Every investor has heard how important it is to build rapport with distressed homeowners. What we never hear about is how to do it. What is it about someone that makes us instantly like or dislike them? We do not really know what it is about that person; we just know it is something.

Rapport is developed in the subconscious. We cannot quite pinpoint it, but there is something about that person that seems familiar and makes us feel comfortable around them. 

So…how do you establish rapport? Let’s start with a few basic tips. When I am looking for distressed homeowners, I like to knock on doors. It is the fastest way to get deals. If I knock on twenty doors over a weekend, I will have several contracts by Sunday afternoon. I would rather spend a day or two getting multiple deals instead of waiting for my phone to ring, hoping for just one deal. 

Here are some dos and don’ts when you knock on doors or meet a homeowner in person:

Do not wear sunglasses. Homeowners cannot see your eyes and subconsciously you seem suspicious.

Never wear a hat, like a baseball cap. Again, homeowners cannot see your eyes and are suspicious. 

Always have a clipboard in your hands so that both of your hands are visible. If you tend to stand with your hands in your pocket or behind you, the homeowners will think you have a gun and are going to rob or kill them and will not hear what you are saying.

Never wear cologne or perfume. I know this one seems strange, bu ... Read More…

Investing in real estate can be a lucrative venture, especially when it comes to purchasing an investment property. However, navigating the complex world of mortgages and financing can be overwhelming. This is where a knowledgeable mortgage broker can play a crucial role. In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of using a mortgage broker specifically for investment property transactions.

1. Expertise and Guidance: A mortgage broker is like a seasoned guide who knows the ins and outs of the mortgage landscape. Here’s how a good broker can benefit you:

• Understanding Your Goals: A mortgage broker helps you understand your short-term and long-term investment property goals. They assess your financial situation, compare investment loans, and can negotiate with lenders on your behalf.
• Tailored Advice: Brokers provide personalized advice based on your unique circumstances. Whether you’re a first-time property investor or a seasoned pro, they can structure loan terms, negotiate interest rates, and select features that best suit your situation.

2. Access to Multiple Lenders. One of the most significant advantages of working with a mortgage broker is their access to a wide range of lenders. Here’s why this matters:

• Comparison Shopping: Brokers research multiple lenders to find the best interest rates and terms for you.They save you the hassle of approaching each lender individually. Brokers can even tap into lenders and rates that ... Read More…

Securing the necessary “hard money” funding to buy and fix a property can be easy or hard, depending on how prepared you are with the paperwork your lender will need to process the loan fast.

When Do YOU Need a Fix and Flip Loan?

A fix and flip loan is a short-term loan is designed to fund both the acquisition and renovation of a property intended for resale at a profit, or as the first step in a buy-and-hold strategy, if you need the money to fix the property before refinancing it into a long-term loan.  

Unlike traditional loans that focus on the current value, a fix and flip loan assesses the property's potential value post-renovation, taking into account the planned renovation work to be done.

The loan typically includes the cost of buying the property and at least some of the estimated repair expenses, which makes these loans appealing for the RE investor doing rehab projects.

It’s a fast-closing, short-term loan with lower down payments and interest-only payments during the term (6-12 months). It’s meant to be used quickly and effectively to finish a project for profitable sale or refinance.

But to actually GET such a loan, you need to present specific documents to your lender, which demonstrate your ability to qualify for the project and manage it successfully. Here’s what you’ll need to be ready with to make sure that your loan has the best chance of being approved and closing on time:

The Application Stage

Signed loa ... Read More…

*** PLEASE CAREFULLY READ ***

If you are an owner or officer of any closely-held corporation or limited liability company (or any other business entity or serve as a fiduciary of any entity) – or intend to be, you need to carefully read about these new federal regulations that mandate disclosure of the ultimate beneficial ownership of that entity – the consequence being as much as a $500 per day fine for non-compliance.

For small business owners:

• We strongly recommend attention to this matter and compliance.
• If you have a long-dormant LLC or corporation, now may be a time to consider dissolving the same to avoid filing requirements under this regulation.

On January 1, 2024, the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) took effect, requiring non-exempt entities (both foreign and domestic) that are registered to conduct business in the United States to submit certain information regarding their “beneficial ownership” to a confidential database housed within the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”).  Unless exempt, the CTA affects:

• Corporations, LLCs, and other similar entities created by the filing of a document with the Secretary of State, whether formed prior to or after the effective date of January 1, 2024; and
• Corporations, LLCs, and other entities formed under the laws of a foreign country but registered to do business in any U.S. State, whether formed prior to or after the effective date of January ... Read More…

 “I know if this deal goes south, it won’t be because you didn’t try everything humanly possible. I have complete confidence in you,” said my investor, Bruce Z. I thought, “What could possibly go wrong in buying a cash flowing apartment complex?” I appreciated the confidence that Bruce expressed and knew I earned that confidence with all the experiences I’ve had over the past twenty years. However, how does one gain experience?  Have you heard the expression, “Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions”?

When I first started investing in real estate, I self-funded my deals. That is, I had the twenty percent down for hard money loans for my flips. I also had the ten percent down for traditional lenders to purchase rental properties. What I learned over time was that eventually one runs out of money; or at least I did. So, I had to learn different ways to finance my deals.

The success I’ve had using “other people’s money” (OPM) came from learning a few key issues that real estate investors look for. What do you need to keep in mind to successfully raise capital for your investments?

