Friday, September 12, 2008

Using Real Estate To Add $150K+ To Your Net Worth

Boy, does the title of this article sound like a great, late night infomercial or what….. Can't you just see images of fancy cars, people laying on the beach, expensive homes, and all the other ways these promoters try to get you to sign up for their 3 easy payments.

Now, what about a steady get wealthy program for the rest of us? Suppose I could show you a method to:

Increase your net worth by $150,000+ each year;

Take on minimal risk; spend only a few hours per week; and increase your rate of wealth production over time.

Would you be interested? Probably the answer is HECK YES!!!! But are you really interested? I will let you be the judge.

First, let me state that what I am about to discuss is really geared for those individuals that have some disposable income and good credit; i.e., the bulk of middle to middle/upper class America. If you have poor credit or are strapped for cash, then I suggest you solve those issues first and then consider implementing this strategy.

Next, let me also state that what I am about to suggest is as exciting as watching corn grow in Nebraska; however, what any professional investor will tell you is that if your investing is exciting and really gets your blood pumping, then you are doing it wrong!! Instead, what you want is a clear game plan on how to succeed, grow and when an opportunity fits your game plan, you immediately pounce to make it happen.

So, what if I could show you some exotic opportunity that had the following characteristics:

$16,058 Cash Required To Purchase; · Expected Gain In 5 Years: $83,000 Initial Due Diligence Time: 15 Hrs Hours Per Year: 20 Hrs Very Low-Risk

Now, suppose I gave you the opportunity to do this investment twice, thus making the expected gain $166,000, in 5 years. Now, suppose you plan to invest this way once every year. That means during Year 1, you would need $32,000 in cash and in Year 2, you would need the same as well. However, after Year 2, you were now able to recover your original cash inputs and reinvest it for years, 3, 4, 5, … What you have just created now is a perpetual wealth building machine.

Sound Good?

When presented this way, most people would agree that this sounds good. But, in reality, we know that MOST PEOPLE WILL WALK AWAY FROM THIS OPPORTUNITY. So, suppose I presented such an opportunity to somebody not used to investing. Let's see how a typical conversation would go.

New Investor: Sounds interesting but how do I know it will do what you say?

Chris: You don't…. Nobody can predict the future but you can look at hard numbers to see if the assumptions make sense to you. Even though this is not a guarantee, it is LIKELY to occur or may be even better than predicted.

New Investor: But this takes a lot of time to look into and understand.

Chris: Realistically, we all have some extra time available and in reality, to analyze just a few (1-5) deals a year is not hard. But let's put this in dollars and cents terms. From above, it appears that we could make $166,000 for about 150 Hrs total work…. Or $1,106/Hr. That is not "bad grits" as we say here in the south.

Real Estate Brokers

Real estate agencies and real estate sales agents; are you looking to increase your market share? A step toward reaching that goal is to adopt the model of “Teamwork/Partnering”. Real estate, by its structure and competitive nature, can inhibit “Teamwork/Partnering” because real estate sales agents are usually independent contractors and consequently that can lead to an all for me attitude. The agency is only as successful as the sales agents and vice-versa. Real estate sales agents procure listings, which produce business and revenue for the agency and sales agents. The agency, through marketing and advertising, generates increased market exposure that attracts buyers for the current listings and sellers, drawn in by the agency’s portfolio of listings. The Boston Red Sox have players with specialized roles such as; 3rd base, pitcher, etc., so it is the same with real estate sales. Agents may have strengths in specialized roles like: high end single family, condos, geographic markets, and varying sales experience. All of these factors must be considered when implementing “Teamwork/Partnering”.

“Team Work/Partnering”: Inexperienced Agents

The Boston Red Sox send their rookies to minor leagues so that they may have the opportunity to develop their skills until they are ready to play in the big leagues. More often than not, new agents with little experience (“rookies”) are thrown into the “starting line up” without adequate training or time to develop. This is one of the biggest fauxs pas real estate agencies make. Nearly every other profession requires specialized apprenticeship programs for “rookies”. Solve this problem by teaming up less experienced agents (apprentice agent) with the agency’s more knowledgeable agents (mentor agent), who often times are burdened with a heavy portfolio of listings. Compensation can be negotiated to keep both mentor and apprentice happy. The mentor agent can free up time for marketing, contract issues and pursuing new listings. The apprentice agent can handle property viewings and become an active participant in the entire real estate process working hand in hand with real estate transactions under the watchful eye of their mentor. During this process the apprentice agents should be provided guidance to insure they have the greatest opportunity for success. The managing broker must monitor and evaluate the apprentice agent’s progress; as this will allow him/her to safely recruit and develop new untested agents while insuring the agency is not vulnerable to legal mishaps resulting from lack of knowledge or experience.

