Real Estate Investment Loan - Invest Through Low Cost Funds

Investment in real estate is turning into a huge profit generating business. Real estate business though requires lot of thinking and commercial wisdom for earning a sizeable profit. The loan aspect is crucial to generating continuous business for the investor. Keeping this purpose in consideration, lenders have designed especially real estate investment loan that makes investment in real estate a lot more attractive for even first timer.

Taking a real estate investment loan means you are utilizing the finance for investing in a commercial property. So before you settle for making real estate investment loan deal, make sure that you have carefully selected the property from the loan availing point of view. Note that lenders prefer a sound income generating property for considering real estate investment loan. Lenders wish to ascertain that the property is a good profit prospect. This assures in turn the lender of safe and timely return of the loan. Though real estate investment loan is a secured loan still lender would like to escape the costly repossession route and prefer instead the safe payback of the loan.

Real estate investment loan is a secured loan. Lenders secure the loan against the very property the borrower intends to make investment in. deal papers of the property are taken in possession by the lender for securing the loan and are return to the borrower on complete pay off of the loan. This is one reason the borrowed amount under real estate investment loan depends on the type of property. If the lender values the real estate more as possible income generator or is already giving good income, greater loan can be pocketed. Usually real estate investment loan is offered in the range of £100000 to £3000000.

For the convenient pay off real estate investment loan, lenders give you larger duration. They can offer you repayment duration of 10 to 30 years. The investor can wisely spread the loan in larger repayment duration for reduction in monthly outgo towards installments. A lot of portion of the loan is thus saved for other utilizations. Real estate investment loan is a lower interest rate loan because it is fully secured and risks for the lender are remote.

Since there are negligible risks involved, lenders do not think twice in considering real estate investment loan for bad credit people. In case of payment default, lender can still recover the loaned amount by selling the property of the borrower.

There are some requirements from the lenders of real estate investment loan providers. Lenders may ask for the property documents to ensure the intended investment is for genuine purpose. Lenders may demand tax records of the property the borrower intends to invest the loan in. so keep such and documents ready.

Investors can search for real estate investment loan providers on internet. Number of the loan providers have showcased real estate investment loan in their websites. Study them for each aspect and compare interest rates and terms-conditions. After settling for a suitable lender, apply online to him for faster approval of the loan.

Investment in real estate is a hurdle free experience when the investor opts for real estate investment loan. Make the loan deal after careful comparison of various loan packages on offer. Also ensure for timely repayment of the loan installment for avoiding debts.

Scottsdale Real Estate Schools

Phoenix has been experiencing a rapidly growing real estate market and the prices of properties here have soared in recent months. Investors are flocking to Phoenix to view listings, shortlist properties, negotiate prices and buy condos and luxury waterfront property. Golfers want to retire in Phoenix. Baby boomers are booking properties for spending their retirement days. This flurry of activity has motivated a number of people to seek careers as real estate brokers and agents. They are granted their licenses to work in the profession from various real estate schools.

One of the leading real estate schools in Phoenix, Scottsdale Real Estate School offers real estate courses online and on CD-ROM. It's never been so convenient to pass your real estate exams and achieve a license. The real estate courses offered include: real estate license, sales associate and broker?s pre-license, post license continuing education, and prep courses for students to prepare for real estate exams and state exams. They offer fully accredited real estate courses that meet the license qualification and continuing education requirements for real estate professionals in Phoenix. These courses can be done from anywhere around the world. Scottsdale Real Estate School is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They believe in serving the student around the clock to better meet their needs.

Scottsdale Real Estate School has introduced the most convenient way available to fulfill the professional license educational requirement. Their CD-ROM and online real estate classes allows the aspirant to begin courses at any time. Upon passing the online exams, they receive a certificate of completion and full course credits. Additionally they offer a new and exciting way to obtain the required real estate education credits. They noticed that many students simply don't have the time or desire to attend a class. For them, an online training course has been created.

There are a few criterions that need to be fulfilled before applying for a real estate broker license. It is required for the applicant to be at least 18 years of age when applying for a real estate license. Additionally he may not have had a real estate license denied within one year, or revoked within two years immediately before applying. Scottsdale Real Estate School helps the applicants with the license procedure and makes it as easy as it can be.

