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How to Be Successful in Real Estate – 5 Ways to Market Intelligently

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So you want to sell your home, without going crazy? Hopefully this information will get an offer or two in your hand. To start, I am going to give realtors a plug here. I am a licensed Realtor, and builder in the State of Michigan. I would always recommend that you use a Realtor when selling your home. Without going into too much detail, here are a few good reasons to use a licensed realtor. You have thousands of real estate professionals trying to sell your home for you instead of one person. Due to their access to qualified buyers, you will probably net the same amount of money from your home (after commissions) but sell it much quicker. They have access to the MLS which is an invaluable tool when it comes to moving property. They are also aware of all of the disclosures, and legal issues involved with each one.

With that disclosure out of the way for this article, I am going to assume that you are taking on the task of selling by owner. Let me also preface this with a known fact. Houses don’t sell for one of two reasons or sometimes both. Either it’s priced wrong, or it’s not getting enough exposure. So let’s take care of first things first. Before you even think about marketing, you have to price your home at or below market value. The best way of doing this is not to walk down the street and grab a few brochures from your neighbors and price your house accordingly. Hypothetical pricing models do not determine market value. Homes that have actually sold determine market value. How can you find out that information? Simple, ask a realtor. Find a reputable realtor in the area. Tell them that what you are planning to do. Be upfront with them. Tell them that you are planning on selling the home yourself and that when that happens, you will come back to them to purchase your next home. Sign a buyer’s agent contract to put them at ease. They will quickly and happily give you a Brokers Price Opinion. The best part is that it will cost you nothing. The only one that pays real estate fees is the seller.

Now if you really want them to give you the honest market value of your home, don’t tell them the magic number that you have in your head for what you think your home is worth. They might be hesitant to give you an accurate price point so as not to offend you. Bring the realtor to the property, and give them the specs on it, such as age, bedrooms, baths and such. Then give them the ball, and let them run with it, and bring it back to you with a nice neat price tag on it.

Remember pesky reason number two why a house doesn’t sell? Not enough exposure. Now that you have the right price, let’s make sure that people are going to see that price. Let’s market your home. Where do we start?

1. Start with a sign. Make it simple. Announce that it is for sale, and put your number on it, and put out a brochure box with full colored brochures. By the way, if have a title company in mind that you would like to close with, call them up and let them know, and they will create, and print your brochures for pennies. Now this part is very important. We live in a fast paced society, where efficiency is a must. Buyers are internet savvy. 85% of them start looking for a house on the internet. So what do you need to do to capture those buyers?

2. Get your house on the internet. Create a single property website for your house. It will cost around $100. Make sure that when you have your professional yard sign made, remember to have the website printed on the sign. For example: http://www.1617NilesAve.com Usually these websites get weekly syndication. This will help you reach more buyers. Also, these type of websites usually have lead capture systems, so that you can track how many people have visited the site, and they can contact you hassle free through e-mail to ask questions or set up a showing.

3. Have open houses, and advertise it in the local newspaper. When you are putting your add together, make it short and to the point. List beds, baths, address, price, square feet, phone number, a photo and the website that you have created. Yes you will get a lot of nosy neighbors, but you will also get some genuine interest. Have one every 3 months or so. Make sure that when you advertise in the newspaper, that your home has an online presence as well. (on their website) That will also attract visitors to your personal property website. Sometimes you have to request it.

4. Put your home on Craigslist. It is the largest classified website in the world, and lots of buyers start looking there. And it’s free!

5. If you are part of a social networking site like facebook or my-space, make sure that all of your family and friends know that you are trying to sell. Most likely they will help spread the word. Post a link to your single property website.

That’s all there is to it. Follow these simple marketing techniques, and you will be one step closer to getting your home sold.

For any additional information, please refer to our marketing plan on our website: http://www.MichiganLakeHomes.net

Ryan D. Green is a licensed Real Estate agent in the State of Michigan. http://www.MichiganLakeHomes.net http://southwestmichiganrealestate.blogspot.com/

Grow Taller For Dummies REVIEW – Simplest Way to Increase Height

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Do you want to know about Grow Taller For Dummies Review? Would you expect to learn more concerning the credibility of Dr Matthew Vern? Or perhaps is Grow Taller For Dummies Scam or authentic product? You will find the answers in this honest review!

How to increase height is probably one of the most daunting questions that many people ask themselves. Height is necessary human attribute that is mostly used as a determining look at apperance. Most people want to advance taller so much so large amounts research has been is still being devoted to see if there are really different ways to increase height even following on from the onset of puberty.

In searching for ways on how to improve height, you ought to think about a few things; first is the genes. If your parents are tall people, you will in all probability turn out the unique way. You might just have to wait for your growth spurt because people cultivate at different rates. Second will oftimes be your age. If you are below 21 years, you still have time for you to let your body naturally do the work for you. If you have not even yet reached puberty, you will find there’s duration of growing ahead of you so do not necessarily fret. However, if you may be way past puberty also, you happen to have quite short parents, you may still find some ways about how to increase height for you personally.

You will discover simple exercises that can be performed at home any time of the day. They are very uncomplicated and low impact maneuvers that now you can do for just some minutes a day.

There are also some products on the market that promises height boost although there were no scientific proof that they work. If you are willing to give them a chance, you can search the net and even home shopping channels because that is where products are usually sold.

There are particular products that claim to be capable of extending the spinal column and giving a small number of centimeters of height increase. Some products aim in order to stimulate production of new hgh way after puberty through hormone therapy together with other procedures.

