your return on investment.

Residential Properties

Single-family home or townhome, condo, or manufactured, pricing strategies are pretty much the same. Many landlords use the 1% rule. This rule suggests charging 1% of the home’s value for rent. In reality, it is not that simple and there are other factors to consider.

Where Should I Start?

Whether you are getting ready to purchase an investment property or preparing to put it on the rental market due to tenant turnover, when deciding how much to charge for monthly rent you need to figure out a rental price that is high enough to cover your mortgage and operating expenses while ultimately giving you extra cash each month. But, you can’t just set a rental rate based on how much profit you’d like to make on your rental property. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Many factors go into determining how much to charge for rent. Let’s discuss them.

First, let’s talk about market rent. Market rent refers to the average rent price for a rental property and is determined by the real estate market value. When you get ready to list your property for rent, it is essential to see what your competition, other landlords, are charging for their rates. Some factors which affect the amount you can charge in rent are:

  • Square footage
  • Number of bedrooms
  • Number of bathrooms
  • Garage or covered parking spaces
  • Pet policies
  • Property type (single-family home, condo, etc.)

It is a good idea to research property values in the area where your property is located. This part of the process should be pretty simple. You can either look at one of the many online home search websites to do your research or ask your real estate agent to give you access to an online portal through your local MLS. Either way, you will be able to see what is available in your area filtered out by the homes that have similar features.

Depending on the type of property you have purchased, there may not be an identical comp to base your price on. One way around that is to look at the price per square foot in your neighborhood in properties as similar as you can find. Even if your property is 1200 square feet and the house down the street that just got rented out is 1600 square feet, you can still look at that number to help you determine your rate. So if the 1600 square foot house rented for $2,000 per month, that would make the price per square foot $1.25. You could then base your price on that number by multiplying $1.25 by 1200.

Rental Property Expenses

As we discussed, you cannot just set a rental price based on how much money you need to make in order to cover expenses and generate a profit. At the same time, you need to be aware of your costs so that you can set the price high enough to make a profit. When determining how much you will need to charge for rent each month, there are some additional, not so fun considerations to take into account.

These include:

  • Mortgage payments
  • Property taxes
  • Insurance
  • HOA fees
  • Property management fees
  • Maintenance fees
  • Rental income taxes
  • Utilities

Each of these items are additional expenses that you will have to cover and can vary by city or even neighborhood you purchase in. These fees are typically the same year-round, so it is somewhat easy to put them into your plan when working to determine the monthly rental rate.

Commercial Properties

The process of arriving at a rental rate on your commercial property is similar to that of a residential home.

You will need to look at similar properties to what they are renting for, just like you would with a residential property. In general, you would look at the property’s size, location, and number and type of tenants that the property currently has. In addition to these somewhat basic factors, you also need to consider the following:

Charging by usable square footage: This is the amount of space that the tenant uses alone, not including common areas that any tenant can use. So in an office building, it would be the actual office space versus the building’s lobby.

Leases are much more complicated: There are multiple ways to enter into a commercial agreement lease, here are three primary lease structures:

  • Triple Net – Tenants pay their base rent plus taxes and insurance on the building. These are the most common types of leases.
  • Full-Service Gross – Tenants pay the landlord on fee, and the landlord is then responsible for all other expenses like taxes, insurance, maintenance, and utilities. These types of leases are common in office properties.
  • Modified Gross – Landlords pass on some but not all of the cost of utilities, maintenance, janitorial, etc.

As the landlord, you will have to figure out much to charge for base rent and calculate how much the additional expenses will be. You still want your lease price to be attractive to potential tenants and competitive against other property managers.

Something else to consider is that commercial leases tend to last for more extended periods of time. Typically the lease period can be three to five years, so it is imperative to choose an amount that will hold up to that longevity.

Unless you are a seasoned investor, it may be wise to work with a property manager to help you with the day to day dealings. They can even help you determine how much to charge in rent.

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There is So Much to Consider, and I’m Overwhelmed

Looking at all of these factors is overwhelming. Rental rates can change by the week, and doing all of this research only to find that prices have increased or decreased before you can get the property listed can be discouraging. It is essential to understand why prices change so quickly. Like any other product on the market, supply and demand is always a factor in how much something costs.

Some landlords may choose supply and demand as the only factor in determining a rental rate. Others may place their rates somewhere in between the neighborhood market rate and HUD’s fair housing rate. Whatever strategy you choose, make sure your property stacks up to other properties in the area and you should be okay.

Final Thoughts

Pricing your investment property, be it residential or commercial, is one of the most important factors in being a successful investor. If you do not charge enough to cover all of your expenses, you will lose money making your investment a bust. Very simply, look at the current market rates based upon the size and condition of your property in order to determine how much to charge for rent.

Joe Arias

Joe Arias and his partners have flipped hundreds of properties in the Southern California Region. He has developed cutting-edge systems to simplify and scale the entire remodel process that can easily be applied to flipping, rentals, wholesaling, and other passive income strategies. More recently, Joe founded a real estate investing education company called RealSuccess Investments, allowing him to share his tools and systems with hundreds of up-and-coming investors. 

RealSuccess is focused on education on flipping, rentals, passive income, and wholesaling.

Joe is also a best-selling author. He has written 4 books: Finding your RealSuccess, First Steps to Flipping, R stands for Rentals and Retirement, and Wholesaling Real Estate.

“I came from Argentina when I was 20, I am 40 years old now. I didn’t know anyone, I am CERO generation, usually people say, I am first or second generation but I was the one that crossed the border, no language, no friends, no family, no money, nothing, nada… If I can do it, anyone can.”

From a young latino immigrant  to a celebrated real estate investor, Joe is a true testament to hard work and discipline. As an investor, he has made it his mission to help others achieve financial freedom while enjoying living a life of passion, fulfillment, and empowerment.

RealSuccess Website

www.ourrealsuccess.com

Personal Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/joeariasinvestor/

Real Estate Investment- Instagram: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realsuccesseducation/

Video For Finding Money from All Day Training (10 Hour Seminar)

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/528446162

1 Hour Webinar

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/530996751

Amazon Book#1:

Amazon Book#2

Learn live and in real-time with Realty411. Be sure to register for our next virtual and in-person events. For all the details, please visit Realty411Expo.com or our Eventbrite landing page, CLICK HERE.

Best Selling Home Plan

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By Joe Arias

At this very moment, home is not just a place to live or a shelter from harsh weather. Home also reflects the personality of the people living there. Nevertheless, home has now become an investment that a person can have. Lots of people invest their money in the form of their own home. And they invest a huge amount of money in it.

