Wealth
Real Estate




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                                                                                                                 ro 41
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                                                                                                   Vol. 1 • No. 1 • 2010




                                       Maverick Investor Group




  Serving the Needs of Accredited Investors - INSIDE: Information to Grow and Maintain Your Wealth

 16     Words of Wisdom from
        Masters of Real Estate   19   Maverick Investor Group
                                      Reveals the Next BIG Thing   35   Bruce Norris Prepares for Annual
                                                                        “I Survived Real Estate” Charity
<< Table of Contents >>
7 Secrets from the Master!               Charity Walk and Gala
Dave Lindahl shares his latest           37 Join the Ultimate Bus Tour
tips for Investing Success               with MemphisInvest.com
9 No Drama in Dayton                     39 Creative Financing Options
Triple Net Houses Helps                  with MMG Capital, LLC
Investors Profit without Issues          40 Philbin Capital Discovers
11 California Living with                Deals in the Golden State
Tennessee Cash Flow                      42 The Key to Success by Club
Mathew Owens, CPA, owner of              Founder Sam Sadat
OCG Properties, explains why
he loves to invest out of state
14 Beware of the Investment
Vampires by RBS Homes
16 Dolf & Carter: A Master-
mind with Arizona Investors
19 Enjoy a Tropical Paradise
with Phenomenal Returns




                                                          photo: Sam Green


                                         45 Buy Bigger and Better Deals
                                         by Kathy Fettke
                                         46 Alternative Economics™
                                         Club Debuts in California
                                         51 Stop the Gambling!
                                         Mike Woo, a “Rich Dad, Poor
In search of their latest gem in         Dad” protégé, advises clients
Nicaragua, Maverick Investor             52 Is Your Mortgage Underwa-
Group traveled the world                 ter? Perhaps a Short Pay Refi-
22 Investor Nation Shares their          nance is the Answer
Blue-Chip Real Estate Strategy           55 Pay Off Your Rental House
2 5 G i n g e r M a c i a ’s T h r e e   in Five Years with the Short
FREE Ways to find a Great                Term Retirement Program
Wholesale Deal
27 Creative Real Es-
tate Techniques with
Educator Bill Gatten
28 Matt Malouf’s 10
Weeks to Massive,
Passive Cash Flow
30 A Visit with Sensei
at his 12 Rounds Club
35 Bruce Norris discusses the            57 Who’s On Your Team?
“I Survived Real Estate 2010”            Insights by 360 Investments
Platinum Partners
             A Powerhouse Lineup of Top Industry Experts Presents
                  the Insider’s Edge on The State of REO 2010
 The Norris Group’s award-winning event returns September 17, 2010 to the Nixon Library in Yorba
 Linda, California. We’re assembling an incredible line up of accomplished industry specialists to
 discuss the state of the REO market, on-going industry regulations, and the opportunities emerging
 for real estate professionals.

 New guidelines a ect every sector of our industry. In a climate ripe for both miscalculation and
 pro table advances, how are our colleagues and partners navigating an industry in continued
 transition? Our Who’s Who Round Table Includes:




         Bruce Norris          Joseph Magdziarz           Tommy Williams        Christopher Thornberg
           President              Vice President            2008 President             Principal
       The Norris Group         Appraisal Institute      National Auctioneers     Beacon Economics
                                                              Association




         Sean O’Toole              Sarah Letts              Daniel Phelan           Peter Wayman
           President        Director, Credit Loss Mgmt     Mortgage Bankers         Sr. REO Director
       Foreclosure Radar           Fannie Mae                Association              Freddie Mac
                                                                                                             MVT PRODUCTIONS

Last year, I Survived Real Estate 2009 focused on the dramatic shifts in regulation facing our industry. This year, our
panel separates fact from ction as we delve into the health and sustainability of the current real estate market and the
opportunities that lie ahead for hungry real estate professionals.

To nd out how you can participate as an individual or potential sponsor, see the back of this yer or visit ISurvived2010.
com for more information. Seating to this formal dinner event is limited, so go to the website or call our o ce today.

         Thanks you to all our Platinum and Gold Sponsors and friends for making this unique event a possibility.


                     www.ISurvived2010.com or 951-780-5856
Gold Sponsors
Benton Group                                   Investors Association (NSDREI)
Delmae Properties                              Personal Real Estate Investor
Elite Auctions                                 Magazine
Entrust                                        Mike Cantu
Inland Empire Investors Forum                  Realty 411 Magazine
Keystone CPA                                   Rick & LeeAnne Rossiter
Las Brisas Escrow                              Starz Photography
Leivas Financial Services                      Tony Alvarez – theREOmentor.com
North San Diego Real Estate                    Westin South Coast Plaza
                                                                                     Winner of seven communication, outreach, and fundraising awards.


                         SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
We can’t do this without your help! Businesses or individuals who are interested in
participating have two options:

         1. SPONSOR the “I Survived Real Estate” Komen Breast Cancer Walking
            Team in exchange for a seat (or table) at the event
         2. JOIN the “I Survived Real Estate” Komen Walking Team and raise
            money in your network for the walk in Newport Beach September
            26th. Every $200 gets you one seat to the event (while seats remain).

All donations are made directly to our Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk Team so
100% of the proceeds go to the Orange County A liate of Susan G. Komen for the
Cure.

This formal dinner event includes visitation to the Nixon Museum, appetizers, 3 course
meal, and the live event. Additional bene ts are listed below for those that become
platinum and gold sponsors (Please note all funds must be in place July 10th for gold
and platinum sponsors to take advantage of initial radio spots).

                                                         Single             Gold           Platinum
       Cost                                                $200            $2,000            $5,000+
       Tables (Seats) Received                           (1) Seat           1 (10)            2 (20)
       Advertising
          Logo on Event Website                                                              featured
          SEO-Optimized Pro le
          Logo on Flyers                                                 Name only
          Digital Signage at Event                                                           featured
          Preferred Seating                                                                  featured
          Event Program Ad                                                1/3 page           1/2 page
          Radio Show Mention (Intro - 15 total*)
          Radio Show Mention (Outtro - 15 total*)
          Event Video (Intro - Single Page)
          Event Video (Outtro)
          Press Release Mention
          Event Bag Marketing Oppotunity

             Call Diana Barlet at 951-780-5856 or visit
  ISurvived2010.com for more information and preferred seating.
 Note: All donations must be made through the “I Survived Real Estate 2010” walk team to be eligible
 for advertising. July 10th is the deadline for all money to be in place to ensure radio spots include the
     selected sponsor. There may be more than 15 radio shows that are aired for the run of event.
Don’t You have
                                                                                                                                                        better things
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                                                                                                                                                         and toilets?
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                                                                                                                                                                   This is why the Herrera Sindell Group
                                                                                                                                                                   developed a turn-key program, which
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                                                                                                                                                                   without any management headaches.


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The Herrera Sindell Group Offers:                                                                                                                                  per month, The Herrera Sindell Group
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• Cash-Flow Investment
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                                                                                       Realty411 Magazine                                                          financial future with real estate today!
 Our Local Market
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• Property Management In Place,
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                                                                                                                                                                   Toll Free (877) 949-2772

             Disclaimer: This is not a public offering nor is it a REIT or hedge fund. This is not an offer or invitation to sell or a solicitation of any offer to purchase securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction.
                             Any securities may only be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in the state or states in which they have been registered or may be offered under an appropriate exemption.
published for Investors by Investors




                                                                       A
                                                                                            by Dave Lindahl

 Realty411                                                                          s a successful real estate inves-
                                                                                    tor and top-selling author, I’m
                          &
   Wealth
  Real Estate                                                                       on the road a lot presenting
                                                                                    workshops across the county.
                                                                       I often start with a bit of personal history
                                                                       because when you’re a multimillionaire
                                                                       like I am, people assume you were either
              FOUNDER & EDITOR
                      Linda Pliagas
                                                                       born rich or had a wealthy mentor show
               info@realty411guide.com                                 you the inside track to making money.
                EDITORIAL STAFF                                           That’s not my story. Not by a long shot.
                       Lori Peebles                                    Fifteen years ago, I was running my own
                       Matt Malouf                                     small landscaping business in New Eng-
                      Carla Fischer
                     Ginger Macias
                                                                       land. I was a guy with a pickup truck and
                   COPY EDITOR                                         lawn mower. If you haven’t experienced a
                      Lorie L. West                                    New England winter, let me simply say it
               PHOTOGRAPHERS


                                                                         Who Else Wants Up to
                       Sam Green
                     John DeCindis
                   COLUMNISTS


                                                                       $5,000…$10,000 or More
                      Dave Lindahl
                    Charles Salisbury
                   ADVERTISING

                                                                       Extra Monthly Cash Flow?
                 Kelly Global Marketing
                 jdk77725@yahoo.com
                      310.439.1145
                EVENTS & EXPOS
                    Lawrence Ruano                                     means I was literally frozen out of work for               What You Need to Succeed
               ruanoinvestments@gmail                                  a good part of the year.                            First and foremost, to succeed as a real
                      805.791.5457
                                                                         I spent winters doing odd jobs to scrape       estate investor you must be motivated. This
                   PRODUCTION
                Lori and Mike Hampton                                  by. A friend asked if I wanted to repair a       business isn’t for the undecided. You have
              Emma Krull - The Dab Hand                                property that needed some TLC so it could        to want it bad enough to take action. Be-
          CALIFORNIA DISTRIBUTION                                      be resold fast.                                  cause where there’s a strong will, there’s
           Professional Distribution Solutions                           The owner was looking for a quick fix          wealth.
                     1.877.418.6500
                                                                       and flip, and thus I was indoctrinated in the       I was 100% determined to own real es-
           NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION
                KJ Banks: 805.377.6328                                 business of flipping properties before it be-    tate. I didn’t let the fact that I had a less
                  PUBLISHED BY                                         came a national pastime and the subject of       than $800 in the bank stop me from buying
                Manifest Media Partners                                cable TV shows. But what attracted me to         my first property, a three-unit building in
            Nikolaos K. Pliagas - Chairman                             real estate was not the quick turn. It was the   my hometown.
        Our Mission is to Educate & Inspire
                                                                       steady cash flow.                                   Sure, I was nervous doing that first deal.
            INFO/FAX: 310.499.9545
      Realty411Guide.com | reWEALTHmag.com                               The idea of checks from renters filling        I had no direct experience. No track record.
        Main email: realty411guide@msn.com                             my mailbox month after month, regardless         No personal wealth to use for collateral.
Realty411 and Real Estate Wealth magazines are published in Los        of the weather, really appealed to me.           But I didn’t let any of that stop me.
Angeles by Manifest Media Partners (mailing address: 4221 Neo-
sho Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90066). Publishers are not responsible         I wanted other people to pay my mort-             This is why I tell beginners everywhere
for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and/or other materials.       gages, creating huge equity in my build-         that they can own real estate right now.
©Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without per-
mission is strictly prohibited. The opinions expressed by writers      ings. I wanted to sit back and watch my          I don’t care if you’re broke like I was. If
are not endorsed by the publishers and/or editorial staff. Before      buildings appreciate, making me wealthier        you’re motivated to succeed, real estate —
investing in real estate, seek the advisement of a trusted financial
adviser, attorney or tax consultant. Please invest responsibly.        and wealthier.                                   and all the personal wealth it can generate
PRINTED IN THE USA. GOD BLESS AMERICA                                    I wanted to live off the positive cash flow    — can be yours once you know how to find
   Connect to our network @                                            that I received each month, so I wouldn’t        properties and structure the deal.
                                                                       have to go to a job every day. No more dai-
                                                                       ly grind. No more living paycheck to pay-              How I Found My First Building
                                                                       check. Best of all, I liked that “millionaire”     I bought books and tapes on real estate,
                                                                       was the likely outcome if I did it right.        even though I didn’t find much on apart-
                                                                         Back then there was nobody teaching            ments. I went to local investment clubs,
                                                                       how to buy rental properties. The gurus fo-      networked with experienced investors, and
                                                                       cused on single family houses, just as they      started “bird-dogging” for them (finding
                                                                       do today. So I had a big learning curve.                                 Continued on pg. 60

                                                                       Realty411Guide.com                      PAGE 7 • 2010                            reWEALTHmag.com
Invest WIthout Drama
  Do you have reservations about becoming a landlord?
  Triple Net Houses created a program to help investors profit
  from rental properties without ever having to deal with tenants!