The best way on how to boost height, while, is still great nourishment in the growing years and supplements through the growth gap years in advance of the onset of puberty. Exercise and sleep also makes sense to promote better growth with kids and adolescents. Parents should be able to properly monitor the nutrition ingestion of their kids and ensure that their kids are aware of the importance of wonderful nutrition. Height increase is more of an investment that should choose the best foundations.

Now, let’s discuss about Grow Taller For Dummies from Dr Matthew Vern and just how it might help you. I really hope this simple Grow Taller For Dummies Review will assist you to differentiate whether Grow Taller For Dummies is Scam or perhaps a Real Deal.

Obtain the secret to -Second Growth Spurt Encouragement’ with Dr. Matthew Vern’s Grow Taller For Dummies. It’s an illustrated e-book the fact that reveals a 7-day constant program of gaining approximately 15 inches of overdue growth spurt. This is conducted without surgery, HGH medicines or injections, subliminal hypnosis etc. Unlike other e-books they’ll only give you advantages of why you are little, Dr. Vern’s training system will provide you safe solutions based on clinical research.

Within the particular Grow Taller For Dummies method, you will grow taller not just in the spine and also in your neck, hands, hands, legs and base. It is because that advanced program allows the top HGH (Hgh) release that contributes to a well-proportioned growth for your body. It’s likewise the quickest and quite a few efficient second growth spurt formula created specifically for ages 12-60.

In well under 6 weeks Grow Taller For Dummies is actually proven to deliver results 100% – regardless of your race, gender, healthiness level, or age. This new package includes:

* A completely demonstrated step-by-step manual around the exercises, meals, positions, solution, and other techniques for the purpose of growing taller * Diet plans that help you achieve taller height, weight loss or weight gain * How you will only need 1 hour daily, 5 times a week for this program * Easy ways for second growth confidence * And full entry to Dr. Matthew Vern with regard to further assistance.

Following this program gives you other benefits such as better physical health, beautifully shaped body, wellbeing, better nap, good metabolism, healthier skin plus more.

If you are still wondering, you might want to take a look at Grow Taller For Dummies Review to explore the product as well as Dr Matthew Vern credibility, or… Is Grow Taller For Dummies Scam or a authentic product? Find all the answers on [http://deepreview.net/grow-taller-for-dummies-review-easiest-way-to-increase-height-to-encourage-a-second-growth-spurt] now!

Real Estate Agents and the Internet – How to Buy and Sell Real Estate Today

By blogger on

Then and Now

Ten years ago, a search for real estate
would have started in the office of a local real estate agent or by
just driving around town. At the agent’s office, you would spend an
afternoon flipping through pages of active property listings from the
local Multiple Listing Service (MLS). After choosing properties of
interest, you would spend many weeks touring each property until you
found the right one. Finding market data to enable you to assess the
asking price would take more time and a lot more driving, and you still
might not be able to find all of the information you needed to get
really comfortable with a fair market value.

Today, most property
searches start on the Internet. A quick keyword search on Google by
location will likely get you thousands of results. If you spot a
property of interest on a real estate web site, you can typically view
photos online and maybe even take a virtual tour. You can then check
other Web sites, such as the local county assessor, to get an idea of
the property’s value, see what the current owner paid for the property,
check the real estate taxes, get census data, school information, and
even check out what shops are within walking distance-all without
leaving your house!

While the resources on the Internet are
convenient and helpful, using them properly can be a challenge because
of the volume of information and the difficulty in verifying its
accuracy. At the time of writing, a search of “Denver real estate”
returned 2,670,000 Web sites. Even a neighborhood specific search for
real estate can easily return thousands of Web sites. With so many
resources online how does an investor effectively use them without
getting bogged down or winding up with incomplete or bad information?
Believe it or not, understanding how the business of real estate works
offline makes it easier to understand online real estate information and
strategies.

The Business of Real Estate

Real estate
is typically bought and sold either through a licensed real estate agent
or directly by the owner. The vast majority is bought and sold through
real estate brokers. (We use “agent” and “broker” to refer to the same
professional.) This is due to their real estate knowledge and experience
and, at least historically, their exclusive access to a database of
active properties for sale. Access to this database of property listings
provided the most efficient way to search for properties.

The MLS (and CIE)

The
database of residential, land, and smaller income producing properties
(including some commercial properties) is commonly referred to as a
multiple listing service (MLS). In most cases, only properties listed by
member real estate agents can be added to an MLS. The primary purpose
of an MLS is to enable the member real estate agents to make offers of
compensation to other member agents if they find a buyer for a property.

This
purposes did not include enabling the direct publishing of the MLS
information to the public; times change. Today, most MLS information is
directly accessible to the public over the Internet in many different
forms.

Commercial property listings are also displayed online but
aggregated commercial property information is more elusive. Larger MLSs
often operate a commercial information exchange (CIE). A CIE is similar
to an MLS but the agents adding the listings to the database are not
required to offer any specific type of compensation to the other
members. Compensation is negotiated outside the CIE.

In most
cases, for-sale-by-owner properties cannot be directly added to an MLS
and CIE, which are typically maintained by REALTOR associations. The
lack of a managed centralized database can make these properties more
difficult to locate. Traditionally, these properties are found by
driving around or looking for ads in the local newspaper’s real estate
listings. A more efficient way to locate for-sale-by-owner properties is
to search for a for-sale-by-owner Web site in the geographic area.