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Before we come to how to sell your home plan, let us talk about the home plan itself. A home plan is what people need to build their homes. Home plans can seem like a complicated thing because you have to consider a lot of factors and try to sort them one-by-one and listing which things need to be put into your home plan. You have a lot of things that you want them to be as a part of your home plan. However, you have to be very careful in selecting the right composition of your home plan to be a very lovely home.

You can also try to list the pluses or minuses of your old home and you can also ask some friends suggestions to make a perfect and beautiful home plan. Make a home plan that is attractive to the homebuyers. Put something different that you think has never been made into your home plan such as an energy-wise design. You also have to consider the size of the house, if it’s going to be a one-story or two-story home, how many rooms there are, how many bathrooms, etc. After that, you can start to calculate the estimated price of your home, but this can be done later.

Besides that, you also have to consider the home’s location that you plan to build your home. Create a home that “fits in” with its surrounding environment. Never make a home plan that is not suitable for the surroundings; it would make the homebuyers hesitate to buy your home plan.

Nowadays, it can be easier to make a home plan because there are lots of tools that make a home plan an easy task. On the Internet, we can also find lots of interesting home plans and get some ideas from there and know which kind of house that most people want to have as their home plan. You can also put your home plans there. This is the easiest and fastest way to sell your home plan.

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As we see now, some people invest their money in their home. Other people will give away a lot of money just to have the right home plan that suits his or her desires. Now it is your turn to be a home planner and make the very best purchase from your home plans.

Joe Arias and his partners have flipped hundreds of properties in the Southern California Region. He has developed cutting-edge systems to simplify and scale the entire remodel process that can easily be applied to flipping, rentals, wholesaling, and other passive income strategies. More recently, Joe founded a real estate investing education company called RealSuccess Investments, allowing him to share his tools and systems with hundreds of up-and-coming investors. 

RealSuccess is focused on education on flipping, rentals, passive income, and wholesaling.

Joe is also a best-selling author. He has written 4 books: Finding your RealSuccess, First Steps to Flipping, R stands for Rentals and Retirement, and Wholesaling Real Estate.

“I came from Argentina when I was 20, I am 40 years old now. I didn’t know anyone, I am CERO generation, usually people say, I am first or second generation but I was the one that crossed the border, no language, no friends, no family, no money, nothing, nada… If I can do it, anyone can.”

From a young latino immigrant  to a celebrated real estate investor, Joe is a true testament to hard work and discipline. As an investor, he has made it his mission to help others achieve financial freedom while enjoying living a life of passion, fulfillment, and empowerment.

RealSuccess Website

www.ourrealsuccess.com

Personal Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/joeariasinvestor/

Real Estate Investment- Instagram: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realsuccesseducation/

Video For Finding Money from All Day Training (10 Hour Seminar)

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/528446162

1 Hour Webinar

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/530996751

Amazon Book#1:

Amazon Book#2

Learn live and in real-time with Realty411. Be sure to register for our next virtual and in-person events. For all the details, please visit Realty411Expo.com or our Eventbrite landing page, CLICK HERE.

CREDIBILITY: ONE OF THE MOST OVERLOOKED ITEMS IN REAL ESTATE

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By 

Building credibility takes years of work but can easily be lost all in a single moment. In real estate, professionals and investors often find success through their networks. Having connections with the right people and having an equally good reputation encourages others to want to do business with you. Whether you are an agent, mortgage broker, investor, or even just a regular buyer, credibility is a critical backbone of your potential success and is oftentimes overlooked.

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In all aspects of life, nobody wants to associate or do business with someone that is not credible. That is why it is most important to maintain a positive reputation and image especially in real estate. The better credibility you have, the more people will want to work with you. There are certain ways you can show credibility with your network or clients in real estate.

Certifications or Credentials

If you are a real estate professional, a certification/credential will demonstrate that you went through the proper channels to earn an education in the field that you are involved in. It demonstrates that you have the know-how and knowledge to properly guide your clients in the right direction. In addition, it can provide additional peace of mind for buyers as they know they are dealing with a highly educated and certified professional.

Maintain A Positive Track Record

For both real estate professionals and investors, showing a consistent and positive track record demonstrates that you have a track record for success and have proven credibility that you know what you are doing. This is important whether a real estate professional is working with clients and can provide referrals/history of past transactions or even for investors who need to raise money and demonstrate that they have a history of securing good deals that benefit all involved.

Stay Honest and Trustworthy

Nothing can destroy credibility more than dishonesty and breaking trust. It can take years to build credibility, but it can come crashing down with one poor judgment call. This is not a difficult competency to follow. Stay true to yourself, your clients, and your partners and you are guaranteed to maintain a strong credibility. You want to be the person that everyone can count on. It’s a simple best practice that pays dividends towards your network and your overall business.

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Leverage Social Media

Your social media pages can be your biggest asset or your worst enemy. These days, anything on the internet can be found. If you are operating in real estate, you’ll want to update your social media to look professional and presentable across all platforms. Anyone you are looking to do business with can simply google your name and all your social media pages come up. Depending how you utilize this asset, it can either help boost your credibility or hurt you in the long run.

Overall, credibility is important in real estate and without it, you’ll find yourself having a harder time closing deals and generating success. By following these simple best practices on establishing credibility, you too can improve your real estate network and success.

Joe Arias and his partners have flipped hundreds of properties in the Southern California Region. He has developed cutting-edge systems to simplify and scale the entire remodel process that can easily be applied to flipping, rentals, wholesaling, and other passive income strategies. More recently, Joe founded a real estate investing education company called RealSuccess Investments, allowing him to share his tools and systems with hundreds of up-and-coming investors. 

RealSuccess is focused on education on flipping, rentals, passive income, and wholesaling.

Joe is also a best-selling author. He has written 4 books: Finding your RealSuccess, First Steps to Flipping, R stands for Rentals and Retirement, and Wholesaling Real Estate.

“I came from Argentina when I was 20, I am 40 years old now. I didn’t know anyone, I am CERO generation, usually people say, I am first or second generation but I was the one that crossed the border, no language, no friends, no family, no money, nothing, nada… If I can do it, anyone can.”

From a young latino immigrant  to a celebrated real estate investor, Joe is a true testament to hard work and discipline. As an investor, he has made it his mission to help others achieve financial freedom while enjoying living a life of passion, fulfillment, and empowerment.

RealSuccess Website

www.ourrealsuccess.com

Personal Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/joeariasinvestor/

Real Estate Investment- Instagram: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realsuccesseducation/

Video For Finding Money from All Day Training (10 Hour Seminar)

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/528446162

1 Hour Webinar

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/530996751

Amazon Book#1:

Amazon Book#2

Learn live and in real-time with Realty411. Be sure to register for our next virtual and in-person events. For all the details, please visit Realty411Expo.com or our Eventbrite landing page, CLICK HERE.

