Savannah REIA Blog

702 Articles Found.
Now displaying 561 - 580.

---

Getting paid by your tenants in a timely fashion is one of the biggest challenges of being a landlord. QuickBooks can help in several ways.

You're meeting your business goals. Making sure that every property that has a tenant has been invoiced in QuickBooks. (You invoice in QuickBooks so you can track the timely payments made by the tenants.) You take advantage of vendor discounts. Basically, doing everything in your power to keep cash flow humming.

But you can't control how quickly your tenants pay you.

You can, though, use QuickBooks' tools to:

• Make it easier for tenants to remit their payments,
• Remind tenants about unpaid balances, and
• Keep a close eye on unpaid invoices.

Figure 1: QuickBooks lets you accept payments from tenants in multiple forms. Accepting credit cards and e-checks is likely to speed up your receivables.

Read More >>

---

Negotiating is a vital part of your business when it comes to cashing in big on short sales. It is always important to know who the investor is on the loan, and I’m not referring to who is servicing the loan and collecting the Sellers payments. There is an investor behind the scenes. Also, find out the type of loan, ie: private, conventional, FHA, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and whether there is private mortgage insurance (PMI) or mortgage insurance (MI) on the loan. Knowing all these facts allow you to negotiate based on the percent of value each one of the Investors and/or Private Mortgage Insurance Companies on the Loan will accept on a short sale.

I found this new information to be very interesting and should not be taken lightly when negotiating on a short sale. Many Sellers are behind on their monthly payments which include principal, interest, taxes and hazard insurance. When the Sellers make their payments, the taxes and insurance monthly payment is placed into an escrow account to pay the taxes and hazard insurance when they become due. When there is not enough money in the Sellers escrow account to pay taxes, the Lender will pay them. However, when there is not enough money in the Sellers escrow account to pay the hazard insurance policy, the Lender still pays it, but it becomes Mortgage Forced Insurance. This is in place only for the protection of the Lender, not the Sellers, and normally costs 2 to 3 times more than normal Hazard Insurance. Read More >>

---

It was March 12^th, 1982, when I had a decision to make, and it didn't seem like a very big one. You see, there was a seminar coming to town called “How to Buy Real Estate with No Money Down,” and it caught my attention because I certainly had none and didn’t want to continue doing what I had been doing for most of my life. I believe I saw the commercial on television, and after about the third time it aired I got to thinking about it and said, “Well, gosh, what have I got to lose. I know it's a scam, I know they're full of crap, but I might as well go down and check it out. Maybe there is something there, maybe I can find a way to get out of this mechanic job and make a little money for a change that lasts more than 15 minutes.”

Now, this was not an easy decision because I was going to miss my favorite television show “Dallas” with J.R. Ewing. For me to miss J.R. in order to go to the seminar was a big, big deal. We laugh about it now, but it wasn't so funny back then because J.R. was the guy that gave me hope. He's the first exposure I had to see what it was like to be very rich. I couldn't really see myself as J.R. at that time, but I certainly wanted to be like him. I'm not sure I wanted to be as mean as he was. Of course, some people will say I am. I certainly wanted to have his money and his power. Read More >>

---

Recently I was having a discussion with a friend of mine discussing some of the different ways to create wealth not only from real estate but other forms of investing that can give huge returns. We talked about the usual ways of making money buying real estate and we also talked about other ways of creating income without having to do any physical work for the money. Of course when you are a real estate investor your first thought is usually either about, buying foreclosure properties, wholesaling properties, fixing and selling houses at retail prices, and also buying long term income properties.

One subject I have never talked about before that I think is an important part of every real estate investors portfolio of investing opportunities is to also own paper assets for income. From this point forward we will refer to paper assets simply as "Paper". So what are paper assets? Paper assets come in many different forms. Some different paper assets come in the form of property tax certificates, land contract paper, contract for deed paper and promissory notes secured by a mortgage or a deed of trust paper. It is my belief that every real estate investor should be diversified and have several different income streams to help them build the wealth they desire. Read More >>

---

Have you been in real estate for 6 months, or have you really been in real estate for 1 month? Because if you’re really in real estate, you’ve made a deal by now, maybe several.