What
is a REALTOR? Sometimes the terms real estate agent and REALTOR are
used interchangeably; however, they are not the same. A REALTOR is a
licensed real estate agent who is also a member of the NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS. REALTORS are required to comply with a strict
code of ethics and conduct.

MLS and CIE property listing
information was historically only available in hard copy, and as we
mentioned, only directly available to real estate agents members of an
MLS or CIE. About ten years ago, this valuable property information
started to trickle out to the Internet. This trickle is now a flood!

One
reason is that most of the 1 million or so REALTORS have Web sites, and
most of those Web sites have varying amounts of the local MLS or CIE
property information displayed on them. Another reason is that there are
many non-real estate agent Web sites that also offer real estate
information, including, for-sale-by-owner sites, foreclosure sites,
regional and international listing sites, County assessor sites, and
valuation and market information sites. The flood of real estate
information to the Internet definitely makes the information more
accessible but also more confusing and subject to misunderstanding and
misuse.

Real Estate Agents

Despite the flood of real
estate information on the Internet, most properties are still sold
directly through real estate agents listing properties in the local MLS
or CIE. However, those property listings do not stay local anymore. By
its nature, the Internet is a global marketplace and local MLS and CIE
listings are normally disseminated for display on many different Web
sites. For example, many go to the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS Web
site, http://www.realtor.com,
and to the local real estate agent’s Web site. In addition, the listing
may be displayed on the Web site of a local newspaper. In essence, the
Internet is just another form of marketing offered by today’s real
estate agent, but it has a much broader reach than the old print
advertising.

In addition to Internet marketing, listing agents may
also help the seller establish a price, hold open houses, keep the
seller informed of interested buyers and offers, negotiate the contract
and help with closing. When an agent provides all of these services it
is referred to as being a full service listing arrangement. While full
service listing arrangements are the most common type of listing
arrangement, they are not the only option anymore.

Changes in the
technology behind the real estate business have caused many agents to
change the way they do business. In large part, this is due to the
instant access most consumers now have to property listings and other
real estate information. In addition, the Internet and other
technologies have automated much of the marketing and initial searching
process for real estate. For example, consumers can view properties
online and make inquires via email. Brokers can use automated programs
to send listings to consumers that match their property criteria. So,
some agents now limit the services they offer and change their fees
accordingly. An agent may offer to advertise the property in the MLS but
only provide limited additional services. In the future, some real
estate agents may offer services in more of an ala carte fashion.

Because
of the volume of real estate information on the Internet, when people
hire a real estate agent today they should look at the particular
services offered by the agent and the depth of their experience and
knowledge in the relevant property sector. It is no longer just about
access to property listing information. Buyers and sellers historically
found agents by referrals from friends and family. The Internet now
provides ways to directly find qualified agents or to research the
biography of an agent referred to you offline. One such site,
AgentWorld.com, is quickly becoming the LinkedIn or Facebook for real
estate agents. On this site an agent can personalize their profile,
start a blog, post photos and videos and even create a link to their web
site for free. Once unique content is added to their profile page the
search engines notice!

Some have argued that the Internet makes
REALTORS and the MLS less relevant. We believe this will be false in the
long run. It may change the role of the agent but will make
knowledgeable, qualified, and professional REALTORS more relevant than
ever. In fact, the number of real estate agents has risen significantly
in recent years. No wonder, the Internet has made local real estate a
global business. Besides, Internet or not, the simple fact remains that
the purchase of real property is the largest single purchase most people
make in their life (or, for many investors, the largest multiple
purchases over a lifetime) and they want expert help. As for the MLS, it
remains the most reliable source of real estate listing and sold
information available and continues to enable efficient marketing of
properties. So, what is the function of all the online real estate
information?

Online real estate information is a great research
tool for buyers and sellers and a marketing tool for sellers. When used
properly, buyers can save time by quickly researching properties and,
ultimately, make better investment decisions. Sellers can efficiently
research the market and make informed decisions about hiring an agent
and marketing their properties online. The next step is to know where to
look online for some of the best resources.

Internet Strategies

In the sections that follow, we provide
strategies and tips on how to use the Internet to locate properties for
sale and research information relevant to your decision to purchase the
property. There are many real estate Web sites from which to choose and
although we do not mean to endorse any particular Web site, we have
found the ones listed here to be good resources in most cases or to be
so popular that they need mention. One way to test a Web site’s accuracy
is to search for information about a property you already own.

Finding Real Estate for Sale

Despite the
widely available access to real estate listings, many believe that MLS
databases continue to offer the most complete and accurate source of
real estate information. Most MLSs now distribute content to other Web
sites (primarily operated by real estate agents). An excellent starting
point for MLS originated content is the national NAR Web site,
realtor.com, which is also the most popular web site for searching real
estate listings. Virtually all local and regional MLSs have an agreement
with realtor.com to display much of their active listing inventory.

Some
local and regional MLS systems also have a publicly accessible Web
site. However, to get complete information you will most likely still
need to find a qualified local REALTOR. Many local real estate agents
will also provide their customers (via email) new listings that are
input into the MLS that match their predefined criteria. This can be
very helpful to a busy buyer.

There are also many Web sites that
display both real estate agent listed and for-sale-by-owner properties.
Some of the more popular Web sites include zillow.com and trulia.com.
These sites offer other services too. For example, zillow.com is best
known for its instantaneous property valuation function and trulia.com
for providing historical information. Another source of properties for
sale is the state, regional, and local Web sites associated with
brokerage companies; for example, remax.com or prudential.com. Search
engines like yahoo.com and classified advertising sites like
craigslist.com also have a large number of active real estate listings.

