Posts

Realty411’s Virtual Investor Conference – Learn to Grow Your Portfolio

/in , /by

Image by TeeFarm and kalhh from Pixabay

When       :  May 15, 2021 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Where     : Online/Virtual

Cost         :  Free

Contact   :  Realty411.com |  805.693.1497  |  [email protected]

Prepare for a Weekend of Investor Education and Motivation

learn-3653430_1280

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Get ready for a weekend of solid education and extreme motivation on Saturday, May 15th and Sunday, 16th. Reserve the weekend now, and prepare for a special complementary virtual event.

Realty411 will again unite the most successful, knowledgeable and savvy investors in the REI (Real Estate Investing) industry to help our readers make educated and informed decisions.

Realty411’s 2021 Virtual Investor Conference will begin at 9 AM PST. The online event is complimentary to attend. Please note: Recordings will NOT be made available later, this is a LIVE CONFERENCE for dedicated investors.

Joining us on this special conference to help guide our readers will be HIGH-LEVEL industry experts ready to spill their secrets of success. Get educated, motivated and prepare for success for 2021 and beyond.

Realty411 wants to make sure all investors start 2021 with the right information to take them to new levels of success.

2021 success

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

With nearly 14 years experience in hosting live real estate industry events, in twelve states, Realty411 expo guests can rest assured that the best companies and professionals in the industry are invited. And, for our first virtual event of 2021, we’re bringing many of these awesome experts together for one special online conference.

This is the place to learn time-tested tips and techniques from some of the industry’s most sought-after leaders.

Normally, virtual events of this caliber are hundreds of dollars to attend, but Realty411 is making this special weekend conference COMPLIMENTARY for everyone.

TO LEARN MORE DETAILS, CLICK HERE OR BELOW:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/realty411s-virtual-investor-conference-learn-to-grow-your-portfolio-tickets-150669202641

WHAT TO EXPECT — LEARN TO REHAB ONLINE – LEARN ABOUT HOT MARKETS FOR BUY-AND-HOLD INVESTORS – HEAR ABOUT OUR BIGGEST MISTAKES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM – NO FAIRY-TALES – HONEST, REAL AND RAW

Women in Real Estate — Build the Lifestyle of Your Dreams with Real Estate Investing

/in , , /by

By Laura Alamery

In 1987, at the young age of 23, I had my first glimpse of a future as a real estate investor. It all started with my love of visiting open houses, which led me to obtain my real estate license to learn the industry. At the time, I lived in Hawaii where I found inspiration from the successful women real estate agents around me. After a move to the Midwest in the early 1990s, I quickly learned that the commissions and energy around real estate weren’t as inspiring. For me, this led to the transition from real estate agent to real estate investor. Over the next few years, I launched into real estate investing while managing a young family and career. After a divorce, I realized I needed to leave my corporate job and fully dedicate myself to establishing a reliable income and building long-term wealth through real estate investment.

learn-3653430_1280Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Along the way, I made mistakes, learned many valuable lessons and ultimately built a lasting and successful real estate investing business. Today, I use that knowledge and experience to help other women launch and grow their real estate investment businesses at Real Estate Investing Women, a resource for training, live events and networking in a community of likeminded women.

Lessons for New Real Estate Investors

Looking back at how I built my real estate investing business, I now have the wisdom to see the ways I would change my strategies to avoid mistakes and build wealth with fewer risks. One of the big lessons I like to share with new female investors is to trust your instincts. The ability to tap into our gut feelings to make decisions is a benefit that makes women a natural fit for real estate investing.
Another piece of advice is to use money from your real estate investments to buy more real estate, instead of putting all your personal money into investments. The challenge is finding the money to start out. The mistake I made was purchasing too many buy and hold properties too quickly. This led to unnecessary risk and eventual burnout. I now tell new investors to start with one buy and hold property and grow slowly.
However, unlike my path into real estate investing where I dabbled in fix and flip, moved on to buy and hold and then finally figured out how to work wholesale deals, I suggest new investors start with wholesale deals. Wholesale isn’t easy and requires work. Yet, wholesale real estate investing has lower risks than other investment strategies. real estate womenWith wholesale investing, you learn while making money. In fact, wholesale investment is a great way to delve into the details of real estate investing without taking possession of properties. Set aside the money you make money through wholesaling to build the financial foundation of your real estate investment business. Not only does wholesaling produce quick profits, it also establishes a portfolio that you can use to attract private money. Creative financing with private money gives more control over your real estate investing business. Private money safeguards against the volatility of the market.
As your business grows, you then have the money, knowledge and reputation to tackle larger-scale investments with bigger risks. Ultimately, this is how you build a viable business and path to long-term wealth and the lifestyle of your dreams.

