How to be a SUPER INVESTMENT GEEK!

So you need more information on mortgage rates huh..

2009-06-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

So what in the heck actually makes up a mortgage rate??? What is a LIBOR index...why should I care???

And whats all this crying about a "sub prime" mortgage??? do I even have one???

Do you want answers to basic mortgage questions?

Mortgage answers.

How exactly and why do you invest in real estate???

2009-06-12T08:44:00.000-07:00

Ok so everyone knows real estate is a good investment...market conditions dont matter to much AS LONG AS YOU INVEST THE RIGHT WAY!!!!!

So if your looking for investment info on the whys and wheres...hit this:
Real estate investing story.

Hmmm Tax credit for buying a house???

2009-05-08T12:42:00.001-07:00

Cool things are afoot for those wanting to buy a home in the next year. The GOV has decided to sweeten the pot for those looking at getting a home.

Need more info?Tax credit for home purchase

Does California still set the trends in Real Estate?

2009-03-12T12:16:00.001-07:00

California has started to show some intresting signs of movement in the area of Real Estate...recently the market was all but closed to military vets who wanted to use the benefits that they had earned, to buy a home, (It is my personal belief that American VETS are not given 1/10th the benefits they deserve) now with the falling home prices, vets can actually buy something larger then a phone booth in good old Hollywood land.

Does California still set the unoffical standered as far as how things go in Real estate???? Can we expect to see a up swing soon????

More information on Real Estate investing or buying in California.

Real Estate outlook....Is the turn around coming sooner then later???

2009-02-25T15:40:00.000-08:00

So the white house has passed the MASSIVE stim package....but how is it really going to help those who invest in Real estate????

Are we starting to see signs that the market is going to turn around???

The following link gives a intresting view on the current market and the future.

Real Estate Outlook: Signs of Turnaround

Investing 101 "Warren's Way"

2009-01-22T07:58:00.001-08:00

We have been hearing about bailouts for weeks now…how they are supposed to help get things rolling again. The question in my mind is how did we get here in the first place??

I will go on record and simply say we did it to ourselves. We spent too much while making to little…and now everyone wants to play the role of victim and get rescued instead of saving ourselves.

I think the biggest lesson we ALL should have learned from this mess is this:

The human animal will always find it easier to blame someone else or justify why they acted the way they did…long before they step up and take the blame for a course of action they choose to take.

I was listening to a radio show this weekend where every other comment was “well so and so sold this to them” or “it’s the banks that made bad loans”….
I say BULL.

No one EVER walked up to someone and put a gun to their head and said “YOU WILL BUY A HOUSE THAT YOUR CANT AFFORD!”

People always want more or something…we are never happy to just make do with what we have…we must have more….it is greed that got us here….nothing more.

So in closing I give you your homework assignment….follow this link and learn from it. Feel free to take notes…I know I do when this man speaks..

Warrens’ ideas on investing.

Real Estate investor leads

2009-01-06T13:36:00.000-08:00

Okay, let's talk about realistic customer contacts, and how we can find potential customers.
For the sake of this article, I think that it's important that we state right up front that these tactics can be used by anyone. You don't have to be a real estate agent or mortgage broker.
Okay, that being said, let's move forward. The first thing you have to do when looking for new clients or customer contacts is make sure that everyone you know is aware that you are looking for just that. New clients.
So, start in your backyard. Talk to friends, family, associates, and colleagues. Ask them if they know anyone that wants to invest in real estate, purchase real estate, or whatever service you do pertaining to real estate. For example, if your gardener or a landscaper ask someone if they know someone who maybe in hotel or apartment management that may be looking for new gardener to tend their landscaping. The same thing can be done for someone who works in the pool and spa service industry.
Networking is absolutely critical to find fresh clients. Don't be afraid to offer say, a bird dogging fee. Paying someone to be a bird dog for you is a tried and true way of getting new leads for clients.