I
                                      by Carla Fischer


         n 1903 The Wright                                            (www.triplenethouses.
         Brothers made history                                        com) takes all the un-
         in Dayton, Ohio, with                                        knowns off the table.
         their first power airplane                                   By purchasing a Triple       there. When we rehab a property we pretty
         flight.                                                      Net rental, investors will   much do everything so we know it’s going
            One hundred four                                          know exactly what their      to be a maintenance-free property. When
years later, Peter Julian, CEO of                                     cash flow is going to be     we finish, it’s almost like a new house.”
Triple Net Houses, reflects on                                        for the next ten years.        The company’s record is impressive. “In
their short three-year revolution-                                      Julian explains: “When     the year 2009, we collected 97.4 percent of
ary history that began in 2007 as                      Peter Julian we lease the house it’s a      our scheduled rent,” Julian proudly states.
a premiere provider of real estate manage-        triple net lease, which means we pay taxes,      “It even amazes me!”
ment. “We’ve reinvented the way people            insurance and maintenance. Basically we            In Dayton, market rents range from $595
invest in residential rental real estate,” Ju-    pay all the operating expenses, so there’s       to $950. The company rents with a one
lian says proudly. He then adds: “It’s kinda      nothing our clients have to pay. We man-         year lease agreement. A typical scenario


   If an investor buys a Triple Net House, they know exactly what their
  cash flow is going to be for the next 10 years. They never have to deal
     with tenants and never have to deal with or pay for maintenance.
overcast. We’re going to get some rain later      age the property so there’s no management.       is this: A tenant occupies a three bedroom,
on, which doesn’t mean a thing for our in-        Investors will never have to deal with a ten-    one bath home, 1,100 square feet, with a
vestors who are from all over the country.        ant and never have to deal with or pay for       one car garage, for $700 a month. Many
The weather rarely has anything to do with        maintenance,” Julian explains.                   homes are brick with full basements, some
our business, unlike the Wright Brothers.”           The company offers a 10-year NNN              are ranch houses built in the late ’50s.
   Julian shifts to business quickly explain-     (triple net) lease. If investors want to ter-       Dayton is home to the largest single
ing how he created a NNN (triple net) in-         minate early, all they have to do is provide     site employer in the state of Ohio: Wright
vesting model, which is traditionally only        a 60-day written notice. There is no penalty     Patterson Air Force Base with 26,000 em-
found in commercial real estate transac-          and the investor still owns the property.        ployees. The city also has two universities:
tions.                                               “It’s a turn-key investment. It pays a        Wright State University with an enroll-
   “I’ve been a real estate broker for a little   high yield and we’re able to buy houses at       ment of about 18,000, including a medical
over 30 years. I’ve worked with investors         low cost and rehab them economically. We         school. Next is the University of Dayton,
my entire career. When I talk to them, most       then pass that deal on to an investor, as a      which enrolls over 10,000 students and
like all the good things about real estate,       totally turn-key investment. Their total in-     also offers a law school program.
like the cash flow, the tax write-offs, build-    volvement after the investment is to collect        As far as the financials, a Triple Net in-
ing-up equity, and potential appreciation.        a payment from us each month, which is           vestor can realize up to 17% return on each
But when potential investors get to talking       electronically deposited into their checking     house.
about managing, they’ve all heard the hor-        account. It’s a perfect storm.”                     “If the investor pays cash then they
ror stories about tenants, maintenance and           When asked how Triple Net Houses can          will receive 9.1%.” Julian explains fur-
all those kinds of things.”                       provide guaranteed returns for investors,        ther: “For example, if they have a $60,000
   So Julian and his team came up with            regardless of what is going on with their        house the investor will be receiving $5,460
a unique solution. It’s basic and simple,         property, Julian replies: “We’re very care-      a year, which is 9.1% of the purchase price.
even though it tackles a complicated con-         ful in selecting properties in neighborhoods                             Continued on pg. 47
cept. The Triple Net Houses program               where we know the rents are going to be

Realty411Guide.com                                               PAGE 9 • 2010                                                     reWEALTHmag.com
California
   Investors
Specializing in
 the Memphis
    Market!
California Life
         Tennessee Rentals
                        by Ginger Macias | photography by Sam Green




    L
               ast year, while working as a pan-      Ginger: What did you do before you
               elist at a local real estate invest-   became a full-time real estate investor?
               ment club in Los Angeles, I had        What is your background?
               the pleasure of meeting Mathew         Mathew: Let’s see, I grew up in the tiny
    Owens, a certified public accountant and          town of Los Angeles and graduated from
    owner of OCG Properties. I was so im-             the University of California, Santa Bar-
    pressed by his experience and work ethic          bara, with a degree in economics and an
    that I invited him to partner with me on          emphasis in accounting. Afterwards, I was
    syndicating real estate projects.                 able to achieve one of the accomplishments
      Having worked closely with him for al-          I am most proud of, passing all four parts
    most six months now, I can say that he’s the      of the CPA exam in one sitting, a feat only
    real deal and you’ll be in for a treat if you     10% of candidates have been able to do.
    get the chance to work with him. Mathew             After passing the exam, I worked as a
    has many strengths that make him a great          CPA, auditor and business adviser, help-
    partner: integrity, organizational skills,        ing my corporate and individual clients
    and real estate and investment proficiency.       increase their bottom line, helping them
    Plus, he’s very likable.                          find fraud risk factors inside their business
      I have met a lot of people in this business,    systems and auditing their accounting re-
    and I expect great things from him in the         cords.
    coming years.                                       I guess that is why I am so good at do-
      I recently sat down with him to ask about       ing due diligence on real estate transactions
    his real estate investing strategies and the      now. The accounting and due diligence
    current projects he’s working on out in Ten-      skills are a perfect match for a real estate
    nessee. Mathew has purchased, renovated,          investor, I just had to adjust my personality
    and sold or held more than 100 investment         to be more outgoing and personable, which
    properties in the last three years alone.         most CPAs are not known to be. Being in
      Below is a partial transcript of the inter-     the real estate industry as a full-time inves-
    view I had with him.                              tor, I am finding it is rare to find a CPA who
                                                      understands the tax and legal implications
    Ginger: Mathew, in your own words,                of investing and the real estate investment
    what exactly does OCG Properties do?              side in detail.
    Mathew: In a nutshell, we help people in-
    vest in real estate. At OCG, we sit down and      Ginger: So tell us, how did you get your
    go over our client’s financial situation and      start in real estate?
    resources to help them find the best ways         Mathew: I started investing about five
    to invest and meet their individual goals.        years before I decided to take some real
    With good in-house management in place,           estate education courses and quit my cor-
    you can hold for long-term growth and re-         porate job cold turkey. I found that the skill
    ally get a great return on your money. On         sets I gained from working at CPA firms
    top of that, the price points are low enough      were hugely valuable, and I still hold the
    that you can buy with cash and not even           partners of those firms with the upmost
    have to deal with financing. Talk about low       respect for what they taught me, the eth-
    risk!                                             ics they instilled in me and the guidance
       We help our clients achieve great returns      they gave me. However, the skills that I
    on their money while doing all of the due         have developed running my own company
    diligence on every investment. We bring a         are unparalleled to anything I would have
    ton of real estate experience to the table and    ever expected. While working for myself,
    help our investors every step of the way.         I started flipping and holding properties >

Realty411Guide.com                                                PAGE 11 • 2010                       reWEALTHmag.com
in Memphis. I got through my initial learn-     that the current reported unemployment to go out and develop a team in every mar-
ing curve and kept striving for more deals      rate is 12.8%, there is a $19.9 billion dollar ket, which is exactly what we did out in
with a magnificent obsession for real estate    gap in the California budget, the California Memphis. We have in-house management
that only few can really understand. It was     mortgage delinquency is up almost 100% and a team on the ground there that helps
tough, but after getting through the strug-     year on year, 90% of                                                        us get all of the
gles, you find yourself breaking through        the Alt-A and Option           Mathew Owens, his brother and little sister. information we
and finally achieving success. Working that     ARM loans coming                                                            need to be suc-
much taught me multiple things. But one         due are underwater in                                                       cessful.
thing stuck more than anything else: Pas-       California, 1/3 of Op-
sive income is the goal!                        tion ARM loans are                                                          Ginger: What
                                                delinquent already, the                                                     team members
Ginger: You live in Southern California         California tax rate rose                                                    should one have
and invest in Memphis, Tennessee. Why           from 9.3% in 2008 to                                                        when investing
do you invest so far away from where            9.55% in 2009, and it                                                       out of state?
you live?                                       will rise again to cover                                                    Mathew: There
Mathew: That is right, I live in sunny          the gap in the budget.                                                      are a number of
Redondo Beach and invest in Memphis.               On top of all that,                                                      team members
Most of the investors I meet ask me this        people who are under-                                                       you need in order
exact question, and the simple answer is:       water in their homes                                                        to be a success-
I invest with logic and statistics, not based   and not in financial                                                        ful real estate
on what my emotions are telling me.             hardship are starting                                                       investor. At the
  Look at the economics in the Memphis          to walk away because                                                        top of the list
market. It has one of the highest price-to-     it does not make finan-                                                     for any buy-and-
rent ratios in the nation! It did not take a    cial sense to hold them                                                     hold investor is a
huge dip like a lot of markets, it had an av-   and hope they go up                                                         great, and I mean
erage annual appreciation of 4% per year        $200,000!                                                                   G R E AT, p r o p -
over the past 20 years. It’s a very stable                                                                                  e r t y m a n a g e r.
market. The population is also expected to      Ginger: I’m an out-                                                         Property man-
increase and you can pick up property that      of-state investor too but other investors agement is the number one reason an in-
not only cash flows but gives you apprecia-     may be skeptical about owning property vestment property will fail to produce posi-
tion potential in the next 10 years, which is   so far away.                                   tive cash flow, assuming you did your
                                                                                               numbers correctly and did not buy in a
                                                                                               ghetto. In addition, an investor needs lend-
                                                                                               ers, REALTORS®, inspectors, appraisers,
                                                                                               attorneys, CPAs, IT consultants, marketing
                                                                                               agents and the whole nine yards to really
                                                                                               develop a good system. Each team member
                                                                                               is crucial to your success, and that is why
                                                                                               investing in real estate can be so difficult
                                                                                               at times.
                                                                                                  Your team can make or break you, and
                                                                                               you need to have reliable team members
                                                                                               that communicate well with you to be suc-
                                                                                               cessful.

