Real Estate Investment Startup: What You Need To Know

There is no excuse for real estate investors to be in the dark as there is so much information available on internet websites including YouTube.  Information is also freely shared on social network sites like Linkedin and Twitter. So many experts are available and will freely tell you what, when and how to invest and the processes that need to be followed.  All this information can be accessed.  In a short time after you have closed a few deals and assuming you have been following the right advice you too can become an expert in the housing wholesale market.

Flipping houses is usually the first rung of the ladder that most housing wholesalers have climbed.  This is a way to make a commission without spending a dime on your real estate business and the only investment needed is your time, commitment and determination to succeed.  By acting as a go between and connecting someone who wants to buy with someone who wants to sell you can make money while learning your trade and honing your skill-sets.

Reasons That Hold Would-Be Real Estate Investors Back

Some would-be real estate investors think they need a pile of cash to put on the table to make deals, when in fact there are various ways to leverage an investment deal without using your own cash or borrowing from the bank.  Although it is more difficult to do this than was once the case it is still possible.

Find a real estate broker to partner with you to provide “wet funding” as double closings are difficult without some money shown on the table.  Remember that nothing ventured is nothing gained.  Some types of double closing have become illegal but a good real estate broker that knows the ropes and loopholes will find ways around this and help you stay legal and respectable in your transactions.
Failure to invest in some real estate formal training is a pitfall that you should avoid.  You can get some good accredited real estate training online and a certificate to prove your credentials.  This will give you added confidence and you will be perceived as the professional that you have become and has earned respect and recognition that you deserve.

Training and practical experience will be a great foundation on which to build your real estate investment business and remember the expression: “Mighty oaks from little acorns grow”.  It will take time to build trust and build your real estate business but you will have a great sense of fulfillment and achievement on the journey.

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

Smart Tips To Refurbish Your Bathroom

Having a smart and fresh bathroom enhances the quality of your life and you should not put up with tired fixtures and fittings or stains on the sink, toilet or bath.  Tiles should be secure and have clean grout in-between.   We all start our day in the bathroom so we want this to be a pleasant experience to get our day going on the right note.

Depending on your budget and skills, you may opt for DIY or engage the services of a bathroom fitter and if you go for the latter option be sure to ask for recommendations before committing to employing anyone.

If you do it yourself then be sure to have everything in hand before you start work as you don’t want to be using your bathroom while it’s like a war zone casualty.  Items like special vanity top mirrors and some specialist design tiles may take several weeks to arrive.  So make sure you have a check list for new fixtures like mirrors, plumbing fixtures, new lighting and tiles.  Having everything on hang will help you to figure out if you need to move the plumbing lines for the sink, bath or shower.  Also additional wiring or replacement is necessary for the lighting.
If you have a second bathroom this point is not so important but keep all this in mind before you start ripping everything out.

TIPS FOR WORKING ON YOUR NEW BATHROOM

• Shop around for your vanity as home stores have a limited choice.  Delivery may be quicker from local independent suppliers who may do you a deal on price and delivery and even have choices including marble edgings for your new bathroom.
• Upgrade to making a recess in the bathroom shower for shampoo and soap.
• Removing vinyl flooring can be easier if you cut it into sections before removing as just ripping it out may leave stubborn pieces stuck down hard to the bathroom floor.
• Use accent tiles sparingly as they still make an impact if you put thought into how to make the most of them in your new bathroom.
• Curved shower rods for your bathroom look smart and will save space compared to square rods.
• If you are replacing a vinyl you will likely need a “spacer” to put under the toilet so that the toilet and bathroom floor are flush.
• Update the bathroom lighting as you want the entire look to be new and no outdated lighting.
• If you get out of your depth in the middle of a bathroom plumbing or wiring job don’t be too proud to call in a professional to sort part of the job out.
• Although a new bathroom is a big expense splash out on a couple of the features you really want.

As with any home improvement it’s important to consider your budget however never compromise the quality of your work as well as comfort, usefulness and the style that you set your mind into.  Remember to plan this project thoughtfully and consider the smart tips mentioned.  You and your family will enjoy this feature and you will enhance the value of your home

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

Shhh… You Know Who’s The Seller?

If you are a serious qualified buyer and you can’t find a seller or what you’re looking for posted on the internet, or in the local real estate agents window then you need to ask around about any “pocket listing” in your preferred neighborhood.

“Pocket Listings” are not included on the multiple listing services, where realtors can tap into other agent’s buyers and these properties are not openly advertised.  Instead it is marketed directly by the agent or broker – “it is in that person’s pocket”.  The seller keeps control about who knows the home is for sale, who may view it and ultimately who may buy it.
 

REASONS WHY A HOME MAY BE A POCKET LISTING: 
          

·         Seller may be a high profile person who does not want nosey tire kickers wasting their time.

·         Seller may want privacy due to divorce proceedings.

·         Seller may have previously listed the property and it didn’t sell.  They feel that listing at the present time is a hassle and they just can’t cope with the rigmarole of listing, open houses and disappointments

·         Seller feels that agents will charge at the end of the listing term regardless of whether the property sells.  With a pocket listing the agent or broker will have to work and get the place sold and earn their guaranteed broker percentage.

·         Seller bought the property for top dollar before the 2006 – 2008 property bubble burst and has come to realize that to get the place sold a realistic selling price may be less than he paid.

·         Seller may be embarrassed selling at a loss.

·         Seller wants to avoid a posse of neighbors who may accuse him / her for selling too cheap and for driving down prices.

·         Sellers who are not high profile people, like movie stars, who go down this route are generally not so motivated to sell and may want to seek a “make me move” offer at a good price without the expenses and risks associated with listing on the MLS.

 

A pocket listing can heighten interest by giving an illusion of exclusivity that may stimulate some buyers to start bidding higher than asking prices.  This kind of arrangement is not new for luxury houses costing millions of dollars but now even $200,000 house sellers may be enticed by a 3% – 4% broker commission to get their place sold.  FSBO’s (for sale by owners) often fall back onto a broker deal as 80% of FSBO’s fail to sell at a desired price.  It is more likely that folks selling in this lower price range will have been courted by agents and brokers rather than being the instigator of the arrangement.
 

