Sudeira

I’m a beginning real estate investor, and would like to know of resources (i.e. books/people/internet) where i can get info on buying houses for resale and for rentals. But just want to gather information that will keep me from making costly mistakes and avoid pitfalls.

This question is echoed by many people across the country that are looking for the doorway that leads them out and onto the path of real estate investing.  But that door is hidden and often times locked or at least damn sticky.

#1 Piece of advice for new real estate investors – Don’t get suckered!

When you are just starting out, everyone and their cousin wants to sell you the secret to this and that.  Everyone has a path to fortune in just minutes a week.  What?  You a bridge to sell me too? 

There are no secret formulas to real estate investing!

I am sure I am going to tick off all the ‘Gurus’ with that statement, but it is true.  No Guru has a secret formula, there is no magic website that has direct and secret access to buyers who are giving away homes.

Guru real estate trainers have one agenda; that is to give you enough information each time to keep you coming back and buying more, hoping the secret to making a fortune is right around the corner.  They have all made their money doing various things and are now just leveraging that to make even more money.  Honestly, do you think Donald Trump has ever done a short sale on a single family home?  I bet not!

So rule #1 is avoid the so called gurus and the hucksters and the websites with golden promises.  What you need grasshopper will not be found there.  Take your time and start reading articles on sites like  Bigger Pockets where other real estate investors hang out.  There is plenty of information to get started with there. 

If you want to get some books on real estate investing then just be sure that they are recently published.  The world of real estate investing is constantly changing and while a book may have been a great resource for hot strategies 5 years ago, now it is out of date.  Books can give you some good background info on the business and highlight the big principles, but they are just the start of a foundation.  You wouldn’t want to go to a doctor that had only read the course manuals would you?

Next time we will go over my #2 piece of advice for would be real estate investors; Picking Your Poison.

Guest Post by:  Laurel Lindsay

Real estate investing can be financially rewarding if you have a clear understanding of the ins and outs of this kind of business venture. If you want to invest in properties, then it is essential that you understand the different methods by which you can generate profit. There are several investment options, and it is important that you are able to make an informed decision on which particular option is suited for your financial situation. Your foremost concern will be the establishment of your investment goals and targets. Your potential benefits in owning real estate properties must be consistent with your goals and objectives.

You can opt to become a developer if you plan to go for real estate investment. As a developer, your main focus shall be on development properties. You will purchase the land and build structures on it. If you are going to invest on a land that has an existing structure, you may decide to tear it down and replace it with a new structure. You may also expand or improve the existing structure. This is the type of investment that requires thorough and careful planning. It is also essential that you have a strong background and understanding of development, engineering and construction laws.

As a real estate investor, you can specialize on distressed properties. Your investment options shall include properties that are about to be foreclosed, under foreclosure proceedings and properties that were already foreclosed. This is a good investment option as there are a lot of properties that are sold way below their market value. However, you need to have a keen eye when it comes to assessing the overall state of foreclosed properties. You must also have a clear understanding of the legal aspects of this type of real estate deals. In most cases, you will have to seek the services of a lawyer who has the experience and training in handling such types of transactions.

A fix-upper property is another investment option. This is the type of property which you will have to fix to add value before it is sold for profit. Among all the options available to real estate investors, this is the one that can deliver financial rewards quickly. With proper assessment of the condition of the property and reliable estimate of the cost of repairs, you can be able to turn a home into a high value property which you can either sell or offer for rent.

You can also invest on properties and decide to hold on to these properties for a longer time frame. You are into long term real estate investment if you are going to retain ownership of properties until the value of the property reaches a certain level. You can opt for this type of investment if you are investing on properties in areas where development is in full swing.

Finally, as an investor, you can rent out properties which you have kept for an extended period of time. While you are still waiting for the right time to dispose of these properties, you may opt to rent them out in order to generate income through property rentals.

These are the major investment options that you can consider if you want to become a real estate investor. These are just the bare essentials of this type of business venture. You have to learn other technical details before you can actually make your initial real estate investment. You must also keep yourself updated with latest trends and developments in the real estate market in order for you to become a successful real estate investor.

