Here is a website that I came across for borrowing funds for doing flips, etc. The site is called www.prosper.com - I received an email from another extremely succesful investor in the Baltimore, MD area (Steve Cook) recommending I take a look at this site.
I haven't used it yet but I did subscribe to it. The site allows you to borrow money and lend money.
How it Works (This is taken directly from their website).
Borrowing money through Prosper is fast and easy, and because you're borrowing from people, the rates may be lower than you'd expect! 1. Join Prosper Joining is quick and easy. And free! 2. Create your loan listing Say how much you want to borrow, and set your maximum interest rate. 3. Watch the bidding Lenders start bidding immediately—watch the funding go up and the interest rate come down! 4. You win! If your terms are met, your loan will be funded directly to your bank account. 5. Easy monthly payments Your monthly loan payments are withdrawn automatically from your bank account.
It doesn't sound too bad. If I do use it any time soon I will post some feedback on my experience.
Let me know what you think!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
The Truth About Flipping Real Estate
There has been a lot written about "flipping" real estate these last two years - and much of it is more fiction than fact. Some say it is great way to make money fast. Some say it is very difficult. Some even claim it is illegal. So, just what is the truth?
Let's take care of the "illegal" claims, first. Flipping, if done the way it was meant to be done, is completely legal. But it becomes illegal when unscrupulous investors, working with unscrupulous appraisers or lenders, conspire to defraud either buyers or lenders. This is done when an investor gets an appraiser or lender to over-value a property for the purpose of selling for a higher-than-market value, or for the purposes of getting a bigger mortgage so the investor can pocket more cash. In short, it is not the flipping that is illegal -- rather, it is the fraud that sometimes accompanies it that is in violation of the law.
Such fraud is not necessary. You can use any legitimate method of flipping, and if you remain within the law and act in an ethical manner, you will profit immensely, and earn yourself a solid reputation as a good person to do business with. In the long run, as you gain a reputation for fairness and sound ethics, you will actually profit more than if you were to defraud anyone.
Now, as for it being difficult. Some so-called "gurus" claim that in order to flip, the investor must first buy the property and only then find a buyer to resell to. Let's put that falsehood to rest right now -- you can buy and resell at the same closing (called a double escrow, or simultaneous closing) without ever having to finance a single penny, because the buyer's money funds both transactions. Under the law, neither transaction takes place first or last in a double escrow, regardless of which one actually is completed first. Therefore, the transaction with your buyer can take place first, providing you with the funds to pay off your seller. In such a transaction, the only requirements are a) you contract to buy a property from the seller at one price, then b) contract to sell that same property to another buyer at a higher price, and for both contracts to call for closing at the same time and place. Both agreements are placed into the same escrow. The key, of course, is to buy at below market value, and sell at no more than market value, to avoid any possibility of fraud.
The reality is that there are a number of ways to flip properties, the double escrow is only one method. Some methods require financing - others do not. Some methods do not require cash or credit. And most methods are quite simple to do. In addition to the double escrow, the investor may also flip by way of "assigning". In this technique, a property is put under contract. Then, instead of reselling the property (double escrow), the investor sells (assigns) the contract to another buyer. The buyer pays an assignment fee -- usually $3000-$5000 -- to the investor at the time the contract is assigned. The investor does not have to participate in any closing -- he is out of the deal, and a few thousand dollars richer.
That said let us look at claims that it is very difficult and time-consuming. Since the most difficult part is finding a suitable property, the rest of the transaction consists of negotiating the deal (no different from any other transaction), find a new buyer (also no different from any other sale), then wait until closing when the closing agent takes care of everything else.
Then there are the unfounded fears that for some unknown reason, your seller and/or your buyer will revolt at closing when they "discover" you are making a profit.
We can only assume that the investors who have this fear feel it is necessary to keep it a secret that they are an investor. I do not advocate that. I stress ethical conduct. Simply make sure your seller and your buyer are fully aware that you are an investor - it is nothing to be ashamed of! If they know this, they will obviously know, up front, that you must make a profit - you would not be in the deal, otherwise. At closing there will be no anger because they were not deceived. In all my years of doing this, I have not seen one case where closing did not complete because of such problems, because the problems never arose in the first place.