Starting Ideas for the New Real Estate Investors

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By Joe Arias

Thinking of investing in real estate? You’ve come to the right place. Real estate has created financial independence for many throughout the years. Ordinary people have created significant wealth for themselves thanks to the power of real estate. By starting your journey with the right ideas, then you can begin reaping the rewards real estate has to offer.

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Education

No, you do not need a college degree to start investing in real estate. However, you should spend as much of your time as possible learning about investing in real estate. Knowledge is power and the more you learn about real estate, the better chances you have for succeeding. There are a variety of resources for you to learn real estate. It may seem overwhelming but that is a common feeling for many as real estate has so many categories and details. The best thing you should do is just get started. Pick up an interesting real estate book. Watch YouTube videos or listen to podcasts. Join your local real estate group. Talk with an agent. There are so many activities you can take advantage of to start your path towards learning more about real estate.

Finances

Another starting point on your journey towards investing in real estate is figuring out your current financial situation. How much liquid capital do you have access to? How much are you willing to invest? What is your current credit score? These are some of the many questions you should start asking yourself. It is not enough to know everything there is about real estate. You should also develop a strong financial literacy because finances play a big role in your ability to secure deals. A great strategy is to save as much money as you can while you are educating yourself about real estate. That way, by the time you are confident to start investing, you will have access to the capital you need to get started.

Goals

What are your goals? Do you want to achieve financial independence? Are you interested in flipping properties or would you prefer to start buying income-producing properties? Truly think about what you are looking to achieve out of the real estate and write them down. You should revisit your goals daily and weekly. You must be laser-focused when chasing your goals. Also, don’t forget to work backward. What steps will you need to take to achieve your goals? There are so many different options available when it comes to real estate. Think about which path you’d like to take and what outcomes you are looking to achieve.

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Final Thoughts

By starting with the right ideas, you can set yourself up for success by thinking about the necessary actions that you will need to take to begin investing in real estate. Thinking about educating yourself, understanding your finances, and developing your goals is a great place to start when beginning your journey towards investing in real estate. Take action today and start thinking through the suggested ideas or to begin your journey.

Joe Arias and his partners have flipped hundreds of properties in the Southern California Region. He has developed cutting-edge systems to simplify and scale the entire remodel process that can easily be applied to flipping, rentals, wholesaling, and other passive income strategies. More recently, Joe founded a real estate investing education company called RealSuccess Investments, allowing him to share his tools and systems with hundreds of up-and-coming investors. 

RealSuccess is focused on education on flipping, rentals, passive income, and wholesaling.

Joe is also a best-selling author. He has written 4 books: Finding your RealSuccess, First Steps to Flipping, R stands for Rentals and Retirement, and Wholesaling Real Estate.

“I came from Argentina when I was 20, I am 40 years old now. I didn’t know anyone, I am CERO generation, usually people say, I am first or second generation but I was the one that crossed the border, no language, no friends, no family, no money, nothing, nada… If I can do it, anyone can.”

From a young latino immigrant  to a celebrated real estate investor, Joe is a true testament to hard work and discipline. As an investor, he has made it his mission to help others achieve financial freedom while enjoying living a life of passion, fulfillment, and empowerment.

RealSuccess Website

www.ourrealsuccess.com

Personal Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/joeariasinvestor/

Real Estate Investment- Instagram: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realsuccesseducation/

Video For Finding Money from All Day Training (10 Hour Seminar)

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/528446162

1 Hour Webinar

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/530996751

Amazon Book#1:

Amazon Book#2

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Categories of Real Estate Investment

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By Joe Arias

The biggest mistake you can make when investing in real estate is believing there is only one way to invest. You probably have watched several shows on TV and assume the number one way to invest in real estate is a fix and flip deal. However, this is only one niche out of the many that allow you to invest in real estate and generate long-term wealth.

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Before going into detail around which categories are available to invest in within the real estate industry, it is best to start with writing down what your goals are. This will ensure you choose the right category that aligns with your level of risk tolerance along with your lifestyle. Some investments like fix and flips require more involvement on your part compared to other options like buying and holding rentals. Another factor to consider is your budget. Maybe you have heard of strategies involving no money down deals and those certainly exist. However, for the majority of investors, you will most likely require some kind of funding towards your first deal. Based on criteria set by your goals, lifestyle, and budget, you can choose from a category that matches your tolerance for investing.

A final note when considering investing in real estate. Don’t leave everything up to the experts. Here at RealSucces we highly recommended that you take the time to educate yourself on how to invest in the category you choose. Do the homework first while saving capital to begin and you will be well-positioned to begin your journey towards creating long-term wealth through real estate.

Invest in REITs – Real Estate Investment Trusts

Wonder how you can take a more liquid position in a real estate investment without worrying about or owning a physical property? A REIT is a low barrier way to begin your journey into investing in real estate. REITs are easily bought like stocks and available on the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ. You are buying into companies that own real estate such as residential, commercial, and industrial based properties. Simply use your existing brokerage account or a new one to purchase REITs and earn income in two ways. First, REITs pay a high dividend compared to traditional blue-chip stocks. Second, like a stock, the value of the REIT share can go up which you earn money through appreciation.

Buy and Hold Rentals

Most outsiders associate that being a landlord requires answering the midnight call to unclog a few toilets and criticize that tenants hardly pay rent. That couldn’t be further from the truth. First of all, if you set up your investment correctly, you never have to worry about this at all. You can simply hire a property management group to take care of managing your tenants. Oh and worried about bad tenants? You shouldn’t be. You are the one who gets to vet and filter through who you believe should be best placed in your investment property. Unless of course, you allow your property manager to do it for you. You are given financial records, references, and can request additional information to best vet through the right tenants. Investing in long term rentals is a great way to generate cash flow that can pay for many of your expenses.

Fix and Flips

The traditional fix and flip investment is the most commonly referenced way to invest in real estate. Yes, this requires more of your upfront effort but when you sell the home, you can pocket several thousands of dollars that make it all worth it. While businesses are built on the fix and flip model. Just do your research and see if this approach aligns with your level of involvement you’d like to have in your investment.

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There Is More!

Three of the many ways to invest in real estate have been mentioned but there are so many more creative ways to invest. Short-term AirBNB rentals, rent by the room, online real estate platforms, hard money lending, and so many more creative categories exist when investing in real estate. At RealSuccess we give you the tools you need to achieve your goals. The most important thing to remember is to write down your goals and align with the investing strategy that works with your lifestyle and needs.

Joe Arias and his partners have flipped hundreds of properties in the Southern California Region. He has developed cutting-edge systems to simplify and scale the entire remodel process that can easily be applied to flipping, rentals, wholesaling, and other passive income strategies. More recently, Joe founded a real estate investing education company called RealSuccess Investments, allowing him to share his tools and systems with hundreds of up-and-coming investors. 

