Real Estate Investors Should Keep Learning

Training in real estate investing is crucial for your success as a real estate investor in today’s market. Why? The old saying, “knowledge is power” is in principle, for all areas of life, including real estate investing. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced real estate investor, there’s always something new to learn.

With our current market and changes to access to money, what they’ve learned a few years ago may not be effective in today’s Real Estate market.

Many real estate investors recognize the importance of continuing their education and earn a lot of what they learn. New ideas and techniques have been developed for real estate investors to improve their skills.

There are many ways you can choose for your training. It depends on how much you already have in your real estate investing toolbox. You can take advantage of free online webinars to find new and innovative real estate ideas where you lack knowledge.

Here are some of the various methods of learning for your real estate investing education:

. Free Online Webinars
. Join a Real Estate Investment Club
. Sign up in a coaching program
. Buy a good real estate investing course
. Reading books by experienced investors
. Seminars
. Updated Marketing Tools

Real Estate Investor Marketing is important to your success. Even if you’ve already  learned real estate marketing strategies, new methods have been developed to increase awareness about the services you offer. There are many online resources available to buy or to learn real estate investing marketing.
Personal Development – Not only can you advance your career by learning more about real estate investing, but you can also create your career by investing in yourself through personal development. Getting organized will help you on the right track.

Communicate with other investors to find out what they’ve learned. Find a forum for the exchange of information and interaction with others experiencing similar frustration and anxiety, as well as successes. Forum may actually be a way to motivate you and give you several ideas for further steps in your real estate investing career.

Continuing training in real estate investing is important to your success. Your success will be based on your knowledge of how to implement these changes in your real estate investment business.

http://real-estate-investors-marketing.com/

Remember The “Lease Option?”

Apparently some smart investors do remember the Lease Option.

Tim Cabrera in Lithonia, Ga. saw the unwanted artwork gracing the interior walls of the house his company just bought: Long streaks and swirls of red and blue spray paint.

The graffiti was probably the work of neighborhood kids and stretched from the kitchen to the upstairs bathroom of the foreclosed home. Even the carpeted staircase had been tagged.

“Unbelievable,” said Cabrera, chief operating officer of Atlanta-based Pride of Ownership Partners. “They got into everything.”

In foreclosed and forlorn properties like this, Cabrera and his firm see opportunity, and not just for themselves. They’re fixing up the place and others like it and marketing them to people who want to buy but can’t get mortgages.

Enter the lease-purchase option, which is surging in other hard-hit states like California, Florida and Nevada. Why wouldn’t it be? It’s the only real common sense plan for trying to get people into a home that would otherwise be vandalized more and continue to drain income from it’s owner.

“At a time when we have both distressed sellers and distressed buyers, I think it makes total sense.”

Customers like Cecelia Robinson, 57, a writer who said she fled her home near Baltimore after a bad business move left her on the verge of foreclosure. Pride of Ownership partners is leasing Robinson a three-bedroom, 2 1/2-bathroom home that the company purchased from a bank and renovated.

For three years, Robinson can continue paying rent or opt to buy the house for the price an appraiser set at the time she moved in. If she chooses the latter, the company will give her a down payment credit totaling half the rent she’s paid over that three years, even if she decides to buy sooner.

“It’s a fresh start,” Robinson said.

To be sure, the arrangement is potentially a profitable one for Cabrera and his partner, real estate investor Jeffrey Britz, who say they started last July with $1.4 million in capital and have snapped up 50 foreclosed homes across the Atlanta area. The market is still shaky, and for now, they can’t sell the homes at a profit.

Part of the solution involves helping clients qualify for a mortgage. Cabrera, who worked as a mortgage broker during the real estate boom, knows just how difficult this has become. That’s why new clients are also required to go through a credit rehabilitation program to participate.

“It’s going to help them, give them stability, let them raise a family,” Cabrera said.

Right now his company is about breaking even; he won’t turn a profit until he can start selling the homes.

Pride of Ownership clients go through a rigorous screening process, Cabrera said, and by getting clients into fixed-rate mortgages and making it clear up front how much they’ll have to pay, he hopes to turn his renters into secure homeowners.

“There are smart people out there,” Cabrera said. “The premise of Pride of Ownership is to educate people so they know what they’re getting into.”

The Lease Option is another tool in an investors tool box that must be used in these tougher financial times. People are hurting and it’s time to pull out the old trusty “Lease Option” for getting those properties occupied and at least not draining the money from our pockets.

Have you got your copy of the “Insiders Guide To Internet Marketing for Real Estate Investors” Book Yet? Get It Free Here

Probate For Profits

Probate real estate investing is a little known secret that can yield substantial return on investment.  Maybe you’ve heard that Probate Real Estate Investing is still a largely overlooked and untapped market.  One of the things about property investing I’ve found is that Probate real estate investing is one of the most reliable approaches for making real money in today’s ailing real estate markets. Probate Real Estate Investing is difficult for ninety nine percent of Investors.

