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Price per Unit ? Techniques to Speed Up Your Decision Making, Part I
2011-11-02 14:49:00
If you?re evaluating many apartment investment deals, oftentimes you need a quick way to determine ones that warrant more detailed analysis. After all, your time is valuable and any time spent analyzing deals that don?t make sense from the very beginning may result in other lost opportunities. What you need are techniques to act as ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Price per Unit – Techniques to Speed Up Your Decision Making, Part I

Short Sales With No Cost to Sellers ? Is it Possible?
2011-11-01 19:36:00
When checking out newspapers and magazines and even the Internet, I see many agents who advertise that a short sale transaction can be closed at no cost to the seller. When I see those ads, I always look for the fine print (and I do not always see any). When you take a short sale listing, ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Short Sales With No Cost to Sellers ? Is it Possible?

How to Maximize Retirement Income with Real Estate Through Investment & Tax
2011-11-01 14:20:00
The strategies available to the typical long term real estate investor have been more than somewhat limited. Either their ‘strategy’ is cash flow or it’s capital growth. They employ leverage as it relates to down payment, or opt for overwhelming down payments, even all cash. They’re from the school saying you buy, but never, as ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. How to Maximize Retirement Income with Real Estate Through Investment & Tax Strategies
More About: Real Estate

Trick or Treat: Real Estate Investing in 2012
2011-11-01 02:03:00
Happy Halloween! I love Halloween for one simple reason, I get to make lots of people (mostly kids) smile.  I love handing out big handfuls of candies to every trick-or-treator.  I always buy way too much candy with the sole idea of getting kids to say ?Wow!? or ?Did you see how much he gave ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Trick or Treat: Real Estate Investing in 2012
More About: Commentary , Real Estate , Real Estate Investing

Is There A ?Magic Pill? for Real Estate Marketing Success?
2011-10-31 14:40:00
I talk to a lot of folks about marketing their real estate business every week, and on just about every forum you visit, marketing is always a hot topic.  Most real estate investors intellectually understand that you have to do marketing to get those leads in the door. What so many people don?t understand is ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Is There A ?Magic Pill? for Real Estate Marketing Success?
More About: Real Estate , Real Estate Marketing

The Halloween Deal Finding Real Estate Marketing Plan
2011-10-30 14:59:00
I?m going to give you a simple plan to follow to get a deal within the next two weeks. I realize that 99% of people reading this won?t follow my plan, but if you?re among the 1%, then congratulations, because you can use this plan over and over again. You see, I?m a big fan ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Halloween Deal Finding Real Estate Marketing Plan
More About: Real Estate , Real Estate Marketing

Real Estate News by the Numbers: Week of October 22 ? October 28
2011-10-29 15:32:00
A quick rundown of the important real estate news from the week of October 22 ? October 28, by the numbers: 2.5% – GDP growth in the third quarter. It’s almost double the 1.3% rate of growth from the second quarter. Much of the growth came from corporate spending, as business spending was up 17%. $26.6 ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Real Estate News by the Numbers : Week of October 22 ? October 28
More About: Real Estate

Real Estate in 2016
2011-10-28 14:47:00
Real estate investors, like mortgage note buyers, need to have a clear understanding of not only their own investments but also of the broader real estate and economic world.  Your decision on whether to put up your own money would vary widely based on differing assumptions of property values declining 20% over the next five ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Real Estate in 2016
More About: Real Estate , Real

Proven 3 Step Process to Improve Sales & Customer Satisfaction
2011-10-27 20:18:00
Have you ever heard of the jam problem? For those of you who are as in the dark as I was, this has nothing to do with the rising prices of Smucker?s to mirror our peanut butter shortage. Instead, it refers to a psychological understanding of choice and how people will behave in different scenarios, ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Proven 3 Step Process to Improve Sales & Customer Satisfaction

Massive Denial Blocks Real Estate Recovery
2011-10-27 14:10:00
Kevin is not giving up without a fight.  I know this because those words are written on a piece of paper taped to his front door.  NOT GIVING UP WITHOUT A FIGHT!  His house is scheduled to go to a foreclosure auction today. Kevin bought his home on July 8th, 2003 for $270,800.  The real ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Massive Denial Blocks Real Estate Recovery
More About: Real Estate

