Brenda Cote asked:


When it comes to real estate, the topic of the day is the downturn in the market, the number of people losing their homes, and how much this is going to hurt the economy. In the seventeen years I have been in the real estate business, I have witnessed every fluctuation the market has to offer. While it is true that many property owners are enduring trying times, rarely does the same happen to knowledgeable real estate investors.

There are those individuals who remain emotionally unattached and invest wisely in real estate. As a result, they live a very comfortable, if not lavish, lifestyle. Investing in real estate, especially during a downturn, can widen an investor’s opportunities and bring about lucrative returns. This is a truth. If you are thinking about becoming a real estate investor or have already made the decision to start, the following information is priceless.

Wanting to secure a comfortable financial future, most of us go to work every day hoping to build a nest egg. Since, it is common knowledge that real estate investors have the capacity to not only build a nest egg but also create a fortune, why aren’t more people joining the ranks of real estate multimillionaires? Why aren’t there more people fighting for a seat on the real estate bandwagon?

Well, the truth behind real estate investing is that it is a business and therefore, must be treated like one for it to prosper. Just like any other promising venture, investing in real estate requires a well-defined vision, a strategic plan, and an entrepreneurial mindset. Even with the overwhelming evidence revealing success, only a microscopic segment of the population is willing to take the risk, do the work and follow through. The rest simply watch and call those of us doing the work “Lucky”.

When I began my career in real estate, I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t invest. I didn’t even see past my next commission check. What kept me hanging on was a desire to live like the people I worked for, most of whom were real estate investors. Years later, I committed to create serious wealth through real estate. As soon as I mindfully committed to my goal, I began to make deals and more money than ever before.

By choice, I am not one of those investors who vacations six months out of the year. I work all the time meeting with clients, looking at properties and refining my strategy. Add to that a growing number of mentoring/coaching clients and my schedule is officially full. Nevertheless, I am continuously increasing my net worth as I am doing something that never feels like work.

Besides creating amazing wealth, being your own boss and having a place or two to call home, owning a real estate investing business has many other advantages. The following five play a special role for the novice investor.

1. Safe Investment

When we use a timeline to compare the real estate market to other investments, such as the stock market, it is easy to see that real estate continues to increase in value over time without any serious instability. Although, there is currently a housing crisis in various parts across the country, every indicator points out that what we are actually experiencing is a readjustment of highly inflated real estate prices. Just as prices may be dropping, in time they will undoubtedly increase. In contrast, the stock market has put investors through a dizzying rollercoaster ride made up of swift highs and abrupt lows throughout history. Regardless of what type of market we are in, it is clear that an investment in real estate guarantees a profit over time.

2. No Cash Necessary

For beginning real estate investors, sometimes the only investment they can make is their time. For every real estate investor, finding a lucrative deal is as good as striking oil. There are plenty of seasoned investors with money in their pockets itching to buy a piece of discounted property. Wholesalers often utilize this method. Therefore, if you are new to the game, consider finding a deal, tying it up and connecting with an investor who can take it off your hands…for a price, of course.

3. Almost Anyone Can Do It

Real estate is such a lucrative field that it opens doors to countless amateur investors everyday. There are how-to books and seminars at every turn teaching would-be investors a myriad of ways to make huge profits in the real estate market. While it is true that overnight success is practically unheard of, anybody with the heart, mind and determination can make it big in real estate. The keys are to continue learning and to monitor market conditions.

4. Leveraging Power

While novice investors can turn a quick profit by wholesaling their deals, Buy-and-Hold investors can yield a profit by borrowing against (leveraging) their properties. Typically, lenders will allow holders of owner-occupied property to borrow up to ninety-five percent of their property’s value and up to eighty-percent of non-owner occupied units. This means that you can either purchase property with a minimal out-of-pocket investment or acquire financing that will allow you to pull cash out of your property’s equity to use for future ventures.

5. Tax Breaks

The popular 1031 exchange and depreciation are just two of them. The United States government has set up multiple tax breaks favoring real estate investors. Owning real estate with the goal of making a profit allows you to deduct interest payments, repairs, and vacancies among other expenses when preparing your tax return. It is important to note that purchasing real estate makes economic sense; it should not be purchased solely for the tax benefits.

Ultimately, owning a real estate business is the way to achieve financial freedom regardless of economic conditions. Whether you quit your job and dive right in or you work at it in your spare time, you can make it happen. Worthwhile benefits are waiting faithfully for the taking.



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Mark G. Estates asked:


A lot of people these days are preaching about the buying and holding method of gaining wealth with real estate. There indeed may come a time in your life or business when you’ll want to hang on to a piece of property, although you’ll only be interested in keeping certain types of property. If you’re just starting out, flipping a house may be an ideal way to get started.