Yes, flipping is a great way to make a lot of money in a short period of time. And it, like any other endeavor, can be stressful at times. It is not as easy as many "gurus" would have you believe, but it is not all that difficult, either. The secret lies in 1) knowing which properties lend themselves to flipping , 2) being honest and up front, and 3) using the right contracts, specially designed for flipping.
Let's take care of the "illegal" claims, first. Flipping, if done the way it was meant to be done, is completely legal. But it becomes illegal when unscrupulous investors, working with unscrupulous appraisers or lenders, conspire to defraud either buyers or lenders. This is done when an investor gets an appraiser or lender to over-value a property for the purpose of selling for a higher-than-market value, or for the purposes of getting a bigger mortgage so the investor can pocket more cash. In short, it is not the flipping that is illegal -- rather, it is the fraud that sometimes accompanies it that is in violation of the law.
Such fraud is not necessary. You can use any legitimate method of flipping, and if you remain within the law and act in an ethical manner, you will profit immensely, and earn yourself a solid reputation as a good person to do business with. In the long run, as you gain a reputation for fairness and sound ethics, you will actually profit more than if you were to defraud anyone.
Now, as for it being difficult. Some so-called "gurus" claim that in order to flip, the investor must first buy the property and only then find a buyer to resell to. Let's put that falsehood to rest right now -- you can buy and resell at the same closing (called a double escrow, or simultaneous closing) without ever having to finance a single penny, because the buyer's money funds both transactions. Under the law, neither transaction takes place first or last in a double escrow, regardless of which one actually is completed first. Therefore, the transaction with your buyer can take place first, providing you with the funds to pay off your seller. In such a transaction, the only requirements are a) you contract to buy a property from the seller at one price, then b) contract to sell that same property to another buyer at a higher price, and for both contracts to call for closing at the same time and place. Both agreements are placed into the same escrow. The key, of course, is to buy at below market value, and sell at no more than market value, to avoid any possibility of fraud.
The reality is that there are a number of ways to flip properties, the double escrow is only one method. Some methods require financing - others do not. Some methods do not require cash or credit. And most methods are quite simple to do. In addition to the double escrow, the investor may also flip by way of "assigning". In this technique, a property is put under contract. Then, instead of reselling the property (double escrow), the investor sells (assigns) the contract to another buyer. The buyer pays an assignment fee -- usually $3000-$5000 -- to the investor at the time the contract is assigned. The investor does not have to participate in any closing -- he is out of the deal, and a few thousand dollars richer.
That said let us look at claims that it is very difficult and time-consuming. Since the most difficult part is finding a suitable property, the rest of the transaction consists of negotiating the deal (no different from any other transaction), find a new buyer (also no different from any other sale), then wait until closing when the closing agent takes care of everything else.
Then there are the unfounded fears that for some unknown reason, your seller and/or your buyer will revolt at closing when they "discover" you are making a profit.
We can only assume that the investors who have this fear feel it is necessary to keep it a secret that they are an investor. I do not advocate that. I stress ethical conduct. Simply make sure your seller and your buyer are fully aware that you are an investor - it is nothing to be ashamed of! If they know this, they will obviously know, up front, that you must make a profit - you would not be in the deal, otherwise. At closing there will be no anger because they were not deceived. In all my years of doing this, I have not seen one case where closing did not complete because of such problems, because the problems never arose in the first place.
Yes, flipping is a great way to make a lot of money in a short period of time. And it, like any other endeavor, can be stressful at times. It is not as easy as many "gurus" would have you believe, but it is not all that difficult, either. The secret lies in 1) knowing which properties lend themselves to flipping , 2) being honest and up front, and 3) using the right contracts, specially designed for flipping.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Real Estate Investing--Starting Right Is the Key to Profits
The following is from an article I was reading recently and I thought it was worth sharing.