One
key difference between these sites is how much information you can
access anonymously. For example, at trulia.com you can shop anonymously
up to a point but then you will need to click through to the agent's Web
site for more information. Many new real estate search engines allow
you to sift through listings without having to fill out a form. The best
strategy is to browse a few of the sites listed above to find
geographic areas or price ranges that are interesting. Once you get
serious about a property, then that is the time to find a qualified
REALTOR of your choice to conduct a complete search in the local MLS.

It
also never hurts to search the old-fashioned way by driving through the
neighborhoods that interest you. There is no substitute for physically,
not virtually, walking the block when you are making a serious
investment decision. In this sense, real estate is still a very local
business and standing in front of the property can lead to a much
different decision than viewing a Web page printout.

Valuing Real Estate

As
we mentioned, one of the most popular real estate tools is zillow.com's
instant property valuation. Just type in an address and in and you get a
property value. It even charts the price ups and downs, and shows the
last date sold (including price) and the property taxes. There are other
sites that provide similar tools such as housevalues.com and
homegain.com. Unfortunately, many people use these estimated values
alone to justify sales prices, offers and counteroffers. However, these
are only rough estimates based on a formula that incorporates the local
county sales information. These estimates can swing wildly over a short
period of time and do not appear to always track actual market changes,
which are normally more gradual. In addition, these estimates do not
automatically take into account property remodels or renovations or
other property specific or local changes. This is not to say these sites
are not useful. In fact, they are great starting points and can provide
a good ball-park value in many cases.

When it comes to getting a
more accurate value for a particular property, there are other
strategies that are more trustworthy. One is to go directly to your
county's Web site. More often than not the county assessor's area of the
Web site provides sales and tax information for all properties in the
county. If you want to research a particular property or compare sales
prices of comparable properties, the local assessor's sites are really
helpful. When you visit a county's Web site you are getting information
straight from the source. Most counties today publish property
information on their Web sites. Many times you cannot only see the price
a previous owner paid, but the assessed value, property taxes, and
maps. Some county assessors are now adding a market and property
valuation tools too.

Given the importance of valuation to
investing, we are also going to remind you of the two most important
(non-Internet) valuation methods: real estate agents and appraisers.
Working with a local REALTOR is an accurate and efficient way to get
value information for a property. While one of the primary purposes of
the MLS is to market the active property listings of its members, the
system also collects sales information for those listings. REALTOR
members can pull this sales information and produce comparable market
analyses (sometimes called CMAs) that provide an excellent snapshot of a
particular property's value for the market in a particular area.

Finally,
the most accurate way to value a property is by having a certified
appraiser produce an appraisal. An appraiser will typically review both
the sold information in the MLS system as well as county information and
then analyze the information to produce a valuation for the property
based on one or more approved methods of valuation. These methods of
valuation can include a comparison of similar properties adjusted for
differences between the properties, determine the cost to replace the
property, or, with an income producing property, determine a value based
on the income generated from the property.

The Neighborhood

There
are many ways the Internet can help you get the scoop on a particular
neighborhood. For example, census data can be found at census.gov. You
can also check out the neighborhood scoop at sites like outside.in or
review local blogs. A blog is a Web site where people discuss topics by
posting and responding to messages. Start by looking at placeblogger.com
and kcnn.org/citymediasites.com for a directory of blogs. Trulia.com
has a "Heat Map" that shows how hot or cold each neighborhood is based
on prices, sales, or popularity among the sites users.

Schools

When
it comes to selling residential property or rental properties that
cater to families, the quality of the area school district makes a huge
difference. There are many Web sites devoted to school information.
Check out greatschools.net or schoolmatters.com. Most local school
districts also have their own Web site. These sites contain a variety of
information about the public schools and the school district, including
its district demographics, test scores, and parent reviews.

Finding the Right Real Estate Agent

A
recent addition to the Internet boom in real estate information is Web
sites that let real estate agents market their expertise and local
knowledge by displaying their professional profiles and socially
networking with blogs. You can search to find an agent with a particular
expertise, geographic area of specialization, or an agent offering
specific services. The web site AgentWorld.com lets users quickly and
easily find an agent with the right expertise using keyword searches and
clean and simple agent profiles. AgentWorld.com also enables agents to
post personalized blogs, photos and videos to help consumers find the
best agent for their needs. Plus, many agent profiles include a direct
link to the agent's web site where you will likely find the local MLS
listings.

Maps and Other Tools

The Internet has made
mapping and locating properties much easier. To get an aerial view or
satellite image of a property or neighborhood, go to maps.live.com or
maps.google.com or visit walkscore.com to see how walk-able a particular
property is. These sites can give you an idea of the neighborhood
characteristics and the types of entertainment, restaurants, and other
facilities that are within walking distance of the property.
Maps.Live.com provides a view at an angle so you can see the sides of
houses and Maps.Google even gives you a 360 degree street-level view for
certain neighborhoods. If you have not tried one of these satellite map
Web sites, you really should if only for amusement.

Final Thoughts on Internet Strategies

The
Internet is a very effective research and marketing tool for real
estate investors but is not a replacement for a knowledgeable
experienced real estate professional. The Internet can save you time and
money by enabling quick and easy property research and marketing
options. Sites like AgentWorld.com also help you efficiently find a
REALTOR who fits your buying or selling needs.

