Author: Mike Lautensack
Source: ezinearticles.com

One of the essential traits of a successful real estate investor is marketing skill. The use of these rare skills in real estate endeavors can guarantee great discounts from sellers. But first of all you must take into account which people are the ones who are likely to give you good discounts? You can get a discount from anyone but often these are the people who want to shed off their properties as soon as they can. Finding such persons is the first step. These people could be selling their properties for various reasons. Financial instability, personal reasons and a pending divorce are juts to name a few. Such situations can create a great opportunity for you. If you can locate such sellers, you are sure to get hefty discounts from them

There are some steps given below. You can make good use of them if you want to undertake buying and selling real estate.

Searching

You can make use of your formidable persuasions skills only if you have a seller to use them on. You need to search around motivated sellers. Look out in your neighborhood. Also spread the word around within your community that you are interested in buying a house. You will get a call sooner than you think.

The Motivated Seller

As I have emphasized in the preceding paragraphs, a motivated seller is the key to getting great discounts. When a person needs to sell immediately, the usual channels he uses for advertising his sale are newspapers and the internet. You can also lookout for foreclosures since a few people want to get rid of their property before that. Make a list of all the properties that have come to your knowledge and arrange them in order of your preference.

Taking the Seller’s Side

You should not appear hostile to the seller. Rather he should feel that you are on his side. Actually you are doing him a favor by buying his property. Make him comfortable. Ask why he is selling the property. He can have any reason that I have listed above or even something that I haven’t listed. He might just be moving out of the city. The idea is to get him talking. From this small talk you can conclude the extent of his motivation. Remember, if he needs to sell urgently, he will be more willing to give a discount. If he can wait, he will do just that. Until the offers for his property reach a certain limit.

Ask Him for the Price.

It would be very wise to ask the seller to quote his price first. If you have a price tag from the seller, it will give you a point from where you should work your way down in your negotiations. Sometimes, the seller also knows better than to make the first offer. In that case you can ask him indirectly about what is the prevailing price of properties in that area. You can also ask him casually about the minimum price at which he might settle. As long as he quotes a number, you consider it a benchmark and start negotiating. When you get a reasonable price that you find reasonable, close the deal. Don’t wait any longer.

I invite you to learn more about Real Estate Investing and become a member of our FREE weekly tele-seminar class where we teach tips and strategy on how to grow your real estate investing business and how to raise Private Money by going to http://www.realestatewealthtoday.com/TuesdayTipsSignUp.html.

Mike Lautensack is a full-time real estate entrepreneur, coach and mentor in Philadelphia, PA and creator of the Private Lending Presentation Kit. This powerful done-for-you kit is loaded with tools and techniques to attract and develop a consistent stream of private investors into your real estate business. To learn more about this kit and receive your FREE eBook go to Real Estate Investing Blog

Author: Shannon Ensor
Source: ezinearticles.com

There are many ways to go about marketing your real estate business. The following are the top 5 ways that I have found to be essential to my marketing campaign. Take the time to create a campaign that includes elements from each of these proven methods.

Print advertising

Marketing is visual. People believe what they can see with their own eyes. Take some time to create a powerful print advertising campaign. Print advertising materials include flyers for listings, just-listed cards, business cards, letterhead and more. If you aren’t the creative type, then it might be worthwhile to hire a local advertising company to create materials for you. There are even local companies that will manage your print advertising campaigns for you, and mail out the media at intervals that you determine. Set it up once, and you’re done!

Social networking

Your friends are your warm market. I have read books that say that by the time you are 30 years old, you already know thousands of people. If you haven’t got into the social networking game already, it would behoove you to do so. Start a Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter account immediately and start building your social networking presence. Build a strong profile and start adding friends, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can build a database of potential clients. People like to see what other people they know are doing, and this is a great way to market yourself and show people what you have going on in your life and your business.

Internet marketing

Studies have shown that people are using the internet to search for real estate now more than ever. National real estate companies promising the latest and greatest ways to find homes are popping up left and right. Get your piece of the internet-marketing pie today! Create a website and showcase your skills and areas you work. This will greatly improve your company’s credibility and add as a powerful means to marketing yourself.

