Real Estate Investing For High Gains ... And Low Risk!

Top Ten Reasons The Bad Economy Is Good

2009-08-05T16:11:00.001-04:00

I like to stay productive by listening to podcasts in my downtime, and I just listened to a great episode of the Real Estate Guys Radio podcast. If you are not familiar with these guys, I highly recommend their show for picking up some very current real estate investing tips. I want to share this last one with you…

The episode is called “The Top Ten Reasons to be Glad the Economy Sucks” so you know I loved it! Russell Greg and Bob Helms are the co-hosts of the show, and here is what they had to say about our sucky economy:

1. Great Real Estate is on Sale
Home prices are cyclical, and right now we’re in the trough. Properties are really priced well today, and it’s a great time to start buying. It is so much easier to find a great deal these days than it was in the past. A significant portion of the downside risk is now gone; there is a long term need for real estate, so if you’re smart about it, great real estate is now on sale.

2. Interest Rates are Great
It’s hard to find a period of time in our lifetime when interest rates were as low as they are now. A lot of people are saying that interest rates are going to start edging up in the near future, so it would be smart to buy now. It’s easier to cash flow in a market like this with lower interest rates, so take advantage of the great rates while they last!

3. It’s a Great Time to Become a Private Investor
There are great opportunities today for you to lend money, not borrow it. People have a need to borrow and can’t go to conventional sources as liberally as they used to be able to. People who can’t fit into these new strict lending criteria will be willing to pay a premium over the going rate. This could be a very good time to come in as a private lender and get a 7-8% (or even MUCH more) yield on your money, backed up by real estate.

4. Now is a Great Time to Get a Contractor
Due to fewer construction projects out there, contractors are more likely to call you back and show up on time these days. If you don’t have the capital to purchase more property, now is a great time to fix up the properties you do have; you can then raise the rent and get better tenants.

5. Title, Escrow, and Real Estate Companies Need Your Business
Everybody in this particular sector is looking for work, so you’ll be able to move quickly, get things done, and get great productivity out of your team without having to pay top dollar.

6. Affordability
In the past, less than 20% of people who live in the United States could afford to purchase a home. Affordability is defined as someone making a median income being able to put 30% of their total household income toward their total housing expenses, when purchasing a home at the median price range. This number varies from area to area, but a recent study says that over 60% of all houses sold in the last few months of 2008 were considered affordable, up from 46.6% at the end of 2007.

7. New Housing Starts are at an All Time Low
This is a good thing because of supply and demand – if you have less inventory coming into the marketplace to compete with the current supply, the existing inventory will become more valuable. Last year, the annualized pace of new home starts was the lowest since 1963. Builders need to get rid of the inventory they’re sitting on, so this is a great time to start buying as long as the properties cash flow while you’re holding them.

8. The Repeal of the Four Property Limit
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have repealed their four-property limit per person and will no longer refuse to finance investor mortgages where the borrower already owns four investment properties with mortgages. This means that successful, savvy investors can again have more than four properties with mortgages.

9. It’s a Great Time to Buy a Car
Well, the podcast wasn’t all about real estate. Those guys know how to spot any good bargain! And they made a good point: if you’re a buyer today, sellers are willing to deal, especially if you have cash. Cash is king! It’s also a great time to buy furnishings for rentals, which will then generally rent for more and to a better tenant. Everything is on sale these days.

10. Can Get Loans Modified Like Never Before
These days, you can get your loans modified much easier than in the past, whether it be because you’re having a hard time paying the bills, you lost your job, or for any number of reasons. It’s more likely that they’ll work with you and help you figure something out, while it would have been unthinkable two years ago. Getting people current with their mortgages is probably the most important thing that can happen to bring confidence back to the marketplace and help get the economy stabilized.

This podcast was almost an hour long, so the Real Estate Guys covered a ton more information than what I could give you here. I think it would really benefit you to listen to it for yourself, so go check it out at www.RealEstateGuysRadio.com!

A Little Bit Of Knowledge Can Be Dangerous!

2009-01-28T10:45:00.000-05:00

So many people are scared of what is going on in our economy because of what they are told by others. Yet, they really don’t understand what is making our economy tick. I recently received an ‘economic update’ from my financial advisor and it raised some very interesting information. I completely understand that some people are knowledge junkies, and others only care about the end result. I also understand that people have different learning styles, and grasp information to different extents and levels of clarity. I’ve taken much of the information that I just received from my advisor and tried to clarify/simplify why the fears and panic of many people today are unfounded. Furthermore, there is much hope coming our way very soon.

Many people compare our current economic condition to the Great Depression. However the early 1930’s was very different (in many ways). Almost 10,000 U.S. banks went bankrupt and the unemployment rate surpassed 25%. The supply of money decreased by 30% and so the entire economy actually decreased in it’s total size.

Our current situation is different in many ways. The unemployment rate is only 6.5%, the entire economy only declined by less than 0.5% in 2008, the supply of money is still increasing, and there are many new insurance programs to protect depositors’ funds.

Now, there have also been comparisons between our current economic situation to those of Japan. Japan is now fighting their 5th recession in 15 years. Many have said that our economic situation is not unlike Japan at the moment. The current economic crisis is similar in some ways to what Japan experienced in the early 1990’s, however the (government) policy response is very different.

After the 1989 Japanese equity market crash, the Bank of Japan continued to raise rates. It actually took over 5 years for the government there to cut rates to 1%. The U.S. Federal Reserve board cut rates immediately (here) when it realized that the markets were in trouble.

It took Japan over 6 years to launch their economic bailout, while ours is already being implemented, along with many other policy tools that were not available to the bank of Japan.

Conclusion 1: Nobody can deny that we are amid a difficult economic slowdown, but it certainly is not another great depression. Thanks to the many policies and initiatives launched by our government, we are not heading for the same troubles seen in Japan. The global economic recession is already 12 months old. It appears to the experts that we will remain in tough times for the first 6 months of 2009. However, current and future stimulus activity will provide for an economic recovery, which is likely to show signs of turnaround in the second half of 2009, with solid economic performance in 2010.

Conclusion 2: Many people live in fear because of what they hear in the media, while others chase ‘get-rich-quick’ schemes, or do what everybody else appears to be doing (eg. stop spending and hold on to every penny they have). In the great gold rush, the majority rushed out with shovels to dig for their own gold, hoping (either out of panic for recovery and/or sheer greed) to strike it rich with their own found gold. The people who made fortunes during that time (without having specialized knowledge, skills, or panic) were not the people who were lucky enough to dig in the right place and strike gold (which by the way were few and far between). They were the people selling the millions of shovels.

Summary: Last year many investors asked me about investing in real estate in regions like south Florida. When I told them they could acquire properties at $0.40 cents on the dollar, they hesitated. They were always worried that if they waited longer, they could still get a better deal, and knowing that they could have got a better deal would bother them.

Now, with all indications that the market is close to the bottom (in many areas), people still seem afraid to invest their money until the majority of other people (and the media) say that the troubles are all over and it’s okay to part with your money. Fact is, by the time that happens, the prices are already going up. That (the price increases) is obviously one of the justifications that the media would have for releasing such a statement.

Where are the people now who fear that if they wait to long to start investing, they might pay more for a property, than if they bought sooner, while the prices were at an all-time low? That time is now folks! There is a very popular saying that all of the professional real estate investors say: “You make money in real estate when you BUY … not when you SELL”. When you buy, you negotiate the best price, and that determines how much room you have for capital appreciation.

Buying investment properties now is like stocking up on your shovels. When the country starts buying real estate and renting places to live, you want to have the inventory and meet their demand. Don’t forget – demand is what drives up prices (profits)!

Ready ... Set ... ACTION !!!

2009-01-16T10:23:00.003-05:00

The economy is awful, job losses are at historic levels, and there is a huge opportunity to make money from this mess.

Albert Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

The truth is that knowing more information is helpful, but NOT sufficient.
The lie is that knowing more is sufficient to succeed.

The truth is that the people who succeed in real estate investing are not necessarily the smartest or the most knowledgeable.

The people that succeed are those who go out and 'do' something. The ones that go out and DO all the things that have to be done (and have been proven by other successful investors) to succeed.

You’ve heard it before – they take ACTION!

Fear is the most powerful emotion and it controls every single one of us. But you must consider the facts.
You can always get advice (free or paid) from experts who have the answers that you don’t have, when it comes to analyzing or acquiring an investment property. But you can’t go out and get ACTION. You must do that yourself.

You can’t steal second base, while keeping your foot on first base!

Lately I have been emailing my database of buyers, with phenomenal investment opportunities. They offer more ROI and less risk than anywhere else in the country at the moment. I take away the work of finding the deals, and I analyze the deal for them. I'm more than happy to answer any and all questions they may have.
These deals are also affordable by most people. Yet, they (investors) inevitably seem to take forever to make a decision.

When I offer a property to my private database, of course I remind them what a good deal it is.
Those who know me by now, would agree that I don't just hype every possible property that becomes available, by using fancy marketing words - I leave that to the scam artists.

There is an abundance of properties and deals out there right now, but I ONLY pick the very best deals of the crop.
After all - who wants to take chances and risks on volume deals, when there are specific deals available that have less risk and more upside (R.O.I.) than we'll ever see again in our lifetime.

Because real estate investing is a business, and because professional investors analyze deals based on numbers and facts ... not emotions .... if the deal really is a good deal …. then it stands to reason that it will get snapped up very quickly.
I understand investors struggling with the emotions and fears of taking the first step … and I respect their feelings. I was there myself when I started. But what I said in the previous line is undeniably true - you are not buying a home to live in. You are buying an investment - and investing is a business, so all that matters are numbers and facts.

Here is how my deals pan out (lately) when I offer them to my personal database of investors. Those who immediately analyze the numbers and spend a short period of time doing their due diligence, snap up the properties within hours to days of me notifying them. That is not because I’m a good salesman or I offer a lot of fluff. It is simply because the numbers and facts speak for themselves.

NOTE: I'm not 'selling' these properties myself (they are not mine). I am putting the investor in touch with the seller, so I have nothing to gain from lying or deceiving.

When the deal is a GOOD deal, someone will grab it quickly. Then there are the those people (and I hope you benefit from this email) who worry about everything that could possibly go wrong and take their time wondering what they don’t know.

First of all, nobody knows everything. Information is always available. You don’t know everything about accounting, but you hire an accountant. You don’t know everything about the law, but you use a lawyer when you need one. But the old saying is true – you snooze, you lose!