You've heard of the potential payoff from real estate investing. The good news is, it's true! The bad news is, it won't happen for most people. Why? They have unrealistic expectations. Real estate investing isn't a "get rich quick" endeavor, although it sometimes happens. No real business is. So, prepare to make a serious time commitment. Would you expect to become extremely wealthy at anything in just a few months? Know that you'll have to keep learning, keep getting contracts, and keep putting time into it.Still in? Great, you're a realist! Your first step is to choose an area to focus on. Do you want to purchase run-down properties and repair them to sell for profit (rehabilitate, or rehab them)? Do you want to buy properties and turn them quickly (flipping)? Maybe you want to buy properties, then lease them to potential buyers with an option for them to purchase them later, while you accumulate equity. There are pros and cons to each of these, depending on your financial position, your location, your available time, and other considerations. We'll be going over them all in future posts to this blog. You'll find the possibilities exciting.Once you know what you're looking at draft your plan IN WRITING. People who do this get three times as much done in the same amount of time. Set long-term goals for 3, 5 and 10 years out for what you want your cash, equity, and cash flow to be. Then, you can work backwards from there to set 1-year, 6-month, and 3-month goals. Without this, you'll be driving without a map, taking or skipping deals without regard to how they fit into your big picture. Leaves lots of room for "Wish I'da's...." Don't do it! You can always adjust your plan as you go along.Keep your day job for as long as possible. If and when it seems time to go, before you do, get some of those low- to no-interest credit cards that are out there. It could really ease some cash flow worries to be able to tap on a $10,000 line if you're doing a fixer-upper and run into an unforeseen problem with no additional bank draw in sight.Get an attorney who knows and understands the creative options of real estate. Some banks just don't understand simultaneous closings, for example; you'll want your lawyer to know how to smooth things so that there aren't any snags that cost you time and money. Some even have their own title companies. A good place to ask for a referral is to ask a mid- to large-sized developer. This is one place not to haggle about price; he or she will be worth their weight in gold when they can get your deals done and you know that you can sleep at night because it's been done quickly and right.As soon as you decide to get into real estate investing, begin building your list of buyers. We'll be covering more on this later; but, when you meet them, learn as much as you can about the kinds of deals they do, how long it takes them to conclude a deal, and so on. Most people love to talk about how they became successful, if you ask respectfully and don't waste their time.Warning, warning! Think very long and hard before taking on a partner. If you do, it should be somebody who brings something to the party that you don't have, and it should be for one deal only until you see how things go.Which brings us to how to set up your company. You should set up a separate corporate entity for each deal. An LLC is cheap and easy to set up. Land trusts are even better, because your name isn't personally in the public records, inviting some chump to sue you. The idea is to keep your personal assets off the table if something goes wrong. Talk with your attorney about it; he has forms that can have you done in a few minutes.Finally, if you've made your plan, you have to work it to get anywhere. If you're not out there making any offers, you're never going to close any deals. No deals closed, no profits. If you're not making any profits, you're not in business, you're dreaming. Set a number of deals you're going to bid on per week and per month, and then get out there. Make it happen!
