Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance Blog
Seph, Meet Your Parents – Back Then
Posted on September 17, 2012 byJoseph David English, welcome to the world! By the time you’re able to read and fully understand this letter, your parents, Joe and Ashley, will be wealthy real estate investors who, it will appear to you, have nothing better to do than travel the world having fun while constantly interfering in your life.
I’m writing this to you, Seph, because it’s important you know that your parents weren’t born with silver spoons in their mouths. Their success wasn’t due to luck or a winning lottery ticket. Your mom and dad’s success was a worked-at, strived-for thing. In the early years of their marriage they sacrificed greatly. They lived like no one else so that one day, they – and you – could live like no one else!
You were born on Friday, August 24, 2012 at 11:57 p.m., at the Gordon County Hospital. There to welcome you was a waiting room full of joyous family and friends, many of whom were real estate investors. You may think that there’s no such thing as a born real estate investor, but trust me on this, Seph – you are one! Read More→
Oh, How I Love Trusts!
Posted on September 17, 2012 byBusiness owners, here’s something to consider: Let’s say you’re a real estate investor and you’ve spent the past fifteen years working and sacrificing to build a portfolio of twenty single-family rental homes. Your portfolio has a lot of equity and great cash flow. You’ve finally reached the point where you can relax, travel and enjoy life – Oh, and yes, you DID build it yourself!
Then you get The Call. It’s from one of those one-call-that’s-all, flea-bag attorneys who tells you that he’s representing one of your tenants who was seriously injured after falling down some steps at one of your rentals. Of course, he fails to mention that your tenant was inebriated at the time he fell – the attorney doesn’t want things like facts and the truth to get in the way of his big, easy payday!
The attorney threatens to sue you for ten million dollars, or explains that you can simply write a fifteen thousand dollar check and avoid the lawsuit. Oh sure – in many circles this “offer” would be considered extortion, but because it’s an attorney making the call, it’s instead called “settlement negotiations.” Read More→
Landlords’ #1 Legal Mistake
Posted on September 17, 2012 byLast week, Houston Long, a fellow real estate investor and longtime friend (though he doesn’t like admitting to the “longtime friend” part), had to take a tenant to Magistrate Court to seek an eviction. The tenant had quit paying rent. This left Houston with no option but to try and get the tenant out and his rental property back.
Taking a tenant to court should be a no-other-choice decision. For Houston, who’s been managing tenants and rental properties for more than eight years, this is the first time he’s had to take a tenant to court. Previously, he had been able to resolve all landlord-tenant issues at the tenant’s kitchen table without getting a Magistrate Judge involved.
Houston didn’t ask me to attend his dispossessory hearing, but with it being his first time in court and because I was secretly hoping his case would turn into an exciting landlord-tenant train wreck, I couldn’t keep myself away. Read More→
What We See When Working Foreclosures
Posted on September 17, 2012 byWe bought two properties at the August foreclosure auction in Bartow County. After the auction, a new real estate investor asked us a question we hear often: What do you see when you’re out working foreclosures? Today’s column answers this question.
A couple of days ago, I headed out to look at some properties scheduled to be sold at the September foreclosure auction. Joining me were my buddies Houston Long and John Clark. Houston is an experienced investor who has one of the best creative deal-structuring minds around. John is new to real estate investing and is a quick learner.
Our goal was to see 27 properties that day. (There are a total of 115 properties advertised to be sold at September’s foreclosure auction in Bartow County.) To make finding the properties easier, Houston maps them on his iPad, then breaks Bartow into quadrants and sectors. Working with him reminds me of a Tom Clancy novel and having “John Clark” in the car definitely adds to this feeling.
Of the foreclosure properties we saw, a little over a third were abandoned. A good number of these had been empty for six months or longer. Sadly, this ratio is pretty typical. Read More→
The Magic Happens at the Seller’s Kitchen Table – Part 3
Posted on September 17, 2012 by
In the first two parts (Part 1 & Part 2) of this series, we discussed the best way for real estate investors to quickly find folks who want to sell their home. Today, let’s talk about what to do once you’re face-to-face with a seller.
