Taking a Real Estate Investing Program Versus Educating Yourself

Are you looking to make a living as a real estate investor? If you are, it is advised that you first take the time to familiarize yourself with real estate investing in general. To be a successful real estate investor, you must know the ins and outs of the real estate market, particularly how to work it so that you can make a profit. When it comes to doing this, you have a number of different options. Two of those options involve taking a real estate investing program or educating yourself. If you are wondering which approach would be best for you, you are definitely not alone.

When it comes to determining whether or not you should take a real estate investing program or educate yourself on real estate investing, there are a number of important points that should be taken into consideration. One of those points is your intend success. As a real estate investor, you likely want to make as much money as you possibly can; right? In any business, including the real estate investing business, this is best done when you are educated. The more knowledge you have, the more successful you are likely to be. That is why it is often advised that those who are serious about making a career as a real estate investor seriously consider taking a real estate investing course.

What you may not realize about real estate investing courses is that they come in a number of different formats. For instance, there are real estate investing programs that are designed for beginners, as well as advanced investors. There are also real estate investing programs that are offered in classroom-like settings, as well as those that are offered online. No matter what the setting, you will likely find that most programs are being run by those who have had a successful run as a real estate investor. That is one of the many reasons why you may want to take a real estate investing program. Many professional teachers have already tired out the approaches being outlined as successful or not successful. With taking a real estate investment program, you can learn to avoid many common mistakes.

Although a real estate investing program can provide you with knowledge that can help bring you money, you may be concerned with the cost of taking one. While many real estate investing programs are reasonably priced, you may find some that are priced quite high. When examining the cost of a real estate investing program, you will want to take the time to examine the materials that will be taught. After a close examination, you may find even a high costing real estate investment program worth the costs.

If, by chance, you are unable to afford the cost of a real estate investment program or if you would prefer not to take one, you can educate yourself on real estate investing on your own. You can do this with the internet, resource guides, and real estate investing magazines or brochures. Whichever approach you take, it is advised that you do the proper amount of research before giving real estate investing a try.

The Guide To Real Estate Investing Book - A Review

Have you ever wondered if there was one resource for people interested in real estate investing, like the Guide To Real Estate Investing book? There are several of them, although none have exactly that title. I've read many of them, and I will give you my recommendations in this article.

When you're looking for a comprehensive guide like the Guide To Real Estate Investing book, you need to understand that there is not one single book that will be all things to all people. Different investors will be looking for different information, depending on the type of investing they're interested in. If you're interested in residential income property, the Guide To Real Estate Investing book you choose will be different than if your interest is in commercial real estate or apartment complexes.

In other words, there isn't one, definitive resource known as the Guide To Real Estate Investing book.

My experience and expertise are in residential real estate, such as single family homes and duplexes. Therefore, this discussion will focus on the Guide To Real Estate Investing book for that type of investment real estate.

Two of the best books I have read on residential income property, both of which could be seriously considered as the Guide To Real Estate Investing book, are Steve Cook's "Wholesaling For Quick Cash" and "The No-Nonsense Real Estate Investor's Kit: How You Can Double Your Income By Investing in Real Estate on a Part-Time Basis" by Thomas Lucier.

These books offer two different approaches to real estate investing, both of which are excellent. Steve Cook's "Wholesaling For Quick Cash" is really a full-fledged real estate investing course, giving you a complete strategic plan for breaking into the world of real estate wholesaling. It qualifies for consideration as the Guide To Real Estate Investing book because it's a self-contained investing philosophy and plan.

Lucier's book, "The No-Nonsense Guide" is a book that gives you a complete, basic run-down of the important considerations when considering beginning real estate investing, as well as some complex and effective advanced strategies. This one is a sure-fire candidate for the Guide To Real Estate Investing book.

Of course, there are plenty of other excellent candidates for the Guide To Real Estate Investing book- these two are simply my favorites. If you have found a resource you think warrants consideration for the Guide To Real Estate Investing book, why not email me and let me know?

For now, check out my website, where I have tons more resources for investors, and some of the best articles and stories on real estate investing you'll find anywhere! Hope you enjoyed this little article on the Guide To Real Estate Investing book.

Three Reasons Why You Should Consider Real Estate Investment as an Investment Option

If you are like most of us, each day when you open the financial times, you are besieged with different investment instruments and opportunities and wonder with dismay how to make your money grow. Why not spend some time considering real estate which is one of the oldest investment options of all time. This article will deal with three reasons why you should consider real estate investment as part of a larger investment portfolio.

Firstly, have you ever wondered why when the rich after speculating, park their profits in investment property? One possible reason is that property prices tend to move slower as compared to other instruments and real estate prices move generally in response to macro economic factors. This means that for most people who have day jobs, they can go investment property shopping in the weekends and the prices would not have changed that much.

I am sure most of us know of macro economic factors like the national jobless rate, the basic economic growth data. Generally when people are more confident about the economy, they invest more into real estate and prices increase. Thus since most of us know when the economy is booming, there is a chance that you will know when property prices might increase.

Secondly, real estate investments can give you monthly cash flow in the form of rental. There are no other investments to my mind that gives you monthly cash flow for the private investor other than loans. The tip here is therefore to look for the properties in an area with the highest rental yield.

Another thing to consider when doing real estate investment for cash flow purposes, always choose a country or city with a strong rental culture before you invest. An good example of a place with a strong rental culture would be Sydney where rental is in such high demand that collecting weekly rental from an investment property there is possible.

Thirdly, real estate investment has low risk and gives you a better return as compared with leaving your money in the bank. The key to figuring out whether this generic observation applies to your particular situation is quite simple. Just calculate the rental yield and compare it with the interest that you would have gotten from the bank after investing the same amount.

In addition, while most of us would know property investment brings with it the possibility of capital appreciation, however some people spend their energy redesigning and decorating existing properties and then reselling them at a higher price. This opportunity to make money from flipping properties would never be open to the normal person who leaves his money with the bank.

In conclusion, there are compelling reasons for you to consider putting money into real estate and real estate is today no longer solely the domain of the rich. Real estate as compared to other forms of investments is readily understood by most people and should form part of an overall investment portfolio. The key to successful investment is to spend time researching and finding out as much as you can about your potential acquisition. Take massive action towards your goals with measured analysis and may real estate investment profits be yours.

Beginning Real Estate Investing - Why Invest In Real Estate?

A plethora of investment options are available to people looking for places to invest their savings. One such option is beginning real estate investing. It is a highly rewarding investment option and if you do decide to make money in real estate investing you will enjoy excellent returns on your investment, much more than most other investment options.

Real estate investment has the enormous potential to give huge returns. You can borrow the money from a bank to finance your real estate investment. Most of the banks are willing to finance 90% of the cost, so you can get into a deal with a 10% down payment. This gives you a 10 times return on your investment. Let's take the example - if you have $10,000 to invest and assume you get 10% return regardless of the investment vehicle you use. If you invest in stock market to buy shares worth $10,000 then at the end of 12 months, your investment is worth $11,000. Instead, if you invest the same money into real estate with 90% bank loan, you earn 10% on the total $100,000 investment and you will endup with $110,000.

As you see from the example, your $10,000 has been doubled using real estate investment, whereas it could only produce an extra $1,000 in the stock market. You can understand the reason for this - your lender's money is working for you too. That is the power of leverage and is one of the greatest advantages of investing in real estate. As you will see, there are many more advantages to make money in real estate investing.

Tax breaks on account of depreciation of property is an important reason for becoming a real estate investor, at the earliest. While in reality the value of property is appreciating in its value, due to increase in the value of land, you get to claim a tax deduction on some notional tax loss, or in other words your taxable income is significantly lower than your real income. Great!

A great tax benefit is the 1031 exchange. This exchange is defined by the IRS Code. This exchange permits investors to delay the payment of capital gains taxes if the gains are later reinvested in another property that meets the codes guidelines. The government wants people to stay in the real estate market and reinforces this with this tax benefit.

One final benefit of beginning real estate investing worth mentioning here is the flexibility of sale contracts. Unlike the stock market you can get very creative with your offers.

Real Estate Investment Trusts

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) is an investment trust where many people invest their money in commercial and residential real estate businesses. The trust manages and possesses many commercial properties and mortgages. The trust also invests in other types of real estate. Real estate investment trusts shows the best characteristics of both real estate and stocks.

Real estate investment trust is a company that operates income producing real estate such as apartments, offices, warehouses, shopping centers, and hotels. Though a variety of property types are there, most of the REITs concentrate on any one of the property types only. Those specializing in health care facilities are called the health care REITs. The real estate investment trust was formed in 1960 in order to make large scale income raising investments in real estate, which can be easily accessed by smaller investors. The trust's main advantage is that it helps a person to select an appropriate share to invest on from a variety of group rather than investing on a single building or management.

Real estate investment trusts are broadly classified into three categories - equity, mortgage and hybrid. The first category involves the ownership and management of income producing real estate. Mortgage real estate investment trusts offers money directly to real estate owners by acquiring loans or mortgage backed securities. The third category not only owns properties but also provide loans to real estate owners and operators.