Learn how to sell your own house here: For Sale By Owner

If you’re looking to buy a home from an FSBO listing check here: FSBO Listings

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laurel_R._Lindsay

Question: I know where the deals are; I just don’t have any credit. How do I get investors?
Answer: If you’re a real estate expert and you know where the deals are, and you’re able to find a deal, whether you have excellent or poor credit, you need to find a partner who has complementary skills to those that you have. A significant part of our program is about putting people with complementary skills together. I recognize complementary skills when I see them, and I want you to be able to recognize what your strengths and weaknesses are, so you can find other people who can fill in the gaps where your weaknesses are. There’s no harm or shame in admitting your weaknesses. In fact, great strength comes from acknowledging where your weaknesses are, because it enables you to fill in the gaps with other people who can collaborate with you, who bring different kinds of skills to the table.

Question: Where are the funding sources for lending products?
Answer: Lending products for successful real estate syndications are available through all of the traditional channels. Banks and real estate lenders are the best providers for these products, but depending on the circumstances, and depending on the nature of the collateral, hard-money lenders might be the way to go. There are many hedge funds in New York and in other places that have tremendous pools of capital that are available for you to tap into. If you do not know how to access these pools, I’m happy to make introductions and recommendations. However, I reserve these for people whom I know well, and for people who come through my programs, because these are prized contacts that I do not want to waste on people who are under-prepared to speak with them in the most sophisticated way.

Question: Where do you get investors?
Answer: This is the hardest part of the real estate game. If you don’t have investors, no matter how great the real estate is that you find, you are going to have a difficult time getting the job done. The best way to accumulate investors is to start small, deal with people you know, and grow your investment opportunities as you succeed and begin to develop an investor pool. There really is a lot of money out in the marketplace, and if you have a great deal, there is always somebody who has the money to fund it. You may have to partner or you may have to share, but the money is out there. So, you never really have to worry that you are going to pass up an opportunity. If you find such an opportunity, call my office and we will talk to you about how to get the job done.

Joel began his career as a CPA with the prestigious firm of Price Waterhouse. During his time with the company’s Entrepreneurial Services Group, Joel immersed himself in the real estate syndication business. After reviewing hundreds of partnership agreements and preparing as many tax returns, he left Price Waterhouse in 1986 to start his own syndication firm, raising several million dollars in three short years. By 1990, Joel had built a property management firm of more than 40 employees with a portfolio exceeding $100 million. Joel continues to syndicate real estate and other assets, as well as counseling other promoters on successful syndication strategies. He is also involved in film financing and invests in early stage companies and other deals. For more information about Joel Block and his upcoming seminar, visit his site at http://syndicatefast.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joel_G._Block

Are you making excuses about why you aren’t investing in real estate? Do any of these sound familiar? 

"But I am just waiting until I’ve read your program a few more times before I make my first offer."

"But I don’t know anybody with money to partner with."

"But it’s not a good time to buy right now."

"But I just haven’t found the right deal."

I wish I had just made those up but those are quotes from actual people that want to start investing in real estate but have found dozens of things that are stopping them. And they aren’t alone!

There are so many people out there that want to start investing in real estate but can’t even get themselves to put in a single offer.

And real estate investing CAN be scary. Some people have lost a lot of money investing in real estate.

But there are just as many (or more) that have made a lot of money.

If you take the time to educate yourself on the fundamentals of real estate investing. Learn from people that are show you how to avoid the mistakes they have made made and then execute according to what you learn then you’re so much more likely to succeed. Let’s face it, many of the folks that have lost money weren’t careful. They didn’t learn the basics. Many of them heard on the news that real estate was making everyone money and then rushed out to buy the first 3 houses they could find.

But if you’re are educating yourself and learning from people succeeding doing what you want to do and you are still not making offers, then you MUST read this book by Sean Stephenson called Get Off Your But. Sean says, "our BUTS are huge. And the longer we sit on them, the more they continue to grow!"

It’s ok. We all do it! We all have a ‘but’ we’re sitting on that is holding us back from something we really want. But you have to know that YOUR BUT IS THE ONLY THING HOLDING YOU BACK from what you want.

Besides being a fascinating and inspiring tale of the life of this three foot tall giant of a man who has never been able to stand on his own two feet due to having brittle bones (the non medical term for his condition), it’s a book full of resources and tools to help you overcome those fears, excuses and insecurities that are giving you the biggest buts.