Basically, there are three ways that you can flip a house, although each one has its own terms, motivation, and type of property. The first method is known as retailing. What this means, is that you buy a house in bad shape, do the repairs to fix it up, then turn around and sell it. There are a variety of houses in need of repairs out there, and several ways that you can quickly flip a house to net profit. All you need to know are the techniques that will get you the most money in the least amount of time.

The second way you can flip a house is though wholesaling. Wholesaling involves finding a home for sale then flipping it to an investor for a fast, yet small profit. To do this, you’ll need to know the real estate investors in your area, the types of homes that flip the best, and how to fund your property so you can flip it to them. If you live in a big area or a city, you’ll find that using the wholesaling method of flipping houses is actually easier to accomplish.

The third way to flip a house is by assigning the purchase. Using this method, you’ll commit to buy the house. Instead of closing the deal yourself, you’ll assign it to a real estate investor - of course for a small fee. The investor will take the contract over and close the purchase themselves - flipping the house. This can be very profitable, especially if you invest in the right home. You don’t need to have your contract worded any special way to be legal, although you will need to determine the assignment fee.

If you’re looking to break into the real estate market and make big bucks, you’ll need to learn all about flipping houses. Flipping houses is very profitable, especially once you have learned the basics. The first and third methods are the best, although they will both take quite a bit of work on your part. Restoring homes isn’t easy, and you’ll need to have a team qualified to handle any repairs. Assigning the purchase may be difficult when you first start out, although it will get easier with time. If you stay at it and do your best to make a profit - you’ll be an expert at flipping homes in no time at all.



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JimRogersChannel asked:

jim rogers on CNBC 04 juin 2009 Jim Rogers expects currency chaos and the fall of the dollar : jimrogers1.blogspot.com http for more

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Growby10 asked:

Watch My LIVE Broadcasts (On-Demand): www.livestream.com Add me as a friend on Facebook! www.facebook.com Get DAILY GrowBy10 Updates on Twitter! twitter.com Aug. 10 (Bloomberg) — The collapse in commercial real estate is preventing Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke from declaring the economy and financial markets are healed. Property values have fallen 35 percent since October 2007, according to Moodys Investors Service. Thats making it tough for owners to refinance almost $165 …

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shark810lbc asked:


I want to get a real estate license in California. Just want to take some courses that are fast, preferable within 6 weeks and that costs between $99-$199 to prepare for the exam and also a class that is either online or in a class room setting that are approved by the Real Estate Commissioner and satisfies the pre-license education course requirements. I also live in Long Beach. Can someone help me figure out if this is a good idea or getting an appraial license would be a better idea?

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Mic B asked:


I am planning to start a real estate investment partnership with friends, just wondering, when applying for loans on properties how would we go about providing income information?

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jeannie asked:


I just recently passed the real estate test and I have no idea what to do! Please anyone can you give me some advise on what to do next - I need a good company thats willing to train me?

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Google asked:

Use Google Maps to find houses and apartments currently on the market. Search for nearby schools, restaurants and public transport, explore the neighborhood in Street View or simply get directions from the property to your favourite places - all from a single map!

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Rebecca Beckett asked:


While the current economic climate might not make many run to the real estate market for their top career choice, for some, it can be a lucrative business. If you’ve decided to enter the real estate business consider the varying specialties that might help you to succeed. You may want to start as a commercial real estate agent, someone who specializes in selling commercial real estate. You may also consider becoming an appraiser, the person who determines the value of the home being bought or sold; a broker, who assists buyers with the actual transaction; developer, a person who improves land by adding or replacing or fixing up buildings; property management, someone who manages the property for an owner. With all these choices when becoming a real estate agent you are bound to find something that will be the perfect fit.

When deciding whether or not you’d like to do commercial or residential real estate consider these major differences.  Obviously, commercial real estate agent will focus around office space or other types of commercial properties that are mostly income producing. Most homes will simply be by their owners.  Commercial real estate can encompass leasing office space, owning an apartment complex or selling real property to name a few of the areas that you might be working in.

It’s also important to note that the paperwork involved is very different between the two areas of real estate. Residential deals are given much more consumer protection than commercial deals. Disclosures common to residential are not necessarily required. Commercial real estate buyers are going to need to ask about zoning laws, whether or not the area is suitable for their business, among other business decisions. As a real estate agent you’re going to need to have the skills necessary to meet different needs for the consumer.

No matter the type of real estate you decide to specialize in, each requires a different level of skill and a different level of knowledge. The type of person you are going to be dealing with in residential real estate is going to be quite different than the person you might deal with in a commercial transaction. Consider the types of customers you would most like to work with when comparing the two. Consider the types of goals you have and the types of needs you like to meet for others. It can be exciting helping the first time homebuyer discover and purchase the home of their dreams. Does this get you more passionate than helping the savvy business owner find the perfect space for leasing, a space that can help them meet their business needs. While there are two different goals, helping people meet those goals can be very rewarding.

