Happy New Year! That’s right we are a few days into 2016 and it is time to roll up our shirt-sleeves and get to work. I know it has been a little while since you have heard from me. I promise I have not gone anywhere. In fact quite the contrary…I have been ramping things up on my end to be able to send you more quality content and serve you better in the up coming year. I had a tremendous time finishing the year off strong with a group of investors that came to Phoenix from all over the Read more…

The fun of real estate, for me, is being out in the field, getting dust on my shoes, tramping along driveways, and prowling through distressed properties. I like being with the sub-contractors in a hot, grimy building, surrounded by old, shattered cabinets and stacks of new floor covering. But as much as I relish a passion for this business, keeping notes of every great idea, organizing mountains of documents, and getting necessary photos to the right people – these could be overwhelming without a great online tool that handles and organizes everything: Evernote and Evernote Business.   Evernote is an Read more…

Three Presentation Skills You Should Know Getting your offer on a property accepted is what all of this hard work is about. You’ve found a property, done your due diligence work, run the numbers and are ready to present an offer. This is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. What can you do to give yourself the best chance of having your offer accepted? Well, there are skills in presenting your offer that can greatly improve your odds. Here are some things I’ve learned. If you’ve crafted your offer in the most effective way (see my post Read more…

  The things that make up an attractive offer for a property vary based upon what kind of market we’re in. Knowing the market environment is crucial to crafting an effective offer. If you’ve both sold and bought properties as I have, you start to get an idea for what makes up an effective offer to purchase. But you have to also keep in mind that every seller is unique and has different motivations. Learning to recognize what kind of offer will appeal to a specific seller is an art – one that you will learn over time. That being Read more…

It’s an unavoidable truth when investing in real estate; you’re going to have to deal with a wide range of sellers. Some are professional and easy to interact with, while others are full of emotions like fear and anxiety. Dealing with these sellers can be a challenge, especially if they are on the verge of losing their home. Here are some tips for interacting with sellers of all types. Put yourself in their shoes – It sounds cliché, or maybe like something your mother would tell you, but it’s a great thing to remember. A property seller is often in Read more…

In my previous post I told you about the advantages of finding distressed properties and motivated sellers. I also told you that if you can solve the seller’s problem – namely that he is in danger of losing his home – then you can likely make this a win-win situation. In this post, I’ll tell you how you can position yourself as a problem solver, and get some pretty good real estate bargains in the process. Now let’s not kid ourselves, we’re not in the business of fixing other people’s problems for the sake of feeling good. But if you’re Read more…

As a real estate investor, I’m always on the lookout for underpriced properties. It’s one of the best ways I’ve found to ensure I make money on my real estate deals. When I can buy a property for less than what I believe it to be worth, that allows me more flexibility in what I do with it. I may be able to rent it for a positive cash flow, or I may be able to quickly rehab it and flip it for a profit. The key though, is in finding these underpriced gems, which is not always easy. One Read more…

If you want to be a successful real estate investor, you need to learn how to do the calculations that are going to ensure your properties will make money for you, not lose it. Today I’d like to talk about some of the important calculations you’ll need to use in evaluating properties. This can be complex stuff, so I’ll explain it as simply as I can – but don’t expect that you’ll be able to do a complete evaluation after just reading this post. Use it as a springboard for the in-depth research and learning you’ll need to do. Understanding Read more…

Real estate investing is an exciting business, to be sure. If we aren’t careful however, it can end up being a costly one as well. Some people out there would have you believe that the only thing you have to do is find the right property to purchase, and make an offer. That’s a part of it yes, but it’s far from the whole picture. If you want to thrive in this business, you’ll have to treat it like a business – with all of the effort, strategy and planning that a business requires. Today’s real estate environment can be Read more…

Investing in real estate is the best way for most of us to reach our financial goals. It’s the most profitable investment path available to the average American. By gradually building your real estate portfolio, you are guaranteeing your family financial security for their lifetime. And one of the best times to be buying real estate for the long-term is right now. But before you jump the gun, take it from someone who knows a lot about this business, there are a few things you need to understand about investing in real estate. Know how to value a property. Perhaps Read more…