Sean provides a great exercise in the book to demonstrate this. Essentially he gets you to ask a friend to spend 60 seconds finding everything that is blue coloured in a room. Then, after they have told you everything that is blue, ask the person to tell you a few things that were yellow or red.

It’s going to be nearly impossible for them to name anything that is a different colour because they have been so focused on the blue things.

The same thing happens to would-be real estate investors… they get so hung up on the financing challenges, the fact they can’t find good partners or the lack of good deals that they never actually get going and get off their big but.

So… get off your but! Stop making excuses and start making offers… or just stop letting your big but hold you back from whatever it is you want in your life.

For more tips to help succeed as a real estate investor, please sign up for Julie’s free Real Estate Investing Newsletter. When you sign up you’ll also receive a free real estate investing starter tips guide. For more information please visit: http://www.revnyou.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_A_Broad

Real estate investors are a diverse bunch. They tend to be dreamers and mavericks. Investors are not born. They are often a study in how to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. They are in training for success. Here are some key traits of a successful entrepreneurs:

- GOAL DRIVEN. Staying focused on a clear goal is often one of the most difficult tasks. The more focused the real estate investor is on doing what he/she does best, the more likely they are to succeed.

- TEAM ORIENTED. Most successful real estate investors recognize that they cannot build their business alone. They must build a team and delegate responsibilities.

- SKILLS ORIENTED. The astute real estate investor makes sure that his team possesses a diverse skill base.

- TECH-KNOWLEDGEABLE. The real estate investor must possess some knowledge about technology and take the initiative to implement that technology

- FLEXIBLE MINDED. The successful investors is sensitive to the changing marketplace, competitor strategies, and customer (tenant) preferences and adapts services accordingly.

- BOTTOM LINE ORIENTED. Making money – and profits – requires managing money successfully. Being financially astute, carefully managing vendors and suppliers, and hiring the right team of financial advisors can all help when it comes to your bottom line.

- FUTURE ORIENTED. Successful entrepreneurs do not get overwhelmed or consumed by day to day problems. They have a vision for the future and make an effort to understand the trends and forces that will impact their ability to achieve that vision.

Are you working an out of date strategy? Are you still buying in your hometown or markets that have lost their steam? To become a multimillionaire, you need to be working the right strategies and you need to have access to the right deals around the country.

To sign up for information for a FREE Real Estate Investing Webinar Series that will cover wholesaling, lease options, foreclosures, short sales, and many other investment strategies to really make money in this crazy real estate and financial market, visit http://www.WholesalePropertyGroup.com

We are the best in the business finding well below market wholesale property for real estate investors all around the country. Our current virtual marketing system allows us to find, with ease, the very best wholesale deals available.

Unfortunately I just don’t have time to renovate and rehab all of these unique deals myself. In those cases I can pass these remarkable deals on to you. If you are a seasoned investor, bargain hunter, or if you are just starting out and are looking for colossal profitable deals join http://www.WholesalePropertyGroup.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Jozwik

For most involved in the real estate world 2009 was a year to remember, or in some cases one many hope to soon forget. The year brought with it record foreclosures, a complete erosion of equity, the continued collapse of banking institutions at record pace, and job losses beyond all imagine.

2009 also introduced new terms into the lexicon of real estate, like "extend and pretend" and new acronym’s which quickly became household names like TARP, and HAMP. Distressed assets moved beyond the realm of seasoned investors in 2009 to become mainstream fodder for reality television. That’s right, short sales have infiltrated the lives of the Housewives of Orange County.

Yet as we close the book on the first decade in the 21st century, all eyes turn towards the new year wondering what will be in store for the real estate industry in 2010. Although I seem to have left my crystal ball in the office, I can suggest a few items which should influence that outcome.

1. Employment, or lack thereof. Before there is anything else there is income or there is foreclosure. It’s that simple. Unless we can do something to fight the tide of rising unemployment and find a way to put more people back to work, there cannot be a housing recovery. In August the California job market was worse than any seen in my father’s lifetime. The statewide unemployment rate in November was 12.3 percent. Although, slightly better than October, this factor more than any other will determine the direction of the housing market.

