Aug
12
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Success Begins With Your Thinking
[Self-Improvement:Success]
One of the most significant things I have ever done to improve my personal success is to understand my own self-image and how I think about myself. While I had a good self-image, I also had a belief system that had originated in a family where no one had ever experienced financial success or been wealthy. Rich folks were those people who lived on the other side of town. -
Are You in the Gutter? (You Probably Should Be!)
[Real-Estate:Investing]
Gutters are probably the most ignored item that home owners and real estate investors deal with. Yet I can’t recall anyone saying much about gutters at any repair seminar I have been to, and many rehab jobs omit gutter installation in order to cut the repair or maintenance costs. -
Excellence, a Major Key to Success
[Self-Improvement:Success]
Excellence is a quality that attracts success. Those who act with excellence in all of their daily activities tend to be both successful and happy. -
Breaking Down Barriers to Success
[Self-Improvement:Success]
Though we have little or no experience, we will enter our adult life with a whole set of preconceived notions. By the age of 20 we have a lot of beliefs and ideas firmly implanted in our mind. Beliefs and ideas that control our thinking and therefore control the outcome of our lives. -
Winners and Losers in This Market
[Real-Estate]
By now everyone is aware that the residential real estate market has gone into a severe slump. The tightening of mortgage qualifying guidelines due to the sub prime disaster is having a significant impact on home sales in general. -
FHA Expansion – Relax and Bend Over
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance]
There is a HUGE downside to this bill. The problem is not in wanting to help people and stabilize the largest single asset class in America. That is a noble goal, but the means to achieve the end simply do not add up. -
How to Keep Your Income Coming In
[Real-Estate]
A market with high appreciation is drastically different from a market with high foreclosure rates. Understanding how to adapt your business strategy to market conditions is key to your long term success. -
How Visions Become Reality
[Self-Improvement:Success]
In my previous article I discussed the need to write your vision down and make it plain. In this article we are going to discuss what it takes to bring a vision to reality. -
Increase Your Income With Short Sale Strategy
[Real-Estate:Foreclosures]
In todays market, with foreclosures reaching record highs, and many sellers owing more money than their property is even worth, it is time for a strategic change in business strategy. With a fundamental situation that presents us with literally thousands of properties being “dumped” on the market with each passing month, and most of those properties having little or no equity, it is getting more difficult to sell any properties for full value. Listings are sitting on the market for months, and many of those listings on which we have spent valuable time and… -
Do You Have a Strategic Vision For Your Business?
[Business:Strategic-Planning]
Even the Bible says that it is important to have a vision that is clear and plain. If you don’t have a clear vision of where you are going,it’s very likely that you’ll never get there. -
Real Estate Arena – Lessons From the Minnesota Bridge Collapse
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance]
This article draws some very interesting parallels between the recent Minnesota Bridge collapse and the problems we are seeing with subprime lending. There are lessons in this story that can help all of us be more successful and live better lives. -
Utilizing Wisdom to Grow Your Business Success
[Real-Estate:Investing]
Today we live in what is known as the information age. And indeed, it is easier than ever to access information on virtually any subject. There are more seminars, more books, more lectures, more videos. Whatever the topic is, there is information out there that you can access. And there is no question that more people are more knowledgeable than ever before. But have you ever thought about the fact that having knowledge does not automatically mean that you have the wisdom to use that knowledge properly? -
Biggest Housing Slump In US History – Are You Prepared To Profit?
[Real-Estate:Foreclosures]
Anaylsis of housing data reports showing that the current subprime foreclosure mess is just the beginning of what will likely be the biggest price slump in US history. She also discusses how real estate investors can profit from some of the best buying opportunities ever. -
Buying Right In A Changing Market
[Real-Estate:Investing]
In a slowing real estate market, buying right often requires the smart investor to ignore the appraised value in favor of what I call “Real Time Market Value” (TM).
This article uses real 2006 data from Grant Park in Atlanta, GA to analyze the market, and determine a reasonable offer price that is based on “Real Time Market Value”. -
Are You Suffering From Anemic Profitosis?