Commercial Real Estate Brokers

Remember that buying or selling commercial real estate is significantly different from buying residential real estate. That is why you need the help of licensed commercial real estate brokers to get the best deals.

What commercial real estate brokers can do for you

Licensed commercial real estate brokers are trained to assist you to market your commercial real estate property to the right audience. Your retail, office, industrial or multi-family property will receive publicity that will attract only the best buyers and investors.

Most commercial real estate brokers make use of multiple listing service and extensive multimedia networks to make sure that your property reaches interested buyers. When you leave everything in the hands of commercial real estate brokers, your property will find it is way to newspapers and relevant Internet sites in no time.

What to look for in commercial real estate brokers

More often than not, experience differentiates a good commercial real estate broker from a mediocre one. Choose brokers that have at least 5 years experience successfully selling commercial real estate properties. Such experienced professionals can bring a lot to the table - market intuition, thorough knowledge in research and development of real estate pitches and marketing ideas. Good commercial real estate brokers will not only help you sell your commercial real estate property, they will help you maximize the value of your asset before the sale, so that you can increase profit.

You should look for commercial real estate brokers who are available to assist you anytime, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Some brokerage companies have very efficient web-based project management technologies that let you access your project whenever you want. Some also have round-the-clock phone support.

Pros and Cons of Taking an Online Real Estate Course

Are you interested in making money through real estate investments? If you are, you may have heard of online real estate courses before. Have you? If so, you may be interested in taking one. The only question is should you? When it comes to taking an online real estate course, there are a number of pros and cons to doing so; pros and cons which may impact your course taking decision.

Perhaps, the biggest pro or plus side to taking an online real estate course is the information that you will walk away with. Although real estate investments are a great way to make money, it isn't for everyone. By taking an online real estate course, particularly one that has a focus on investment properties, you should be able to learn the ins and outs of making money with real estate properties. In addition to outlining exactly what real estate investing is, an online real estate course should also give you plenty of tips; tips that may help you get rich.

Another pro or plus side to taking an online real estate course, especially one with a focus on real estate investing, is that it is easy to do so. Since the real estate investment business can be considered a tricky one, you may not want to put all of your eggs in one basket. This means that if you are currently working, you may continue to do so or keep on searching for other ways to make money, while still taking a real estate course. This is where the internet can offer you assistance. Many online real estate courses allow participants, like you, to work at their own pace, whenever they have time to do so. Essentially, this means that whether you would like to learn about real estate investing in steps or all at once, you should be able to do with an online real estate course.

Another pro or plus side to taking an online real estate course, especially one that has a focus on real estate investing, is the choices that you will have. There are a number of online learning centers that offer real estate investing courses for you to take. When choosing an online real estate course, you are advised to thoroughly examine all of the course information given to you. Examine the points or topics that will be discussed, as they may give you insight into whether or not a particular an online real estate course can offer you assistance.

Although there are a number of pros or plus sides to taking online real estate courses that teach you about real estate investing, there are also a number of cons or downsides as well. One of those cons is the cost. Real estate investment courses can sometimes be considered high priced. With that in mind, however, you are advised to remember that there are a number of online real estate courses for you to choose from. So, even if you are on a budget, you should still be able to find at least one affordably priced real estate course that could offer you assistance.

The above mentioned online real estate course pros and cons are just a few of the many that exist. To determine whether or not you can benefit from taking an online real estate course, you will want to make your own in-depth list and compare your findings.

Eight Tips For Launching Your Real Estate Investing Career

Eight Tips for Getting Started in Real Estate Investing

Introduction

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

The Eight Tips are as follows

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

1. Desire

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

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

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

2. Setting Goals

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

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

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

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

Goals Year One

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

Bad Habits that will be changes:

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

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

What I want to Achieve:

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

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

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

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

3. Learn

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

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

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

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

4. Attend a Real Estate Investing Seminar

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

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

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

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

5. Learn About the real estate market in your area

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

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

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

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

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

6. Find a Mentor

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

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

7. Your Real Estate Team

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

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

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

8. Just Do it

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

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

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

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

An Education In Real Estate Investing Can Be Your Best Investment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What to Look For In a Los Angeles Real Estate Company

Each year, a large number of American homeowners decide to sell their homes. If you are one of those homeowners, have you already sold your home? If not, what method of selling do you plan on selecting? Many homeowners are under the misconception that selling their home without professional assistance will return a higher profit.