RealSuccess is focused on education on flipping, rentals, passive income, and wholesaling.

Joe is also a best-selling author. He has written 4 books: Finding your RealSuccess, First Steps to Flipping, R stands for Rentals and Retirement, and Wholesaling Real Estate.

“I came from Argentina when I was 20, I am 40 years old now. I didn’t know anyone, I am CERO generation, usually people say, I am first or second generation but I was the one that crossed the border, no language, no friends, no family, no money, nothing, nada… If I can do it, anyone can.”

From a young latino immigrant  to a celebrated real estate investor, Joe is a true testament to hard work and discipline. As an investor, he has made it his mission to help others achieve financial freedom while enjoying living a life of passion, fulfillment, and empowerment.

RealSuccess Website

www.ourrealsuccess.com

Personal Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/joeariasinvestor/

Real Estate Investment- Instagram: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realsuccesseducation/

Video For Finding Money from All Day Training (10 Hour Seminar)

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/528446162

1 Hour Webinar

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/530996751

Amazon Book#1:

Amazon Book#2

Learn live and in real-time with Realty411. Be sure to register for our next virtual and in-person events. For all the details, please visit Realty411Expo.com or our Eventbrite landing page, CLICK HERE.

HOW TO MAKE MONEY IN REAL ESTATE

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By Joe Arias

Real estate is one of the best investment vehicles in the world to make money. The versatility of real estate truly provides an opportunity to invest in a variety of different ways. No matter your background, experience, or financial situation, there is a way for anybody to get started in real estate today.

Why invest in real estate? Did you know in the last two centuries, over 90% of the world’s millionaires have been created by real estate? When it comes to investing in real estate, there are multiple different ways for investors to make money in real estate. Examples include passive income through rentals, appreciation from property prices increasing, flipping, and so many more creative ways. No matter your style or risk tolerance, real estate will present a way to make money to match your goals.

Fix and Flip

One of the most common ways investors make money in real estate is through fix and flips. In a nutshell, the goal is to purchase a home in disrepair below market price, remodel and fix up the home, and then put it back on the market to sell for a hefty profit.

Savvy investors can scale their business to accommodate over 100 flips per year. The average gross profit from a flip is about $62,700. Multiply that by any number of flips and you can see why so many investors are interested in fix and flips. A best practice is to buy in appreciating markets where the forced appreciation from fixing the home can also ride the demand within the market.

When analyzing deals, you’ll want to use comparable homes to understand what the potential price can be of your fix and flip. Consider factors based on your market. In certain markets, the value of the home may judge more on the square footage of the home. In others, it depends on the renovations more than the square footage. Look for opportunities for improvement. Can you add a bathroom or bedroom?

Also, remodeling kitchens are more important than the actual bedrooms. Many different strategies go into a fix and flip. Just understand that ultimately, your knowledge of the market and your ability to secure a deal under the market will help increase your chances of completing a successful flip.

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Buy and Hold

Another popular way to invest in real estate is through buying and hold rentals. This involves purchasing a property to rent out either for the short run or long term. Through buy and hold real estate, an investor can generate passive income by collecting rent each month. The way you make money is when buying the property, your expenses should be lower than what you are renting for.

Anything in between your expenses and the rental rate is your profit. Let’s say you buy a house for $150,000 and your monthly expenses that include mortgage, taxes, and insurance equal to about $1,000. You rent the house for $1,300. The net cash flow that you collect is $300 a month after everything. That’s $3,600 a year just from one investment. Again, multiply that number by the number of properties you’d like to own, and that number grows rapidly. At the same time, if you have a mortgage on the home, your home, each money you are gaining equity as you pay down the principal. Another includes appreciation. Real estate typically grows at a rate of 3.0% or higher depending on the market.

Over time your initial investment will be worth more. For those investors interested in passive income, Buy and Hold is a fantastic strategy to make money in real estate.

REIT

If buying real estate directly is not your interest, another possible way to still take advantage of earning an income from real estate without owning is buying into a REIT. A REIT is a real estate Investment Trust. You can buy a REIT the same way you would buy a stock which makes it more appealing to some investors. Usually, publicly-traded real estate investment companies that buy different real estate assets are what makeup REITs.

The advantage of buying a REIT is that they offer a high rate of return in the form of dividends. Some REITs even payout monthly. It is not uncommon to find a REIT that pays out over 5% return in the form of a dividend. The cash flow these companies generate from their rentals is passed onto their investors.

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However, unlike stocks, REITs typically don’t appreciate the way that stocks like Apple and Tesla do. Be wary that if you are looking to double or triple your money, a REIT probably is not the solution for you. That said, if you are looking to park your money and generate some form of passive income, a REIT may be a type of real estate investing that you may want to take a look at.

One other benefit behind a REIT is the barrier of entry. The fact is, as long as you have an account to buy stocks and REITs on, you can buy individual shares of a REIT and slowly grow your account. This is great for beginners that are looking for some form of cash flow.

Where To Start?

If you want to make money in real estate, consider investing in yourself and doing what it takes to learn about real estate. Additionally, you’ll want to get your finances in order as that is critical when it comes to buying real estate. Look into the different ways to invest in real estate and see which approach aligns best with your lifestyle and risk tolerance. Not everybody has the time to invest in flips and manage a rehab. Understanding which style of investing matches your goals is important before getting started. Speak to a few experts and gain some additional insight. Before long, you too can be making money through real estate.

Joe Arias and his partners have flipped hundreds of properties in the Southern California Region. He has developed cutting-edge systems to simplify and scale the entire remodel process that can easily be applied to flipping, rentals, wholesaling, and other passive income strategies. More recently, Joe founded a real estate investing education company called RealSuccess Investments, allowing him to share his tools and systems with hundreds of up-and-coming investors. 

RealSuccess is focused on education on flipping, rentals, passive income, and wholesaling.

Joe is also a best-selling author. He has written 4 books: Finding your RealSuccess, First Steps to Flipping, R stands for Rentals and Retirement, and Wholesaling Real Estate.

“I came from Argentina when I was 20, I am 40 years old now. I didn’t know anyone, I am CERO generation, usually people say, I am first or second generation but I was the one that crossed the border, no language, no friends, no family, no money, nothing, nada… If I can do it, anyone can.”

From a young latino immigrant  to a celebrated real estate investor, Joe is a true testament to hard work and discipline. As an investor, he has made it his mission to help others achieve financial freedom while enjoying living a life of passion, fulfillment, and empowerment.