For that matter, consider the following - if any deal was still available after 4 weeks of me telling you about it, (or many weeks after you found it somewhere online) and after many weeks of you over-analyzing, then there probably would be something wrong with that deal (otherwise a savvy investor would have grabbed it much sooner) - right?

I'm not suggesting that you just act quickly out of fear of losing a deal, and risk making mistakes. But when deals come up, they usually only last days ... if that long (if it is truly a good deal). And by a good deal I mean highly profitable, and low risk. So if you want to get into this business and make a lot of money, but you feel that you can never get all of the pieces to fit together for you, before someone else snags the deal, then you should make sure your buying criteria, your expectations, your pre-approval for financing, your comfort level, and all of your concerns are addressed beforehand. That way you'll know when a deal comes up if it's right for you or not, and the only thing you’ll have to do is run the numbers to see if it works or not.

If you want more information on getting yourself prepared to make that investment or identify your comfort zone and what you are looking for, just let me know – I’m happy to help!

Tel: (905) 364-5250
Toll Free: (866) 966-0516

Get Off Your Assets!

2009-01-15T12:55:00.001-05:00

There is a book out called “Stop Sitting on Your Assets: How to Safely Leverage the Equity Trapped in Your Home and Transform It Into a Constant Flow of Wealth and Security” (Hardcover) by Marian Snow.

I don’t necessarily recommend everything in the book for everybody out there with a home, but the title caught my eye.

It really got me thinking about how many people dream about making big money in real estate, but think they can’t b/c they don’t have cash. We live in a world of fear, distrust, and worst of all, a follow the herd mentality. From this recession, will come more self made millionaires, who started with very little, than from any other era or world situation in our lifetime. And it is not necessarily the rich who get richer – it is the people who seek advice and expertise, and think out of the box.

There are many people who don’t have cash in the bank to simply pay up front for an investment property, but they are sitting on tons of equity that they can leverage.

To raise a point that Robert Kiyosaki talked about in his book “Rich Dad..Poor Dad” - there is good debt and there is bad debt.

Bad debt is when you borrow money to buy thing that lose money, don't go up in value, or cost you to keep.

Good debt is borrowing/leveraging money to by an asset that increases in value and/or provides cash-flow for you. In my case, we help find investors find properties that will provide both (cash-flow and appreciation in value).

Last year (2008) we had investors refinance their home, buy a U.S. property with the cash, and the cash-flow from the investment property, not only covers ALL expenses to carry that property, but it also covers their increased mortgage payments (if their payment has in fact increased) ... AND it provides extra cash-flow/profit for them to save/spend/invest. While the cash-flow from the property covers all costs and pays the debt-service, the capital value of the house has ALSO gone up 10% in one year. Some investors have realized over 150% ROI last year.

If you want more details on how you can do this, (find additional monthly cash-flow), own an asset that goes up in value, and pay off your debt, then give us a call:

Tel: (905) 364-5250
Toll Free Tel: (866) 966-0516

Why Some Succeed And Others Fail

2009-01-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

As I have personally attended and taught several real estate investing courses, I have always been intrigued about why some students succeed tremendously, while others fail miserably - all given the same information and education.

There are MANY differences between each person, but when we develop patterns (find common denominators that are present in one group, and not present in the other group), we can determine certain practices, beliefs, and methods that are sure to lead you down the same path (success or failure) as the others in the study group.

There is one blatantly obvious characteristic that is present in every success story, and non-existent in every failure story. You've probably heard it before, but it here it is. You MUST take ACTION!

It is amazing how many people think action is 'over' analyzing data out of fear. Of course fear exists, but those who don't want to take action use "not enough time to analyze" as an excuse. There are tons of fellow investors out there who are not afraid to take action.

When you buy a home to live in, that is an emotional decision. As an investor, every decision must be based on the numbers and the facts (with no emotion). Bottom line - either the numbers work or they don't. Numbers don't lie. But those who are afraid to take action typically continue to analyze the numbers as if they are trying to find a problem with the deal.

Guess what folks! If the numbers do in fact work, and numbers don't lie, then if you don't grab the deal ... another investor will.

You can take as many courses and read as many books as you would like. Information alone will not make you a penny. Acting on your information is where the money is at. Of course that sound easy to say but not easy to do (if you are a beginner), but there are always other 'mentors' out there who would be happy to help you analyze a deal to see if the numbers work.

One word of advice that I pass down to many of my students is to ACT on the information. Here is how I like to consider the word ACT as an acronym:

Action

Compensates

Tremendously

To your success ......

7 Real Estate Success tips for 2009

2009-01-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

I recently received some advice via email from my friend Doug at MyHouseDeals.com.

The advice was so valuable, and because I not only endorse his comments, but have enjoyed much success due to some of the ideas he recommends in his email, that I thought I would share it with you.

Bottom line - it’s time to make a plan for 2009.

Tip #1: Create a Game Plan – Know what you want, and outline the steps that you must take to get there. Who will be involved? How will you meet them and gain their cooperation? How much time will it take? Where will you get this time? How much will it cost, and where will you get this money? What’s the risk? How will you handle it?

Tip #2: Have an Expert Review Your Plan – The first real estate plan that I created involved me single-handedly buying 100 houses in a year. And it listed out several different marketing strategies that were completely cost ineffective. I had a friend of mine who isn’t even in real estate review the plan, and he said it looked good. How stupid of me. About 8 months into working this over-reaching and misguided plan, I had an expert investor review it. He tore it apart, and together we re-constructed a better plan with more realistic goals (buy 12 houses, not 100) and a better marketing plan. Shortly thereafter, I bought 6 houses, and I actually felt good about my progress. Six out of twelve feels much better than six out of 100!

Tip #3: Don’t Give Up – The life of a new real estate investor is filled with countless highs and lows. You’re on a high when you think you have a property all locked up to purchase, and then you hit a low when it suddenly falls though at closing. Or you’re on a high when you finally do close on that house, but you hit a low when you hit a 3-week dry spell where it feels like you couldn’t get a seller to agree to your price even if you paid double. I hit a personal low when I was $5,500 in debt from fruitless marketing attempts. Oh, and jobless. But I got up early each morning and worked toward my goal of financial freedom. Even though a voice in my head told me to give up, I never did. That’s probably the #1 key to success. Don’t give up. I swear, you can be as dumb as a box of rocks, but if you don’t give up, you’ll eventually succeed.

Tip #4: Take Baby Steps – When you break it all down, big goals, big dreams, and big plans comprise nothing more than a series of miniature action steps or “to do” items. When you dissect the daily life of a successful investor, you’ll find that he or she does 8 to 12 things each day that are real estate related. One item might be “Watch DVD #5 in the new investing course I bought.” Another item might be “Call title company about the name on the warranty deed”. Or “meet inspector at house on Watson Street”. All of these little tasks each day add up to what is or what eventually will be a large and highly profitable real estate investing operation. So don’t toss that “to do” list by the wayside, thinking that your little efforts today don’t mean much. They mean everything.

Tip #5: Become Comfortable with Discomfort – I was actually nervous at the first real estate investing meeting that I attended. I was wondering if I would say something stupid or if I wouldn’t fit in. After all, most of the investors in the room were 40 or 50 years old, and I was 22. But by the third meeting I attended, I became comfortable with the crowd. Had I quit after the first meeting, I would have missed out on the very information that enabled me to buy so many properties. I’ve learned that one of the biggest keys to success is persisting though uncomfortable situations until they eventually become comfortable. This is where true growth occurs.

Tip #6: Do What You Say You’re Going to Do – As a real estate investor, your reputation means everything. They say it’s a small world, but the world of real estate investing is even smaller. So be honest, be courteous, and for heaven’s sake, do what you say you’re going to do. If you say you’re going to buy another investor’s house, by golly, you better move mountains … if that’s what it takes … to buy it! Otherwise, your name will eventually become mud, and you’ll have a tough time buying from not only that investor, but just about every other investor in town. Believe me, I can count at least 10 local investors of the top of my head who I will NOT do business with because their word means nothing. And I know several other investors who won’t deal with them either. You DO NOT want to be black listed.

Tip #7: Be on Time – Showing up late is just about one of the most disrespectful things you can do to another real estate investor, or anyone for that matter. It shows them that you don’t value them or their time. And whether you realize it or not, our time is MUCH more valuable than money. Money can be replaced. Time cannot. When someone shows up late for a meeting with me, I instantly throw their credibility in the toilet. And there are countless other investors who feel the same way I do. On the other hand, when an investor shows up on time or early, it makes me want to smile, reach out my hand, and strike a win-win deal. So be on time, and you’re much more likely to create trusted allies who can help you along your path to success.

I do hope some of these help you!

If you are looking to advance your real estate investments and need some ideas or feedback on your ideas, check out our website (www.mandmproperties.biz) or send us an email at: Info@MandMproperties.biz

Happy New Year!

Benefits of Real Estate Investment (Income) Properties

2008-12-09T09:30:00.001-05:00

As the doom and gloom grows, people who already own income properties suddenly start to panic and fear the worst. Hopefully if you got into real estate investing, it wasn’t on a dare or because you were following a fad. Specifically, you became fully educated on the topic and understand that there are MANY ways to make money in real estate. I am not simply referring to the many ways that you can invest in real estate, but even if your sole focus is income properties, then there are many ways to benefit from your investment.

Some people think the only way to make money is from the appreciation of your property.

Flipping became very popular just a few years ago. However, the key to building wealth in real estate is through buying and holding. It is not a get rich quick scheme, and the wealthiest investors I know have a motto – they will never sell a property. They continually leverage the equity in each property (as that equity increases) to finance the next property. When they retire they live off of the income from their portfolio of properties. Ultimately, their intent is to leave the entire portfolio to their family when they die. But they will never sell an income property. There are just too many benefits of owning them (properties).

When you rent your property, the tenant indirectly creates wealth for you by paying your mortgage, insurance, taxes and monthly fees through their rental payment to you. In addition, you have an asset that is (or can be) leveraged by a fraction of it’s value. If you buy mutual funds or stocks, and you invest $10,000 today, in return you will receive $10,000 worth of shares. However, if you purchase a property with a mortgage, and only want to use that same $10,000, based on 10% down, you can buy a $100,000.00 property. As your tenant is paying down your mortgage, that tenant is effectively paying for the other $90,000 for you over time (back to the bank). Plus … if a stock increases by 5%, you gain 5% of the $10,000.00. But if your property appreciates by 5%, you gain 5% of the $100,000.00.