Three Keys to Success in Real Estate Investment

success-3195027_1280Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

While real estate investment offers many different strategies and paths to wealth, the keys to success come from your determination to make it. When I finally became serious about real estate investment as my career, I was newly divorced with three small children. I gave myself six months to build a business that allowed me to walk away from my corporate job.
Looking back, the three keys to my success were focus, consistency and time management. These areas were critical to get me out of my comfort zone and take real estate investing from a hobby to a true business.
women in real estateOften when I talk to women interested in real estate investing, the barrier they struggle with most is the confidence to take the first steps. Men historical dominate the real estate investing industry, which makes trusting your abilities as a female investor even more intimidating. However, with these keys to success and the support of other successful female investors you too can create a prosperous business. Focus – A serious approach to real estate investment requires focus. This means you create actual goals for your business. For me, my goal was to quit my corporate job within six months. This meant I needed to close at least one deal per month, which required willpower fueled by my excitement and inspiration. My eyes stayed on the prize. Consistency – You cannot build anything without consist dedication. To exceed my goal of closing one deal per month, I had to work daily toward that goal. Remember, I was a working, single mom, yet I put in time daily to find, connect and close deals. It was this consistent effort that led to achieving and surpassing my goal. Time Management – Life is busy. This is true of almost everyone I meet. The difference in the people who grow a sustainable business that produces wealth and those that don’t is good time management. During my six-month transition, I realized that a little sacrifice could change my life. Good time management means you don’t waste your time. Instead, you find those pockets of time to dedicate to your goal. For me, this meant working on weekends and evenings until I had the money to quit my corporate job.

Identify Your Dreams and Go After Them

shield-1519642_1280Image by photosforyou from Pixabay

Over the course of my life, my dreams have changed. Yet, the basic dream has remained. I desired to have financial freedom and independence. I achieved that dream through focus, consistency and time management. I continue to use these tools today in my new ventures.
For me, my dreams included taking care of my family, a flexible schedule, world travel and helping others. One of my passions is helping other women identify and go after their dreams by building successful real estate investing businesses. You don’t have to let a lack of confidence stifle your dreams. Instead, tap into your natural instincts to create a path to your dreams.
women powerWomen benefit by helping other women. In real estate, I’ve never feared scarcity. There are more than enough deals for everyone. My dream now is to leave a legacy by empowering other women. My work at Real Estate Investing for Women is one way I work toward this goal. Through mentoring, community building, live events and online resources, like podcast, articles, eBooks and more, women have access to unprecedented knowledge and encouragement. As I look back over my more than 30-year career in real estate investing, I see a story of hard work and determination. I also see the gift of my dream lifestyle that real estate investment empowered. You too can find the lifestyle of your dreams through a focused, consistent and well-managed real estate investment business.

Laura and Elizabeth

To Learn More about Real Estate Investing for Women:

Laura Alamery and Liz Klingseisen are a mother and daughter team, who are real estate investors and mentors to other women. Their goal is to empower and help women, who want to learn about real estate investing through a supportive and experienced community of women investors. We offer training and live events nationwide. You can learn more at www.realestateinvestingwomen.com

OFFICER AND HANDS-ON REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRAINER PUTS STUDENT SUCCESS FIRST

/in , , /by

By Karen A. Walker

For Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Officer and master real estate investment teacher and trainer Alton Jones and his wife, Rocio, it’s all about relationships, helping others succeed and being your best self. Every day. Every minute.

But while Jones has helped people succeed in real estate investing beyond their wildest imagination, he doesn’t promise, and never himself expected, overnight success. His experience as a police officer prepared him for that.

He knows first-hand that success takes learning, listening, focus, persistence, a good sense of humor, a healthy dose of humility (did I mention persistence?!) and, most importantly, taking action.

That last step—action—can be the most difficult, but simply doing the right things and repeating until it become second nature marks the difference between success and none.

“It’s one thing to talk about it,” says Jones, “but a totally other thing to actually DO it!”

Did you say police officer?

Jones has been an LAPD policeman for more than 34 years. For the first 16 of those years, he served as a full-time, active duty officer. After that—to this day—he serves as reserve officer.

In the last 10 years, Officer Jones has been honored as a Reserve Officer of the Year. Twice!

“Officer of the Year is a big deal,” explains Jones. “A few officers are selected each year and honored for exceptional service during the year. About 600 people attend the honoree dinner, and it’s really a big deal, with any funds raised going to help the families of fallen officers or others in our police family who need it.”

At his more recent honoree event, the main cast and the creator of the TV series THE ROOKIE attended, which made it extra fun.

People skills

Just as in police work, real estate investing involves good training and good people skills. Relationships matter.

Knowing how to talk with a myriad of different types of people can mean the difference between life and death in police work.

“As an officer, especially on patrol, you have to talk with so many different kinds of people—victims, drug dealers, the mentally unstable, drug users on a high, the traumatized, witnesses, violent or less violent criminals,” says Jones. “Good officer safety skills are critical. You also have to be able to get accurate, useful information from witnesses. Those statements have to be able to hold up in court or identify a perpetrator, so you have to know how to ask a question and which information to pursue.

“In addition, sometimes you have just seconds to assess a situation or persons involved. Knowing how to quickly assess and talk with different people can determine if you come home that day.”

In real estate investing, regardless whether you are fixing and flipping houses, negotiating fair win-win deals, managing contractors, or teaching others your proven system for success, it’s critical to develop good people skills and to build strong relationships.

And to build any kind of relationship, you have to be a person of integrity in words and actions.

Knowledge alone isn’t enough

“It’s one thing to talk about it, but it’s a totally other thing to actually DO it!!” says Jones, who gets his students quickly to action.

Again, the comparison to police work is clear.

In the training process you learn how to talk to different people, what you need to ask and what to do in different situations, what information you need, and so forth. But learning it in a classroom doesn’t make you successful.

It’s a different story when you get out on the streets and you’re talking with real people, or in the chaos of an incident and trying to sort it out.

Same for the investor.

Practice (i.e. taking action) sharpens people skills until the right thing to do in negotiating an opportunity or managing contractors becomes second nature.