Real estate investment trusts differ from limited partnerships in many ways. One of the main differences lies in reporting the annual tax information to the investors and another is that there is no minimum investment amount. For a company to become a real estate investment trust, it should share out 90 percent or more of its taxable income to its shareholders once in a year. Once a company is qualified as an REIT, it is allowed to reduce the dividends given to its shareholders.

Real Estate Investments provides detailed information on Real Estate Investments, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Real Estate Investment Loans, Real Estate Investment Financing and more. Real Estate Investments is affiliated with Buying Investment Properties.

Real Estate Investing For Beginners - What Every New Investor Wishes He'd Been Told Before

As a new real estate investor, when you begin researching information on real estate investing for beginners, you'll find that there are a lot of gurus and mentors out there looking to sell you high priced information. You'll also find plenty of chatter-boxes at local real estate investing forums and other watering holes that will share (brag?) all day long about their investing trials and tribulations, especially if they have tenants or rehabs. (Those types of projects tend to be fraught with problems, something that can scare beginner real estate investors off - when maybe it should be attracting them!) You can also find some excellent offline resources at the library, bookstore and your local investor club. Maybe you'll even find someone who's out in the trenches on a regular basis and is willing to take you out on the streets to show you some of his properties.

What you won't find as often, especially for free, is a coherent, executable business plan detailing what it takes to get going with real estate investing as a beginner.

What you really need is a handbook entitled: Real Estate Investing For Beginners that lays everything out for you A to Z, with what to do at every step along the way.

Unfortunately, putting together a super and useful reference like that is time consuming and you have to consider that a) If someone is already making money investing in real estate, her time is valuable, and b) if she's going to invest her valuable time in putting together a real estate investing guide for beginners, she's got to have an angle.

That's an excellent thing to keep in mind - everyone in the real estate investing education industry seems to have an angle. They are directly incentivized to make you feel that real estate investing is easy, you can do it, and if you just part with some money, they will give you the handbook with all the answers.

BEWARE: If you can't figure out how they're getting paid, you're missing something... Everyone wants to get paid in this business.

Well, I hate to tell you... I don't have that comprehensive handbook for you either.

That's the bad news.

The good news is that I can give you some very important words of wisdom that helped me when I was getting started in real estate investing as a beginner. (And I started right out of college without a good job or anything, so don't think it can't be done.)

Real Estate Investing Observations - What Every Real Estate Investing Beginner Needs To Know:

1) You will have to trade time or money to get what you want in real estate. You can't get something for nothing, so even if you buy an expensive course to get someone else's experience and shave years off your learning curve, you'll still HAVE a learning curve. Plus, you'll need to find leads, and that type of marketing takes (you guessed it) time and/or money.

2) Leverage cuts both ways. When the market is going up, leverage can be a great ally in helping you acquire more property with less of your own money. However, when the market is soft or declining, as also happens with real estate market cycles, having a lot of leverage can put you "upside down" on your equity and cash flow - a very risky situation. Protect yourself by "making your money when you buy" and passing up those "skinny" deals.

3) It's all about NEGOTIATING with the motivated sellers. A lot of courses make you believe that if you find the motivated sellers, you can just pluck up the deals like daisies in the orchard. That's almost true. Whether you're working in commercial or residential real estate, you'll get much better deals when you negotiate with a motivated seller. However, the key is that you must NEGOTIATE. You have to make offers that will work for you and engage the sellers in conversation. Very rarely will the buildings be lying these listed for 50 cents on the dollar (if they are, they'll be snapped up by other investors). You have to find sellers that you think may be motivated and offer them your low cash offer or terms offer in order to see if they're willing to work with you. Engage them in the conversation by making lots of offers, and NEGOTIATING with the ones that are motivated.

4) Figure out your rate of return. Sometimes, when you don't have a deal, it's easy to think "any" deal would be good. However, sometimes the best deals are the ones you PASS on - you "make" your money by saving yourself from some expensive mistakes. Don't waste time on property that doesn't make sense when you run the numbers. Don't get emotionally attached just because someone says they're motivated or willing to work out terms with you. Run the numbers. Always focus on the numbers.

5) You get paid for solving problems. This is a business with a lot of problems. Sellers can get very emotional, or have a lot of financial trouble, at the time that you'll be working with them. That's stressful for anyone, especially when the transfer of a large asset like a house, apartment building or office/retail center is involved. Realize that you may go through some challenging emotions of your own. That's natural. If you can hold it together and survive the up-and-down roller coaster, you should do okay.

No one says real estate is easy unless they have a course to sell you. It can offer some great returns, but there's a reason not everyone goes after them. Not every property is a winner and finding and acquiring the winners can be a challenge. However, if you are committed to making your real estate investments work for you, then focus on getting yourself educated and staying in for the long run.

If you'd like more information on what it takes to be successful in real estate - From two real people who have done it with single family homes and commercial real estate - then please join in the conversation at TheRealWealthBlog. This is a great guide on Real Estate Investing For Beginners

Now, just to be "authentic" with you, I think it's fair to share our angle, since I stated that everyone has one. Currently we are offering our services "by the hour" as real estate coaches and consultants if you have any questions on deals you're working on or if you'd like to get going.

We both have logged hundreds of hours helping students get started with real estate investing across the country, and we'd be happy to help you, too. Without the monthly residual fees or high cost-of-entry coaching programs. If you need help with your investing strategy, let's see if we're the ones you need.

Real Estate Investing Is A Better Gamble Than The Lottery

Real estate investing begins when you move to the starting point.

Get ready.

Get set.

GO...

Are you ready to begin a real estate investing career? Or, are you already investing in real estate some, and want to expand your holdings? Or, are you investing in real estate a lot, but want to streamline your operation?

If you prefer real estate investing to a J-O-B, here's a tip on the real estate investing gamble for hitting the jackpot, striking it rich, and quitting that day job!!!

As one of my professors use to say, "Let’s commence, to begin, to start, to get ready, to GO."

Do you bet on the lottery?

I am amazed at how many people throw their money away buying lottery tickets with such slim chances at winning!

At the start of 2004, Tennessee cranked up its new state lottery. The news media fanfare went on for months. Tennessee hired the lottery director from Louisiana to set up Tennessee’s system, and this media publicity aired every night on the news as the public was whipped into a frenzy. Finally, the kickoff. Within just weeks, the announcement aired that Tennessee had taken in $50 million in lottery sales, and then $100 million in lottery sales. Newscasters quietly mentioned, however, that a whopping $100,000 had been paid out already in winnings. Wow! $50,000 in winnings compared to $100 million in ticket sales. What a windfall. (For the lottery, that is) Then came the subdued mention that some store owners were shutting down their recently-opened outlets out of conscience at seeing so many ticket purchases by regular customers who did not even have enough money to buy groceries! And all this ballyhoo was presented under the guise of lottery money to subsidize college scholarships.

Isn’t it great for kids to get a good education, and isn’t it greater that I can buy a lottery ticket - not in paying for my own kids’ education - but to help other folks’ kids get their education!

And in the meantime, I might strike it rich!!!

Come on. (Where is common sense logic?)

Some fishermen friends several years ago liked to boast about how much money they spent every year on lottery tickets in another state. When I pinned them down to their actual winnings, they admitted they spent over $10,000 a year buying tickets, and they CLAIMED they always made more in winnings than they spent for tickets. Funny thing, however, they couldn’t show me a tally of their win-loss record!

If you are a gambler who wants to make it big in some game of chance, you need to visit Vegas instead of reading this article.

But if you really want to win the big stakes without taking the big risks, real estate investing is a great game of chance!

Oh yeah, I’m a gambler, too, but I like REAL chances at winning. I want the stats on my side.

Twenty-five years ago I made one of the biggest gambles of my life by starting out with nothing and trying to hit the jackpot investing in real estate. It was a gigantic gamble because I had no cash and no credit. I was able to scrape together a $10 bill and a real estate contract, and I started shooting craps.

No, sellers didn’t like my offers. Most threw the contracts back in my face. Success did not come easily. I was often very discouraged and frustrated. I actually did not know at that time of anyone ever who had started investing with a $10 bill, and I have never heard of anyone since. But I never threw in the towel. And within a year, I had somehow bought almost one million dollars in rental properties!

How to Make Better Real Estate Investments

Real estate investments are actually meant for the expert players of this field. That is true. Nevertheless, people who have already tried their hands in real estate investing know well that if the investments are made well, one can easily get profitable returns. As per the experts in the Real estate field, there are plenty of ways to earn significant profits in the real estate deals. If you feel that the place where you have invested is quite profitable, you can earn a handsome amount of profit.

For a novice in the field of real estate, there are many challenges and pitfalls to encounter. However, if s/he is able to take the chance and is mentally prepared to bear the risk, there is definitely a lot to earn and much to learn. However, in the long run, when he or she has gathered some experience, he can become a real estate investment master closing quite a number of lucrative real estate deals.

As you want to be a good player in the fields of real estate investment, you need to acquire few skills before hand, which can help you to be a real achiever in the field of real estate. There are a few skills that are needed for investing in a real estate deal, which are mandatory for a profitable real estate deal.