RealSuccess Website

www.ourrealsuccess.com

Personal Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/joeariasinvestor/

Real Estate Investment- Instagram: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realsuccesseducation/

Video For Finding Money from All Day Training (10 Hour Seminar)

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/528446162

1 Hour Webinar

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/530996751

Amazon Book#1:

Amazon Book#2

Learn live and in real-time with Realty411. Be sure to register for our next virtual and in-person events. For all the details, please visit Realty411Expo.com or our Eventbrite landing page, CLICK HERE.

WHOLESALING REAL ESTATE FOR BEGINNERS

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By Joe Arias

Wholesale real estate is a great way to get some real estate investor experience without spending tons of money. Like any other real estate investing method, you should make sure this aligns with your goals and personal interests before getting started. In this article, we’ll help you better understand wholesale real estate for beginners so you can identify if it’s the right choice for you as you get started in real estate investing.

What is Real Estate Wholesaling?

Essentially, you would act as the “wholesaler.” Your job is to acquire a contract to sell from someone looking to sell a property. You would then find someone interested in buying the property – usually a real estate investor – and you will sell them the contract. Never at any point do you buy or sell the property. Instead, you find properties selling from slightly less than market value and connecting them to buyers for a fee. Many people like wholesaling real estate as beginners in investing because it doesn’t require you to invest any money in the properties. It’s relatively low risk and can have a low turnaround time.

Real estate wholesaling is completely legal, despite the debate around it. This is because the wholesaler is never actually selling the property, just the ownership of the contract to buy the property.

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How do You Make Money Through Real Estate Wholesaling?

As a wholesaler, your job will be to find properties that are being sold under market value. Once you get into contact with the property seller, you will work with them to get a purchase contract. You will have to do your research and provide your seller with information on the value of their home and why they should work with you. Once you get the contract, you will find a real estate investor interested in the property. You will then sell the purchase contract to the buyer. You earn your revenue through a wholesaling fee attached to connecting the buyer and the seller. This is typically a percentage of the overall cost. To reiterate, you are only selling the contract to purchase the property, not the property itself.

Many buyers like working with wholesalers because they do all of the work of finding the properties, assessing the value, and negotiating with sellers. Despite having to pay the wholesaling fee, it’s often still worth the extra cost.

The Pros of Wholesaling Real Estate for Beginners

Valuable Real Estate Knowledge and Experience

If you want to gain connections and knowledge about real estate without the financial risk, wholesaling real estate is excellent for beginners. You still learn the basics of real estate through negotiation, organizing, finances, and legal aspects. Through wholesaling, you’ll deal with many different properties and investors, and you can start to identify what you like and what you don’t. When you switch investment styles, you’ll know what to look for.

Quick Turnaround

After you learn what you need to know to get started, the best way to learn how to wholesale is to get the experience. You can get this experience quickly, as wholesale real estate can be a relatively quick turnaround. This is great for beginners because it means you get your money faster and build your connections faster. Things like house flipping can take months, and when you don’t have a lot of revenue coming in, that can hurt your potential to succeed in real estate. Wholesaling, however, has about a month turnaround for each business dealing. If you think you can handle more than one, you can time them out to make sure you’re getting paid more than once a month.

No Capital Required

The best part of real estate wholesaling is that you, as the wholesaler are not obligate to dish out any money. When you start off in real estate, money is often the most significant barrier to becoming successful. Choosing beginners who opt to start with wholesale real estate set themselves up for success because they make all of the valuable connections and gain experience and knowledge without investing all of their money. If you are worried about getting started because you do not have a lot of capital, wholesaling may be your best method.

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Cons of Wholesale Real Estate

No Guaranteed Income

Unlike other real estate investing methods, wholesale real estate has no guarantee of working out and ending in a paycheck. Beginners who decide to invest in property management can usually guarantee a steady income through tenants paying rent. The only time you will get paid is if you can successfully match a seller and a buyer and complete a deal. Even then, you’ll have to wait to get paid until everything goes through. As you get better, you’ll have more confidence in your income, but it’s never something you can count on.

Networking Heavy

Your paycheck is entirely dependent on your ability to find a buyer who wants to invest in the property you’ve found. Suppose you do not have the type of personality that does well with networking or negotiating. In that case, that is something you want to really consider before choosing wholesale real estate as your career. If you are unable to find a buyer, you may be financially obligated to purchase your property. As you build your references, this risk may be avoided. It’s still something you want to heavily consider if reaching out to a lot of people makes you uncomfortable.

Is Wholesale Real Estate Hard?

The short answer- yes. Wholesale real estate can be complicated when you’re first starting off and don’t have many connections. After you make your first couple of deals, things will start to get easier. You will begin forming a buyers list and have connections to pull from when you find properties under market value. The hardest part is having all three components in sync. If you are missing any of these three components, you will not have a successful wholesale real estate business. First, you must be able to identify properties being sold for well under market value. Second, you must have good negotiation skills to make deals with the seller. Lastly, you need to find and partner with cash buyers who are willing to purchase these properties. To be a successful real estate wholesaler, you have to build strong connections with buyers, create robust lead lists, and network with others in real estate.

Real Estate Wholesaling Explained

Wholesale real estate is a relatively simple concept once you lay it out in a scenario. Let’s start at the beginning of the process with finding a home for under market value. You find a homeowner looking to sell their home. The house isn’t in great shape and will not be able to sell for market value. The seller of the home has two options. They can spend the money to rehab their home and fix it up, hoping to sell for market price. Or, they could enter into a wholesale contract with a real estate wholesaler. Essentially, the contract between the wholesaler and the homeowner would give the wholesaler the right to buy the property at an agreed-upon price under market value. The real estate wholesaler will then look for an end buyer willing to pay slightly more than what they agreed upon with the seller. The end buyer is usually another real estate investor. The wholesaler will sell the rights to buy the house to this new investor. Essentially, they are selling the contract. They are not selling the home because they never bought the home. The wholesaler negotiates a contract, then sells that contract, which gives the buyer the right to buy the property.

Essential Skills to Become a Successful Real Estate Wholesaler as a Beginner

Real estate wholesaling comes down to a few key concepts. Once you capture these concepts, you’ll be able to succeed and start making a profit.

Negotiation Skills: Real estate wholesaling revolves around negotiating with both the seller and the buyer. For the seller, you have to convince them to sign a contract with you to sell the right to buy their home for under market value. Then, you have to convince an investor why they should be interested in buying your property. Having to convince one person is difficult, but convincing two takes some serious skills.

Technical Skills: If you are tech-savvy, you can quickly get ahead of your competition. Not everyone in the industry fully utilizes technology. If you take full advantage, you will become successful. Ensure you have a fast, modern website that makes it easy to get in touch with you. Develop a presence on social media and connect with real estate investors in your area. Utilize software to handle your finances, help you find properties under market value, and keep you organized. All of this will make a massive difference in your business.

