How to Begin Investing in Real Estate
The most common question asked in the Real Estate arena is, how do I start? I’ll attempt to answer that with a question. If you wanted to take a road trip to Alaska, starting in Miami Beach and wanted to stop in Atlanta, Raleigh, Knoxville, Memphis, Paris (Ky), Peoria, Minneapolis, Helena, Saskatchewan, the Yukon, and finally Juneau, what would be your first step?
Hopefully you said a map, or I’ve wasted 2.75 minutes of one fingered keyboard tapping. Real estate is very similar in that you can’t get to where you want to be if you don’t have a roadmap.
First, you need to set concrete goals of where you want to go and the exact steps necessary to get there. If you have a full time job and like it, you may be interested in the time honored traditional method of buy, rent and hold till you die strategy. There are many ways to acquire income-producing properties. Some require good credit and cash, others don’t. Start doing your homework.
If you want to, have the know how, and the time, money or credit, you may be interested in buying beat up properties and rehabbing and profiting on the finished product. Unless you live in the property, or have the means to carry the costs of a property and it’s rehab, it is more difficult to start in rehabbing.
If you have the sales acumen, you might want to start in lease options, and subject to. These perhaps take the least amount of cash and credit to work with. However I caution you, There are times when you better have a cushion, like when three properties stop performing at the same time (tenants miss a payment)
Maybe you have cash and want passive income without the headache. Learn about buying and selling paper, and start investing in notes.
Maybe you want huge yields on your investment. Learn how to buy Mobile homes in Parks, turn around and sell them on Land Contract or Contract for Deed and see 1000% yields.
Maybe you are interested in buying tax liens. Learn all about them. Buy Liens that guarantee you at the worst 16% interest.
The next step is education. People spend tens of thousands of dollars for their BA in psychology or communications and then squawk at a course that can change your life if it is over forty bucks. Folks, you say you want to be a millionaire. Do you really expect to get what you need for forty bucks? If you are lucky, maybe, but don’t be afraid to invest in yourself. Does that mean to pay $6,000.00 for a phone mentorship? In my opinion, and strictly for me, no! I don’t learn well that way. You have to decide what works for you. But if you are the type of person that blooms under the careful tutelage of an experienced mentor, then by all means do so. Just make sure you understand who is going to be teaching you, and their specific expertise matches your goals.
If you have issues with your credit, work on it. You didn’t destroy your credit overnight, and it takes a while to rebuild. But if you don’t start now, where will you be in ten years? How do you go about rebuilding your credit? Start by paying your past due accounts and your present obligations. This is by no means glamorous, but over time you will feel better about yourself, and so will your creditors. Guess what, those creditors love to lend money to those who have proven that they can pay their promissory notes AS AGREED. Yes, you should even pay those pesky collections. Somewhere, you signed your name to a promise to pay type of agreement. It is a direct reflection upon your character whether you pay or not. Next, if you have to, deposit funds to a local bank (the smaller the better), and borrow against that amount. Over time you can build your credibility to that specific lending institution.
Now that you have the direction in which you want to go, and the education that specifically tells you how to get there, it’s time to start your engine and put it into gear. This is where the rubber meets the road. It is easy to get analysis paralysis. It is easy to say I need to learn a little bit more. When you first rode a bike, did you start out on a big hill with a 16speed titanium alloy $3,000.00 racing machine? Would you have been successful if you had? Just like you started on a little American Flyer with training wheels, don’t try to start with a 100 unit apartment building that is currently run by drug lords (needs a little rehab), with no money down, $150,000.00 cash back at closing, and interest only payments for 16 years. Start by all means but start with something that if and when you make a mistake, isn’t going to financially crucify you. Don’t put off starting, whatever your current status. You can always do things to improve your position, which improves your odds on the sweeter deals. If you are credit and cash poor, please realize that unless you are incredibly lucky, you will have a tough time getting that tremendous deal where there is only one caveat, the seller wants all cash by next Tuesday. However if you do a Lease Option on a house that you subsequently move into, and get yourself closer to having equity and credit, you will be in a better position when the next deal comes by.
As you get financially stronger and credit worthy and have a little more jingle in your pocket, you can be the one giving out advice to the newcomers. Again, I ask you, if you do nothing more than what you have done in he past and what you are doing today, where will you be in 2,3,5,10 years.
I wish you all well on your journey through this life.
Shawn J Dostie
Coshocton, Ohio
Newbies, read it, learn it, do it. Can't be said any better and now we have an article to send the new recruits to read. Great job, Shawn.
wow. that really simplifies things. thank you. it sure made it easier for this newbie.
Shawn,
Great article! I am a Newbie and was a bit confused becuase of the information overload. This article motivated me big time and helped me find a direction.
CanREI
Wow. I'm FROM Paris, KY. I don't think I've ever seen it noticed from outside the state before!
Helpful & Concise!
Hey loanwizard,
Great article for the newbie =)
excellent article...almost new it was you writting it before reaching end...look forward to reading more you might post..and talking on line
iggyeight/tampabay
As a novice to this business I am still learning before I commit to buying and I have to say that form taking a couple of courses and reading books by the experts, in my opinion your advice is the most practical and realistic for all new to the business of investing in real estate.
Outstanding!
I think I read that in
"How to Make Big Money in Real Estate" by Tyler Hicks... At least it is very similar. At least credit the man.
I thank you for saying my writing is on par with a published author, but this was soley mine and I am not familiar with that particular authors work. I do appreciate the positive feedback though.
Good Luck,
Shawn(OH)
Excellent article loanwizard. As for Tyler Hicks, I've a couple of his books and this wisdom could not be discerned from anything he wrote.
Helpful & Concise!