Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance Blog
Is Financial Freedom A Choice?
Posted on December 19, 2012 byFolks, this week’s column is very different from my usual. I’m afraid a lot of you will think it’s overly harsh and that I’m one big jerk. Who knows – you may be right on both counts. It’s just that I truly feel that success – financial freedom – is a choice. Actually, it’s more like millions of little-bitty, every-day choices – maybe call them habits – that we make each day. If you make more bad choices than good, you won’t be pleased with the results. Make more good choices than bad, and you’ll end up on easy street. Simple as that!
Yesterday, I met with a friend (we’ll call him Ben) who is going through some tough times. This is the letter I wrote him this morning.
Ben, sorry for the troubles you’re going through. The thing is, you are where you are because of the past choices you’ve made. On the other hand, ten years from now, you’ll be where you’ll be because of all the little choices you make from this day to that. It’s all up to you!
Your window is closing fast. You’re not 30 years old any more. On your current path, you won’t like where you’ll end up at 65. You must start RIGHT NOW cutting every expense you can in order to free up every penny you can to invest in appreciating capital assets. Time is a luxury you no longer possess! Read More→
Where’s Your Emergency Fund?
Posted on December 17, 2012 byWe’ve all heard the wise, old saying: Save for a rainy day. Dave Ramsey calls it an emergency fund. Whatever you call it, it should be enough cash to support you and your family for three to six months. Because these funds need to be liquid – in case of an emergency, you want to be able to get to your money quickly – it’s best to keep this money in a money market account.
This morning, I met with a couple of other real estate investors to discuss year-end and 2013 tax strategies. Part of our discussion was about our emergency funds and the question of when is enough really enough?
Right now, if you’re lucky, your money market accounts are paying a whopping 0.9%. This means that if you have $10,000 in your emergency fund at the beginning of the year, by the end of the year it will have grown by a whopping $90.00! Oh be still my beating heart! Read More→
Having Dinner with Successful Investors at Atlanta REIA West on Dec 17, 2012
Posted on December 14, 2012 byHave you ever wondered what it would be like to take an extremely successful real estate investor out to dinner? What questions would you ask them? What would you want to know? What are you just dying to find out that will make a significant impact on your investing? What is it that will help you make a lot more $$$$ in 2013? What difference would that make for you in your business and your life?
Well guess what? I’ve already arranged this opportunity FOR YOU, and it happens this coming Monday, December 17th at Wild Wild West Subgroup of Atlanta REIA!
Listen up, folks, this is big– I got not one, not two, but THREE outstanding investors to accept my invitation to share with you on Monday, Dec. 17 at 6:30pm. Our panel is made up of three of the most highly respected and successful investors right here in Hot’lanta! We have Steve Jordan, Johnna Lodge, and Robert Gilstrap in our line-up, who together have a combined total of more than 70 years of hard-core, in the trenches, real world investing and landlording experience! They have all agreed to answer your questions, help solve your dilemmas, and offer up their invaluable knowledge and expertise to you this Monday…and the best part is, you get to ask them whatever questions you have on your mind when you join us!
Jump ahead of the crowd! Email me your questions RIGHT NOW to: lesliemathismentor@yahoo.com and I’ll guarantee* that your questions will be answered first, before we take questions from the audience on Monday! I must receive your email no later than 11am on Saturday Dec. 15 for this guarantee to be in effect. So go ahead and send it to me NOW!
You won’t want to miss your chance to spend some quality time with these seasoned professionals for sure. The definition of ‘wisdom’ is learning from other people’s experiences. Come get very wise with us, as it’s a rare opportunity indeed to get this kind of success and experience together in one room and have open access to them. How much time can they cut off your learning curve? What issues have you had that you’ve been beating your head up against the wall trying to solve, that they can easily solve for you? If you don’t ask, you won’t know!
Take a break from your holiday shopping to do list and come join us at West Subgroup on Monday at the www.cherokeecattlecompany.com on Canton Road in Marietta. We’ll have some holiday cheer, great food, and best of all, top notch sharing by these incredible folks. Give yourself a gift this holiday season and come join us. You’ll be glad you did!