The authors of Investing In Real Estate, Andrew McLean and Gary Eldred (2006, John Wiley & Sons Inc.), have offered many ways to grow your wealth in investment real estate. Nobody can predict short-term price increases -- but that's why the savvy investor doesn't look to just appreciation to make money. Here's how you can build wealth through your real estate investing:

1. Positive cash flow. This is simply what it sounds like -- the rent covers the mortgage, taxes, insurance, fees, etc., and once all that's paid, you have money left over at the end of the month. A wise investor will also have enough money in reserves to cover all these expenses for a few months in case the property goes vacant.

2. Equity growth via amortization. As the mortgage shrinks from the mortgage payments, your equity grows (and so does your net worth). This is one of the most powerful means of wealth growth -- using OPM (other people's money) to build your net worth. The tenant is providing the investor with hundreds or thousands of dollars per month to pay off debt, which turns into equity for the landlord.

3. Capital improvement. This is the fixer-upper that most people think about when investing in real estate. Purchase a property for $50,000, put in another $25,000, and voila, the house is now worth $125,000 ($50,000 more than the initial investment).

4. Wholesale purchases. The most effective way to build net worth and equity is to buy a house for a bargain price. These properties would be the pre-foreclosure, foreclosure, tax sales, etc., where the investor buys the property well below market price. In essence, you make your money when you buy the house at such a low rate.

5. Lowering tax bills. One of the greatest benefits about real estate investing is all the tax breaks allowed for these type investments. Uncle Sam allows many tax deductions, tax credits and other government-sponsored programs connected with real estate investing that cut the investor's tax bill, thus, increasing the bottom line and equity growth.

6. Smart asset management. Many novice or ignorant real estate investors lose money simply by not managing the asset wisely. For instance, painting properties before the wood is actually peeking through will keep the asset in good shape, seal the wood, and protect it from more expensive damage. Managing the asset is just as important as buying smart and cash flow. The real estate investment is a commodity, not a money machine, and must be managed and protected to maintain future wealth growing potential. A

7. Asset value growth. As your property increases in value, so does your wealth. This is the old fashioned principle of buy and wait. Buy at today's prices and with time, your asset will grow in value because of local appreciation. In addition, your equity will grow along with the amortization principle mentioned above.

8. Rent appreciation. As the cost of living increases, so, too, should your rent cash flow. Increasing your rental income per month by 5 percent could result in hundreds of dollars of cash flow per year -- year after year.

Is Real Estate Investing Your Best Opportunity?

2008-12-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

Real estate has made a lot of people very wealthy over many generations. Granted, we are now seeing price falls like never before (for some). Some start to question if they should still invest in real estate.

Consider that 91% of homeowners surveyed by real-estate-services firm Realogy Corp. thought that owning a home was the best long-term investment they could make, according to the Wall Street Journal. That is what the homeowners think – but what about the experts?

According to this article (I read) , most experts expect housing prices to level out over the next few years, and then regain a more historically balanced appreciation rate of between 2%-4% per year. The tone of the article—seems to imply that real estate is not really a good investment anymore. Do you think perhaps the growth that was experienced in the past decade was not only unparalleled, but unsustainable as well? Therefore, as ROI (returns on investment) come back to realistic levels, we suddenly interpret them as “not worth it”.

I think that they left out some important facts to consider. In the article Kenneth Rosen, chairman of the Fisher Center for Real Estate at the University of California, Berkeley, advises that people should think of their own homes mainly as places to live, not as investments. In fact many experts will tell you that the house you live in is not an investment nearly as much as it is just a roof over your head.

Throughout the article the author evaluates the merit of real estate investment assuming solely that the “investment” is a person’s primary residence. Yet, when he interviews investors that talk fondly of real estate, they talk not about their primary residences, but about rental homes they own. There is a huge difference. Primary residences might not be your best investment. Rental housing however, can be an incredible investment if managed properly.

No one can predict which way prices will go, but true investors do not rely on appreciation estimates when evaluating the worth of an investment opportunity. Investors look instead at the cash flow numbers. Cash flow is something tangible, and can be budgeted for in the present and future.

Furthermore, the market drops are generally based on personal residences, not income properties. Properties that provide good cash-flow typically do not drop in price as much during market fluctuations. Dramatic price drops happen when people sell in desperation. They are forced to get out of their mortgage or other debt, so they drop the price until it sells. What motivation does an investor have to drop the price on their rental house if it is bringing in money every month? The answer is that they have very little motivation to do so, and so they probably won’t.

Investors can still make great money in the real estate market if they focus on the right things.

Think Out Of The Box Real Estate Investing

2008-12-05T09:59:00.004-05:00

In times where there is so much pessimism and gloom, I thought it appropriate to add a bit of humor. Although the following is a rather humorous joke that crossed my desk today, I find it very indicative of how thinking out of the box can work with real estate investing.

Dan was a single guy living at home with his father and working in the
family business. When he found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly
father died, he decided he needed a wife with which to share his fortune.

One evening at an investment meeting he spotted the most beautiful
woman he had ever seen. Her natural beauty took his breath away. 'I may look like just an ordinary man,' he said to her, but in just a few years, my father will die, and I'll inherit $20 million.'

Impressed, the woman obtained his business card and three days later, she became his stepmother.

So many people are living in fear these days, tightening their wallets (even if they have a lot of savings put away) and just waiting for the proverbial "go-ahead" to start investing again. In reality, there really are people out there who don't wait for the cash-cow to come to them - rather, they find an alternate way to go grab the cash-cow before someone else does.

If you want some helping in finding these opportunities before someone else does, just send us an email to introduce yourself.
Info@mandmproperties.biz

When The Economy Recovers It Will Be Too Late

2008-12-01T09:30:00.003-05:00

I find it rather puzzling that our society has allowed the media to force us to abort one of our natural gifts in life – our ability to use common sense. While I continue to invest in real estate (I doubt if I will ever see a better time to buy in my lifetime), I am constantly meeting people who say they want to invest in real estate, but they are not sure if the time is right.

Is it greed controlling their actions – suggesting they might find an even better deal tomorrow if they wait?

Is it fear controlling their actions – because they constantly hear about the doom and gloom from the media?

The common question I keep getting from potential investors is “do you think the market has bottomed out yet?” These people all know that nobody has a crystal ball. But there are a lot of ways that we can benefit from good old fashioned common sense.

The first thing I notice is that the wealthy people are buying anything and everything they can get their hands on. If they are wealthy then it is very likely they got that way for a reason (excluding people who inherit wealth). We’ve all heard that that the rich get richer, and we are all jealous when times are good and we see wealthy people like Warren Buffet and Donald Trump say that they bought low and sold high. It sounds easy enough. Guess what – NOW IS LOW !!!!!

As I listen to my local news (non-business specific networks) and I talk to common folks, I continually hear them warning us to save every penny, don’t spend too much on Christmas presents, because this whole ‘recession’ is only going to get worse before it gets better. They are selling fear and we as the public are buying. So, we stop spending which only makes things worse and proves them right.

Common sense also tells me that if you want to learn how to do something well, you should seek advice and knowledge from someone who has succeeded in that industry. Anybody can give free advice, but that is usually about all it’s worth.

Yesterday I was listening to Tom Keen on Bloomberg radio (a financial focused network). From that program I heard some very interesting comments that I know you will find interesting as well.

The first quote I had to write down from that program was as follows: “When the economy recovers … it will be too late!” Think about that for a minute. If you are one of those people who is afraid to take action until you see the rest of the “herd” doing the same thing … it will be too late. The deals will already be on the way out, the markets will already be on the way up, and the profits for you are already diminishing. By that time the rich will be laughing all the way to the bank.

Real estate continues to evolve in trends, and trends don’t form overnight. You are not going to wake up one morning in coming months, and see every news program and front page of your newspaper saying: “Finally, yesterday we had no hope but last night everything was fixed and today everything is all better again”. Even if the market goes a little bit lower, it can’t go much lower, and then there is only one way for it to go – when do you want to get in on it?

In fact, another interesting thing I heard on that Bloomberg program was a panel of experts in agreement that the market keeps trying to bottom out. They gave it until the end of this quarter and then predict that the market will stop trying so hard to hit the bottom.

Finally, one of the panelists said “pessimism has peaked”. Admit it – haven’t YOU had enough of this doom and gloom already? People are exhausted from it already. And when they are tired of buying into the doom and gloom that the media are selling, the will ultimately start spending again. And spending is what will turn this whole economy around.

The way I see it, common sense is becoming clearer and clearer, and the next wave of millionaires are being launched today. In real estate investing you don’t make money when you sell …. You make money when you buy! That is where you determine your fate in each deal. So the only reason you might continue to sit in the sidelines, is if you don’t have a lot of cash in the bank to buy real estate. And most people only believe that you can buy real estate by putting down a pile of cash up-front.

Fact – I personally know a lot of millionaire real estate investors who can put down very large piles of cash – but they don’t. They know the various tricks of buying real estate without using piles of your own money.

If you are not clear on how they do this, then don’t worry. That is exactly how we help investors. Whether it is our training or joint-venture partnerships, or whether you turn to us to help you find and analyze a great deal in a market that is already starting to appreciate (yes we have found those), we have the necessary members of our “power team” to help you get started, regardless of your age, income, bank account, or where you live.

If you have questions about how you can get in before it’s too late, just let us know.
Send us an email and we will answer all of your questions.

To your success ….

10 Reasons People are Successful in Business

2008-11-21T09:30:00.000-05:00

My colleague Nick Ikonomou and I share some common beliefs about the traits which are found in virtually every successful person - especially in real estate investing. Nick shared them with his friends, and I am now doing the same.

1. They are willing to learn. The greatest learners become the best teachers. Never ending improvement, as the Kaizen principle insists, should be an individual’s primary goal in life. The only failure in life is the failure to participate. There are no right or wrong ways of doing things, each providing a result that can be assessed and worked on from the learning that the outcome provides. This perfectly fits in with the following success factor.

2. They take action. I have never seen anyone being successful by doing nothing. By default, doing something has to be a move forward. Doing a lot means that the law of averages will ensure that success falls your way. 95% of the population “can’t be bothered”. To jump into the 5% of the population who are successful isn’t hard. It’s just a genuine decision to do something and persevere. Successful people work on improving their time management by learning how time works and what it means to you.

3. They mix with the right people. You can mix with the right people and you can mix with wrong people. The choice is yours. You either fall into those groups or you seek them. Because successful people don’t gloat because of the Australian tall poppy syndrome, you need to do your homework and ask people about their success. They are more than willing to tell you because if they initiated the conversation, that might have been construed as gloating. Look for a business coach and/or a mentor. Surround yourself with the best accountants and lawyers.

