Commercial Real Estate Investment Articles

A key to understanding the power of using “paper” in real estate transactions is to understand that despite what a promissory note might state on its face as the amount of debt owed, it could very well have different perceptions of value to different folks.

For an overview on getting started and collecting information, read Tax Lien Investing Basics (Part One)

Two of the most popular types of retirement savings plans available today are the Roth IRA and the 401(k) plan. In 2001, Congress married these two types of plans by passing the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA), which included a provision allowing 401(k)s (regular and solo/individual) the opportunity to make Roth 401(k) contributions after the 2005 tax year.

As investors who buy homes directly from motivated sellers, we are usually listening to a seller’s sad story. It is important to know where to “draw the line.” What we mean is, some of us are strictly business and don’t even flinch at the saddest of stories. If the numbers don’t work, “Sorry. Try another investor.”

Acquiring investment real estate can be handled with many approaches. Two very popular “no money down” approaches are lease options and “subject to,” or “getting the deed.”

Identity Theft is the fastest growing crime in America today. Would you know what to do if it happened to you?

I get a lot of questions from people asking, “Will real estate investing work in my market?” The truth is, real estate investing works in every market. But you need to learn your market and adapt the techniques that it requires.

And now your nerves kick in. Good grief! Gulp. You ain’t ready, friend, and even I can see it in your eyes. That door opens slowly and he pokes his nose through the crack, glaring at you now, “What the heck do you want?” Gulp.

This last year has been a tough year for real estate investors looking for ways to cash flow their properties. I’ve talked to a lot of business owners or employees who have not yet invested in real estate and wonder if they’ve missed out on the real estate rocket. And, everyone wants to know, “What is the next big thing?” And here is my radical response: I don’t care.

Analysis paralysis–one of the biggest blocks of successful real estate investing. That’s when you stumble into a good deal, then stop dead in your tracks. You worry about the decision, and never do anything. In my first six months of investing, I looked at hundreds of great deals and froze.

There are two common questions that involve Realtors and investors: Should I become a Realtor? How can I work with Realtors?

When the account owner is ready to take distributions, they may do so, tax-free, as long as the account has been open for five years, and they are age 59? or older.

Two of the most popular types of retirement savings plans available today are the Roth IRA and the 401(k) plan. In 2001, Congress married these two types of plans by passing the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA), which included a provision allowing 401(k)s (regular and solo/individual) the opportunity to make Roth 401(k) contributions after the 2005 tax year.

Identity Theft is the fastest growing crime in America today. Would you know what to do if it happened to you?

So often, beginning real estate investors focus on techniques that they lose sight of the important issue: Is this a good deal? Learning to recognize a good deal takes research, education and, above all, experience. Here’s a good formula to determine whether a potential real estate purchase is a deal. It’s a simple acronym called C.L.E.A.R.

So often, beginning real estate investors focus on techniques that they lose sight of the important issue: Is this a good deal? Learning to recognize a good deal takes research, education and, above all, experience. Here’s a good formula to determine whether a potential real estate purchase is a deal. It’s a simple acronym called C.L.E.A.R.

A key to understanding the power of using “paper” in real estate transactions is to understand that despite what a promissory note might state on its face as the amount of debt owed, it could very well have different perceptions of value to different folks.

Fact: Well, let’s see what a Supreme Court Justice had to say about that. Justice Learned Hand said, “There is nothing sinister in arranging one’s affairs so as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everybody does so, rich and poor, and all do right. Nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands.”

As investors who buy homes directly from motivated sellers, we are usually listening to a seller’s sad story. It is important to know where to “draw the line.” What we mean is, some of us are strictly business and don’t even flinch at the saddest of stories. If the numbers don’t work, “Sorry. Try another investor.”

As investors who buy homes directly from motivated sellers, we are usually listening to a seller’s sad story. It is important to know where to “draw the line.” What we mean is, some of us are strictly business and don’t even flinch at the saddest of stories. If the numbers don’t work, “Sorry. Try another investor.”

Once you know the date, time, and terms of a tax sale, get a copy of the list and start researching tax lien properties. I realize you may be holding a list with descriptions of hundreds–even thousands of properties. And I know that if you are unfamiliar with real estate it looks like page after page of unintelligible words and numbers.

Savvy investors understand that they can often put together more deals through incremental negotiations over the actual repayment terms of the property sale as opposed to focusing solely on the property’s sale price.

In a huge victory for managed and self-directed IRA owners everywhere, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in April 2005 that IRAs receive Federal Creditor Protection. This means that creditors cannot seize assets in an Individual Retirement Account.

Finding good real estate deals is an art that takes time to master. Like any business, customers are what drive it. Your primary customer is the seller who is motivated to sell below market value. Finding motivated sellers requires advertising, marketing, salesmanship, and, like any business, keeping your nose to the ground.

Question: Is this true? I keep reading that the inflation on real estate is so high and the market is going to crash. Should I be worrying?