Here’s the truth: If you’re not making offers, if you’re not making deals, you’re not in real estate…yet.

Are you making the mistake of preparing and then doing nothing? Listen, if you’re prepared, then you have the education. You’ve paid a lot of money to take courses, you’ve read the books, and you’ve watched the videos. You understand that buying real estate is not rocket science. You understand that making an offer is not difficult. You have a power team: a contractor, an attorney, a survey company, and a real estate agent.

But you just don’t seem to be able to get one deal done.

What will it take for you to make a deal?

How can you overcome this fear and lethargy? Read More >>

---

Over the years investors have always wanted to know which way they should go. Buy a house cheap, fix it up and rent it out. Over time collect the cash flow, keep some and use a portion to pay the house off. It’s the oldest and truest way to build wealth and a secure retirement.

Then there are those who are seriously focused on making some money now. They either want to “Wholesale” a house doing nothing to it all or the alternative option may be to acquire, renovate and sell for a really good profit and do it again. This method doesn’t build wealth but you can make some potential steady income.

Truly good real estate investors know the valuation of their deals is key to insuring success and protecting projected profits. To effectively determine if a deal is a rental building wealth or flip to make some much needed cash, you have to analyze a deal fully. All the market areas covered by REIAComps.com, insure you easily know which way an investor should go. Read More >>

---

If you are blessed and fortunate enough to have lived on this planet for a while, there eventually comes a time when you start to notice the same thing that countless ancestors of ours have noticed over the eons... The undeniable fact that, sorry! You're getting old.

The first signs of this sad truth probably reveal themselves to you in a very subtle fashion... An extra ache when you wake up in the morning; Recuperating from injuries takes longer than it used to; Or it could be a grey hair or an extra wrinkle in your smile. As my (older) brother always likes to tell me, “getting old is not for the faint of heart.”

Such subtle signs are a painful reminder of our own mortality. They can either make you sad or remind you that you may only have a certain amount of time left on this spinning blue rock we call home.

If you like movies, you know you're getting old when the actors you grew up watching & admiring start showing their age... or die. (Even though Tom Cruise & Keanu Reeves are immortal. They never age!) Read More >>

---

As a real estate investor you must always adjust to new market trends, rules and regulations. Recently, as any good investor should know, the industry has been having to make some changes due to the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure rule. These changes have and will continue to affect any person closing a property involving an owner occupant loan.

Investors that renovate properties to sell will need to add at least an extra month or two of carrying costs. Why? Well, while not going into too much detail, all HUDs will need to be approved by the buyer and underwriter at least 3 days before closing. In reality, this will mean that the delay may be as many as 6 days because we all know how long underwriting can take. Some investors may not know this, because it is normally not enforced, but currently buyers are supposed to receive a HUD 2 days prior to closing. However, the norm for most closings is having a HUD prepared the day or evening before or the morning of the closing. I have even witnessed some buyers and sellers not receive a HUD until minutes before closing. This way of doing business will soon be gone and I for one like this part of the change. Originally the changes were to be enforced in August but the enforcement date was changed to October 3^rd. Therefore, make sure your lenders and title companies are ready for these changes and do not delay your closing any more than needed. Read More >>

---

Savannah REIA Members & Guests, Please RSVP on Meetup.com

Join us at the Savannah REIA Monthly Meeting on Monday, September 14th at 6:30PM at Hilton Garden Inn Savannah Midtown located at 5711 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA.

Join fellow Savannah Real Estate professionals and listen to our guest speaker, Joe McNamee, discuss how to buy all the properties you want with NO Money and NO Credit.