Probate real estate can be located by visiting the local courthouse.  Probate estates are a matter of public record and can be viewed by anyone. Probate real estate investing does not require any special skills or training.  Probate is the legal process used to distribute the estate of a person who has died.  Probate investing can provide a solution to heirs who need to sell their property before probate settles.  Probate is the process used to determine rightful heirs, validate the decedent’s Last Will and Testament.  Probate can be tied up in Probate Court on an average 18 to 24 months.

Probate real estate may not be the best option for a first-time real estate deal.  Probate property investing is much easier if you’re dealing with super motivated sellers; almost every time.  Probate is the legal process of liquidating an estate’s assets after debts and creditors have been satisfied.  Probate real estate investing, is an unemotional motivated seller and one of the great benefits of probate real estate investing.

Probate real estate: The benefit is usually that the owner is from out of town, not familiar with the property and therefore not emotionally attached to it.  Probate property investing will require you to sort out ready and willing heirs from those who are not ready to sell just yet; that is a whole lot easier for a new or seasoned investor.  Probate real estate investing can be very easy if you always treat the seller with respect and guard your reputation.

This is what probate real estate investing is all about.

*If you want to profitably market in the Probate arena: Get the REIM Letter Series!

The “It” Factor

I’m going to say something that I don’t think anyone has ever mentioned to newbie’s or people that think they would like to make money in real estate investing…

Before you get all pumped up, (and it’s not difficult to get there quickly when you hear of all the money being made), there’s one little “factor” that all the gurus forget to mention….

Passion! (As defined, emotion, feeling very strongly about a subject or person, usually referring to feelings of intense desire and attraction, (be very passionate about something.) This is the missing ingredient that many have about what they’re doing and the REASON they fail or have very limited success.

No one mentions that! If you’re going to be successful, in anything you do in life… even if it’s just for the money, you have to love it. You have to be “into it” all the way.

“How do I know if I’ll have a passion for it…. I’ve never done it before?” OK, good question. Do you have any previous experiences or passion for real estate and dealing with people? Are there any characteristics that are similar to what you love now?

Real estate investing is HARD work and without the passion and drive to “get to the prize,” you’ll go as far riding that bike, as a guy (or girl) on a “stationary bike.” Lots of motion without getting anywhere!

It’s like saying that you want to be a “doctor,” but hate working all the time. Do you know how many hours a day a doctor works??? Or, “I want to be a NFL footbal player, but I don’t want to have to work out EVERYDAY!

The first question you should ask yourself before you spend THOUSANDS of dollars and hours of study, learning how to be a successful real estate investor, is, “do I have the passion for the business?” “Do I have a “passion” for doing all the things related to the business, in order to be successful?” Is it a “passion fit” for me?

If the answer seems to be a definite YES, then real estate investing IS for you!

Otherwise, keep taking those “singing lessons, dance classes, accounting courses or whatever else it is you have a “passion” for!

Happy Investing,

Steve/REIM Letter Series

#8 In the 8 Critical Components of A Sucessful Direct Mail Marketing Campaign

Here’s the final lesson on the 8 critical components of a “successful” direct mailing campaign.

Lesson #8:

Send multiple mailings to the same list..

Alright, I don’t mean to offend you, BUT…

Don’t waste your money on postage if you’re not going to send “multiple” mailings to the same list. I’m sorry, but it’s a fact. One letter, generally won’t get a response. (Unless it’s from the Publishers Clearing House Verified Winners Dept.)

FACT: the direct mail marketing industry says that at least 7 mailings to the same list will produce the best results. This is the reason that I’ve created a series of letters to be used in a direct mail marketing campaign.

By contacting your prospects multiple times, you build credibility with them, and you stay on their minds.

Think of the first mailing you send, as an “introduction”… and then each following mailing establishes your credibility a little further, builds on your message, and increases your chances of getting the reader to take action.

It’s like going up the stairs in a two-story house.. “You don’t get to the second floor till you climb all the steps.”

If you’d like to get your hands on the most powerful direct mail marketing letters a creative real estate investor can use, then Click here!

Thanks for reading “The 8 Critical Components For A Successful Direct Mail Marketing Campaign”

#7 The 8 Critical Components of A Successful Direct Mail Marketing Campaign

Here’s the seventh lesson on the 8 critical components of a “successful” direct mailing campaign.

Lesson #7:

Grab the readers attention with a headline…

Do you think headlines are put on a newspaper for a reason? ABSOLUTELY!

It’s the reason we go any further in reading the article. And if it’s a great headline… well, we’ll read it first!!