Advertising
When comes to advertising, every penny spent must be spent well. This being said, it's always the goal when having advertising to make a dollar for every dollar you spend at a minimum. If you have a real estate office, mortgage office, handyman, electrician, appraiser, home inspection business, or anything else that deals with real estate or real estate services. You must have some advertising.
The goal was advertising is to have your ad in a position where it is a long term placement. This can mean various locations on the Internet, such as directories, or established high traffic websites.
When it comes to real estate take in consideration that you have two audiences that are looking for you. The first member of the audience is the first time home buyer. This is the person that is looking specifically for you and your services to either purchase a home or maintain one.
The second member of this audience is the real estate investor. This is the individual that is basically the bread-and-butter of every professional in the real estate services or real estate profession. Typically they are looking to build a team of people that they can use on a regular basis. They will look for good real estate agents to bring them good deals, mortgage professionals who can find them a way to fund the that hard to fund loan, landscapers and handyman that will help them fix up that “fixer” property for a reasonable fee.
Think about it if it costs you $5000 in a year to advertise in a location that brings you $20,000 additional revenue. Isn't that a good investment on your part? Typically, I look for advertising it costs less than $500 a year.
Websites I would recommend advertising on for real estate professionals are as follows:
www.investor411.org this website allows you to place your name address and basic contact information online for free. If you're interested in having a link to your company website as well as background information on your company and an advanced listing. It's only $200 a year. This web site has over 200,000 companies listed on it and until 2008 was a private investor resource for real estate investors only.
www.investclubUSA.com this website is a small investor friendly Web community that focuses specifically on putting investors and investment projects together. There is no fee for this website. It is highly recommended, however, that upon joining. You fill out a membership profile completely to include all available information that you would like someone to use to contact you or your company.
The benefit of using sites, such as the above mentioned, is the fact that they cost very little that can potentially return a good profit for you. When you consider that the average burns up more than $400 in fuel costs a month. Spending $200, potentially on 24 hour day advertising is a sound investment.
Currently, real estate professionals all over the country are scrambling trying to make ends meet. Low cost 24 hour day advertising is the current trend is picking up steam. You no longer have the time to post flyers or door hangers that will just be torn off and thrown away.
Think about advertising 24 hours a day, seven days a week, focused on people that are looking for your services. That's the beauty of being online and working online with advertising.
For additional ideas and tactics read RE Leads: where are they hiding?

Real Estate investment NIGHTMARE!!!

2008-12-30T11:39:00.000-08:00

Checklists checklists checklists. I now use more checklists then I ever did before when it comes to my investments.

Okay so couple years ago I invested in 1940 “ ish” craftsman style house. It was a quaint little house, cute little front yard, cute backyard, quiet neighborhood, the type of place where people walk their little doggies on leashes down the street smiling at everybody.

The interior house was just as cute as the outside. Beautiful wood floors hidden underneath horrible carpet, large windows, and a huge kitchen. All I had to do was add some paint …add some landscaping and that was it.

WRONG!!!!

Everything was going great until... The electric went out! This was my major introduction to “old wiring.”

Follow link below to “a story that I wish I had read before I bought the house”….

Electrical Issues with fixers

Real estate investing tactics...

2008-12-17T09:38:00.000-08:00

If you have any intrest in real esatate investing you are going to have one major thing you will need above all else...LEADS.

Doesnt matter if your a investor or a agent/broker..it always come down to the same thing...you need to know where the deals are in order to pass them on...or take advantage of them yourself.

R.E. Leads article

Have you ever noticed????

2008-12-09T12:18:00.000-08:00

So this morning I am having coffee with a group of Real Estate professionals...and as you can imagine the topic turns to the current economic crisis we are in.

Our group is made up of real estate agents, a broker or two, one man who owns multiple mortgage houses as well as two (full time)commercial and residential, real estate investors..of which I am one.

The vast majority were expressing concern over how the new loans will not be as user friendly to the investor...how the decline of credit will kill off a new generation of buyers etc etc...

Now being one of the older ones in this little coffee clutch, I sat back and just listened to the conversation of controlled panic.

Comments ranged from the waste of money on the "bailouts" to the impending doom of the increase in taxes.

When out of nowhere I hear Robert (the other full time investor) ask the big question:

"So instead of worrying about yourselves, what are you doing about your clients...both new and old???

The silence actually hurt your ears. He went on to talk about how the art of Real estate investing has seen these pitfalls before...and people still manage to invest.

But he wanted to know about how these RE "professionals" were helping the client bases they had already built. Had any of them called old clients to see if they could be of some help??? Could they look at doing a restructured loan for them??? Did the client need to list a property????

One of the younger members of the group made the comment about not wanting to be "yelled at by a client over the current market conditions"....to which the reply was..."At the time you first worked for them did you do the best for the client that you could have??? or did you do the best for your commission?"

Needless to say I left our monthly "meeting" with a very different feeling as when i went in.