The Wild Wild West Subgroup of Atlanta REIA meets this coming Monday, Dec. 17 at the Cherokee Cattle Company. Atlanta REIA Members are FREE, guests are just $5 per person. See you at the ranch! The schedule is:
6:30pm—doors open
6:30 to 7:00—networking and order dinner
7:00 to 7:15— official start of program, announcements, deals, haves and wants (bring your flyers!)
7:15 to 9:00–speaker panel
9:00 to10:00—late night networking
10:00pm—restaurant closes
We’ll see you on Monday!
Leslie Mathis
Best & Worst Deals in 2012
Posted on December 14, 2012 byThe December meeting of North Georgia REIA is one of our favorites. Real estate investors from around Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama show up to answer this question: What was your best and/or worst deal in 2012?
Why is it such an important question? Because one of the best ways to learn how to be a better, wiser investor is to learn from the experiences – both good and bad – of other investors around you. This keeps you from trying to reinvent the wheel. Remember the old saying: A smart man learns from his mistakes. A wise man learns from others’ mistakes.
During the meeting, the first thing we determine is how the deal was found. You quickly realize that there’s not a “the” way to find a profitable investment property. Some folks knock on sellers’ doors. Others do lots of internet marketing. Then there are mail-outs and the foreclosure steps. The list goes on and on. Read More→
Change Is Gonna Do You Good!
Posted on December 12, 2012 byI was born a blonde, but as I got older my hair turned auburn(ish). When I was diagnosed with cancer, my sister colored my hair red to give me a much-needed lift, both mentally and physically. But now that I’m pushing 55, my hair is turning grey and I find that it’s harder to keep it colored red.
Ah, everything in life changes, doesn’t it? If we are fearful of change, and reject it, then we miss out on so many great opportunities.
Change is happening to our real estate business, as well. Years ago, Bill and I worked hard to buy properties before they hit the ‘steps’ at the foreclosure auction. We dealt face-to-face with homeowners in distress, and really worked our ‘deal-structuring’ muscles to find ways to purchase homes prior to the auction. Read More→
Financial Calculator – A Wealth Builder’s Most Valuable Tool
Posted on December 11, 2012 byYou’re probably asking “Are you really gonna talk about financial calculators?” and thinking: Yawn, yawn, yawn – wake me when it’s over!
Here’s the thing: Our real estate investors group is geared for experienced investors. To master creative deal structuring and financing, we all need to know how to speak the same language. A great communication device that accomplishes this task is a financial calculator.
Remember, a financial calculator is about MONEY, not math! Knowing how to make it sing and dance is critical to achieving financial freedom. I promise, once you know how to use a financial calculator, your real estate investing world will never be the same. Plus, you will be head and shoulders above most any investor you meet – including the so-called gurus!
Let’s use a financial calculator to answer this interesting question: Can you become a millionaire by delivering pizzas part-time for five years? If you think you can’t, then you’d be W-R-O-N-G! Read More→
The Profit December 2012 Edition
Posted on November 28, 2012 by
The December 2012 edition of The Profit, the official newsletter of the Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA), is now ready for download in high or low resolution format. This month you can read and enjoy a variety of articles on real estate investing and more from David Lindahl, Tony Pearl, Jeff Nix, Larry Harbolt, Kathy Kennebrook, Russ Hiner, Bob Massey, Don DeRosa, Jim Hitt, Michael Vazquez, Kimberlee Frank and Karen Bershad. And don’t forget, Atlanta REIA Business Members can advertise in The Profit at deeply discounted rates.
The Big Property Grab!!
Posted on November 28, 2012 byThree years from now you could be living in a water front property, sleeping in on Monday mornings, doing only the things you want to do and excitedly walking to the mailbox everyday ready to gather that days set of cash flow checks the Postman dropped off .
It’s those cash flow checks that allow you to live this life of leisure and it never stops to amaze you how they have gotten as high as they are and they keep increasing!!