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

 

To Renovate Or To Buy A Renovated House

This guest post is by Malhar Bhagat

So you hear the real estate market is coming back.  Great!  Your neighbors, friends and Grandma (well, maybe not Grandma just yet–when Grandma is ready to start flipping houses, you better sell ;) are all talking about it.  All the major media sources are saying real estate is roaring back  and you can sell your home fast.  Awesome! You’ve been meaning to get involved after your stocks took a nosedive in the last several years and you’ve barely made it back to what you initially had… 5 years ago.  You’re thinking diversity.  Maybe you have a friend that owns some rental real estate and talks about 10% or more returns on investment (just on cash flow).  Maybe you saw some statistics somewhere about the advantages to owning rental real estate.  Wherever you heard it or saw it, real estate is an excellent method to long term wealth building.  As I continue to build my income stream, I rely less and less on my day job (flipping properties) and more and more on continuing to build my passive income portfolio.  A $3-5K return per year per property isn’t much, but when you multiply that by 10, 20, or even 30 properties, you don’t have to work too much longer now, do you?  So now what?  How do you get into your first rental property?

You could get in touch with a real estate agent and find a “good deal”.  Now, this is not a knock at all realtors (so if you are one, please don’t mind the next comment), but realtors get paid on commission, i.e. they make money when you buy.  There are some GREAT realtors out there, but as an investor, I’ve come across more realtors that have told me what a “good deal” is, and, frankly, it wasn’t.  Just because it’s a smidge under market value doesn’t necessarily make it a good deal.  Alternatively, you could do all the marketing for motivated sellers, take the calls, do the analyses and then negotiate with the motivated seller inorder to sell your home fast.  Sounds easy, but wait until you start doing it.  It is a lot more entailed than the one previous sentence.

There are many things you have to look at.  To name a few:

1. Look at the comparables, both rental and resale
2.  Survey the neighborhood (what’s going on there?)
3. What’s your demographic?
4. What type of renovation, if any, is needed to sell your home fast?
5. Which elements will increase the value of your home?  Which will give you the most bang for your buck?

And that, is just the tip of the iceberg.  Now, as most experienced investors know, you pay for education in the real estate investment arena one way or another.  You either pay upfront, by educating yourself or you pay with experience.  So, if you decide to do the latter, here’s some quick things of how the process should work:

1. Locate a real estate property that is a “good deal”.  I can’t necessarily get into that, because a book can be written on that one topic alone.
2. Determine the comparables, both resale and rental to sell your home fast.
3. Determine a scope of work by visiting real estate properties in the neighborhood to ensure you’re not under or over rehabbing the property.
4. Interview at least 3 contractors for every trade.  Check their references, insurance, and license.
5. Hire a contractor for each trade and create a contract with each.
6. Manage the renovation so as to finish in the most time efficient manner while still staying at or under budget.  You did have a small “oops” contingency right?
7. Make sure to pass all required permitting inspections.  You did pull permits right?  You’d hate to have, say, an electrical fire in the house because your uncle Bill said he knew how to ground all the outlets because you’re going to be dealing with the consequences, not uncle Bill.
8. Ensure the renovation work has been done properly–wait, you didn’t go through a contracting course/code course?  Well, you can hire someone for this.
9. If the renovation work is not done properly, get the contractors back out to fix it… wait, you paid them already?  Well, that wasn’t the smartest thing to do huh?
10.  Now, if you made it through all of this successfully, great!  You’re 50% there.  Now you got to rent or sell it.  And what about price?

The list goes on and on, which, FINALLY brings me to my point.  You could just purchase a renovated real estate  property from an investment company that has a proven track record and raving fans.  There is a HUGE value that companies like this bring to the real estate investing arena.  First of all, they identify a property with good value.  They run all of the numbers and negotiate the best deal possible.  Thereafter, they manage the renovations.  Most have done this 10s, if not, 100s of times over and have relationships with contractors, agents, mortgage brokers/bankers, property management firms, inspectors, etc.; you name it, they likely have a contact for it.  If they don’t, they know who to go to for a solid referral.  Finally, some of them can even put you in touch with a property management firm that can bring you a tenant to rent the property  or to sell your house fast.   Some may even have done this for you already.  Although you’re paying for the service, the headaches of learning a brand new business are minimized.  You can continue on with your life and collect checks on a monthly basis.  So, you could do all of the stuff (and that’s only a small subset of the stuff you need to do) outlined in the 4-5 paragraphs above, or just what was written in this paragraph and still end up with a similar product.  Yes, it will cost a little more, but the time and headaches that are saved are well worth it, depending on your interests and time commitment.  If you like spending your Saturdays and Sundays chasing contractors, great!  I prefer to spend my time with my friends and family!  Shoot, if you learn it, maybe I’ll give you some of my business! ;)

Malhar Bhagat has been a full time real estate investor for 5 years now. He got involved with his first rehab property using a credit card and a hard money loan. Today, he has completed over 75 renovation projects and continues to expand his market area involved in several markets throughout the USA. Feel free to connect with his company on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/M2REST.

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

Dream Home Mortgage Calculator: A boon for the nascent home buyers!

Are you planning to buy your dream home for the first time?  If so, then you may be a little nervous to find out the amount of mortgage you can afford to buy that dream home.  Most people may not be aware that their monthly mortgage payment is not only the loan amount but it is inclusive of the annual property taxes, homeowners insurance along with mortgage insurance.

Therefore, your mortgage payment is determined on the basis of all the above factors, plus principal and interest.  But keeping all the above factors in mind, it can be really difficult to calculate your monthly payment.  So a mortgage calculator can be beneficial for you to calculate the total amount you need to pay in a month. You can find a mortgage calculator on the Internet and it can help you determine your mortgage payment with ease.  A good calculator can help you compare the rates, so that you can get the best deal for your dream home.

Here are some of the points that can help you understand why a mortgage calculator is beneficial in buying your dream home.