Always remember,
when it comes to Internet strategies for real estate: More knowledge is
better. You need to use the Internet to build your knowledge base on a
target property or to find a real estate agent with expertise you need.
However, the big caution here is that the Internet should not replace
human judgment and perspective, expert advice or physical due
diligence-keys to successful investing.

Future of Medical Transcription in India

By blogger on

In a country like India, where every second person aspires to be either an engineer or a doctor, it is no surprise that Medical Transcription is fast becoming one of the most sought after jobs in the BPO sector. A multibillion-dollar industry in America, Medical Transcription companies are now looking to India to outsource their services. Medical Transcription India is growing at an exponential rate.

What exactly is Medical Transcription? It is the process of converting a consultation with a doctor into a text format. When we visit a doctor we usually spend the first few minutes discussing our symptoms and problems. This is followed by questions about our medical history, an examination, and a prescription for tests or a secondary consultation if required. After the doctor has collected all the information he needs, he prescribes medication along with instructions for its use. After this, the doctor records the entire visit on voice recording machine, which is then converted into a word document by a medical transcriptionist and stored.

Major hospitals are now adopting this process in order to keep up with the changing times and provide their patients with the best health care available. However, the exercise of converting a voice file into text format is tedious and requires high level of expertise. A medical transcriptionist requires having in depth knowledge of advanced medical terms and language and having a minimum amount of experience in transcribing the likes of discharge summaries, health exams, etc. They must possess higher than average typing skills and should be affluent in the language in which the transcripts are being recorded.

These days’ hospitals are looking to outsource the job of Medical transcriptionists for a number of reasons. Most hospitals find it cost effective to outsource the job to companies in and outside their country. Outsourcing ensures better accessibility, superior quality and leverages on the industry’s experience. It reduces the capital investment for them and allows them use their resources to focus on their core competencies. India is fast becoming the go-to place for medical transcription.

India has abundant cheap labor possessing the skills to become a medical transcriptionist. The average salary of a medical transcriptionist in U.S.A. is around $33,000 p.a. whereas in India the average salary is Rs. 360,000, which is approximately $8,000 p.a. As a result, they are able to cut major costs while ensuring quality. Further, due to the time zone advantage companies here are able to send reports back overnight, making it the fastest turnover rate in the industry. The U.S. suffers from high attrition rates, and so outsourcing is the perfect solution to ensure high employee turnover doesn’t affect the hospitals. Seasonal fluctuations often result in an increase in number of patients during the winters occur in cold countries. There is an acute lack of available staff during major holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Outsourcing the job to India easily solves these problems.

Medical Transcription requires the skill and intellect of human beings and so has inherent defects. If the transcriptionist were to record a symptom or diagnosis incorrectly it could harm the patient’s wellbeing. Sometimes the recording might not be clear as doctors are in rush and may fail to include vital information or provide information in a coherent manner. Further accents, mispronunciations and slag’s make it difficult for a transcriptionist from another country to fully comprehend what the doctor is saying. Such obstacles are yet to be over come in this field in India and world over.

With the help of the IT sector doctors are now able to convert cabinets full of patient data into word documents properly archived on a single desktop. These word documents can be printed out as and when required. Medical Transcriptions help hospitals maintain patient records for up to years and store them in a systematic and easily accessible environment and format. Medical Transcription in India is booming and as a result has opened up jobs to millions of people wanting to be part of the medical field. Many universities are now offering specialized courses and on the job training for young students to help them enter and successfully grow in this industry. India possesses all the advantages and skill to become one of the best providers of this service in the world. By ironing out a few irregularities India can soon look to become the premier play of this industry.

Eight Tips For Launching Your Real Estate Investing Career

By blogger on

Eight Tips for Getting Started in Real Estate Investing

Introduction

This
article is just the basics for getting started in real estate
investing. This is not a how to article but an article that gives you
some information about things to do to get started. Everything in this
article is tools that can be applied to helping anyone get started in
real estate investing. I am going to give you my eight keys to getting
started. Nothing is right or wrong but reflects the point of view of the
author. Laws and legal practices vary from state to state, and laws can
change over time. The author does not vouch for the legality of his
opinions, nor is there any intent to supply legal advice. The author
strongly encourages the reader to consult with professionals and an
attorney prior to entering in any real estate transaction or contract.
The author is not a writer but he is a real estate investor. There will
be grammar mistakes and errors, so don’t be too critical of the grammar
but focus your energy on what is being said. With that said prepare
yourself to think a little differently and expand your mind. Let’s get
started on an amazing adventure.

The Eight Tips are as follows

1. Desire

2. Goal Setting

3. Learning What To Do

4. Attending a Real Estate Investing Seminar

5. The Billings Montana Market

6. Finding a Mentor

7. Your Real Estate Team

8. Just Do IT

1. Desire

Before we get in to the bolts
and nails of real estate investing in I want to talk to you about
desire. If you are going to be successful at anything in life including
real estate investing you have to have the desire to do it. Desire is
defined as longing or craving, as for something that brings satisfaction
or enjoyment. Desire stresses the strength of feeling and often implies
strong intention or aim. In real estate investing if you don’t have a
desire to learn and grow as a human being and really get satisfaction
out of it, then real estate investing is going to be hard to do. When I
go out and look at a property it brings me a lot of enjoyment. Every
aspect brings me joy from talking to home owners, figuring out how I can
make a deal work, to buying the house and to finding a good homeowner
or tenant for the house. Real estate investing may not be for everyone
but real estate investing can offer anyone the financial freedom we all
crave for. If you do not have the desire for real estate investing that
is ok, it can still help you to live your dreams and help you to get
where you want to go in the future.