                                                                                                  Ginger: What separates your company,
                                                                                                  OCG Properties, from the rest?
                                                                                                  Mathew: At OCG we have in-house prop-
                                                                                                  erty management, which is the key to our
  A sample OCG Property.
                                                                                                  and your investment success. We also take
                                                                                                  an ethical and conservative approach to in-
not something I can say about California.       Mathew: They are really missing out!              vesting and do all of the right due diligence
California is a huge risk right now for buy-    Ginger, we both know that with technolog-         on every investment.
and-hold investments.                           ical advances you can invest anywhere in            We really care for our clients and care
  If you take a look at some of the econom-     the world now, and it’s as if you’re invest-      about their goals and what their interests
ic indicators in the California real estate     ing in your own backyard.                         are. We have a guaranteed tenant and reno-
market, some of the things you will find are      The reality is, everyone has the resources      vation on every property, and put the proper

Realty411Guide.com                                              PAGE 12 • 2010                                                       reWEALTHmag.com
structuring and risk miti-                                                                    exactly what the majority of men do.”
gation procedures in place                                                                      If you never quit, you will succeed no
on every investment. We                                                                       matter what adversity you face.
also set up proper com-                                                                       Ginger: What is the first step someone
munication procedures                                                                         needs to take to invest with you?
for our management com-                                                                       Mathew: They need to call us and sched-
pany to keep our investors                                                                    ule a consultation. We look at each inves-
frequently updated on the                                                                     tor’s resources, financial situation and in-
progress of their invest-                                                                     vestment goals to make sure we help them
ment.                                                                                         invest the right way and surpass their indi-
                                                                                              vidual investment goals. Once an investor
Ginger: What due dili-                                                                        schedules a consultation with us, we move
gence is done on your                                                                         them from sitting on the sidelines to devel-
investments?                                                                                  oping a passive income stream to retire on
Mathew: Wow, where                                                                            — as fast and safely as possible.
do I begin? I will give
you the quick version. To                                                                      Ginger: Do you have anything else you
start off, we do a complete                    Mathew: Do not give up, no matter what.        would like to share with our readers?
neighborhood analysis on every property        Any business, any new venture or opportu-      Mathew: Yes, thank you. I would just like
along with a market value analysis, which      nity that you want to achieve, is 90% men-     to add that some people will make up ev-
includes pulling comparable sales and get-     tal and 10% skill. If you never give up, you   ery excuse in the book for why they do not
ting an appraisal done before we close es-     can never lose. It’s best said in the book     or cannot do something. I am here to tell


          “With technological advances you can
      invest anywhere in the world now, and it’s as
        if you’re investing in your own backyard.”
crow. We also do a rental analysis, cash       “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill:        you that you can do ANYTHING if you
flow analysis, profit analysis, renovation     “Before success comes in anyone’s life,        focus and take ACTION steps towards its
analysis and every kind of analysis a CPA      one is sure to meet with much temporary        achievement.
can think of to protect ourselves and our      defeat, and, perhaps, some failure. When         Do not let your emotions tell you it can-
investors.                                     defeat overtakes someone, the easiest and      not be done, even if you were not initially
  In addition, we get an inspection by a       most logical thing to do is to QUIT. That is   successful. Even if it is difficult to see how
qualified inspector and compare it to the                                                     you are going to accomplish it, don’t give
renovation bid. Each renovation bid comes                                                     up. There is always a way, but it comes
with an item-by-item, room-by-room                                                            down to taking action. Most people give
breakdown of the renovation costs, includ-                                                    up at the mere thought of difficulty, and
ing materials and labor. This is extremely                                                    your success in real estate, and in life, are
important so you know what your costs are                                                     going to be based on your ability to focus
going to be on future renovations. When                                                       and take action.
leasing a property, it is important to get a                                                    Also, a successful investor has to be
qualified tenant. If you do not, you will be                                                  completely dedicated. They must ignore all
sorry later when you have to evict them                                                       of the people who have an opinion but are
because they cannot afford the rent. We                                                       less- educated about the subject.
qualify them similar to a home loan pro-
cess. We look at their debt-to-income ratio                                                   Ginger: Thanks, Mathew. I wish you
and credit. We do a background check and                                                      continued success in your investments.
really get a good assessment of their per-                                                    Mathew: You’re welcome, Ginger.
sonality, which can tell you a lot.
                                                                                              For more information, please visit:
Ginger: What tips can you give to people                                                      www.ocgproperties.com or email:
who want to get started investing in real                                                     invest@owenscg.com | OCG Properties
estate?                                           Photograph of Mathew Owens by Sam Green     can also be reached at: (424) 757-4680

Realty411Guide.com                                            PAGE 13 • 2010                                                   reWEALTHmag.com
Invest                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Investment Vampires
      in YOU                                                                                                                                                                                                                       for the Next Decade                by Richard Barrett




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 T
      Never Miss an Issue!
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            he ten years ahead of us will be     cant inflation soon. Experts argue that de-
  Realty411 Wealth                                                                                   Real Estate
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            extremely difficult for investors.   flation is the bigger risk. While that may

                                                                                                                                                                                                   th
                                                                                                                                                                                                        A
                                                                                                                                                                                                    e Pu
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Sp blish
                                                                                                                                                                                                          ec
                                                                                                                                                                                                             ia
                                                                                                                                                                                                            l Ed s of
                                                                                                                                                                                                               er
                                                                                                                                                                                                                 iti Real
                                                                                                                                                                                                                    on ty
                                                                                                                                                                                                                      fro 41
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         m 1
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Yield and growth will be scarce,     be true, it does not make inflation any less
   www.realty411guide.com | Vol. 3 • No. 2 • 2010                  A Resource Guide for Investors


   Tips for Long-Distance                                                                                                                                                                                Vol. 1 • No. 1 • 2010



   LANDLORDING                                                                                                                            Maverick Investor Group



                                                        Turn-Key Rentals
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            but much worse will be the four      destructive when it starts nibbling at your
                                                        Around the Nation
                                                        Cash Flow from the
                                                        Comfort of Home                                                                                                                                                          vampires waiting to suck the life out of        investments.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 almost every investment you consider. In
                                                        Mathew Owens, CPA, owner of
                                                        OCG PROPERTIES
                                                        Buys & Rehabs
                                                        Rentals in Tennessee
                                                        from Redondo Beach




                Look Inside
                                                        Get the Deals DONE
                                                        Learn Creative Real
                                                        Estate Techniques
                                                        from Dave Lindahl, Dolf de Roos,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 this article, we will meet each vampire in-     Garlic to Protect Your investments from
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 dividually, understand how they drain your      the Inflation Vampire
                                                        Bruce Norris, Bill Gatten and more!
               FREE
               Wealth                                   Celebrating the Largest
               Report!                                  Issue with More Pages &
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                                                                           photo by Sam Green
                                                                                                       Serving the Needs of Accredited Investors - INSIDE: Information to Grow and Maintain Your Wealth

                                                                                                      16     Words of Wisdom from
                                                                                                             Masters of Real Estate   19    Maverick Investor Group
                                                                                                                                            Reveals the Next BIG Thing   35   Bruce Norris Prepares for Annual
                                                                                                                                                                              “I Survived Real Estate” Charity
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 investments dry and learn about some “in-          To protect against the corrosive power of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 vesting garlic” that can keep them away.        inflation, you need investing vehicles with
                     2 Magazines, 1 Mission:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     three specific features:
                     To GROW Your Wealth                                                                                                                                                                                         Inflation: the First Investment Vampire.           •Asset value that tracks inflation.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 If you remember President Gerald Ford              •Asset income that tracks inflation.
   Subscribers are Invited to                                                                                                                                                                                                    then you may remember his “Whip Infla-             •Asset that has considerable leverage.
   Our VIP Networking Events                                                                                                                                                                                                     tion Now” campaign, created to fight infla-        It’s no surprise that investment real es-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 tion climbing over 10%. Eventually              tate has all three of these critical features.
             & Receive “POCKET” Deals by Email
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 inflation reached over 14%                               In general real estate values track
           2 Years for Only $49                                                                                                                                                                                                  annually in 1980, usher-                                     inflation. That is, their value
                                                    Circle magazine of choice:
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ing in years of stagfla-                                        remains constant or appre-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 tion—high inflation                                               ciates even as the value
                                         Realty411                                                           RE WEALTH                                                                                                           combined with high                                                  of each dollar declines.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 unemployment. In                                                     Likewise, the income—
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 only five years the                                                   rent—from investment
   _____________________________________                                                                                                                                                                                         value of invest-                                                      property tends to track
   Name as it appears on credit card
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ments dropped by                                                      inflation. And finally,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 50% and the dollar                                                    you can leverage your
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 lost almost 75% of                                                   investment asset.
   _____________________________________                                                                                                                                                                                         its purchasing power
   Credit Card # (visa, mc, amex)                                                                                                                                                                                                during that decade.                                             But Not Just Any Real
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 This year, with unem-                                         Estate!
   _____________________________________                                                                                                                                                                                         ployment and underem-                                        In truth, most real estate does
   Expiration Date                                                                                                                               CVC code
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ployment already approaching                          not deliver these three critical fea-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 25%, the nation is poised to see a replay of    tures. The past few years, have seen crush-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 those difficult years.                          ing drops in the price of condos in Miami,
   _____________________________________                                                                                                                                                                                            To estimate the curve of inflation in this   almost any property in Detroit, suburban
   Signature Required                                                                                                                                                                                                            new decade, we need a basic understand-         tract homes in Phoenix, plus office tow-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ing of the causes of inflation. Noble Prize     ers and shopping malls across the country.
   _____________________________________                                                                                                                                                                                         winning economist Milton Friedman said it       Buying investment property takes effort,
   Mailing Address
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 best, “Inflation is always and everywhere       considerable research and a team of ex-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 a monetary phenomenon.” In other words,         perts working to assist you. With the right
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 when the Federal Reserve prints more            guidance and team in place, an investor
   _____________________________________                                                                                                                                                                                         money than the economy can absorb, the          will never have to worry about those evil
   City                                                                                             State                                                  Zip                                                                   economy catches a bad case of inflation in      investment vampires.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 the next 12-24 months.
   _____________________________________                                                                                                                                                                                            The money supply exploded in 2009. It
   Email Address or Phone (to join our network)
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 doubled in the space of a few months and        Richard Barrett is CEO of RBS Homes
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 then grew another 50% in the next year.         (www.RBSHomes.com). With offices
                        Go Green! Fax copy to: 310.499.9545                                                                                                                                                                         Since the economy has not grown by           based in California and Texas, RBS Homes
                                         or email: info@realty411guide.com
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 150% in the past two years, all this money      provide investment properties with these
                            4221 Neosho Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90066
                                                    Questions? 310.994.1962                                                                                                                                                      is waiting in bank vaults to drive signifi-     three critical factors in place.
Realty411Guide.com                                                                                                                                                                                                                               PAGE 14 • 2010                                                   reWEALTHmag.com
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T
           he world of real estate investing is a small one.
           Investors rub elbows at similar events, read in-
           dustry publications and generally run in the same
           circles. Carter Froelich, an author, investor and
CEO of The Property Ledger, recalls the time he met best-           give
                                                                         & the latest
                                                                   DolfreadersCarter
                                                                   Tips from AZ
selling author and renowned educator Dolf de Roos, Ph.D.
  The two savvy Phoenix-based investors became friends
after an introduction by Andrew Waite, publisher of the Ari-
zona-based, Personal Real Estate Investor magazine.
  At the time, Froelich was busy developing The Property                          Interview by Carter Froelich, CEO of The Property Ledger
Ledger, his online software designed to analyze property
holdings, store documents and forecast future returns. Once
ready to launch, he asked de Roos to test out his creation.
That was three years ago, and de Roos still uses the software
to track his portfolio.
  Recently, Froelich welcomed de Roos home from his ex-
tended visit to Australia. The famed author of eight books,
including the New York Times Best Seller “Real Estate
Riches,” was visiting Down Under to raise private money
for property investments in Arizona. It proved to be a won-
derful opportunity for one master investor to interview
another. Froelich enthusiastically took on our assignment
and provided an outstanding interview.
  This indeed is a rare treat; prepare to learn from two of           Dolf de Roos                          Carter Froelich
Arizona’s top real estate investing giants.    —The Editor

