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How to Find a Real Estate Investing Mentor
2012-02-12 15:41:00
Over the past 10 years I?ve had several mentors and I still have one to this day. I plan on having a mentor until the day I die, because I?m pretty sure there is always going to be someone on the planet who is smarter than me. Just like everyone else, I?ve had good mentors ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. How to Find a Real Estate Investing Mentor

Real Estate News by the Numbers: Week of February 4 ? February 10
2012-02-11 15:57:00
A quick rundown of the important real estate news from the week of February 4 ? February 10, by the numbers: Less than 50% – Number of lenders offering mortgages to applicants with FICO scores less than 620 and a 10 % down payment. Borrowers are being rejected, even though the applicants fit within the government ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Real Estate News by the Numbers: Week of February 4 ? February 10

How to Create Property Specific Twitter Listing Pages
2012-02-10 14:33:00
I was digging through our archives today, and came across this pretty nifty training on how to setup property specific Twitter pages for your real estate social marketing. This is just one of many options that you can add to your arsenal of tools whenever promoting a local listing for your business. In fact, this ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. How to Create Property Specific Twitter Listing Pages

Motivated Door Knocker has 88% Conversion Rate
2012-02-09 21:45:00
No.  No thank you.  No can do.  No means no.  No go. No way Jose. As adults we?ll do almost anything to avoid having someone tell us no.  But children, they have absolutely no fear of rejection.  That is, until their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers and babysitters unmercifully beat them down with a never ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Motivated Door Knocker has 88% Conversion Rate

Building a Pipeline of Short Sales
2012-02-09 15:58:00
Any investor or homebuyer that has worked through a short sale in the last year knows what a lengthy process this can be. I actually bought a new personal residence in 2011 and it took 8 months for the bank to finally approve our offer. Of course, this was after multiple denials and re-offers, appraisals, ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Building a Pipeline of Short Sales
More About: Real Estate Investing

Our Real Estate Investing Model in Detail
2012-02-08 20:00:00
The questions I get most frequently via email from the BiggerPockets audience are: - Can you tell me more about your model? - Why do you think it works? - Can I copy your model in my market? - How can I participate in it? Instead of responding to emails weekly around these topics, I thought ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Our Real Estate Investing Model in Detail
More About: Real Estate Investing

How the Robo-signing Settlement will Affect You
2012-02-08 17:52:00
As the result of a massive settlement negotiated between states and lenders that is almost complete, major changes are in the offing that will significantly change the way lenders, especially the largest banks, service defaults and foreclosures.  For investors, especially those who invest in major foreclosure markets in states in participating, the settlement will have ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. How the Robo-signing Settlement will Affect You

Purposefully Planning Your Retirement ? What Is Time To You?
2012-02-08 14:05:00
Over the last 35+ years I’ve spoken with literally hundreds of people convinced they were seriously preparing for retirement. The problem for many is one of scale. For a couple in their 40s who make $80,000 yearly between them, $250,000 is one heckuva lotta money. Yet, if they’re 45, retiring at 65, turning that  amount ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Purposefully Planning Your Retirement – What Is Time To You?
More About: Real Estate Investing

Are Housing Solutions Really Part of the Real Estate Problem?
2012-02-07 19:00:00
Cash is King If you?ve been paying attention recently to the drivers of the real estate market, you may have noticed that there is a decided uptick in the number of ?Cash Purchases? taking place throughout the country.  Some estimates put the actual number of cash transactions at over 100,000 monthly across the U.S.  This ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Are Housing Solutions Real ly Part of the Real Estate Problem?
More About: Real Estate

Response Rates for Direct Mail at Different Times of Year
2012-02-07 17:35:00
Do you track the response you get from your direct mail campaigns each time you send one out? I hope that everyone said yes, because you should be. Tracking your response from each mailing is the only way you can figure out if it?s working like it should. It?s imperative that we spend those precious ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Response Rates for Direct Mail at Different Times of Year
More About: Probate