“Team Work/Partnering”: Niche and Agent Experience

“Teamwork/Partnering” should also include niche specific expertise relationships. For example, Shane has vast knowledge of marketing and selling multi-family properties. Hannah has just set up an appointment while on office duty to list a 3-unit multi-family home. However, Hannah has never handled such a property.

Scenario #1: sales Hannah goes on the appointment and loses the listing to an agent with more experience selling multi-family properties.

Scenario #2: Shane and Hannah work together utilizing Shane’s experience and thereby increasing the chances dramatically of securing the listing. Shane is rewarded by sharing the listing; while Hannah picks up valuable experience in multi-family properties and the seller gets two agents for the price of one.

“Team Work/Partnering”: Geographic Market Experience

Geographic market area is also a great way to build “Teamwork/Partnering”. For example; Meaghan is the only agent with any real success in Ocean-town, and now has a number of listings there. The agency does not have a strong market share in Ocean-town, but would certainly like to. Rachel received a call requesting an appointment to list a home in Ocean-town. The seller mentioned she saw the agency signs in her area. Rachel hasn’t worked in Ocean-town, but has more overall sales experience than Meaghan. The ordinary solution would be to have Rachel refer the listing to Meaghan; but together they can offer the sellers a clear understanding of the Ocean-town market coupled with vast sales experience. Meaghan and Rachel both get the listing. The agency succeeds in increasing the market share and there are now two sales agents that have experience in Ocean-town.

In closing, “Teamwork/Partnering” is a successful model that more and more real estate professionals are turning to. It takes time to implement and there may be some resistance at first, but if encouraged and supported by the agency, even the most reluctant agents will soon be on board. The role of the managing broker is to encourage “Teamwork/Partnering” relationships; even if it means handing down some business to sales agents who are willing to work together to get things started. Their success in a short time will be a model for others to follow, and soon “Teamwork/Partnering” will be embraced by all.

Real Estate Investing For College

Real estate investing for college is very interesting thing! Investing for college does not really have to be difficult. In fact, now it is as well easier that ever before. Investment strategies plays extremely important role in college investment. According to the Economic Growth and Tax Reconciliation Act of 2001 have been improving tremendously and options for child’s education have also increased.

Developing a plan for investing in college and for your child’s education is the most long term effective decisions you would make ever. Whether you are planning to save for your self or for your kids, you need to have a systematic money investing plan. While there are many ways to cover the investing for Real Estate College, the majority of students prefer mixture of funding from savings, student loans, scholarships, and other part-time jobs.

The most brilliant decision would be to open a college real estate investing account when the child is take birth. Another most important thing would to understand the necessity to have a saving on your child’s name. By investing in Real Estate College you are gradually building a portfolio with a good range of account. A saving account is the most convenient to earn interest on your investment. Investing for college may start out as a long-term goal, but as your child gets older, it becomes a short-term goal. You can get apt information even through the real estate investing book that increases the knowledge and information in the real estate field. People who speak in real estate market are the people with knowledge in real estate industry. A real estate book which is introduced in electronic format is called as Real estate E-book.

When your child is young enough, you can plan and can also afford for investing in college more aggressively, because your investment will have time to recover from possible downturns in the market. But the by time your child is planning to join a high school or college, you may not be willing to take up the risk of serious downturn because you don’t have the time to wait for the market to recover. You need plan an investment aggressively and also need to protect the value of your investment, so that you investment is available when ever required by you.

How To Think (Eastern) European..and make a Fortune in Real Estate

I have been investing and advising real estate investors in Eastern Europe for the better part of a decade. A growing number of investors with a pioneering spirit have been lured to this part of the world, in search of hot investment opportunities that can yield profits that are uncommon in North America and Western Europe.

