As you can probably imagine, there’s a LOT that goes on in the background in running this big and growing community.

One of those things is an annual meeting where our team looks at big picture things like vision, mission, big projects for the year...all the things you probably do for your real estate business.

Years ago, we outlined a “Proven Process for Creating Successful Real Estate Entrepreneur” based on my decades of experience watching members join and then either meet their goals or not, and the first step of that process is, “We Meet You Where You Are”.

Over the years, that idea has guided a lot of the programs and decisions you’ve seen here, and it’s a philosophy we go back to over and over as the real estate market, and the economy, and world events, have evolved.

It’s a guiding principle here at COREE, and here’s why it’s so important to you:

1. You are at a unique level in your real estate knowledge and experience, and so we provide education, resources, and support for new, active, and experienced investors to meet your needs NOW, and as you progr
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I remember when I attended my first seminar, and the speaker said you have to have a system and discipline. I knew what the system was because he was teaching it. But I did not know what the discipline was until I began to apply the system. The discipline is that you have to take the action to make the system work properly. Through months and years of trial and error, I now know what he meant by discipline. I had to discipline myself to always take action, even when I didn’t feel like it. Despite all the easier softer ways of doing things today, I still sometimes don’t feel like it. But I force myself to take action.

Many years ago, I found something on the internet that I printed and framed, and it is on my office wall. It’s called, the “7 Excuses”.  I can’t do it, I’m not feeling it right now, I’m too busy, I’m too tired, there’s no guarantee it’s going to work, I’m not good enough, and my luck sucks. I still to this day do not know who the author is, but I read that from time to time to keep me motivated. I always check to see if I’m making excuses. Let’s break it down.

I can’t do it: if that’s what I’m thinking, I&rsq
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Trusts can be a powerful tool to have in your financial tool box. They can be a resource to help you build your financial wealth if you learn how and when to use them.

The first step is to understand the two main categories of trusts, revocable and irrevocable. When you use them, think of it as pulling a hand tool versus a power tool from your toolbox.

For example, a revocable trust is similar to a hand tool, relatively easy to set up and use. It is easier to administer and relatively inexpensive. A revocable trust can be changed easily and offers some asset protection.

A common way to use a revocable trust is a Land Trust which can hold investment properties and personal homes. Another common use is a Personal Property Trust which holds cars, boats and even notes. A living trust, used mostly for estate planning, can hold your personal home, assets, stocks and bank accounts.

An irrevocable trust is similar to a power tool because it is a little more complex to set up and operate. There are more rules to follow. It can cost more and can be permanent but it offers much better asset and privacy protection.

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Landlords have always had the ability to woo business travelers to their rentals. 

But now that online travel agencies such as Airbnb, HomeAway, and TripAdvisor have gone mainstream, it’s easier than ever!

Let’s define a corporate rental as dwelling that’s lease directly to a company or a business traveler who has a housing allowance. If a company is paying for the rental, and not the tenant, then it’s a corporate rental. 

When a company pays their employees or contractors to work remotely, then that tenant: 1 – Will behave and not embarrass their employer

2 – Will have a binary attitude towards your rates. Either they are within their allowance, or they aren’t.

These two characteristics make business travelers the most lucrative and ideal people for your rentals.

The Opportunity

Business travelers find that with short-term corporate rentals, they are able to afford more home-like conveniences for le
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Note: Laws and regulations regarding the advertising, registering, and formalization of private loans vary enormously state-to-state. Generally, these rules apply to the borrower rather than the lender, but even lenders should be aware of what the laws in your state say about these transactions. Of course, this article is not intended as legal, accounting, or other professional advice. Always consult with your legal, accounting, or other professional before making any investment.  Further, nothing in this article should be construed as an offering or solicitation of a security.

          Private lending is a strategy in which even moderate-income investors can easily get involved.

          There are plenty of real estate entrepreneurs and rehabbers who want to borrow your money; if you let it be known you have as little as $20,000 to lend in most markets, someone will be right there ready to put that cash to work.

          If all goes as it’s supposed to, it’s a truly hand-off investment; you just sit back and collect checks.
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Indulge me in a fable, and see if it jibes with your current, or perhaps past, experience as a developing real estate entrepreneur:

You’re standing on a sidewalk with your nose an inch away from a brick. It’s a good brick. You’ve studied it for a while, and you’ve come to the conclusion that it’s reddish, rough, and surrounded on all four sides by parts of other bricks. You’ve looked at it long enough to decide that it’s a pretty great brick.

Someone walks by and asks, what are you doing? Looking at this brick, you reply.

Are you sure it’s a brick you’re looking at? the stranger queries. You might want to take a step back, because there’s more to see here than you think.

So, you take a step back, and you realize that he’s right: the brick you’ve been so obsessed with is just one of many. In fact, from your new perspective, you notice out of the corner of your eye that there’s also something else--a hole, with glass and wood in it. I
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We live in an age where there’s literally information and training everywhere. From Zoom to podcasts to TikTok 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”

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If you don’t think that real estate investing is a relationship business, you haven’t been paying attention. 

It’s your connections with other investors that bring you the local knowledge, the referrals to the right professionals, the money, the partnerships, and the deals that let you prosper now, and for years to come.   

But these relationships don’t ‘just happen’ for most people. You have to be intentional about building and maintaining them, just like you’re intentional (I hope) about building a rental portfolio, or a buyer’s list, or a marketing plan.   

COREE exists, in large part, to provide a platform for you to find and interact with like-minded folks who can encourage and help you be successful, but you have to do your part, too. Here are some tips for the 95% of us who aren’t just natural ‘connectors’:  

1. Be intentional about your professional development. Read More...

          Way back in the mid-90s, I went to a workshop taught by the great Pete Fortunato.

          Several times during this event, he mentioned deals he’d negotiated or financed with the help of what he called “financial friends”.

          At the time, I had two thoughts about this: first, “Why does a guy who’s been in real estate for 30 years and is probably richer than Croesus need other people’s money to do deals?”.

          And second, “That’s great for him—he has decades of experience, so I bet he both knows a lot of people and is able to impress them with all the deals he’s done. I wonder how long it’ll be before some of these ‘financial friends’ find me?”

          As time has passed, and experience and observation has filled in the blanks, I’ve discovered the answers to both questions.

&nb
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Cabinets account for a large percentage of remodeling budgets. Flippers, landlords, and homeowners, often focus on price during kitchen renovations.  Although cabinets made of different materials might look the same on the outside, what the cabinet is made from and how it is constructed, can have long-lasting implications, impacting not only aesthetics, but durability, environmental footprint and ultimate cost.

The least expensive cabinets are generally made of medium density fibreboard, MDF, an engineered product is made by breaking down hardwood and softwood residuals into fine particles, combining them with resin and wax, then applying heat and pressure.

There are several disadvantages to MDF.  Water absorption is one. MDF soaks up water like a sponge. If exposed to damp or humid environments, it can swell, losing structural integrity resulting in sagging,

MDF’s fine particles also make it difficult for screws to hold, cracking or splitting when screwed into the edge of the board. Although MDF’s smooth surface is good for painting and finishing, veneered or laminated MDF products are prone to chipping around the edges
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