Investment Property Location: Don?t Dismiss the #1 Rule in Real Estate
2011-10-26 19:45:00
?Location, location, location!? You understand the importance. It?s the number one rule in Real Estate . Yet when it comes time to choose between a high cash flow property in a less desirable neighborhood versus one with a lower cash return but in a great location, you naturally start questioning the age old adage. Why does ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Investment Property Location: Don’t Dismiss the #1 Rule in Real Estate
More About: Investment Property

What?s Your Time Worth?
2011-10-26 18:30:00
I have interacted with a number of investors over the years who are good at what they do, but are under a tremendous strain from the amount of time and energy spent on their business. Whether you are buying and holding, flipping, wholesaling, etc., this business has lots of moving parts that can easily overwhelm ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. What?s Your Time Worth ?

How to Be a Distinguished Note Owner
2011-10-26 14:17:00
With all of the backlash against banks and mortgages it is no wonder more and more people are renting,  buying properties for cash, or using private seller financing.  One of the biggest reasons? Customer Service! With the internet and today?s fast paced way of doing business, old fashioned customer service has gone out the window! ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. How to Be a Distinguished Note Owner

How to Determine Your Multifamily Capital Expense Budgets and Recurring Rep
2011-10-25 23:03:00
One of the most overlooked aspects of acquiring a multifamily investment property is adequately accounting for capital expense items and recurring replacements that the investment property needs in order for you to reach your investment goals (See “The Importance of Having a Capital Expense Budget When Buying a Property“). Overlooking these expenses will kill your investment ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. How to Determine Your Multifamily Capital Expense Budgets and Recurring Replacement Reserves

Do-It-Yourselfers Are Excellent At Reproducing Similar Results of Mediocre
2011-10-25 21:02:00
What BiggerPockets is known for among other things, is the never-ending pursuit of excellence. My professional upbringing came from brutal OldSchool mentors who cared not a whit about what I thought of their advice, or my feelings. Though they surely agreed with the pursuit of excellence concept, they didn’t label it as such. To them ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Do-It-Yourselfers Are Excellent At Reproducing Similar Results of Mediocre Pros
More About: Commentary

How to Actually Close a Short Sale
2011-10-25 14:30:00
I cannot emphasize enough that all of the pieces of the short sale process, when handled well, will result in a successful short sale closing. The first step in the process is the most important, and that step includes pre-qualifying the seller. No jokes here. Just like getting a loan pre-qualification or pre-approval for a home ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. How to Actually Close a Short Sale

Three Mistakes New Real Estate Investors Make and How to Avoid Them
2011-10-24 20:15:00
As an active investor and willing presenter at local real estate investment clubs, I am often asked about what common mistakes new investors make. Regrettably, I am rarely asked how to avoid the mistakes. The list of mistakes new investors can make is unfortunately rather long.  In this post I am going to focus on ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Three Mistakes New Real Estate Investors Make and How to Avoid Them
More About: Real Estate

Using Testimonials To Build Your Real Estate Business
2011-10-24 15:09:00
As entrepreneurs that happen to be real estate investors, we are constantly looking for ways to grow our business. We spend a lot of time marketing for motivated sellers, adding quality buyers to our buyers? list, and looking for tenants for our properties. But once we have those people on our list, what do we ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Using Testimonials To Build Your Real Estate Business
More About: Real Estate

How to Find Real Buyers for Your Wholesale Deals
2011-10-23 16:27:00
Many new investors start out wholesaling, and that?s the smart thing to do to quickly build up some cash reserves; however, it doesn?t matter if you know how to get your phone to ring off the hook from motivated sellers or if you?re a master at getting properties under contract, if you don?t know how ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. How to Find Real Buyers for Your Wholesale Deals

BiggerPockets.com Turns 7 ? Happy Birthday!
2011-10-22 20:18:00
On October 22, 2004, while teaching high school in Los Angeles and worrying about my own personal real estate investments, I created BiggerPockets. The seven years that have passed since then, have seen what was intended to be a resource for my own personal needs, turn into the greatest platform online for real estate investors ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. BiggerPockets.com Turns 7 – Happy Birthday !