OK, you’re in the seller’s house. What should you do first? The thing I want to do first is go straight to the seller’s kitchen table and find out why she is selling her home. But what usually happens is that I’m given a grand tour of the property.
In years past, these tours bored me to tears. I’d think: Wow, there’s a bathroom and a couple of bedrooms down this hall – who would have guessed? But with time, I’ve learned that the tour is a great time to begin building a relationship with the seller.
These days, as I’m shown around the seller’s house, I pick out the odd things the seller owns – you know, the things that don’t really belong. When I see an oddity I ask, “What in the heck is this thing?” Often, the seller lights up and launches into an interesting story. Curiosity will help you build rapport. Read More→
What’s Happening at Atlanta REIA – Week of September 17, 2012
Posted on September 17, 2012 by
This week, Movers & Shakers meets on Monday. Tuesday is a webcast on Mobile Websites for Real Estate Investors with Dustin Griffin. Wednesday is Atlanta REIA North on Marketing Techniques for Real Estate Investors followed by Late Nite Networking at the Tilted Kilt Buford. Thursday is the Haves & Wants Meeting and an Evening with a Real Estate Expert webcast with Private Money Expert, Alan Cowgill. Saturday is the “How to Make $20K Days Workshop” with Don DeRosa. Read More→
Six Member-Only Webcast Replays
Posted on September 7, 2012 by
Real Estate Joint Ventures & Wealth Without Risk
with Dustin Griffin & Duncan Wierman on August 30, 2012
On this webcast, Duncan Wierman taught us about how to use real estate joint ventures to create wealth without risk using the latest real estate investing techniques and technology. If you would like to learn how to use technology to help you buy and sell more houses than you ever thought possible, without even leaving your house, this is a webcast replay you don’t want to miss. Watch Webcast→
More Mobile Media Marketing for Real Estate Investors
with Dustin Griffin & Mike Barnes on August 28, 2012
On this webcast, mobile media marketing expert, Mike Barnes showed us some of the tools we use create and maintain our mobile websites as well as the Mobile Media Marketing Platform we use for QR code Marketing, Text Message Marketing and so much more. If you are truly interested in being cutting edge and using Mobile Media Marketing to promote your business, this is a webcast you don’t want to miss. Watch Webcast→
Mobile Media Marketing for Real Estate Investors
with Dustin Griffin & Mike Barnes on August 21, 2012
On this webcast, mobile media marketing expert, Mike Barnes introduced some of the major Mobile Media Marketing Tools that you need to consider adding to your marketing efforts to help to build your buyer, seller, tenant and customer lists, to reach your lists more effectively, to generate more traffic to your websites and/or place of business and to dramatically increase your sales and profits! Watch Webcast→
Making a Fortune in the Real Estate Recovery
with Dustin Griffin & Marc Hrisko on August 16, 2012
On this webcast, we set down with Marc Hrisko and talked about “Making a Fortune in the Real Estate Recovery”. Marc talked about the mountain of opportunity that exists out there in the real estate marketplace if you know where to look, and more importantly, what to do when you find it. Watch Webcast→
Using Land Trusts to Control & Hold Real Estate
with Dustin Griffin & Larry Harbolt on August 14, 2012
On this webcast, creative real estate expert, Larry Harbolt, joined us for a very informative webcast on how and why you should be using Land Trusts to purchase and control your real estate deals. Larry also gave us a preview of what he will be teaching at his full day workshop with Robyn Thompson in Atlanta on August 18th. Watch Webcast→
An Evening with Real Estate Expert Robyn Thompson
with Dustin Griffin & Robyn Thompson on July 26, 2012
On this webcast, Robyn talked in detail about how to decide which houses to flip for quick cash versus which houses to keep and hold for long term wealth creation and cash flow. She also talked about making the mental transition from the employee mindset to the 7 figure business owner mindset and well as the 5 important steps that took her from broke to millionaire status in just a few short years. Watch Replay→
Short Sale & Foreclosure Group Meets Sept 10, 2012 at 3PM
Posted on September 7, 2012 by
Bob Massey here, and I hope to see you this Monday, September 10th at 3pm for the Atlanta REIA Foreclosure Subgroup meeting. At this meeting I am going to be covering some critical information you need to be a successful investor in this crazy market.