Learn how to find the right sellers-

You should be aware of how and when to find serious sellers, as these authentic sellers can help you to earn a profit in the field of real estate. Make sure the sellers are of high repute, as if you are investing for the first time; this may cause the investing at risk.

Learn to be a master negotiator while you are closing a real estate investment deal.

While you are a novice, you try to acquire the skills of how to deal with the real investment issues. However, all your effort goes in vein when you are not able to negotiate well and end up with high prices. For that, it is quite necessary to acquire proficiency i8n closing the real estate investment deals.

Capable to analyze real estate investment deal accurately-

If you are capable to analyze the real investment deal, you will be able to understand where and how to deal perfectly. This will help you to be a gainer in a long run, as you can calculate the risks to some extent.

Gain expertise in all the fields revolving around the real estate investment-

In order to gain expertise in the real estate investment field, you must acquire expertise in all the areas, which involves the real estate investment. You must be aware of the lingo and terms used in the real estate investment world.

Develop understanding on the Real estate and the financial risks involved-

If you are able to understand what the concept behind the real estate investment is and the risks and benefits involved, you can easily be a master of this field. This understanding can be developed easily by educating yourself in this field.

Eight Tips For Launching Your Real Estate Investing Career

Eight Tips for Getting Started in Real Estate Investing

Introduction

This article is just the basics for getting started in real estate investing. This is not a how to article but an article that gives you some information about things to do to get started. Everything in this article is tools that can be applied to helping anyone get started in real estate investing. I am going to give you my eight keys to getting started. Nothing is right or wrong but reflects the point of view of the author. Laws and legal practices vary from state to state, and laws can change over time. The author does not vouch for the legality of his opinions, nor is there any intent to supply legal advice. The author strongly encourages the reader to consult with professionals and an attorney prior to entering in any real estate transaction or contract. The author is not a writer but he is a real estate investor. There will be grammar mistakes and errors, so don't be too critical of the grammar but focus your energy on what is being said. With that said prepare yourself to think a little differently and expand your mind. Let's get started on an amazing adventure.

The Eight Tips are as follows

1. Desire
2. Goal Setting
3. Learning What To Do
4. Attending a Real Estate Investing Seminar
5. The Billings Montana Market
6. Finding a Mentor
7. Your Real Estate Team
8. Just Do IT

1. Desire

Before we get in to the bolts and nails of real estate investing in I want to talk to you about desire. If you are going to be successful at anything in life including real estate investing you have to have the desire to do it. Desire is defined as longing or craving, as for something that brings satisfaction or enjoyment. Desire stresses the strength of feeling and often implies strong intention or aim. In real estate investing if you don't have a desire to learn and grow as a human being and really get satisfaction out of it, then real estate investing is going to be hard to do. When I go out and look at a property it brings me a lot of enjoyment. Every aspect brings me joy from talking to home owners, figuring out how I can make a deal work, to buying the house and to finding a good homeowner or tenant for the house. Real estate investing may not be for everyone but real estate investing can offer anyone the financial freedom we all crave for. If you do not have the desire for real estate investing that is ok, it can still help you to live your dreams and help you to get where you want to go in the future.

Why is real estate investing an amazing avenue for anyone to live out all of their dreams? Let me ask you a few questions. Do you have enough money to do anything you want? Do you have everything you want? No debt? A nice house? Great Marriage? The freedom to do anything regardless of how much it costs and the time it takes? If you have all of these things then you are one of the few people in America who does. Most people may be working fifty hours a week and making just enough to pay their bills. In today's day and age most people are living pay check to pay check never really knowing if they will make enough to pay the bills that just keep piling up. If you cannot keep up with your monthly bills how are you going to plan for retirement or send your kids to college or have time to enjoy life. The answer to all of these questions is becoming financially free. Now it's not going to be easy everyone will have to get off the couch and out of their comfort zone. Real estate is proven to be one of the fastest ways to get your out of the rat race of the nine to five and begin living the life you deserve to live. Everyone wants something different out of their life. Some dream of traveling the world, spending more time with family, volunteering, golfing, laying on a beach, giving back to the community, or anything that will make them happy. There are thousands of things that make people happy.

Making it in real estate takes a person who has a strong desire to change their lives for the better and think big. Anyone can become a great real estate investor. It is going to take a lot of work and can be a struggle at times but in the end it will be the most amazing feeling ever. The people that make it in real estate investing all have a few things in common. First they run their real estate investing business like any other business out there. Second they get out there and network with anyone and everyone. Some people might be like me and have a hard time talking to other people. If you are that is ok, anyone can learn how to become a people person, it just takes hard daily work. You have to push yourself past your comfort zone. The third thing is that you cannot be afraid to fail. Everyone has failed at something but the most successful people out their learn from their failures. The fourth thing is that you have to put a good team together. I will go into putting a team together in a later chapter. The concept of putting a team together is so that when you don't know something you have team members that know what to do and can help you with questions. The can also make sure that you are not working yourself to death. You do not want to be the person doing everything in your business. Doing everything is a receipt for failure. You have to put together good people who you can trust and rely on. The fifth thing is that you need a mentor. Sixth and final is the desire to do it. No one can become successful at something if they don't want to do it and don't get satisfaction out of what they are doing.

2. Setting Goals

Having goals is one of the most important aspects of achieving what you want in life. You don't want to just have your goals up in your head you want to write them down and past what you have wrote on the wall somewhere or in the bathroom mirror. You want to review your goals daily and read them out loud to yourself. This way you remind yourself everyday why you are building your business.

How should you start to write down you goals? First off you should think big, and by big I mean HUGE. If your goals are too small you will easily achieve them and have nothing else to look forward too. You should start off by asking yourself the question if I had all the money and time in the world what would I do, what would I buy, how would I spend my time, and how would I spend my energy. Are you starting to write these down? Well you should be. Think about what you want, spending time with family, traveling the world, the best cars, a castle, owning a small country, running for president, having the biggest real estate investing business in your area or in the country. Whatever your dreams and what you want out of your life, write it down. Some of my goals are becoming free, traveling the world, having a Ferrari, having 10 vacation homes all over the world. Right now I am just trying to get you out of your comfort zone of thinking and let your imagination run.

There are several ways to set goals. I have learned a lot of ways you can set you goals and there is no right or wrong way. The best ways that I have found to set your goals is to break them up into two categories. First your short term goals. This should be goals from a month out to around a year. The second is your long term goals these goals are you think big goals and what you see for your future.

For year one I like to first make a list of what I want to achieve this year and I will give you an example of how to do that. For year one you want to be very specific first you want to list what you want your income to be at the end of the year, next how much cash in the bank you want (this is money in your checking account, not assets). Next you want to list how much you are going to give. Giving is a very important, this can be giving to charity, giving of gifts to friends and family, giving to your school or anything you can dream of. As long as what you give brings joy to others who need it more than you. Next list what bad habits you have that you want to eliminate. Weather is be quitting smoking, spending too much on junk, drinking too much, working too much, not spending enough time with family, too much TV, not exercising and many more. We all have bad habits that need to be changed in order for use to grow as human beings. Under each of these bad habits list out some steps that you can take in order to quit them. If you bad habit is being lazy and not exercising enough what can you do to change that. Well you can get a gym membership or a home work out program. Commit yourself you following through with a plan to work out 3-5 days a week. For you to change these bad habits you have to be totally committed and follow through with a detailed plan you set for yourself. After you have your plans in place you should start listing several things you want to achieve or do in the next year. This can be start a successful business, spend time with family, travel to 2-5 places and so on. Now under each of these you should also write a detailed plan on what you need and what you need to do in order to achieve these goals. Finally you should take all of this information you have a write on page on what you see your life being over the next year. Doing this is a great exercise to really see what you want out of life.

Goals Year One

This is what I am going To Do This Year
Income: $500,000
Cash: $100,000
Give: $20,000

Bad Habits that will be changes:

Over Sleeping 1. Go to bed at 11 p.m. 2. Use a timer and set it for 8 hours 3. Set the timer on the other side of the room

Buying things that you don't need: 1. Going out shopping less 2. If you have the urge to buy something think to yourself is thing item going to help me to achieve my goals of becoming financially free? 3. Tell friends what you are doing, so they can help to stop you.

What I want to Achieve:

Start a successful Real Estate Investing Business: (you should write a detailed step by step plan of everything you need in order to achieve your goal)

Travel: Where do I want to visit? 1. Gators football game (what I need to do it, money, etc)

And last your own page about what you want to achieve using words like I will and only positive words.

For long term goals you don't need to be as specific right now, but you should list them and under them list a few steps or smaller goals that need to be achieved before you are able to achieve them. With the long term goals always think big. Another good exercise for long term goals is to make a collage of you goals. Put pictures of the house you want on it, places you want to travel, a picture of your family, a number of what income you want in or anything you can think of.

3. Learn

Knowledge builds confidence and destroys fear. If you are starting any kind of business you need to learn the ins and outs of that business. The best way I have found to learn about real estate investing is to read all about it. But once you know it you have to apply what you have learned. Learning and reading is just one step to take. There are thousands of books on the market about real estate investing and everyone has something you can learn from. You don't just want to read real estate investing books though. You also want to fill yourself with motivational and leadership books. Every successful person that I know if a reader and they all spend at least thirty minutes a day reading something that will teach them about improving their business or helping themselves to become a better person. Some of the best books that I would recommend reading are listed below.

1. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki (read this first and also ready everything in the rick dad poor dad series, great books to start with and will expand you mind)
2. Be a Real Estate Millionaire by Dean Graziosi
3. Flip your way to financial freedom by Preston Ely (this is an E-Book)
4. Four hour work week by Timothy Ferriss
5. The Attractor Factor
6. Short Sale Pre-foreclosure Investing by Dwan Bent-twyford and Sharon Sestrepo
7. Keys to success, by Napoleon Hill
8. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
9. How to win friends and influence people
10. Any Book by John C. Maxwell (he has tons of amazing leadership books)
11. Getting Started in Real Estate Day Trading by Larry Goins
12. The E Myth by Michael Gerber
13. How to be a quick turn real estate millionaire by Ron Legrand
14. The Power of Full Engagement
15. The It Factor
16. Anything by Anthony Robins

There are tons more you can read but these will give you a great start. You should also read books on negotiating, sales, motivation, and biographies on American business people.

I hope this list gives you the knowledge it has given me. If you learn and apply what you have learned from these books there is no reason that you should not become very successful.

4. Attend a Real Estate Investing Seminar

Attending a Real Estate Investing Seminar can be one of the best places to learn about real estate investing from some very well known experts. There are several seminars going on all over the country every weekend. If you live in a big city it will be very easy to find one. If you live in a town like Billings Montana you might need to travel a little ways to find one. Now most of the best meeting cost money to attend them. Some range from five hundred dollars for three days and some can be up to $20,000. There are a few that I would recommend. Than Merrill is a great speaker to go hear. I have learned a ton from him. You can find his company online by Google searching him. Also rich dad poor dad has seminars all over the country. I attended one of their seminars in Billings Montana for only $500 dollars and learned a ton from it. There is also Preston Ely, Larry Goins, and hundreds of speakers out there. If you find a great book that you really enjoyed, then just simple search for that person online and see if they are speaking somewhere or offer a seminar close to you.

Another reason I recommend going to a seminar is because they get you pumped up and motivated. I have not yet found anything else that just gets you feeling like you can do anything. When you get back from one of these seminars you will have tons of energy and knowledge. Every time I get back from one all I want to do is going out and do a deal or ten.

These seminars will also provide you with several opportunities to purchase amazing real estate investing tools, software or learning material at a fraction of the cost. Believe me when I tell you all of the low priced seminars try to sell you something. But a lot of times what they are trying to sell is some really good stuff.

Another reason to attend a seminar is to network with other investors and build relationships with them. You can meet other investors who you can partner with on a deal, sell a deal too, people who will provide you with deals and so on. You should have hundreds of business cards made up and try to give them all out. You never know how much one business card you hand out can make you.

5. Learn About the real estate market in your area

Most real estate investors start their career off my investing around where they live. This is why I do my real estate investing in Billings Montana. You can venture out when you have more experience. The reason behind this is because we feel more comfortable with the areas and know the areas better. It is also easier to get local real estate information that we need. Investing in your local market is also cheaper to start out, there is less travel costs, you can see what you are buying and it may give you a feeling a comfort.

First you have to decide which part of town is the best place to invest in. This can be determined by what kind of real estate investing you choose to do. I have not gone over the types of real estate investing but some include rehabbing (fixing up and selling), wholesaling (finding deals and selling them to other investors), buying to rent, and there are a few others. These are the real estate strategies that I use for the most part. When looking at the market you need to see where other investors are buying their houses. Most of the best deals will be found in low to middle class neighbors hoods. By low I don't mean drug infested war zones, what I mean is blue collar safe neighbor hoods that might have somewhat older houses and houses that are not on the higher end price side. Now you can find deals in the higher priced neighbor hoods but most will be in the low to middle income neighborhoods. When looking where others are buying ask local realtors, other investors or appraisers.

When talking with investors ask them several questions such as what neighborhoods they prefer, what type of houses they buy (3 bed 2 bath), and what they do (rehab, rent, wholesale). You should not look at other investors as competition but try and work with them.

There are different types of markets such as appreciating markets, flat markets, and deprecating markets. Appreciating markets are markets that there is no enough houses or a very high demand for houses which causes the price of houses to go up. The reason there is a high demand for housing can be because of job growth, a very appealing area, or several reason. Flat markets are markets that have no or very little growth. This means that there is not a lot of demand; buy just enough to fill every ones needs. Depreciating markets are where there is a lot more houses than people to fill those house. This causes house prices to start going down. This can be because of a large employer leaving the area, a natural disaster or just over building. There is an old saying buy in a bust and sell in a boom. In depreciating markets you can pick up several deals, while in appreciating the house prices are going to be much higher and harder to find great deals. The deal will still be out there you just have to know where to find them.

Learning your market is another key to becoming successful. Real estate Brokers and experts in your area can be the best source of information for you. Learn to use them to find out what kind of market you are in. If you are in Billings Montana we are in a pretty stable market. Billings Montana has not seen the ups and downs that other markets have experienced. I will have to say that I have been noticing a little bit of a downward trend but not much. Once the first time home buyer credit is over with we might see a little more decline. Every market can vary by neighborhood, so make sure you know you market well. I have seen the same houses just one mile apart selling for totally different prices.

6. Find a Mentor

Having a mentor to help you can be your biggest learning experience. Mentors can help you with any questions you may have, walk you step by step through the investing process, give you moral support, you learn from their proven system, and also network you with others in the business. Every successful real estate investor that I know says they owe a lot of their success to the mentors they have and had in their lives. I have had one of the best mentors around, my father. He is teaching me something new every day and pushing me to become successful.

When trying to find a mentor I would suggest network with the investors at your local real estate investors club meeting. There is a real estate investing club in Billings Montana that meets once a month. You can find information about real estate investing clubs in your area by searching for REA or real estate investors club then your area in Google. When you go to the meetings ask around who the biggest investors are. Then ask if you could get together with them sometime and discuss real estate investing. Ask them if they would consider working with you to get their career going. Offer your services as a bird dog. Bird dogs are people who go out find deals or leads about deals and give them to other investors. A bird dog gets from $500 to $3000 dollars depending on the deal. Make sure that you have a bird dog contract signed with the investors saying that if you find them and deal and they buy it that you get paid a certain amount of money. Being a bird dog helps you to build credibility with the investor and they are more likely to mentor you if you have something to offer them. If you would like to contact me with a question go to my web site Big Sky Property Solutions LLC.

7. Your Real Estate Team

Building an effective team can make your life as a real estate investor a lot easier. You are only one person and cannot do everything or be an expert in every aspect of real estate investing. Going at a project alone can become one of the most frustrating experiences you will ever encounter. Many people have become frustrated and quite real estate investing because they try and juggle too many things. Make sure that when putting a team together you provide everyone with win-win opportunities. When someone knows that working with you is going to make them money they will put you as a higher priority on their list. But you have to prove it to them that you are the real deal.
People to have on your real estate investing team include

o Real Estate Agents ( find the top agent for volume of sales in your area and other agents who work with real estate investors)
o Real Estate appraisers (find an appraiser that has done a few hundred jobs or more and make sure they carry errors and omissions insurance)
o Real estate contractors (good rehab crews that can get the job done in a timely manner, have 3-5 crews and on every deal get 3 estimates done. Ask for referrals from them and make sure they are licensed)
o Real estate attorneys (every investor needs an attorney, they can help to protect your assets, make sure you find one that works with investors)
o A property management company (can manage your properties and will give you leads on property they are managing that might come up for sale)
o Title companies (take care of the legal process and make sure there are no liens against the property you are buying, choose one that does hundreds of closings a year)
o Home inspectors(charge about $400 but will give you a great inspection and could save you thousands in the long run)
o And your Mentor

All of these people can help you in various aspects of real estate investing. You might find that there are a couple others that are keys to your business but this is just a list of a few.

8. Just Do it

There is no better phrase out there then JUST DO IT! Once you have learned all you can networked with investors in Billings and learned real estate investing strategies there is nothing left to do but get your feet wet. There is no better learning tool out there then doing a deal. Once you have completed that first deal you will know what to expect and find out that it is not as hard as you thought it would be. You will have learned what you did right and what was frustrating. Take that experience and ask yourself what would have made it run smoother. Apply that to your next deal. Then the next deal will be easier and it keeps getting easier as you go. I will say that every deal is different from the last but that what makes this business fun. You have to be creative and always keep on learning and growing with your business.

The average person never uses what they learn. Don't be average apply your knowledge. When going out and doing your first deal act like you have done 1000's of deals. The fastest way to change a habit is to act like it is true.

Five keys for success
1. Specialized Knowledge
2. Tools of a professional
3. Have the mindset of a winner
4. Mentors
5. Money and the knowledge of leveraging it (you don't have to have millions to invest in real estate, there are many strategies out there to use other people's money, or no money at all)

This is going to conclude this article about getting started in real estate investing. I hope this gave you some ideas about how you can get started. I didn't give you any strategies at this point but look for some in upcoming articles. These are simple steps you can use to get started. If you read this article thank you for listening.