I have seen many smart, successful investors come here from America and try to apply American investment techniques with varying levels of success. Anyone looking to invest in Eastern Europe would be well advised to understand the unique factors that motivate the market in this region. Many of the distinguishing factors of Eastern European real estate are actually distinguishing factors of European real estate while others are purely regional in nature.

Here is the long and short of what you need to know to think Eastern European and invest wisely in Eastern Europe :

The European Union drives the market … .or it does at least partially. Most Eastern European countries are being considered for EU membership or soon will be. The prices of the European Union set the benchmark for prices in emerging European markets and drive speculation. Eastern Europe is not similar to Central South America which has no similar benchmark to follow. Europe tends to be more expensive then America in almost all facets but in particular in regards to real estate. Prices may seem high by American standards in some Eastern European locales (particularly Capitol cities) but may be quite low by European standards.

Time and time again, Central and Eastern European markets have proved that the EU has a tremendous impact in increasing property values. Just look at Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic . Each market saw a steady growth in value in the time leading up to EU ascension and continued/s to see remarkable growth for a period after. Note also, that many of the prices in the above countries for everything from apartments to land are more then they are in most American locations.

In some ways Bulgaria or Croatia joining the European Union is akin to Alaska or Hawaii joining the United States of America. It is a radical transition with radical implications.

Prices have gone way up and, though they may not reach London or Paris prices, still have long ways to go.

Cheaper is not always better. I am told of the story of an American woman from Washington state that was looking at a raw land opportunity in the north of Romania in 2002. When she discovered that per square meter was actually higher then in her hometown she promptly advised her agent that there was no way she was going to pay more money for land in Romania then she would in suburban America. Her thought process is quite understandable. However, it also proved to be quite incorrect. Land in her hometown has shown reasonable growth over the past 4 odd years but the land that she could have acquired in Eastern Europe would have earned her about a 400% profit has she sold in the summer of 2006. Similarly, many investors come to me and ask me "how much land can I get for x amount of dollars." The answer I inevitably give them is "a lot, but unless you are starting a park or a farm, I'd rather help you buy the most profitable land, not simply the most land."

An investment in a smaller plot of land at a higher price can be better then a lot of land at a lower price. In the right area, the property value will also increase much more rapidly then somewhere in the middle of nowhere where property is particularly cheap. The game of Eastern European investment is capitalizing on the rapid growth of property value. If you pay more for your land then it would cost in Hometown, USA it can still be an incredible steal.

Follow the market. My friend bought an apartment in 2001 for $10,000 and she just sold it for $60,000. She doesn't have any real estate training. She more or less made the profit by accident. She just "followed the market" to use her words.

Had I seen the apartment 5 years ago, not fully appreciating then what I appreciate now, frankly I wouldn't have given even $5,000 for the place. The neighborhood is full of old, grey, semi-dilapidated looking buildings. I would have assumed, that someone would come and knock them all down one good day....Boy, was I wrong.... Now a studio in one of the building sells for $60,000, a 2-bedroom for over $100,000. Rent is minimum $400 a month.

Europeans like to live in the city, in apartments often over houses in the suburbs. So now matter how much new development there is, a premium remains on apartment complexes inside of the city.

The moral of the story is follow the market.

Western Europeans, Brits in particular, have popularized investing in "Off Plan" properties to capitalize gains in Eastern European markets.

I was recently speaking with a US-based real estate friend of mine and referred to off plan opportunities in Eastern Europe. He was relatively unclear on what I was talking about. Even the most qualified real estate investors in America aren't clued-on to the off plan real estate phenomena in Europe and the UK in particular.

If you google the term "off plan properties" you'll see scores of web sites listed, most of them from the United Kingdom. Off Plan properties are big business on the other side of the pond and are increasingly the most common way for British investors to seize opportunities in emerging markets of Eastern Europe.

UK based firms with British nationals on the ground in various Eastern-block countries establish relationships with qualified developers who are preparing to launch new product (usually apartments in apartment buildings) and strike agreements with them to represent those properties to there current and future clientele back in Western Europe. In doing so, they secure below market prices to make there offer as attractive as possible and move as many pre or in-construction stage apartments as they can.

Buyers pay between 15-40% down and then usually the rest within 12-18 months when they are handed the key.

