Archive for March, 2012
Will Your Title Insurance Policy Cover You When You Need it Most?
Posted on March 7, 2012 by
Are you certain your title insurance policy will cover you in the event you need it? Do you know what has been excepted from coverage on your last title insurance policy? Did you know that you might not be using the correct documents in order to ensure continued title insurance coverage on your properties? Learn how to properly read a title insurance policy and how title rates are calculated in Georgia.
Join me, Attorney Jonathan F. Lyman and my partner Attorney Craig M. Halperin, of the law firm, Halperin Lyman, LLC, at the Atlanta REIA Main Meeting on Monday, March 12th at 5:30 PM. The information we will be presenting will not only help beginning investors to learn the legal side of the transactions they are conducting but is guaranteed to teach seasoned investors a new lesson or two as well. This is a definite “Do Not Miss” educational event for anyone involved in real estate investments.
You may believe you have done what you need to do to protect your investment property by purchasing an owner’s policy but come learn the ins and outs of title insurance coverage and find out whether you actually have a policy in place that truly protects your interests! Read More→
Webcast Replay: Turbo Charging Your Buying & Selling Machine
Posted on March 7, 2012 by
On March 1st, our good friend and Atlanta REIA Business Member, Kathy Kennebrook joined us for a very special Training Opportunity Webcast on Direct Mail Marketing and other real estate investing strategies. Kathy explained how to buy and sell houses quickly in any market and as well as exactly how she runs her real estate business.
Some of the topics she covered were: Read More→
Everyone Wants to Know, Who is “Mr. X”?
Posted on March 7, 2012 by
UPDATE: Since publishing an article this week on a famous Atlanta real estate guru, who is currently undergoing a state and federal criminal investigation for tax evasion and possibly fraud and other charges, we have been inundated with calls and emails wanting to know “Who is Mr. X?” To protect the presumed innocent, we had not planned on releasing Mr. X’s identity until formal charges were made against him. However, to enable the many hundreds and thousands of Georgians who use Mr X’s legal paperwork and training to properly prepare and protect themselves from any legal and tax implications this investigation may have on their lives and businesses, we have decided to reveal the identity of Mr. X at our Atlanta REIA Main Meeting on Monday, March 12th at 5:30 PM so they can consult with professional legal and tax advisers as needed. Meanwhile, we will tell you who Mr. X is NOT… he is no one who has never attended or spoke at any Atlanta REIA meetings or events.
Atlanta REIA Main Meeting is on March 12, 2012
Posted on March 5, 2012 byPLEASE NOTE: The date of the Atlanta REIA Main Meeting for March has been changed to Monday, March 12th at 5:30 PM at Atlanta Perimeter Hotel & Suites located at 111 Perimeter Center W in Atlanta due to a scheduling conflict with the hotel. The location is the same. Only the date has changed.
(with FREE WINE TASTING!)
Atlanta REIA is pleased to announce that we are having our first “Meeting-Before-The-Meeting” on March 12th at 3:00 PM in a private meeting room at Total Wine & More located at 124 Perimeter Center W (see map), just across down the street from where we meet for the Main Atlanta Meeting. This will be a great opportunity for those who want to get to the meeting early to mix, mingle, learn something new and avoid rush hour traffic.
Gordon Catts will be hosting our first meeting and will be talking about all the new changes the Georgia Superior Court Clerk Cooperative (GSCCCA) has made to their website. Now it is possible to sort by deed type (Looking for private lenders?), view a map of sales at street level (Pulling comps?), sort transactions by date (Want to get a snapshot of the market on a county level?), look up sales information by address (What did the seller pay for the property?) and view a history of the property transactions linked by date (Want to know the sales history?). All this and more is available on the new Superior Search Option of GSCCCA. Come learn about all this at the “Meeting-Before-The-Meeting”.
At 5:00 PM, Total Wines & More will be offering a complimentary wine tasting to all those who wish to participate. There is NO CHARGE to attend this meeting or the wine tasting for Atlanta REIA Members and guests.
Guests Can RSVP Online for $10 or pay $20 at the Door
Atlanta REIA is excited to announce that Attorney Craig M. Halperin and Attorney Jonathan F. Lyman, Managing Partners of Halperin Lyman, LLC, will be our main speakers at the Atlanta REIA Main Meeting on March 12th at 5:30 PM at the Atlanta Perimeter Hotel & Suites, located at 111 Perimeter Center West in Atlanta, where they will discuss “Title Insurance and Recording for Real Estate Investors”.
Craig and Jonathan will also attempt to address many of the relevant questions and concerns you may have regarding the validity of the paperwork that you may be using from a very well-known Atlanta guru and national speaker that is currently the subject of a federal criminal investigation for allegedly using a complicated series of trusts, LLCs and non-profit organizations to commit fraud and tax evasion.