First, your potential investor should understand real estate investing, specifically the deal that’s on the table. My ninety-seven-year-old mother would gladly give me the funds for a real estate project because she loves me. However, she would not ... Read More…

We live in an age where there’s literally information and training everywhere. From association meetings to podcasts to YouTube to FaceBook, you can’t turn around without being exposed to the latest and greatest "wow factor" strategy or "new wisdom".

With all that success advice right at our fingertips, why is it that according to Inc. Magazine, more than 85% of people today don’t like what they do for a living? How can it be that the majority of Americans wake up every Monday morning dreading going to their place of business?

One clue is in the nature of the message that much of the modern-day success literature promotes:

"You should be outworking everyone around you"

• "You can manifest anything you want"
• “You have all the power to control everything"
• “Being rich and unhappy is better than being broke and unhappy”
• “The purpose of a business is to be profitable”

I bet you’ve heard every one of these things, and they certainly have their attraction. But I ask you, does any of it mesh with your experience in the real world? Or have you observed, in yourself and others, that the opposite of each of these things is usually the truth?

I’ve coached many men and women over the years that have reached what most would consider “the pinnacle of success” only to wake up saying, “is this it? Please tell me there’s more to life than this!” 

And invariably, what I found in coaching ... Read More…

A topic that Professional Housing Providers seem to discuss on a regular basis is how to make sure their tenants have renters' insurance … and … make sure that the insurance stays active. 

Most of the conversations I have had seem to have the same discussion points:

• Yes, the lease requires the tenant maintain renter’s insurance
• No, we don’t police the tenants to make sure they have renter’s insurance
• No, we really don’t know how to make sure the renter's insurance is in effect
• No, we really don’t understand why renter’s insurance is a big deal 

In VERY simple terms, renter’s insurance can help you remove a claim from your insurance history and probably save you money on your insurance program. If your tenants are without renter’s insurance ANY incident now becomes YOUR (the Professional Housing Provider’s) problem/issue.

As an example: you own a 4 unit, 2 story building completely leased. A 2^nd story tenant decides to take a bath and starts to fill the bathtub. In the process, they become distracted and eventually decide to nap while the tub is filling. They wake up 3 hours later and step into water on their floor. They rush to turn the water off but fail to notify you that there was an incident. 4 hours later, a downstairs tenant calls you to say they have water running down their walls. 15 minutes later, the other upstairs tenant calls to say they have water thru-out their apartm ... Read More…

     I see it every day: budding entrepreneurs who have the EDUCATION to get going and (at least say they have) the MOTIVATION to get going but don't do anything today, tomorrow, or the next day that's likely to GET them going. It's a brain lock that we ALL get about certain things at a particular time, and it's about the fact that creating an entire real estate business from scratch is just too overwhelming to deal with.

     I ran across this article that I want you to read if I just described YOU...I think if you follow the advice here, you can get over that hump and on to the job of getting successful, one day at a time.

     It's called "How to Actually Execute Your To-Do List, or Why Writing it Down Doesn't Get it Done." http://zenhabits.net/how-to-actually-execute-your-to-do-list-or-why-writing-it-down-doesnt-actually-get-it-done/

     What do you think? How do you motivate yourself to do boring, difficult, overwhelming, unpleasant things?

One of the critical questions that beginning  and intermediate-level real estate entrepreneurs struggle with is, “How do I know when it’s the right time to hire help?”

I’m not talking about VA-type help here; your lowest-level administrative work (sorting lists, looking up names in the public record, etc.) and your high-skill but non-real estate work (designing logos, creating websites) can be quickly, easily, and above all CHEAPLY farmed out to VAs practically as soon as you understand what that “work” is.

I’m talking about “inside team”—people who work with you on a day-to-day basis, who understand your business more deeply than an outside team member like a VA, who may, by necessity, be ACTUAL rather than VIRTUAL employees.

THIS decision—bringing actual “staff aboard” is always challenging. It seems as if the point at which your business grows to where it’s difficult (or impossible) for you to keep up with the day-to-day activities does NOT usually coincide with the availability of a ton of extra income to pay an employee.

So most people (and I’m one of them) wait a lot longer than they should to leap into hiring inside team members to grow the business.

But there’s a relatively objective way to evaluate whether taking that (admittedly scary) step is a good idea, and it has nothing to do with the size of your business or how many years you’ve been at it.

Presented as the most restrictive in the country and as being written 100% by KC Tenants, 231019 was initially a few lines in the Tenant’s Bill of Rights several years ago. Back then, the concept of forcing a US Citizen to take part in a Voluntary Government Subsidy Program like Section 8 was objectionable to the several 100 housing providers in the room, and Mayor Lucas lined it out. Based on his statements in the video above from the 25th, it seems that he has been working since that time with KC Tenants to bring this ordinance to the table.

Since the introduction in December, housing providers have been working hard to defeat the ordinance but learned that we were not going to have much luck defeating it completely. But with all the emails, phone calls, and meetings held, we were able to get a lot of the more objectionable items removed or changed, and now we have a repair fund that they are working on.

There is a lot in this ordinance, and many of the original aspects of the ordinance have changed in almost two months of intense negotiations since it passed the committee in early December. Those changes are reflected in the ordinance that passed today. Councilmembers representing both sides worked very hard to coalesce around common goals shared, with many of us offering support, assistance, and guidance along the way.

• Created a $1 million Landlord Risk Mitigation Program to provide landlords money offsetting costs associated with accepting voucher ... Read More…