Time Management Skills: You need to understand the value of your time and your own personal limits. If you take on everything all of the time, you’re going to get burnt out. This will not only affect your mental health, but it could also lead to errors in your business. Understand what you can personally manage, then outsource or delegate the rest.

Create Your Business Plan for Real Estate Wholesaling

If you’ve decided that wholesale real estate is the right next step for you, it’s time to develop a business plan.

Identify Good Places to Find Leads

This applies to both your real estate investors looking to buy and your homeowners looking to sell. If you can’t get leads, you’re not going to make any money in real estate wholesale. To find leads on homeowners looking to sell, utilize websites like Craiglist.com, Loopnet.com, Propertyshark.com, Realtor.com, etc. These websites provide tons of data that can help you find leads for your business. For leads on real estate investors, use your networking skills. Put yourself in real estate groups and places where investors will be and start making valuable connections. Establishing an excellent social media presence can also help you build rapport with other real estate professionals.

Build Connections with Buyers

Every time you complete a sale to a buyer, have a conversation with them about how you can be mutually beneficial to each other. Take the time to understand what they are looking for in properties they invest in. Keep a spreadsheet of all buyers you work with and what types of properties they buy. Reference this sheet every time you find a property that you can wholesale and pair it up with the buyer who it matches. This could take time but will build an invaluable relationship.

Do Your Research

Both your seller and your buyer expect you to offer them a well-researched and honest price for the property. For your seller, you need to give them a price along with information on comparable sales in the area, estimated cost of repairs, and the after repair value of the property. All of these numbers should be included in your offer to both the seller and the buyer. Do not try to edit the numbers to profit more. Sellers who see through this will be offended and cancel the deal. Buyers will have done their research and will know what you did. You’ll get a bad reputation, and the buyer will never want to work with you again.

How to Find Buyers for Real Estate Wholesale Deals

You can find sellers who have great properties under market value, but you will never make a profit if you can’t find any buyers. The more deals you make, the more buyers you’ll form connections with, and the easier it will get. Until then, you need to learn some strategies on how to find buyers when you are a wholesale real estate beginner. These are a few creative ways to find buyers when you are first starting out in wholesale real estate.

Craigslist

Craigslist is a great place to start when looking buyers. The site allows you to place ads and start collecting leads on interest buyers. Aside from that, you can use Craigslist’s “housing” section to identify property owners in the area who may not be ready to buy right now but could be valuable connections later on.

Social Media

Social media is a great way to find real estate investors in your area and connect with them. Sites like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and even NextDoor could be good places to start. Many investors have Instagram accounts where they post about their house flips or deals. Start building a connection with local accounts that could turn into buyers. LinkedIn is a great place to make business connections and post about potential deals. Facebook has lots of local real estate groups you can join; they also have Marketplace features that include real estate options. You can either post in those or look for leads later on.

Networking

Networking will be one of the most valuable things you do in your real estate career. If you are not already a member, join your local real estate group, either online or in person. Go to every networking event and meet as many people as possible. Mention what you do and ask around to see if anyone knows of real estate investors who utilize wholesale real estate in their businesses. You may also want to build connections with real estate agents, as they have access to lists of recent cash sales.

Website

Establish your presence online as a real estate wholesaler and optimize your SEO so that you rank well on Google if anyone searches in your area for wholesale real estate. Create a lead capture form on your website where potential sellers and buyers can submit their information.

Courthouse Auctions

Buyers must have all cash at courthouse auctions, so this is a great place to go if you are looking for buyers for your deals. Visit these auctions regularly and start to build connections with the people who attend. Get to know these buyers and the types of properties they look for so you can reach out if you find one that fits their needs. Ask for their information and follow up.

Important Things to Remember for Real Estate Wholesaling

Utilize Buyer Preferences

Every buyer has their preference of properties they like to buy. Once you know what your buyers are interested in, you can start prioritizing deals based on that. Keep a spreadsheet of all of their preferences and reach out to them when one of your properties align with their interest. Do not reach out to buyers with every single deal if you don’t to. If one of your buyers is not a house flipper, don’t have them a house that needs a ton of work. Utilizing your knowledge of your buyers will help you guarantee a sale.

Understand Your Seller

Although you want to get your properties contracted for a low price, you need to be fair to your sellers. While you may understand why you are offering them a specific price, if you do not communicate all of those reasons to them, they will not. When speaking, you will want to show them your reasoning without making them feel bad about the state of their property or the value it’s at. While this all comes down to numbers in real estate, it may be a much more emotional process for them. There could be other buyers communicating with them for all you know, so make sure you form a good connection during this process.

Another important aspect of your wholesaling real estate business should be transparency. Sellers need to know that they can trust you. If they know that, they’ll be much more likely to work with you. Be honest about them with pricing, risk, and updates.

Keep Everyone Up-to-Date

Your buyer and your seller will feel more at ease if you are transparent with them every step of the way. Make sure to communicate with both of them any time something new happens. Even if you did your part and got the contract handed over, stay involved until the end. These are relationships you may need to use in the future for more deals, so you want to make sure everyone feels comfortable and happy. Do what you can to ensure open communication and complete transparency throughout the entire process.

Maintain Connections

Your business with your buyers should not end when you get your cut. Always follow up with them to make sure they are happy with how things went. Discuss with them in further detail how you can be an asset to each other and continue to build your working relationship long after the deal is closed.

The Last Step: Closing the Deal

Once you have done all of the work to find the property, work with the seller, and identify an interested buyer, you are finally at the last step: closing the deal. To do this, you will assign the contract you made with the seller at the beginning of this process. Once you assign the contract to the buyer, they will then be able to purchase the property. Once the buyer purchases the property, you will send the deposit to the title agency or attorney handling the closing. After everything is complete, you will get your wholesaler fee for connecting the buyer and seller.

This can all sound like a lot of information and may appear to be very overwhelming. Although a lot goes into this, there’s a reason people recommend wholesaling real estate for beginners. It is the most affordable way to get invaluable real estate experience when starting off in real estate. You will build skills, knowledge, and connection so quickly through wholesaling. To get started on your real estate investing journey, check out our website.

Joe Arias

Joe Arias and his partners have flipped hundreds of properties in the Southern California Region. He has developed cutting-edge systems to simplify and scale the entire remodel process that can easily be applied to flipping, rentals, wholesaling, and other passive income strategies. More recently, Joe founded a real estate investing education company called RealSuccess Investments, allowing him to share his tools and systems with hundreds of up-and-coming investors. 

RealSuccess is focused on education on flipping, rentals, passive income, and wholesaling.

Joe is also a best-selling author. He has written 4 books: Finding your RealSuccess, First Steps to Flipping, R stands for Rentals and Retirement, and Wholesaling Real Estate.