I was reminded that we the real estate profession is a service based career...and it is our job to server our clients as best we can.

Real Estate investors looking at HELOCS

2008-12-05T10:37:00.000-08:00

So like most real estate investors...you maybe wondering how to carry on with your "Real Estate investing plan".

Everyday we hear about more goverment bail outs...more banks making less loans...and the over all plummeting of our economy.

Here is a article that helps explain the HELOC loan (Home Eguiity Line Of Credit). Please PLEASE PLEASE (do you get the sense of concern here)Please do your research before you consider one of these...THEY ARE NOT GOLDEN parachutes.

Here is the link:
Is an Equity Line of Credit the Answer to Your Financial Needs?

News on commercial investments

2008-12-04T10:09:00.000-08:00

Here is a great video that was sent to me by a fellow investor...might want to take a look.

Commercial concerns in Real Estate

Here is another from the same source.

Market info on Commercial RE....good video

As always I suggest going to my Real Estate investing information to get more info...do you homework.

Real Estate investing- your BIG 3 MIND TOOLS!!

2008-12-01T11:08:00.000-08:00

Well my real estate investing friends...one holiday down..one more to go. I hope everyone has had a good holiday season so far. I am sorry about not droping notes as often as I hoped to but life has had some other callings as of late...But anyway.

Ok. So. The BIG 3 MIND Tools.

Mind tools are just ways to look at things around you. To be honest the tools are not specific to any given subject. (However for the sake of the topic..we are going to use then for Real Estate investing.)

1) ACCEPT FAILURE!!!! This is a VERY hard one to understand...let alone commit yourself to. Now what this means is that you need to understand that YES you can loose money. Ok...thats it... I want you to accept that this indeed can happen. ( Calm down...Im not done yet) Now...once you have accepted this...you can move forward with your real estate investing.

Most of the time when we as a human being, loose something we value, we tend to remember the steps we took that cost us that loss... and when you remember how the events unfolded you tend to notice where you could have taken steps that could have prevented it. So loss is not always bad.

Ok...now do you see my point. The Best lessons in life (and investing) are always gonna cost you something.

2) Commit to "Finding a way" "But Doc...I want to invest but I dont have any money." BING BING BING BING..WRONG ANSWER!!!

Go out and find the property you want to invest in..do the homework on it...price it out...holding costs... repair value...etc. Then Look for the money. It is far easier to walk in to a room full of strangers and get money for a investment you have outlined...then walk in and just ask for a blank check.

When you want to learn something bad enough, get something bad enough...you find a way dont you??? "Find a way."

3) Dont think your the smartest person in the room

Ok this one is the most important of all three. Just because you have read every blog/book/investment website...etc. doesnt mean you are the smartest person in the room when it comes to investing. I know some top notch Real estate agents who cant find an investment to save themselves...but they can talk you into buying a million dollar house.

You need to understand upfront that investing is a TEAM sport!! I will always drill this home. To be a really prosperous investor you need a team...this is NOT A SOLO event.

Mortgage Brokers, Real Estate Agents, Inspectors...etc etc...you need a team or a way to find these people.

Use web groups to ask around. Join REI Clubs. Drop a few dolloars and join a service to use the MLS.

You will not ever know everything you need to know to make a investment flow with out a hitch however, you can talk to people with the expertise in the areas you find problems in.

Use online resources for networking. Find out who is recommended for what? Need a good plumber because you dont know anything about plumbing in a 1945 craftsman home? Find one.

As always I will list a few links at the bottom for various services...USE THEM.

Now go out and invest.

Real estate investing information resources:

Tons of information from agents to brokers to title companies from all over the country. Real Estate investing information and resources

Mortgage info / real estate loan:

local and state loan information

Real estate investing information online - Where to find it and how to use it. (Tool Box #2)

2008-11-21T13:27:00.000-08:00

At any given point, at any given time, real estate investors are inundated with sources for information about all sorts of real estate investments.
News, T.V. blogs, websites, newsletters, the list goes on and on and on…
It is up to you to figure out what are the best sources for you to use and how to use them. I will touch on some of the sources that I use.

News sources

Ok…I will admit…one of my biggest sources of news for economic news is Forbes.com. I use them for the simple fact that they have up to the minute updates from ALL over the place. Bloomberg, AP, CNN money, etc.
I don’t have to go all over for the simple fact they do most of the chasing of information for me.