[Real-Estate]
Is your investment income looking a bit pale and fatigued?
Do you become nauseated at the site of your profit and loss statement?
Are you “itching” to sell properties that are losing money?
Chances are you’re suffering from a lingering case of anemic profitosis. -
The Fundamentals Versus “Nothing Down” Strategy
[Real-Estate]
Creative deals that require no cash or no credit are great – when used properly. Even big name investors find themselves filing bankruptcy when the market changes and strategies that once worked, stop working.
Strategies come and go, based on what is happening in the real estate market. The only way to protect yourself and insure that you are successful for the long haul is to understand the fundamentals that affect every real estate purchase. -
How To Cash Flow Successfully – Backwards Engineering Your Offer Price
[Real-Estate]
Any income property that is supposed to generate a positive cash flow each month is only worth the income it is capable of generating. In todays overpriced market, many investment properties are virtually worthless, because their high buy-prices virtually guarantee that investors will lose money – for success in the cash flow game, investors must learn to make their offers based on the real income potential, instead of the asking price or appraised value. -
How To Avoid Sinking In The Shifting Sands of Market Change
[Real-Estate]
As we go from late 2005 into early 2006 there is no question that many, (but not all) real estate markets throughout the country are experiencing a slow down. Recent survey data provided by my newsletter subscribers from around the nation, are confirming news reports that real estate sales are slowing significantly. Atlanta is high on the list of major cities experiencing significant market changes and investor challenges. -
The Way We Were – Investors Struggle With High Prices and Low Cash Flow
[Real-Estate]
Summary: Over the past 5 years, retail housing values
have risen 80% while investors are paying 300% more
for investment properties. This is leading to more foreclosures among investors who are buying without carefully considering how purchase decisions affect exit strategy. -
Real Estate by the Numbers: Closing Costs
[Real-Estate]
Understanding the closing costs involved in your transaction is essential. For most new investors, this is one category that seems to be hard to pin down until we get to the closing table. If unforeseen costs arise at the table, it can make for a very bad day. -
When Investors Become Victims of Fraud
[Real-Estate]
A young investor from Atlanta got excited when he heard about a “deal” in Macon, GA. (about 90 miles south of Atlanta)The property – 2 Duplexes and one single family house. The prices seemed to be a steal compared to Atlanta real estate – only $65K for each duplex and only $45.5K for the house. He didn’t know the market at all, but everyone involved was assuring him that this was a great deal.
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Should I Get My Real Estate License? To Be or Not to Be… that is the Question
[Real-Estate]
New investors often ask me whether it would help their investing
activity if they became a real estate sales agent. -
Private Property Rights and You
[Real-Estate]
The recent ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States regarding private property and a governments right to confiscate it under the principal of “Eminent Domain” has many real estate owners and investors fearing for the future of private property ownership in America. In case you are not very familiar with what has happened as a result of this court ruling, let me quickly cover the high points. -
Where is the Profit in Your Deal?
[Real-Estate]
When we see Donald Trump on TV, we see a guy who is living the high life.
Money, women and fame – all thanks to real estate. By media standards “The Donald” is a rich, successful real estate mogul. But, even he would have to admit that sometimes, he makes more money doing television than in real estate. -
How to Structure a “Subject-to” Offer
[Real-Estate]
Ok, let’s say you have located a seller who is highly motivated to sell a particular property. -
How to Write “Subject-To” Offers
[Real-Estate]
A “subject-to” offer simply means that the buyer is willing to purchase a piece of property “subject-to” some specific circumstance. Usually that circumstance will be the sellers existing mortgage. It can also be a variety of other things. One of the most common “subject-to” clauses in real estate contracts is “subject-to” buyers inspection. But for real estate investors, the most common use of the term “subject-to” is in relation to purchasing a property “subject-to” the sellers existing mortgage. This means that at closing, the property is titled in your name, but the loan is still in the sellers name. Therefore, you are buying the property “subject-to” the sellers existing mortgage payments. -
Estimating Expenses for Retailing Your Properties
[Real-Estate]
Retailing as used in this article is defined as fixing up a property with the goal of reselling it to an owner occupant. -
Nuts and Bolts: Maybe I’m Getting Old Fashioned
[Real-Estate]
Lately I have been thinking about the real estate business, and how it has changed so much over the past 10 years. Most of the techniques taught today were around 10 years ago. There were people doing assumptions, lease options, flipping, rehabs, etc., back then too. But what is really different today is the increase in the number of courses, infomercials and clubs that encourage people to become real estate investors. And those efforts are obviously working. The ranks of those who call themselves real estate investors have swollen dramatically during the past 10 years. -
Nuts and Bolts
[Real-Estate]
Probably the most commonly asked question among new investors is
“Where do I start?” We have heard of lease/options, flipping, rentals, multi-family, retailing, etc. With the large number of courses and strategies available, the new investor may feel overwhelmed and confused. This month I will attempt to give you some specific first steps. -
Do Rising Property Taxes Threaten the Future for Residential Investors?