Mortgage Calculator – It can help you understand what you can afford:
You can effortlessly understand what you can afford to take out, so you can avoid getting into the trap of debt.  If you submit the required details like the price of that dream home, the interest that you can afford to pay, annual property taxes along with mortgage insurance, then you can estimate the amount you can afford.  Your home mortgage calculator can help you estimate your total monthly payment.  As a result, you can estimate the amount you can afford to take out to avoid financial set back in future.

It helps you compare the mortgage rates:
Recently, consumers are really smart as they’re equipped with modern technology that helps them to get the best deal.  Modern technologies like Internet and smart phones can help you calculating your monthly mortgage. The young home buyers are constantly using the on-line mortgage calculator from their smart phones or Internet to get the best deal from their loan providers. These people are constantly comparing the rates with other loan providers. When they compare the rates, they get the best deal from the loan providers. So, these calculators have become popular from time immemorial.  But still, only a few young people are making the right use of this gadget.  Therefore, a calculator can help you get the best deal between adjustable rate mortgage and fixed rate mortgage.

Helps you understand whether it is beneficial to pay off the loan early or put a large down payment upfront:

A good mortgage calculator can help you calculate how much you can save over the life of the loan for your dream home, should you put some extra down payment, make bi-weekly payments instead of monthly payments or pay more towards the principal balance each month.  Therefore, you can make your own choice in how you want to pay off the mortgage.  A good mortgage calculator can help you illustrate the break ups.  It can also help you understand the benefit of minor changes while you pay off the loan.

Therefore, you’ll want to increase the use of a mortgage calculator to buy a new home, refinance your current dream home loan or if you’re planning for a reverse mortgage.  If you’re well aware of the rates, then you can effortlessly choose the best deal for yourself.

Different types of calculators available on-line:
Here are some different types of home mortgage calculators available for your requirements:      
Cost Calculator:  The cost calculator can help you calculate the entire cost related to your dream home.

Monthly payment calculator:  A monthly payment calculator can be beneficial for you to estimate your payment that you need to make to pay off your dream home loan. Therefore, you can be well aware of the amount you can manage to pay in advance.  In fact, it can help you understand whether you can afford to take out the loan.

Repayment Calculator: You can estimate your dream home monthly repayment balance with the help of a repayment calculator.

Adjustable rate mortgage calculator: You can effortlessly know the amount you need to pay towards an adjustable rate mortgage of your dream home.  In adjustable rate mortgages, the interest rate starts from a low percentage and increases in due course of time.  Therefore, the calculator can help you estimate your monthly payment in relation to fluctuating rate.

Amortization schedule calculator:  You can understand how your monthly payment reduces your loan over the course of the loan term. You can get an explicit break up of your payments toward the principal and interest.  Therefore, you can increase your monthly payments with the help of this calculator if you wish.  You can pay off your loan faster if you increase your monthly payment on your dream home loan.

In conclusion, the above calculators can help you provide a better picture of how much mortgage you can afford among other things.  If you’re aware of the different types of calculators and their use, then you can get the best deal out of your dream home according to your needs today.

This article has been contributed by Sam Stokdale, a financial writer specializing in mortgage. Immersing himself with the financial sector, he has covered topics including real estate investment, mortgage refinancing, lending and borrowing, managing finances and credit advice.

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

Real Estate Investor and A Realtor

Some people imagine that Real Estate Investors and Realtors do not rub along together harmoniously and while the two groups may not always see eye to eye, the idea that they are inevitably enemies is just an urban myth.  The truth is that investors and real estate agents have a more harmonious relationship than many imagine or suppose that they might.  Collaboration rather than confrontation is more likely in most cases, most of the time although all human relationships are subject to ups and downs just like the soap operas on TV but that’s just “Life Buoy”.

Investors Could Enjoy Advantages of Being a Licensed Realtor

Access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) could help investors to be the first one in a queue to snap up a genuine not to missed bargain.

Commissions are available to licensed agents on all successful transactions that an investor makes in addition to the profit made when selling.

Agents can collect a 3% – 5% co-op or commission even when another agent has the listing as opposed to some investors.

Realtors are great at networking and getting the inside information that makes a difference so partnerships and collaboration between realtors and investors is desirable if not mandatory.  Realtor groups can provide useful courses and guidance to become proficient in real estate processes leading to your improved efficiency and standing in the community as a respected professional in the field.
So, if you are an investor and you qualify as a real estate agent, you can enjoy the best of both worlds.

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

The K.I.S.S. Theory In Real Estate

The KISS theory, we all have heard of it.  Keep It Simple…(you can choose your own last word).  A very powerful theory and concept to keep in mind with all things real estate.
Real Estate has the potential to be as complicated as we want to make it.  And there is no shortage of people out there that will make it complicated if given the opportunity.  Your goal as a professional in serving your clients in particular is to keep things simple every chance possible.  There is a rarely a reason to overcomplicate a real estate transaction whether buying or selling.

Today, I’m going to focus on three specific areas that should be common to most if not all real estate professionals where the KISS theory proves very effective in any real estate transaction.
The Marketing – whether you are an investor selling a property or you’re a listing agent listing a property, simplicity here is bliss.  Shoot for effectiveness.  Pick modes of marketing that have been proven to be effective, time and time again and do them well.  Very, very well.  There’s a lot of niche type marketing out there that you can try.  And lots of suggestion out there that for a small fee you can figure out how to do a hundred things under the sun that may or may not work.

Many of these things sometimes are guaranteed, sometimes are not, and sometimes are just free tips on Youtube.  Again, evaluate well.  Choose wisely but keep it simple.  The reality is that keeping up a bunch of marketing does take work and tracking it takes additional work.  So consider picking and choosing your spots that have proven to be the most effective time and time again and systemize it to the point of complete simplicity.  It works very well.