Organizations

Join an organization! Get to know people. If you are in the real estate business, you are in the people business! Think about your hobbies and what you enjoy doing, and find a local organization or charity to join. This is a great way to meet new people and build a database of clients.

Referrals

Referrals are a must for any successful real estate business. Take the time to market yourself to your current clients by asking for referrals as often as you can. It is much easier to earn a new client’s business when you have been referred to them by someone they trust. Treat your referrals with the highest of regards, and if you earn their business, you will also earn their referrals.

Take the time to create a marketing plan that includes Print Advertising, Social networking, internet marketing, organizations and referrals. Master the effective use of these 5 ways and watch your business grow!

Shannon Ensor is a licensed REALTOR in Austin Texas, specializing in residential real estate. Her site, ShannonMovesYou.com, offers comprehensive real estate information for buyers and sellers, including free search tools for Austin homes for sale. Shannon is the founder of an Austin real estate team comprised of Austin’s top REALTORS.

Author: Dennis Hurt
Source: ezinearticles.com

How to make money Wholesaling for beginners

Hello All,

Thanks for taking the time to check out how to make money in Real Estate for beginners. Let me start by saying this is not some get rich quick plan. If you want to get rich quick buy a lottery ticket. The majority of the wealth in this country has been created through Real Estate.

I am sure you are thinking but, I don’t have any cash or credit. Although having cash and good credit helps you get started in Real Estate, it is not a necessity. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, yet some people seem to always get so much more done in the same 24 hours than other. If you don’t have credit or cash you do have the two most important items needed to get started in real Estate. They are Time and Information.

That’s right all you need is Time and Information. Let me explain, since you don’t have credit or cash to just go out and buy your first property, you will have to be a little more creative.

One of the easiest ways to get started in Real Estate is wholesaling. Wholesaling is when you go out and you take the TIME to find deals that would be appealing for investors to buy. The best way to get started is to go out and look for vacant houses. Although this is very time consuming it is the easiest way. There are many tools you can use to find these deals. I will get a little more detail on how to specifically find deals in a future post. But, for now lets just say you have found a great deal that you think an investor would want to buy. How do you go about finding investors to buy your property?

There are many ways to do this but, here are a few I recommend. First go to www.nationalreia.com and find the nearest Reia (Real Estate Investors Association) in your area. When you go to these meetings introduce yourself and let everyone know you want to get started in Real Estate and you have decided to get started by wholesaling. Bring with you a sign up sheet for your buyers list. You will want to get names and numbers of as many Investors as possible. It would also be beneficial to take the time to meet with them for lunch some time. There are several reasons for this. You can define exactly what style property they are looking for. You can use them as a resource to answer questions and make suggestions on how to get your wholesaling business started.

Just to review, first you go out and you find great deals and get them under contract (I will cover contracts in a future post). Then you go build your buyers list.

After you have done this it is time to make the sale. This is where detail is important. You want to be able to give your Investor as many details about the property as possible, for example, location, price, bedrooms, baths, ARV (After repair Value), repair list, etc.

This is the time when you want to be the most aggressive. You need to market this to every possible outlet (Reia, Print, Online, Etc.) In future post I will give some examples of the best marketing techniques that have proven effective.

So there you go. This is an outline of how to get started in real estate with no cash or credit. Feel free to comment or email and questions or topic suggestions you may have. I wish you all tremendous success and remember don’t give up. If you want it bad enough you will figure out a way.

“Necessity is the mother of all invention”

I hope you enjoy my articles. Please keep in mind that I am new to writing articles. I am using years of experience in Real Estate Investing and The Automotive Industry to help other people with less experience benefit from my knowledge.

To Our Success!

Dennis

Author: Deb McMillan
Source: ezinearticles.com

What does it take to make money in today’s real estate market? That’s a really broad question, but essentially it’s pretty simple. It takes buying the right property, for the right reason, in the right location, at the right time, at the right price.