“I came from Argentina when I was 20, I am 40 years old now. I didn’t know anyone, I am CERO generation, usually people say, I am first or second generation but I was the one that crossed the border, no language, no friends, no family, no money, nothing, nada… If I can do it, anyone can.”

From a young latino immigrant  to a celebrated real estate investor, Joe is a true testament to hard work and discipline. As an investor, he has made it his mission to help others achieve financial freedom while enjoying living a life of passion, fulfillment, and empowerment.

RealSuccess Website

www.ourrealsuccess.com

Personal Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/joeariasinvestor/

Real Estate Investment- Instagram: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realsuccesseducation/

Video For Finding Money from All Day Training (10 Hour Seminar)

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/528446162

1 Hour Webinar

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/530996751

Amazon Book#1:

Amazon Book#2

Learn live and in real-time with Realty411. Be sure to register for our next virtual and in-person events. For all the details, please visit Realty411Expo.com or our Eventbrite landing page, CLICK HERE.

KEYS TO BEING A GOOD REAL ESTATE INVESTOR

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By 

Investing in real estate is a skill that can be developed over time. However, the skill of real estate investing is composed of sub-skills and traits that add up into the overarching experience and know-how on how to invest in real estate. By understanding the keys of what makes a good real estate investor, you can make the adjustments needed to also become a good real estate investor. The good news is that none of the skills or traits needed to become a successful real estate investor require anything that you wouldn’t have access to.

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Develop Your Network

Becoming a good real estate investor involves developing the right relationships and growing your network. Every good real estate investor knows that the right network provides support and opportunities. Who should be included in your network? Focus on finding mentors, other investors, agents, mortgage brokers, lawyers, and potential business partners. You can leverage each individual’s experience to further your own investment goals. Sign up to local real estate organizations and online communities to find individuals to network with.

Stay Educated

A good real estate investor understands the value of constantly learning. It is important to stay up to date with the latest industry news, current events, and changes in laws when it comes to real estate and any other business as a matter of fact. But also, it is important to continue learning new real estate investing related skills and sharpening the ones you already have. Investing in real estate can become very competitive. By taking the time to learn and continue to educate yourself, you can become a good real estate investor and stay competitive in the marketplace.

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Focus On A Niche

A jack of all trades is a master of none. There are many different niches within real estate. Most investors fail by trying to tackle them all. Niches such as buy and hold, fix and flip, wholesaling, section 8, commercial, and much more are some of the many niches that an investor can get involved in when it comes to investing in real estate. Take the time to find a niche that aligns best with your goals and approach to investing. Once you’ve chosen your niche, take the time to master that niche. By being the best at one thing, you are setting yourself up for greater success.

Know Your Market

The best place to start investing is in your own backyard. Why? Because you already know the market. You are familiar with the good neighborhoods versus the bad. You know where all the public transportation is and all the best shopping. If you don’t live in the market you are investing in, then still become an expert. Every market is different. The more you know about a particular market empowers you to make better decisions and avoid costly ones. Take the time to truly understand your market and you will be able to spot better quality deals which in turn, will be much more profitable deals.

Joe Arias

Joe Arias and his partners have flipped hundreds of properties in the Southern California Region. He has developed cutting-edge systems to simplify and scale the entire remodel process that can easily be applied to flipping, rentals, wholesaling, and other passive income strategies. More recently, Joe founded a real estate investing education company called RealSuccess Investments, allowing him to share his tools and systems with hundreds of up-and-coming investors. 

RealSuccess is focused on education on flipping, rentals, passive income, and wholesaling.

Joe is also a best-selling author. He has written 4 books: Finding your RealSuccess, First Steps to Flipping, R stands for Rentals and Retirement, and Wholesaling Real Estate.

“I came from Argentina when I was 20, I am 40 years old now. I didn’t know anyone, I am CERO generation, usually people say, I am first or second generation but I was the one that crossed the border, no language, no friends, no family, no money, nothing, nada… If I can do it, anyone can.”

From a young latino immigrant  to a celebrated real estate investor, Joe is a true testament to hard work and discipline. As an investor, he has made it his mission to help others achieve financial freedom while enjoying living a life of passion, fulfillment, and empowerment.

RealSuccess Website

www.ourrealsuccess.com

Personal Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/joeariasinvestor/

Real Estate Investment- Instagram: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realsuccesseducation/

Video For Finding Money from All Day Training (10 Hour Seminar)

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/528446162

1 Hour Webinar

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/530996751

Amazon Book#1:

Amazon Book#2

Learn live and in real-time with Realty411. Be sure to register for our next virtual and in-person events. For all the details, please visit Realty411Expo.com or our Eventbrite landing page, CLICK HERE.

PASSIVE REAL ESTATE INVESTING

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By Joe Arias

Want to make money without having to put in a lot of work? You may want to consider passive real estate investing. It is the perfect solution for an aspiring investor who may have other time commitments like a full-time jobs that does not allow much time to be a property manager or a home flipper. Each of those activities requires at least a little bit of time on your part. You have to collect rent, market your property for rent, make repairs, and so forth.

With passive real estate investing, you basically write a check and then sit back and collect money over time. There are a couple of different options when you get into passive real estate investing, each comes with its own risks and varied amounts of returns. They are pretty easy to get in to and do not require a lot of knowledge in the real estate industry to be successful. Here are several passive real estate options worth looking into:

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What is Passive Real Estate Investing?

Before we jump into what types of passive real estate options are out there, let’s first look at what passive real estate investing is.

In simplest terms, passive real estate investing is investing in real estate without requiring hands-on effort or active participation. Passive real estate investing can either be direct or indirect. The main difference between the two is the amount of work you have to contribute to each investment.

Why Is Passive Investing a Good Idea?

When you are a passive real estate investor, you will earn money without having to actively work for it. Basically, you pay someone an agreed upon amount of money and they do all the hard work for you. Here are some ways you can put your passive income to use:

  • Build a retirement fund.
  • Pay off your debts.
  • Increase your savings account.

While there are non-real estate related ways to earn passive income, let’s just focus on those that do involve real estate in some form. Here are a few ideas for you on how to invest in passive real estate:

Direct passive real estate investing

In this case, an investor will purchase a property, which is then rented out to a tenant. This can be done in the form of short-term or long-term rentals. In order to simplify the process, many investors will hire a property management company to do time-consuming duties like maintenance, rent collection, or any other situations that may arise. This allows the investor to have very little active responsibility in their investment, making it a passive investment.

Indirect passive real estate investing

Suppose you want something that requires even less involvement than being a landlord and renting out a property to a tenant. In that case, you can invest in an indirect passive real estate investment by investing in a real estate investment trust (REIT). You will have no day-to-day tasks related to this form of investment and do not need to have very much real estate knowledge to be successful. You will still collect income in the form of returns and dividends.