Communications – A wise friend of mine several years ago told me a phrase that I will never forget.  We had just sat down through an all day meeting in my past life of IT.  The seminar at our office was all about communication tips and ideas on how to work as a team.  This gentleman was in his 50s and at the conclusion of the event looked at me and he said, “Frank, I heard this exact same seminar about 25 years ago.  Most issues are almost always a communication problem.”  That phrase has stuck with me since.  Every time there is a problem, sure enough it is usually due to some kind of communication issue.  Or, most specifically miscommunication, or in some cases a lack of communication.  Reality is, we live very busy lives.  And it is an extraordinary easy to not prioritize communication to the level that It needs to be kept at.  Many times it’s because people fear that there going to be bothering someone.  And while that may be true, I have found repeatedly that it’s better to over communicate than under communicate.  I have never seen someone get upset for over communication beyond just being told, “Oh my, you’re talking quite a bit here.”  But for under communication we’ve seen problems from one end of creation to the other and the results can get pretty ugly in some cases.  So again keep it simple.  Communicate well, communicate effectively and never leave anything to assumption.  Always ensure and if possible document every pertinent communication that even has a slightest chance of impacting anything.  Trust me, when something goes astray, and you can point your finger back on something it does wonders for quelling, any potential fires that could brew and flare up from a situation.  Keep it simple and just communicate!

Paperwork – paperwork is one of those things where at least in our state, it does not have to be complicated to be effective to close a deal.  An example we run into sometimes is where people feel like everything needs to be on a state contract.  We have no problem with a state contract and we will gladly use it.  But, there is certainly no requirement to use it.  And we have found that Sellers in particular and Buyers really appreciate contracts that are much shorter and written in plain English rather than legal speak.  Attorneys have no problem with these contracts in our state which is a wonderful thing.  We also encourage Buyers and Sellers to, if they are concerned about their contract being too “simple” or too “short” that by all means they can review it with their attorney.  What we have found without exception is that they don’t have any problem with it with the only changes coming usually being specific concerns regarding a specific item on the contract or a special thing that the Buyers/Sellers would want us to notate.  An example of this would be just taking a statement ‘As-Is’, and highlighting it with something to the effect of ‘Seller selling the house As-Is and will not repair anything’ to which we say that’s fine, let’s plug it in.  We’ll both initial it and it’s all good.  We find that many people really do appreciate the simplicity of paperwork that is effective.  Have solid paperwork but again keep it simple as everyone loves to read in plain English.  And some people don’t even like to read so they really appreciate it!

There are many more factors we can talk about with regards to the K.I.S.S. theory in Real Estate these are just some common one to practically any Real Estate transaction.  Simplicity will allow your transaction to go so much more smoothly whether you are buying or selling a piece of property or working with someone to buy and sell it for you.  No matter what the case keep it simple use plain English and all parties have a higher likelihood of coming out satisfied in the end with the results.  Best wishes to your simplicity!

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

Find Your Real Estate Formula For Success

A lot of people are asking me why our houses sell fast.  What is my real estate formula?
Strategies and ways are all written in real estate motivational books.  We also hear stories from other investors that we come across with in the real estate industry.  Sure what they claimed works for them but does it really work for you?  Or are they just preaching to the converted? And are we just jumping on to a bandwagon in the hope that it’s a gravy train?  However, as the saying goes the proof of the pudding is in the eating.  After a few months and it’s not making money so there must be something wrong with your strategy.

Let’s say others don’t have the experience in the real estate or training, but if you have the flair and the talent there’s still a chance to be successful in this business.  So, it’s a question of dipping your toe in the water and taking a limited risk to find out that you’re on the right track.
Why not list down your key competences that you used to be successful in other jobs that you’ve done in the past and apply these in your real estate business?
If you worked in the department store where you’re in charge of direct sales then you already understand clients and how to approach and handle them.  So then, you’ve got a people skill which is very important in real estate!

If you have good computer skills and have worked as an administrator, this will help you to develop your website and e-marketing in your real estate business.

Or maybe mom and dad own a store and you observed the wheeling, dealing and trading wholesale goods then you know the concept of real estate wholesaling.

Or perhaps you’re one of those people who is a fanatical D.I.Y.-er.  Then, this is the right time for you in real estate business to apply your skills in rehabbing houses.

After listing down your key competences and finding out as to how passionate are you in real estate business, get a mentor to guide you along the way.   And mentors will ultimately help you  reach your goals faster.

So, who said there’s a secret formula?  The formula is not secret at all the main thing here is to utilize your own skills and channel them into your real estate business.

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

Real Estate Mentoring VS Real Estate Courses

So, if you’re even remotely interested in Real Estate today, undoubtedly you have probably looked online for education and seen a myriad of courses. Whether you are seeking to be an agent, a better marketer, a better investor or just get mentoring, the number of options available to you today is dizzying at times.  In some ways this is good because it encourages healthy competition.  At the same time it can be a problem.   Why because many people have been labeled “gurus” and the term “guru” has definitely developed a bit of a negative stigma with a lot of people where a lot has been promised yet little delivery occurs.  This part of the equation actually works both ways as there are several gurus out there who do charge a pretty penny but if you really maximize what they tell you, you really should see some if not a lot of success.  At the same time, there are materials out in the internet that are questionable at best relying on outdated methods.  The question is how do you know who is who?
 

These are the challenges you’ll have to go through as you decide on your real estate education.  While nothing beats firsthand experience, firsthand experience in Real Estate can be very expensive.  So, it’s usually best to avoid it whenever possible when you’re dealing transactions that have multiple zeroes at the end. We recommend a couple of things.  One, decide on what it is specifically you want to do.  The focus theory applies.  Focus is an acronym for Follow One Course Until Successful.  Let that sink in for a moment because this is usually the first place people go astray.  Focus = follow one course until successful.  How does this apply to real estate?  It’s very simple.  You pick one avenue in real estate and get really, really good at it.  The moment you start trying to do multiple things is usually when the problems begin.  You want to get to a point where you are very good at one thing.  So, if you’re going to be a real estate agent, a marketer, a wholesaler, a rehabber, a landlord, whatever the case, pick that method and get really good at it.  Once you’ve made that commitment now you are at the point where you have to make a decision.  Do I just want to leverage online education?  Do I want to do a home study courses?  Do I want to get a mentor or do I want a combination?  There is no right and wrong answer here.
 