Carter: Hello, Dolf. Tell us about what         Dolf: I like being on the cutting edge of       cloud, you can access your portfolio’s de-
you’ve been doing lately and give inves-        what is available. I have always done well      tails from any computer connected to the
tors your perspective on the market.            with new technology. When fax machines          Web. Before long, most services will have
Dolf: Well, Carter, although the media re-      came out, it saved us thousands of dollars a    that feature, but by then The Property Led-
peatedly states this is the worst real estate   year in courier fees.                           ger will have innovated yet another area.
market we have seen in decades, it is only        Now, we don’t fax; scanned attachments        Surfing is so much easier one foot ahead of
                                                                                                the wave than one foot behind.
                                                                                                  Furthermore, having all the details of
      “... with the information stored in the cloud,                                            a property, including title documents,
                                                                                                HUD1s, leases, management agreements,
      you can access your portfolio’s details from                                              and the like, stored in one central reposi-
                                                                                                tory is simply a great way to run your prop-
            any computer connected to the Web.”                                                 erty investment business. Once you have
                                                                                                experienced it, it is difficult to revert back.
                                                                                                It would be like going back to using slide-
the worst market if you are in the unfortu-     are better quality, in full color and don’t     rules, or for those readers not old enough to
nate position of being forced to sell. If you   require an outdated phone system to get         remember what they are, the curly-paged
are in the fortunate position of being able     through to a recipient.                         and faded fax machine — if they even re-
to buy, then by definition, this is the best      When I come across people in the real es-     member that!
market we have seen in decades.                 tate industry who do not use email, and in-
  With that said, there are still many who      sist on using faxes exclusively, I think they   Carter: Since you travel often, are the
have trepidation about entering our current     must miss out on deals because of their         features of Electronic Library useful?
real estate market. This has forced me to go    aversion to new technology. I do not want       Dolf: Absolutely. In fact, more and more
overseas. There are many countries right        to fall into that trap. The Property Ledger     companies are trending towards cloud
now experiencing the peak we saw a few          is cutting edge, extraordinarily useful and     computing. Clearly, it is convenient to
years ago so they see the relative merits of    easy to use. Why would you not use it?          be able to access all the relevant data on
bringing their money to the United States                                                       a property from anywhere and not have
and investing here.                             Carter: What benefits are provided by           to be concerned with taking up space on
                                                The Property Ledger, which other prod-          your own computer, keeping data in sync,
Carter: Why did you become interested           ucts do not provide?                            having the data concerned fall into strange
in The Property Ledger?                         Dolf: With the information stored in the        hands in the event of a computer loss, in-
Realty411Guide.com                                             PAGE 16 • 2010                                                     reWEALTHmag.com
stalling upgrades, etc. It is all done for the    investments regularly, with real estate, you     simply the income divided by the invest-
end user.                                         can buy a property and put the title in a bot-   ment. With real estate, since you only need
                                                  tom drawer, take a six-month cruise, and         to come up with a small portion of the pur-
Carter: Why is it important for investors         not worry if you should sell the property        chase price in cash, the cash-on-cash return
to monitor the financial performance of           again. However, it is comforting to be able      becomes very important and, dare I say
their real estate portfolio?                      to put your finger on the pulse of how your      it, interesting. It is an advantage inherent
Dolf: Interestingly, it is important for inves-   investments are performing.                      in real estate investing that is often over-
tors in stocks and commodities to maintain                                                         looked by financial advisors.
a vigilant eye on their volatile investments      Carter: What is your favorite financial
so that they can jump ship if the ship starts     calculation when analyzing your proper-          Carter: What type of investment do
to sink. With real estate being a much more       ties? And why? Here are the choices:             you favor right now and why?
stable investment, much of the interest in        •Gross Rent Multiplier                           Dolf: When it comes to residential property,
monitoring your portfolio is just that: inter-    •Cash-on-Cash Return on Investment               I prefer the single-family home. However,
est. However, if you want to know when            •After Tax Cash-on-Cash Return                   for the last two decades, I have personally
you can invest in yet another property,           •Internal Rate of Return                         focused on commercial real estate. That
based on cash-reserve build-up, equity po-        •Return on Equity                                doesn’t mean I haven’t invested in other
sition, available collateral, etc.), then you     Dolf: I like to analyze based on cash-on-        sectors but the benefits of commercial real
want to have the up-to-date information           cash return. This calculation shows you          estate for the property owner are incred-
available instantly. The Property Ledger          how the cash you are putting up is perform-      ible. Here are just a few of the benefits:
provides just that when you need it.              ing. It is the prime indicator of how you        1. The leases tend to be much longer —
                                                  can truly leverage your money. What other        anything from three to twenty years. They
Carter: How often should an investor              investment allows you to get a $100,000          are generally secured by the business, with
track the financial performance of their          asset for only $10,000 or $20,000 in cash?       the owners offering a personal guarantee.
real estate portfolio?                              For most investors, you can’t buy              2. Commercial tenants tend to maintain the
Dolf: As often as they feel comfortable.          $100,000 worth of stock or gold or oil           property better as the look and condition of
One of the advantages of real estate invest-      without coming up with the entire pur-           the property is important to their business.
ing that I often tout is that unlike the stock    chase price in full. When you put up all the
market, where you have to monitor your            money to buy an investment, the return is                            Continued on next page
Dolf & Carter, pg. 17

Tenants often improve and up-                the Gilbert Planning Commis-
grade the space with their own               sion. This is indicative of the
money.                                       long term. In the short term,
3. With residential property, the            things look pretty grim, again,
landlord tends to pay the outgo-             if you are forced to sell. There
ings such as property taxes, in-             is word on the street that there
surance and maintenance. With                will not be a u-turn for years.
commercial real estate, the ten-             Things go in cycles. When
ants who are leasing the prop-               you get old enough to have
erty, pay for those expenses.                experienced a few cycles, you
                                             learn to embrace them rather
Carter: We’re both located in                than fear them. There will be a
Arizona; let’s discuss the local             turnaround. If you can buy real
market. Where is it heading?                 estate that cash flows now and
Dolf: I’m optimistic. There was              have a great chance that long
an article in the paper just three           term the capital value will go
days ago stating Taylor Morri-               up immensely, why would you
son Homes will begin construc-               not acquire some real estate?
tion in July of a master-planned             Learn more online about
community in Gilbert. There                  The Property Ledger, visit:
will be 17 phases developed                  www.thepropertyledger.com
over the next 12 years accord-               To reach Dr. Dolf de Roos, visit:
ing to the report submitted to               www.dolfderoos.com

        FREE e-Book Offer, For a Limited Time!
          Download The Real Estate Wake Up Call Today
         http://thepropertyledger.com/buy/90-the-real-estate-wake-up-call-e-book-free
Maverick Investor Group
Scours the Globe for the
Best Investment Properties
                     Interview by Linda Pliagas




W
           ith a name like Maverick, one
           immediately expects the unex-
           pected. Real estate with a hip
and a bit of a rebellious twist.
   Maverick Investor Group delivers all that
and more. It is a real estate brokerage that
caters to a community of sophisticated real
estate investors and agents, all of whom are
committed to using real estate as a vehicle
for designing their lifestyles. The broker-
age is licensed with its primary office in
Las Vegas, but the Maverick principals all
live in different states, work from laptops
on rooftop pool decks, and travel the globe
in search of premium buying opportunities
for their exclusive clientele.
   Maverick negotiates directly with devel-
opers and owners for prices and terms that
are not available to the public. The buying
power of the Maverick community enables
developers to move more properties in less
time and save money on advertising, mar-
keting and other normal overhead. This al-
lows them to offer special prices and terms
to buyers in the Maverick community that
they could not offer to the general public.
   Indeed, the traditional brick-and-mor-
tar neighborhood brokerage dedicated to
farming a five-mile radius, driving buyers
around and sitting at open houses seems
like an archaic business model next to
Maverick.
   Even more avant-garde than their busi-
ness model is their corporate vision: “To                    Mark Solak                   Valerie Schrock               Matt Bowles


Next Destination: The Hidden Tropical Paradise of...Nicaragua

radically improve people’s lives through          close as many as 34 transactions and pay        the international component, is just a con-
real estate.”                                     out nearly a quarter of a million dollars in    tinuation of the global lifestyle enjoyed by
   And their radical approach to real estate      buyer referral fees to real estate brokers in   its principals. The company was founded
is working. Even during 2009, in a single         the Maverick Referral Network.                  by Mark Solak, Valerie Schrock and Mat-
90-day period, the company was able to              Maverick’s business model, including          thew Bowles — real estate investors >

Realty411Guide.com                                               PAGE 19 • 2010                                                   reWEALTHmag.com
and licensed real estate professionals with      worthy people I had ever met, all essential     we use. It was crucial for everyone to start
formal, advanced degrees. Prior to joining       qualities for business partners. The three of   with the vision of their own ideal lifestyle.
forces, they led cosmopolitan lives, trav-       us began pooling our skills, resources and        Matt likes to work from his rooftop pool
eled the world and lived in foreign coun-        creative energies to develop a cutting edge     deck in LA, Mark likes to spend extended
tries for extended periods of time.              business model that could provide unparal-      time in Europe each year, and I like to go
   Recently, I caught up with the Maverick       leled advantages to real estate investors and   skiing in Canada and spend part of the year
power trio to discuss their latest turn-key      real estate agents. In 2007, it was ready to    in Phoenix with my parents. So we struc-
buying opportunity—the Seaside Mariana           be launched so we all quit our jobs, flew to    tured our real estate business to facilitate
Spa & Golf Resort on the Pacific coast of        Las Vegas and, while overlooking the Strip      our dream lifestyles. But, more than that,
Nicaragua.                                       from a rooftop lounge, raised our glasses       Maverick has built an entire community




                                        Seaside Mariana Spa & Golf Resort features the first Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in Nicaragua.