Joe McNamee, a local and successful real estate investor, is the author of “Timeless Real Estate Investing”. He is a retired Army Officer and founder of Absolute Investment Training Company where he teaches people how to buy real estate without the need for their money, credit, OR LENDER of any type (not even a private or hard money lender).

AND, Joe can show you how to have your property sold before you even buy it.

• Joe has sold over $120,000,000 (yes that is Million) of real estate that didn't cost him more than $10,000 to acquire
• He has a robust buyers list with over 2500 buyers listed at any given time
• He has built several successful business’ during the worst recession in US history.
• Learn what’s been happening in our local area for many years
• Joe’s primary goal is to help as many people as possible by positively influencing lives and to “make a difference every day.”

You wont want to miss the chance to hear this Real Estate Investing Expert. See you there!

Savannah REIA Members & Guests, Please RSVP on Meetup.com

Read More >>

---

Join us on September 19th & 20th for a Special 2-Day Hands-On Member Appreciation Workshop Where You'll Learn:

• A proven way to generate cash flow from any investment method.
• How to structure your real estate investments to minimize risk and maximize upside.
• How to quantify risk and return, and how to adjust both metrics to make deals work for you.
• What key mistakes to avoid in order to earn a consistent and dependable monthly income.
• How to live a dream lifestyle with less work, less stress, more money and more freedom!

Learn The Closely Guarded Strategies Of The Top 1% Of Passive Income Investors!

Yes, there is a secret way to wealth. At this event you'll discover what most will never know about creating passive income.

This is your opportunity to gain the strategies, skills, resources, and tools for building passive monthly cash flow into your business. Follow this formula to create a fortress around your family's financial future today... and for years to come!

Seating is VERY Limited!
Almost Sold Out!
Register Today!

This training is developed by George Antone, author of the best-selling books The Wealthy Code and The Banker's Code, is a financier, investor, and an entrepreneur. He is also the cofounder of the largest network of private money lenders in the world. He created MPactWealth to provide practical and proven wealth-building education for anyone anywhere.

*PLEASE NOTE: This event is FREE is limited to 100 members and will fill up quickly. However, there is a $25 reservation fee to hold your seat that is 100% refundable if you attend both days and stays to the very end. There will be absolutely no refunds for no shows or those who arrive late or leave early. No exceptions. Please show up on time. Date, Time & Location are subject to change.

What Others Are Saying About The Wealthy Code

Read More >>

---

On Saturday, September 26th from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (Registration starts at 8:30 AM) at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia located at 4355 Ashford Dunwoody Rd, Atlanta, GA, Don DeRosa will be conducting a special full day workshop with Atlanta REIA on “How To Do The New Subject To”. This class is all about how to buy and own real estate (especially Pretty Houses) and make lots of money with little or no money down.

Learn how to buy houses…

• Without using your own credit
• Without having to sign personally on a note
• Without having to qualify for a mortgage
• Without having much money

Beginner or experienced real estate investors can find immediate success using Don’s simple formula. There are six easy steps to follow when buying “Subject To.”

1. Locating Sellers
2. Prescreening Sellers
3. Constructing Offers
4. Presenting Offers
5. Finding the Money
6. Selling Houses

Once you learn to follow these steps you can do this over and over again for an average profit of over $20,000 per property.

There are many ways to make money in real estate and there will be something for everyone at the event. Don will be teaching you his trade secrets, including little-known buying techniques that have made him a very successful investor.

PLEASE NOTE: If you want to gain the cutting edge you need to succeed and bypass your competition, register now for the workshop and bring your iPad, tablet or smart phone and join us at the event!

This event will show you from start to finish how to buy “subject to” properties… from raising capital, to finding leads, to meeting with the seller and closing the deal.