Forbes Economy Pages

Now for a second source of news (specific for real estate in the areas I invest in) I am also fond of DQnews. I have found them to give good update information and tracking trends for the part of the country I invest in most.
DQ news

Reference resources

Ok now when you’re looking at resources it is important to get the best bang for your “free buck” that you can. So resource good resource sites are really hard to find…at least a good “all in one” site is.

First on my list is Investor411.org. This website has a bit of everything on it. I have developed a good relationship with the owners of the site and like the future plans they have for it.
Right now you can log on this site and find a very high volume of good information about many real estate investing topics. They have information from mortgages to legal contracts. You can find real estate agents to gardeners. They have recently expanded to include FOREX information…and as of this writing are updating all the foreclosure information on the website.

http://www.investor411.org/

Real estate inspection links
Real Estate inspection reports

Real estate information reports
Real Estate information services

Real Estate agents from across the nation

Agents and office across the U.S.

In closing on this website, I was recently informed that in an effort to keep the content as accurate as they can…the offer free advertising to those in the real estate profession and services areas. Log in and check it out. I highly recommend it.

Online tools.
A few years ago I had the pleasure of coming across a young man at a wealth building expo who had developed a great tool for real estate investors.
The tool is: eRealinvestor.com
This website offers the investor the ability to view all the financial information you need to use to evaluate a potential project at a single glance. I cannot say enough about this website. In my opinion this is a top notch resource.
erealinvestor.com

Real Estate Investing - What Is A Subprime Mortgage?

2008-11-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

Real Estate investing is a investment choice that not only comes with strong returns...but also with its own lingo. (Not to diffrent from Stocks and Bonds...ok a bit diffrent.)

So Im always looking for good "bare bone" articles on terms and subjects to pass on...here is such an article.

Sub Prime Mortgage info

Real Estate investing- "Owner financing" explained

2008-11-18T09:49:00.000-08:00

real Estate investors...I found a rather good link that explains "Owner financing" in basic terms...

Real Estate investing information

So the economic down turn is bleek huh???

2008-11-16T17:07:00.000-08:00

Some intresting news during these "hard times" for investors.

Here are a few links to some intresting bits of info for my fellow investment geeks.

Warren Buffet Investor411 articles

And a little note about "Dot com's"

Investor411 Dot com Investments

Real Estate Investing During the Down Turn

2008-11-14T14:33:00.000-08:00

by Doc Schmyz

OK let's establish a few ground rules for this article first.

1) The market has had a down turn before...and people still made money.

2) Not every deal will fall into a cookie cutter format...keep your eyes open...and your mind even more so.

3) Not every tactic or idea works in EVERY state/province. ALWAYS check local laws pertaining to real estate transactions.

The above being said...let's move on.

Just because a drop in the market has taken place doesn't mean that you, as a real estate investor/professional, are out of luck. It only means you need to add new tricks and tools to your tool box. (Be warned I use "tool box" a lot.)

Marketing/locating property

Besides the normal channels of RE agents and brokers (still the best way to find good investments in my opinion) you have a huge amount or resources at your fingertip with the internet.
You can join website communities for investors, follow blogs, get in on group discussion...etc. All of these things can lead to new and interesting deals.
Some of my best investments have come to me via a web community contact. I also have gotten countless tips from other investors on investments and financing issues. Do not over look the value of belonging to an "investor community website."
I honestly feel that in the upcoming years the majority of investing will shift to being web related. Not just in finding investment projects...but in doing the research for them as well as the funding process and the majority of the marketing/exit strategy as well.

Finance

Right now we are hearing everyday about how the current market and credit crunch is making getting loans harder for everyone. This is currently a fact. No way around it. The loan process has changed. So what options are left?? The answer is several.

Owner financing. Lease options. Assumable loans.

The above mentioned will become the big trends in the next couple of years. I am waiting to see the lenders change the loan guidelines in the next few months to "re introduce" the assumable loan. We are already seeing a HUGE trend in short sales. (This was a practice that was used only in limited capacity in the last 10 years by most lenders...now it seems like every other distressed listing is a short sale in some cities.)
Do not let the current market conditions scare you in to sitting this investment period out. To the contrary...use it to inspire you. Take the time to do the research on finance options...look into building a LLC perhaps. Find out about buying real estate with your IRA. Etc, etc.

Buy books. Read investment strategies of the big names in investing. Use the time to educate yourself and above all be creative.

When everyone is running for the hills it is your time to figure out how to by the valley they just left.