Q: How did the three of you become busi-         and announced to the world that Maverick        of real estate investors and agents who are
ness partners? Tell us a bit about how           Investor Group was born!                        focused on using real estate as a vehicle
Maverick Investor Group formed?                                                                  for designing their dream lifestyles. We
MB: Well, Valerie and I met in graduate          Q: The Maverick partners live in differ-        show our clients how to do what we do.
school in 1999. We both got master’s de-         ent states — Matt is in Los Angeles, Valer-     You will notice that we have a section on
grees in International Peace and Conflict        ie is in Washington D.C., and Mark lives        our website that discusses “real estate life-
Resolution and then worked in human              between Chicago and Las Vegas. That is          style design” in great detail, down to the
rights advocacy in Washington, D.C., for         pretty incredible! How did you decide to        specific technology products we use. Real
several years. We started investing in real      structure your company like that and how        estate investing is only a means to an end…
estate on the side, reading books about it       does it affect your business?                   it’s always important to keep your eyes on
and learning by experience. Soon we had          VS: We were intentional about structuring       the larger prize. Money isn’t very useful
millions of dollars in real estate holdings in   the company that way from day one, and          if you have lost touch with your dreams.
states all over the country.                     the primary reason is “freedom of mobili-       How can real estate enable you to recapture
  I met Mark in 2005 when he sold me over        ty” for the Maverick partners. It’s all about   your time, design your dream lifestyle and
$2 million worth of investment properties        lifestyle. We can live wherever we want         make enough money to finance it? That’s
in Las Vegas. I was blown away by his            and travel whenever we want for as long         the big picture.
customer service; it was the best I had ever     as we want, and no business falls through
seen in any industry. These were two of the      the cracks because of the systems and pro-      Q: Maverick has always encouraged
most talented, ambitious, honest and trust-      cesses we have set up and the technology        out-of-state investing, why are you now

Realty411Guide.com                                              PAGE 20 • 2010                                                    reWEALTHmag.com
moving to international real                                                                              ment in Nicaragua, making
estate?                                                                                                   it particularly friendly to for-
MS: For the same reasons,                                                                                 eign real estate investors.
we’re just expanding the play-                                                                               For example, as an inter-
ground. The reason why I                                                                                  national investor who lives
would never limit myself to                                                                               in the US, I can own freehold
buying in my own city or state                                                                            property in Nicaragua with
is because there might be a bet-                                                                          title insurance from a North-
ter market than the one I live                                                                            American-based title com-
in. The failure to consider in-                                                                           pany, and when I sell it for
ternational real estate markets                                                                           a profit I will owe no capital
produces the same restriction.                                                                            gains tax in Nicaragua. Pres-
I want my money in the best                                                                               ident Ortega has personally
market in the world no matter                                                                             endorsed the Seaside Mari-
where I live, period. Maverick                                                                            ana resort because it is an-
is opening up a private chan-                                                                             ticipated that it will result in
nel for real estate investors to                                                                          an explosion of tourism and
access unlisted properties in                                                                             be a huge economic boon for
premium global markets, with                                                                              the country. So the govern-
property management options                                                                               ment is very supportive of
in place and a variety of exit                                                                            foreign investors coming in
strategies. Buying through                                                                                to buy real estate.
Maverick has always meant Seaside Mariana Spa & Golf Resort sits on 2 kilometers of pristine beach front.
getting exclusive prices and                                                                              Q: What kind of deal terms
terms that are not available to             up the coast is Nicaragua. It borders Costa                   was Maverick able to nego-
the public. That has simply expanded to Rica and has the same weather, the same tiate at Seaside Mariana and how can our
the international arena.                    beaches, the same sunsets, but a much readers get in on the action?
                                            lower cost of living and, at the moment, VS: As you know, our prices and terms
Q: Why did Maverick choose Nicaragua? much lower property prices. Seaside Mari- are not available to the public, so I cannot
And why the Seaside Mariana Spa & Golf ana will be Nicaragua’s first luxury resort unveil any details here. I will tell you that
Resort project in particular?               with a five-star international brand hotel this is one of the most extraordinary deals
MB: Over the last two years, the Maverick and a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course. I have ever seen and that we have a global
partners have traveled throughout Europe, We are talking about a 923-acre resort on exclusive on the entire resort—the only
the Middle East, the Caribbean and Central 2 kilometers of pristine beach front. Noth- way to buy a property at Seaside Mariana
America to review real estate projects. In ing like it currently exists in Nicaragua. is through Maverick.
our opinion, Nicaragua is one of the pre- This project will single-handedly take the          For detailed information and private ac-
miere emerging markets on the world stage country to the next level as a tourist desti- cess to our special prices and terms, your
today. When you look at a map of Central nation. When the number one golf course readers will need to become part of the
America starting from the south, you be- designer in the world chooses to go into a Maverick community. Real Estate Inves-
gin with Panama, then Costa Rica — both market for the first time, real estate inves- tors can apply to join our community of
of which have already exploded as tour- tors should perk up their ears. It is exactly VIP Buyers and get access to unlisted deals
ist destinations over the last 15 years and these types of seismic events that I look for like Seaside Mariana. Real Estate Agents
have seen corresponding appreciation in when I choose where and when to invest can apply to join the Maverick Referral
property values — and the next country my own money.                                        Network and make 3% every time their cli-
                                                                                            ents close on a Maverick Deal.
                                                              Q: What is the political        We invite smart real estate investors and
                                                              and economic climate in savvy real estate agents to contact us today.
                                                              Nicaragua right now?          We don’t care if someone has a lot of ex-
                                                              MS: Nicaragua has had perience, we care if they are serious about
                                                              a democratic government using real estate to build their wealth and
                                                              for the past 20 years and design their lifestyle.
                                                              has had five transfers of
                                                              power during that time. For information, contact Maverick Investor
                                                              Recently, the government Group: www.maverickinvestorgroup.com or
                                                              has been passing laws to email: info@maverickinvestorgroup.com.
                                                              encourage foreign invest-



Realty411Guide.com                                              PAGE 21 • 2010                                               reWEALTHmag.com
Blue-Chip Real Estate Strategy
                                                  Fits Economic Climate
                                                  by Ryan Hinricher, co-founder of InvestorNation.com
                                                  This article originally appeared on BiggerPockets.com




T
                                                                     a lot of investors get     well-versed in Section 8 you can profit
           he housing recovery is                                    in trouble. The lower      greatly in the lower-end homes.
           limping along slowly                                      priced homes usually         The median-priced home becomes the
           leaving many real es-                                     have households with       blue-chip property. The blue-chip home
           tate investors wonder-                                    limited to no savings      has lower levels of vacancy and rents that
ing where to invest their dollars.                                   or emergency fund. So      have been buoyed by average people be-
Some speculation is even re-                                         when a tenant loses a      ing displaced from their primary residence
turning to the market with new                                       job, the property owner    via foreclosure. In the market where my
investors looking to purchase,                                       feels that impact pretty   company is located, average-priced homes
renovate, and resale distressed                                      quickly. Also lower-       are selling for around $115,000. Obviously
properties for short term profits.                                   priced homes tend to       with distressed inventory out there, one can
Owning a real estate investment                                      be in older areas giv-     purchase properties at lower prices than
                                                    Ryan Hinricher
brokerage allows me to see a va-                                     ing the owner a much       this, improve them and probably have eq-
riety of transactions, including retail flips     higher rate of maintenance.                   uity that is more tangible than lower-priced
from speculators, investors buying $8,000                                                       homes. How can one possibly model a
homes, renovating and placing tenants in          The Numbers                                   $115,000 home the same way as a $30,000
them, and a higher quality purchase and           This is where investors usually make mis-     home? The $30,000 home (in most cases)
hold homes closer to median home prices.          takes. The surface numbers can be very        will have significantly higher rates of va-
  The latter is a strategy that I believe right   deceiving in real estate. When analyzing      cancy and maintenance.
now is being overlooked by many inves-            a real estate transaction                                         If you go up a step to
tors.                                             many investors aren’t                                           the higher-than-average
                                                  using vacancy and main-                                         priced homes, you’ll no-
The Product                                       tenance, or applying the                                        tice those homes might
There are many markets where you can              same vacancy and mainte-                                        offer stable tenants, usu-
purchase and hold homes at the median             nance numbers to homes                                          ally high-end profession-
or even average home price and receive a          that vary widely in price,                                      als who will reliably pay
positive cash flow with a traditional 20%         age, neighborhood, size                                         the rents. The cash flows
down strategy. These homes, are out-per-          and city. This can cause a                                      may look lower on the
forming many lower-priced homes from              pretty big disappointment                                       surface than other types of
rental prices and home values perspective.        when the cheap property you purchase is       homes but these blue-chip homes perform
Median-priced homes in most markets are           affected by socio-economic issues leading     more reliably on maintenance, vacancy,
three bedrooms, two bathroom homes,               to high tenant turnover, criminal element,    and valuations.
which offer good car storage. Usually this        slow-paying tenants and maintenance is-
is the type of home most Americans desire         sues.                                         Financing
to live in ensuring you always have both an         I’ve seen many people advertise profor-     Financing on blue-chip homes tends to be
available rental pool and an available buyer      mas with high cash flow on smaller, older     much easier than most any other price point
pool. This product offers real estate inves-      homes in areas with high crime, poverty,      for a number of reasons. First because the
tors multiple exit strategies with the ability    poor schools, and with low rates of home      prices are low enough you don’t worry
to sell it retail versus lower-end properties,    ownership. One can argue that these can be    about jumbo loan pricing, rates, and re-
which usually need to be sold to other in-        good investments structured correctly and     strictions. On the lower end not all lenders
vestors.                                          by applying the right metrics to ensure a     are lending on homes priced under $50,000
  In addition, median-priced homes are            more accurate projection of cash flows is     and at times have a different rate table. In
usually in areas low in crime, close to           achieved. These lower-end properties have     and around the median price nearly every
schools, shopping, houses of worship, and         become the penny stocks of the real estate    lender offers investor loan products. I’ve
with easy access to employment. The in-           investment business. If you get the perfect   also found the appraisal issues are fewer
verse of this is, of course, also true. I per-    tenant who doesn’t feel the pains of the      because normal sales activity exists at this
sonally own properties at much lower price        recession, maintains the home themselves      Continued on page 24
points as well. They took the hardest hit         and stays in the property for a long time,
on rents and value. This is where I’ve seen       you could hit pay dirt. Similarly if you’re
Realty411Guide.com                                               PAGE 22 • 2010                                                 reWEALTHmag.com
Blue Chip Real Estate Strategy, pg. 22

                             price point. When you have a              ida, which were impacted very
                             lot of normal sales, valuation            little by the housing boom and
                             tends to be (somewhat) stabi-             bust. Many of these cities have
                             lized.                                    a good economic future, afford-
                                                                       able tax rates, net population
                             Exit Strategy                             growth, and high enough rents
                             Having an exit strategy is an es-         to achieve positive cash flow at
                             sential part of your real estate          the median home price.
                             plan. Some investors plan on
                             never selling and while that              In Summary
                             can make sense to receive all             With distressed properties mak-
                             the benefits of real estate, lives        ing up a large percentage of
                             change. If you think back five            total sales, then it only makes
                             years ago and how different               sense to focus on buying blue-
                             things in your life were at the           chip homes at a discount today.
                             time, you might agree that hav-           In doing so, one can realize
                             ing an exit strategy is impor-            equity through quality reno-
                             tant.                                     vation, placing a tenant and
                               With these blue-chip invest-            holding. These homes should
                             ment homes, you’ll find mul-              provide you relative peace of


                                      Having an exit strategy
                                       is an essential part of
                                      your real estate plan.
                             tiple exit strategies. Median-            mind when compared to lower
                             priced homes have the widest              price points due to the lower
                             available buyer pool. Think               socio-economic risk discussed
                             about that for a minute: Lower-           earlier.
                             end homes typically are resold              These types of rentals are a
                             to investors. So imagine buying           good fit for people looking to
                             a home on the lower-end at 60             diversify out of equities and
                             cents on the dollar and thinking          accumulate a few properties.
                             you have a lot of equity. In fact         While they may offer stronger
                             if your future end buyer is an            fundamentals than most prop-
                             investor, do you think they’ll            erties they obviously aren’t
                             pay 100 cents on the dollar?              bullet-proof. These are compa-
                               Time on the market is also              rable to owning GE stock (GE
                             another factor. At the median-            registered no U.S. profit last
                             home price, time on the market            year). While you can depend
                             is usually shorter than any other         upon these homes most of the
                             price point. So in planning your          time, the downside risk is usu-
                             long-term strategy it seems to            ally minor price depression
                             make sense to invest in homes             during an economic recession.
                             that could be sold quickly, fi-             Lastly, in many markets this
                             nanced easily, and sold at or             type of product and strategy
                             near market value?                        simply wasn’t an option when
                                                                       prices were higher. I doubt that
                             Where to Find                             very far into the future this
                             There are many markets you                opportunity will be as widely
                             can find these types of proper-           available again in as many mar-
                             ties in today. Without going              kets as it is today.
                             into much detail in this article,                                       -
                             there are plenty of cities which          Ryan Hinricher is co-founder
                             lie in states outside of Califor-         of Investor Nation, visit online:
                             nia, Nevada, Arizona and Flor-            www.InvestorNation.com
Realty411Guide.com   PAGE 24 • 2010                                                        reWEALTHmag.com
3 FREE Ways to Find a
   Great Wholesale Deal Today!
                                                                                                  by Ginger Macias