The Evolution of Short Sales
2012-02-07 17:00:00
When I was first invited to write for BiggerPockets, I was told that I had editorial freedom?but I should keep to my all-time favorite subject, short sales. Between the BiggerPockets Blog and my other gigs, I think that I have probably written about 2000 articles about short sales. I also calculate that sometime in 2012, ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Evolution of Short Sales

Property Management: Offense, Defense and Special Teams
2012-02-07 14:07:00
America’s great spectator sport is front and center with the Super Bowl taking place this past Sunday.  In professional football, serious resources go into the process of putting a good team on the field.  Each team has three smaller teams; offense, defense and special teams. Every good property manager needs the same structure.   Is your ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Property Management : Offense, Defense and Special Teams

Why I?m Getting Sued by a Tenant
2012-02-06 23:58:00
I once read a real estate book that said, ?If you?re a real estate investor, it?s not a matter if you?re going to be sued, it?s when you?re going to be sued.? Well, I?ve been in the business about 10 years and I?ve dealt with dozens upon dozens of tenants and sellers and I am ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Why I?m Getting Sued by a Tenant

So You Want to be a Landlord? Really?
2012-02-06 12:00:00
Several days ago I read a great post by Michigan landlord, Dennis Fassett, in the Biggerpockets blog section (article). It would have been hysterical if only it wasn?t so true. He discussed what he called The Boyfriend Disorder. He wrote about what happens when a prospective tenant shows up to view a property and has ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. So You Want to be a Landlord? Really?

Real Estate News by the Numbers: Week of January 28 ? February 3
2012-02-04 18:29:00
A quick rundown of the important real estate news from the week of January 28 ? February 3, by the numbers: 8.3% – U.S. unemployment in January, the fifth straight month that unemployment has dropped. All together, 243,000 jobs were added in January, 100,000 more than economists had expected. 1.3% – Drop in home prices month-over-month ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Real Estate News by the Numbers: Week of January 28 ? February 3
More About: Real Estate

How We Improved Our Facebook Ad?s CTR by 2,000%
2012-02-03 17:44:00
Recently we started running some split tests for our Facebook real estate marketing ads, and one of the ideas we tried is known as the ?Where In? campaign. In other words, this is a way to pull in traffic via Facebook by displaying an advertisement that portrays a local landmark, which visitors can guess at ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. How We Improved Our Facebook Ad’s CTR by 2,000%

Even Note Investing Has Guru Traps
2012-02-03 17:19:00
Our education in any business is infinite, and my passion in note investing has given me the opportunity to meet with some amazing people in the note business and I actively look for new information to perfect my craft. Currently I receive daily newsletters and publications on the concept of note investing, some of which ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Even Note Investing Has Guru Traps
More About: Real Estate Investing

Investment Property Valuation: Residential vs Commercial
2012-02-02 19:30:00
A man and his realtor walk down the street and the man says ?Realtor, I want to buy that house,? pointing to a beautiful 3 bedroom 2 bath home, ?What should I offer?? The realtor responds, ?Well, I?ve looked at the comparable sales in the neighborhood and it looks like another 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom home ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Investment Property Valuation: Residential vs Commercial
More About: Investment Property

Real Estate Investment Schools of Thought Vary ? As Does Their Mileage
2012-02-02 14:25:00
Many years ago a guy in his early 40s called for an office appointment. He’d invested in his first small income property, and was troubled by the advice his 70 year old dad had offered. In fact, there was tension between them about what investment strategies the younger man should employ. Dad, we’ll call him ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Real Estate Investment Schools of Thought Vary – As Does Their Mileage
More About: Real Estate , Real Estate Investment , Real Estate Investing

Know The Flood Zone Before You Buy
2012-02-01 20:05:00
Today I learned a valuable lesson about the accuracy (or inaccuracy) of the flood zone designation from our municipal tax database. I?ve known not to rely on the square footage or even the number of bedrooms listed in the tax assessor?s database, but I?ve always assumed that the flood zone designation was accurate. I have ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Know The Flood Zone Before You Buy
More About: Real Estate