Getting a mentor usually will cost you the most but will probably get you to your success the quickest as they will help you along the way.  However, you are paying for time and knowledge so there is usually a bigger cost to get in as people’s time is valuable.  And one must always respect that.  Do not fall into the trap of trying to determine what someone’s time should be worth.  That is not a decision that we can make for anyone and everyone is welcome to decide what their time is worth to them.  It simply up to you to decide if you are willing to pay for a particular persons help.  That being said, if you don’t want to put in the bucks for a mentor, you can just do a home study course.  There’s a ton of good home study courses out there.  It is often said that if your home study course gets you just one deal that more than pays for the course, it was probably well worth it.  For the most part there’s a lot of truth to that.  As always there are exceptions.  But usually most home study courses provide a few golden nuggets that can get you to get a deal to where you’ll make more than you paid for the course.  With home study courses now going for anywhere from 30 to 1000 dollars, this is not unreasonable as most real estate transactions will make you well plenty more.  (If they don’t, then that’s a separate discussion on itself).
 

Of course if you don’t do a home study course, you can always go with free content online.  When you go this route you’re basically depending on blogs, facebook groups, websites and YouTube primarily.  While there’s a ton of value to learning how to do stuff on these sites, what I have found is usually you don’t get the complete picture.  This is because you’re getting things in a snippets. Sometimes you get enough to put the entire deal together but sometimes you don’t.  I have seen people get burned going this route so caution is advised since they did not have the big picture for their transaction.  So, again you just have to decide how hard you want to work at it.  The beauty of a home study course is if it’s a good one it will bridge those gaps for you.  The amount you pay is more than worth the time you’ll save to trying to scour the internet for every little post.  The phrase “don’t jump over dollars to save a few penny” definitely applies here.
 

Eventually you will want a mentor.  With every successful person, there’s usually a mentor behind them.  We need the coaching and guidance of people that have paved the path before us and the time saved is huge.   So whatever path you choose, do plan on allocating some of the money you’re going to make for mentoring to continue growing yourself, not only as a person but for your business.  They ultimately help you reach your ultimate goals faster.
 

With the internet we have tons of options available today so evaluate your choices well.  And remember, Real Estate is not a get rich quick business.  Work hard and passionately and we look forward to seeing you on the other side.

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

Not Enough Time To Work On All Your Leads

Not enough time to work on all your leads?  This is nearly every Real Estate professionals dream come true…..to have more leads and you know what to do with.  This is a great problem to have and arguably it’s really not a problem.  It’s a challenge that’s exciting because there’s so much opportunity in it.  However you can easily, once you have an effective marketing strategy, overwhelm yourself.  Each of these leads, more often than not represents a human being that needs a human ‘touch’ to build a bit of a rapport with, to establish trust and as a result these things take time.

However one can only do so much as there’s only so many hours in the day.  At the same time if you don’t work with all of them, you’re certainly leaving money on the table and opportunity to grow your business and further your success.

Enter virtual assistants.  Virtual assistants can be immensely helpful.  The reality is the majority of leads we work with usually start the same.  We get the feel for what the situation is and then from there we get the basic information about the property.  And we learn about what the financial situation is to a degree so we can understand what we are up against.  And then, we begin assessing what we can do with the property, whether we’re going to buy it with cash, whether we renovate it, whether we will rent it, whether it’s a short sale candidate, or perhaps it needs to be listed with a real estate agent, or perhaps some other kind of terms arrangement can be created.  There are so many possibilities.  But the initial research to start framing the direction can almost always be handled by a virtual assistant.  Very few of these things require physically being on the property to get the process going.  As a result, we are able to convert more opportunities because we’re spending less time driving around.  The result is more time working with people developing the relationships that need to be developed to assess the situation best.  Ultimately, we are able to help more people and make more things happen.

Without virtual assistants, things generally take longer but with them, we’re able to get in there and really assess what needs to happen.  This allows us to get to the bottom of the situation with every Seller much, much faster.  Your assistants can go to the tax records and get the basic information. They can talk with the Sellers to fill in the gaps.  They can run comps just using online tools to get the rough feel of valuation.  They can then work with your agent to leverage the MLS whenever it’s necessary to really pinpoint data.  As a result, once you start combining all these things into a systemized process, all of a sudden the idea of working with 40, 50, 100 leads at a time becomes very manageable and not so overwhelming.  It takes a team to pull this off.  So my suggestion today is once you have a marketing campaign that is generating leads successfully, go ahead and build the systems you need in place to get the leads managed and touched as quickly as possible.  In doing so, you’ll find your business likely will go up and your success may start to soar.  And you’ll be able to ultimately do what we all do with real estate and that’s help people.  So not only can we be financially rewarded but we can see the smiles on peoples face when they’re able to have their house taken care of and move on to the more important things in their lives. That last part is truly the most rewarding.  Systemize your business today and leverage virtual assistants wherever you can!

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

How To Grow With Your Real Estate Competition

We can all have the ambition to be the best Real Estate Investor in our state or at least to be a better one but how many of us actually do something to realize our aspirations?

It’s a bit like making New Year’s resolutions, we start out with the very best of intentions and then laziness or apathy takes over.  The same often applies to our real estate and investing business hopes and aspirations, if we succumb to apathy.  It’s easy to think the real estate competition was well established before me and that they are now bigger, better and have sound financial backing.  It’s easy to convince yourself that there’s no point in trying to be as big, as good as or as successful as the competition.

To be more successful in real estate and investing, you must hold on to your ambition and should not allow apathy to creep into your thinking.  Also, you need to keep up with current ideas in real estate and investing.  This comes from education and collaboration with your competition.  There are plenty of conferences that you can attend to learn and network with likeminded investors and realtors.  And by building useful relationships and acquaintances you will be able to find out on how they think and operate their real estate and investing businesses.  It’s good to attend some conferences in person but there are others where you can join in or listen in using teleconferencing.

Work out the total market size within your specialty for the states and counties you do business in and calculate the real estate market share you have compared with each of your competitors.  Then, find out about your competition’s strengths and weaknesses.  And see how to avoid such weaknesses in your own real estate and investing business by doing something different or something extra.  The real estate competition may be very good at finding good leads early, buying low and selling for higher prices than you could.  So, find out how to do that yourself.  It could be that they are just quicker off the mark than you or their customer services are giving more perceived customer satisfaction.