If you would like to contact me and discuss anything you can find me at Big Sky Property Solution LLC by just clicking the link below.

The Key to Real Estate Investing Success Revealed!

How did you get into real estate investing? Did you read a book on it? Was it a seminar? A meeting of some sort with speakers dispensing real estate investing information, but really selling courses? Did you get really, really jazzed and pumped up by these simple ("not easy") concepts that were delivered to you in parable form from the stage by a charismatic speaker?

Did you find yourself levitating to the back of the room, powerless but to slap down your plastic to buy the kits that were being sold there? Like, "Yes Mr. Ker we do take traveler's checks. Yes, cash is OK too. "HEY BARNEY DO YOU HAVE CHANGE FOR A HUNDRED??" There's your kit Mr. Ker. Good Luck!"

I have to admit that's where I began. I attended a "conference" and dropped over a grand in two days. What I ended up with was a very funny course about Paper (i.e. discounted mortgages) and a more somber account of making a million five in eighteen months buying and rehabbing multi-units.

I listened to tapes for about four days straight, then went out and bought an HP12C financial calculator. I loved paper (the units can wait a while). I really got my head around it. I loved discounting on the calculator, I loved calculating yields. And the guy on these tapes was so funny!

I spent a fun couple of weeks learning the courses and I knew more than most bankers because the guy on the tapes told me so. I wanted to get started and get a note-closing-sweatshop going just like he described. I knew this stuff inside and out.

Two deals a week would be OK with me you know, I'm not greedy. Now where was it in the book that it showed how to find the deals. OK...here we go ... Look up names at the courthouse, call Accountants, call Contractors, call Attorneys......hmmm.

To cut a long story short, I looked up five hundred names at the courthouse and sent letters to them, I made about five hundred phone calls to Accountants and Lawyers (setting up my "network"), and finally I found one note holder who was interested in selling. I made an offer, he said "no", and I went home and went to bed for two weeks... too depressed to function.

All that work, and this guy just said "no".

That was my introduction to the wonderful world of real estate investing. From there, I got into low income apartments and completely flushed myself down the toilet!

Five years later, after buying and giving back about 50 units, newly penniless, I discovered this thing called creative real estate. Control without ownership, solving people problems, use your brain to buy property - not your cash.

I had an acute appreciation for it, given my (expensive, and painful) landlording odyssey, but it seemed even with all this wonderful real estate investing information, I was still in very much the same position I had been in when I first got started.

The same position I stayed in, until I wised up, and the same position most real estate investors struggle with year after year because they don't know any better.

That is: "I know all this real estate investing information inside and out. I know 100 different creative ways to buy a property. But I've got to suffer through things like lackluster advertising results, cold-calling, talking to hundreds of testy uninterested people, and dead ends, before I even get the chance to talk to someone who is half way motivated to sell.

This is a crossroads. The proverbial "brick wall" for most of us.

And this brings up an important point. Possibly the most important point to really "get" here. Knowing how to find motivated sellers is far more important than knowing 100 different ways to buy a house. You see, your business (and therefore your life) is going to be frustrating, stressful and unfulfilling unless you find a way to create a non-stop flow of motivated sellers calling you, every day.

Now, that's obvious isn't it?

Well it can't be that obvious because not many people actually do it. You see, what I'm trying to point out here that there is a mental shift that needs to occur in your mind, a paradigm shift if you will, before you are going to make any serious money as a Real Estate Entrepreneur.

And what is this shift? It is: Instead of being a real estate entrepreneur, you must become a marketer of your real estate entrepreneurial business. That's what it comes down to.

If you are in business, you need to make this shift in your thinking. Because no business is going to prosper, or be successful without a lot of customers.

Making this shift in thinking, in orientation, about who you are, focuses you on the singularly most important and financially rewarding aspect of business: marketing. The money is in marketing the business, not in doing the business. It may take a while before you really absorb this. You may have to think about it for a while before it really sinks in. Read it again. Take a minute.

Once you change your thinking to accept that you are a marketer first, and a Real Estate Entrepreneur second, you'll finally be able to start making the kind of money you really want to make.

Accepting your role as a marketer is the thing that will move you out of the rut of occasional mediocre deals and up into a level of sustained success that would not otherwise be possible for you (although this is not what is taught in how-to-do-it real estate investing information).

And this is true of anyone in any other business or industry. The person or company who is most on top of their marketing, makes all the money, and dominates their market.

Look at Domino's. A marketing machine! Very average pizza. But aggressive marketers, and they virtually own their market.

Look at Bill Gates (yes, I know, everyone cites BG). If you saw Accidental Empires though, a PBS documentary by Robert Cringley, you'd know that Gates was just one of hundreds of fanatical "techies" who were trying to make this computer thing work somehow. With his astute positioning and relentless marketing he rode Microsoft up over IBM to the $243B company it is today.

Of course this doesn't mean you just market better and let your buying, negotiating and selling skills go to pot. You've got to be the very best property buyer you can be and run your office well too.

After all, your sellers and buyers deserve the very best treatment from you. But more importantly, doing what you do so well that people can't resist telling others about you, is the purest type of marketing in and of itself.

Remember, it doesn't matter how good you are if you have no Motivated Sellers to talk to.

Buying houses from Motivated Sellers with little or no money out of your pocket is the name of the game, and marketing is the thing that brings in the Motivated Sellers.

OK, so, marketing. Really fabulous! But, what does it mean? So far it's just a word I've said 10 or twenty times, right?

Well, there are two types of marketing people typically use.

The traditional approach which, for want of any better way to go, usually involves just going out after randomly selected sellers. They haven't been screened or qualified in any way. We just know they have a house to sell. We run up big phone and classified ad bills to get to talk to them. In communicating with them we usually talk to them about our financing, and how great it is, and if they will just sell to us their "problems" will go away. We do it manually; call by call, door by door. We talk about us, rather than inquire about them. We chase, they run. When we stop, the marketing stops. The cost per deal is very high, both financially and emotionally.

The second approach is the targeted, low-cost, systemized, response-oriented approach that, through a variety of media (such as direct mail, lead generating classified ads, flyers, signs, radio, cable TV) states or implies a benefit for the seller, calls for a response from them, and positions you as "the solution" for the sellers who want that. The sellers step forward and select you. The marketing is automated, and it is an operating system that works whether you are there or not.

I don't want to shock you, but we are not going with the first choice here.

Pick up just about any book or course with real estate investing information or that is about creative real estate and you'll find the choice #1 approach to finding motivated sellers, if any.

What you won't find anywhere in those books, courses or real estate investing information is the choice #2 approach, which is direct response marketing.

Direct response marketing targets a specific group of most-desired prospects that you have defined as those most likely to respond to your offer (e.g. out-of-state homeowners, or expired listings), then it advertises for or delivers a message to only those people via a media (e.g. personal-looking hand-addressed #10 envelope mailed first class) that will reach them and get their attention. Once in front of the target, direct response delivers the following:

- A benefit-telegraphic headline

- A true marketing message

- An offer, or offers

- A reason to respond immediately

- Precise response instructions and mechanisms.

With these five elements in place, you set yourself up to be called only by motivated, partially pre-sold sellers, continually, day after day! So now you can be freed to do the most productive thing possible for you as an investor: make offers to motivated sellers!

Hopefully you can see the picture here. Direct response marketing cuts your advertising expense in half. It sifts, sorts and screens your prospects so that only the most qualified and most motivated respond and get to talk to you. In short, it allows you to make more while working less, with more predictability, consistency and control than anything else you could do to find deals.

Is that something you want? Think about it. Is there anyone you know of who is buying and selling a boatload of houses every month?

They are still doing a ton of business. Now, why is that? They don't offer sellers anything more outstanding than you, do they? They are not privy to any real estate investing information that you are not. They certainly don't offer sellers anything more creative than you are capable of offering. They don't have any better phone manner than you.

Not at all. The only thing that very successful Real Estate Entrepreneurs do better than anyone else is: Create a reliable, consistent flow of motivated sellers calling in each day! That's it! That's the difference.

So did you get the message here? I hope so.

If you want to change your experience in real estate investing from one of anxiety, frustration and disappointment to working less and making more, you'll make the change.

Easy Action Steps to a Successful Start in Real Estate Investing

If you happen to watch cable or satellite television on the weekends, you can find between 20 and 30 channels early in the day with get rich quick infomercials hawking everything from books, tapes, seminars and even personal coaching services. Most are centered around real estate and I am not sure they are worth the time it would take you to order them by phone. I have spent thousands of dollars on real estate home study courses through the years and will continue into the future. I am always looking to further my education and understanding of what is really working in the investment real estate world.

Because of the time, energy and dollars that I have spent in the past, I have a pretty good idea of what a real estate investor wants to avoid as well as the best steps to take for a successful start. Education definitely plays a role in the success of a real estate investor as well as business savvy, attitude and at times, luck!

Here are a few detailed steps that an investor can take to improve the chances for success.

- Learn the basics of real estate in general.