2. HAMP. Loan mods & short sales for the win. It was a commendable effort done for the right reasons, but loan modifications simply are not working. Of 700,000 temporary loan mods completed in the HAMP program, 31,382 became permanent. The two main reasons cited for their failure, unemployment and negative equity. As I mentioned above, unless you have income to pay the mortgage there is no loan mod that can save your home. Second, if your home has lost 30 percent or more in value and you put 0 to 10 percent down, it makes little sense to stay; enter the short sale. An efficient plan that eases the glut of REO’s dumped on the market will alleviate downward pressure on home values.

3. Tax Credits, sanctioned down payment assistance. If a seller raises the price of a home and gifts back money to the buyer at closing it’s called loan fraud. If a non-profit does it to facilitate that same transaction it’s called down payment assistance, also now illegal. If the federal government does it it’s called a tax credit. The problem with short term and temporary solutions is, they end bringing with it false hope and turmoil. Home sales in California this fall and winter have been brisk compared to recent standards. The main reasons are incredibly low interest rates and $8,000 in tax credit that new home buyers can use as a down-payment when buying their first home. May 1, 2010 the deal ends.

4. FHA lending standards, tightening the screws. Reduced seller concessions for borrowers (from the current 6 percent max down to 3 percent max), implementation of a minimum FICO score standard, increased minimum down payments (from the current 3.5 percent), and increased mortgage insurance premiums are a prudent move by HUD. However, this will likely mean a smaller pool of buyers in 2010. Particularly, if interest rates start to rise (see #10, hint, hint).

5. Appraisal Standards, coping with HVCC – Fair and unbiased appraisals are a good thing for the banking industry. HVCC and unqualified appraisers are not. The market is flooded with war stories of deals homes that had several offers in one price range and appraisals that somehow came in much lower. To make matters worse, the plan which was intended to save borrowers money more often ends up costing more as duplicate appraisals are ordered at the expense of the homebuyer. HVCC is driving down values, recovery won’t happen until that is fixed. You can voice your opinion on HVCC and hear more about it impacts by visiting this site.

6. Reaching the bottom. Just what is a mean reversion? Housing values are typically tied to income. Historically, Americans bought homes with the intention of living in them, paying down their mortgage with an amortized loan, and moving when necessitated by life (eg. growing families, job transfer, etc). The early 2000′s created a world of make believe as the economics of home buying found a state of suspended animation. We are now paying for the games we were playing. If you believe in the theory that suggests prices and markets tend to fall back towards their norms, then look for the bottom to be found when 1/3 of the median income supports the median home values for a particular area. If this isn’t a bold statement to how locally driven the real estate market is, I don’t know what is…

7. Mortgage Delinquencies and the Godfather III – "Just when I thought I was out; they pull me back in." Foreclosure cancellations are up as short sales and loan mods have saved some delinquent borrowers from the grips of foreclosure. At the same time, new defaults are mounting as more and more borrowers face that same grim reality. It all seems to point back to #1 above. We aren’t out of the woods until new defaults begin to subside.

8. High End Foreclosures. How the other half lives (with too much debt). To my point above (#7) mid year 2010 will bring a large number of interest rate resets on Alt-A and Option ARM loans. Many of these loans were given to good credit borrowers with no documentation loans. Most of these loans are secured by higher end homes in the nicer neighborhoods of your town. These borrowers owned companies that are now defunct, held high paying jobs that no longer exist, or simply took advantage of the easy money available by "fudging" on their loan app. Unfortunately, most of these borrowers will not be able to pay their mortgage when they have to pay higher interest rates and/or both principal and interest each month. If these borrowers enter default en masse mid year we could see another dip in pricing.

9. The day of reckoning for the commercial markets. Extend and pretend will ultimately come to an end in 2010. Commercial debt is coming due, vacancy rates are rising and commercial rents are laden with concessions. On the other hand it seems as though every money manager and commercial financier has raised a fund to pursue distressed commercial debt and real estate assets. The efficiency of these pending exchanges will ultimately decide the depths to which the commercial markets will fall. Most experts I’ve spoken with in the Southern California markets expect to see an uptick in transactions around the second or third quarter. Watch to see who will be first in.