This is a definitely a “Do Not Miss” educational opportunity for anyone involved in real estate investing. The information provided will not only help new investors to learn to setup their business and legal transactions the right way from the very beginning, but is also guaranteed to teach seasoned investors a few new lessons as well.
Did you know that if you prepare your own paperwork to hold your properties in trust, that your title may have serious flaws, your trust may not be valid and your assets may be at risk if challenged? Did you know that even if you close your properties through a competent closing attorney, that your attorney might not be using the right documents needed to ensure your continued title insurance coverage on all your properties. Join Craig and Jonathan to learn more about the closing process, how all of your title and recording fees are calculated and how to insure that all your closings are compliant, legal and insurable.
“What’s Happening at Atlanta REIA” is a mini-session hosted by Atlanta REIA Executive Director, Dustin Griffin, to update our members and guests on many of the exciting new things that are going on at Atlanta REIA in the upcoming weeks and months such as upcoming workshops, webcasts, special events, member’s benefits and more!
“New Member Orientation” is a mini-session hosted by Karen Bershad that is designed to introduce our new members (and guests interested in become a member) to our organization and show them multiple ways they can get involved, get connected and get educated. Come learn more about our website, meetings, networking events, workshops, webcasts, replays and more!
“Real Estate Investing 101” is an new educational mini-session designed to give new real estate investors an exciting glimpse into the highly profitable world of real estate investing. This month’s special guest speaker is local and long time real estate investor, Gordon Catts who will be giving you an overview of the different ways you can profit by investing in real estate.
“There’s an App for That” is a fun new mini-session dedicated to updating you on some of the latest and greatest applications or “apps” for your iPad, iphone or Droid smartphones and tablets for both business and personal use. We want to help you become a high-tech, mobile real estate entrepreneur and this month, Don DeRosa is going to help you do just that!
“Short Sales, Foreclosures & Saving Homes” – You can save your family, friends and neighbors from losing their homes to foreclosure and Bob will show you how. Foreclosure continues to dominate the real estate market. He’s going to teach you what you need to know to monetize pre-foreclosures in a big way.
“How to Invest in Real Estate with Your IRA (Part 2)” – Mr. IRA, Jim Hitt of American IRA, LLC is back this month to talk about some of the intermediate to advanced IRA investing strategies that he will be teaching on a special webcast on Thursday, March 15th.
“Have’s & Wants Speed Marketing” is 30 minute marketing session hosted by Joe Thompson that is held to help facilitate deals by giving our members the opportunity to quickly market things they HAVE and no longer want and to find things they WANT but don’t yet have. Be sure to get to the meeting early and get on the speed marketing list if you want to participate.
After the conclusion of the Main Meeting, we will be reconvening at the Tilted Kilt Perimeter located at 1155-B Mount Vernon Highway in Atlanta for the “Meeting after the Meeting”. We will have some complimentary appetizers available. Also, the Tilted Kilt will be offering half price appetizers as well as food and drink specials for our members and guests. Come eat, drink, network and have fun with us as hang out late into the night!
*Please Note: Meeting agenda is subject to change.
Each and every month, for the duration of our meeting, we have a Vendor Tradeshow in which you can come out and meet many of our participating business members who help sponsor our meeting. It’s not to late to sponsor this meeting. Thanks again sponsors!
Atlanta Carpet Services, Inc. – Providing carpet, wood, vinyl, and tile, ACS is dedicated to every aspect of your floor covering needs from initial consultation to the sale and follow-up services. Read More→
Fuller Center for Housing of Greater Atlanta – A faith-driven, Christ-centered, non-profit organization dedicated to providing adequate shelter for people in need in the Greater Atlanta area. Read More→
American IRA – The American IRA mission is to provide the highest level of customer service in the self-directed retirement industry. Read More→
Networth Realty of Atlanta, LLC – A licensed, full-service residential wholesale brokerage that specializes in finding quality wholesale properties and making them available to you. Read More→
Halperin Lyman, LLC – A transactional real property law firm devoted to providing the full spectrum of non-litigation related real estate legal and consulting services to its clientele. Read More→
Commercial Realty Experts – Our Team utilizes the latest information technologies, market research, and business strategies to move real estate quickly, or satisfy your particular buying needs. Read More→
Atlanta Private Lending – Atlanta’s premier private real estate lending company. We provide private, hard money loans to professional real estate investors for renovation and investment purposes. Read More→
Simply Amazing Staging Atlanta – We have a proven record of converting those “For Sale” signs into “Sold” signs. We use 5 proven and time tested steps to sell your home in record time.
Angel Oak Funding
Scott Bowen’s Specialized Services
Springboard Real Estate (with Don DeRosa)
Vacant Investment Protection
Also, special thanks to all of our volunteers that help make our meetings and networking events possible!
Warning: Are You Using the Correct Legal Paperwork to Protect Your Assets?