4. They are great networkers. Successful people go out of their way and meet as many people as they can because they know that the more people they know, the more opportunities come their way. Staying in your business or at home most of the time produces little results.

5. They have a dream. These people are the greatest dreamers. They have strong beliefs that one day they will achieve what seems impossible to most. The law of attraction means that you shall receive what you crave for if the craving feeds itself with all the other attributes of success.

6. They don’t allow dream takers interfere with their dreams. The most dangerous people in your life can also be the people you hold most dear to yourself. These can be some family members, friends, neighbours and business colleagues. Respect the opinions of those who are successful in their own right. Otherwise, you will receive pretty much the same as what those dream takers are experiencing. Most of all, respect your own intuition. Most of the time it’s the right decision for you anyway. Remember, why engage in other people’s situations when yours is different. You have different expectations, experiences, financial and personal needs. Why live it through other people’s lives? It’s one thing to have a dream, but to stick to it is the most important part of achieving the dream. It is said that the journey is far more exciting than the final achievement, so, choose to have an exciting life.

7. They have integrity. Have you seen people having a go and temporarily have a hiccup? Well, you can lose everything and rebound twice as fast if you maintain your integrity. Once you lose your integrity, it’s over. Practice the integrity that you wish other people to treat you with. Set an example rather than stoop to the behavior and reactions that you are not impressed with.

8. They are great communicators. The best tool to master is to have great communication skills. Honest, straight forward communication totally outweighs fancy use of the language which also can have another name for it. Study personality profiles and the way people process information and the results of improved communication will reap you many rewards over and over with a win/win outcome in most cases.

9. They are willing to share their knowledge. The best way to remember the best parts of your success are to verbalise them or write them down. Share it with those who ask.

10. They have a balanced life. Working too hard in any one area creates imbalance. Work out what you like the most and bring them into your life as you go. There are many tools available to assess the “perfect you”.

As part of the M&M Properties community we can help you on many of these points.
Our exciting boot-camp series will ensure you tackle points 1 and 2 above.

Markets likely to rebound

2008-11-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Urban Land Institute recently asked 700 real estate professionals to name the best (and worst) places to invest in commercial real estate in the coming year. Those surveyed included private developers, Realtors and Real Estate Investment Trust executives. Their answers also apply to the residential market, since the single-family-home sector typically follows the economy.

The best cities in which to invest are those that:
- Are considered gateways to international investment
- Have vital down-towns where people can get around without cars
- Don't have an oversupply of condos or office space

These traits landed Seattle the No. 1 spot on the list. No city scored above a 6.15 on a scale of one to nine (one being an abysmal place to invest and nine being excellent). Seattle is "a diversified market, has a good base of business and is becoming a 24-hour city," says Stephen Blank, senior resident fellow, finance, of the Urban Land Institute. "It's going to be in a good position to come back."

Although the city is suffering from the loss of Washington Mutual and the downsizing of Starbucks, Boeing and Microsoft are still strong companies. Apartment vacancies are low and there aren't too many new buildings going up, meaning the market won't be oversupplied. The same is true in the retail space.

San Francisco comes in second with a 6.12. They have learned from the tech crash of 2001 not to overbuild. There is a reasonable supply of office and apartment space, which should limit vacancies. San Francisco's port is also expected to help the city during the downturn as Americans continue to rely on Asian imports.

Washington, D.C., New York and Los Angeles round out the top five.

New Orleans also lands near the bottom with a score of 3.33. The city has been losing businesses to Houston, Dallas and Atlanta since Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.

The other cities at the bottom of the list — Columbus, Ohio, Milwaukee, Wis., and Cleveland, Ohio suffer from dying industries and lack of tourist appeal.

While Columbus has the potential to become a major shipping hub for goods traveling cross-country, that revitalization seems to be waiting for a stronger economy and a government focused on improving the roads.

Property Investments For Anyone

2008-11-17T09:35:00.000-05:00

I recently saw an article on "yourwealthguide.com" that reminded me of some facts about real estate investing that bear repeating.

Many people shy away from the topic or follow the herd and throw their money into mutual funds due to lack of knowledge (fear) about whether they will be able to make quality decisions about what to invest in. Many hear all of the headaches and warnings from other people who have had a less than glamorous experience. The underlying fact is that anyone that has a willingness to learn can take full advantage of the many real estate investments available today.

What You Do NOT Need To Do

Investing in real estate does not mean you have to have a fortune of money in the bank and plunk down lots of cash for a house. Today, there are plenty of different investment methods available to you in terms of real estate investing. You do not have to purchase a piece of land and either sit on it to see a rise in its value nor do you have to work on building and developing that property to see a profit. These things do take time, money and larger risk than is necessary. Other things you do NOT have to do.

1. You do not have to manage the overall business of running the property.

2. You do not have to handle the costly repairs to the property to see a profit.

3. You do not have to invest a lot of your money into the real estate in the hopes of seeing a profit.

4. You do not have to invest a lot of time in your property in the hopes that the value will rise in the long term.

5. You do not have to invest your time in learning the business of running rental property, or real estate in general.

There are solutions to all of these elements that other people can help you with (do for you).

Getting Started In Investments

Anyone considering building wealth needs to take into consideration the many benefits that can and do come to those that invest in real estate. They need to realize the true benefits of security and value that come from property investing over other types of investing. Getting started does not have to be difficult. Most importantly, getting started in the business of real estate does not have to be costly. You do not need a large amount of money to get started and that means that anyone can find themselves in the position to build wealth securely through real estate without risking a lot at all.

For those considering wealth building through property investing, it pays to take the time to gather facts and information. It is also helpful to understand the overall process of property investing.

Real estate investing should be something you consider, from day one of investing.

Stay in touch with the facts by downloading our FREE reports.
If you want to know the many other options in detail, check out our 2 day boot-camp!

A Formula For Beginning Real Estate Investing

2008-11-13T09:30:00.000-05:00

A Formula For Beginning Real Estate Investing

Passion + Planning = Momentum : A Formula For Successfully Beginning Investing

You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step – Martin Luther King

If you are a beginning investor, the world of investing can seem daunting. So many opportunities present themselves that it’s very difficult to know what to do. You have many questions and concerns. Which type of investment is right for me? How much do I need or should I spend? How can I minimize my risk? What will be my return on investment (ROI)? And so on.

You may be at a standstill with investing. You’ve looked around for a while. You’ve read some books, watched some programs, maybe even attended some seminars. You have a fairly good idea of what’s available and what you want to do. But you haven’t acted yet on anything.

What you need next is momentum. What do I mean by that?

Let’s define momentum. Momentum is defined as a “strength or force gained by motion or through the development of events”. Momentum is when things are moving along to the degree that there is no more stopping. Things just keep on going. You have momentum when you find yourself consistently spending time and effort on something. Procrastination is over. You are motivated and fully engaged in it. No one has to coax you into spending time on it. You want to do it. You even think about it when you aren’t doing it!

It’s estimated that only 10%-20% of people who study real estate investing (whether it be taking real estate or self help courses, reading books or listening to CDs) ever actually invest! In other words, 80%-90% of these people will gain lots of knowledge about real estate investing, yet they never invest! The reason is definitely not because these people are not smart enough. The reason is because these people never achieved momentum with their investing plans.

Let’s look at some examples. Consider a new job. If you’ve worked only a few weeks or a few months at a job, you may not know if it’s right for you. You’ll have doubts and uncertainties about yourself, your boss, your co-worker and your future in general. You’ll probably lack motivation. You may be looking around at other job opportunities. But if you stay at that job for long enough, your attitude will change. You’ll learn how things work there. You’ll know where you’re going with the job and the company. You’ll have worked on various projects and where you can go in the company. You may have even brought in new clients. You will eventually establish your own unique presence and role in that company. You’ll have become part of a business ecosystem in which you play a significant role. Your decisions and actions will have a definite impact on others in the company, and you’ll take pride in that and naturally want to continue growing there. Your job has become important to you because of your own accomplishments in it, so you’re motivated to continue with it. That’s when you’ve achieved momentum.

Here’s another example. Think of a snowball rolling down a steep mountain. At first, it’s tiny and doesn’t have much speed. It might get stuck in the snow and stop. The wind might dash it to pieces. But if it keeps rolling, as the snowball accumulates size and speed, it is carried along by its own weight. It becomes bigger and bigger and moves faster and faster until it’s actually bouncing down the hill instead of rolling. That’s momentum.

There are two critical things you need for gaining momentum in your real estate investing career or in any walk of life: 1) A plan and 2) a plan that is infused with your personal interests and passion. If either of these elements are missing, you are not likely to be successful in a given endeavor. You may come up with a plan, but it might never be put into action. At the very least, that plan will be much less successful than if you had these two critical elements.

So how do you get momentum with real estate investing?

You need to find an area in real estate investing that excites you. The best way to achieve momentum with real estate investing (or anything in life) is through passion. That is, you do what you love to do. Not what you kind of like, or what seems appealing or fun. I mean what you love, what you’re passionate about. What will make you leap out of bed in the morning to do, not what will make you maybe hit the snooze bar. But let’s be clear about what that thing is. What that thing is is not what the newspapers tell you should invest in. It isn’t what your wife or husband or friends think you should be investing in. It’s not what your financial advisor tells you. It’s not what your co-workers tell you. It’s what you and only you want to do. No compromise. Why do I say this? Because you’re naturally motivated to do something and to keep doing something if you love doing it! When you love doing something, momentum automatically happens.

As you build your knowledge about real estate investing, you really need to think about what you would LOVE to do the most in this area. Be completely honest. There may be a few areas that appeal to you, but you should pick just one that appeals to you the most. You will be more successful in one area that you truly love and in two or three areas that you like but do not love.

Now you may find that after a lot of looking around and soul searching that you can’t find anything that you truly love in real estate. If you’ve looked all through real estate investing and can’t find anything that you truly feel a connection with, a love and passion for, you shouldn’t invest in real estate at all! You should find another area to invest in that you truly feel passionate about. You’ll be far more successful doing that than anything else in real estate investing.

It's Not What You Say!

2008-11-12T09:15:00.001-05:00

It’s Not What You Say … But What You Hear!

What can I say that will make a difference for you?
The answer is, absolutely nothing!

It doesn't matter what I say.
What matters is how you listen.

The foundation to everything is how you listen.

Salespeople always think the key to selling is saying the right thing to make a customer buy. Yet the top salespeople in any industry spend more time listening to their customers (to identify their wants and needs) than telling them about their product or service.

The power of listening works in all aspects of lives including investing.
There are so many different ways we can listen.
Yet we don't realize how often it is that we are talking, because most of the time that we are talking it is not without mouth but with our mind.