Generally, investors can also qualify for mortgages. With there new investment property as collateral, and pay for the second balance via the rent they can then receive. The multitude of reasons why off plan opportunities are so attractive to UK investors is outside the scope of this article but can be summarized succinctly; the investor has all of the work done for him or her.

The agency has located a new building, in a strategic location, with high rent potential in a region where property values are accumulating on a regular basis much higher then in the UK or Western Europe (or America for that matter.) The agency can also manage the property and help the buyer secure financing. This is why thousands of apartments are sold off-plan to UK and other investors every month. Off plans are by-and-large how Europeans invest in Eastern Europe.

Making Your Fortune with Virtual Real Estate

Every now and then someone puts together a couple of obvious thoughts, packages them with a snappy name and captures the imagination of the world.

Virtual Real Estate (VRE) is just such a case.

John Reese – a ‘guru's guru', and famous for his obsession with testing – did just that in 2006. And not only is the idea snappy and smart, it's also available to anyone and everyone with time and patience. John claims to make hundreds of thousands with the idea and given his reputation, I believe him, but, I'm equally sure everyone can make something. The size of the ‘something' is in your hands.

So what is the idea?

VRE is really a web page, filled with content and optimized through key words, on which Google AdSense or the Yahoo Publisher Network (YPN) advertisements are placed. The Google etc ads are, of course, made automatically appropriate to the content. So if you're writing about buying a golf club; ads for golf clubs will appear. Every time someone clicks on an ad, the page owner gets a little shot of income.

A single web page is, naturally, not going to bring in much – even if someone finds it. So the trick of VRE is to create sites containing hundreds or thousands of pages, (or networks of inter-linked mini-sites) hence the need for time and patience. The bigger the site, the more attractive it is to the search engines that will gobble up such a feast of content, and, over time it will be well served with *free traffic*.

That's the concept and IT WORKS because it goes "with the flow" of the Internet.

*It satisfies what has emerged as the internet's primary purpose – providing information.

*It lines up with the philosophies of the search engines – content.

*And it uses a tool that the search engines depend on for their core profitability – AdSense and YPN. Brilliant!

So who is doing VRE?

Well, VRE practitioners fall into two groups – the "force-feeders" and the "organic farmers."

The Force Feeders

The Force Feeders want to set up passive, money engines that will chug along providing a stream of cash. This is how they do it.

Step One: they select a theme that meets the following criteria:

• Keywords associated with the theme that have a high bid price in Google AdWords; this means a high pay out in Google AdSense and YPN

• Those keywords attract a high number of searches; partly why they are high priced

• The keywords have low competition in the search results; not many other webpages are ranking in the search engines for these terms.

Step Two: they publish a page (or massive collection of pages) with *keyword optimized* content derived from the web itself through automated feeds and copying articles etc. They may even make the content dynamic, and even more attractive to the engines.

Step Three: they place Google or Yahoo ads and flesh it all out with affiliate links.

They now have a site that attracts high-paying, high-search, low-competition keywords and gets lots of people looking at its pages (traffic), lots of people finding its pages (targetted customers), and thereby solid Google AdSense etc revenue.

Great so far?

But (there is always is a but!) the side effect of these sites is the creation of massive duplication of content across the web. This clutters up the search engines and they really don't like it! This has led to a backlash from Google that (as so often happens on the web) crimps the effectiveness of this program for those coming in after the first wave.

The Organic Farmer

I‘ve focused on the word ‘organic' because this player believes success in life (and web business) comes ultimately by sticking with the natural flow, compared with the ‘force feeder' who (like his real-world farming counterpoint) tries to accelerate and warp natural growth processes.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Make Big Money In Real Estate

Real Estate is one of the oldest forms of investing known to man.

Real Estate investing is easy and fortunes are made in a simple manner. For example, and investor decides that a desert area will eventually become an industrial development. He purchases a number of acres at a very low price. If his guess turns out to be correct, ten years later he sells the land hundred times more than what he paid for it.This can happen in any part of the country and is not an exceptional case.

As the population keeps growing in the U.S., land prices continue to raise and it means that Real Estate will continue to offer one of the best investment opportunities in the country.

Compared to most forms of investment, Real Estate offers greater profit potential. Of course, not every piece of land will turn out to be a winner, and despite the great potential rewards in some cases risks are involved, so the necessity of careful study before invest.