Never stop learning: Mentors matter

Alton always says, “It’s OK to copycat, as long as you copy the right cat.”

Jones got into the rehab, fix and flip business in 2009. But he didn’t do it alone. He chose his mentors well. He invested in himself and in his success, and he hasn’t stopped to this day.

Even with the success he and his wife have achieved and continue to achieve… even with his rapid rise to being asked and encouraged by his mentors to become a teacher for others, beginning in 2013… even with his popular books and with the success he and his wife continue to nurture and grow in themselves and others… even with all that, Jones continues to listen and learn from others.

Two of his stand-out mentors are Ron LeGrand and Dan Kennedy.

From his mentors, Jones learned early on that to be successful you must be purposeful in all you do. You must run your business as a business, not as a hobby.

He learned what to do and how to do it.

He also learned to expect uphill battles and set-backs, even after you’ve achieved remarkable success.

It is what it is.

Be prepared. Go forward. Keep your eyes on the prize, on doing the right thing, and on serving others.

Knowledge alone isn’t enough

“The majority of people will tell you ‘no,’” says Jones. “So what? You have to rise above. There’s EGO, but you gotta drop the “e” and just GO!

“In the police department you have to have the will to live. You learn and you have to face the reality every day that there are people who want you dead, but you have to — you MUST — have the will to LIVE. That keeps you doing the right things, following the good skills and training you received.

“In developing a real estate business, you have to have the will to WIN. That keeps you focused on the end goal. It keeps you going forward.”

Good mentors tell you the truth. They also practice what they preach.

The best mentors don’t just deliver knowledge. They don’t teach swimming lessons while standing on the edge of the pool. No. The best mentors lead by example. They get in the pool with you and show you how it’s done. They insist you get into the water and learn how to swim for yourself. And they’ll be with you every step of the way, IF you allow it.

When Jones holds training sessions and boot camps, he tells it like it is. With a smile, he calls himself a minister of truth. He doesn’t deliver what attendees might want to hear. He delivers the reality, the truth.

Rehab 2 Riches

It was an unexpected honor when Ron LeGrand, in 2016, not only praised the system for success Alton and his wife had developed, but when he also strongly encouraged Jones to launch his own training courses on that very system.

Alton’s Rehab 2 Riches courses, bootcamps and more soon followed, to popular acclaim by attendees.

“I believe what we do changes lives,” says Jones. “People who come to one of our events, they’ll make a life-changing decision at that event. Those relationships made at our events can take you from $0 to self-sufficient.”

Jones smiles when he talks in his bootcamps about the importance of building a Million Dollar Rolodex of exceptional resources for your business. “These days there are a lot of people who don’t know what a rolodex is,” he says. But it hasn’t held any of his students back. They still understand the point.

Jones practices in three markets—southern California, Dallas and Memphis. Of all these, however, his preference is his beloved southern California.

For more information, go to Rehab2Riches.com.

Alton Jones says that in this business there are five things you have to do to succeed:
1. Locate prospects
2. Pre-screen prospects
3. Construct and present offers
4. Follow-up
5. Close quickly

Books by Alton Jones include:
• Ask Me How I Know? Four biggest house-flipping mistakes that made me millions, by Alton Jones

————————

Karen Walker is the founder and executive producer of The Mentors Radio Show (TheMentorsRadio.com)

Turmoil: The Storm Of Change & How To Thrive In It

/in , /by

If you’re in real estate you’ve probably smelled the storm just over the horizon. The question is where it will hit, when it will hit, and just how bad it will be? More importantly, how can your business and portfolio not only survive in the eye of this storm, but thrive?

Meet Bruce Norris

You may already be very familiar with The Norris Group and their exciting hard money lending programs. Leading the company is President, Bruce Norris.

Bruce Norris has been investing in real estate for over 35 years. He’s been involved in thousands of property and financing transactions. We could fill this page with his accolades. Yet, what he is best known and most respected for in the industry is his reports.

There have been others who appear to have successfully called downturns. Others have created names for themselves in good times and betting on the market going up.

What’s unique about Bruce is that he has proven to be able to successful predict both market crashes and upturns. He has been called on by many organizations up to the highest levels to share his expertise and insights on market trends. That includes the California Builders Industry Association, California Association of Realtors and Mortgage Bankers Association.

In our exclusive interview Bruce told Realty 411 that he started out flipping houses in 1981. He admits that like many new investors he knew little about timing the market. He ended up with 7 brand new custom homes that weren’t selling. He learned some tough lessons.

Then in 1995, his son graduates college. He bought him a Honda Civic. Then a few days later found a house for sale in California that cost even less than the Honda. He saw incredible opportunity. Yet, really wanted to dig in and understand the markets, how to time them, how not to lose money, and how to invest his own money in the safest and most profitable way.

This led to his first report that he published in 1996. In 2006 he released a report calling the most recent major housing crash and foreclosure crisis. In 2012, he invested in line with his report and went all in on real estate. The market has gone up 100% since then.

Turmoil: The Coming Storm Of Changes

Now the real estate industry is once again feeling a lot of uncertainty. Perhaps with the exception of Bruce. There has been a lot of talk about a new recession and crash. While many investors keep engaging in the market. This year’s presidential election is no doubt to to bring many more attempts to send us all on an emotional roller coaster ride full of fake news.

Bruce says “There are no real estate I am afraid of.” He’s mastered looking at historical and current charts and overlaying the data, and remains bullish on the market.