HILLARY CAUGHT WITH HER PANTS DOWN! (I’d bet you’d read this, wouldn’t you?) It’s like a tease on a TV station. “What made this frantic Mom drive her car through the front of a Wendy’s?” “Tune in at 11 to see!”

Yes you would, because, it doesn’t say “exactly” what, where, when, how or any other of the details that you’d like to know about…. SO, you’ll read the article to find out!

One of the reasons we all toss direct mail out so quickly is because it doesn’t interest us at all. Don’t use boring headlines and gimmicks. Use a headline that catches someone’s eye without insulting their intelligence.

You only have a few seconds to grab their interest, so you need to really think about what impact your headline will have. Ask yourself the question.. Would it interest me?

If you’re looking for powerful direct mail marketing letters for real estate investors… Go here!

#6 The Critical Components of a Successful Direct Mail Campaign

Here’s the sixth lesson on the 8 critical components of a “successful” direct mailing campaign.

Lesson #6:

Proof read the copy…

Let me tell you a little story… I sent out a resume for a job that I wanted to get; not to a specific company, but a type of job to many companies. After several weeks went by and NO response ever came (NONE), a friend of mine asked me if I wanted him to look at it and see what he could find. I said, “sure.” He said, “Do you realize, you forgot to put your phone number on this resume??”

I think you get my point!

You may have seen great direct marketing pieces that were missing “key information” like phone numbers, addresses, or other key information. Missing those key pieces of information just defeated the purpose of the mailing. Proof reading is a very important aspect of all of your marketing campaigns. Mis-spelled words look very unprofessional too!

If you feel that you lack in those skills, hire someone to proof your copy. Or ask someone who has a way with words to take a look at your text.

Proof read your copy!!!! At least 3 or 4 times!

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#5 The Critical Components of a “Successful” Direct Mailing Campaign

Here’s the fifth lesson on the 8 critical components of a “successful” direct mailing campaign.

Lesson #5:

Personalize your letters …

I don’t think I can “over” emphasize this point!

Leave out the hype and commercial sounding wording. Personalize the letter as if you were writing to a friend. Your copy/letter should not sound like a car commercial. Don’t use words like people, folks, or any other words that indicate the “masses.” Remember, write in way that sounds like you’re talking to a friend.

Hi Susan.. How are you John?

Don’t use words that you don’t use when you’re talking everyday!

What do I mean???? “It is a very hot day today, don’t you think so Tom???

NO, NO NO!!! That’s NOT the way you talk and it’s not the way I do either.

I might say…”Hey Tom, don’t you think it’s a scorcher today? I’m burnin up!”

You might say, “Yeah, but I don’t even know the people I’m writing to”…. That’s right you may not, but if you ever want to get to know them, you must write in a personal way!

People hate form letters. WHY? Because they feel like they’re being treated like a number… NOT a person. There’s NOTHING Personal about an “impersonal” sales letter!

Personalize your letters and watch the response go way up!

#4 The 8 Critical Components of A Successful Mail Campaign

Here’s the fourth lesson on the 8 critical components of a “successful” direct mailing campaign.

Lesson #4:

Test, and continue testing to achieve the best possible response..

None of us want to “throw” our money out the window and get NO results from a direct mail marketing campaign. But, that’s what you’ll do if you don’t know how effective your letters are. OR, how ineffective they are…

After being confident that your letter has all the right ingredients in it, send a few hundred and see what happens. Did you get a response (based on the “call to action”) you hoped for? How many did you get? None? Several?

Don’t just send out hundreds, only to find out, it’s not working. If it’s not working, evaluate why. Have someone else look at it for you and get their opinion. (Not a friend who tells you, “everything you do is great.”)

Too many people find out the hard way that their direct mail piece is not effective. Make it your common practice to test out anything you plan to use. See if it makes an impact. Does it work? How well?

#3 The 8 Critical Components of a Successful Direct Mail Campaign

Here’s the third lesson on the 8 critical components of a “successful” direct mailing campaign.

Lesson #3:

A clear concise “call to action”…

This is “the end,” the “concluding thoughts,” if we were writing a story. In an ad copy or direct mail marketing letter, it’s the, “OK, now it’s your turn to do what I’m telling you to do.” OR, asking you politely to do…

Do you want them to call you?
Do you want them to email you?
Do you want them to return a form in the mail?
Do you want them to order your book?

You get the idea. It’s the reason you’ve written the letter to them in the first place.

ex. Give me a call today at 555 555-3954 and I’ll make an appointment to meet with you at your convenience.

It seems simple enough, BUT.. If you don’t tell the reader what you want them to do, it defeats the point of sending the direct mail letter. Do you want them to call you? Buy something? Fill out the form at the bottom of the letter? Make it clear what they should do or they will not respond.