You've heard of the potential payoff from real estate investing. The good news is, it's true! The bad news is, it won't happen for most people. Why? They have unrealistic expectations. Real estate investing isn't a "get rich quick" endeavor, although it sometimes happens. No real business is. So, prepare to make a serious time commitment. Would you expect to become extremely wealthy at anything in just a few months? Know that you'll have to keep learning, keep getting contracts, and keep putting time into it.Still in? Great, you're a realist! Your first step is to choose an area to focus on. Do you want to purchase run-down properties and repair them to sell for profit (rehabilitate, or rehab them)? Do you want to buy properties and turn them quickly (flipping)? Maybe you want to buy properties, then lease them to potential buyers with an option for them to purchase them later, while you accumulate equity. There are pros and cons to each of these, depending on your financial position, your location, your available time, and other considerations. We'll be going over them all in future posts to this blog. You'll find the possibilities exciting.Once you know what you're looking at draft your plan IN WRITING. People who do this get three times as much done in the same amount of time. Set long-term goals for 3, 5 and 10 years out for what you want your cash, equity, and cash flow to be. Then, you can work backwards from there to set 1-year, 6-month, and 3-month goals. Without this, you'll be driving without a map, taking or skipping deals without regard to how they fit into your big picture. Leaves lots of room for "Wish I'da's...." Don't do it! You can always adjust your plan as you go along.Keep your day job for as long as possible. If and when it seems time to go, before you do, get some of those low- to no-interest credit cards that are out there. It could really ease some cash flow worries to be able to tap on a $10,000 line if you're doing a fixer-upper and run into an unforeseen problem with no additional bank draw in sight.Get an attorney who knows and understands the creative options of real estate. Some banks just don't understand simultaneous closings, for example; you'll want your lawyer to know how to smooth things so that there aren't any snags that cost you time and money. Some even have their own title companies. A good place to ask for a referral is to ask a mid- to large-sized developer. This is one place not to haggle about price; he or she will be worth their weight in gold when they can get your deals done and you know that you can sleep at night because it's been done quickly and right.As soon as you decide to get into real estate investing, begin building your list of buyers. We'll be covering more on this later; but, when you meet them, learn as much as you can about the kinds of deals they do, how long it takes them to conclude a deal, and so on. Most people love to talk about how they became successful, if you ask respectfully and don't waste their time.Warning, warning! Think very long and hard before taking on a partner. If you do, it should be somebody who brings something to the party that you don't have, and it should be for one deal only until you see how things go.Which brings us to how to set up your company. You should set up a separate corporate entity for each deal. An LLC is cheap and easy to set up. Land trusts are even better, because your name isn't personally in the public records, inviting some chump to sue you. The idea is to keep your personal assets off the table if something goes wrong. Talk with your attorney about it; he has forms that can have you done in a few minutes.Finally, if you've made your plan, you have to work it to get anywhere. If you're not out there making any offers, you're never going to close any deals. No deals closed, no profits. If you're not making any profits, you're not in business, you're dreaming. Set a number of deals you're going to bid on per week and per month, and then get out there. Make it happen!
Welcome Fellow Real Estate Investors
Being a local real estate investor from Luzerne County, I felt that, as this area is becoming more and more attractive to investors near and far, there currently is no way to communicate with fellow investors regarding real estate issues pertaining to Northeast PA (as far as I'm aware).
My purpose for creating this blog is to discuss real estate investing within NEPA - I feel that blogging is the way to go now and by creating this blog I want to be able to discuss with fellow investors such things as follows:
1. Current legal issues affecting investing in this area
2. Advice on using contractors for fix-ups and rehabs.
3. Best deals out there - for example: who's got the best prices for replacement windows, etc. (My opinion on windows is Millers Surplus - $38 a pop!).
4. Share deals, create deals.
5. Share ideas on what works and what doesn't.
The list could go on for ever but hopefully you all get the idea - what I am attempting to do is promote communication between investors in the area and who knows what may come of it. NEPA is an up and coming area for investors so I hope this bog will be accepted by all as a positive way forward to help all investors in this area.
Feel free to post your comments - its free.
My purpose for creating this blog is to discuss real estate investing within NEPA - I feel that blogging is the way to go now and by creating this blog I want to be able to discuss with fellow investors such things as follows:
1. Current legal issues affecting investing in this area
2. Advice on using contractors for fix-ups and rehabs.
3. Best deals out there - for example: who's got the best prices for replacement windows, etc. (My opinion on windows is Millers Surplus - $38 a pop!).
4. Share deals, create deals.
5. Share ideas on what works and what doesn't.
The list could go on for ever but hopefully you all get the idea - what I am attempting to do is promote communication between investors in the area and who knows what may come of it. NEPA is an up and coming area for investors so I hope this bog will be accepted by all as a positive way forward to help all investors in this area.
Feel free to post your comments - its free.
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