What does concern him is a new era of legislation and policies which are wild cards with the potential to be extremely disruptive to investors in some of the most progressive states, like California.

He feels this is such a pressing issue that more investors need to be alert to that he has set up a panel and new event on February 1st, 2020 to equip investors with this critical information.

Major Factors That Could Impact The Market In 2020 & Beyond

State Politics

One of the big issues today is what things can be changed by popular vote versus by proclamation of state government, regardless of how its constituents feel. This puts residents at danger of rogue actors.

California has certainly become the poster child for aggressive new rules lately. Among them are sweeping rent controls, Prop 13, taxes, and the new ban on freelance workers which has the potential to create massive unemployment.

Then there is also city and state pension issues and the fact that many are not going to be guaranteed the money they were promised, or have already been counting on.

Fed Manipulation

Student debt, health insurance, guaranteed income programs, climate change laws and other major policies could all impact the markets on a large scale. We may see a lot more of this after the upcoming election.

Technology

5G is likely to be one of the biggest game changers of the next decade. Yet, the US continues to be behind in this critical technology and factor in global competitiveness.

Other technologies may become more essential for remaining competitive and profitable in this new landscape.

Surviving & Thriving

While these factors could throw some serious curve balls at California investors, and New York is rarely far behind, Bruce is still confident in the US property market.

Looking at the charts he says even California is more affordable than it used to be. He points out that at least for now we’ve been enjoying the lowest unemployment rates in the last 50 years, and interest rates remain low. Put in perspective, he believes the market justifies more sales, more building and higher prices. He says this is even truer of Florida. The Sunshine State which is enjoying great population growth, has no state income tax and isn’t as crazy at enacting these new sweeping rules.

So, what’s Bruce doing with his money?

A look at The Norris Group website shows they are still lending to investors. In addition to their traditional rehab loans and refinancing rentals, they are also now lending to build and flip investors in Florida, and on ADUs for rent in California.

Their investors are getting attractive 6% to 10.5% returns on capital invested in first trust deeds and mortgages without pooling their money. Far better than a lot of operators are promoting today.

Get Smart

Get all the details on these factors, what to watch out for and their potential impact at Bruce’s upcoming event. Then master restructuring your portfolio and making new moves in 2020 with confidence. Register for the event at TheNorrisGroup.com/Turmoil

Invest for Success!

/in , , /by

By Dr. Albert Lowry

You no doubt want to be a successful investor, but you need to know how to move beyond the wishing stage. I have some tips to help you get started and learn what to do to keep yourself on the right path. We’ll take a step-by-step look at how you too can go from just a dream of being a real estate entrepreneur, to having your own real estate portfolio that is your key to financial freedom for life.

First, you must set goals. Don’t just think about them, but instead put them in writing. The act of writing has the effect of making your goals more real and getting them into the subconscious part of your brain, so that they are always there in the background, motivating you.

Another important point to understand to prepare yourself for success, is that risks and sacrifices are involved. You already know that just about anything that has big potential rewards means that you need to push yourself out of your comfort zone, and this is no different.

Simply put, if you don’t make the effort, you won’t experience the reward. Here’s the level of effort that I suggest: at least one hour per day devoted to studying real estate investing concepts and their real-world applications.

On weekends especially, you have the opportunity to explore the real estate market in your own area by touring neighborhoods, looking at houses, networking with people, and building up a base of knowledge about prices, amenities, desirable areas, and more. You’ll sacrifice the time that you would have spent napping or watching TV, but the potential payoff is long-term financial independence for yourself and your family.

As I mentioned, there is risk involved. Any investment that can make money for you can also lose money. That’s a fact of life, but there are ways to tip the balance sharply in your favor. You can protect yourself by ensuring that contracts are written to your advantage, by paying attention to both what is in a contract, and also what’s not. It is imperative that you read and understand everything that is contained in the contract, including all clauses, and also foresee any contingencies that are not mentioned. You may even choose to have a real estate attorney to help you review property contracts to be sure that there are no “gotchas.”

Now, I promised that I would provide you with step-by-step instructions to Invest for Success. This is a quick thumbnail sketch of the 7 steps involved in the process and important points to know. You’ll tailor a plan for yourself, but this will give you a good start.

  1. Develop a simple plan. Keep your real estate portfolios local and plan to focus on single family homes at the beginning.
  2. Learn your market. We touched on this earlier because it’s important to know prevailing costs per square foot, develop the capability to assess quality, and have a good working knowledge of which amenities are desired in your area. That will give you the ability to spot bargains. Using a mentor who has succeeded in real estate investing can help you fast-track this process.
  3. Think like a businessperson. Like any business, you will want to buy at wholesale and sell at retail. You’ll make businesslike assessments of each property to determine whether it should be held for rental income or sold for resale profit.
  4. Learn to identify hidden bargains and act quickly. Acting quickly does not mean acting impulsively, though. You still will carefully structure your contracts with contingencies and the option to assign the contract, which will protect your interests and profit potential. If your plan is to flip, be sure beforehand that no “major surgery” on the property is required. Any improvements you plan to make should be visibly beneficial and have the potential of raising the rental price or the resale value.
  5. Learn landlording. Even if you plan to turn the task over to a professional management company, you still need to know the fundamentals of how to manage properties and tenants. Otherwise, how will you know whether a management company is doing a good job for you, or not?
  6. Establish trade accounts with companies such as building supply stores. This will enable you to save money, get into the loop with local tradespersons and other real estate professionals, and build your line of credit. It will also help you establish good bookkeeping, which gives you a sound basis for business decisions on your properties. I suggest keeping a daily log for your expenses. You’ll be glad you did when you’re doing your recording keeping, and at tax time.
  7. Borrow money for your investments. You can use banks, 50/50 partners, or private individuals. When you use seller-assisted financing, creative financing terms are often possible, such as shared future appreciation on the property or no-money-down deals.

