Are You an Asset or Liability to Your Success?

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Not sure about where you live but it’s been absolutely gorgeous in Charleston, SC lately.

Recently, one of our Platinum Private Money Blueprint members, Mike Johnson,and his wife Audrey were in Charleston… so I took ‘em to one of my favorite spots, The Boathouse at Breach Inlet.

The view is AMAZING! Best spot to watch the sunset in Charleston.

Check us out…

You know, there’s a certain language to success (which is an ASSET to you)… and Mike speaks it.

He’s a new investor and is going to be buying multi family deals. He hasn’t done his first deal yet but here’s what he told me the other day… he said, “I will do this. It’s only a matter of time.”

Is your language an ASSET to your success? Find out below…

Are You An Asset Or Liability To Your REI Success?

Take a good hard look at yourself.

Are you growing or shrinking? Are you taking steps towards your goals or letting them drift away? Are you doing the things you know you should be or letting fear stop you in your tracks?

If you’re growing, if you’re taking steps towards your goals, if you’re doing the things you know you should be, then you’re an asset.

If not, a liability.

There are a few core areas of your biz that we need to make certain you’re an ASSET… because real estate investing, building a business requires it.

>> #1 – Education

You’re an asset if…

You are committed to CANI (constant and never ending improvement). You read good books, blogs, articles, etc on a regular basis.

You take massive action. You know that the REAL learning comes from the field… not in the classroom. You learn from the people you meet, the experiences you have, the mistakes you make along the way.

>> #2 – Language

You’re an asset if…

You speak confidently about yourself, your abilities, your business, your future.

You don’t use weak words like “try” or “wish.” You boldly exclaim (at least to yourself) that you can and will do whatever you set your mind to. You don’t say “I can’t”… you ask “how can I?”

>> #3 – Planning

You’re an asset if… you live by the Proverb, “He who fails to plan, plans to fail.”

You know what you want in biz and life and have written plans to make it all happen. Even though you don’t know exactly “how” you’re going to accomplish your goals, you know that with a strong enough “why,” the how takes care of itself.

You do the best you can with what you have… and are flexible – adjusting your plans along the way as needed.

>> #4 – Network

You’re an asset if…

You understand that your network makes a HUGE impact on your net worth… and actively look for ways to build new relationships and strengthen existing ones.

You associate with like-minded positive people who are where you want to be. You’re active in organizations like REIA, chamber of commerce, Rotary, the “private lender referral source” I shared with you recently, small biz association.

Regardless of whether or not you’re comfortable meeting new people, you do it anyway.

So, let me ask you again…

Are you an asset or liability to your success?

If you’re currently a liability, it’s time to do something about it. Now!

All it takes is one decision… a decision to actively educate yourself, speak the language of success, plan, build your network.

If you have any questions, if I can help you with anything, let me know.

I’m here for ya :-)

Happy Investing!

- Patrick

P.S. – Was thumbing back through Napoleon Hill’s classic, Think & Grow Rich, and came across this nugget of wisdom…

“Where failure is experienced, it is the individual, not the method, which has failed. If you try and fail, make another effort, and still another, until you succeed.”

As an asset to your success, as someone willing to make another effort, and another… there is only one result.

Success.

Tags: creative real estate investing, patrick riddle, real estate asset, real estate investing, real estate investing success, real estate liability
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How to Find Hidden Profit Centers in Your Deals

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Alrighty, just put together a brand new video for ya on finding hidden profit centers in your deals.

I walk you through a real world situation from last week with one of my Platinum coaching students, Jason Tooley.

Through the negotiation process with a seller of a 48 unit deal, I told Jason to ask two questions (that you’re about to learn) that uncovered piles of additional profits.

Check out the video below…

Amazing what a couple simple questions can uncover, ehhh?

Join the conversation here and toss your questions, thoughts, whatever is on your mind in the comment area.

And before you go, show some love and “Like” this post. Thanks :-)

-  Patrick

Tags: creative real estate investing, hidden real estate profits, negotiating real estate, patrick riddle, real estate investing, real estate negotiating
Posted in Negotiating, Real Estate Investment Buying Strategies, Tips and Tricks | No Comments »

Why Are You A Real Estate Investor?

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Before I dive in here, if you’re wondering where in the heck I’ve been, I’m not surprised. I haven’t been posting nearly as much over the past few months… whew, just been super busy.

I’ve had a few BIG projects on my plate that have been consuming my time… editing/updating the entire written manual of my Private Money Blueprint system for 2011 (releasing the new version in a couple weeks), just took on a new group of Platinum coaching clients, working on a few new deals, among other projects (can’t let the cat out of the bag yet on these… top secret stuff :-)

Anyway, I’m still here… and am going to get back on track posting awesome content and resources consistently for ya.