We think that we are listening, but in the back of our mind we're saying stuff to ourselves (silent internal chatter). Stuff like, "I have other things to do" or "I better check my email/blackberry"

When you listen from "How can I use ‘that’," "How can I apply ‘that’ in my life,", or "What can I take from ‘that’ point, that I haven't taken before - even though I understand ‘that’ or heard ‘that’ before – what about ‘that’ am I not applying 100% in my life?" ... you get so much
more!

There might be an email message that totally distracts you from your life, and yet another recipient may have their day brightened by that same e-mail. Similarly, there may be an e-mail that can totally change the world, and yet nothing happens.

Again, it's not because of what is said.
It's because of what is heard.

So my question to you is, "are you ready to listen?"

I meet new potential investors every day who tell me they would love to get into real estate investing because the opportunity is so amazing, yet they have very little money to invest. Are they ever amazed after we chat further about how they can still make money and build their bank account without necessarily writing a fat check to get into this world of investing. All you have to do is listen!

“When the student is ready … the teach will appear”
Learn more!

Opportunists

2008-11-11T14:29:00.003-05:00

My colleague Gerald Romine sent me an email that reminded me of some very important points to consider.

There is a saying that goes, I will eat steak tomorrow night as I choose regardless of what you do or don’t do; regardless of whether you eat steak or beans.

The same is true for the economy, the financial crisis, and the recession. Some people will be eating steak and others will be eating beans.

Like it or not, money is in constant motion; it just flows in different directions from time to time.
Wayne Gretzky had a motto: Go to where the puck is going to be, not where it just was!
It’s up to you to move where the money is flowing now - not where it used to flow!

Sure, the economic times have changed? It is near impossible to get loans,yet I still meet people getting them today. The flow of money used to be from conventional lending but if you’re old system required loans and that isn't working for you today, then it is time to change your system. It is up to you to move to where the money is flowing.

FACT: People are still flipping houses and some are doing very well. Need proof… check out an auction or two or a few forum website and you’ll see people paying even more than you would for properties .... which means they are a source of potential buyers. This is your opportunity.

There is a lot of doom and gloom out there and majorities of people are suffering financially. But they only represent 1/3 of the pie. The second third of the pie are people who are not suffering but are not spending because they are living in fear so they are in a holding pattern.

That leaves the final third of the pie - the people with money (the rich)!
That is why the rich get richer. Because they buy low and sell high. And they do that by buying in times like we are currently experiencing. Somebody has to sell those properties to the rich - it might as well be you!

You need to capitalize on the opportunity delivered by the so called financial crisis.

If you are a real estate investor just starting out or even a seasoned pro make sure you request my FREE reports on the left side of this blog or my website.

If you see the opportunities out there but don't know how to get started, then you need to check out our Real Estate Investing Course at http://www.mandmproperties.biz/boot-camp.

What Is RISK?

2008-11-04T11:07:00.002-05:00

As a real estate investor in one of the toughest economic situations of our time, I find it intriguing that people constantly say (to me) things like “Isn't this rather risky?” or “I don’t have any money”

Let me begin by saying that there is no need to feel naive or claim ignorance. The bottom line is that unless you do this every day for a living you will always feel 'out-of-the-loop'. Funny thing is - most people know what a stock is yet they have no idea what drives stock prices up or down. Yet, because the societal 'norm' is to buy mutual funds because a fund manager must understand the stocks better than you - people go out and buy mutual funds. Then, even if the funds/stocks go down, the fund manager gets paid and people invest more because they are saving for retirement. I buy mutual funds too - but this year they have lost money and I can't do a damn thing about it. In the worst real estate/mortgage crisis of our time, I'm making money in real estate investing. I'll hold on to my funds, but it's about diversification.

Robert Kiyosaki (author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, and co-author of Why We Want You To Be Rich with Donald Trump) said it this way - and he's absolutely right - "the more control you have over something, the less risk. The less control you have over something, the more risk there is!" In my deals I control virtually every factor - when I buy mutual funds I can't tell the fund manager what stocks to buy and what to sell.

Suffice it to say that when you don't eat-sleep-and-breath in a certain industry, there is no shame in partnering with an expert. You rely on an accountant for tax advice, a doctor for medical advice, and a lawyer for legal advice. You probably don't know as much about their industry as they do because you don't study it and don't practice it every day. I am like the real estate doctor. I get paid to study the solutions (educate myself), and then implement the ‘treatment’ (property rehab and contract negotiations) to make the property profitable again.

Passive revenue is a buzz-word these days, and I believe in passive revenue – for the right reasons. People continually talk about MLM (multi-level-marketing). Recently I suggested to somebody (who was trying to sell me on a MLM program where I get paid every time someone clicks on certain websites and web ads) that if you have to recruit each person into the program one-by-one, you could die an old age trying to build your network of people beneath you (the ones you get paid off of). The person went on to explain how the numbers work, and in fact could be massive numbers further down the road. He said “it's the best way I know how” “I truly believe in it as the way of the future.”

Just because I think it is a lot of work for the financial gains you receive in return, doesn't mean it (MLM) will not work, nor does it mean that it is wrong. Many people make money in many different ways in this world. It's all about what you believe in and what you focus on.

I'll tell you this much:
1. Everybody needs a home - AND - the markets where I am buying/selling properties enjoy significantly MORE demand than supply - thus no risk of vacancy or low rent.
2. The price can drop out of a stock overnight - and a company could go bankrupt - a housing market can go down but the house will never be worth zero.
3. The market is probably near the bottom - it has already bottomed out in the area I am buying/selling and is in fact already appreciating

Where the risk is eliminated:
1. Little to no risk of vacancy - carrying the cost of the property out of your own pocket.
2. No risk of property depreciating further
3 No risk of property falling apart b/c you just rehabbed it with all new materials - so cost of repairs is minimal
4. No risk of costing you more money b/c the rental income far exceeds the cost of the property.

But consider this for a moment. In very general and simplistic terms, if I buy a property with a little money down (of my own money), and after all expenses including electric, gas, repairs, vacancy, and mortgage, the profit each month (Cash Flow) is $1,000.00, then I get my FULL investment back in a matter of months, and then my income (Cash-Flow) increases by approx $800 - $1,000 per month from there ever-after … until I sell the place. PLUS, the value of the property keeps going up.

AND ... if you don't have the cash to put down right now, I know of investors who are using their credit line for the down-payment. I don't advise in abusing credit to buy something that depreciates in value or you get into debt and credit trouble. But as Robert Kiyoaski teaches, what I am referring to is good debt – eg. that what you purchase with the borrowed money increases in value AND covers the cost of debt. That my friends is how & why THE RICH GET RICHER - they leverage money! They also buy low and sell high. We've all heard it, yet now when the market is low, everybody is scared. I don't blame them, but I flipped 3 properties last week to "RICH" people, because they (the rich people) want to buy low and sell high.

Think of it this way – let’s assume you get your mail and you have your Verizon bill.
QUESTION: how many people do you have to spend time recruiting into MLM or Pay-Per-Click, or how many clicks do you need to actually do yourself on websites … and how many hours does it take to raise the money (via these said methods) just to pay that one phone bill? Compared to having an extra $800 - $1000 per month coming in without doing any work, above and beyond setting up the initial deal? That's the other way the rich get richer - they don't trade time for money - they try to acquire investments that provide 'passive' revenue.

Again, it's not that my way is right and others are wrong. It's about weighing your options. To me, it's about the amount of time you put in v.s. the amount of reward you get back. Last week I flipped 3 properties and I only spent a little time on my computer to do the deals … and I never used a penny of my own money.

Sure, if it was a very high risk property deal then it might not be as rosy as I make it sound, but we could talk at great length about your options in deals like the ones I am finding and offering to investors, that eliminate almost all of the risk that the average person believes exists.

For details check out our website at: www.mandmproperties.biz

Boot Camp For Real Estate Investors

2008-11-03T10:45:00.005-05:00

Many people have been asking about our recently released schedule of boot-camps for real estate investing in down market.

Specifically, everybody is cautious with their money (and they should be) but don't want to miss out on opportunity when it arises.

The most popular question/concern seems to be: "How Is Our Course DIFFERENT Than The Many Other Real Estate Investing Boot Camps?"

The LONG Answer:
When I began, I took dozens of courses and spent over $20,000 learning before I did any investing. It is scary and there is a lot to know. I also learned that you can become overwhelmed trying to learn too much at the beginning, and still never get off the ground and make any money.

That is why I developed my own 3-day boot camps. They are less expensive than most other programs, but I fill in a huge GAP that every other course seems to leave open for new investors to fall into. That gap is not knowing WHERE to start or HOW to start.

My boot camp is not an infomercial to upsell more things down the road. I just want to genuinely fill the gap that causes so many new real estate investors to quit or fail from the beginning.

I HATE when people charge admission for the privilege of selling me more things to pay for. I believe if people are paying for a course, they should get what they paid for ... which is value, knowledge, information, resources, and other benefits .... and not be provided with fluff or taken advantage of.

Furthermore, every course I paid to attend offered valuable knowledge, but also threw me to the wolves after the course was over. I was excited about the many possibilities that I learned about, but I didn't know where to start and I was scared.

The SHORT Answer:
You'll notice 4 things about our boot-camps:
1. It is lower priced than any other course of it's caliber
2. It offers more content than any other course of it's caliber
3. There are NO further UPSELLS
3. Just one assignment deal will in itself pay for the course 5 times over.

For more details about the boot-camp, go to: http://www.mandmproperties.biz/boot-camp

p.s. Check out our FREE reports offering some of the most effective, to-the-point, information you will ever find from a real estate investment company. They offer strategies that experts have tested, perfected, and used to succeed in their own real estate investment business, and niche focus areas.

The 10 Most Popular Pitfalls To Avoid At All Costs!
20 Secrets To Finding Tenants QUICKLY!
The First Steps To Successful Investing!
The 20 Most Costly Mistakes A Real Estate Investor Can Make!
Investing SIMPLIFIED!
5 Tips To Improve Your Networking Skills!

Fill out the following fields to receive them immediately ... or read more about them at:
www.mandmproperties.biz/free-reports-info

Buy American. I Am

2008-10-29T09:30:00.003-04:00

The financial world is a mess, both in the United States and abroad. Its problems, moreover, have been leaking into the general economy, and the leaks are now turning into a gusher. In the near term, unemployment will rise, business activity will falter and headlines will continue to be scary.

So ... I’ve been buying real estate.

