Tag Archives: mp

Happy Memorial Day…

A Tribute to the men and women that have served and sacrificed for each and every one of us…

I found this video on Youtube and spent a few moments in silence thinking about the men and women I’ve personally known – and the many millions that I have not known – that have fought on foreign lands for our freedoms. I also thought of the next generation getting ready to head overseas and my thoughts and prayers are with them…

Thank you for serving our country and preserving our freedoms… the very rights we have that allow us to build our businesses and live the American Dream. Continue reading

Short Sale Package

There’s good news and bad news about short sales!

The good news is that if you can follow a checklist, you can submit a short sale package to the lender.

The bad news is that the checklist of documents can be daunting to say the least!

The best advice is to contact the lender prior to submitting your package to get their list in the event they have additional requirements, want specific components on their paperwork/letterhead, etc. Each lender is different, so it pays to take a few minutes up front to get Continue reading

Flipping Houses: How to Evaluate Any Deal In 10 Minutes or Less

When you’re flipping houses, it’s critical to be able to evaluate deals quickly and effectively.

One of the most important characteristics of successful real estate investors is their ability to take fast – and massive – action. And the one thing that holds people back in real estate is FEAR of taking the wrong action! In the next step, I’ll cover how to create RISK FREE contracts 100% of the time that actually get accepted, so no worries there… but for now, understand that you have to be able to quickly evaluate deals or else someone else is going to snatch up all the really good deals before you have a fighting chance.

So, for right now, I’m going to cover Continue reading

Before You File Your Corporation or Limited Liability Company (LLC): 5 Things to Consider!

POINT # 1: Many investors believe that they can create a limited liability company (LLC) or file a corporate charter with the state and always have liability protection. This is SIMPLY NOT TRUE. The truth is that each of these business entities (the LLC, the corporation and even the limited partnership) require certain key steps after the structure is created. I always like to compare business entities to a fancy Italian sports car or a new baby…they WILL DEMAND PROPER CARE AND FEEDING!

They are fun on the first day, but you had better know how to maintain Continue reading

Understanding Corporations, Limited Liability Companies (LLC’s) and Limited Partnerships

The best way to understand a corporation, limited liability company (or even a limited partnership) is to realize that each creates a special legal relationship or privilege between the business owner(s) and the government. These areas of government include:

1. State Government (including state taxing authorities and the state court system)
2. The Federal Government (specifically the IRS and the Bankruptcy court system)

You may be saying, alright Darius, I still don’t understand what you mean by a relationship or privilege. The best way that I can put it is this:

A business entity is a legal relationship which allows for certain privileges. Continue reading

Real Estate Investing Mistake #2: Inspections and Repairs

The only real solution for real estate investing mistakes is consistent action! You’ve got to stick with it and realize that part of learning process. You WILL make mistakes… and you will continue to make them for as long as you choose to invest.

The key is to learn from each and move on. Add it to a policy and procedure manual so to speak! And avoid that particular real estate investing mistake in the future!

When I first started in real estate, I would document every real estate deal in detail. I would be sure to document: (1) What went well, (2) What didn’t go well!, Continue reading

Real Estate Investing Mistake #1: Farm Area

When I first got started in real estate investing, I was the poster child for mistakes! The one thing I did PROPERLY was that I took action. And success favors the people that take action.

The key is to keep moving and not dwell on each individual real estate investing mistake that you make, especially early on! Just keep on going… and take a few minutes to figure out what the lesson was, add it to your knowledge and experience bank, and move on to the next!

In this article series, I’ve highlighted 17 real estate investing mistakes that I made early on and share with you what you can do to avoid making the same real estate investing mistakes I made…

The first mistake new real estate investors make is always thinking the grass is greener on the other side! That “another” market will have better deals, more motivated sellers, and more qualified buyers. Once your business is established with duplicatable systems in place, it can be easy to expand into additional markets. But in the beginning, stick with your targeted farm area. Continue reading

Real Estate Investing Mistake #7: Not Having Joint Venture Agreements In Place

Real estate investing is exciting when you’re just getting started. Real estate is all you can think about and all you can talk about. Your enthusiasm rubs off on others and you instantly start attracting people that want to lend money on for deals, partner with you on properties, joint venture with you on aspects of your business, etc.

The problem is that when you’re so excited, it’s hard to imagine anything EVER going wrong. Why would you need anything more than a handshake and verbal agreement?

Sure, you may be laughing as you read this, but you’ll see… when it comes time to putting a joint venture together, you’ll be eager to get moving along and you just might make this critical real estate investing mistake… and it COULD wind up costing you tens of thousands of dollars, friendships, and worse. Continue reading

7 Steps to Getting Started In Real Estate

There are only 7 steps you need to master to be successful in real estate. If you fail to master any single step, you’re building your real estate business on a weak foundation. Wouldn’t you rather build your home on a rock-solid, unbreakable foundation?

Step #1: How To Set Your Business Up And Build Your Team

I defer to Napoleon Hill! If you look at people that have been successful in the past, a common thread is the people they are surrounded with. You need to build your team with the RIGHT people.

Remember, you get what you pay for! (To give you an idea Continue reading

Finding Buyers: First Time Homebuyers

The key to finding real estate buyers is knowing exactly who you’re trying to pinpoint. The biggest reason investors (and even Realtors®) have a hard time when it comes to finding real estate buyers is that they simply believe in the concept of casting the widest net and hoping for the best.

While this may seem the most logical way to find real estate buyers, it’s actually putting you at a disadvantage. You need to focus on a specific type of buyer so that you can speak directly to his/her wants and needs in the homebuying process.

There are dozens of “types” of real estate buyers our there, but for the sake of STAYING narrow, in this article, we’re going to focus on the first time home buyers. Continue reading