Now for today’s post…

“Why are you a real estate investor?”

Are you an investor because you want to replace your income and quit your 9 to 5? or you want to be your own boss and do what you want, when you want? or you want to make your millions and retire to the good life?

All of these are great reasons to invest in real estate. BUT…

… what if we took it one step further… and looked not at “what’s in it for me”… but “what’s in it for others”?

What if we focused on how many people benefit from what we do as real estate investors? What if that was the motivating force, our “why”, for being an investor?

I can tell you from experience… when you focus on helping other people, when you focus on truly serving others, magical things happen.

Seriously.

When you help enough people get what they want, you’ll get what you want (I think Zig Ziglar said that).

I got an email recently from PMBPer Bryan McClaskey which spawned this post… because he recently closed his first private money deal (whoohoo! congrats Bryan!) and made a list of all the people who benefit when he does a rehab deal with private money.

Here’s an excerpt from the email he sent me:

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

1) the seller gets rid of their property

2) the seller’s bank gets a non-performing asset off their books (assuming it’s a short sale, in foreclosure or an REO)

3) the real estate agent(s) make a commission

4) the local economy… all the contractors and suppliers get paid for work on the rehab

5) the neighborhood… the neighbors are happy to see an ugly house that was bringing down neighborhood turned into a pretty house

6) the buyer wins by getting a safe, clean, affordable home

7) the private money investor gets a good return that they can’t get from the traditional market

8) and last but certainly not least… I make a nice fair profit in the process

I found my calling! my purpose! just the thought of helping all those people keeps me awake at night!

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

I love it Bryan! That’s the mindset that breeds success, that breeds wealth!

Thanks for letting me share your email with everyone here.

Alrighty, that does it for now.

Get out there in the REI trenches and go help some people :-)

- Patrick

P.S. – Bryan sent me another email because he thought of more people who benefit from his transactions… “the buyer’s lender, the appraiser, the buyer’s home inspector, the pest control company, the insurance agent.” Nice!

P.P.S. – Can you think of anyone else who benefits from your deals? If so, toss ‘em in the comment area.

Tags: bryan mcclaskey, creative real estate investing, patrick riddle, Private Money, private money investor, real estate agent, real estate investing, real estate investor
Posted in Personal Development, Tips and Tricks | No Comments »

7 Must Know Strategies for Beginning Real Estate Investors

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In today’s post, Samantha Taylor of Mortgage Fit brings us 7 must know strategies for beginning real estate investors…

Investing in the real estate market can be a very lucrative form of investment, and you can do it, if you want to earn great profits. However, if you are just starting off, be aware of a few strategies before you begin investing.

7 Must Know Real Estate Investing Strategies for Beginners

1. Form a Good Team

When you are just beginning to invest in the real estate market, you should get good advice from people who are experienced in this field. You should build a good team to give you sound advice. Most of the mistakes people make while investing in real estate is due to bad advice. This can all be done away with if you choose the right kind of knowledgeable people for your team. Take your time and consider who you take advice from and who you don’t.

2. Educate Yourself Before Starting

It’s important that you know what you are getting into. Having a thorough knowledge of the basics of real estate investment is very essential. However, you should know much more than the basics before you invest. There are many lectures and seminars and books that can help you gather knowledge about how you are to invest and make profits in this market. You must be adequately aware about when to sell or buy or remodel your property.

3. Have a Sound Knowledge of the Market

Do adequate research about the market that you are dealing with. You must understand property values and market trends. One way to help build this knowledge is through your team, networking with other local investors, and actively looking at properties.

4. Make Contacts

It is very important to have a good contact base when you are beginning to invest in the real estate market. If you are attending any seminars or lectures on real estate investing, build some contacts there. Building contacts will help you in finding better loans and better rates when it comes to buying or selling properties.

5. Set Your Goals

Before you invest in any market, you should set specific goals. Determine your exit strategy and decide if want to sell your property or rent it. You must also determine how much money you will be willing to put towards your property and how long you are planning to keep it.

6. Learn to Survey Properties

It is essential for you to master the art of surveying properties. Not all properties can be profitable for you. Thus, you must survey properties in order to determine what repairs are needed. Get a professional to help with this process at first.

7. Learn How to Survey Locations

One of the most important things that you must consider when investing in real estate is the location of the property. This is essential because when you sell a property or put it up for rent, a much smaller segment of the population will be interested in buying or renting your property if it has a bad location (high traffic areas, loud areas, declining neighborhoods, etc).

These are just a few strategies that will help you get started investing in real estate.