One of the problem of Real Estate is his lack of liquidity.

Liquid assists are those easily converted into cash like stocks or bons. Most Real Estate investments take years before you can make some money, so it is not wise to tie up all your assets in this type of investment. Your financial situation will determine how much you can wisely invest in properties.

There is a difference between a land speculator and an investor.

A speculator buys land with the intention to make a quick sale and fast profits and will not hold land for a long period of time. An investor, on the other hand, looks for a long time gain, and usually buys only what he can afford to keep for an indefinite period of time.

If you are new at this field, it is wise to refrain from any a speculation until you become more informed, and you will have to devote considerable time to study and research. It is wise also to consult specialists before you act.

Without realizing it, you already made a very successful investment in Real Estate if you bought your own home.

Before you look for areas to invest, consider the condition of your own house. If you have any plan for selling it, good landscaping has been known to considerably increase the value of a home.

Large profits can be attained by purchasing run-down homes and restoring them for eventual selling, but some factors have to be considered:

* You must know something about architecture and remodeling and get and idea of how much it will cost to get the house back into shape. Consider what you will be able to do yourself and what it will cost you if you have to have it done.

* The location of the house is the most important factor to consider. Study the neighborhood, shopping, and transportation facilities.

It can also be profitable to lease land for commercial use. Land which borders highway is extremely valuable for purpose such as warehouse, gas station, etc.

Land development companies frequently run advertisements offering country retreats. Be wary of these offers as they themselves make a large profit at the time they sell you the land, so it is much more profitable for you to buy your own.

When you buy property, buy at a price that involves a minimum financial risk. Invest only a modest amount of your own capital, when you sell, determine if a cash or installment sale is the best, based on your over-all income tax status. Learn by looking back on the mistakes made in the past and by reviewing the opportunities you have missed.

Prepare a list of all properties available in your area and think up the best future use of the properties. Learn to purchase land before there is a demand. To buy land well in advance is the only economical way at today's prices. Then hold the property until you can resale for large profits. Don't sell all your desirable properties and keep just lemons.

If you are willing to leave the cities, you should not have any trouble finding inexpensive land for sale. If you discover a tract of land appealing to you but not listed for sale, contact the Country Register's Office and he will tell you who is the owner. Get in touch with him and he could be willing to sell.

After Bankruptcy, Rebuild Your Credit Before Buying Real Estate

You have gone through bankruptcy and you do not owe anyone. Now is the perfect time to purchase that home you have always wanted — right? Wrong! Yes, you can probably locate a real estate mortgage lender, since you cannot declare chapter 7 bankruptcy again for at least 6 years. The problem is that you will pay the highest finance charges for the privilege of obtaining that real estate mortgage, charges that will extend over the life of the real estate loan.

Before even looking at real estate, get your credit straightened up first. The bankruptcy will appear on all three of your credit reports from seven-to-ten years, which will make you a higher risk to real estate lenders. You cannot do anything about this; however, you can show real estate lenders that you are handling credit much better now by rebuilding it. This can lower your risk factor, when obtaining a real estate mortgage. Using the following improvement steps, you actually can rebuild your credit in a relatively short time.

First, get copies of your credit report from the credit agencies, and clean them up. You have the right to one free report from all three agencies annually, which can be obtained through www.annualcreditreport.com.

Ensure that creditors, who were listed in your bankruptcy, have cleared their information from your credit reports. Otherwise, it will appear as if you still owe them money and are not paying.

Ensure any creditors not listed in your bankruptcy and you are paying regularly have been reporting your good credit record to all three agencies. Contact any not reporting this and ask them to do so. This will increase your chances of getting a loan for your real estate.

If there was a specific event or cause for your bankruptcy, you can add up to a 100-word explanation to your credit report at each agency. The real estate lender will get this explanation as part of your credit report.

It will look especially good to real estate lenders if you have received credit counseling, and the counseling will help you in several ways. A good credit counseling agency will help you create a budget and counsel you in how to use and stick to it. They offer counseling on using credit in your future, as well as how to re-establish your credit. They can help you move toward your goal of buying real estate. Once you have successfully completed credit counseling, ask them for something in writing to that effect. It can help when applying for your real estate loan