A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful. And most certainly, fear is now widespread, gripping even seasoned investors.

Investors are right to be wary of the still declining markets. But fears regarding the long-term prosperity of the nation’s many sound real estate markets make no sense. These areas will indeed be setting new growth and appreciation records 5, 10 and 20 years from now.

So if you wait for the robins, spring will be over.

Over the long term, the market news will be good. In the 20th century, the United States endured two world wars and other traumatic and expensive military conflicts; the Depression; a dozen or so recessions and financial panics; oil shocks; a flu epidemic; and the resignation of a disgraced president. Yet everything went up considerably over time.

Those investors who cling now to cash are betting they can efficiently time their move away from it later. In waiting for the comfort of good news, they are ignoring Wayne Gretzky’s advice: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been.”

I’ll follow the lead of a restaurant that opened in an empty bank building and then advertised: “Put your mouth where your money was.” Today my money and my mouth both say buy real estate!

To learn how just check out our BOOT CAMP!

Conversational Negotiating

2008-10-28T09:30:00.000-04:00

When it comes to negotiating a deal or enticing partners to Joint Venture with you, your conversational skills will play a big part in your success.

One key to becoming a great conversationalist is to pause before replying. A short pause, of three to five seconds, is a very classy thing to do in a conversation. When you pause, you accomplish three goals simultaneously.

The Benefits of Pausing
First, you avoid running the risk of interrupting if the other person is just catching his or her breath before continuing. Second, you show the other person that you are giving careful consideration to his or her words by not jumping in with your own comments at the earliest opportunity. The third benefit of pausing is that you will actually hear the other person better. His or her words will soak into a deeper level of your mind and you will understand what he or she is saying with greater clarity. By pausing, you mark yourself as a brilliant conversationalist.

Ask Questions
Another way to become a great conversationalist is to question for clarification. Never assume that you understand what the person is saying or trying to say. Instead, ask, "How do you mean, exactly?"

This is the most powerful question I've ever learned for controlling a conversation. It is almost impossible not to answer. When you ask, "How do you mean?" the other person cannot stop himself or herself from answering more extensively. You can then follow up with other open-ended questions and keep the conversation rolling along.

Paraphrase the Speaker's Words
The third way to become a great conversationalist is to paraphrase the speaker's words in your own words. After you've nodded and smiled, you can then say, "Let me see if I've got this right. What you're saying is . . ."

Demonstrate Attentiveness
By paraphrasing the speaker's words, you demonstrate in no uncertain terms that you are genuinely paying attention and making every effort to understand his or her thoughts or feelings. And the wonderful thing is, when you practice effective listening, other people will begin to find you fascinating. They will want to be around you. They will feel relaxed and happy in your presence.

Listening Builds Trust
The reason why listening is such a powerful tool in developing the art and skill of conversation is because listening builds trust. The more you listen to another person, the more he or she trusts you and believes in you.

Listening also builds self-esteem. When you listen attentively to another person, his or her self-esteem will naturally increase.

Listening Develops Discipline
Finally, listening builds self-discipline in the listener. Because your mind can process words at 500-600 words per minute, and we can only talk at about 150 words per minute, it takes a real effort to keep your attention focused on another person?s words. If you do not practice self-discipline in conversation, your mind will wander in a hundred different directions. The more you work at paying close attention to what the other person is saying, the more self-disciplined you will become. In other words, by learning to listen well, you actually develop your own character and your own personality.

For more great ideas, check out our FREE REPORTS

Investing Near Universities

2008-10-27T12:54:00.003-04:00

I often read success stories where the investor stated that what seemed to be a case of exceptionally good luck with a very profitable deal was nothing more than a case of preparation (education) meeting opportunity.

On a side note, have you ever considered sending your investment properties to college? It seems that houses, as well as people, profit from a college education. I have read several success stories talking about profitable student housing markets. Research validates this suggestion.

Housing in close proximity to four-year universities tend to hold value better than property in other parts of the same town. The rent is also higher because you can put more tenants in the same property. (There is a caution about screening the tenants carefully and requiring higher security deposits plus a first and last month's rent, but the value is definitely there.)

There are additional advantages for the real estate investor working a college town. College students tend to earn substantially more in their lifetimes than their non-college-educated counterparts. As each tenant graduates, they are prime first-time home buyers as they enter the job market. A trusted landlord who is a successful real estate investor can become a valued resource to the new home buyer, especially one who is adept in investing nationally.

Profitable deals are also found in flippers located near universities. Students owning property are often eager to unload their properties when they graduate and there is always a ready market of new students and of retiring alumni who tend to return to the town of their alma mater in goodly numbers.

Reports show many alumni return to their college town to retire due to the availability of good research libraries, art, music, plays, and other social amenities and the nostalgia that "their university" has to offer. College towns are definitely worth checking out.

I would like to thank Karyl D. for submitting his success story:

I am in the Mastery Program and have been attending Bootcamps, learning all I can in as short a time as possible. I finally got enough education under my belt to test the waters. I had been looking at a lot of properties and was honestly just too scared to do anything.

I have a wonderful realtor in Detroit who has been sending me foreclosure properties. I finally sent him several properties that I was interested in. He went to them and took pictures, then called me and said that this one was a beauty. It is located in the University district, each unit is 1200 sq ft and it was a perfect location. It was going for $39,000 I told him to offer $13,000. He said that might be a little low, but he did it.

They countered at $15K. I was thrilled, he was thrilled and I took it. It is $25,000 to rehab and the median rent in the area for 2-bedroom units is $800-$850, so it will be easy to get $750 for each unit for this large a unit. I funded it with my HELOC. I intend to rehab it with my HELOC then refinance, pull the equity and do it again. I am on my way!!!

No Reason To Panic

2008-10-22T09:30:00.000-04:00

Everywhere you turn nowadays the words "crisis!" "bailout!" "panic!" and "chaos!" flood the media when talking about our finances and economy.

We do live in uncertain times. But, the truth is, there is no reason to panic.

There are still many things you can do to guarantee that you not only keep your head above water -- but that you make and save more money than you ever have before.

Did you know that the richest people in the world make most of their money when the "economy" is bad.

The fact is ... You can learn how to increase your income, get out of debt, and achieve financial independence - even when people say that "times are tough".

We just released some new dates for our exciting Real Estate Investing Course. Attendees will learn how to get control of your money, build your own financial independence, and much more.

3 FUN, INFORMATIVE, POWERFUL DAYS WITH US … RESULTS THAT WILL LAST YOU A LIFETIME!

Q. What investment grows in any market?
A. Knowledge!

No other industry has created more millionaires than real estate. It is the single most successful method of creating wealth for countless people worldwide.....even in tough economic times!

There is absolutely NO RISK for you to attend?

ALL of our seminars and programs are backed by our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.

We eliminate any risk so that you have everything to gain … and nothing to lose!

FOR FULL DETAILS ON THE EVENT & REGISTRATION INFO ... GO TO: http://www.mandmproperties.biz/boot-camp

Why The Rich Get Richer

2008-10-21T09:30:00.001-04:00

Over 90% of the population are are trapped in the rat race.

One of the reasons the rich get richer, the poor get poorer, and the middle class struggle in debt is because the subject of money is taught at home, not at school.

In my last post I talked about following the herd and the dangers related. The primary reason people seek job security is because that is what they are taught to seek at home, and at school...then, with accumulated debt loads, they clinched tighter to their job or professional security just to pay the bills.

The rich don't work for money. The poor and middle class work for money. One of the most popular topics in our 3 Day Real Estate Investor's Boot Camp is how the rich have money work for them!

As Robert Kiyosaki explains ... the rich buys assets. The poor have expenses. The middle class buy liabilities they think are assets!

"...A job is really a short-term solution to a long-term problem..."

Don't Follow The HERD!

2008-10-20T16:29:00.003-04:00

We all know the motto - BUY LOW & SELL HIGH
Yet, when the going gets tough (a.k.a. prices are lowest) everyone is scared to buy!
Then when the markets go up and people buy high .. they wonder why other people got rich and they didn't.
Yes, in these CRAZY economic times 90% + people are following the herd, staying scared, and doing NOTHING but wait and see.

The other 10% are taking action and building the foundation for a fortune of money to be made.

The nations economy is in turmoil with failed mortgages across the country. People are worried about the future and how their income will be affected. But now is not the time to hide and wait for the financial storm to pass. This is the time when smart investors make their money. There are tremendous opportunities all around.

For more details visit our website at: www.mandmproperties.biz

Where To Invest

2008-10-17T09:30:00.001-04:00

Cities Where Your Dollar Goes Furthest

Yesterday there was an article in the Daily Real Estate News about a recent study to determine where you get the most value for your real estate investment dollar.

Housing, in particular, has remained most affordable in the South and the Midwest. That’s because of less stringent building, an abundance of land and growing populations in the South, says Daniel McCue, a research analyst at Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.

To determine the cities that offer the best quality of life for the least amount of money, Forbes magazine calculated the ratios between a city’s median home price and its median household income. It also factored in projected job growth. And it compared median income to Moody’s Economy.com’s cost of living index.

Here are the 10 cities that it found to offer the best value, and the cities that it believes offers the worst value.

Cities Where Residents Get the Most for Their Money

Austin, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Indianapolis, Ind.
Houston, Texas
Charlotte, N.C.
Columbus, Ohio
Dallas
Minneapolis/St. Paul
Denver
Portland, Ore.

Cities Where Residents Get the Least for Their Money

Los Angeles
Providence, R.I.
New Orleans
Philadelphia
Cleveland
New York
Milwaukee, Wisc.
St. Louis, Mo.
Washington, D.C.
Sacramento, Calif.

I must caution you about one very important factor. ALWAYS CHECK YOUR OWN NUMBERS AND ALWAYS FOCUS ON A NICHE. Although this study is credible and for the most part accurate, Philadelphia is #4 on the Least Value section, and I am still working on projects with fellow investors in Philly that are offering tremendous cash flow and tremendous capital growth.

If you have questions about the article or you would like more info about Philadelphia projects we can put you in touch with, just send us an email: Click Here To Email Us!

Go Back to our main website: www.mandmproperties.biz

Part-Time Job ... In YOURSELF

2008-10-16T09:30:00.002-04:00

If you find that you are interested in finding out how to make money in real estate ... but you don't know how, or if you feel that you have obstacles blocking your path that you can't overcome, I suggest you give yourself a part-time job.

This 'part-time' job is your time that you have completely dedicated to the acquisition of property for the purposes of attaining financial freedom.

You need to schedule yourself completely out of commission for whatever period of time you choose - then stick to it. Remember that the more you put into it, the more you'll receive.

