Michael Jackson’s Doctor Foreclosure Details

USA Today reported earlier this week that Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson's personal physician who has been under law enforcement scrutiny in relation to the King of Pop's death, may face foreclosure on his Las Vegas home after not making a…(read more)

Source: Michael Jackson’s Doctor Foreclosure Details

Recession eases; GDP dip smaller than expected

Recession eases; GDP dip smaller than expected July 31, 2009, Associated Press WASHINGTON – The economy sank at a pace of just 1 percent in the second quarter of the year, a new government report shows. It was a better-than-expected showing that…(read more)

Source: Recession eases; GDP dip smaller than expected

An Investment Alternative To Consider

Today I have put on my insurance agent hat and will talk about what I believe to be a good place to invest not only your retirement but spare cash. You can even be retired and get one heck of a deal with this product.

I am talking about the good ole annuity that has had [...]

This Article is Copyright © 2004-2009 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

An Investment Alternative To Consider

Source: An Investment Alternative To Consider

Housing Market Teeters Between Recovery, Relapse

Housing Market Teeters Between Recovery, Relapse The Washington Post The battered housing market appears to be on the mend, with sales climbing nationally and prices leveling off, even rising in some spots. But swelling unemployment and the related delinquencies…(read more)

Source: Housing Market Teeters Between Recovery, Relapse

Becoming The Investors’ Realtor: The Keys to Agent Success

It is no secret that real estate agents, as a profession, have had a tough time of it over the last several years.  The recent real estate bubble created a feast or famine situation and many agents have not survived the famine.  Meanwhile, over the last 5 years, I have sold over 500 single family homes, condos, or lots to my clients…including closing on 30 deals last month alone.  This volume places me in the top 5% of all Realtors in the country (in both transactions and commissions.)  I am not telling you this in order to boast or brag about my sales (as I know other realtors who have done far more business than I have) but merely to propose that my success has not been due to luck but rather due to a particular mindset that has worked very well for me over the last several years.

The Realtor’s Success Mindset

This mindset has entailed thinking as an investor instead of as a Realtor.  I have never really considered myself a Realtor, in fact, but rather an investor who helps other investors.  It doesn’t hurt that I own 20 investment properties of my own and have a lot of experience in searching for and closing my own purchases.  But this is not a prerequisite to thinking like an investor.  In order to position yourself as an  investor Realtor you don’t have to own a lot of properties yourself, but you do have to develop a reputation with your clients for being more interested in their bottom line than you are in your commission.  I have been able to do this, and in so doing grow a large investor database by using the following strategies that I would like to share with you:

This Article is Copyright © 2004-2009 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Becoming The Investors’ Realtor: The Keys to Agent Success

Source: Becoming The Investors’ Realtor: The Keys to Agent Success

Lucrative Fees May Deter Efforts to Alter Loans

Many mortgage companies that make big profits on late fees are reluctant to give strapped homeowners a break.

Source: Lucrative Fees May Deter Efforts to Alter Loans

Homeowners and Investors May Lose, but the Bank Wins

Bank of America has blocked a homeowner’s attempts to sell a house on the brink of foreclosure. In the meantime, it racks up fees.

Source: Homeowners and Investors May Lose, but the Bank Wins

Is Your Time Worth More Than $15 An Hour?

When choosing the area you’re going to invest in a lot of people don’t create a large enough radius around where they live. For example, one of the best ways to be successful in this business is to mail a lot of letters and postcards to highly targeted lists. And sometimes when an investor tries to order a list around their home town they might only come up with 300 names. When that happens, you need to enlarge your radius because mailing 300 names will never make you wealthy.

What is the ideal radius? Obviously, it depends on where you live. If you live in the city you might not have to go far, but if you live in the country you might have to drive for miles. Personally, the radius I use is 60 miles around my house. Why such a big radius? Because some of the best deals–the bread and butter houses–are that far away from me. And when it comes to making $5,000 to $30,000 per deal, 60 miles is nothing.

This Article is Copyright © 2004-2009 BiggerPockets, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Is Your Time Worth More Than $15 An Hour?

Source: Is Your Time Worth More Than $15 An Hour?

Lucrative Fees May Deter Efforts to Alter Troubled Loans

Many mortgage companies are reluctant to give strapped homeowners a break because the companies collect lucrative fees on delinquent loans.

Source: Lucrative Fees May Deter Efforts to Alter Troubled Loans

Receivers’ Catch: Foreclosures

Receivers' Catch: Foreclosures The Wall Street Journal Some banks are starting to bypass foreclosure on large, troubled real-estate developments and instead are throwing the properties into receivership, a move intended to reduce some of the headaches…(read more)

Source: Receivers’ Catch: Foreclosures