As with any investment strategy or business, real estate comes with its' very own lingo. There are terms and phrases that many of us have heard in the past, yet may not know the exact meaning. It is very important from the get go to do the research and learn the basics such as the meaning of the terms and phrases that are used in the real estate industry every day. You can start by using a search engine and searching the phrase "real estate definitions".

- Begin home study education.

There are great benefits to home study and I do not mean the courses we eluded to on weekend cable T.V. At your local library, in the real estate investing section, there will be multiple titles recently written by authors with experience in their topic. Check out as many titles as you can read in a week and o to work reading. Write down sentences and topics that come up in the books that interest you and that fit into your reasoning for starting to invest in real estate. This will be the start of your plan for getting started.

- Develop a game plan.

By this point, you have an idea of the general terms and phrases for the property investing world and have begun to grow your interest and understanding of the specific strategies for real estate investing. It is time to formally develop your plan and start taking action. Each of the real estate investing books that you will be reading give specific advice about team building. It is a crucial step for your success and the best books offer advice about who to put on your team, where to find them and how important they are to your over-all success. Before you can start investing, you must have a plan for where you are going and how you are going to get there.

- Join local organizations for investors.

In every city, county and state there are multiple organizations whose missions are to assist real estate investors. Each of these organizations holds monthly meetings and some of the best even hold weekly meetings, where investors can network and learn. These meetings are crucial to a beginner investor because they offer the opportunity to build your team with experienced members. They also are fantastic groups to attend for tips, tricks and education. Join a group close to you and make your attendance mandatory. Attend as many meetings as possible each month. Often times, the simple step of surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who are positive and re-enforce your determination to succeed, can have the biggest benefit on your future success.

- Find partners & Do not fall for get rich quick!

One mistake that is easy to make in the beginning is to set off on the path of "go it alone". Another is to believe that just around the corner is a pot of gold if I can just find a deal like those guys on T.V.! One thing that is seldom talked about is the fact that most real estate investors have used partnerships in the past if they are not using them now. Partnerships are a great way to spread the risk of investing while learning the ropes. Those risks include using less of your available capital, credit and time. Partnerships can also be structured to be a simple 50/50 partnership splitting all costs and profits or a slightly more complicated partnership with one partner providing money and the other providing the deals, follow through and managing the investments. Either way, going it alone can be a lonely, long and expensive way to get started investing.

- Do not quit your day job!

This is a biggie and is a MAJOR mistake made by some first time real estate investors. Investing in real estate requires a total commitment - a "burning of the boats" mentality. There is no turning back when you decide to go all in. And in that statement lies the problem with leaving your day job first. Take time to develop your team, to build cash reserves, to learn the ropes. Take time to make small mistakes before you leave your full time employment and make a big mistake! Investing in real estate is a big picture endeavor and as an investor you have to be able to clearly see your future and plan accordingly.

These last two tips really go to the heart of why some investors not only fail, but fail miserably. Many times you can overcome the mistakes with the first few tips here by perseverance and a little luck. If you make one of the following two mistakes, they can quickly break a new investor and sour the experience for a good long time. Then again, if you follow all the previous tips, chances are you will have the team around you to guide you right past these last two tips and onto smooth investing.

- Once started, DO NOT under estimate repairs.

When you are estimating the repairs to a property for investment, unless you have an experienced contractor and trusted advisor on your team, you can miss the mark wildly. Even the best home study courses are not able to provide you with an accurate ability to estimate costs. It takes experience and time before you can accurately guesstimate repair costs. Missing the mark on estimated repairs can quickly break a bank account and take a property from profitable to money pit quickly!

- Do not purchase investment property for equity or appreciation

There is no bigger mistake an real estate investor can make today than to purchase property for its equity holding or future appreciation. Long-term investing today is centered around the ability of a property to perform with a positive monthly cash flow. In my home city for investing, Memphis, real estate investors purchase properties at extreme discounts, but over look those discounts if the property does not provide a high enough monthly cash flow. Equity and expectations of future home values are not good reasons to purchase investment property.

Many individuals will purchase their first investment property in 2010. Some will view their purchase as strictly an investment and others will look for real estate to provide a new profession. Either way, it is extremely important that first-time investors seek all of the help, advice and experience they can get from other investors.

Real Estate Investment Opportunities in 2008 - Are There Any?

Real estate investing is tough at the best of times. What about the worst of times. Is it possible to invest profitably in real estate when the market is like it is right now?

The real estate market is in meltdown right now. House prices are plummeting, foreclosures through the roof, people living in their cars and houses selling for $1. I've been watching a lovely 4 bedroom home in Florida that is listed on eBay right now for a starting bid of $1.

Real estate investing success relies on a few simple parameters. Rising house prices and good rental returns. If an investor can secure a house that will rise in value over time and returns enough rental return to come close to covering the expenses of the mortgage and other holding costs, then that investor will, over time, make a profit.

Ideally the rental returns from the tenants should exceed the costs of holding the property, and it is then in positive cash flow, and the investor makes a return on investment both from the income from the property and from the capital gain as well.

It's all pretty simple really. There's dozens of real estate investment seminars around, however that's the basics. If you buy a home for an investment, and the value of that home goes down over time, you'll lose money.

If you're making a loss on the rental return over time, you'll also lose money unless you can sell that home in the future at a price that is sufficiently higher than the purchase price to cover the rental losses and make some return on capital.

Simple stuff. But hard to achieve, even in the best of times. When the market is good, like it was up until a while ago, you made money if you we're a good real estate investor. If you chose well, bought well and tenanted the property well, you were in front.

Not any more. The basic premise of real estate investing is rising home prices. If you've got rising home prices then you've got a good chance of doing well. Buy just about anything and by default you'll make money.

Now prices are falling.

So right now there are no real estate investment opportunities right?

Wrong. There are good real estate investment opportunities. But if you're trying to find them yourself you're almost guaranteed to fail. There are some professional real estate investors now who are trying, and if you're a professional investor with significant real estate investment experience you may do well. Or you may well do badly too.

But if you're beginning real estate investing now you'd be better to stay out of the market. Unless......

Imagine for a moment.

A solid American public corporation, experienced in real estate investment. Well capitalized with a well thought out proven strategy for investing in real estate regardless of market direction.

The corporation invests in buying homes in demand. Not your McMansions that are on eBay right now, but the sort of houses that millions of working Americans live in right now, or need to live in. Basic properties that exist in their millions right over the US.

With sufficient capital it can buy hundreds of homes at a time. From government, charities or any organization that owns large numbers of homes in a single area. And because it can buy like that it can buy at way below market value. Hundreds at a time purchased in a suburb with all the right characteristics including high demand for rental properties and, in some cases a backlog of demand for up to 15 years.

Then it refurbishes those homes to a high standard. While doing so it spends money on the suburb building parks and playgrounds and community facilities. And within a period of time a suburb has been totally transformed. New community attractions, high quality homes that people want to live in. Suddenly everyone wants to live there.

Up to 40% of the profits are ploughed back into the local community.

Demand rises, people want to live there, both to rent and buy. The corporation has created it's own capital gain, regardless of market direction.

And then it sells these properties to individual investors. No money down, loan provided, tenant provided with a rental guarantee. Immediate equity to the investor of around 15%. The investor owns the property and can hold it or sell it and keep 100% of the profits.

Now that's successful real estate investing in a bad market. But it takes experience, commitment to a community and to the investors, and a solid background of real estate experience, and a lot of capital.

All About Real Estate Investing Book

Real Estate Investing is no longer the special past time of wealthy businessmen. In today's world real estate has become a common financial motion for people from all walks of life. This trend will likely to continue to perform will into the predictable future. This change is due to elimination and concentration on company pension plans. Personal investing guide has replaced these plans as the preferred way to plan for retirement

Real estate investing book increases the knowledge and information in the real estate field. People who speak in real estate market are the people with experience in real estate industry. A real estate book which is introduced in electronic format is called as Real estate E-book.

A real estate investing book is a collection of paper, parchment or other material, bound together along one edge within covers that contain information about real estate investment business. A real estate book is also a real estate literary work or a main division of such a work.

A real estate investing book could be studied by real estate course students in the form of a book report. This book may also be read by a real estate professional or real estate business man who would like get more knowledge about some topic related to real estate. There are several recommended real estate investing books available for increasing your real estate investing knowledge and improving your real estate business.

Real estate investing book is one of the least risky types of investments books you can read. Rather than investing in hit or miss stocks that are sometimes unpredictable, real estate investing is a much more stable market. If you make a wise real estate investing book purchase, you will be able to increase your investment's worth over time even if you put little or no knowledge or basic ideas into it.

The purpose of the Investing book is to supply all the necessary information so that you can obtain new skills and educate more yourself in real estate investing field, in order to get proven profitable results from your investments in the stock market! The Investing book intends to not only provide advice on investments for beginners, but also aims to offer fresh ideas for experienced investors. The Investing book also offers a list of investing terms and important phrases that the investors would need to be well-known with upon their embarkation into investments.