Go Back to our main website: www.mandmproperties.biz

Live Your Dreams

2008-10-15T09:30:00.004-04:00

There is a common misnomer circulating that is often quoted as “Do what you love and the money will follow.” I would say that is certainly possible but it is anything but a cause and effect relationship. In his research for his first book, Live Your Dreams: Doctor's Orders" Dr. Samuel Gerstein looked for and found over two hundred people who were living their dreams at work. They all loved what they were doing and spoke enthusiastically about the virtues of their Dream Careers.

Yet there was a very wide range of incomes among all of the people he interviewed.
It wasn't only because of the different income levels inherent in different professions.

There were disparities among people who were essentially doing the same thing. Over the few years he followed them, he witnessed people increase their income levels even though they were still in the same field by applying certain principles.

The good news is that anyone can learn these principles.

One of the main principles can be summed up in the following quote:
“To get what you want, help other people get what they want.” Zig Ziglar

Zig Ziglar is a sales expert and motivational speaker. No truer statement could be spoken about making money. If you want to earn more money, think of ways to serve more people. First you have to define a target market. A target market is a group of people who are interested in what you are selling. They need and want what you have to offer.

One marketing guru was once asked what he thought was the most important thing a restaurant owner would need to open his business. The inquirer guessed, “A good business plan? An exciting advertising campaign? A welcoming interior design?” The marketing guru just shook his head at all of these suggestions and calmly replied, “Hungry people.” A tad brusque but he makes a good point.

In real estate there are some investors who just want a good deal. However, in order to determine their exit strategy they must know their target market (eg. who they are intending to sell/rent/lease the property to) If people are hungry for vegetarian pasta dishes don't offer them corned beef sandwiches. Conversely, if they want a steak, a hot dog may not cut the mustard.

Many people freeze when it comes time to selling themselves. By focusing on a target market you no longer have to think that way. You are unique. Instead of selling someone on a product or service, think of yourself as being a matchmaker.

You are looking for the best match between your Dream - I am assuming it is real estate deals that you are offering - and what people want - your target market.

Feeding your Target Market:
After you have defined your target market and what they are hungry for, find out where they look for their deals (real estate investments).

On the other hand, when you see that what you have to offer does not match what the potential client wants or needs you will not want to offer it to them. It won't feel good and you probably won't do a great job for them. Remember your Dream Career comes from your heart. If you can't put your heart into something refer them onto to someone else who will make a better match for what they want.

They will remember your generosity and will probably return the favor when they encounter a hungry person who desires what you offer.

That is also one of the MANY wonderful things about the real estate investment world. There are so many professionals of different specialties, and so many deals that you don't have to kill your competitors for the sale (market share). You can help others by sending them referrals, and more often than not they will reciprocate. In the end ... everyone wins !!!

You don't have to sell anyone anything – just be a good matchmaker and give people what they are hungry for.

Go Back to our main website: www.mandmproperties.biz

CHANGING TIMES - OUR CURRENT ECONOMY

2008-10-13T09:30:00.000-04:00

My good friend Jodi McDonald offers the following insight on the changing times:

Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better. King Whitney Jr.
Everything in a mortal, physical, energetic reality is constantly changing. Resistance is futile, and yet, people fight against change every day. We love cozying up in our comfort zones, and if anyone tells us it is time to move on, we growl. Even when change is inevitable…there are those who go down fighting. Why? The one who suffers the most is the one who resists.

When we are confronted with a challenge, our method of response is the most powerful tool we have. How are we going to react?

Those who come from fear fight the hardest…bringing up one reason after another as to why the change is just too scary to acknowledge. Problem is, it is going to happen anyway. All this fear does is put the one feeling it in an even worse situation. The problem feels like it grows and grows, and there is no clear exit. It’s all about survival. We feel overwhelmed and victimized. We cannot reason with fear, and we cannot find a solution while engulfed in it. Fear focuses solely on the problem. Any time we are coming from the posture of fear, we need to check our beliefs, re-evaluating what it is we are so afraid of and why. People operating from fear are asking questions like: “Why is this happening?” “What can I do to stop this?” “When will this be over?” ”Where can I hide?”

Other people respond to change with hope. These people are feeling alone and abandoned by life, so the change is welcomed as a possible solution to an already bad predicament. They “hope” things will get better. While this is certainly a better position than fear, it still carries a shadow of doubt. Any time we hope for something, we are automatically allowing for the possibility of failure. It may or may not work out. When acting out of hope, we are still feeling very vulnerable and powerless to forces outside ourselves. If the change works in our favor, we are happy; but, if it doesn’t, we may find ourselves moving closer and closer to fear. While this reaction is not as miserable as fear, it leaves far too much room for doubt to step in as the one in control. People living from this place ask: “Will this make it better?” “Is there a down side?” “Who’s going to help me?”

Now, let’s take a look at that third possible response…inspiration! Those who look at change as inspiration are joyfully responding with complete acceptance. Sure, they might feel a bit of hesitation, but it is not running the show. These people welcome change as an opportunity to make things better than ever and they are in complete control. This attitude says, “I’m in charge!” Those who come from inspiration look at a challenge as something that will benefit them. They know, in the end, they will be left in a better place than where they were found. Just like everyone else, they aren’t able to foretell what “might” happen, but they aren’t looking at consequences. These people focus solely on solutions. The instant a change is evident, they start to map out a plan. Because they never feel victimized…they aren’t! This is a powerful place, because those who move from this state of being are confident, peaceful and fully responsible. They are in absolute acceptance, focused only on how the change will benefit and prosper them. Inspired people ask: “What can I do to help?” “What new opportunities are in this?” “How can I find the best and quickest solutions?”

Those of us who are choosing to be cheerleaders in a time of great change should be rejoicing! For the first time in ages, we have a willing audience ready to hear what we have to say. The most important thing we can provide is passion. In this time in our history, it does not serve us to calmly claim, “I have a good idea.” This is the time we should be standing on rooftops, shouting, “Follow me! I know the way!!” Tough times require inspired leaders to take charge and offer new visions. These leaders must come from a calmness and confidence that leaves no room for doubt and fear. We have been talking the talk for a long time. Now, we must walk the walk.

What Is A “Market”?

2008-10-10T09:30:00.003-04:00

I laugh when people ask me what I do for a living. I say I’m a real estate investor who buys real estate at a discount throughout the U.S.A, and helps investors earn triple digit ROI on their real estate investments. The common instant response is “wow - the U.S. market is pretty bad right now, isn’t it?”

Last time I checked, the U.S.A. was pretty darn big. In fact, the same can be said for any of the States within the U.S.A. Top of the hitlist is usually Florida. Everywhere I turn, people say Florida is too risky, or the market is still tanking down there.

Yes, there are some areas in Florida that could be risky for an investor, IF the investor doesn’t have the budget to carry the costs of a vacant property for a longer than usual period of time. That said, even within Florida, there are people making money through real estate investments. How - they know their market.

In grade 10 economics, I learned that a market is a place where buyers and sellers come together. In real estate, a market is not just a product of “where” the property sits on the map. A market is affected by:

The type of property you are buying/selling
The type of person you are intending to buy from/sell to
The location of the property

just to name a few criteria.

Even with an alleged recession looming on the horizon, and even in a state (Florida) which is known for high vacancies, high property taxes, and high insurance costs, there are certain “Markets” where you can make money.

There are still plenty of people with plenty of money, who will pay a premium to live in a prestigious address or on the water. My friend Robert Shemin (who happens to be the author of the latest New York Times Bestseller “How Come That Idiot’s Rich And I’m Not”) found a tremendous deal on South Beach in Florida.

He found a motivated a seller. The seller wasn’t motivated because of financial hardship. He was motivated because he lived oversees, and hear that the market in Florida was going down. Robert called the seller (in response to a newspaper ad) and quickly negotiated a deal to make the seller feel more at ease. Robert would lease-option the luxury condo from him at a fair price (actually less than the current fair market value a the time of the deal) and have the option to buy the property at a specified future date. By the time that date comes to exercise the purchase option, the unit should be worth more than double what Robert must pay to buy it out. The seller is happy because he no longer worries about losing value and he got what he wanted for the unit (at the time of the deal).

Everyone’s happy, and Robert will probably make over 1 million dollars on that unit alone! Way to go Robert.

When you consider a market, don’t consider the city or the state. Consider who are you selling to, what can they afford to pay, and what will they pay to have. If there is a property to meet that criteria, it might not be a bad investment (all due diligence considered of course).

For more visit our main website: www.mandmproperties.biz

How To Negotiate

2008-10-09T09:30:00.004-04:00

Too often, people believe that negotiating is about ‘crushing’ the opponent. They enter into a negotiation as if it were a fight. They think about how to fight dirty, pull the ace out from their sleeve, and make the opponent eat their words. If someone is not suited to fighting dirty, gathering the ‘dirt’ on their opponent, or making people feel bad, they will typically tell you that they are not a good negotiator.

One of the best courses I ever took in my real estate investing career was a course in negotiation. As a real estate investor - this is priceless. Let me first make it very clear that negotiating is not about winning. It is about reaching an amicable solution, where both sides feel satisfied with what they got out of the deal. A good negotiator can get what he/she wants, but understands the art to getting what he/she wants is understanding the other party, in order to ultimately make the other party feel satisfied with what they can get out of the deal for themselves. It is very similar to selling. A bad salesperson immediately boasts the exciting features of their product or service. They won’t sell a thing until they know what the prospect WANTS, NEEDS, and objects to.

There is an old adage that says “first seek to understand - then seek to be understood“. In negotiations you never want to give up more than you have to.Â It stands to reason that you won’t know the minimum that you have to give up, if you don’t begin with questions.

Questions that are important in any real estate negotiation are:

Why are you selling?
What did you pay?
What is it worth?
What will you take? (or even better - what do you need out of the deal to move on?)
What if you don’t sell?

To me, Negotiating is the art of asking questions.

Listen
Seek to understand and solve their problem
Be direct, humble, and honest
It’s not about the money it’s about helping the other side. Otherwise they sense you’re only about the money, and they become defensive.

To disarm people:

Make them RELAX
Build rapport
Begin by showing them I understand

Another secret (to helping anybody understand anything that you want to convey to them) is that the mind thinks in images … not words. Furthermore, decisions are evaluated on facts, but decided on emotions. Try using analogies that project into the future and make them envision that outcome.