Why is real estate investing
an amazing avenue for anyone to live out all of their dreams? Let me ask
you a few questions. Do you have enough money to do anything you want?
Do you have everything you want? No debt? A nice house? Great Marriage?
The freedom to do anything regardless of how much it costs and the time
it takes? If you have all of these things then you are one of the few
people in America who does. Most people may be working fifty hours a
week and making just enough to pay their bills. In today’s day and age
most people are living pay check to pay check never really knowing if
they will make enough to pay the bills that just keep piling up. If you
cannot keep up with your monthly bills how are you going to plan for
retirement or send your kids to college or have time to enjoy life. The
answer to all of these questions is becoming financially free. Now it’s
not going to be easy everyone will have to get off the couch and out of
their comfort zone. Real estate is proven to be one of the fastest ways
to get your out of the rat race of the nine to five and begin living the
life you deserve to live. Everyone wants something different out of
their life. Some dream of traveling the world, spending more time with
family, volunteering, golfing, laying on a beach, giving back to the
community, or anything that will make them happy. There are thousands of
things that make people happy.

Making it in real estate takes a
person who has a strong desire to change their lives for the better and
think big. Anyone can become a great real estate investor. It is going
to take a lot of work and can be a struggle at times but in the end it
will be the most amazing feeling ever. The people that make it in real
estate investing all have a few things in common. First they run their
real estate investing business like any other business out there. Second
they get out there and network with anyone and everyone. Some people
might be like me and have a hard time talking to other people. If you
are that is ok, anyone can learn how to become a people person, it just
takes hard daily work. You have to push yourself past your comfort zone.
The third thing is that you cannot be afraid to fail. Everyone has
failed at something but the most successful people out their learn from
their failures. The fourth thing is that you have to put a good team
together. I will go into putting a team together in a later chapter. The
concept of putting a team together is so that when you don’t know
something you have team members that know what to do and can help you
with questions. The can also make sure that you are not working yourself
to death. You do not want to be the person doing everything in your
business. Doing everything is a receipt for failure. You have to put
together good people who you can trust and rely on. The fifth thing is
that you need a mentor. Sixth and final is the desire to do it. No one
can become successful at something if they don’t want to do it and don’t
get satisfaction out of what they are doing.

2. Setting Goals

Having
goals is one of the most important aspects of achieving what you want
in life. You don’t want to just have your goals up in your head you want
to write them down and past what you have wrote on the wall somewhere
or in the bathroom mirror. You want to review your goals daily and read
them out loud to yourself. This way you remind yourself everyday why you
are building your business.

How should you start to write down
you goals? First off you should think big, and by big I mean HUGE. If
your goals are too small you will easily achieve them and have nothing
else to look forward too. You should start off by asking yourself the
question if I had all the money and time in the world what would I do,
what would I buy, how would I spend my time, and how would I spend my
energy. Are you starting to write these down? Well you should be. Think
about what you want, spending time with family, traveling the world, the
best cars, a castle, owning a small country, running for president,
having the biggest real estate investing business in your area or in the
country. Whatever your dreams and what you want out of your life, write
it down. Some of my goals are becoming free, traveling the world,
having a Ferrari, having 10 vacation homes all over the world. Right now
I am just trying to get you out of your comfort zone of thinking and
let your imagination run.

There are several ways to set goals. I
have learned a lot of ways you can set you goals and there is no right
or wrong way. The best ways that I have found to set your goals is to
break them up into two categories. First your short term goals. This
should be goals from a month out to around a year. The second is your
long term goals these goals are you think big goals and what you see for
your future.

For year one I like to first make a list of what I
want to achieve this year and I will give you an example of how to do
that. For year one you want to be very specific first you want to list
what you want your income to be at the end of the year, next how much
cash in the bank you want (this is money in your checking account, not
assets). Next you want to list how much you are going to give. Giving is
a very important, this can be giving to charity, giving of gifts to
friends and family, giving to your school or anything you can dream of.
As long as what you give brings joy to others who need it more than you.
Next list what bad habits you have that you want to eliminate. Weather
is be quitting smoking, spending too much on junk, drinking too much,
working too much, not spending enough time with family, too much TV, not
exercising and many more. We all have bad habits that need to be
changed in order for use to grow as human beings. Under each of these
bad habits list out some steps that you can take in order to quit them.
If you bad habit is being lazy and not exercising enough what can you do
to change that. Well you can get a gym membership or a home work out
program. Commit yourself you following through with a plan to work out
3-5 days a week. For you to change these bad habits you have to be
totally committed and follow through with a detailed plan you set for
yourself. After you have your plans in place you should start listing
several things you want to achieve or do in the next year. This can be
start a successful business, spend time with family, travel to 2-5
places and so on. Now under each of these you should also write a
detailed plan on what you need and what you need to do in order to
achieve these goals. Finally you should take all of this information you
have a write on page on what you see your life being over the next
year. Doing this is a great exercise to really see what you want out of
life.

Goals Year One

This is what I am going To Do This Year

Income: $500,000

Cash: $100,000

Give: $20,000

Bad Habits that will be changes:

Over Sleeping 1. Go to bed at 11 p.m. 2. Use a timer and set it for 8 hours 3. Set the timer on the other side of the room

Buying
things that you don’t need: 1. Going out shopping less 2. If you have
the urge to buy something think to yourself is thing item going to help
me to achieve my goals of becoming financially free? 3. Tell friends
what you are doing, so they can help to stop you.