After understanding what your competition is doing right and doing it better than you have been doing, then plan changes in your business to match and exceed the competition.  This could be putting the right personnel in place to contact real estate buyers and sellers or training your admin to be more efficient.   It could be something completely different like moving away from buy to let rental properties to concentrating on selling houses, wholesale.

However you decide to change your business approach and whatever you decide to do differently, you can be better than the rest.  Also, remember not to fight with your competitors because sooner or later they can be your great allies in real estate and investing business.  Instead, work with your competitors and listen carefully to what they say.  In the end, having good and harmonious relationships in real estate and investing business is the way to do it.

<b>Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com </b>

Bidding Games In Real Estate

Bidding is second nature to property investors in real estate.   And there is a process well established for bidding for HUD foreclosures.   How about bidding for a house listed with the main street real estate company?

Bidding is usually the term used when something goes under the hammer at an auction, isn’t it?  In real estate, we can use the term to bid, and bidding to mean offers and counter offers.  And we should question what has brought about a recent increase in this kind of bidding?

Some real estate agents may persuade sellers to list the price low, particularly for houses that previously were unsuccessfully listed with another agent and it did not sell.  This is a selling and marketing strategy for some agents.  A home that was previously on the market for $600,000 may be priced requesting offers around $500,000 and a $2,000,000 luxury home may be re-priced at offers around $1,500,000. Such prices will attract a lot of interest especially when the real estate agent is skilled at marketing.  But wait, this does not necessarily mean that these houses will end up being sold at a knock-down price.  In many cases, when there is a huge interest in a well priced real estate property, several offers may be received and when someone really wants to make sure they win, then they will offer a higher price bid.

It has been suggested that marking prices down to a level that the real estate seller cannot accept is a game intended to attract many interested real estate buyers. Doing this is a crafty way to proceed but it is legal to do this albeit a risky strategy if enough real estate buyers to cause a price hike did not show up to make “expressions of interest” – that’s still an offer in plain English.
At the end of the day, in bidding, the best price usually wins as long as the real estate seller can accept a price. If the best price bid was too low then either the agent did not market aggressively enough to attract interest or the price was still too high.  In this case, the real estate seller must decide to accept a price even lower than it was listed for or try again later, maybe with yet another agent.

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - 

Ansley Parkside

“Spectacular Ansley Parkside”

I love to travel and discover new things, when I get a chance to visit Ansley Parkside, I really had a great time and experience when I was there.  I visit my friend’s house and I was so impressed with the beauty of the community.  Her house is like a dream house to me.  It’s very elegant and great design, modern interiors and spacious living space that opens to expansive decks - ideal for entertaining.  Neighbours are very friendly and very polite.  I had a chance also to tour and walk around the town.

There are different styles of houses which include Colonial, American Federal, Neo-Classical, Italian Renaissance, Queen Anne, and Tudor styles, as well as Prairie School and Craftsmen bungalows we found in here.  There are apartment complexes and condominiums, too.  I also love the amenities; they feature full size, sparkling pool, outdoor fire place and a gas grill – perfect for family or group gatherings.

Trees and flowers in the corner give beauty and add colors in town.  Pretty houses, parks, boutiques and entertainments are just a walk away.  Ansley Parkside is walking distance to Piedmont Park and a wide array of dining, entertainment and nightlife.

Ansley Mall is also within walking distance, I get a chance to go inside and look for food and some souvenirs!  I also met some young professionals in the mall and talked for a couple of minutes.  This community is really perfect for young professionals or students who still have a love affair with Atlanta but need a quiet, more serene neighbourhood.

After an hour of staying in the mall, we go out and visit the Botanical Gardens.  I was amazed by the creative and fantastic garden.   The garden is a wonderful place for both children and adults, featuring a realistic rainforest environment complete with exotic birds, hundreds of tiny tree frogs, and turtles.  This has been one of the beautiful botanical garden I’ve ever been to.  They have well organized and well cared for gardens that makes me entertain.  There were several people when we arrived, mostly group of students, young professionals and families.

Aside from parks and malls, there are more walking distance attractions we found here in Ansley Parkside.  There are coffees like in Amsterdam Café, Red light Café, Starbucks and more.

Above all, Ansley Park can provide everything you want for living.  This is a very peaceful community with elegant houses.  In my one day visit, I really had much fun and great time with my friend.  One day is not enough to make this all happen; however, we explore and do everything in just one day trip.  So come on down to this little oasis and spend some time. So much FUN! FUN! FUN!

So, for the home seekers, travellers, tourists, what are you waiting for!  Visit Ansley and you will see how beautiful and elegant their homes are.  No matter what you’re up to, rest assured that you’ll find some excitement here and better deals.

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

Is It Time To Sell Your Investment Property?

It is now well documented that inventories in markets that were rich with investment opportunities just one year ago have been drying up quite a bit. Hedge funds, private equity firms, and institutional backed organizations have been coming in and buying up inventory en masse. As a result, inventory has dried up! The result of all these is simple economics…less supply, higher demand, higher prices. And so we’ve seen some rather inflated inflation of prices in some parts of town. We have seen houses that sold for 50,000 one year ago now selling in the 70000-80000 dollar range. This is quite a jump of appreciation in a short time period. Time will tell how sustainable this all ultimately is but as we know, Wall Street has a way of coming into an idea and exiting just as quickly which can radically change prices. It is entirely possible that we could see a mass of price adjustments again in the future but only time will tell.

In the meantime, since we are in a bit of a bubble, the question is if you bought an investment property in the last 3 or 4 years where you got it at a great price that was nice and inexpensive for cash flow purposes, has there been enough appreciation to make it worth selling? Well, the question goes back to what are your goals? I read an article recently that said somebody sold theirs and they made $10,000. I thought to myself $10,000 versus no cash flow and for me that personally will not fit my goals however it might be a great goal for someone else especially if they have a hundred of them! Then perhaps that goal makes perfect sense as that’s a nice easy way to make quite a bit of money in a hurry. So, one must check their goals to see if in fact it is ultimately time to sell. We think higher prices in better days are still ahead but they are farther down the road based on strengthening and stable markets as opposed to a quick rise bubble which is what we are experiencing right now.