This workshop is jam packed with very important topics that Don will cover such as:

• How to focus on what matters most in the beginning
• Creating a business plan that fits your budget
• Setting meaningful goals and prioritize your time and how to track your progress
• Learn the five ways to profit in real estate
• How to buy houses with little or no money up front
• Finding the easiest ways to attract motivated sellers
• Top five advertising techniques that work every time
• How to evaluate any lead and decide whether this is a winner for you.
• Twenty questions you should always ask a potential seller
• Know how much money you’ll make before you make an offer
• How to structure a deal in less than 10 minutes, so that you make a minimum of $20,000, choosing from multiple strategies!
• How to use Don’s Green means ‘GO’, Red means ‘NO’ tools to negotiate for you, so you never let your emotions talk you into making a bad deal
• Determine comps and rents from anywhere!
• How to meet with the seller and make them feel comfortable with your offer, and how to avoid getting shut out of a deal
• How to become a “mindreader,” to find exactly what the seller’s hot buttons are so you
  can craft a deal the seller is dying to take
• How to prepare paperwork as if you were an attorney
• How to walk away with a signed offer the same day and put it in your lawyers hands while you’re with the seller.
• Learn the top five negotiating tactics to get sellers to say “yes”!
• Find all the private money you need without putting loans in your name
• Convince private investors to lend you the money you need to do your deals
• How to combine buying strategies and exit strategies – that work right now, in 2014 – to effortlessly make a deal work you
• Exit strategies that will not only make you lots of money today, but make you wealthy long term
• The Secret to creating passive income deals of $350 + per month without any of your own money and with NO management on your part.
• And much, much more including your questions!

Read More >>

---

Pete will present two days of lecture and discussion, with real-world case studies. This is the only presentation for One Step Beyond in 2015! Questions and Debate always encouraged! Get involved - this class is for you.

Pete describes - Using what you Want, to get what you Need, to get what you Want

• Recognizing, Inviting & Utilizing Catalysts
• Options & Other Contracts
• Equity Participation - Lending & Investing
• Deferring Taxes via Installment Sales
• Exchanging & De-Financing
• Sandwich Lease for Cash Flow & Yield
• Seller Financing in Not a Loan
• I Have no Other Collateral
• Borrowing with Real Estate
• Preserving Installment Sales
• Sale and Option Back
• Exchanges as Equity Financing

Pete describes - Using what you Have, to get what you Need, to get what you Want

Some of the Documents included in this Seminar:

• Deed Reserving Remainder Interest
• Seller Financed Note - Non-Recourse
• Substitution of Collateral Agreement
• Agreement for Deed - Lease Option Style
• Exclusive Right to Purchase a Note
• Option Agreement
• Purchase Money Mortgage
• Mortgage to Secure Otion
• Equity Participation Loan Note
• Lease with Right to Sublease

Location - Hilton Garden Inn Millennium - ATL Airport. Room Block - Fortunato - One Step Beyond. $89/night (includes parking). Please visit PeterFortunato.com for more info on this Seminar.

4 Easy Ways to Register: Download and complete the Registration Form and 1) Fax to: (678) 550-2155, 2) Call (770) 815-8728, 3) Email to Kim@CashflowREI.com or 4) Mail to: CashflowREI, PO Box 22, Adairsville, GA. 30103.

Class Registration fee: $350 per person for Atlanta REIA Members for 2 or more persons register together.
$450 per person for non-members.

Register Now for Pete's One Step Beyond Seminar

Read More >>

---

Savannah REIA Members & Guests, Please RSVP on Meetup.com

Join us at the Savannah REIA Monthly Meeting on Tuesday, August 10th at 6:30PM at Quality Inn Midtown located at 7100 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA.

Our main speaker this month will be Chris McKendree of Paradigm Solar, LLC who will be discussing Solar Energy as a New Cashflow Strategy for Real Estate Investors.

Also, Judee Jones & Aislee Jackson of City of Savannah Revenue Department will be discussing how and why to register your real estate investing as a business with the City of Savannah.

