Commercial Real Estate Investment Articles

Consistently putting deals together is easier than you think. Really! Making things happen and making serious money as a real estate investor doesn’t require luck or extraordinary negotiation skills, and it doesn’t take talent or money or a masters degree in business.

Just how much money can you make on one old mobile home? I don’t know, but I’ve got one that won’t go away. It’s like a perpetual money machine. Every time I think the loan will be paid off, something happens and I get the home back and sell it again.

The most common stumbling block to investing in real estate is not having enough cold, hard cash to act quickly to snatch up the hot deals. What if you could create a hassle-free, never-ending supply of money to do all the deals you want?

As Lonnie Scruggs says, “The opportunities are everywhere. There is no reason to be poor unless you choose to be.” So, why do some educated, hard-working people always have to struggle to keep up with their bills? And why is it that everything some people touch seems to turn to gold? Is it just luck? Or, does it have something to do with their frame of mind?

You can’t buy a parachute after you jump out of an airplane. Likewise, jumping into real estate investing without the proper education can be a more costly real-life “seminar” than the one you chose not to attend. Some may say, “The seminar is too expensive.” I say, “Compared to what?” Compared to making a costly mistake, the seminar is cheap. Here are a few lease option pitfalls of which you may not be aware:

Well, we’re now into 2000, the world didn’t fall apart, the lights are still on, my mail carrier is still delivering checks, and my bank is still cashing them. And regardless what all the doom and gloom and negative minded people say, I’m convinced that 2000 is going to be a great year.

The most frequently asked questions relate to doing transactions which are prohibited or self-dealing. What is self-dealing? Remarkably, the tax code makes some sense in this area. The concept of self-dealing within the context of an IRA is easy: Your retirement plan is supposed to benefit when you retire, not before then. self-dealing transactions are outlined in the code as prohibited transaction, but clear examples of what is not prohibited are scarce.

If you’re just getting started in real estate and need to build your confidence and knowledge before moving on (but still need to make some extra cash), I suggest you start with flipping contracts (house flipping). By flipping houses, you’ll be able to earn while you learn the ropes in real estate, and you don’t have to worry about risk if you do it right.

By now you’ve had time to: Locate three or more rehab investors to flip contracts to; have your contracts ready and thoroughly understand them; and know which title company or attorney you will use to close that first deal. If not, take time to complete these steps in House Flipping for Beginners (Part 1) before you start looking for houses.

After so many years in the mobile homes business and many killer deals, I keep thinking it can’t get any better. But it seems like there’s always somebody who comes along and proves me wrong. I have to share this recent deal with you…it’s too good to keep to myself.

It’s easy to fix up your properties if you have unlimited cash. However, you need to keep your repairs to a minimum to stay profitable. You also need to keep your properties in good shape to attract tenants or buyers. There are the basic improvements, such as carpet and paint, but these can still costs thousands of dollars. Here are some inexpensive ways to improve your properties with very little cash.

I was sitting in the back of a Chicago cab discussing business with Ray Rach. Upon overhearing our conversation, John, the cab driver, interrupted and began telling us his experiences with real estate investing.

Last week I was buying a dishwasher with the tenants for one of my rentals. We went to Sears. Could we have gone to Best Buy, Home Depot, or Circuit City? How about Pete’s Previously Enjoyed Appliances? Sure, but we went to Sears where the tenants can feel like I am taking good care of them. Quality appliances for quality people.

Let’s clear this up once and for all. There is only ONE way to determine the market value for single-family houses: Comparable Sales. Let me repeat: The most accurate way to determine the market value of a house is to use actual comparable sales.

You’ve pre-qualified your prospects. They look good, and you’ve made an appointment with your lender for the formal loan application. You’re feeling good about yourself now, because as far as you’re concerned this house is sold…or is it?

Seems like there’s always somebody telling us we should get a physical checkup every year or so, but how about a financial checkup? Ever had anybody call wanting to schedule you for a financial checkup? If you haven’t had your financial checkup lately, then it’s time. Here’s a simple little test to see if you pass or if you need a prescription for what ails you.

There are some interesting and lucrative advantages of using lease options as both an optionor and optionee of real estate. Generally speaking, option money is not taxable to the optionor until the option is exercised, expires, or is abandoned.

After forty years in this business, I still enjoy solving problems. What I enjoy most is helping others succeed when faced with the challenge of acquiring a problem property and making it profitable. One of the best examples we have seen was a mobile home park in Jacksonville, Florida.

This article will suggest the most creative way to buy real estate with discounted notes. It is a wonderfully intriguing method. Even if you cannot do this exactly, you will still have the very real possibility of trading notes you bought at a discount for full face value on a piece of property. These ideas come from such innovators as Joe Land, Pete Fortunato, and others.

Flipping houses to fix-up guys or retailing houses in better condition to people who are looking for a place to live is a solid plan that can generate an excellent, consistent income.

When I started investing in real estate in 1982, I thought you had to have money. I was working a job and was broke. Since then, I have learned that you don’t need money, credit, or a steady job to do this type of investing. Of course, having a little cash wouldn’t hurt, but I know some readers don’t have any, so this article is for you.

Would you rather work a job every day in order to get paid or have someone else work a job and pay you? The answer should be a “no-brainer,” but I’m surprised at the number of people I meet that can’t understand the logic behind that question and just keep on working a job they don’t like, that pays just enough to get by.

In my early real estate days, I’d walk through a house for sale and point out all the defects to the seller (as if he didn’t already know about them). We’d then engage in a sort of tango where I’d say, “It’s a big problem that’ll cost $5,000 to fix.” And he’d say, “No, I’ve got a guy who can do it for 300 bucks,” or something equally ridiculous.

The manufactured housing industry is making it possible for millions of families to buy their own home for less than they would pay in rent. A few people have become wealthy by showing them how. It isn’t necessary to quit your job or profession to start a profitable part-time business. But you may soon find you can’t afford to keep your job.

The number one way real estate investors make money is through negotiation, period. Or did you forget that? If negotiations skills aren’t somewhere near the top of your list of things to learn in order to become successful in this business . . . then you need to start on a new list.