If you live in or around the Los Angeles area, you may want to consider seeking professional assistance from a Los Angeles real estate company. Real estate companies are usually a collection of agents who specialize in offering assistance to homeowner's who are looking to sell their home. If you are interested in seeking assistance from a Los Angeles real estate company, you have a number of ways to find the perfect company.

If you live in the Los Angeles area, you can use your local phone book to find a number of local real estate companies. To find the perfect Los Angeles real estate company, it is advised that you speak to a number of real estate agents. This means that you should contact multiple real estate companies. In your local phone book, these companies should be listed under the heading of real estate.

In addition to using your local phone book, you can also use the internet to find the contact information of multiple real estate companies in or around the Los Angeles area. There are a large number of online business directories and online phone books. You can easily use these resources to find a number of local real estate agents.

It is also possible that you could find a local real estate company's online website. These online websites can most easily be found by performing a standard internet search. You can search for a specific real estate company or you search for companies located specifically in the Los Angeles area. Whichever online search method you choose, you should be provided with a large number of results.

Before deciding on a particular Los Angeles real estate company, you are encouraged to meet the agent or agents that you will be working with. When meeting these individuals, you are encouraged to examine their customer service skills, along with their training and experience selling real estate. An agent's customer service skills and real estate training is vital to the successful sale of your home.

When examining a particular real estate company or agent, you will also need to determine their method of payment. Most real estate companies will receive their fees based on a preset commission percentage. The exact dollar amount of this percentage will be determined after your home has sold. With the proper amount of research, it is possible to find a Los Angeles real estate company that only requests a one percent commission.

Taking the time to find and examine a number of real estate companies in the Los Angeles area is the best way to ensure you are getting what you pay for. Why settle for second best, especially when with a little bit of time and research you can find the best real estate company in the Los Angeles area?

Want to be a Full Time Real Estate Investor-Don't Give Up Your Day Job til You Follow These Steps

It simply isn't good enough to just want to be a full time real estate investor. The most important element is knowing actually how to be a full time real estate investor. If you don't know how to do it you will not succeed and quickly find yourself back at square one. With just more than 38,000 full time real estate investors in Australia it goes to show that it isn't a common profession so the odds are against you if you don't have what it takes to succeed. real estate however is the basis of every business and has the potential to provide you with the very wealth you need to make it as a full time real estate investor.

As a full time real estate investor you need to have talent and be dedicated to the real estate investment market. To make it in the real estate investor's world you firstly need to be a good student so that you know what is happening in the real estate world. This will allow to properly analyze market indicators. You need to be knowledgeable about all of the information regarding real estate investment including updated information on building trends, union activities; Reserve Bank of Australia decisions and the list goes on. You need to be a good reader and dedicate yourself to reading as much about the subject as you can.

If you are considering taking the leap as a full time real estate investor it is wise to sit down and write a list of the negative and positive forces which can affect the real estate market. There are more than you think so take your time. After this you can enter the research phase of your new career. You need to be able to understand what will happen if housing purchases are down one month and the effect that this will have on interest rates and even as far fetched as the effect upon building supply prices. The real estate investment arena is a complex and interwoven labyrinth and you need to be able to speculate what is going to occur from one day to the next.

Don't think you can give up your day job just yet though you need to develop the technical skills to interpret all of this information so that you can make cash flow positive decisions. You don't want to start your career as a full time real estate investor when all of your assets are creating a negative cash flow scenario. You need to be able to stay on top of your finances and identify cash flow trends so that you can plan your future activities.