________________________________

Samantha Taylor is the Community Mentor of MortgageFit and has been contributing her suggestions to the Community since 2005. She’s also made notable contributions through the various articles written on different subjects related to the mortgage industry. Head on over to MortgageFit to learn more about Samantha.

Tags: Beginning Real Estate Investing, creative real estate investing, mortgage fit, mortgagefit, mortgagefit.com, real estate investing, real estate investing for beginners, real estate investing strategies, samantha taylor
Posted in Tips and Tricks | No Comments »

How to Overcome Distractions & Keep Focused on Your 2011 Goals

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In today’s post, Rob Russell of The Real World Investor shares 5 tips to help you stay laser focused on achieving your 2011 goals (and btw… Rob’s one of our PMBP member’s who is kicking some serious butt in today’s market… he’s getting private money and closing deals right and left… go Rob!)…

Hello fellow Real Estate Investors,

I must admit, with the invention of social media, I-phones, I pods, and who knows what those brilliant marketers are working on next, keeping your focus on your goals in 2011 is going to be a challenge!

I’m speaking from experience.

You see, even after a 10-year stint in the Army where I was hand-picked to be trained as a “sniper” and where I developed incredible mental focus and clarity, I struggled after I got out of the service.

Luckily I had the mental fortitude and discipline to develop my own systems and habits that keep me focused and on track to reach my goals.

As you get to know me more, you will see that one of my passions is to help out my fellow investors and share what I’ve found works best in “THE REAL WORLD”!

With that said, here are my top…

5 Tips & Tricks to Overcome Distractions & Stay Laser Focused on Your Goals

(I’ve spent the last 20 years fine tuning these… enjoy :-)

1) Develop a Weekly “Roadmap” to Follow

What works for me is a template I have developed that I call my “Weekly Performance And Accountability Progress Sheet”. In a nutshell, I break up all the areas of my Real Estate Business, and  put down 1-4 tasks that I want to accomplish in each area for the week.

2) Develop a “Mini Roadmap”

Each day I develop a simple and easy to follow checklist of the 5-10 tasks that are most important for me to get done that day. I draft this up in an e-mail and put it on my clipboard and carry it with me. I review it often, and check off a task when I complete it.

3) Stay FLEXIBLE and ADJUST as you go

You have to realize that we live in an imperfect world, and you are going to have to work around that. If you don’t complete some tasks for that day, carry them over to the next day. Also realize that sometimes your priorities will change and you might just take something off the list as a more important task (higher income producing) comes along.

4) Guard Yourself Against “TIME VAMPIRES!”

Let’s face it, as you go through a typical day you are going to get into situations where you can feel yourself getting sucked into a task, or talking to someone and you get that feeling you are starting to drift off target!

That is where you need to ask yourself “Is what I’m doing right now, the best use of my time, and getting me closer to my goals?”.

Be honest with yourself, and if the answer is NOT EVEN CLOSE, stop doing it immediately. If you’re in a conversation, politely look at your watch and tell that person  “I’m sorry, but I really have to run, I have a few things I still need to get done today”.

5) Keep a Daily Journal of Your Progress Towards Your Goals

I know what you’re thinking right about now… “Man this guy sure likes to write a lot, I’m never going to find the time to do that much writing, I’m way too busy!” Here is my answer to that, MAKE TIME! This will help motivate you to write down your goals:

In 1979, interviewers asked new graduates from the Harvard’s MBA Program and found that :

=> 84% had no specific goals at all

=> 13% had goals but they were not committed to paper

=> 3% had clear, written goals and plans to accomplish them

In 1989, the interviewers again interviewed the graduates of that class.  You can guess the results:

=> The 13% of the class who had goals were earning, on average, twice as much as the 84 percent who had no goals at all.

=> Even more staggering – the three percent who had clear, written goals were earning, on average, ten times as much as the other 97 percent put together.

(Source:  “What They Don’t Teach You In The Harvard Business School”, by Mark McCormack)

Pretty darn cool!

Ok, I have to run! I have a few more tasks I want to get done before I wrap up my day!

Talk to you soon,

- Rob Russell

The Real World Investor

P.S. – Here’s a pic of my wife, Kristi, and I hanging out with Patrick in Portland at Ron Mead’s Probate Mastery Conference. Good times!

________________________________

If you would like a copy of Rob’s “Weekly Performance and Accountability Progress Sheet”, go to The Real World Investor and toss your e-mail in the sign up box on the right hand side just below the video.

Tags: creative real estate investing, goal setting, Personal Development, private money blueprint member, real estate investing, Rob Russell, The Real World Investor
Posted in Personal Development, Tips and Tricks | No Comments »