In summary, decide what you’d like to do, and ensure that you have the proper knowledge and formula for success to make it happen. Remember that nothing at all happens for you unless you take action, so why not get started on your dream today?

Your partner in prosperity,

Dr. Albert Lowry

The Solution to the Investment Guru Gap

/in , , , /by

By Russ Keith

How did you get started in real estate investing?

Maybe someone else…a friend, family member…or even your spouse, was bitten by the property investing bug and you caught it.

Or maybe you were invited to a weekend property investing seminar and found yourself thrilled with all of the prospects for financial freedom that property investing holds.

There’s no doubt about it…investing in real estate can be a real life changer, but what happens when all of the energy and excitement you felt after the seminar begins to fade?

After all, investing in property is no cakewalk…if it were, everyone in the world would be doing it.

And as fun and educational as a property seminar can be, what happens when everyone packs up and goes home, and you’re left with the feeling of “what now?”

Maybe you start by watching the videos on the guru’s website. But what happens if confusion begins to set in after watching them? Or maybe you understand what you need to do, but you can’t get answers to specific questions about your market.

What do you do then?

More than just an education in investing

Through their investment meetup group called Crush It, REI Systems Academy founders Russ Keith and his wife Kim noticed a trend.

Some investors would come to the meetings for about 8 months or so, but then would simply disappear. When Russ called them up to find out how they were doing, he discovered these investors had run out of money or just got frustrated, disheartened and then quit.

When he drilled down further into what was going on, Russ discovered that once the “new” had worn off from the investment seminars these people had attended, they were left without a compass.

The videos, website and other material left by the property investing guru couldn’t really help the investors with the mental shift they needed to move from an “employee”  to a “business owner” mindset.

Nor could it address the particulars of the investors’ marketplace.

Filling the guru gap

REI Systems was created with the goal of filling in the gap between the education investors receive at property seminars and the day to day investment decisions every investor needs to make.

What makes REI Systems different?

Investors receive a real education in property investing, from real educators who have been teaching high school and university level students for more than two decades!

Russ and Kim have also flipped properties for nearly 30 years, earning between $14,000 and $80,000 profit on each homestead flip.

How does it work?

You’ll meet with Russ and up to 9 other investors in a classroom setting once a week for three hours over a 16 week period. At the end of each class you’ll be given homework and told what to do, step by step.

If you have any questions between sessions, Russ is always available to help. He’ll answer your question(s) and if he thinks it can help the rest of the class he’ll share the information with them at the next class.

When you begin putting your knowledge to the test, Russ will be there every step of the way. He’ll even walk with you as you inspect a potential investment property.

In fact, if Russ hasn’t heard from you in a while you can expect to receive a phone call to find out what’s going on.

Your success is that important!

Bottom line, you can pay tens of thousand of dollars for one 30 minute call a week and a bunch of videos with a travelling investment guru, or spend much, much less and be mentored by local investors – and educators – who know the market and know what it takes to succeed in that market.

It’s your call.

 

 

Skrrt, Skrrt… Cars and Real Estate…

/in , /by

Exclusive Article by Fuquan Bilal, NNG Capital Fund

Before I discovered real estate I had a passion for cars. I even owned a body shop as one of my first businesses. I now keep my businesses and investments diversified within the real estate industry. Yet, I still love cars, and there are a lot of great lessons that correlate between the two.

When I was younger (and often lived above my means) I had Range Rovers and new BMWs. I would lease and trade in every year to get the latest model. I liked to live flashy, like many new real estate investors do.

I’ve learned and matured a lot since then.

I now drive this 1982 seven series BMW. I’ve had it since 2010. I restored it, and still love working on it.

It’s one of those great pet projects that is good for distraction and decompression from the business. It recharges me.

 

When I visit places like Miami, I’m still excited by new supercars and exotics. I can appreciate the appeal. But, I’m honestly much happier now with my classic.

It’s durable. It’s a vehicle that lasts. I purchased it as a long term investment. I’ll still have to keep up with maintenance and will make modifications. It’s worth it though. It’s rewarding to make a better product.

Classic cars like these go up in value over time, instead of down. This is another reason it really made sense to me.

I invest in real estate for the same reasons. It’s durable, can go up in value, lasts long term, and can be fun and rewarding to see the transformation when remodeling rental properties.

The cash flow from my apartment investments allowed me to recently purchase a car for my mom too, as she always wanted to drive mine!

I’m so grateful that my smart investments allowed me to go pay cash for a car for her. It was not a brand new car, but it was a strategic investment.

It won’t be long before my kids are ready to drive too. When it’s time, I’ll work with them to buy a mortgage note. Then they can use the income from that investment to buy a car or make payments on one if they really want to go that way.

What are you driving and why?

Investment Opportunities:

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

Invest in Overseas Real Estate to Retire Smartly

/in , , /by

By Matt Malouf

The 401k plan at your workplace is as traditional as apple pie. You know what it is and you can rely on it. You’ve grown up hearing about this kind of investment being beneficial in life. It’s just something everybody does, and what you should do too.