Sounds simple, right? Well not so simple. There is a lot that goes into each one of those criteria. And navigating the treacherous waters that surround each area can be dangerous. Make a mistake in any one of those key areas and you severely hurt your chance to make big money.

Each real estate investment deal is different. Sometimes you are buying to retail. Sometimes you are buying to wholesale. Maybe sometimes you are buying to hold and rent. No matter what your reason for buying, the same criteria apply.

Is it the right piece of property to fit your needs. Are you buying this specific property for the right reason. Is it in a location that will be beneficial when it comes time to fill it, either with a renter or a buyer. Is now the right time to buy that particular piece of real estate. And are you offering too much for it. Could you have done better?

I have been investing in real estate for a very long time and probably the single best thing I’ve ever done is invested in a coach.

Sometimes the excitement of getting a deal done can cloud the judgment. And man I can’t tell you how many times a coach has saved my hide.

Deb McMillan Short Sale Coaching

Author: Brendan Leahy
Source: ezinearticles.com

Anyone involved in the real estate process is aware that transferring property ownership can be a very sensitive matter. From the point homeowners put their home on the market to when the new owners take possession, every step is recorded and formalized through various real estate forms.

There are so many forms that sellers will come across but only one form gives them the great joy and exhilaration that they anticipate; this is the “offer to purchase real estate form”. Once the property seller has received this form in their hand, they know they have a buyer interested in taking the home off their hands. In fact, the seller may have met the prospective buyers in person or interviewed them by phone.

This “offer to purchase real estate” form is important for two reasons:

- First, it’s a sign that the sale of the home is beginning.
- Second, it has an effect on both the seller and buyer that will change their lives.

It will establish how much the buyer is willing to purchase the property for and how the money will be given. It will indicate what the down payment will be, the deadline for the remaining balance, how the payment will be made and the deadline for these payments and more.

It’s important to note that the purchase form details are not final. Should the seller not be pleased by what the buyer offers, he/she can counteroffer to get the buyer’s approval. This counter-offering process continues until the parties are able to reach an agreement and both are satisfied and happy with the outcome.

While individual homebuyers can decide to prepare their counteroffers, it’s in their best interest to speak with a lawyer who has experience in this area or a real estate agent, all in the effort to verify if the form and its content meet the state and federal guidelines. Another option buyers and sellers have is to use a ready-made offer forms that can be bought and/or downloaded from the Internet.

These forms are every bit of good as the ones lawyers or agents prepare. They’ll contain all the needed information that’s important to the real estate transactions and will follow all the standard formats seen with conventional documents. Should a state need a specific format, make sure you obtain the ones for your state. You can buy these “offer to purchase” real estate forms one of two ways: either by one-piece or as a complete set. A person can decide whether to get the form’s full set or piece-by-piece set.

Any counter proposals need to be recorded and attached with the initial documentation that was presented to the home seller. These other documents will give the other documents support and will be a part of the final purchase price contract.

If you would like to get more info from Statewide Homes, LLC on topics like this one and many others go to http://www.StatewideWholesaleDeals.com.

Author: Mike Lautensack
Source: ezinearticles.com

You may have heard the saying a lot “That to make money you need money,” well that is not entirely true, and in the course of this article we’ll discuss some of the ways by which you can invest and earn profit in the real estate market with small investments. All it takes is some patience and foresight and a keen eye for investment opportunities. Following are some of the ways by which profit can be earned with little down payment.

Fixed Upgrade

Fixed upgrade is increasingly becoming popular among those people who do not have the necessary amount of finance available to buy the property or home of their choice. So what they do is that instead of buying an expensive house they buy a house which is not in that good physical condition for example it may require a certain amount of restoring and repairing work. These types of houses are relatively cheap to obtain and require small amounts of down payments. Once a buyer buys the house he then sets about repairing it and maybe even renting it out to meet the restoration cost. Once the restoration is complete he then proceeds to sell the house at a higher price then he bought it in therefore earning a healthy profit in return. Be advised though care should be taken in assessing the amount of repair that a house needs so that the restoration costs are not cutting into the profits that you expect to earn.