If you don't stay on top of your finances and make wise decisions from the trends that are appearing you are nearing financial ruin. Finances is the most important aspect of a full time real estate investor because you do not have the security of a full time wage and all of your income is dependent upon market conditions and choices you have made in the past. When you come to the heart of the matter - becoming a full time real estate investor requires four key characteristics:

1. Business Skills

2. Management Skills

3. Financial Skills

4. Ethical Skills

These four skills are the basis for your success as a full time real estate investor. And are discussed briefly so that you can identify whether or not you can gain the skills required or whether you should simply choose another career path. If you cannot adapt to these critical skills then you will not be successful in the real estate investment arena and it is better to find out now rather than later. Otherwise you will have risked everything and gained nothing.

Business Skills

o An understanding of real estate and investing

o A historical appreciation of real estate investment trends and real estate cycles and the ability to interpret future trends

o Ability to identify long term prospects of the housing market

o Ability to fiercely negotiate

Management Skills

o Ability to deal with people and conflict

o Ability to communicate effectively with professionals, trades people and tenants

o Ability to display charisma and get people to think the way you do

o Ability to manage effective records

Financial Skills

o Ability to calculate the real return on investment

o Ability to increase profits and equity

o Ability to Balance your financial books and keep track of expenditure

o Ability to calculate the true value of your investments

o Ability to forecast cash flow and debt

Ethical Skills

o Ability to maintain true and correct records

o Ability to meet the needs of your tenants

o Ability to openly and honestly communicate with all those who you deal with as a full time real estate investor

o Ability to be honest with yourself and make honest decisions

As you can see there is more to becoming a full time real estate investor than merely just wanting to become one. To take this on as a full time career you need to devote your life to the real estate market and also maintain basic business principles which will help you to succeed even when times get a little bit rocky. Once you gain the understanding that you need you will realize it is not a tricky business to be in, just one that requires time and devotion. People always dream of becoming a full time real estate investor but few ever do. If you meet these skill levels and have a strong desire to succeed then perhaps it is time for you to take the plunge.

real estate investing is the way to true wealth. If you remain cautious and rationale there is no reason why you can't succeed. Don't just jump in at the deep end though take your time. Start with some investment properties while you are still in full time employment. As you see the cash flow increasing to at least the same level as your wage then start reducing your previous working activities. It is always wise to try before you buy and make sure that this is truly the life that you want to live. Remember there will be some scary times ahead wondering if you will be able to continue but if you have taken all the precautions and show the necessary skills you should be fine.

Real Estate Investing Requires Education

I really believe in getting an education in real estate investing, especially before launching a real estate investing career. I have been investing in real estate for 25 years, but I still spend thousands of dollars each year to learn more about real estate investing. To avoid unnecessary risks, you need to know as much as possible. If you make a wrong move in buying, managing or selling your property, you can lose everything, and your efforts will be flushed down the toilet. On the other hand, if you have what I call know-how savvy, you can weather almost any of the financial storms that will inevitably brew around your real estate investing venture.

Here are some of the critical essentials to make real estate investing pay off.

1.You've got to have a solid overview of the business.

You just can't go out and start making offers - even if you have some money. I guarantee you'll lose your money if this is your approach.

Don't think that fixing up houses is a piece of cake. You've got to know what you're doing.

2.You've got to have a good contract.

Picking up a crinkled ole contract document from your friendly real estate agent won't cut it. Most contracts are NOT written to give you the slight edge as a real estate investing professional.

A good contract means the difference in walking away from a closing with money out of your pocket or in your pocket. I have taken home thousands and thousands of dollars from closings - up to $75,000 from my best closing on just a cheap little house. But a fistful of bills at closing is not your only reward for having a good contract. You can get your seller to take care of some or all of your closing costs if you have a good contract. And you can avoid some of the usual buyer costs if you have a good contract. Have a good BUYER'S contract as a real estate investing professional.

3.You've gotta have a good working model as a pattern for your fix-up project.

If you have never tackled the job of remodeling or even fixing up a house, you don't have any idea what needs to be done and what should NOT be done.

Let me tell you from experience, you will be tempted to spend far more than necessary if you want the perfect house to sell. I know, because my wife is always suggesting what we need to do to our houses. Sometimes she is right, but often she wants to dress up a house with items that do not bring return on investment. It's a very thin line of distinction.