All it takes is landing a job and investing in your company’s 401k plan throughout your career. After that, you’ll have peace of mind that your retired life is covered.

Wrong!

In fact, a traditional 401k model might be jeopardizing your retirement plans and you don’t even realize it! If you too are investing in a 401k plan and not focusing on other potential investment opportunities out there, are short changing yourself.  You must know that typical plans like these only work as retirement savings plans when everything falls into the right place at the right time. That doesn’t happen all too easily.

Do you know many of these plans come with hidden expense and fees ratios attached? For instance, if you invest $10,000 in your 401k plan, over 20 years you could easily more than lose $3,000 to hidden expenses or fees. This is not at all a hypothetical scenario. In fact, many TDFs (target-date funds) have huge secondary fees attached to them.

Also, it is not at all a comfortable feeling or a smart decision to invest in a plan where your retirement depends on the words and actions of many other people. As you may know, the return depends on the month, day, political climate as well as rumors on Facebook and Twitter and so on!

So, what is the premier and smart alternative to secure your retirement while exploiting better opportunities for higher returns?

Well, let me suggest – Overseas Real Estate!

People who truly understand the potential of overseas property investment understand what it brings to your table at the age of retirement. Even if you just compare both of these options side-by-side, you will be shocked to learn how much you have already lost by letting other people control your retirement investment in a typical 401k plan.

Here are some of the endless advantages of investing in the overseas real estate;

Tap into Different Housing Markets

One of the main advantages of investing in overseas property is that you can tap into other growing real estate markets.  If you select the country wisely, you are more likely to find a market that is far more profitable than the one in your country.

You can spread your fortune by making property investments in different overseas countries. On the contrary, if you invest the same amount in your home country, the amount of money may only help you buy one or two properties. Whereas the same say USD $200,000 can buy three to five properties diversifying your portfolio even more.

All you need to get a good return is invest into a growing market and you will certainly get the benefits from capital appreciation. There is another good way to utilize your overseas property and that is by renting it out. Think about receiving rental income but in another currency. Isn’t that an excellent way to hedge your financial risk?

Holiday Properties Around the World

An overseas property provides you with different holiday opportunities all over the world. This means that if you fancy jetting off to spend summer in some other country, you have got guaranteed accommodation and that too, for free.

The story doesn’t end there.  Overseas real estate also brings another kind of stability besides a financial one. It’s called personal liability. If you own a place overseas, you can always go there if the need ever arises. In short, you can call it your ‘escape hatch’.  A place to write, brainstorm, think and get away from the daily grind.

There are many cases where owning an overseas real estate properly is the first step to fully obtain residency there. Doesn’t owning an overseas real estate property add appeal to your ‘Plan B’?

Income and Investment Diversity

For sure you must have heard of the saying ‘don’t put all of your eggs in one basket’. This saying holds true for almost every other aspect of your life and undoubtedly investment is a major part of them.

So, if you actually want to maintain a safe financial standing for yourself, especially after your retirement, put your eggs in different baskets. Overseas real estate should certainly be one of those baskets you consider in your overall plan.

Investment in overseas real estate does not only offer diversification in terms of investment but also in terms of currency. For instance, if you are a U.S. resident, then having all the money in U.S. market means you are surely at the mercy of just one economy. In other words, if you are keeping 100% of your investment in one currency (like U.S. dollar), your investment future is highly dependent on the fate of the dollar.

Therefore, in addition to having a diverse investment portfolio, if you set up an income stream abroad (like renting out your overseas property), you generate an income stream that is totally independent of the U. S economy and sometimes dominated in some other country.

Never Underestimate the Security of Hard Assets

Remember that in the current economic climate, nothing is a more sensible and smart investment decision than investing in real estate. Particularly, overseas hard assets are the best and most logical investment class to secure a strong long-term value.

Even from the point of view of above-average returns and rental yields, the foreign country rental market can be a lot more lucrative if you find the right country to invest in. For instance, the gross rental yield (average) in the U.S. is around 4.2%. If you compare it with today’s emerging international market, it’s much less. Costa Rica, for instance, has a 8.4% rental yield. Other emerging economies in South America can yield you over 15%.

Let’s face it. From a smart retirement plan perspective, when you combine these benefits, there is simply no comparison. Overseas real estate investment is clearly the winner by a long shot!

The actual point of this discussion is not to discourage or dissuade you from going for a 401k plan at work but to help you think farther and smarter. Venture outside the box, think of the possibilities on how you can diversify your life and retirement. There is no harm in considering overseas real estate investment in addition to a good 401k plan.

Matt Malouf

Author-Investor-Pioneer

http://www.MyLifeWorldWide.com

 

 

 

The Secret Sauce to Managing Your Wealth…Do You Have One?

/in , , /by

By Anita Cooper

“To say that I was a failed investor is putting it mildly…”

Steve Rozenberg, founder of Empire Industries, LLC and full time commercial airline pilot, knows what it’s like to have your property investing aspirations crash and burn.

After 911, the airline industry was very shaky…he wasn’t sure he’d have a career or be able to enjoy a retirement, so he started looking for other ways to grow his wealth.

Enter real estate investing…

Like many new investors, he bought a lot of wrong properties…properties that management companies didn’t want to touch because they were low income.