Bulk Sales of GSE Foreclosures Begin
2012-02-01 16:42:00
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) today invited investors interested in purchasing pools of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA foreclosures in the nations hardest-hit metropolitan areas with the requirement they rent them for a period of year to pre-qualify. The new bulk sales program, under discussion since August, will begin with a pilot program ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Bulk Sales of GSE Foreclosures Begin

Foreclosure Update: Happier Days on the Way for Judicial States
2012-02-01 14:03:00
America has become a nation of two foreclosure realities: judicial states, where judicial review is required for every foreclosure, and non-judicial states.  Both have their processing problems, but delays in judicial states are setting new records and impacting local real estate economies. December data from Lender Processing Services (LPS) paints a picture of increasingly clogged ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Foreclosure Update : Happier Days on the Way for Judicial States
More About: Foreclosures

What?s Going on in REO World?
2012-01-31 15:33:00
Crazy, crazy, crazy. One of the agents in my office recently got an assignment for an REO. How exciting!. Agents love REO assignments, and this wasn?t his first. Here?s the crazy part: When I was going over the paperwork, I noticed that the property had been foreclosed upon by the lender in 2008. I couldn?t believe it, so ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. What’s Going on in REO World ?

If I were designing a Real Estate Investing Course
2012-01-31 14:33:00
Please Note this is just an outline of a sample course and I am not selling or promoting anything. I am simply frustrated by the lack of straight forward, simple to understand real estate investing courses. I was so frustrated that I took some time on my yearly vacation to design an eight-hour program that ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If I were designing a Real Estate Investing Course
More About: A Real Estate , Real Estate , Real Estate Investing , Designing

Life Changing Mentors
2012-01-30 16:26:00
I was listening to a program recently and the hosts were talking about mentors; specifically about the people in their lifetime that had actually changed their life. What these folks were talking about in most cases was someone that listened to them, valued them, had given them crucial information or a ?chance? at something. They ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Life Changing Mentors

Advertising on the top of a cab?
2012-01-29 18:06:00
I?m a big believer in always testing new marketing ideas. After all, an idea you think is never going to work may turn into a blockbuster method and get you a ton of deals. In fact, just this morning I had a friend of mine email me and tell me that he was in a ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Advertising on the top of a cab?
More About: Real Estate Marketing

How to Buy Real Estate after a Strategic Default
2012-01-28 19:20:00
A patent attorney.  A certified public accountant. A physical therapist.  A Real tor.  A retired utility company worker.  A mechanical engineer.  A doctor.  A nurse practitioner. An elementary school psychologist. These are just a handful of people I know that have strategically defaulted on an underwater mortgage. While their backgrounds and occupations are diverse, all are ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. How to Buy Real Estate after a Strategic Default
More About: Real Estate

Real Estate News by the Numbers: Week of January 21 ? January 27
2012-01-28 14:05:00
A quick rundown of the important real estate news from the week of January 21 ? January 27, by the numbers: $25 Million – Listing price for billionaire Tim Headington’s Miami Beach penthouse. The 11,962 square foot unit is located next door to Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s unit. 6.2% – Drop in new U.S. homes ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Real Estate News by the Numbers: Week of January 21 ? January 27
More About: Real Estate

4 Tips for Creating Killer Real Estate Marketing Emails
2012-01-27 17:17:00
Did you realize that you could currently be sitting on a mound of cash for your business? Leads that are literally ripe for the picking? And in fact, most of your competition is probably not taking the necessary steps to liquidate this real estate marketing goldmine into consistent closed transactions. What I?m referring to is ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 4 Tips for Creating Killer Real Estate Marketing Emails
More About: Real Estate , Real Estate Marketing

Make Agents Your Seller Financing Allies
2012-01-27 14:25:00
It?s  a hurdle most real estate investors run into early in their careers?.  How to find real estate agents that understand the ?unique? offers investors make to seller?s agents. Whether it?s the idea of buying with seller financing or taking an option on a property, most real estate agents have never heard of these transactions ...This Article is Copyright © 2004-2011 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Make Agents Your Seller Financing Allies
More About: Real Estate