Wholesaling

The term wholesaler is applied to a person who has bought a particular good in bulk and then sells it to the customers or retailers and in turn earns profits on the transaction. In relation to real estate, as we have discussed that we do not have much money to invest so what we can do is that find a wholesaler who is willing to sell his property and then find buyers for that property and earn some profits on the transaction. This is not that difficult and best of all this does not require us to invest large amounts of money; we are just earning profits on the transactions. All this requires is a keen eye for buyers and seller and good business skills.

Finding and Locating Investment Opportunities

The most effective way of finding a good property to invest in is by actively looking around for the best deals. For example driving around the neighborhood and checking out which houses are for sale and at what rates or scouting through the classifieds in the newspapers for properties on sale or rent. You can also make friendships with real estate agents or people who are familiar with the business so that you have first hand knowledge of the prices and the values of properties that come onto the market. You can even try and search the internet for the best deals as nowadays a lot of the property trade is being done over the internet.

I invite you to learn more about Real Estate Investing and become a member of our FREE weekly tele-seminar class where we teach tips and strategy on how to grow your real estate investing business and how to raise Private Money by going to http://www.realestatewealthtoday.com/TuesdayTipsSignUp.html.

Mike Lautensack is a full-time real estate entrepreneur, coach and mentor in Philadelphia, PA and creator of the Private Lending Presentation Kit. This powerful done-for-you kit is loaded with tools and techniques to attract and develop a consistent stream of private investors into your real estate business. To learn more about this kit and receive your FREE eBook go to Real Estate Investing Blog.

Author: Daniel Chris Mc Grey
Source: ezinearticles.com

Many are encouraged to get into real estate investing today. In fact, some have even left their regular day jobs so they could go full time with real estate. Yes, real estate investing is one of the best ways to earn a living today. Despite the global crises that our economy faces, the industry continues to prove to be very profitable. In this article, an experienced investor shares with us all the good things about real estate investing. If you are planning of real estate investing a full time job, below are some of the few things that you can look forward to:

You can run errands during the day when all the kids have gone to school and no one is left home to attend to.
You do not need to leave work just because you want to make appointments with your dentists or doctors.
You can shower any time you want to. You can start making money in front of your computer even in your pajamas.
You can take a vacation anytime you want to. Gone are the days when you had to file for a leave. As long as you have your laptop and mobile phone with you, you can run your business wherever you are.
Your perception about money becomes “warped.” You can spend lavishly on dinner or on a vacation without thinking twice.
You get to handle your own schedule. You can do what you want to do whenever you want to.
You have time for a lot of things which you can’t do when you’re on a regular day job. You can take your dog on a walk in the woods anytime you want to.
You can take a nap everyday!
You can get an assistant and let her run your business for you. As long as you keep everything properly and clearly delegated, you do not have to worry about getting your business messed up even if you go on vacation.
You are your own boss. You do not have to worry about conforming to office politics which you do not like in the first place. Because you are your own boss, you get to make 100% of your decisions.
A single deal can make you pay a new car.

Real estate investing can be very profitable and anybody is entitled to experience the benefits and the perks mentioned above.

For more tips on real estate investing, go to http://www.REIWired.com.

Author: James Kahn
Source: ezinearticles.com

Whether you want to sell your home or lease it, you will need to find a real estate agent. A Real Estate Agent is one who is licensed by the state to practice in the business of real estate. Real estate dealings can be quite complex and a real estate agent will help you deal with the difficulties that are inevitable in the selling or leasing of your house. They are there to ensure a smooth transaction and are essential to safeguard the value of your assets.

To look for a great real estate agent, you need to start asking around for referrals. Most satisfied clients are willing to share their experiences with you and make recommendations. This will give you an idea where to look. If you can, ask for as many referrals as possible and make sure to let those you ask describe to you the experience of working with a particular agent. You will not only know who to look for but you will also have an idea what a particular agent might be like even before you meet him/her. One other option is to look at online listings or ads on the newspapers. This will save you some time and will give you an instant idea of what particular real estate offices might be able to cater to your needs. It would also help for you to attend open houses. You can observe real estate agents without having to really consult with them personally.