What I want to Achieve:

Start
a successful Real Estate Investing Business: (you should write a
detailed step by step plan of everything you need in order to achieve
your goal)

Travel: Where do I want to visit? 1. Gators football game (what I need to do it, money, etc)

And last your own page about what you want to achieve using words like I will and only positive words.

For
long term goals you don’t need to be as specific right now, but you
should list them and under them list a few steps or smaller goals that
need to be achieved before you are able to achieve them. With the long
term goals always think big. Another good exercise for long term goals
is to make a collage of you goals. Put pictures of the house you want on
it, places you want to travel, a picture of your family, a number of
what income you want in or anything you can think of.

3. Learn

Knowledge
builds confidence and destroys fear. If you are starting any kind of
business you need to learn the ins and outs of that business. The best
way I have found to learn about real estate investing is to read all
about it. But once you know it you have to apply what you have learned.
Learning and reading is just one step to take. There are thousands of
books on the market about real estate investing and everyone has
something you can learn from. You don’t just want to read real estate
investing books though. You also want to fill yourself with motivational
and leadership books. Every successful person that I know if a reader
and they all spend at least thirty minutes a day reading something that
will teach them about improving their business or helping themselves to
become a better person. Some of the best books that I would recommend
reading are listed below.

1. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
(read this first and also ready everything in the rick dad poor dad
series, great books to start with and will expand you mind)

2. Be a Real Estate Millionaire by Dean Graziosi

3. Flip your way to financial freedom by Preston Ely (this is an E-Book)

4. Four hour work week by Timothy Ferriss

5. The Attractor Factor

6. Short Sale Pre-foreclosure Investing by Dwan Bent-twyford and Sharon Sestrepo

7. Keys to success, by Napoleon Hill

8. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

9. How to win friends and influence people

10. Any Book by John C. Maxwell (he has tons of amazing leadership books)

11. Getting Started in Real Estate Day Trading by Larry Goins

12. The E Myth by Michael Gerber

13. How to be a quick turn real estate millionaire by Ron Legrand

14. The Power of Full Engagement

15. The It Factor

16. Anything by Anthony Robins

There are tons more you can read but these will give
you a great start. You should also read books on negotiating, sales,
motivation, and biographies on American business people.

I hope
this list gives you the knowledge it has given me. If you learn and
apply what you have learned from these books there is no reason that you
should not become very successful.

4. Attend a Real Estate Investing Seminar

Attending
a Real Estate Investing Seminar can be one of the best places to learn
about real estate investing from some very well known experts. There are
several seminars going on all over the country every weekend. If you
live in a big city it will be very easy to find one. If you live in a
town like Billings Montana you might need to travel a little ways to
find one. Now most of the best meeting cost money to attend them. Some
range from five hundred dollars for three days and some can be up to
$20,000. There are a few that I would recommend. Than Merrill is a great
speaker to go hear. I have learned a ton from him. You can find his
company online by Google searching him. Also rich dad poor dad has
seminars all over the country. I attended one of their seminars in
Billings Montana for only $500 dollars and learned a ton from it. There
is also Preston Ely, Larry Goins, and hundreds of speakers out there. If
you find a great book that you really enjoyed, then just simple search
for that person online and see if they are speaking somewhere or offer a
seminar close to you.

Another reason I recommend going to a
seminar is because they get you pumped up and motivated. I have not yet
found anything else that just gets you feeling like you can do anything.
When you get back from one of these seminars you will have tons of
energy and knowledge. Every time I get back from one all I want to do is
going out and do a deal or ten.

These seminars will also provide
you with several opportunities to purchase amazing real estate investing
tools, software or learning material at a fraction of the cost. Believe
me when I tell you all of the low priced seminars try to sell you
something. But a lot of times what they are trying to sell is some
really good stuff.

Another reason to attend a seminar is to
network with other investors and build relationships with them. You can
meet other investors who you can partner with on a deal, sell a deal
too, people who will provide you with deals and so on. You should have
hundreds of business cards made up and try to give them all out. You
never know how much one business card you hand out can make you.

5. Learn About the real estate market in your area

Most
real estate investors start their career off my investing around where
they live. This is why I do my real estate investing in Billings
Montana. You can venture out when you have more experience. The reason
behind this is because we feel more comfortable with the areas and know
the areas better. It is also easier to get local real estate information
that we need. Investing in your local market is also cheaper to start
out, there is less travel costs, you can see what you are buying and it
may give you a feeling a comfort.

First you have to decide which
part of town is the best place to invest in. This can be determined by
what kind of real estate investing you choose to do. I have not gone
over the types of real estate investing but some include rehabbing
(fixing up and selling), wholesaling (finding deals and selling them to
other investors), buying to rent, and there are a few others. These are
the real estate strategies that I use for the most part. When looking at
the market you need to see where other investors are buying their
houses. Most of the best deals will be found in low to middle class
neighbors hoods. By low I don't mean drug infested war zones, what I
mean is blue collar safe neighbor hoods that might have somewhat older
houses and houses that are not on the higher end price side. Now you can
find deals in the higher priced neighbor hoods but most will be in the
low to middle income neighborhoods. When looking where others are buying
ask local realtors, other investors or appraisers.

When talking
with investors ask them several questions such as what neighborhoods
they prefer, what type of houses they buy (3 bed 2 bath), and what they
do (rehab, rent, wholesale). You should not look at other investors as
competition but try and work with them.