Doc Schmyz developed a free Real estate investing website that offers real estate investing resources by topic as well as real estate information by state.

Real Estate Investing tools. (Tool box tips #1)

2008-10-02T14:14:00.000-07:00

Ok so it’s time to answer some questions about what the Real Estate investor should fill his or her tool box with. (And more so…why.)

Every Real Estate investor needs certain tools. This is the first article to recommend and suggest tools for the starting investor...as well as the seasoned one.
All the tools and or sources I recommend…I USE MYSELF!!!

OK so let’s jump right in shall we:

First things first…we cannot start to play the investment game if we don’t have a basic understanding of our credit. Now you might ask why I am starting with recommending a credit report before anything else. The answer is easy. If you have bad credit and you know it you will have one less surprise in store for you.
There is several online credit reporting services. Most of these companies also do credit repair. I recommend contact at least one and purchasing a copy of your “TRI MERGE” credit report.

Now a word to the wise here. Don’t think that if you log into “JOE BOBS house of free credit reports” that what they are going to give you for free is anything like a TRI MERGE report. It is not even close 99% of the time… so spend a few bucks and get a real one.

Sites I recommend are:

Doctor Credit they do both repair and monitor your scores for you for a very reasonable fee.

Another one I strongly recommend is:

Lexington Law also a very good company to work with. The best part is they are VERY meticulous.

Ok…now that we are done with talking about the credit issue. Let’s look at one of my all time favorite tools…and the best thing about it. IT HAS BUTTONS!!!

I hate having to work out all the constant non-stop number formulas in order to get to the bottom line of if an investment is worthy or not.

To be honest I just didn’t pay much attention in school to the practical application of mathematics. I mean other then balancing my check book what did I need to worry about. Besides anything I need to do I could use a calculator for.

Yeah right….

A few years back a friend of mine introduced me to a “Real Estate investor’s calculator”. I have been smiling about playing with figures ever since.

The calculator is put out by a company called calculated industries. Now let me start by telling you they have several models/bells and whistles. This is one of my all time 2 favorite tools.

This is the one I use:

Super Investment Geek calculator

This little gem will do all the math figures you need. Everything from DTI to PITI payments. It has a cash flow function as well built in. And to top it off it will allow you to enter all your figures in the same manner that Real Estate professional speak. Not to mention it is programmable for the local property taxes you will come across. I highly HIGHLY recommend this tool.

Well that’s it…the first tools I HIGHLY recommend for your tool box. Look for other “tool box postings” soon.

Just a fast note on investing and growth.

2008-10-01T15:59:00.000-07:00

First off I want to thank everyone for helping with the growth of Investor411.ORG as of yesterday we have over 200,000 real estate businesses and support services listed on the site.

Of those about 12% are our advanced ads that are helping our members get more traffic for the offices they work for and support services they offer.
If you’re not listed with us… then go toInvestor411.ORG and log in and set up your listing. IT IS FREE FOR YOUR REAL ESTATE BUSINESS/ support services business.

Ok…next in the hopper…today I will be closing escrow on two new investment properties. I was planning on buying till December but I wasn’t going to let these two go.

One is a duplex in San Diego... It will cash flow about $300 a month from the start. The other is a small SFR that will flow at about $322 a month.
For those that are still holding off on investing I can understand completely….however, if you’re an investor….now is the time.

Ok next order of chit chat….

I have come up with the crazy idea that I think I want to come up with an improved MLS for the nation. More often than not the MLS (at least in SO. Cal) is a bit off in the numbers…or they just don’t have accurate info. Not to mention it is not investor friendly at all…this needs to change.

So I am going to start the research process to “build a better mouse trap”. One that allows both R.E. pros to use it…as well as investors to find projects.

Let me know what you think.
Ok…well that it for now. Time to go sign some papers.

Real Estate Information for FREE

2008-09-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

OK gang...here it is...for the next couple of weeks I am going to do my best to list as many new REAL ESTATE professionals on the web site for free.

Lots of emails asking for more agents/brokers/etc in your areas...well since we cant get every areas targeted...im just pushing for across the country.

Sooooo if your a investor...a RE agent...RE Broker...or some one who does something or anything that involves REAL estate....sigh up for free.

Real Estate investing information this is where clients from all over are trying to find YOU!!!!!

I mean we can watch the news and panic...or we can get as much marketing for free as we can.

Geesh..how hard is the idea to help one another. So here it is...on my dime you can advertise your RE office...pool service....loan office...landscape business..etc..etc..