An Education In Real Estate Investing Can Be Your Best Investment

There are many people that are venturing out and searching for additional ways to make additional income. That is to be expected when it comes to real estate. Real estate has been a popular investment for many years. Many millionaires made their first million dollars in real estate. So it should come as no surprise that Real Estate Investing is being glamorized by celebrities like Donald Trump and various television shows that depict real estate investing as a big money maker.

Real Estate Investing can be all that celebrities and television program make it out to be, but it is not as easy as it looks. Real Estate Investing requires knowledge of different techniques that can be used when trying to buy, sell, negotiate or repair a house. Without this type of specialized knowledge real estate investing can be a monumental disaster.

Having laser specific knowledge can mean the difference between success or failure. Knowledge is what separates those that invest in real estate and those that talk about investing in real estate. The knowledge that is required is not difficult to master. In fact, just about anyone can be a successful real estate investor. I have seen people from all walks of life and educational backgrounds go on to be successful real estate investors. One man that I know and admire very well became a successful real investor despite the fact that he first had to learn how to read. It is possible for anyone to learn how to invest in real estate.

Who should learn more about real estate investing? Anyone that is considering buying property as an investment should become educated before doing so. Rentals, foreclosures, rehabs, lease options and various other techniques are tried everyday by real estate investors. In most cases however, only the investors who have taken the time to educate themselves will be successful.

Also, anyone that is considering buying or selling houses on their own (without a realtor) is at considerable risk of financial loss if they don't get an education before venturing out into unchartered waters.

There are many different types of educational opportunities. One can always purchase books from the local bookstore to get some advice. There is also a large number of websites that cater to real estate investing. Some of these sites will sell home study courses that, in some cases, give a thorough, explanation, training and education on various real estate investing topics. One may also find coaching and mentoring online to help those that don't believe they are quite comfortable enough yet to do real estate deals on their own. Some colleges and Universities have also started to teach real estate investing.

It is never too early to start the educational process. Real Estate Investing can be a very lucrative business. It can also bankrupt those that are not ready to invest or that do not understand how to minimize the risks that come with the real estate investing territory. In the end every one that invests in real estate is doing so at their own risk. A proper education in real estate investing is a great way to minimize that risk and start one on a path of financial freedom.

Real Estate Investing: Five Indisputable Benefits You Can Bank On

If you've ever played Monopoly, you already know that you can't go wrong investing in real estate. Compared to stock market investing, real estate investments are much safer and less affected by economic downturns. But the advantages of investing in real estate don't stop there. Real estate investments have at least six indisputable benefits that will make a positive impact on your bottom line.

Real Estate Investing Has Tax Benefits

The government understands that real estate ownership and development is good for everyone. That's why there are so many tax advantages to investing in real estate. Mortgage interest is deductible in most situations. In some cases, depending on how you finance and handle your real estate investments, even profits can be tax deductible. Sheltering your profits and deducting your expenses from your tax bill is just as good as putting money in your pocket.

Investing in Real Estate Offers Significant Profit Potential

In a perfect world, all investments would return a profit. In case you haven't noticed, we're not living in that world. We are in a world where the supply of secure and affordable housing is dwindling, and the number of deteriorating homes is growing. This situation offers an outstanding opportunity for real estate investors who buy, renovate, and then sell or rent out properties. Investing in real estate easily returns profits in the 30-40 percent range, and has the potential to return much more.

Real Estate Investing Diversifies Your Portfolio

Investing in real estate is a great way to diversify your financial portfolio. Investment opportunities abound in today's world, and there's no reason to pick just one. Some of them have great potential for profit, and for significant loss. You have to make your own financial decisions about which investments are right for you. But chances are it will be your real estate investments that keep you going when your riskier investments aren't performing well.

Investing in Real Estate Provides Income

Real estate investing gives you options. If you want to supplement or replace your monthly income, you can choose to rent out a property instead of selling it. A property manager can handle the rental for you, which means your only work for the month will be depositing the checks.

Real Estate Investments Appreciate

If you can count on anything, then you can count on your real estate investments increasing in value. Based on long-term, historical trends, you can expect real estate to appreciate about nine percent a year. And that's if you do nothing at all. Just imagine what could happen if you buy a handyman special and do some renovation.

Investing in real estate is one of the surest ways to improve your financial situation. The stability and benefits of real estate investing make it a best choice for the foundation of your investment portfolio.

Real estate Investment Tip #2- Three Keys to successful investment real estate finance

Successful investment real estate financing has been done by many real estate investors for years. Donald Trump and other real estate developers have used other people's money for years to finance the building of real estate projects so the key here is to learn how to finance your next acquisition and how to make more money in the process.

This article will highlight three key areas that are important to succeed in investment real estate financing in your next real estate investment deal.

The Property Finance Plan

Successful Investment real estate financing should also come with a property finance plan.
This plan would list how much in rental you will receive, details of the property and how much you want to borrow from the bank. The reason for this is that it will be easier to convince a bank officer about the potential of you paying his monthly instalments if you can show him how much in terms of rental that you expect from the real estate investment in the first place and how much it measures out relative to your expected monthly instalment. You could do a financing plan and then print several copies of this and bring it along to all the bankers that you meet. The more confident you are about the deal, the more confidence the banker would have in you as well.

Your Credit History

A person's credit in most cities is of vital importance to bankers today for the purpose of financing any real estate investment. The reason for this is that your personal credit history is used to judge your ability to pay your debts as they fall due. In most banking circles today especially in the cities, sometimes within 30 minutes to one hour of your default in payment, all banks would know of your financial inability to pay and your credit rating will drop.

Thus when doing investment real estate financing, you might want to run a credit check on yourself so that you can figure out what the bankers would ask and you would have a ready reply for them. Thus a good credit history can help you in investment real estate financing.

Your Prior experience

A good prior job or some property management experience may help in your application for the mortgage. As strange as this may sound it may make perfect sense for the banker. If you can show that you are responsible at work and make him believe that you can manage the property and the rental, there is a high chance that you will be able to pay him. Thus successful investment real estate financing depends partly on the ability of the individual to convince the banker that you can manage the property and pay him on time.

In conclusion, we have listed the three important keys to successful investment real estate financing that you might wish to consider when you next go to your banker to ask for investment real estate financing. Spend some time planning and thereafter take massive action to achieve your investment real estate financing goals today.

Real Estate Investment Companies

Real estate investment companies acts as brokers and represents both buyers and sellers and create ideal opportunities for real estate investors. They represent clients in the sale, purchase, exchange and the finance of the real estate investment. Real estate investment companies are ideal for individual investors who want to take advantage of the real estate market but are unable to spend time on it. Most companies give personal attention and due importance to individual investors as they are their primary and most crucial segment of business.

The real estate investment companies deal with active brokers, a wide variety of investors, vendors, consultants and governmental agencies. Individuals can avoid many dangers associated with real estate investment by investing through companies as most companies employ personals that are trained to handle the pressure situations that often crop up in real estate investment. The investors who see the market clearly and make decisions based on the best evidence would get much profit from the real estate investment company. The investors can achieve the financial security and freedom which enables them to pursue other involvements.

Acquisitions, property management, due diligence, redevelopment, leasing, debt analysis and procurement, tax documentation, disposition analysis and detailed monthly reporting are some of the important services provided by real estate investment companies. Real estate investment companies are also referred as Real estate investment trust (REIT). Real estate investment companies have special federal tax treatment and must comply with certain tax requirements. There is a slight difference between Real estate investment companies and real estate investment trusts. For a company to become a real estate investment trust, it should share out 90 percent or more of its taxable income to its shareholders once in a year.

Before selecting a particular company, look whether they are registered under proper acts. Get as much information on a company from as many sources you can.

Real Estate Investments provides detailed information on Real Estate Investments, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Real Estate Investment Loans, Real Estate Investment Financing and more. Real Estate Investments is affiliated with Buying Investment Properties.

Real Estate Investing LIES Unveiled

Let's get REAL about something - and quelch the LIES you have been told about Real Estate Investing!­

What I am going to reveal to you are some basic
truths about Real Estate investing - truths that may
totally affect the Real Estate investments you have
now - and certainly I intend to modify the way you
do Real Estate investing in the future.

Let's get right to it - and into the heart of the real
estate investing issue.

You have been programmed all your life to become
what you are today - from school, friends, relatives
and, yes, your parents.

Recent studies show that you are who you are now,
more from what you learned prior to age 8 than in
anything else you have learned since.

Now, that may surprise you, but it is true that what
you learned at the earliest ages affects the way you
make Real Estate investments today, and the type
of Real Estate investing success you will have going
forward!

Yes, that's a bit shocking.

You see, if you grew up in an environment where
you heard things like

"We can't afford it", "Be sure
you have saved enough and have the cash to buy it"
(i.e., never use credit), or numerous other phrases
that you now hear yourself saying (you know what
I'm talking about - those times you catch yourself
"becoming your parents"), it is because of your
early programming (from 0-8 years) and what you
were told about money, success, and life in general.

That is controlling your current income - and your
success - or lack of it...

The things you were told at that early, most
influential age, are now creeping out and affecting
how successful you are in business, in life and yes,
in your Real Estate investing.

THERE IS GOOD NEWS

The greatest thing about this fact - as horrible as it
seems - is that you can change the 'programming' -
you have the power to do it!