10. The Fed’s exit, aka the Bernacke Backstroke. To keep loan rates low, the Fed has been buying Treasury’s, mortgage-backed securities, and debt issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to the tune of $155 billion dollars since early 2007. Unless they step gingerly to exit the markets when the program ends next March, we could see a spike in interest rates and another downdraft in the housing market.

2010 may be a tumultuous year, but one of action. I expect transactional volume to outpace 2009 and the expectations of buyers and sellers should begin to collide. If you are a home buyer, there are incentives I believe make it worth jumping in now. Low interest rates and tax credits should offset any potential and temporary drops in value over the coming months. Investors should continue to see deals that pencil on current income, however remain cautious if your plans are to quickly flip properties. Appreciation will not be your friend.

Allan S. Glass
President
ASG Real Estate Inc
149 S. Barrington Ave
Suite 660
Los Angeles, CA 90049
T: 213.973-8637
F: 213.947.4461
E: asgreinc@gmail.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/asgreinc
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/allanglass

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Allan_Glass

For people just starting out in real estate investing, the road can be rough.  There are few easy breaks and deals don’t always drop in your lap like they do for the people in those infomercials you have been watching at 3am.  Success takes time, but what do you have to keep you on task when things get rough?  Your dreams, that is what! 

Even better than that, you should have by now your dreams written out with some steps you are going to take and a time line for getting them done, turning them into a list of goals and an action plan.  Essential things to be successful in real estate investing.

Here is Zig Ziglar explaining why having dreams is so absolutely vital to achieving your goals! 

What are your dreams?  Do they motivate you?  They should!

Take action on your dreams today and use them as the fuel to push you through and turn them from an idea to a reality that you get to live!

Previous entries in this series:
Zig Ziglar on Setting Goals
Taking Action to Achieve Your Real Estate Goals

In this second of three videos, Zig Ziglar talks about the importance of taking action NOW! Too often we take goals like investing in real estate and put them on the back burner, waiting until ‘someday’ to start on them. Common excuses are “I’m too busy” or “the market is horrible right now, next year will be better”. No matter what the situation, if you don’t start today you never will reach your destination!

Take your goals that you should have written down after watching the first video in this series and decide to take action today! There are no excuses why you can’t take that first step now, and it is vital that you do. No matter how small it is, that first step towards your real estate investing goals is critical. If you need help, ask for it! But whatever you do take action this very minute!

The beginning of the year is always a time for people to review the past and try and make changes.  The fateful New Year’s resolutions that never get met are the classic example.  My question for you is are your real estate investing goals mapped out for 2010?

Odds are that most of you haven’t got a firm plan for how you are going to reach your goals for next year.  Especially in the realm of real estate investing it is critical to not try and blunder through.  Goal setting is essential.  To that end, here is the classic speaker Zig Ziglar talking about the importance of setting goals and why they are vital to your success!

What are your real estate investing goals for 2010?  Whether it is buying your first property, learning how to wholesale properties or finding new partners, having specific written goals is the first step in turning them from dreams into realities. 

Be bold and let the world know what your goals are.  There are people out there just waiting to help you achieve them!

The entire housing market is being re-structured. There’s never been a better time to invest in Real Estate than right now. There is whole market to be explored and people are willing to make unprecedented deals.

The horror stories are endless about how people bought their homes, and then had a real life occurrence, (had a baby, lost their good paying job, the market crashed, etc) and it changed everything. Suddenly, what was once relatively easy became harder to do. I don’t believe that there is a person in America that hasn’t been effected in one way or another. The stock market has been a roller coaster making it hard to predict what investments to make.

The most predictable and stable investments through all of the changes in the economy has been property investments, and they have been weathering economic storms since after World War Two. Fortunately, investment opportunities can be done by anyone willing to make a little commitment, be it money, sweat or trade. A person doesn’t necessarily have to be holding a degree or even have a professional status. The market can be entered by anyone.

There are a great many ways to get into this market without having to go through the process of acquiring a Real Estate License. There are many e-books on this subject online and one of the best ones that I have found is the "Ten Month Real Estate Millionaire". It is a step by step program that shows you how to make money by investing in property.

Jerry Weddle has recently started a new business and is relatively new to EzineArticles. I have had a life full of adventure and am attempting a new one writing articles.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jerry_Weddle