This will be a meeting that you will not want to miss. We look forward to seeing you at the meeting!  Read More >>

---

If you’re like most people, you’ve been wondering all along when we were going to discuss all the awful things you’re imagining might happen to you as a wholesaler. And I have no desire to sugar-coat things for you, but the truth is most of the things you’re imagining are extremely rare, and easily overcome. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about such fears:

What happens if I can’t find a buyer for a property I have under contract?

If you can’t find a buyer, one of three things has happened:

• You’ve made a bad deal, in which case your buyers have certainly made you aware of this or;
• you haven’t marketed the deal hard enough to get the right buyer or;
• you haven’t given yourself enough time to get your buyers into the property before your inspection or partner approval clause runs out.

As you’re probably already aware, any of these 3 failures is unlikely to harm YOU, if you exercised the recommended inspection clause. You’ll simply void the contract under that clause, or renegotiate for a lower price or more time, or in a worst case scenario, let the seller keep any earnest money as per the liquidated damages clause.

In the first case, you might try renegotiating the contract price or option price—you’ll know what to re-offer after you’ve shown the property to 4-5 people. In the other two cases, if you’re certain that you’ve created a good deal, you might consider paying the seller an additional, non-refundable option fee or deposit to extend the period of the contingency and closing. A third possibility is to buy the property yourself, although that is outside the scope of this course. Remember, as long as you have a liquidated damages clause, you’ll lose only your earnest money; if the property is controlled via an option to buy, you’ll only lose your option fee for not closing. But don’t make it a habit.

In any case, it’s important, as an ethical wholesaler, that you let the seller know as soon as possible that something has gone awry, and that you won’t be closing as promised. Read More >>

---

“The secret to multitasking is that it isn't actually multitasking. It's just extreme focus and organization.” ~ Joss Whedon

Have you ever watched a really good store manager while she works? It’s incredible! She can handle two or three customers at once, answer the phone three times while she’s at it, and approve a couple check transactions at the same time. And when you compliment her on her talent, she just shrugs and says, “I’m a multitasker.”

A few years ago, businesses were all about multitasking. Employers wanted people who could multitask. With life moving faster all the time, all of us have learned to do it to some extent. But experts now believe that multitasking isn’t really all that productive or efficient. For a lot of us, multitasking just means we do a bunch of things at once, but we don’t do any of them very well. I don’t know about you, but I’ll never be able to do what that store manager does.

So it turns out that it’s better to focus on one thing at a time. But this doesn’t fit too well with modern life. Between home, work, school, church, and hockey, it’s a wonder we ever get anything done at all.

Luckily, I don’t have to multitask anymore, because my cellphone does it for me. I can hardly remember anymore what life was like before I had an iPhone. I used to say that having a cellphone was a good idea, but not an absolute necessity. Well, it’s sure a necessity now. Read More >>

---

The rental business can be very lucrative for the real estate investor. It can also be a pain in the neck. The trick to an effective rental business is the management. We have many rentals as a part of our real estate investment business and we have always said that managing tenants is like raising another set of children unless you do it correctly.

The first thing you should do is to decide if you are going to manage your properties yourself or if you are going to have someone else do it for you. There are ways to automate these systems either way and I will discuss both. You just need to choose the system that works the best for your own needs.

You can use a property management company and run your rental business pretty much hands-off. Just remember that there are costs involved in doing it this way and you don’t have as much control. If you do choose to work with a property management company check references before doing so. In the beginning, keep a closer tab on what’s going on with your properties. Some property management companies are definitely better than others and some will take better care of your properties than others.