You can reprogram yourself in any way you want -
have anything you want - do anything you want.

All it takes is simply to 'reinstall' the right kind of
thinking.

And, it is easier than you might think!

One of the best ways to do that is to get a CD audio
set from someone you like to listen to - someone
that thinks positively and speaks of the life you want
to live. Many home study courses are available (yes,
including mine) that are designed to inspire and
motivate you, while they teach you the methods and
secrets of real estate investing.

Purchase one - listen to it, over and over - until you
hear yourself speaking that way, too.

You see, we are all simply creatures of habit and
environment - if we allow junk to get into our heads,
all we will ever say is junk coming out.

If all you listen to is the bad stuff in life (like the TV
news, most 'talk radio' shows, those TV 'real life'
shows that end up in fights - you know the ones.,
and even violent movies where the language is
nothing you'd ever expect to hear from your own
lips.), that is exactly what you will wind up sounding
like!

It is true - 'you are what you eat' - and that counts
just as much for what you put in your ears as it does
for what you put in your mouth!

If you spend your time around 'bar people', you'll
speak and act like them. Not that there's anything
wrong with that, as long as you made a conscious
thought that it is what you want, but I think you'd
be much more successful at Real Estate investing if
you were listening to a successful person teaching
you about Real Estate Investing!

Now, let's get right to the point about the various
methods and concepts you have learned about Real
Estate Investing.

You may call yourself a 'real estate investing expert',
but if you have to get up every morning and wonder
where your next check is coming from, you aren't
making real estate investments, you are being
employed in a Real Estate Investing JOB!

Yes, that's a hard-hitting statement.

You see, I want you to 'get real' with yourself and
simply admit it - Real Estate investing is when you
put money into a Real Estate investment and then
get some money out - 'real estate investing'
defined.

Yet, it seems that most people I meet want to
attend my real estate training or purchase my real
estate courses that have to do with 'No Money
Down' (NMD) real estate investing.

Now, that kind of talk just proves the point - you can
reprogram yourself to speak a different language -
even if it doesn't make sense!

A bunch of 'gurus' have told you over and over again
that 'No Money Down' is real estate investing - even
though you learned at an early age that 'invest'
means to put money into something and get money
out (see http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=invest for other definitions - none of them say 'No
Money Down'...)

Now, it's not that 'NMD Real Estate investing' is all
bad - heck, my students and I make several
thousand dollars from these types of 'Real Estate
investing' transactions every year, too.

Just don't lie to yourself and say they are 'real
estate investments', we know very clearly that these
are simply 'earned income' from one portion of your
real estate investing business - the real estate 'job'
portion - earned while in transition from your
'corporate job' to your 'real estate investing job' and
on the road to true Real Estate Investing.

In other real estate investing articles, I cover some
of the methods and techniques you, too, can explore
while moving from your 'corporate job' to your 'real
estate investing job' and you'll learn some insider
secrets for taking that leap quickly.

What You Can Learn When Taking a Real Estate Investing Program

Have you heard of a real estate investing program before? If you are looking into becoming a real estate investor, you may have come across real estate investing programs available both locally and online. Although real estate investing programs are a great resource for all hopeful investors, you may be wondering whether or not it would really be worth your time and money to take a course. To find the answer to your question, you are advised to examine the materials that most real estate investing programs cover.

Before examining what you may learn when taking a real estate investing program, it is important that you remember variance. Not all real estate investing programs are the same. Programs are designed for different levels investors and they are offered for different lengths of time. These factors may determine exactly what is taught in a real estate investing course. However, with that in mind, there are many common points that are covered in most real estate investing programs.

Many real estate investing programs introduce their students to real estate investing by providing background information on exactly what it is. Although you may already have a good idea what real estate investing is and what it is all about, this information may still prove useful to you. Unfortunately, many real estate investors get so wrapped up in making money that they often forget what real estate investing is all about. If you are relatively unfamiliar with real estate inventing, a real estate investing program can help to provide you with the information you need. If you are already familiar with real estate investing, the information learned can be used to help refresh your memory.

It is also common for a real estate investing program to cover investing in general, as well as apply it to real estate. Information on what properties you should target as a real estate investor, like properties that are in foreclosure or properties that are considered fixer uppers, may also be outlined. Detailed information on each of these properties, like what they are, as well as what to look for with them may be outlined as well.

Since a big part of real estate investing is being able to do something with the properties that you purchase, a real estate investing class should also cover this. For instance, many real estate investors fix up the properties they purchased and either try to resell them for a profit or become a landlord by renting out the property to tenants. A real estate investing program should give you information on each method, as well as tips on how to make each method work.

Perhaps, the most important thing that you could learn by taking a real estate investing course is what you shouldn't do. This information is important as it may prevent you from making many costly mistakes. Although many real estate investing programs are targeted towards beginners, there are some courses that are designed for more advanced or experienced investors. No matter what level you are currently at, you are advised to give a real estate investing program a serious look, as it may be worth your time and money, in more ways than one.

Resolving the Real Estate Investing Fear Factor

If you're a new real estate investor who has thought about real estate investing but have been due to a nagging feeling that you are certain the market will collapse once you step in and you will lose all your money; guess what, you're not alone.

Fear grips every new investor; and no one successfully investing in real estate today would state otherwise. It's common for potential real estate investors to miss out on incredible opportunities for no other reason but an overwhelming sense of fear.

Okay, so let's address some of the most common fears and see whether we can help you to become less anxious, and maybe take the plunge into real estate investing after all.

Negative Cash Flow

Hey, the idea behind investing in real estate is to make enough money to cover operating expenses and loan payment with some left over to deposit in the bank. Having to feed a property won't cut it; no investor wants to feed a rental property.

Believe it or not, this fear one might be the easiest to manage because it's straightforward: simply run the numbers before you buy. Obtain the property's last twelve months income and operating expenses, calculate a mortgage payment, and plug the results into a spreadsheet or real estate investment software program to determine cash flow. If the cash flow is negative, so be it, otherwise dispel the concern and move ahead.

Just be sure to use realistic rents, a vacancy rate (even if the owner claims full occupancy), operating expenses (don't forget replacement reserves), and a loan payment to compute your annual cash flow.

Also, never walk away merely because the property indicates a negative cash flow. Dig a little deeper and look for ways to manage the cash flow. Many rental income properties simply go negative because of poor property management; you might have a probability of raising rents and cutting operating expenses. Who knows, you may even discover a real opportunity overlooked by the current owner.

This Isn't the Right Time

Yes, for any number of national or international events, potential investors often feel it would be advantageous to wait for better times before making an investment in real estate.

But real estate investment has little to do with the economic climate at the time you buy. Foremost, consider the long haul. Economic depressions come and go, but how will the investment property impact your future rate of return? That's what counts.

If it helps, bear in mind that unlike the fluctuating stock market real estate has a profound record for steadily appreciating. Perhaps not overnight, and not without an occasional bump, but historically, real estate value does go up over time.

Losing Your Money

Of course, you wouldn't want to tap into your savings to make maybe the largest financial investment of your life only to wind up losing it all.

The key, however, is to study and research. Learn about the property you want to invest in, and the area where you plan to invest. Look for sources of information like seminars, college courses, real estate software, and real estate investing books. Get an expert appraisal of the property from an investment real estate professional or property appraiser. There's always some risk when real estate investing, but developing a plan with knowledge will negate most of your uncertainties.

Tenant and Management Hassles

Okay, it's true. No one wants the headache of having to repair a refrigerator or to fuss with an unruly tenant; and its understandable why that concern does prevent many people from becoming real estate investors. But life is always a series of trade offs, and trading off an occasional migraine for potential future wealth is generally worth it.

However, it's also true that in time you will learn to deal with and manage most issues in your sleep. If not, you can always hire the services of a reliable property management company to deal with it for you. For about ten percent of the rental income, a property manager will do all the dirty work; the advantage being that it will relieve you of the time and stress of having to deal with tenants and repairs and in turn puts matters like late rents into the hands of experts.

Lack of Real Estate Experience

Just because you have not yet purchased an investment property should not keep you from real estate investing. In this case, locate a real estate agent who specializes in investment property to assist you.

When it actually comes time to buy a rental income property, you'll be surprised to discover that it's not as insidious as it looks, and tapping into the mind of an expert will increase your comfort level significantly. But the keyword here is investment property specialist. A real estate agent who just sells houses won't benefit you; you want a real estate professional with true real estate investment experience.

It's Time to Get Started

Granted, the hardest part about jumping into real estate investing is getting started. We're great at making excuses, and there are always numerous reasons to put off starting something new.

Yes, we want to be cautious. It's better to put the breaks on and approach real estate with adequate knowledge. So if you're struggling, here's my suggestion: learn, research, and plan. Educate yourself about real estate investing, learn about real estate in general and more specifically about your specific real estate market, and develop a road map about the financial security you hope to achieve.

Afterward, pick out that first rental property, make a purchase, and then take over as manager. If you've stuck to your investment plan goals, calculated the numbers, did your due diligence correctly, and work diligently to increase income and control expenses, in time you'll be able to move on to bigger and better properties.