We’re going to be talking about the foreclosure process, short sales, and beyond. We’ll explain both the foreclosure and short sale processes from top to bottom, including what strategies are working best today, and the key mistakes that will absolutely kill your deals.
We’re also going to be explaining the securitization racket that has defrauded our entire country. Not only will you learn more about the banking system than most attorneys and judges in the U.S., but you will learn how to use this information to do some incredible deals. Chances are you’re going to learn how the banks defrauded you on your mortgage!
I’m really looking forward to seeing you at the meeting Monday, September 10, at 3pm!
The Short Sale & Foreclosure Group (SSF), hosted by Bob Massey, will have it’s quarterly meeting on Monday, September 10th at 3 PM in a private meeting room at Total Wine & More located at 124 Perimeter Center W (see map).
Webcast Replay: Real Estate Joint Ventures & Wealth Without Risk
Posted on September 6, 2012 by
On August 30, 2012, Duncan Wierman joined us for Training Opportunity Webcast where he taught us about “Real Estate Joint Ventures & Wealth Without Risk” using the latest real estate investing techniques and technology. If you would like to learn how to use technology to help you buy and sell more houses than you ever thought possible, without even leaving your house, this is a webcast replay you don’t want to miss. Watch the webcast replay now! Read More→
Webcast Replay: More Mobile Media Marketing Techniques for Real Estate Investors
Posted on September 6, 2012 by
On August 28, 2012, mobile media marketing expert, Mike Barnes joined us for a Business Opportunity Webcast to followup the webcast he did with us on August 21, 2012, that introduced us to several Mobile Media Marketing Techniques that you should be considering adding to your overall Internet Marketing Strategy. During this follow-up webcast, Mike showed us some of the tools we use create and maintain our mobile websites as well as the Mobile Media Marketing Platform we use for QR code Marketing, Text Message Marketing and so much more. If you are truly interested in being cutting edge and using Mobile Media Marketing to promote your business, this is a webcast you don’t want to miss. Watch the webcast replay now! Read More→
The Profit September 2012 Edition
Posted on September 5, 2012 by
The 4th edition of The Profit, the official newsletter of the Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA), is out for the month September 2012! Read and enjoy a variety of articles on real estate investing and more from Don DeRosa, Jeff Nix, Larry Harbolt, Russ Hiner, Mike Barnes, Bob Massey, Erven Kimble, Jim Hitt, Deborah Harris, Michael Vazquez, Tony Pearl, Robyn Thompson, Kathy Kennebrook, Craig Halperin and Chris Littleton. And don’t forget, Atlanta REIA Business Members can advertise in The Profit at discounted rates.
Atlanta REIA Main Meeting on September 10th with Don DeRosa
Posted on September 5, 2012 byPLEASE NOTE: As of September 10th, the Atlanta REIA Main Monthly Meeting is moving to a new venue at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia Hotel located at 4355 Ashford Dunwoody Road in Atlanta, GA just across the street from Perimeter Mall.
with Don DeRosa at the
Crowne Plaza Ravinia on Sept 10th
Atlanta REIA Members Can Attend at No Charge.
Guests Can RSVP Online Now for $10 or Pay $20 at the Door.
Atlanta REIA is excited to announce that our very own Don DeRosa will be our keynote speaker on Monday, September 10th at our next Atlanta REIA Main Meeting to be held at 5:30 PM at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia Hotel located at 4355 Ashford Dunwoody Road in Atlanta, GA just off I-285N across the street from Perimeter Mall.
As many of you know, Don is a part time real estate trainer and mentor and full-time real estate investor who actively buys, sells and holds properties each month for huge profits and long term cash flow. Join us on Sept 10th and Don will share with you, many of his Real Estate Insider Secrets and the state-of-the-art tools he uses to evaluate deals and make them work – for him and for the seller.