When you have enough information, you’ll have a good picture of what kind of agent you are looking for and who might give you what you need. Consider the top three real estate agents you have in mind and schedule for an interview with each of them. A one-on-one interaction will help you gauge his/her capabilities and character enough for you to decide if you want him to be your agent or not.

If you really want to get your money’s worth, look for a residential agent who works full-time on landlord tenant relationships and and who has had a lot of experience working with landlord tenant forms. Ask specific questions about how he/she gets the job done for other landlords or tenants and why they might be the best agent for you. When you feel that he/she is qualified and meets your standards, consult with him/her your particular needs concerning real estate leases and how he intends to accomplish what you want. Ask how much he/she will charge and negotiate the price if you feel that the tenant’s offer is too low. A good residential agent will give you a reasonable compromise after taking in to consideration your specific requirements and his/her own capabilities with handling landlord tenant relationships.

James is an expert in writing about legal forms and documents that may help you when your in the search of the right legal document. He writes many articles about forms ranging from, power of attorney forms, landlord tenant forms, and most any legal form that you are searching for.

Author: Tony Mandarich
Source: ezinearticles.com

Investors are frequently bombarded with an enormous amount of paperwork from potential real estate investment clients. Clients try appealing to investors regarding great real estate investment opportunities, but many times the paperwork becomes overwhelming and does not answer the pressing questions investors need addressed. Thus, do not overload your investor with unnecessary stats, extra spreadsheets, and other information. Instead, follow these tips and you shall walk out of your business meeting with money in-hand.

1. Keep it Simple
If a prospect is presented with flashy graphics, wordy material and no user-friendly outline to follow, then the reader shall be left with more questions than answers. It becomes a hassle to read the information provided. It may be a complete disgust discouraging negotiations from continuing to the next level. Present a simple overview of the deal. Your investor does not need granular details during the initial phase. Save the fine points for the next time you meet.

1. List Costs
Inform the investor regarding how much you shall be investing in the deal and how much money is being sought after externally. A general rule to follow in dividing equity is the investor pays 90% while you pay 10%. This is the average split when producing real estate opportunities. But do your research and make sure you are certain regarding the costs prior to preparing the documents. It is a vital component to the entire process.

2. State Return on Investment (ROI)
The investor cares about the bottom line. He/she wants to know what is in it for me. What shall he/she gain from this investment? Is it worth his/her time and money? Therefore, it is important to clearly catalog what the return to the investor shall be on this particular deal. List what you are going to pay annually. Use an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) calculator to formulate the numbers. Provide the financier with what the annual return shall be over a number of years. Cover your basis. This section will make or break your deal.

3. Present a Time Frame
Most experts claim 3-4 years is a common time frame for real estate investment opportunities. However, be aware. For there are investors who prefer an elevated long-term return if the numbers are more appealing than over a shorter time frame. Know which time frame has added appeal and commit to the time frame accordingly.

4. Add Supporting Data
Provide factual supporting data for costs and/or numbers attached to your initial presentation ensuring you are thorough but not overbearing. This basic task establishes credibility via proving you are comprehensive in your presentation. Furthermore, if your investor has questions later on and you are not present, then the supporting data ensures the answer is right in front of him/her building confidence in your preparation abilities. For you were able to preconceive what may be asked in the future and direct it in your paperwork. Focus on numbers for this section of your documents. Think costs, revenues and investment summary.

To find your next real estate investment opportunity in the Tennessee area then contact a local Tennessee realtor today.

Find a professional real estate agent who is an expertise in the Northeast Tennessee real estate market. Someone who works with commercial, land and residential covering all of your real estate needs is what you need ensuring he/she covers it all.

Author: Ben Pargman
Source: ezinearticles.com

I recently was talking to a Short Sale investor named Lynn. Lynn related to me a lot of the emotions that successful real estate investors go through when they’re starting to build their businesses. What she told me is “I’m interested in following the person who is willing to get back to real estate investing and leave the scamming for the scammers.”