There are different types
of markets such as appreciating markets, flat markets, and deprecating
markets. Appreciating markets are markets that there is no enough houses
or a very high demand for houses which causes the price of houses to go
up. The reason there is a high demand for housing can be because of job
growth, a very appealing area, or several reason. Flat markets are
markets that have no or very little growth. This means that there is not
a lot of demand; buy just enough to fill every ones needs. Depreciating
markets are where there is a lot more houses than people to fill those
house. This causes house prices to start going down. This can be because
of a large employer leaving the area, a natural disaster or just over
building. There is an old saying buy in a bust and sell in a boom. In
depreciating markets you can pick up several deals, while in
appreciating the house prices are going to be much higher and harder to
find great deals. The deal will still be out there you just have to know
where to find them.

Learning your market is another key to
becoming successful. Real estate Brokers and experts in your area can be
the best source of information for you. Learn to use them to find out
what kind of market you are in. If you are in Billings Montana we are in
a pretty stable market. Billings Montana has not seen the ups and downs
that other markets have experienced. I will have to say that I have
been noticing a little bit of a downward trend but not much. Once the
first time home buyer credit is over with we might see a little more
decline. Every market can vary by neighborhood, so make sure you know
you market well. I have seen the same houses just one mile apart selling
for totally different prices.

6. Find a Mentor

Having a
mentor to help you can be your biggest learning experience. Mentors can
help you with any questions you may have, walk you step by step through
the investing process, give you moral support, you learn from their
proven system, and also network you with others in the business. Every
successful real estate investor that I know says they owe a lot of their
success to the mentors they have and had in their lives. I have had one
of the best mentors around, my father. He is teaching me something new
every day and pushing me to become successful.

When trying to find
a mentor I would suggest network with the investors at your local real
estate investors club meeting. There is a real estate investing club in
Billings Montana that meets once a month. You can find information about
real estate investing clubs in your area by searching for REA or real
estate investors club then your area in Google. When you go to the
meetings ask around who the biggest investors are. Then ask if you could
get together with them sometime and discuss real estate investing. Ask
them if they would consider working with you to get their career going.
Offer your services as a bird dog. Bird dogs are people who go out find
deals or leads about deals and give them to other investors. A bird dog
gets from $500 to $3000 dollars depending on the deal. Make sure that
you have a bird dog contract signed with the investors saying that if
you find them and deal and they buy it that you get paid a certain
amount of money. Being a bird dog helps you to build credibility with
the investor and they are more likely to mentor you if you have
something to offer them. If you would like to contact me with a question
go to my web site Big Sky Property Solutions LLC.

7. Your Real Estate Team

Building
an effective team can make your life as a real estate investor a lot
easier. You are only one person and cannot do everything or be an expert
in every aspect of real estate investing. Going at a project alone can
become one of the most frustrating experiences you will ever encounter.
Many people have become frustrated and quite real estate investing
because they try and juggle too many things. Make sure that when putting
a team together you provide everyone with win-win opportunities. When
someone knows that working with you is going to make them money they
will put you as a higher priority on their list. But you have to prove
it to them that you are the real deal.

People to have on your real estate investing team include

o Real Estate Agents ( find the top agent for volume of sales in your area and other agents who work with real estate investors)

o Real Estate appraisers (find an appraiser that has done a few
hundred jobs or more and make sure they carry errors and omissions
insurance)

o Real estate contractors (good rehab crews that can get the job
done in a timely manner, have 3-5 crews and on every deal get 3
estimates done. Ask for referrals from them and make sure they are
licensed)

o Real estate attorneys (every investor needs an attorney, they can
help to protect your assets, make sure you find one that works with
investors)

o A property management company (can manage your properties and will
give you leads on property they are managing that might come up for
sale)

o Title companies (take care of the legal process and make sure
there are no liens against the property you are buying, choose one that
does hundreds of closings a year)

o Home inspectors(charge about $400 but will give you a great inspection and could save you thousands in the long run)

o And your Mentor

All of these people can help you in various
aspects of real estate investing. You might find that there are a couple
others that are keys to your business but this is just a list of a few.

8. Just Do it

There
is no better phrase out there then JUST DO IT! Once you have learned
all you can networked with investors in Billings and learned real estate
investing strategies there is nothing left to do but get your feet wet.
There is no better learning tool out there then doing a deal. Once you
have completed that first deal you will know what to expect and find out
that it is not as hard as you thought it would be. You will have
learned what you did right and what was frustrating. Take that
experience and ask yourself what would have made it run smoother. Apply
that to your next deal. Then the next deal will be easier and it keeps
getting easier as you go. I will say that every deal is different from
the last but that what makes this business fun. You have to be creative
and always keep on learning and growing with your business.

The
average person never uses what they learn. Don't be average apply your
knowledge. When going out and doing your first deal act like you have
done 1000's of deals. The fastest way to change a habit is to act like
it is true.

Five keys for success

1. Specialized Knowledge

2. Tools of a professional

3. Have the mindset of a winner

4. Mentors

5. Money and the knowledge of leveraging it (you don't have to have
millions to invest in real estate, there are many strategies out there
to use other people's money, or no money at all)

This is going to
conclude this article about getting started in real estate investing. I
hope this gave you some ideas about how you can get started. I didn't
give you any strategies at this point but look for some in upcoming
articles. These are simple steps you can use to get started. If you read
this article thank you for listening.