I
    just had a great call with one                               narrow down your search
    of my coaching students on                                   to REOs, probates, fixers
    how to get a deal signed up by                               or other criteria. You don’t
the end of today. Times are tough,                               even need access to the          favorite ways to find deals is to ask other
and although sending direct mail                                 MLS, just find an investor-      wholesalers what they currently have un-
pieces is a great way to get leads,                              friendly agent and let them      der contract and to market that property
sometimes it’s just not possible                                 know your criteria. They         to my buyers’ list. Or, if you’re a rehab-
to send them out — especially if                                 will set you up to receive       ber or landlord, you can pick up amazing
you’re just starting out. So over the years,    free emails.                                      deals without having to do all the leg work.
I’ve learned some “cheapskate” ways of            It’s important to work with an agent who        Where do you find these wholesalers? If
finding leads.                                  knows you want a smokin’ deal, and who            you see a “We Buy Houses” sign, call them.
                                                will make lots of lowball offers on your be-      You’ll likely be dealing with a wholesaler.
1. Online RSS: If you’ve been in real es-       half without flinching.                           Also visit your local REI meetings, Google
tate any amount of time, you probably al-         For most listings, other than REOs, you         “wholesalers” in your area, ask rehabbers
ready know that online sites such as Craig-     can also try and make seller-financing            who they recommend, and ... don’t forget,
slist, Redfin, Backpage, Oodle, etc., can       deals. The point is to get your foot in the       ME! I’m an active wholesaler in Southern
have some pretty amazing leads on For           door and start negotiating with the seller.       California who loves working with other
Sale By Owner (FSBO) properties. The              Another lead system you can set up on           investors. (Shameless plug? Of course.) If
only problem is that it takes tons of time to   the MLS is expired listings. These list-          you get a deal done and need to sell your
sort through all those sites to find a decent   ings have expired without anyone buying           property really quickly, let me know.
deal.                                           the property. This can mean you’d be deal-          Well, now there is no excuse for you not
   Rhett Halsey, one of my good friends and     ing with very motivated people!                   to find a deal today! Good luck and send
an internet marketing guru for real estate        Set up a win-win situation with your            me a brief email letting me know if you
investors, told me of a free feature offered    agent where they can present your offer,          found this helpful.
by most websites: RSS or Real Simple            and if the sellers don’t like it, the agent may
Syndication. Instead of multiple searches       be able to pick up a new listing.                 To contact Ginger Macias or learn about
for leads, the leads come to you in one                                                           her speaking engagements and wholesale
spot. You can set up a Google Reader ac-        3. Other Wholesalers: One of my absolute          deals, visit: www.OCWholesalers.com
count and have all these leads sent directly
to you, the minute they are posted on one of
these sites. It’s simply amazing how much
time this saves.
   We have just implemented this in my of-
fice and within a few days got three proper-
ties under contract and sold them within a
few hours. My new assistant was floored
at how quickly an investor can get a deal
under contract and sold!
   To set up your own RSS feed, go to your
favorite FSBO site, Craigslist (www.Craig-
slist.com) for example. Do a search using
motivated seller keywords like “fixer,”
“investor,” etc., one word at a time. Once
the search is complete, you can scroll to the
bottom of the page and click on RSS or the
little orange RSS icon. Set it up to point to
your Google Reader, and you’re done!

2. Multiple Listing Service: Your local
MLS (Multiple Listing Service) offers a
great way to find leads for free. You can
Realty411Guide.com                                             PAGE 25 • 2010                                                    reWEALTHmag.com
A Brave New
                         by Bill Gatten



                        L
                               et’s face it …   money for a day



                                                                            World in
                               the country,     or two at a high
                               the econ-        interest rate (but at
                       omy and the real         a reasonable cost),



                                                                          Compromise
                       estate market is         with which to pur-
                       just terrible. There     chase a foreclosed-
                       are no more good         upon property by
                       deals. Let’s all get     means of an all-
                       out of the business.     cash offer prior to
People are not building, buying or selling      its scheduled pub-
homes any more. There are so many over-         lic sale date. And then selling it on the day     for, or in advance of, services to be ren-
encumbered and foreclosed-upon cheap            of closing, or soon thereafter, in a separate     dered, whether such services are actually
properties available for pennies on the         escrow settlement to an end-buyer who ob-         performed or not. Another common viola-
dollar that nobody wants them anymore.          tains his own loan and lives in and loves         tion has to do with “sand bagging” by attor-
After all, who can make a living in this ri-    the property forever.                             neys, and many non-attorneys, who bill on
diculous business these days?                      This process is known as the “A to B/B         a monthly basis for services (mostly loan
   Oh yeah?                                     to C transaction.” In other words, you, the       modification schemes) while a short sale
   And Michael Jackson faked his death,         investor are the “B” component; the cur-          or loan modification process is presumably
Elvis eats at Burger King, and the world        rent owner is “A,” and the end-buyer is           taking place. Instead, either there never was
ends in three years!                            “C”. In other words, “B” buys from “A”            any such attempt or the attempt failed, and
   Not that they’re needed anymore, but
here are a couple solutions to these hor-
rible problems facing real estate investors     “...two REALTORS® in Massachusetts were recently
in this disastrous economy:                            sentenced to five years in prison each for
1. Stay in bed with a tinfoil hat on your
head.                                                   having used this scheme several times.”
2. Go live with your parents and let them
feed you until you win the lottery.             in one escrow closing process (taking full        the client wasn’t informed and was told,
3. Go back to school on the government,         ownership of the property), and then sells        “We’re working on it…be patient,” while
and get a law degree so you can force peo-      the property to “C” at a reasonable profit in     the monthly payments continue.
ple to pay you to stop suing them.              a wholly separate escrow process.                    Another big one, and one that is proba-
OR...                                              It all sounds simple and it is! However,       bly most tempting but also most deadly for
4. You can capitalize on singularly the         a thorough knowledge of all the rules and         REALTORS®, is the situation wherein the
greatest money-making opportunity ever!         regulations concerning short sales, equity-       investor/REALTOR® has already lined-
And you don’t even need a dollar or a dime      purchasing, equity-stripping, foreclosure         up a retail buyer who is ready to take the
to do it.                                       consulting, credit repair and mortgage            property at its true market value following
                                                lending is absolutely mandatory before            the short sale acquisition by the investor.
              SHORT SALES                       becoming too far vested in the business           When the scheme comes to light, the con-
The short sale industry is burgeoning           of short sales. To date, hundreds of other-       tention by the lender in these cases is that
now and will probably continue to do so         wise nice-guy and gal would-be investors          if the property were worth more than they
for three more years. New short sale mil-       have been severally sanctioned, shut down,        were told in the transaction, there would
lionaires are being made every day. There       heavily fined and/or sent to prison for vio-      have been no need for a short sale and their
are billions upon billions of dollars (Re-      lating the very stringent laws regulating         resultant loss. They see such schemes as
member when a billion dollars was a lot         short sales and foreclosure consulting in         blatant bank fraud and have no sense of
of money?) to be made in the “transac-          various states.                                   humor in such cases. As a matter of fact,
tional funding” of compromised mortgage            In my own case, I’ve spent my busi-            two REALTORS® in Massachusetts were
defaults — loans that would otherwise be        ness as a fearless bull rider: but in this last   recently sentenced to five years in prison
forced into expensive and time-consuming        Rodeo, I’m sticking to riding milk cows.          each for having used this scheme several
foreclosures, and sold by lenders at public     I won’t set any records or win any prizes;        times.
auction.                                        but I’m a lot less likely to get thrown of and       So the long and short of it is…kind’a
   Def: Short Sale: The acquisition of real     have a horn poked up my rear end (… this,         like Henny Youngman was one to say: “If
estate at a compromised (wholesale) pay-        is, by the way, an analogy … not a good one,      it’s gonna hurt when you go like that … for
off amount that is less than the balance of     I agree, but an analogy none-the-less).           cryin’ out loud, don’t go like that!”
the mortgage obligation.                           One of the most often violated of the             Today’s short sale market is burgeoning.
   Def: Transactional Funding: The two-         many regulations being put on the books
stage practice of using another person’s        as of late has been that of taking money                                  Continued on pg. 29
10 CA$H                            Weeks to
����� ��������� ��� �������� ���������                           ����������������������������������������                          ���������������������������������������




                                                                                                     OW
����������������������������������������                         ����������� ������������ ���������� ���                           ���������������
������������������������������������������                       ���������������������������������������������                     ���������������������������������������
���������������������������������������                          ��������������������������������������������                      ����� ������� ������ ����� ���� ���� ���� ��
���������� � ���� ����� ������� �������� ���                     ��������������������������������������������                      ����������������������������������������
����� ���������� ����� ������ ���� ��������                      ��� ������� ���� ������������� ���� ���� ����                     ������ ���� ������ ���� ����� ��� ��� �� ����
�����������������������������������������                        ��������� ���� ��������� ���� ������������                         with Matt Malouf
                                                                                                                                   ����������������������������������������
��������������� ��� ���� ��� ����� ���                           �����������������������������������������                         �����������������������������������������
���������� ����� �������� ���� �������� �                        ��������� �������� ���� ������ ��������                           ����������������������������������������������




T
�������� ������ ��� ���� Macias
                by Ginger ����� ������� �����                    ��������� ��������� ��� ����� ��� ���� ���� �                     ������������������������������������������
����������������������������������������                         tors, courses and systems to help them
                                                                 ������������ ������������ ������� �                              since 2001. Over the years, he has special-
                                                                                                                                   ���������
����������� ��� ��� �����real ��������� ����
                  oday’s ���� estate environ-                    achieve their success? Those of you who
                                                                 �����������������                                                ized in wholesaling, owner financing and
                                                                                                                                   ��������������������������������������
                  ment can seem a little
���������������������������������������                          ����������� �����estate ����� ��� ��������
                                                                 are living the real ���� dream, you know                         foreclosures. Malouf has developed a busi-
                                                                                                                                   ������������������������������������
                  tricky to navigate. So many
�������������������������������������������                      that luck had little to do with where you are
                                                                 ��������������������������������������                           ness model that he describes as T.E.R.M.
                                                                                                                                   ���� ������ ��� ���������� ��� ���� �����
                  possible ways to make
��� ��������� �������� ��� ���� �����������                      today. It takes concrete actions, goals and
                                                                 �������������������������                                           “It is a model designed to efficiently
                                                                                                                                   �����������������������������������
                  money exist in this indus-
��������������������������������������                           guidance to get to your dreams.
                                                                 ��������������������������������������                           minimize the investor’s time, energy, re-
                                                                                                                                   ��������������������
������������������������ overwhelm-
                  try, it can be                                    Well, for those of you starting out in real
                                                                 ��������������������������������������������                     sources���� ������� �������� ���� ���������
                                                                                                                                   ������ and money – in that order,” he ex-
 ing, especially for those who are just get-
�������� ��������� ����������� ���                               estate who are anxious to get going, there
                                                                 �����������������������������������������                        plains.
                                                                                                                                   ����������������������������������������
 ting started in real estate investing. There
���������� ����� ��� ��� ��� ����������� ���                     are wonderful ways to get into all this ac-
                                                                 ������������������������������������������                          To that end, his program is a 10-week
                                                                                                                                   ���������������������������������������������
 are many late-night television shows that
��������������������������������������                           tion.
                                                                 �����������������������������������������                        course that walks������ ���� ���������
                                                                                                                                   ��� ���� ������� investors through the ex-
 claim to teach you how to be a multi-gazil-
����������������������������������������                            Recently, I spoke with Matt Malouf
                                                                 ����������������������������������������                         act steps needed to find, analyze and buy an
                                                                                                                                   �������������������������������������������
������������������������� there any truth
 lionaire by next week, but is                                   about his new program, which helps inves-
                                                                 ������������������������������������������                       investment property that cash flows from
                                                                                                                                   ���������������������������������������
 to what they’re saying?
�������������������������������������                            tors bridge the gap from real estate dream
                                                                 ���������������������������������������                          day one. Some topics include learning how
                                                                                                                                   ����������������������������������������
    Take a look around. You’ll notice that
����������������������������������������                         to reality. And by reality, I’m talking about
                                                                 �����������������������������������������                        to set up your property management team,
                                                                                                                                   ��������������������������������������
 there are a lot of successful real estate en-
�����������������                                                actually owning your very own investment
                                                                 ����������� ��������� �������� �� �����                          screen tenants, how to hold title and financ-
                                                                                                                                   ������������
������ ��������� ������ are making a kill-
 trepreneurs, people who ���� ����� �����                        ������������� end of the course! (More on
                                                                 property at the                                                  ing options.���� �������� �������� �����
                                                                                                                                   ���������
 ing today, in this down market. The ques-
���������� ��� �������� ���� ������� ��������                    that later.)
                                                                 ����������� ��� ���� ������ ��� ���� ���                          ������ ���� ��������create this���� ���
                                                                                                                                     The motivation to ��� ����� course
 tion is did they just start making lots of
������ ���������� ��� ����� �������� ���                         ���������� ��� ���� �������� ��� real estate
                                                                    Malouf is an investor-friendly ������                         came from Malouf’s desire to meet the
                                                                                                                                                             �������������������
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 money by pure luck, ��� ����� ����� ������                      ������ �������� ���� has ������ �������
                                                                 agent in California and ���� been investing                      needs of investors who want to get educat-




������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
ed and match them with the            people on the team. Malouf and
best available product in the         his team then go out and find a
real estate marketplace.              property that meets the stu-
   This “hybridization” will en-      dent’s needs. They send per-
able beginning investors to buy       sonalized updates, letting them
a property that meets their cri-      know what’s being done to find
teria, after learning all the basic   them a property.
steps needed to acquire and              This program lays the foun-
manage that property.                 dation to successful real estate
   “This is not just a course,”       investing. Malouf gives this
Malouf explains. “At the end of       analogy: “It’s like building a
10 weeks, they’re going to have       skyscraper. You have to spend
a cash-flowing house, an asset        the time to set up a foundation
to put in their portfolio. It is      and set it nice and deep, nice
all- inclusive in the program.”       and strong. That way, it will


 It takes concrete actions, goals and
   guidance to get to your dreams.
   Malouf’s T.E.R.M model is          stand through the good and the
ideal for someone who has a           bad.”
full-time job and wants to start         Malouf’s T.E.R.M program
building a real estate portfolio      launched this summer and is
as part of their retirement plan.     available year-round to a limit-
   Over the course of 10 weeks,       ed number of people. Be sure to
students receive the entire           reserve your place today.
course through the internet,          Readers can contact Matt
which includes 30 to 60 minute        Malouf directly at (562) 443-
lessons by audio, video and text      7042; mention the “out-of-
articles. Each student also re-       state magazine special.” Or
ceives the “Million Dollar            visit: www.buysellwithmatt.com
Rolodex,” which gives the con-        Enter the promo code “Real-
tact information of all the key       ty411” in the note section.

  A Brave New World, pg. 27

There really is no limit to the       worm,” and “If everybody is
number of homes in foreclo-           doing it, it’s time to do some-
sure that lenders would like to       thing else.”
get off their books in order to          Or
reduce their matching fund re-           Set B - “Haste makes waste”;
quirements and free up more           “Look before you leap”; and
cash to lend out.                     “Wait until all the bugs are
   Millions of dollars are ready      worked out before you jump
to be made by integrally in-          in,” or “Wait until you see ev-
volved entrepreneurs over the         eryone else doing it, then jump
next few years.                       in … why take chances?”
   To miss out on any of it              My own: “Successful people
would be an out-and-out shame         make quick decisions and are
… if not a crime.                     slow to change their minds, the
   There are two sets of adages       unsuccessful are slow to com-
to live by that one must ponder       mit and quick to change their
and decide upon before jump-          minds.”
ing into the business:                   So, what’s my advice regard-
   Set A - “Strike while the iron     ing the current short sale mar-
is hot”; “He who hesitates is         ket? OK, guess!
lost”; “The early bird gets the
Realty411Guide.com                                              PAGE 29 • 2010   reWEALTHmag.com
[         Hitting the Club with
                                            Sensei at 12 Rounds                                                        by Linda Pliagas




  S
           elf-reliance, balance, integrity:     ness cards in hand. Dressed in casual cloth-    and building wealth through cash-flowing
           these are just some important         ing, they chatted while munching on choc-       rentals, all using Sensei’s Remote Rehab-
           mantras in the martial arts world.    olate chip cookies. They discussed their        bing program. “The Phoenix market is pro-
           Step into a monthly meeting at        latest deals, needs and goals.                  viding incredible wholesale deals on newer
Black Belt Investors and you’ll soon dis-          When the master approached the front,         homes starting at $48,000,” he says. “Flip-
cover these disciplines are in full force.       the students took their seats and settled       pers are turning their properties and cashing
 With two locations in Southern California       down quickly, ready to start their lesson.      out about every 90 days. The buy and hold
(Downey and Norco), Black Belt Inves-              Sensei’s cash and wealth system is pure       strategists are capitalizing on great cash
tors provide a social network for both                                                                  flow averaging $900 per month.”
the novice and seasoned. It is a club                                                                     Although he started his career as a
where education is emphasized, deals
are analyzed, and action is taken to
                                                Sensei Spills His Top 5                                 remote rehabber (his first deal was in
                                                                                                        Florida), he now prefers to wholesale
reach goals.                                    Secrets to Land a Deal                                  and calls it: “The Ultimate Real Es-
 Ricardo Valencia, a national investor                                                                  tate Cash Machine.” His investing
with holdings in four states (CA, TX,                                                                   formula, “Find it, Bind it and As-
IN and MO), stressed the importance                                  Can’t seem to locate               sign It™,” is used in California, but
of attending monthly club meetings,                                  a distressed home-                 the strategy can be duplicated in any
as we were walking into a community                                  owner or unwanted                  area, in any market.
                                                                     property? Believe it
center in Downey.                                                                                         Wholesaling “does not require cash,
                                                                     or not, many people
 “We have a responsibility to teach                                                                     credit or a license, which equals NO
                                                                     have real estate that
those who are newcomers,” he says                                    they no longer need
                                                                                                        RISK.” He further explains, “The
with a smile, “And, at the same time,                                or want. (Yes, we                  intention is to sell the contract to in-
you learn from those who are more                                    first found this con-              vestors who can’t find a deeply dis-
advanced.”                                                           cept hard to believe               counted deal on their own.”
 Valencia, who travels throughout               Sensei Gilliland                                          While many people, including Bro-
                                                                     too!) Follow these
Los Angeles County to attend numer-             five secrets from a master wholesaler,                  kers and REALTORS® who do not
ous real estate events, admits that             and you’ll soon have more deals than                    understand creative real estate, frown
the members of Black Belt Investors             time to work them.                                      upon any deal that is not a traditional
“keep bringing me back ... it’s always                                                                  transaction, wholesaling retains an
nice to mix and mingle with them.”              #5: Code Enforcement: Many local gov-
                                                                                                        important role in the community.
                                                ernment websites, such as Los Angeles
 What began as a casual meeting at                                                                      As a matter of fact, wholesalers are
                                                County, offer online lists of distressed
a coffee house in 2000, by investor,                                                                    often the first to spot and service a
                                                properties. This is an often overlooked
martial arts expert and entrepreneur,           treasure filled with potential gems.                    homeowner or property in distress.
“Sensei” Sean Gilliland has become                                                                      In wholesaling, success depends on
an organized official club boasting                                       Continued on pg. 59           recognizing circumstances and offer-
two locations and filling the room                                                                      ing solutions.
with a strong following each month.                                                                       Sensei recalls one recent transac-
 Sensei chose to stake his claim in Downey,      and simple. He trains his students on how       tion in which he assisted a family made
the city where he was raised. Next, he chose     to create cash quickly through flipping real    up of siblings scattered around the country
Norco, the city where he now lives with his      estate so that resources can be funneled to     who were feuding over an inherited home
wife, Annamaria, a licensed REALTOR®,            purchase income-producing property.             in need of many repairs. Because of the
and their three children.                          And what areas are being focused on?          stress it was bringing upon the family, they
 The club meeting room, located inside a         Right now, he has two major target zones.       wanted to dispose of the property quickly.
community center, was full and bustling in       Phoenix, Ariz., is his target zone for rehab-   Sensei packaged the deal and sold it to a lo-
May. The sweet aroma of freshly brewed           bing flips and rentals; Southern California     cal rehabber willing to put in a lot of sweat
coffee and abundant smiles were inviting.        is his bulls-eye for wholesaling properties.    equity and cash. The investor was willing
The group, mostly in their 40s and 50s,            He and his members target Phoenix as          to take a risk for a chance to profit.
was diverse in experience and background.        their area of operation for fixing and flip-
They were master networkers, with busi-          ping properties for immediate paydays                                    Continued on pg. 59


Realty411Guide.com                                              PAGE 30 • 2010                                                    reWEALTHmag.com
Real Estate Wealth Magazine