Committing to becoming a residential real estate agent or a commercial real estate agent can be a big step. Determining that you want to go into real estate can be a difficult decision, especially when the current real estate climate is shaky. However, in the end, it can be a very rewarding career choice and a very lucrative one, depending on the type of real estate agent you become and the area in which you live. If you don’t think commercial or residential real estate is the right move then consider the other types of specialties that might be just the right fit. You have to spend a lot of time in your career so make sure that you are making a choice that is going to be in your best interest for the long term.



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Real Estate Advisor asked:


The College Grove region (also know as the College Area) is located in central San Diego County, California. The community is located off Interstate 8 just east of Interstate 15. San Diego State University is located within the borders of the College Grove area.

The real estate and homes for sale in College Grove fall into the low to mid-income categories. The number of homes sold in a particular year is relatively high. For example, during the period from January through July 2006, approximately 211 single-family homes sold. Approximately 268 homes sold for the same period in 2005.

One method to analyze pricing trends for a particular community is to evaluate the median and average price of homes for a particular month, and compare that data against the same period last year. What follows is a comparison of the median price and average price of homes for the past seven months (January through July 2006), compared against the data for the corresponding time period in 2005.

The median price of homes represents the point at which half the homes are above a particular price point, and half the homes are below a particular price point. The average price of homes is calculated by adding up the sales price of all homes sold in a particular month, and dividing that value by the number of homes sold.

The median price of homes in July 2006 was $545,000, compared to $497,000 in July 2005, which represents a 9.2% increase. The average price of homes in July 2006 was $583,476, compared to $528,602 in July 2005, which represents a 10% increase. Approximately 25 homes sold in July 2006 and 38 in July 2005. The data provides evidence that there was an upward price trend in July 2006 compared to the same period last year.

The median price of homes in June 2006 was $475,000, compared to $506,500 in June 2005, which represents a 5.9% drop. The average price of homes in June 2006 was $492,427, compared to $516,078 in June 2005, which represents a 4.1% drop. Approximately 38 homes sold in June 2006 and 40 in June 2005. The data provides evidence that there was a downward price trend in June 2006 compared to the same period last year.

The median price of homes in May 2006 was $522,000, compared to $518,500 in May 2005, which represents a 0.7% increase. The average price of homes in May 2006 was $544,812, compared to $537,085 in May 2005, which represents a 1.4% increase. Approximately 30 homes sold in May 2006 and 46 in May 2005. The data provides evidence that there was slight upward price trend in May 2006 compared to the same period last year.

The median price of homes in April 2006 was $520,000, compared to $495,000 in April 2005, which represents a 5.1% increase. The average price of homes in April 2006 was $523,421, compared to $524,306 in April 2005, which represents a 0.2% drop. Approximately 41 homes sold in April 2006 and 47 in April 2005. The data for April 2006 was mixed, as the median price showed a moderate increase from last year, while the average price had a slight drop.

The median price of homes in March 2006 was $515,000, compared to $489,000 in March 2005, which represents a 5.3% increase. The average price of homes in March 2006 was $564,690, compared to $499,856 in March 2005, which represents a 13.4% increase. Approximately 41 homes sold in March 2006 and 44 in March 2005. The data provides evidence that there was an upward price trend in March 2006 compared to the same period last year.

The median price of homes in February 2006 was $472,500, compared to $465,000 in February 2005, which represents a 0.50% increase. The average price of homes in February 2006 was $502,600, compared to $476,932 in February 2005, which represents a 4.6% increase. Approximately 20 homes sold in February 2006 and 25 in February 2005. The data provides evidence that there was an upward price trend in February 2006 compared to the same period last year.

The median price of homes was $530,950 in January 2006, compared to $483,000 in January 2005, which represents a 9.9% increase. The average price of homes in January 2006 was $528,416, compared to $551,904 in January 2005, which represents a 3.20% drop. Approximately 16 homes sold in January 2006 and 28 in January 2005. The data for January 2006 was mixed, as the median price showed a moderate increase from last year, while average prices dropped.

So what does the above data tell us? Overall, there was a 21.3% decline in the number of homes sold during this period from 2006 to 2005. Four months out of seven (February, March, May and July) demonstrated increases in both median and average prices from the same period last year. The magnitude of the increase ranged from half a percent to 10%. The months of April and January had mixed findings, with average prices decreasing slightly (less than 3.2%), and median prices increasing 5% to 10%. In contrast, the June data showed a downward trend in both median and average prices with a range of 4% to 6%.

The data above suggests that although there are monthly variations, on balance, homes in the College Grove area continue to demonstrate price gains. Continued monitoring of sale data in subsequent months is needed to identify enduring market trends.

Be sure to consult your Realtor on other factors that influence home pricing before buying or selling real estate in College Grove.



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