Empire Industries, LLC was born out of the need to manage his own properties to keep his business intact.

Using the procedures and processes he’d learned as a pilot, Steve and his business partner – an IT whiz – created their property management company for their own preservation so that they could keep their properties afloat.

Self management vs property management

“I’m often asked if it’s smarter to self manage your properties instead of hiring a property manager and my answer is always that it depends on your end goal.

“So you know, many people focus so much on the acquisition of the deal they never think about how they’re going to get the return month after month, year after year. And normally, managing the asset is an afterthought, when it’s actually the most important part of the puzzle. This is because it’s what actually gets you the return.

“If you’re willing to commit and put the time in and learn the laws and regulations and create all of these procedures and structure, then yes, you can certainly self manage.

“But if it’s not something you want to commit to and if you don’t have a plan to succeed, then you’re planning to fail. That is why landlords are among the highest sued individuals in real estate, because they don’t go into this with a business plan of how to succeed year after year. They’re so focused on the purchase they never think about the month to month…they always look at the ROI and the cash on cash return and look at all of these big numbers, but what they never think about is how do I get those numbers in my pocket?”

Whether you have one or one hundred plus properties, Steve says it all boils down to one thing…treating your property investing efforts like a business.

“If you have one property or you have 50 properties, you own a business.”

“It has profit, loss, income, expenses, legal obligations…and you know the tenants that live in your property have rights. And as an owner, you are obligated to protect, to make sure that you’re working within the confines of the law. So yes, you could manage your own property as long as you’re willing to commit the time to educate yourself on the laws and regulations, fair housing , discrimination, etc.

“Here in Texas, we have Texas property code, so these are all the things you need to think about if you’re going to self manage one…50…100 properties, it doesn’t matter…a business is a business.”

What to look for in a property manager

Having a conversation with a prospective property manager is one of the best ways to zero in on the company that will be your partner in success.

“I would first make sure that your business model aligns with the property manager’s business model,” said Steve. “By that I mean, do they manage prices in the same price point that you own a property in?

“If you want to be a “hands-off” property owner, do they want you to be “hands-on?”

“I think it’s very important to have an initial meeting with the property management company and set the proper expectations with them, meaning what is it I can expect of you and what is it you expect of me?”

“A lot of times people go with the cheapest property management company and then they end up realizing that cheaper isn’t cheaper…it actually becomes more expensive because the company may be cutting corners, cutting costs, when for an extra dollar or two dollars a day you could of had a reputable property management company that is aligned with your business goals.”

Moving forward

Although Steve experienced great success managing his own properties, he and his business partner knew they could do even more to help other investors, so they sought the help of a business coach.

“We went to a business coach – Doug Winnie of Action Coach – five years ago, who told us that yes, we have a business because we have opportunity, scalability and marketability. However, based on what we’d done so far, we probably wouldn’t succeed as a business. So we hired him on the spot.

Then we attracted the founder of Action Coach, Brad Sugars and went from zero to about 850 properties in 5 years. In fact, we’ve won the North American Marketing Campaign Award from Business Excellence, with 1471% return for our efforts,” said Steve.

“Brad is the founder of the whole coaching franchise and he became a partner of ours in the business and he is now the one [who’s] helping us grow this nationally, with his guidance,” Steve continued. “So because of him we are now in Houston, Dallas and Ft. Worth…and now we’re starting to open up more cities this year; Austin and Ft. Hood/Killeen.

“We’re going to keep opening offices and continuing to grow under his mentorship and his strategy as we start the licensing model.”

What does this mean for you as a property investor?

As the fastest growing property management company in Texas, with offices in multiple cities, Steve and his team have proven that their property management process works…and works well.

That’s why they’ve decided to begin duplicating their process under a license or franchise model…so that other investors can do what they’ve done.

“We are spanning across Texas…we’ll be in almost every city in the next 5 years. This means we’ll be able to help even more investors succeed in growing their business.

“Our goal is to have your business succeed…for you to become wealthy through real estate. You need more than someone ringing the cash register and collecting the rent…you need someone on your team…like Empire to help ensure that success.”

Anita Cooper is the founder of Northwoods Writer, a marketing resource for real estate professionals. She lives with her family in the beautiful Northwoods of Wisconsin when they’re not cruising the highways and byways on the lookout for something new and interesting or at least calm and relaxing.

 

Kribbz: How Kent Clothier Is Reinventing Real Estate Now

/in , , /by

By Tim Houghten

Putting More Power, Speed & Money in the Hands of Home Sellers and Investors

This could be HUGE for you…

It is no secret that there has been LOTS of room and need for disruption and increased efficiency in the real estate world. Yet, despite all the hype about digital mortgages, crowdfunding, Zillow, and crypto, nothing has really changed.

Sure, it’s easier to find a property listing online with your phone today. Maybe you can even sign the contract on your laptop. That’s been about it.

There have been a lot of well meaning techies wanting to help, but who don’t get real estate. Then a lot of real estate players wanting to do things better, who don’t get the technology side.

Enter Kent Clothier…

If you’ve been in real estate investing for 5 minutes you should have heard of Kent. He’s the guy who with his family has built and managed 4 companies on the Inc. 500, at the same time. That alone may be a world record.

Kent’s family’s company, Memphis Invest, des somewhere around 900 real estate flips a year. In other words, he’s not one of those gurus who bought and sold a couple houses in the 80s or in 2008 and thought he could write a book and crown himself a ‘guru’.