As he unveils his Insider Secrets, he’ll share with you the buying and selling strategies that are working for him right now, in August/September 2012. Yes, he’ll show you the secret tools and strategies he uses every day to create profitable deals, even when there appears to be nothing to work with. Don will show you how to create an abundance of deals to choose from! Plus he’ll show you how he gets the information to evaluate a deal, wherever is he, so you’ll never waste time with leads you shouldn’t spend time on and beat other investors to the most profitable deals.
Don will walk through real world, actual deals, to demonstrate step-by-step how to apply these strategies, tools and techniques. In fact, bring your deals, and he’ll show you exactly how to evaluate the lead, determine your exit strategy, structure the deal, negotiate with the seller, and get the paperwork done almost instantly and without any of the hard work you normally do to get your deals done.
By the end of the presentation, you’ll know –
- How to evaluate any lead and decide whether this is a winner for you and how much money you’ll make before you make your offer
- How to combine buying strategies and exit strategies – that work right now, in 2012 – to effortlessly make a deal work you
- The Secret to creating passive income deals of $350 + per month without any of your own money and with NO management on your part.
- How to structure a deal in less than 10 minutes, so that you make a minimum of $20,000 on it, choosing from multiple strategies
- How to become a “mindreader,” to find exactly what the seller’s hot buttons are so you can craft a deal the seller is dying to take
- How to use Don’s Green means ‘GO’, Red means ‘NO’ tools to negotiate for you, so you never let your emotions talk you into making a bad deal!
And is this is not enough, Don will be back with us on Saturday, September 22nd for a full day workshop to really drive these points home and give you all the details you need to succeed. Once you are armed with Don’s training and the tools he uses every day, you will be able to make your next year of real estate investing, your best year ever… starting today!
PLEASE NOTE: Guests can Join Atlanta REIA as a Silver Member for a full year for only $100, now through September 10th, and attend our Atlanta REIA Meeting on Monday at no charge and as well as Don DeRosa’s “How to Make $20K in 30 Days” Workshop on September 22nd.
“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, members benefits and more!
Barry Garner, Acquisitions Agent with Solutions Realty Network, who helps investors purchase single family houses, apartment complexes and hotels will be discussing SRN’s strategy on investing as well as their upcoming Foreclosure Bus Tour and Training on September 29th and 30th to which you are being invited.
“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.
The Short Sale & Foreclosure Group (SSF), hosted by Bob Massey, will have it’s quarterly meeting on Monday, September 10th at 3 PM in a private meeting room at Total Wine & More located at 124 Perimeter Center W (see map). At this meeting, Bob is going to be talking about the foreclosure process, short sales, and beyond. We’ll explain both the foreclosure and short sale processes from top to bottom, including what strategies are working best today, and the key mistakes that will absolutely kill your deals. We’re also going to be explaining the securitization racket that has defrauded our entire country and how to use this information to do some incredible deals. Read more>>
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”. 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 Trade Show in which you can come out and meet many of our participating business members who help sponsor our meeting. Thanks again sponsors!
Angel Oak Funding – A direct hard money lender headquartered in Atlanta. We provide renovation/construction loans for investors and or builders to purchase and renovate residential properties. 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→
American IRA – The American IRA mission is to provide the highest level of customer service in the self-directed retirement industry. 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→
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→
Solutions Realty Network – Providing expert property management and investment services since 2003. You invest and we take care of the rest! We’re the solution to all your real estate needs. Read More→
Goldmine Properties, Inc. – As Atlanta’s first full service real estate wholesaler, Goldmine Properties offers wholesale property at 65% loan to value, with financing available. Purchase price and repairs are 65% of certified after repaired appraisal. 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→
The Small Business Advisor – A full service small business consulting firm specializing in QuickBooks with a wide variety of specialized services, trainings and products for small businesses. Read More→
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→
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.
Scott Bowen’s Specialized Services
C. Brown Property Management
Craftbuilt, Inc.
Vacant Investment Protection
Also, special thanks to all of our volunteers that help make our meetings and networking events possible!