DON'T BUY A HOUSE!! (Till you do these first 6 things.)

2008-09-07T21:25:00.000-07:00

Getting into your first house is a scary deal for most of us. Terms we don’t understand, contracts written in legalese that we can’t figure out...and let’s not even talk about financing guidelines. Some people won’t buy a home just out of the fear of the unknown.

For most people buying a home is the largest financial purchase they will make. If it is your first time is sure to take advantage of all the program information and home buying programs you can.

Be sure to prepare yourself before buying. Here are six steps to follow before buying:

1) For most people, home ownership is an integral part of the American dream and the advantages (tax benefits, sense of home, financial investment) far outweigh any drawbacks. Think about what it will be like to be a homeowner.

2) Know your credit score from the start. If you have any bad credit issues, and we all do, be prepared to explain them. If your credit score is really low then you may want to use a credit repair company.

3) Understand exactly what your finances are. For most homebuyers the two most feared words are: DOWN PAYMENT. Today, there are so many different types of loans available that this shouldn’t be as much a worry as it was, say ten years ago. A good loan officer or mortgage broker should be able to walk you through the process and steer you clear of the programs to avoid.

4) Get pre-approved...NOT pre-qualified. Here is the difference. Pre-approval means you have already given a broker or your bank all the information they want in order to actually run your credit and finances in order to see what loan you can get and how much you can actually spend on a home. Pre-qualified means someone looked at your credit application and THINKS they can get you a loan.

5) While meeting with your mortgage broker or banker, have them look into any down payment assistance programs that may be available. There are many programs out there run by counties and cities and other agencies. The trick is to know about them, first, and then to see if you qualify for them.

6) First-time home buyer classes. Many lenders and Realtors offer home buyer education classes. They are usually a few hours long and will educate you through the process of buying a home. From applying for a loan, working with a Realtor, making an offer, going to escrow (closing), and various other responsibilities associated with owning your own home.

These six steps will help you on your path to owning a home. Just remember to ask LOTS of questions. Talk to friends and family who are home owners and see who they trust. Buying a home doesn’t have to be scary as long as you understand what you’re getting into.

About the author:
Getting into your first house is a scary deal for most of us. Terms we don’t understand, contracts written in legalese that we can’t figure out...and let’s not even talk about financing guidelines. Some people won’t buy a home just out of the fear of the unknown.

For most people buying a home is the largest financial purchase they will make. If it is your first time is sure to take advantage of all the program information and home buying programs you can.

Be sure to prepare yourself before buying. Here are six steps to follow before buying:

1) For most people, home ownership is an integral part of the American dream and the advantages (tax benefits, sense of home, financial investment) far outweigh any drawbacks. Think about what it will be like to be a homeowner.

2) Know your credit score from the start. If you have any bad credit issues, and we all do, be prepared to explain them. If your credit score is really low then you may want to use a credit repair company.

3) Understand exactly what your finances are. For most homebuyers the two most feared words are: DOWN PAYMENT. Today, there are so many different types of loans available that this shouldn’t be as much a worry as it was, say ten years ago. A good loan officer or mortgage broker should be able to walk you through the process and steer you clear of the programs to avoid.

4) Get pre-approved...NOT pre-qualified. Here is the difference. Pre-approval means you have already given a broker or your bank all the information they want in order to actually run your credit and finances in order to see what loan you can get and how much you can actually spend on a home. Pre-qualified means someone looked at your credit application and THINKS they can get you a loan.

5) While meeting with your mortgage broker or banker, have them look into any down payment assistance programs that may be available. There are many programs out there run by counties and cities and other agencies. The trick is to know about them, first, and then to see if you qualify for them.

6) First-time home buyer classes. Many lenders and Realtors offer home buyer education classes. They are usually a few hours long and will educate you through the process of buying a home. From applying for a loan, working with a Realtor, making an offer, going to escrow (closing), and various other responsibilities associated with owning your own home.

These six steps will help you on your path to owning a home. Just remember to ask LOTS of questions. Talk to friends and family who are home owners and see who they trust. Buying a home doesn’t have to be scary as long as you understand what you’re getting into.

About the author:
Doc Schmyz has invested in Real estate all over the U.S.. His website gives hundreds of investors up to date real estate investing information Get more info from across the U.S. on Doc's real estate investing resources

The investors tool box.