…Or…you could wake up on Monday morning three years from now, living the same life your living now….and if that’s OK with you, that’s OK with me. But if you want to change your life in any way, that change will probably require money…. And here’s the deal…you have about two and a half years to stake you claim and get your share of a lot of wealth that’s about to be created during this big property grab.
What the heck am I talking about? I’m talking about the multi-family real estate market. If you will do for the next three years what most people won’t do, you will be able to do for the rest of you life, what most people can’t. Read More→
Quick Start Guide to Real Estate Investing – How To Get Started… Again
Posted on November 28, 2012 bySince we just finished our 5-part journey of “Real Estate + The Internet = The Perfect Marriage,” (see previous issues) we’re going to do something a little different in this article. We’re going back to the ‘Old School’ style of real estate investing.
Specifically: How To Get Started in Real Estate Investing… Again!
The great thing about technology is that it really helps you leverage your time. When set up correctly, you can have computers & systems do a lot of the work FOR you, and that’s wonderful! However, it takes time, thought, money, and reliable technology. And that’s just to get it set up!
But what if you don’t have the time or money to do all that? What if you’re just starting out? … OR what if you’re just starting out… Again? Read More→
Atlanta REIA Welcomes Pete’s Friendly Home Inspections
Posted on November 28, 2012 byAn inspection from Pete’s Friendly Home Inspection is a complete evaluation of the home from roof to foundation and everything in between. Other home inspectors will tell you they do the best job, they’ve been at it for 20+ years, they used to be a builder and they will inspect everything in the home with a 50+ page inspection report. One way Pete’s goes above and beyond the competition is by backing the inspection with a FREE 90-day, zero deductable home warranty in writing.
Pete’s Friendly Home Inspection was formed on the idea that a quality inspection is essential in making an informed buying decision. “I quickly realized that not only buyers, but anyone with a home needs to be informed about the condition of their house” says owner, Pete Rossetti. “Providing accurate in-depth inspections is my duty and ensuring you understand the inspection is my guarantee“. Read More→
If You Think Education is Expensive, Try Ignorance
Posted on November 28, 2012 by“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” ~ Derek Bok
When I started over 30 years ago, like many of you I didn’t have any extra money to pay a mentor or buy an investing course. I decided I would learn the real estate investing business by just doing it. I thought I could shorten my learning curve by going to real estate meetings. I went to a popular real estate meeting in my area for several months. Then I got the bright idea that if going to one meeting was a good idea it would have to be better to go to more meetings. So I decided I would go to four meetings in my area every week. I thought that the real estate meetings I went to were where the seasoned investors with all the knowledge of how the business worked went and if I could meet them I could pick their brains and learn the secrets of investing that would catapult me to success.
After a few months of what seemed to be endless meetings I realized that going to meetings was not giving me what I wanted. I wasn’t getting the details, the investor’s secrets I needed to be able to buy real estate profitably. I saw other investors who were constantly doing profitable deals but none of them would give me their secrets or the details I needed to be able to do the same. At the time I thought I was saving money by trying to learn the business the inexpensive way but I was just fooling myself because after all of the months of attending those meetings I still didn’t have the information to be able to generate the money I needed. I found out it wasn’t the inexpensive way to learn at all; it was the extremely expensive way to learn the business. I continued to learn the real estate investing business without spending any money for training until one day I decided it was time I needed to make a change. I decided I would take a quality training. The key word in that sentence is “Quality” training. Read More→
How To Create A Solid Direct Mail Piece
Posted on November 28, 2012 byOne of the most important aspects to a marketing campaign to find highly qualified sellers and buyers that is going to work is to create a solid mail piece for your business. These are key points for creating a solid direct mail piece that folks will respond to no matter what business you are in.
- The first thing you’ll want to do is to “touch” your prospective customer or seller with “the dream”, or “the solution” to their problem. You’ll want to touch the basic emotions and the needs of your client or seller within the body of your letter, whether that is fear, relief, greed, pride or vanity.
- Keep it simple. The grammar doesn’t necessarily have to be perfect. You want to reach this person at their comfort level. Keep your letter relaxed, personal and conversational. Read More→