Traces of Smoke in Silicon Valley and Other Real Estate News Out Here in th
2011-10-22 16:16:00
With over 10% of the world’s population counted as loyal members and hundreds of millions in disposable cash, high-growth tech companies like LinkedIn, Facebook, and even Groupon have sparked the Northern California real estate market.  Top level employees looking for a place to stay have revved up excitement to late 90′s levels; particularly in Palo ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Traces of Smoke in Silicon Valley and Other Real Estate News Out Here in the West
More About: Real Estate

Finding Equity in Mortgage Notes
2011-10-21 22:56:00
My experience with most real estate investment gurus has been less than favorable, for reasons that I won?t go into here.  There are a few exceptions, one of whom is here in Southern California and who I deeply respect for his intelligence and integrity.  My interactions with him have all been so positive that I ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Finding Equity in Mortgage Notes

Real Estate Syndication with Single Family Properties
2011-10-21 15:59:00
I have written a number of blogs in recent months about alternative methods for acquiring real estate investments. This is a pertinent topic for many investors because of the stringent requirements for conventional financing and the difficulty many investors face when trying to obtain financing.  For those individuals that have the ability to bring multiple ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Real Estate Syndication with Single Family Properties
More About: Real Estate

Landlords: How to Deal with a Negligent Property Manager
2011-10-20 22:05:00
I have to admit that the words Property Manager cause my heart to skip a beat or two.  Since the beginning of time, the landlord/property manager relationship has been one of trial and tribulation, punctuated by moments of true cashflow actually getting to the landlord.   For first time landlords who choose to use a property ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Landlords: How to Deal with a Negligent Property Manager

Fixing and Flipping Houses is Sexy
2011-10-20 19:09:00
Sex sells.  How else do you think the sitcom Married with Children, which ran from 1987-1998, managed to stay on the air for 11 seasons?  No, it wasn?t the ingenious comedic writing.  The show remained popular with the 25-36 year old male demographic for so long because the producers figured out that including scantily clad ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Fixing and Flipping Houses is Sexy

Research Reveals That Most Real Estate Marketing Leads Are Lost
2011-10-20 14:05:00
According to an article recently submitted by RISMedia, nearly 75% of online real estate marketing leads are lost by companies and professionals. Whether this means that interested prospects are being totally disregarded or receiving too slow of a response is beside the point. Why on earth would anybody allow this unforgiveable lapse to happen you ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Research Reveals That Most Real Estate Marketing Leads Are Lost
More About: Real Estate

How to Find the Best Commercial Apartment Deals
2011-10-19 07:00:00
The Leap to Commercial Real Estate Investments The stage is set . . . you?re ready to jump into the world of commercial real estate investments. Maybe you?ve been buying or selling single family homes, and your success is prompting you to think bigger, possibly on acquiring apartments — or, maybe you?re a new investor ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. How to Find the Best Commercial Apartment Deals

Short Sale Contracts: Keys to Success
2011-10-18 21:09:00
As I walk through the wacky world of short sales (and boy do I do a lot of walking), I have all sorts of experiences with short sale purchase contracts. I?ve seen listing agents who send all the contracts to the short sale lender for review, and I?ve seen buyers use letters of intent as ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Short Sale Contracts: Keys to Success

Controlling (And Conquering) Your Appraisals
2011-01-19 13:05:00
I’ve addressed this topic several times in the forums, and much of this post is taken from an old forum post I wrote, but this subject is important enough to rehabbers and other investors that I wanted to make sure it was captured here on the blog… One of the biggest areas where rehabbers and ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2010 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Controlling (And Conquering) Your Appraisals

Short Sales and the Title Report
2011-01-18 21:18:00
Almost every short sale chat that I have with a buyer, a seller, an agent, or an investor touches on some aspect of the title report. As a result of these conversations and my adventures in the wacky world of short sales, I cannot underscore enough the importance of ordering a preliminary title report when ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2010 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Short Sales and the Title Report
More About: Real Estate