2008-08-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

I am always being asked. “Geek what advice can you give me that will help me with investing. What tricks of the trade or inside tidbits can you share with me?”

The best answer is you need to develop a “toolbox”.

Now before you go nuts scratching your head, let me define the areas of the tool box.
The tool box has three areas.

1)In your head tool box: This is all about how your thinking process works when it comes to investing, and more importantly how open minded you are about investing information. Are you willing to think outside the box in order to look at investment opportunities or must the investment fall within a cookie cutter method you having?

In your head means you need to read books, articles, partake in discussions, and basically interact with that big grey hunk of goo that is in your skull. It is about gathering all the info you can in order to be able to think about investing and where it can lead you.

IMPORTANT ELEMENT:While we all know that a zillion books have been written about investing it is more important to understand that you MUST have some knowledge from that book...WHY? Because if you understand what other investors are reading…it actually makes it easier to work with them since you understand where they are getting their basic tactics and understanding from, that helps steer them to the investments THEY are making.

2) Online tool box: This is one of the most over looked elements…when I say over looked I am not referring to being not utilized…but more to the fact it is not utilized to its overall potential.
For example do you have one site you go to more often than not for investment information? If so why? Your answer is most likely because they have the best info I can use. This maybe the answer however a little side note to this. Most of us get some sort of tunnel vision thinking that one or even a few sites will cover us for all the info we want…but in all honesty we normally close down other avenues of “information input “when we do this.

How do we get around the “Info input” shut down??? The answer is very easy…it’s called the opt in newsletter/update. Here is how it works. Simply put…you create an email address and when you come across a site you think may be a useful reference you join up for the newsletter they email out. They send it to your “Info email account” and you can go thru the emails as you choose. I must warn you however. Once you join an email list…no matter what stay with it for at least 6 months. (Not all great investment tidbits are sent out at first.)

Email lists to get on are for: investment clubs, investment blogs, investment reference sites, etc, etc. I avoid most of the “pop up “ mailing lists for the simple fact that if the info they offer is any good…someone else is going to share it and it will cause enough of a buzz that you will hear about it. If that the case then go ahead and join it.

Other online Tool box sites are certain “E tools”. These go way beyond having a mortgage calculator online. We are talking about tools that you are almost chomping at the bit to try. (I have to admit I have a few of these in my Tool box…I use them every day) When you find these tools you will just know it, find them and BOOKMARK them!

3) Actual physical tools: these are the tools you can actually touch and use when you’re making offers, inspecting property, or doing any one of the other hundreds of things that a good investor does before making an investment commitment. Most of these tools fit in a small briefcase or shoulder bag. These tools can be anything from flashlights, small inspection tools, to calculators etc.So in a nut shell that is all there is to a tool box. Build your tool box and USE IT.

I will be posting tools that have worked for me as well as services and website I have used over the last few years. These are items I recommend for the simple fact that I actually have USED them.

So look for my "ToolBox" recommendations. I will list them under the locations I have placed them in my own daily "super geek investor" life.

Happy investing.

Something for FREE!!!!

2008-08-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

How often does someone give you something for free???

So right now let me do just that for you. Yes I know this sounds like a sales pitch…but it’s not.
Right now go to my website and sign up for a free listing of your company… if you don’t have one…then sign up as a member in order to get the newsletters …go right now…here is the link: investor411.org now sign up as a member..Then go to list your business tab…and do just that. (In case you’re curious we have over 180,000 real estate services and companies listed on our website.) See nice and painless.
Ok so why am I doing this…why am I building the largest Real Estate resource directory on the web? The answer is because I hated having to beat the bushes for clients as much as you do.
I was a loan officer in So Cal who had a lot of real estate investors as clients. Clients always want to have the miracle “little black book” in order to call or contact the services they need to maintain the investments they have. Sooo since I was already building that book…why not share it with everybody. By sharing my contacts with MY clients…I got more clients.
It comes down to give your clients something for free, that they can use, and they will give you referrals.
My goal is to get you the exposure you need to succeed. Let’s face it print ads and campaigns are now where near as easy as hoping on the web and looking for information you need.
Right now can you sit there and tell me the email address or phone number of the last ad you saw in a magazine? Most of us cant.
Now let me be honest and upfront with you right now. Is this a free offer for you to list your real estate services company…YES IT IS. You can list your mortgage company…your real estate office…pool cleaning service…Landscape Company…I’m sure you get the point.
So my offer was made to you…it is up to you to act on it.