You need a model for your fix-up project to establish a working formula.

Let's face it. You can spend a bank full of money in fixing up a cheap little house. And it's easy to over-spend with money you will never get back. But, on the other hand, if you don't spend the right money on the right things, no one will buy your house. The margin of difference is close.

4.You have got to put on the hat of salesman when you get into this real estate investing business.

Your remodeled house will not sell itself. You have to polish to a spit-shine, and make the finished appearance of your house come off as the most desirable house in the neighborhood.

Don't fix up a cheap little house if you are unwilling to show it and sell it. You will lose a big chunk of your profit if you have to list it with a real estate agent.

It's O.K. to sell your makeover house through a real estate agent if you feel deficient as a salesman. But it is important to see your house AS a salesman in order to do your best job.

The key to success in real estate investing is in knowing what you are doing when you sell.

5.Real estate investing is a business.

Real estate investing is not a hobby and it's not a game. It is, however, a slam-dunk, dead-serious, rock-solid way of making money when you learn the ropes. And it just may be the easiest way you have ever earned a living.

But you have to know what you're doing.

You can make money investing in real estate,but you must learn how to do it right. http://CashinHouses.com/

Houston Real Estate Schools

Real estate experts predict that the demand for housing in Houston, Texas, which has surged recently, will continue to rise in the foreseeable future. This means that for real estate agents and brokers; Houston can become a very lucrative place where they could practice their profession. However, this also means that real estate agents or brokers who want to work in Houston should expect that they will face stiff competition from other real estate professionals who also want to get in on the action. Given this, it is then very important that real estate agents enroll in a very good real estate school, which can provide them with the tools and skills they need to be successful in Houston.

Finding the right real estate school in Houston

Finding the right real estate school in a place like Houston, Texas, which has a very healthy real estate market can be a bit of a challenge given that there is a large number of real estate schools that have ?sprouted? in the area. However, there are still some steps that realtors can take to gain access to the right real estate school in Houston. Some of these include asking the right questions and looking for certain things from the real estate schools that realtors are considering. One of the most important things that realtors should look for is the course outline of the school, as it can help them assess the relevance of the courses that the school provides. In relation to this, realtors should also look at the reference materials that schools are using, as much as possible; realtors should pick a school that uses books that were written by some of the most notable real estate authors like Gaines, Coleman, and Crawford.

As to some very important questions that realtors should ask real estate schools, one example is to ask the school on how long it takes to finish the course. Other important questions include asking about the support that the school would provide their students with regard to the licensing process and on the continuing education programs that the school provides its alumni.

To be able to succeed in Houston, realtors need to gain access to the right real estate school that can provide them with the skills, which can help them do so. However, given the large number of real estate schools in Houston, picking a school can be a bit difficult. The good news is that there are some steps that realtors can take to help them pick the right school for them, which include asking the right questions and looking for certain things from schools.

Real Estate Courses

Buying, selling and investing in real estate involve complex transactions and high financial considerations. Given this, buyers, lenders and investors usually ask the help of real estate agents and real estate brokers to help them in their real estate needs. This is because real estate brokers and agents possess a thorough knowledge of the real estate market. They are also familiar with local zoning and tax laws and with financing agencies. In some cases, agents and brokers also act as intermediaries in the negotiations between buyers and sellers on the price of the property.

Becoming an agent or a broker

Being a real estate agent or a broker has proven to be a lucrative source of income for those practicing this profession and most estimates show that in the near future, the number of real estate agents and brokers will continue to rise because of this fact. However, becoming a real estate agent or broker requires that potential agents be at least 18 years of age, a high school graduate and be able to pass the state exam. The state exams, which is usually more comprehensive for brokers include questions on real estate transaction and relevant real estate laws.

If you wish to become an agent or a broker in the United States, you must be informed on the different requirement of the different states with regard to licensing. In most of the states, it is required that potential agents must complete between thirty to ninety hours of classroom instruction. For brokers, they are usually required to undergo sixty to ninety hours of formal training together with a required amount of experience in real estate transactions, which range from one to three years. Most of the courses in the training include subjects on marketing, accounting, and a substantial amount of courses in real estate, finance and real estate laws.