 

So, if you own an investment property and you’ve thought about selling, I would ask you to consider to not abandon your long term goals. Did you buy the property for cash flow for the long term? If so, you may want to stick with your plan as we all know inflation is coming. If you bought with the intent to only hold properties for one, two, three years, then yes, maybe now is a good time to sell and cash in a little bit and move on to bigger and better things. As Robert Kiyosaki said, four green houses, one hotel. It’s not a bad time to do that all if you are looking to grow in that direction!

 

An argument to not sell may be that while cash is king, cash flow is even better. There’s nothing like getting a check every month for very little to no effort when owning cash flowing properties. It is truly one of the best avenues out there for making money and we all know the life blood of a business is its cash flow. We are in a special place where we have the opportunity to pick and choose before the market corrects yet again and I don’t think anyone doubts it will. In the meantime, happy investing, good luck to you and look forward to hear how it turns out.

 

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

Why You Need An Emergency Fund For Your Real Estate Business

Even a well run real estate business with a good reputation and with a foresight to weigh up possible risks can still run into unexpected problems and setbacks.
Skilled real estate investors buy houses and resell them so quickly for a return on their investment so that any costs incurred are residual and easily absorbed by the profits.  Flipping houses, whether or not there is any rehab, is associated with wholesaling.   And the principle of connecting sellers to buyer’s works for all kinds of commodities, including houses.  After starting out in real estate business, a few successful transactions can make a tidy sum with enough to live off and reinvest back into your business venture.  However at this point, it is prudent to start to set aside a sum into a fund to cover for unexpected delays and problems.  For example, a house bought at an auction may come with faults that you will be obliged to declare or rectify.  Either way, to sell this real estate property you will either cut back your profit margin by selling cheaply or you may decide that you can make a handsome profit by giving the house a rehab.
To do the real estate rehab, you are going to need cash to buy materials and to pay your certified contractors.  Depending on the extent of the rehab and if this goes beyond a paint job and new counter tops in the kitchen or to replacing rotten woodwork and a new roof then, you need to tie up a pot of money for several weeks or even a few months.
If you are a very lucky person, used to things that are always going exactly your way, then you may think why bother to keep money tied up just in case.  In real estate wholesaling, sooner or later you will need funds for such a project unless you have a cash rich partner willing to stump up the necessary funds at short notice and you would be well advised to make a provision for such occasions.  A sum equivalent to six months operating costs for your real estate business is considered a workable amount to cover for unseen events that could see your business falling over a financial cliff.  You still need to pay wages, overheads for home / office associated with your real estate business, not to mention taxes, insurances and HOA dues.
As well as having the real estate emergency fund to continue paying for bills you already know about, also consider some other reasons that are not as foreseeable:

• Renters unable or unwilling to pay their rent leading to legal costs to have them removed.
• Squatters moving into an empty house leading to legal costs to have them removed
• Partner with cash withdraws or passes away
• Rehab costs shoot up due to unforeseen structural defects
•  Buyer insists on you bearing closing costs and you have no other buyer

There are 101 reasons why you need a real estate emergency fund to fall back on so that your real estate business can not only survive a setback, it can also turn that setback around.  So that you are bigger, stronger, better prepared to flourish and prosper and take whatever unexpected surprises that comes along in your way.

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

The American Dream and Real Estate Agents

For most Americans, buying a home is one of the largest financial transactions they will ever undertake.  Their motivation may be a desire to own their own home, to accommodate a job change, or to gain a smaller or larger living area.

In recent years, we have seen a dramatic change in the valuation of residential real estate. While some areas have fared better and some have fared far worse, the average home in metro Atlanta is down approximately 30 percent from its high point five years ago.  You might expect that home buying in general, would have lost some of its luster. And in some areas it most certainly has.  Neighborhoods that commanded a higher dollar five short years ago are run down in some spots and some have become ‘warzones’ as you hear on the streets. In spite of this, a recently released report by the NAR (National Association of Realtors) shares some interesting discoveries:

First time buyers accounted for 39 percent of the total homes bought, only slightly below the historical norm of 40 percent.  Among recent homebuyers, 30 percent stated that their primary reason for their purchase was their desire to own a home.  Real estate agents continue to play a key role in the search for the right house despite the rise of searches for homes starting online rising to 90 percent and above.

Apparently the American dream has not diminished too much but rather slowed a little as the lending institutions have made lending available on much stricter terms.  The reality still remains that a lot of people do not want to be renters even though we have seen articles alluding as such many times in recent years.  People still like the opportunity for their money to count toward something of equitable value and with prices down, they recognize that that is a much stronger opportunity today for when prices rise.

What Buyers may be running into now is that the mad dash to buy a home ‘is on’ in markets where inventory is low. I know one couple who has been looking for a home for nearly a year.  In an attempt to find their ‘perfect’ home, they went from a Buyers market to a Sellers market and now are kicking themselves a little bit as their choices have dropped. The perception of tons of inventory forever has indeed faded.  Yes, finding and reading information about homes for sale is easier now that it has ever been but understanding, interpreting, and applying that information is not so easy.  This is where a good real estate agent comes in.

Today’s home-loan applicant faces multiple pitfalls on the road to a successful closing. Appraisals come in low, inspections seem to beyond silly nit-picky, lenders have stricter terms and want higher visibility into your finances and what used to be a very good credit score is not enough for some lenders.  A good agent can help bridge these gaps. The above mentioned issues are all very common however a good agent can help navigate these waters with confidence to ensure success to the best of their ability.  If you are Selling a house, the same holds true as it is remarkable how many people still believe their home is worth what it was in 2007 which is seldom the case in most of our market.  A good agent can help get the house sold by helping the Seller have realistic expectations to sell today!