[Real-Estate]
Higher taxes on top of a high LTV can destroy your cash flow. -
Asking Sellers The Right Questions – A Quick Primer
[Real-Estate]
Asking sellers a few specific questions is your key to identifying potential deals quickly. Whether you are on the phone or standing at the front door, a few concise questions can get you all, or most of the information you need to make an offer. -
Learning to Listen – The Key to Better Negotiating Skills
[Business:Negotiation]
Any experienced, successful investor will tell you that learning to listen to the seller is one of the most important skills you can develop. Many communication problems that arise during negotiations can be traced to poor listening skills. When negotiating with a seller it is your objective to determine their needs and wants. -
Are Real Estate Markets Flattening Out?
[Real-Estate]
For the past 6 months or so, it has really begun to appear that real estate values and demand are flattening out. Now, in late 2005, the financial programs and some new media “talking heads” are saying that the hot real estate market seems to be cooling off. -
Getting Started As A Real Estate Investor
[Business:Careers-Employment]
For most of us, the issue is getting started. How do I start?
Where do I start? And so forth. -
How To Pick An Investing Strategy That Will Work
[Real-Estate]
I often get email’s from investors asking me how they can tell which real estate investing strategy is ideal in their city. From the perspective of a new investor it can often be difficult to decide what particular strategy you should use in a given area. -
Should I Get Into Real Estate Investing To Get Out Of Debt?
[Real-Estate]
As a general rule, real estate investing is an excellent way to build a solid financial foundation and get out of debt.But — you have to do it under the right circumstances, and for the right reasons.
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A Lenders Point of View
[Real-Estate:Mortgage-Refinance]
Lenders only make their money when they loan money. Therefore, they want to loan as much money as possible. But, there are qualifying criteria that borrowers must meet. Some loans will require high credit scores and lots of income, while other loans will permit a lower credit score, and less income. For the average buyer, government insured loans such as FHA or VA may be easier to get. But in general, your mortgage lender will ask you to meet certain underwriting requirements for your loan. -
Check The Appraisal Carefully To Avoid Being A Fraud Victim
[Real-Estate]
Don’t get swindled on your real estate investment! Real estate consultant, Donna Robinson, tells you how to recognize and avoid one of the most common of all real estate fraud schemes, bogus real estate appraisals. -
Buying Your First Investment Property
[Real-Estate]
Discover insider tips and tricks that help you avoid the big mistakes even experienced investors can make. Don’t let a market melt-down take you by surprise! -
3 Strategies For Buying Property With No Money Down
[Real-Estate]
Donna Robinson addresses the 3 “classic” strategies used to acquire real estate with no money down. This easy to understand article shows you how no money down deals happen. -
Back To The Future – Big Changes Are Coming, Get Ready Now
[Real-Estate]
Real Estate Investing tends to run in cycles. Over the past 12 years interest rates have dropped from double digit levels to the lowest levels in 30 years. That drop sparked the biggest investing boom in history. But how will rising rates affect todays investor? Donna Robinson looks into the future, and recalls the “good old days” of double digit rates.
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