One of the keys to Donald Trumps early success was of course Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in New York. Donald realized the value of offering great views from the windows of the units in his building. In a city where builders build up and up, the only way to secure the value of his building, was to buy the air rights to the building next door to the site where he built Trump Tower. He had his artist draw a beautiful rendering of Trump Tower (as we see it today), and he also created a disgusting rendering of an absolute horrid looking building. Donald approached the owner of Tiffany’s (next door) and said “If you don’t sell me the air rights over your store, I’ll build this horrid looking building. If you do sell me the air rights, I’ll build this gorgeous building next to your upscale store”.

Donald Trump plays hardball, and I’m not suggesting that blackmail is the best policy. In fact I believe that Donald could have achieved the same result with the same pictures, but in a more subtle and conversational manner that would have left the owner of Tiffany’s feeling good about himself.
But what Donald Trump did understand was:

The mind thinks in images, and his vivid drawings painted the picture black and white for his opponent
Decisions are based on emotions
He knew his opponent ran an upscale jewelry boutique and preferred an upscale building next door

Don’t forget the Law of Adaptation:
- The other person will adapt to the state of mind you are in.
- If you are in a relaxed mood, they will be in a relaxed mood.
- If you are rushed, abrupt, and too serious, they will be the same.

FINALLY, here are some more tips for negotiating a real estate deal:

Ask for everything, expecting to get it.

All negotiations should take place in the kitchen (the most emotional for sellers).
The first person to mention numbers/amounts loses.
(Always turn the conversation back to their feelings, emotions, needs, expectations, etc rather than respond with a number)
Never be afraid of silence - it always works in your favor.
Whenever they state their price, always ask CAN YOU DO ANY BETTER and remain silent.
Ask WHY/HOW they came to the price they did.
(Rather than simply go back with a different number, this makes them feel like you care about their thought process, and it will actually help you understand their thought process.

Good Luck!

For more visit our main website: www.mandmproperties.biz

Real Estate Deals Exist In Strong Markets Too!

2008-10-08T09:30:00.004-04:00

In Toronto, Ontario, Canada, real estate investors don’t feel unlike their counterparts in Manhattan, N.Y. The market is so high, that there rarely seems to be any type of a motivated seller. Even if the seller is motivated, they don’t have to give away their property. They simply plunk a sign on the lawn and it sells itself. But the suburbs can be a whole different story. Sometimes the most unbelievable real estate deals can be found in areas less than a one hour drive from these strong markets.

I found an unbelievable opportunity (in Ontario, Canada) not too long ago that has enabled me to earn slightly more than 250% ROI! - 271% to be exact.

This is not something that I am being paid to promote or receiving a finders fee for mentioning. But I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this to our loyal blog readers. This opportunity is something we have tried with our own personal money and a company called EZ Real Estate Solutions has taken the process and developed a program that actually works.

The folks at ezRealEstateSolutions have developed a brilliant system, where they are able to duplicate this process for other investors. They find properties from motivated sellers (no secret here … but they do it well), then they find tenants for you to lease-option the property to (thus avoiding any landording, property management headaches, and property taxes, etc), and enable the investor earn a triple digit ROI, while at the same time, processing the tenant/lease applications, running the credit checks and background checks, and putting the deal together for you.

The first deal we did with EZ Real Estate Solutions actually generated a 271% ROI for us personally. They did all of the work, and the buy-in investment (in our case) was as low as $10K - $15K. Here is another great feature of their program - you know your projected ROI from the beginning of the deal, or you can opt out and wait for the next deal without penalty. Each deal is based on a per property basis, with contingency clauses to protect you (the investor).

It just goes to show you that if you think out of the box, and develop a niche strategy, money can be made in real estate almost anywhere. There are hundreds of ways to make money as a real estate investor. If you are finding it frustrating, then perhaps you are not focusing on the method that is right for you, or the method that works best in the area you are working in. Your frustrations might also stem from doing the same thing as everyone else, rather than developing a niche (doing something slightly different) and focusing on that niche!

This is a great way for a newbie real estate investor, or someone who is feeling a bit frustrated, to work with a company who will hold your hand, walk you through the deal, teach you along the way, and help you avoid the pitfalls. Talk about real estate investing without leaving your home!

If you want to find out more about their program, send me a quick EMAIL and I’ll forward you their contact info:

Good luck and don’t quit!

For more visit our main website: www.mandmproperties.biz

14 Markets With Nowhere To Go But Up

2008-10-07T09:30:00.004-04:00

I thought you would find this interesting.

I often find myself talking to people about investing in real estate, only to learn that an investor will stay away from a particular area, just because it hasn’t bottomed out yet. They say things like “I’m just not sure it won’t still go down a bit further.”

I’m not sure if their perception stems from greed, but I am nonetheless intrigued by their way of thinking (or lackthereof). What I mean is, if you can buy a particular property in a particular area at 30 cents on the dollar (that’s a 70% discount), and that particular market might still go down to 25 cents on the dollar, are we just splitting hairs? If I offered you that new Porsche or Mercedes-Benz you would like to buy at 70% off the retail price, would you say reply by saying “I’m just not sure, what if I can 75% off from you if I wait a bit longer?” I don’t think so. If you can buy a $100,000 Porsche for $30,000, and you know it will (someday) be worth $100,000 again (or more), you would grab it instantly. Heck, even if it only went back up to $72,000 in your lifetime, you still made a GREAT deal!

For those who are only looking for markets that have bottomed out, I normally would stay away from predictions because NOBODY has a crystal ball. Furthermore, I caution you that the following list does NOT necessarily represent my personal hunches or predictions either.

But there could be some credibility to the information below.
Why do I feel this information is credible?

This is from a leading mortgage INSURANCE company - PMI Mortgage Insurance Co.
Insurance companies are extremely good at evaluating risk.

Rarely do insurance companies lose money by miscalculating risk. Therefore, this information is quite interesting to me and I thought perhaps for you as well.

PMI Mortgage Insurance Co., has ranked the nations 50 largest metropolitan statistical areas according to the risk that home prices will decline further during the next two years.

The highest risk is in areas where home price growth was the greatest during the housing boom. The lowest risk of prices declining further is in areas where affordability has increased.

PMI identifies these areas as having a less than 1 percent risk of home prices declining further:

Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wis.
Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio
Austin-Round Rock, Texas
Denver-Aurora, Colo.
Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, N.C.-S.C.
Kansas City,Mo.-Kan.
Columbus, Ohio
Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio-Ky.-Ind.>
Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind.
San Antonio, Texas
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas
Pittsburgh, Pa.
Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas
Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas

If you are interested, you can read the whole list of metro areas ranked on the risk index.

Source: PMI Mortgage Insurance Co. (07/01/2008)

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IN TIMES OF A RECESSION

2008-10-06T10:00:00.002-04:00

The U.S. keeps threatening the “R” word - recession. While selling the fear (and the public is buying) it creates a lot of confusion for many. I have lived through previous recessions (as most of you have) but I’ve learned what to do, what NOT to do. I would like to share some ideas with you.

It is important for you to understand what’s causing the situation as you may even be part of the problem and don’t even know it.

It’s not your fault that the United States is in a recession - we’ve all heard about the adjustable rate mortgage crisis, the downsizing industries, etc. However, you may be contributing to the ‘current’ situation because the economy is in an downward spiral right now. Let’s examine how this Economic Downward Spiral works and how you may be contributing to it.

When I was kid, and we were going through a recession, I remember my father (an accountant) once told me that if I save my money, I have nothing to fear in a recession. If I have little savings and panic in a recession, that is where the problems come into effect. The problem is, most people don’t save FOR a recession - they save IN a recessions. When people fear a recession, most people tend to stop spending. This is not good for the economy because we are all dependent on each other.

I don’t suggest that you go out and buy new toys, because this can get you into trouble. When times are tough, people start cutting back on things that are nonessential, such as eating at high-end restaurants, going to amusement parks, getting pedicures, training, purchasing new vehicles, etc. You get the idea.

All the people who are supplying these items are making far less money and therefore can’t afford to buy the products and services they were used to buying either. Any products or services that other people would have bought are now cutting into the product or service provider’s income, and now these suppliers have less money to spend and thus will have to cut back.

Notice the trend. This becomes a vicious circle and will continue to keep going in this direction UNTIL someone in this chain does something different and breaks the downward spiral. If you have been spending less money, then most likely it’s because people aren’t buying your products or services, your hours at work have been reduced, or maybe you’ve been downsized!

As you can see, you’re actually feeding the problem. The only way out of it is to get the spending moving. But it’s about spending your money the smart way that will produce higher returns for you, so that you can start buying the products and services you’re used to buying again, and the ones you have wanted to buy but couldn’t afford. You must do something different from what you’ve done before.

Obviously what has gotten us to this point isn’t working. If you continue to do the same things you’ve been doing, you will continue to get the same results you’ve been getting.

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MANAGE YOUR TIME

2008-10-03T10:10:00.005-04:00

In a world with more automation - more electronic devices to manage our time, communication, and productivity than we have ever had before, lack of time continues to develop as an increasing problem for many.

An expert real estate investor once told me that there are so many nitty gritty details that we naturally want to micro-manage, that if we don’t manage our time, our time will manage us.

I believe that we are guilty of getting caught up in the ‘herd’, but any of us can choose to manage our time more effectively.

My friend Chris Widener of Time Mastery offers the following advice:

What you measure gets managed - inventory where your time and focus is currently being spent.
Document exactly what you value, what you consider priority, and specifically what your goal is (are).
Outline the most effective steps to help you reach your goal(s).
Focus only on your goals, and let the rest get taken care of - THEY ALWAYS DO!
Learn to say “NO” to things that are not part of your priorities, that will move you toward your goals.

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FEAR OF SUCCESS

2008-10-02T16:32:00.003-04:00

Stand up to the monsters that are holding back your success.

The first monster is FEAR.
It is simply not the done thing today to name our fears and deal with them now is it? All of us are afraid of the unknown, but instead of telling the fear like it is, we hide and blame others or say that something is impossible to do. A good way to conquer fear is to ask yourself what the worst thing that could happen is. Generally, the worst case scenario really isn’t that bad.

The second monster is CONTROL.
Many of us are in roles in which we are expected to take control of a situation - parent, career, teacher, youth leader, manager, business owner, whatever? Effective leadership today however requires people to give up control and share power with those who have been denied it in the past. A great leader does not control people to do things. A great leader teaches and inspires people to want to do things with care, focus, and determination.

The third monster is CHANGE.
Change, though inevitable, scares us all. We fear change. We are always more comfortable with the status quo. If nothing ever changed, life would get very boring for most people. Try to look forward to change, with confidence and excitement.

Stand up to the monsters that are holding back your success.

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