The most important decision for real estate investors
So you’re interested in getting started in real estate investing? You’ve heard pundit after pundit tell you things like “46% of American millionaires own investment real estate.” Maybe you’ve seen the late night infomercial pundits telling you how you can get rich on other people’s money with no credit, no assets, no job and no experience. If you believe those folks, you may be in trouble. Yes, you do need something going for you besides the $99.95 for their course if you want to succeed as a real estate investor, but with the right information, a drive to succeed and a willingness to be realistic about what it takes, real estate can help you build a nice nest egg for retirement or a business with a great cash flow now.
One of the things you need to have going for you is good information and the place to get that is from an experienced real estate agent. Yes, real estate agents cost money, but in the long run they more than pay for themselves. In 10 years in real estate, I’ve seen real estate investors who were hostile to agents come and go and I’ve seen dozens of investors who worked with a good agent retire wealthy. Picking an agent who is knowledgeable, experienced and willing to work for you like the money was his own is the most important single decision you’ll make as a real estate investor.
You may be thinking, “Real estate? Now?” Yes, now. “Isn’t it a down market?” Yes and no. First, you need to understand that there’s no such thing as “the real estate market” – there are many kinds of real estate and many local markets and they’re all different. Most US housing markets are down right now, but some are up and the commercial real estate market is doing very well in many places. Second, even in a down market there are opportunities. In fact, I know investors who’d say the best opportunities are in a down market, after all the slogan “buy low, sell high” applies in real estate the same as any investment.
One such opportunity is in foreclosed properties, known in the industry as bank and mortgage company “REO” which is short for “real estate owned.” If you do decide to get involved in REO investing, getting the right advice is really important as the typical rules of real estate simply don’t apply. You’ll need an experienced REO agent to give you the answers to real estate questions.
In this complex and rapidly changing part of the real estate industry, it’s even more important to work with an agent who keeps up with all the latest real estate news, from the basics like mortgage rates to new government regulations, the local market statistics and the latest technology. Picking an agent on the cutting edge can literally save you thousands.
Posted: August 19th, 2008 under worldwide.
Tags: real estate