Lynn makes a good point. It really is important for those getting into real estate investing that they seek out teachers who are actually out there “doing it.” That means at the core of their “information business” is a hard-core real estate services business that is in the mud of the deals every day, day-in and day-out.

But here’s the truth about most “amazing products”… the Soloflex actually does work! You can actually look like the guy on the infomercial with the abs and pecs BUT only if you bust your butt consistently- for a long time – and eat right and sleep right…and…and…and. But if you do all that, it does work. Look, any information product system (or whatever you want to call it) is the same thing – people have figured out a unique way to do something that WILL help you make more money than you could ever imagined possible at your old job! But guess what… you’ve got to work out… and do it just like at the gym. I’m not talking about going through the motions twice a week and then wondering why you don’t look like the guy on the infomercial.

I would run away fast from anyone who tries to sell you something that supposedly gets you in top physical shape without any physical effort! Run Forest, run! Similarly, I would stay way the heck away from anyone selling a real estate information product guaranteeing that you can quit your job in X days or that it’s easy, or that it doesn’t take any work. That’s just B.S.! Making a fortune, changing your life, and building a future takes work – a lot of work – which is why most people don’t actually do it!

However, you absolutely can shortcut your way through years of a learning curve, shortcut your way with certain technology, and shortcut your way through forests that others have already cut a path through by investing in information products and systems designed by those who have gone through the journey and are willing to share with you. You can dramatically increase the efficiency of your work by spending your time on the right things rather than spinning your wheels when someone who has already done it can just show you what they’ve done.

Here’s a little suggestion – anyone can have one success story to talk about and write a product about it. Before you invest in anyone’s system or product – look for recent evidence that it actually works. I don’t care how good the professional weightlifter model looks in the commercial, I want to know what the experience was like for someone like me (which is why if you watch infomercials they go back and forth from professional models to “regular guys”).

Here’s another tip – every pitchman posts “testimonials” of success stories. Pick up the phone and call the person giving the testimonial and get it straight from them. Do they even know they are being quoted to support sales of someone’s product? Would they agree with how the testimonial is presented? Was it taken out of context? Look, if that’s who the pitchman is putting forward as “the best they got” and when you call, they’re defensive or wishy-washy, well, then… there’s your answer. However, if you call someone who is a raving fan lunatic advocate for the product, well, now you know.

Keep this in mind – the product may actually work, just not for you. Look, when you walk in a gym, there are dozens of machines and weights – and yet a personal trainer is going to design a program that involves only a few of these tools that are right for you and your body type. The same thing is true in the real estate information world – the guy’s program you had a bad experience with may just not be the right machine for YOU but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work for other people. (The hard thing is that there are not too many opportunities to “try out” different products to see which one’s a fit for you without making that investment – I’m working on just such an opportunity for you – but they are few and far between.

One more piece of advice – when you find yourself having invested in something that ended up not being what you needed, put your concerns in writing to the vender. That step will force you to be honest with yourself – are you asking for your money back for the Soloflex because it’s currently holding your underwear in the basement and you don’t use it and now feel stupid for spending all that money? Whose fault is that? Or if you really have a legitimate concern about the quality and viability of the product then put it in writing.

I can only speak for myself, but I have to assume that my colleagues in the business feel the same. I work my butt off on everything I put out there. Our products reflect a tremendous amount of time thinking, planning, writing, re-writing, designing, and testing. And every product I have ever released to the marketplace has always been improved by the constructive comments form those who use it. We’re not perfect and I’m not selling magic wands or potions – so some stuff is better than other stuff and it can always be better. We are constantly updating, revising, and improving our products based on customer feedback. So if you have something helpful to contribute – PLEASE put it in writing, I bet the guru you’re talking about will actually read it, consider it, and act on it – I know I would.

Ben Pargman is a real estate attorney and the nation’s number one expert in Short Sales. Check out his website at The Short Sale Service, Inc. for his free audio course on how to make money in today’s real estate market.