He’s known for developing some great real estate investing software, real estate training programs, hosting live events alongside people like Grant Cardone (the 10x guy) and his mastermind groups. He has created the 1-800-SELL-NOW, The REWW Academy, Real Market Experts and The SMART Suite System.

If you know Kent, you know he has a real handle on his why, and he isn’t the type to just sit back on his laurels. When he does something new, he does it with great partners, solid funding, top notch tech teams and specialists, and he has people watching the details around the clock.

The bottom line is that he knows his stuff, he cares about helping people get traction, he understands what the community needs and how to package it for them using the best technology (and humans) available.

We caught up with Kent just as he landed in San Francisco to help raise a truckload of money for what is hands down the most innovative nonprofit yet – charity: water.

He was incredibly generous in giving us an exclusive interview and breaking the news on his latest venture. One which could really make a difference for home sellers and real estate investors.

Challenges in the Real Estate Space

No matter which side of the table you are on, there are probably some things you’d like to change about the real estate transaction process.

For Home Sellers

The process of selling real estate is still hyper inefficient, costly and frustrating for homeowners.

First off, there are those huge real estate broker commissions. And, despite it often not taking any more work to sell a fabulous looking million dollar home than a $350,000 home, the system means you pay a lot more in commission. Equally, if you have a property that’s too cheap, then agents will often tack on a bunch of fees to make up the difference anyway. All that to often just hand off your property address to an assistant to put it on the MLS.

Fair compensation for a job well done, greater speed and eliminating liability is one thing. Yet, for all that agents get paid (and a few good ones are worth it), worse is that locking yourself into a year long listing agreement with an agent doesn’t even guarantee you a single prospective buyer, offer, or sale. How do you plan your life and finances around that?

During this time you are accruing a gang of holding costs that could include: Property taxes, insurances, maintenance, association dues, utilities, interest, principal mortgage payments, and maybe more.

Add that all up and you can be throwing away tens of thousands of dollars of your home equity, years of hard labor paying down the mortgage every month, or the only inheritance your family left you. Sad, but true.

Savvy home sellers get this. They know how to do the math. Though few really factor all of this in. So, more would like to simply go right to a cash paying, professional investor, and just get a deal done and over in a few days. Yet, until now this market has mostly been flooded with endless cheap websites, and newbies who run local Google Ads for a few weeks, and then disappear right before you need them.

For Investors & Buyers

Real estate investors and buyers face a lot of the same frustrations. Even if they have all cash and want to buy fast.

The biggest standout challenge is connecting with serious sellers. Finding those who aren’t burned out on junk marketing, getting to make them an offer, and just getting to sign purchase contracts. Kent says the average experienced investor who does the real math on their lead generation knows they are probably easily spending $3,500 to $5,000 a deal once they finally get one to the closing table. That’s okay, if they are making $50,000 on that property. Though they can bleed a lot more in drag time and dealing with the stress of gaps between deals.

Even once they get one under contract, then they get the pleasure of navigating the hyper-inefficient due diligence process. They’ve got to find a lot home inspector, get photos, have title done, and access a variety of fragmented records systems to know what they are really buying and how much it will really cost them.

There are thousands of real estate investors hungry for properties, it’s just a matter of fixing this disconnect and streamlining things.

Kribbz: Crushing it for Buyers & Sellers

This is where Kent Clothier’s Kribbz comes in!

Kribbz for Home Sellers

At Kribbz.com home sellers get a fresh new experience. It is a platform where they can list their home absolutely FREE.

Better than free, Kribbz sends out a representative who takes awesome photos and video for them, for free too. Kribbz does a ton of due diligence like having a professional home inspector come out to determine what repairs if any will need to be made by the new buyer. Then all the private and public data is pooled together online for the buyers.

No real estate agents do this. Not even for $100,000 in commission.

Then, when the property is put up on Kribbz, it kickstarts a 24 hour auction. Within 24 hours the seller will absolutely know for certain what their home is worth for cash in an immediate sale to a qualified buyer.

The seller isn’t even required to take the offer. So, they get all this, find out for sure what they can get for their home in the market, without all the Realtor commissions or showings. Deal done. Get on with your life.

Kribbz for Buyers

Kribbz kicks all wasted time and speculative expense on due diligence and marketing to the curb for buyers.

You see a property online. Make a cash offer. Win bids. Close ASAP.

Better yet, you get all of this prime info upfront. You get legitimate photos and video, an inspection report, and know the value and rehab costs right away. No guessing. No waiting weeks to find out if this is even a deal while your capital is tied up and your time is going down the tubes.

Kent says this can save buyers 95% of the time they care currently spending. Imagine how many more deals you could do, and how much more you could make, if you had 95% more time!

Plus, behind the scenes of this technology, Kent’s team has built it from the ground up with blockchain. While local municipalities still need to catch up, this is engineering what’s next. Ultimately Kent sees this unique technology bringing all the privacy of crypto to real estate, with all the transparency buyers need to instantly be able to evaluate properties and purchase them as easy as anything else online.

That will be awesome when it kicks in. Yet, right now buyers can use Kribbz to gain more time and profitability, while sellers can get insane value help in really selling their homes fast.

Kribbz expects to be national within 3 years. So, vendors like home inspectors who are reputable and can handle a high volume of business should reach out to the platform to apply to be preferred providers in new destinations as it expands.

Try it out for yourself now at Kribbz.com