Different Types of REITs

Real estate investment trusts are made up of corporations, trusts, or associations. These groups invest in large income-producing real estate like commercial buildings, hotels, data centers, or apartment complexes. Investing in a REIT is usually a low-risk investment and is traded like a stock.

There are three types of REITs you can invest in:

  1. Exchange-traded: Registered with the SEC and listed on exchanges like the NYSE.
  2. Non-traded: Registered with the SEC, but do not trade publicly. These tend to be more stable since they do not fluctuate with the market.
  3. Private: Not registered with the SEC or traded on exchanges. They raise funds through private investors.

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A well-managed REIT lessens risk by including large groups of properties rather than individual properties. One good thing about them from an investment standpoint is that they provide annual dividend income as well as long-term appreciation. You are usually able to withdraw money from the REIT when you need it, but will be subject to paying taxes on your returns.

There are a couple of downsides to investing in REITs. They are required to distribute 90% of their profits annually, which means they are not able to reinvest funds annually, which can prevent long-term growth. You also don’t have a tangible asset and cannot control any part of the decisions made related to your investment.

Tax Liens

Another passive real estate option is investing in tax liens. According to the National Tax Lien Association, $14 billion in property taxes go unpaid each year. When a homeowner falls behind on their property taxes, the county or municipality where the property is located will issue a tax lien against the property, which the tax assessor’s office usually issues.

These tax liens can be auctioned off to investors. If you win a tax lien auction, you will earn interest until the homeowner pays off the outstanding taxes. You receive your share and accrued interest when the homeowner sends the county a tax payment.

Interest rates on a tax lien can be as high as 12%, which would give you a very nice return on investment. In very rare cases, you may even be able to foreclose on and acquire the property for an incredibly low price.

Tax lien investing can be confusing and may be more work than a passive real estate investor is willing to commit to. Depending on the state you purchase the tax lien from, you may be required to notify the homeowner frequently in an attempt to collect the debt. This is certainly not for everyone.

Crowdfunding

Another type of passive real estate investing is crowdfunding. With real estate crowdfunding, groups of investors combine their money to purchase commercial properties, apartment complexes, and single-family home portfolios. These are mostly managed and executed through online platforms where investors are able to view progress and send payments.

Crowdfunding is very popular because it is so easy and does not require a large investment. Neighborhood Ventures is a Phoenix-based real estate crowdfunding company. Their projects are usually funded in a matter of days. They buy old apartment buildings, renovate them and then rent them to tenants. They take on projects in their own neighborhoods in an attempt to keep their investment dollars local and improve the communities where they live and work. Investors can very easily and quickly create an online account, upload their funds – as little as $1,000, choose a project, and watch their money grow.

Crowdfunding is another very hands-off investment. Since there are so many crowdfunding companies that are very transparent in the properties they will be purchasing, you do have the ability to choose a project in a real estate market with the potential for large returns. With a company like Neighborhood Ventures, you would be investing in the Phoenix Metro area, which is one of the hottest real estate markets in the country, seeing double-digit returns each year.

Many real estate crowd funders do require holding your money for a specified period of time. This ties up your money and makes it difficult or impossible to cash out at a moment’s notice in the case of an emergency.

Passive Real Estate Investment or Stocks? Which is the Better Investment?

Deciding between real estate or stock investments is a personal choice that depends on your financial situation, risk tolerance, and goals. You can make money two ways with stocks: value appreciation as the company’s stock increases and dividends. Your returns are based on stock market activity as well as the company’s earning.

Real estate has proven to bring in higher returns in a shorter period of time in most major real estate markets. According to the S&P 500 Index, the average return on investment in the U.S. real estate market is 10.6%. Comparatively, the average annual return for the S&P Index over the past 20 years is only 8.6%. Real estate also tends to be less volatile than the stock market. REITs and crowdfunding reduce the risk further since you are able to enter into the investment for little money out of pocket.

Overall, real estate and stocks both present risks and rewards. There is no right way to invest and people have seen both huge returns as well as huge losses by investing with each.

Risks in Passive Real Estate Investing

Every investment comes with a series of risks, and passive real estate investing is no different; you carry the ongoing threat of losing your principal. First, if you are hoping to make a lot of money through passive real estate investing, you may be disappointed. Something else to be aware of is that there are a lot of passive real estate investment opportunities out there, and they are not all created the same. Always do your due diligence before investing, as no investment can guarantee you either a return or even protection of all your principal. Performing your own due diligence can help you find safer and possibly more profitable investments for your capital.

Here are some things to look out for when considering investing:

  • What is the company’s track record? You could take a look to see their past projects and how much money they made. If the company is consistently failing to complete projects or are not generating the returns they advertise, you may want to pass.
  • How much debt is the company in, and what are the details? Look to see if their debt is due to mismanagement. If so, this is another red flag, and you should probably pass.
  • What do other investors say about the company? You should be able to find online reviews about them.
  • Do they communicate with their investors? It is usually not a good sign if you invest money and then have no idea what the project’s progress is.

The Bottom Line

Many investors have made a lot of money through passive real estate investing. If you find the right REIT or crowdfunding or other passive real estate investment company to invest in, you can make money while you sleep. So, if you are looking for an easy, low-cost investment, passive real estate investment may be your best bet.

Joe Arias and his partners have flipped hundreds of properties in the Southern California region. He has developed cutting-edge systems to simplify and scale the entire remodel process that can easily be applied to flipping, rentals, wholesaling, and other passive income strategies. More recently, Joe founded a real estate investing education company called RealSuccess Investments, allowing him to share his tools and systems with hundreds of up-and-coming investors. 

RealSuccess is focused on education on flipping, rentals, passive income, and wholesaling.

Joe is also a best-selling author. He has written four books: Finding your RealSuccess, First Steps to Flipping, R stands for Rentals and Retirement, and Wholesaling Real Estate.

“I came from Argentina when I was 20, I am 40 years old now. I didn’t know anyone. I had no friends, no family, no money, nothing, nada. If I can do it, anyone can.”

From a young Latino immigrant  to a celebrated real estate investor, Joe is a true testament to hard work and discipline. As an investor, he has made it his mission to help others achieve financial freedom while enjoying living a life of passion, fulfillment, and empowerment.

RealSuccess Website

www.ourrealsuccess.com

Personal Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/joeariasinvestor/

Real Estate Investment- Instagram: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realsuccesseducation/

Video For Finding Money from All Day Training (10 Hour Seminar)

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/528446162

1 Hour Webinar

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/530996751

Amazon Book#1:

Amazon Book#2

Learn live and in real-time with Realty411. Be sure to register for our next virtual and in-person events. For all the details, please visit Realty411Expo.com or our Eventbrite landing page, CLICK HERE.