With approximately nine out of ten home sales being assisted by a real estate agent in the last year, the role of the real estate agent even with today’s technology is still quite secure. There is specialized knowledge needed that most homeowners simply do not want to take the time to learn.  With time being a precious commodity in today’s high paced world, the time spent with a solid real estate agent is time will spent indeed.

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

Generate Real Estate Leads and Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

I recently read an article by Sir Richard Branson advising to use an unlikely mix of people from different backgrounds, placed in unusual but enjoyable situations to get a “think-tank” of unusual and creative ideas that can work. This beats brain storming on Monday morning with a bland backdrop of filing cabinets, clinking of the coffee cups and the refreshments trolley moving around the office.
Some Out of The Box Ideas:

• To close more real estate deals, think creatively, go to the park and join in with the yoga instructor.  As we all know yoga makes the body more flexible and relax even if you are in a stress stricken environment.  Encourage your staff to practice yoga as well.  Yoga can help them feel happier, peaceful and more energetic.
• Travel broadens the mind and it can sharpen your wits to close more deals. Go on a nature trail or climb a mountain or jump onto your speed bike and peddle your way to somewhere and enjoy the journey.  You may also offer free trips to your staff as an incentive for increased productivity.
• Read that motivational book about flipping your way to millions and read all the blogs about housing on LinkedIn or Twitter so that you are fully attuned to current ideas and can follow on with your own plans.
• Hear what employees and clients are saying and react to their needs before issues get blown out of proportion.  Also keep up with social media posts so you always know what people are saying and thinking.
• When calling Sellers have something interesting to talk about.  Make them aware of what’s going on in the Real Estate market these days. Or make them talk in terms of what interest them the most and give some of your insights that will help them realize the importance of why their decision is the right decision.
• When dealing with Buyers and Sellers, make sure that the number works and always a win-win.
• The Power of focus. Your overall performance depends largely on your ability to focus.  Focus is one powerful strategy that every successful businessmen and top performers thrive.  Your 100% focus will help you enjoy more of your time, reduce any stress that you’re experiencing and of course increase your net worth.

Don’t ignore the importance of creative thinking out of the box and do use your imagination to stimulate the gray area even if some may think your means a tad eccentric.  Do not be afraid to exhaust your ideas until you reach a level that is worthwhile.  Remember that any idea can be improved after the initial thoughts. This concept applies to all great products and no one launches into full scale manufacturing without developing a prototype first.

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

To Succeed in Investing in Real Estate Don’t Let Dollar Signs Blind Your Vision

Consider this scenario and see how the folks you meet up to do business with perceive you.  If you always have an agenda to resell and flip houses and that’s the extent of your vocabulary, then you are missing out.  People appreciate some personal touch, some rapport and a relationship that’s not just ‘okay, it’s sold, I gotta go, I am done here!’, ‘Thank you, sir or ma’am.’  ‘I don’t have business talking with this guy anymore, I got what I wanted.’  Your goal to succeed is dependent on how you manage to transform your business goal into something more meaningful and ideal.  People do business with people they like and trust is the old saying and it’s true.

It’s about common sense, common decency and identifying common interests that you and a potential client and/or business partner share.  It could be your ambition for your kid’s education, or writing a book.  You can always find something that you both can relate into.  Not everyone is likeable though so, we try to answer the question, ‘why do people like us in the first place?’  People like us when we are honest, genuine and positive.  Before we worry about impressing our potential client, let us be ourselves and say genuine things and make sure that we deliver.  When the client sees your sincerity they will start to open up and that’s when you can further establish the relationship.  The business bond between you two can prosper.

When you establish a lasting relationship, you will care about the risks you take and the business risks your clients take because of your recommendations and advice. The sincere and good advice you give will lead to repeat business that should last for many years to come.  And business will not just stop between you two.  When your client is happy, business can multiply.

Remember, the biggest turn off is greed and the lust to just make money.  This just adds to the aversion people feel towards you if you are perceived that your only goal is the satisfaction of making lots of cash and have no interest in the outcome for your client.  You have to be committed from start to finish.  Do not shy away from commitment.  Do it and don’t make excuses.

To achieve better relationships send e-mails and social networking messages that are not just about availability and prices on deals.  It’s better to share a part of your life. This is not only more satisfying but may genuinely put you in a preferred category when time comes time to talk shop.  People will talk and they will recommend you. You will be seen as an expert in your field.  Remember, a good deed will never be forgotten.

Turn over a new leaf today and start to build lifetime business relationships that really bring about win-win deals.  Whoever says “People do business with people they like and trust”, absolutely hit it right.

Sell Your Atlanta House Fast for Cash Today! We Buy PRETTY and UGLY Houses! We Pay Cash for Homes and We will Buy Your House Fast! We are Atlanta Real Estate Investors. We look forward to hearing from you today with your Atlanta Real Estate needs! Visit - http://workingwithhouses.com and http://atlantabuynow.com

Always Be Marketing

ABM – Always Be Marketing…EVEN in a Sellers Market

We all know this.  Really we do.  In Real Estate, it is truly all about marketing.  Our market right now along with many others in the country is a Seller’s Market in many pockets.  I have already started to hear the conversations in some agent circles about good times ahead.  While that may be true, my first question is always ‘How do you plan to leverage your marketing during these times?’

While the days ahead may indeed be promising for listings, one need only remember what happened a few short years ago to many agents who enjoyed the real estate boom without lifting a finger.  Always be marketing was not on the forefront of many people’s minds.  Always be marketing was ignored.  Always be marketing may never be needed many thought.  The lack of Always be marketing is what caused many of them to now have jobs and be in other career paths.  What goes up must come down.  And Real Estate is different.

Many agents today survived the tough years by marketing.  Nothing has really changed for them and they are as consistent as always.  However many have struggled to hang on.  And now there are several new folks to the trade.  If there is one lesson that should be learned it is this one.  Always be marketing.  It doesn’t matter if you have one closing or 20 scheduled.  Always be marketing.  Always, always, always.

You never know what tomorrow holds.  If indeed good days are ahead and here to stay for some time, always be marketing so you can make the most of the moment for as long as it lasts.

Always.  Good luck!

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