When using a property management company who is going to place tenants in your properties, make sure they are using a reputable tenant check company and make sure you look at the applications and tenant check reports of prospective tenants before they are placed in your property until you are sure that you and the management company are “on the same page” regarding the tenant requirements you want for your properties. Make sure your property management company understands your personal parameters when placing tenants in your properties. Read More >>

---

You may have heard the news that the real estate market is improving throughout the USA. While in some areas, the market improvement is steady, some markets are just hot! An interesting observation we have noticed is that private sellers in particular hear the news on Fox, CNN, CBS, etc. and immediately think their property is worth what it was in 2007 at the peak. The idea of gradual appreciation seems to escape a significant number of them as it seems at every corner everyone is saying sell! Even banks are selling REO’s at or near full retail value…before rehab!

In the midst of this, you may be hearing the phrase ‘limited inventory’ or ‘fierce competition’. And depending on your market, there is probably some truth to this. More agents are coming back on the scene. Real Estate gurus are selling Wholesale courses like M&M’s at the grocery store about how easy it is to be rich tomorrow. They all have some kind of ‘secret’ message to get deals flowing in to everyone. However, if you sell it to everyone, how is it a secret at that point?

So what is a wholesaler to do? Read More >>

---

It's probably one of your favorite QuickBooks activities. Be sure you understand the mechanics of recording payments.

There are numerous ways to prioritize your workday. Do the most difficult things first. Get important phone calls out of the way. Respond to various emails.

But it's likely that one activity takes precedence when you see that it needs to be done: recording payments. While you're probably very careful with this process, it's critical that your actions here are accurate. If they're not, you could either lose money that you've earned or anger tenants by requesting payments they’ve already made.

QuickBooks comes with some helpful pre-defined payment types; however, you also have the flexibility to edit that list and add new types. To see your list, open the Lists menu and select Customer & Vendor Profile Lists, then Payment Method List. This window opens: Read More >>

---

Improper goal setting can really hurt your business. Proper goal setting can make you rich. This is a concept that I see most new investors and real estate business owners learn the hard way. If you don’t know how to set proper goals for yourself then you are very unlikely to obtain any goal. In this article I will help you to learn the art of goal setting.

Whenever I begin mentoring a new student or business client I always start by having them submit their goals. I am actually more interested to see how this person sets goals more than the goals themselves. Most people will set goals based on what they want with little knowledge of what it takes to accomplish those goals. Understanding the requirements of the goals we set will greatly help us achieve them.

I follow a similar process for goal setting that the U.S. military follows. It’s called “Backward Planning Process”. Basically I decide where I want to be. What is my end goal? Once I know exactly where I am trying to go, I work backwards from that point. For example if I want to buy an apartment complex I start working backward with questions like this... Read More >>

---

My students always ask me “How many letters do we have to mail in order to get a deal?” Before I answer, I want to state that the #1 reason a Seller sells their house for less is because they are motivated. An unmotivated Seller will not take less for their house, as they are not in a hurry to sell. Let me clarify the situations that make a Seller motivated:

1. Property is upside down – they owe more than it is worth.
2. Property taxes have increased and they can’t afford to pay them.
3. Mortgage interest rate(s) adjusted to a higher payment that they cannot afford.
4. Job Relocation and they can’t sell the house fast enough.
5. Divorce or Separation will send individuals into foreclosure because they depended on two incomes.
6. Job loss or reduction in their income.
7. Bankruptcy – For most people who are upside down on their bills, it also includes their house payment. It is important to know whether or not your Seller is in bankruptcy or planning on it. No transfer of a property can be done while the Seller is in bankruptcy.
8. Retirement causes a reduction in income.
9. Insurance rates have been increased and they can’t afford the insurance.
10. Illness, Permanent Disability or the Death of Spouse/Family Member causes individuals to get behind on their payments.
11. Exhausted Landlords – Most of the time, the Landlords had great credit but the Tenants won’t pay and the Landlord may have used up all of their financial reserves.
12. Economic and Functional Obsolescence – The Seller may own a residential property, but it’s located in a commercial district. The floor plan of the house is old and chopped up.
13. Business or Partnerships failing
14. Vacant House

Read More >>

---

More: << Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Next >>

• Join Savannah REIA for Only $100/yr