Posted on March 5, 2012 by
A very well-known real estate guru and national speaker from Atlanta (whom we will refer to as “Mr. X” since he is presumed innocent until proven guilty) is undergoing an intense and lengthy criminal investigation by the Federal Department of the Treasury, in association with the Georgia Attorney General’s office, for tax evasion and possibly fraud and other charges.
This federal and state criminal investigation was recently confirmed by two Special Agents from the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, located in Decatur, GA as well as many other REIA groups and real estate promoters from across the country who have allowed Mr. X to teach and sell his paperwork and training to their members and students.
(PLEASE NOTE: The Special Agents contact information can be provided if you feel you have been defrauded by Mr. X or have any information that will assist them in their investigation.)
Mr. X allegedly uses a complicated series of land trusts, personal property trusts, LLCs, charitable foundations and non-profit organizations with layer upon layer of these legal entities to hide his assets, avoid lawsuits, thwart investigation and evade paying income taxes.
Because of the growing controversy this federal investigation is causing within our industry, the validity of Mr. X’s training and paperwork, which he is very famous for, is being called into question and facing increasing legal scrutiny. Within the past week, rumors are quickly spreading that the validity of Mr. X’s land trust paperwork was recently challenged in court twice and lost both times. It has also been widely rumored for years that much of his paperwork fails to stand up in court when challenged. Many attorneys have ridiculed the paperwork that he authors, sells and promotes as a safe and easy way to buy and sell real estate since the results could be quite the opposite. Read More→
Enhanced Owner’s Title Insurance Policies: What Are They Good For?
Posted on March 5, 2012 by
People often ask me at continuing education classes or networking events what an enhanced owner’s title insurance policy is, when it is allowed to be used, and what additional coverage it offers to its purchasers. It must first be mentioned that each title insurance underwriter has different guidelines, coverages, and exceptions, so there is never an across the board answer to this question that will encompass every title underwriters’ policies. With that said, the example I am about to expound upon is adopted by six of the major ten underwriters here in Georgia, so if it is not an exact list based on who your closing attorney is writing your policy with, it will at least give you a good idea of some general benefits.
An enhanced policy provides additional title insurance coverage to a purchaser of residential real property. The enhanced coverage includes title matters that are not within the scope of a standard owner’s policy. The enhanced coverage for the owner creates a greater risk to a title underwriter so accordingly, a 20% increase in the premium over existing title insurance rates is charged for this policy, but the policy amount coverage increases by 10% per year for the first five years, so financially they make sense to purchase. Read More→
What’s Happening at Atlanta REIA – Week of March 5, 2012
Posted on March 5, 2012 by
Tuesday is the Super Smart Technology Webcast with Dustin Griffin. Wednesday is the new Creative Deal Structuring Meeting with Russ Hiner & Bob Massey in Buckhead. Thursday is Haves & Wants in Sandy Springs with Joe Thompson and Atlanta REIA South in East Point with Reggie Jackson and Gordon Catts. The Main Atlanta REIA Meeting is on Monday, March 12th with Real Estate Attorneys Craig Halperin, Jonathan Lyman and other special guests. Read More→
Super Smart High Tech Home Buying & Selling Workshop – Part 7 – Feb 7, 2012
Posted on March 1, 2012 by
On February 7th, 2012, Dustin Griffin hosted the 7th installment of the Super Smart High Tech Home Buying & Selling Workshop Series for 2012 which is being held online and recorded for 24/7 playback for Atlanta REIA Members. In Part 7 of this workshop, Dustin showed attendees how to use their Super Smart Sell Site Back Office Websites to post their for sale/rent properties online, using copy and paste property flyers, posting their properties to the new Properties.AtlantaREIA.com website, building an electronic buyers list, managing enant/buyer leads and much more. Anyone can attend this live workshop series for FREE by registering here and Atlanta REIA Members can login here and watch the Workshop Replay below. Read More→
Evening with an Expert Webcast Replay: Attorneys Craig Halperin & Jonathan Lyman
Posted on March 1, 2012 byOn Tuesday, February 28th, Atlanta REIA’s Gold Business Members, Attorney Craig Halperin and Attorney Jonathan Lyman of the law firm Halperin Lyman, LLC did a special Evening with an Expert Webcast with us. Craig and Jonathan answered many questions from our audience regarding title insurance, closing costs, liens, foreclosures, tax sales, entity setup, land trusts and more. Craig and Jonathan also talked about their upcoming presentation on “Title Insurance and Recording for Real Estate Investors: From Coverage and Rates to Proper Transfers in Georgia” at our Atlanta REIA Main Meeting on Monday, March 12, 2012. This was a definitely a “Do Not Miss” educational opportunity for anyone involved in real estate investing. This was an excellent webcast you don’t want to miss. Read More→