Most states require that these licenses be renewed every one or two years. However, instead of requiring agents to take new exams, some states require continuing education for agents and brokers for them to be able to renew their licenses.

Where to enroll

Given the demand for real estate training, a large of number of rims has been set up to provide such services. These firms cater to both beginners and experienced agents and brokers for their specific training needs. Apart from the traditional institutions such as universities and colleges, potential brokers and agents can also look to the Internet for online courses. As the number of agents and brokers who wish to get formal training on real estate continue to increase, the importance of institutions that provide these training will further be highlighted.

Real Estate Marketing - Getting Focused

The single biggest question I get from people getting started in real estate (and experienced for that matter) is "how to find deals?" They say, "I don't know what to focus on in real estate. Should I focus on rehabbing? Should I focus on finding absentee owners? Should I focus on direct mail?"

The problem with those questions is that the real estate investor is confused about the whole business of real estate and the marketing plan behind finding the deals. I understand that you go to a three-day real estate training, or you buy a home-study course, and every angle of real estate investing is attractive. You can see the potential in all these different markets.

First things first, you have to get focused! This is the only way to get good at overcoming objections and solving problems unique to different types of motivated seller markets.

Let's simplify this whole real estate marketing game and boil it down to this:
Who, What, When, Where, Why & How (And How Much)!

Who:
Who is that we are going to be talking to? Who is that we are going to be trying to purchase homes from? You may want to work in one or two of the following markets: foreclosures, absentee owners, our probates, divorces, for sale by owners, tired landlords. This is your market - the who.

What:
What are you going to say in your marketing? This may be a real estate marketing script that you follow, a direct mail postcard system that you roll out, or specific copy in your advertisement. Understand, that you are looking for motivated sellers to take action. If you're taking the time to write a letter, place an ad, etc you want your prospect to do something like call you or email you or listen to a recorded message!

When:
When are your prospects going to receive your marketing message? Timing and consistency is everything to your real estate marketing campaign. You need to be the single person (or company) they think of when the moment strikes at which they realize they are, in fact, a motivated seller!

Where:
Where are they going to receive your message? Obviously if you're door knocking, you'll meet them at their home. But if you are marketing to personal representatives of an estate, the attorney may receive the letter and pass it on. It's important to think about where your potential seller is going to "see" your message because this will affect the action they take.

Why:
This is where your real estate investing exit strategy comes into play. What are you going to do with the property once you've gained control? Are you going to wholesale it to another investor? Are you going to fix it up and flip it yourself? Are you going to hold on to it for rental?

As you grow into your real estate business, you'll have a number of options for each deal depending on what's most suitable for the piece of real estate. You may have properties that you can assign, rehab OR rent. But, initially, decide where you are on your real estate investing scale and work within those parameters. If you are asking: "Should I focus on rehabbing houses or should I target probate?" you're asking two different questions.

How:
The next thing is the communication method. That is 'how are we going to talk to our potential motivated sellers?' So let's suppose your market is foreclosures or pre-foreclosures (the who). The next question is how? There are basically only four methods that we can use to communicate with our target market.

1. Driving for Dollars (or door knocking)

2. Telemarketing

3. Direct mail

4. Mass marketing

How Much:
I toss this in because this is going to affect your real estate marketing strategies. How much can you afford to spend? Understand for a few dollars a day, you can have an extremely profitable real estate investing business. It doesn't take a lot of money to bring in home run deals!

Here's a quick real estate marketing business plan that you can implement immediately using the Who, What, When, Where, Why & How approach:

Who: Pre-foreclosures within 2 weeks of sale at the courthouse (note how specific this is)

What: Yellow legal pad letters

When: Two weeks prior to the sale

Where: Prospect's Home

Why: Seller is more motivated and has run out of options

How: Hand-written, hand addressed, first class postage and return address label

How Much: Based on a budget of $100/month, I will send 59.5 letters each week (remember to figure out your marketing budget down to the penny - stamps, ink, paper, envelopes, etc.)

And there you have it! 7 Simple Steps for your real estate marketing plan.