Real Estate Wealth Magazine

  • 1.
    Wealth Real Estate th A ubl eP Sp is ec he ia rs l E of di Re tio a n f lty ro 41 m 1 Vol. 1 • No. 1 • 2010 Maverick Investor Group Serving the Needs of Accredited Investors - INSIDE: Information to Grow and Maintain Your Wealth 16 Words of Wisdom from Masters of Real Estate 19 Maverick Investor Group Reveals the Next BIG Thing 35 Bruce Norris Prepares for Annual “I Survived Real Estate” Charity
  • 3.
    << Table ofContents >> 7 Secrets from the Master! Charity Walk and Gala Dave Lindahl shares his latest 37 Join the Ultimate Bus Tour tips for Investing Success with MemphisInvest.com 9 No Drama in Dayton 39 Creative Financing Options Triple Net Houses Helps with MMG Capital, LLC Investors Profit without Issues 40 Philbin Capital Discovers 11 California Living with Deals in the Golden State Tennessee Cash Flow 42 The Key to Success by Club Mathew Owens, CPA, owner of Founder Sam Sadat OCG Properties, explains why he loves to invest out of state 14 Beware of the Investment Vampires by RBS Homes 16 Dolf & Carter: A Master- mind with Arizona Investors 19 Enjoy a Tropical Paradise with Phenomenal Returns photo: Sam Green 45 Buy Bigger and Better Deals by Kathy Fettke 46 Alternative Economics™ Club Debuts in California 51 Stop the Gambling! Mike Woo, a “Rich Dad, Poor In search of their latest gem in Dad” protégé, advises clients Nicaragua, Maverick Investor 52 Is Your Mortgage Underwa- Group traveled the world ter? Perhaps a Short Pay Refi- 22 Investor Nation Shares their nance is the Answer Blue-Chip Real Estate Strategy 55 Pay Off Your Rental House 2 5 G i n g e r M a c i a ’s T h r e e in Five Years with the Short FREE Ways to find a Great Term Retirement Program Wholesale Deal 27 Creative Real Es- tate Techniques with Educator Bill Gatten 28 Matt Malouf’s 10 Weeks to Massive, Passive Cash Flow 30 A Visit with Sensei at his 12 Rounds Club 35 Bruce Norris discusses the 57 Who’s On Your Team? “I Survived Real Estate 2010” Insights by 360 Investments
  • 4.
    Platinum Partners A Powerhouse Lineup of Top Industry Experts Presents the Insider’s Edge on The State of REO 2010 The Norris Group’s award-winning event returns September 17, 2010 to the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California. We’re assembling an incredible line up of accomplished industry specialists to discuss the state of the REO market, on-going industry regulations, and the opportunities emerging for real estate professionals. New guidelines a ect every sector of our industry. In a climate ripe for both miscalculation and pro table advances, how are our colleagues and partners navigating an industry in continued transition? Our Who’s Who Round Table Includes: Bruce Norris Joseph Magdziarz Tommy Williams Christopher Thornberg President Vice President 2008 President Principal The Norris Group Appraisal Institute National Auctioneers Beacon Economics Association Sean O’Toole Sarah Letts Daniel Phelan Peter Wayman President Director, Credit Loss Mgmt Mortgage Bankers Sr. REO Director Foreclosure Radar Fannie Mae Association Freddie Mac MVT PRODUCTIONS Last year, I Survived Real Estate 2009 focused on the dramatic shifts in regulation facing our industry. This year, our panel separates fact from ction as we delve into the health and sustainability of the current real estate market and the opportunities that lie ahead for hungry real estate professionals. To nd out how you can participate as an individual or potential sponsor, see the back of this yer or visit ISurvived2010. com for more information. Seating to this formal dinner event is limited, so go to the website or call our o ce today. Thanks you to all our Platinum and Gold Sponsors and friends for making this unique event a possibility. www.ISurvived2010.com or 951-780-5856
  • 5.
    Gold Sponsors Benton Group Investors Association (NSDREI) Delmae Properties Personal Real Estate Investor Elite Auctions Magazine Entrust Mike Cantu Inland Empire Investors Forum Realty 411 Magazine Keystone CPA Rick & LeeAnne Rossiter Las Brisas Escrow Starz Photography Leivas Financial Services Tony Alvarez – theREOmentor.com North San Diego Real Estate Westin South Coast Plaza Winner of seven communication, outreach, and fundraising awards. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES We can’t do this without your help! Businesses or individuals who are interested in participating have two options: 1. SPONSOR the “I Survived Real Estate” Komen Breast Cancer Walking Team in exchange for a seat (or table) at the event 2. JOIN the “I Survived Real Estate” Komen Walking Team and raise money in your network for the walk in Newport Beach September 26th. Every $200 gets you one seat to the event (while seats remain). All donations are made directly to our Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk Team so 100% of the proceeds go to the Orange County A liate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. This formal dinner event includes visitation to the Nixon Museum, appetizers, 3 course meal, and the live event. Additional bene ts are listed below for those that become platinum and gold sponsors (Please note all funds must be in place July 10th for gold and platinum sponsors to take advantage of initial radio spots). Single Gold Platinum Cost $200 $2,000 $5,000+ Tables (Seats) Received (1) Seat 1 (10) 2 (20) Advertising Logo on Event Website featured SEO-Optimized Pro le Logo on Flyers Name only Digital Signage at Event featured Preferred Seating featured Event Program Ad 1/3 page 1/2 page Radio Show Mention (Intro - 15 total*) Radio Show Mention (Outtro - 15 total*) Event Video (Intro - Single Page) Event Video (Outtro) Press Release Mention Event Bag Marketing Oppotunity Call Diana Barlet at 951-780-5856 or visit ISurvived2010.com for more information and preferred seating. Note: All donations must be made through the “I Survived Real Estate 2010” walk team to be eligible for advertising. July 10th is the deadline for all money to be in place to ensure radio spots include the selected sponsor. There may be more than 15 radio shows that are aired for the run of event.
  • 6.
    Don’t You have better things to do than deal with tenants and toilets? Yes, we know you do. This is why the Herrera Sindell Group developed a turn-key program, which provides investors HIGH RETURNS, without any management headaches. With nearly 20 property acquisitions The Herrera Sindell Group Offers: per month, The Herrera Sindell Group offers a prime opportunity for busy • Cash-Flow Investment professionals to prosper in this market. Properties in Southern California • Strong Cash-on-Cash Returns Is this opportunity right for you? with Long-Term Holds Visit our office and see why so many • Excellent Return-on-Investment investors are enjoying unbeatable (ROI) within 30 to 90 days returns and safety, all while buying the properties of their choice, in local • Options to Utilize Retirement markets and at deep discounts. Plans for Investment Properties • Tenant-Occupied Properties in As featured in Make an appointment to secure your Realty411 Magazine financial future with real estate today! Our Local Market The Herrera Sindell Group, Inc. • Property Management In Place, 15060 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 100 No Need to Worry Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 www.herrerasindell.com Toll Free (877) 949-2772 Disclaimer: This is not a public offering nor is it a REIT or hedge fund. This is not an offer or invitation to sell or a solicitation of any offer to purchase securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction. Any securities may only be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, in the state or states in which they have been registered or may be offered under an appropriate exemption.
  • 7.
    published for Investorsby Investors A by Dave Lindahl Realty411 s a successful real estate inves- tor and top-selling author, I’m & Wealth Real Estate on the road a lot presenting workshops across the county. I often start with a bit of personal history because when you’re a multimillionaire like I am, people assume you were either FOUNDER & EDITOR Linda Pliagas born rich or had a wealthy mentor show info@realty411guide.com you the inside track to making money. EDITORIAL STAFF That’s not my story. Not by a long shot. Lori Peebles Fifteen years ago, I was running my own Matt Malouf small landscaping business in New Eng- Carla Fischer Ginger Macias land. I was a guy with a pickup truck and COPY EDITOR lawn mower. If you haven’t experienced a Lorie L. West New England winter, let me simply say it PHOTOGRAPHERS Who Else Wants Up to Sam Green John DeCindis COLUMNISTS $5,000…$10,000 or More Dave Lindahl Charles Salisbury ADVERTISING Extra Monthly Cash Flow? Kelly Global Marketing jdk77725@yahoo.com 310.439.1145 EVENTS & EXPOS Lawrence Ruano means I was literally frozen out of work for What You Need to Succeed ruanoinvestments@gmail a good part of the year. First and foremost, to succeed as a real 805.791.5457 I spent winters doing odd jobs to scrape estate investor you must be motivated. This PRODUCTION Lori and Mike Hampton by. A friend asked if I wanted to repair a business isn’t for the undecided. You have Emma Krull - The Dab Hand property that needed some TLC so it could to want it bad enough to take action. Be- CALIFORNIA DISTRIBUTION be resold fast. cause where there’s a strong will, there’s Professional Distribution Solutions The owner was looking for a quick fix wealth. 1.877.418.6500 and flip, and thus I was indoctrinated in the I was 100% determined to own real es- NATIONAL DISTRIBUTION KJ Banks: 805.377.6328 business of flipping properties before it be- tate. I didn’t let the fact that I had a less PUBLISHED BY came a national pastime and the subject of than $800 in the bank stop me from buying Manifest Media Partners cable TV shows. But what attracted me to my first property, a three-unit building in Nikolaos K. Pliagas - Chairman real estate was not the quick turn. It was the my hometown. Our Mission is to Educate & Inspire steady cash flow. Sure, I was nervous doing that first deal. INFO/FAX: 310.499.9545 Realty411Guide.com | reWEALTHmag.com The idea of checks from renters filling I had no direct experience. No track record. Main email: realty411guide@msn.com my mailbox month after month, regardless No personal wealth to use for collateral. Realty411 and Real Estate Wealth magazines are published in Los of the weather, really appealed to me. But I didn’t let any of that stop me. Angeles by Manifest Media Partners (mailing address: 4221 Neo- sho Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90066). Publishers are not responsible I wanted other people to pay my mort- This is why I tell beginners everywhere for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and/or other materials. gages, creating huge equity in my build- that they can own real estate right now. ©Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction without per- mission is strictly prohibited. The opinions expressed by writers ings. I wanted to sit back and watch my I don’t care if you’re broke like I was. If are not endorsed by the publishers and/or editorial staff. Before buildings appreciate, making me wealthier you’re motivated to succeed, real estate — investing in real estate, seek the advisement of a trusted financial adviser, attorney or tax consultant. Please invest responsibly. and wealthier. and all the personal wealth it can generate PRINTED IN THE USA. GOD BLESS AMERICA I wanted to live off the positive cash flow — can be yours once you know how to find Connect to our network @ that I received each month, so I wouldn’t properties and structure the deal. have to go to a job every day. No more dai- ly grind. No more living paycheck to pay- How I Found My First Building check. Best of all, I liked that “millionaire” I bought books and tapes on real estate, was the likely outcome if I did it right. even though I didn’t find much on apart- Back then there was nobody teaching ments. I went to local investment clubs, how to buy rental properties. The gurus fo- networked with experienced investors, and cused on single family houses, just as they started “bird-dogging” for them (finding do today. So I had a big learning curve. Continued on pg. 60 Realty411Guide.com PAGE 7 • 2010 reWEALTHmag.com
  • 9.
    Invest WIthout Drama Do you have reservations about becoming a landlord? Triple Net Houses created a program to help investors profit from rental properties without ever having to deal with tenants! I by Carla Fischer n 1903 The Wright (www.triplenethouses. Brothers made history com) takes all the un- in Dayton, Ohio, with knowns off the table. their first power airplane By purchasing a Triple there. When we rehab a property we pretty flight. Net rental, investors will much do everything so we know it’s going One hundred four know exactly what their to be a maintenance-free property. When years later, Peter Julian, CEO of cash flow is going to be we finish, it’s almost like a new house.” Triple Net Houses, reflects on for the next ten years. The company’s record is impressive. “In their short three-year revolution- Julian explains: “When the year 2009, we collected 97.4 percent of ary history that began in 2007 as Peter Julian we lease the house it’s a our scheduled rent,” Julian proudly states. a premiere provider of real estate manage- triple net lease, which means we pay taxes, “It even amazes me!” ment. “We’ve reinvented the way people insurance and maintenance. Basically we In Dayton, market rents range from $595 invest in residential rental real estate,” Ju- pay all the operating expenses, so there’s to $950. The company rents with a one lian says proudly. He then adds: “It’s kinda nothing our clients have to pay. We man- year lease agreement. A typical scenario If an investor buys a Triple Net House, they know exactly what their cash flow is going to be for the next 10 years. They never have to deal with tenants and never have to deal with or pay for maintenance. overcast. We’re going to get some rain later age the property so there’s no management. is this: A tenant occupies a three bedroom, on, which doesn’t mean a thing for our in- Investors will never have to deal with a ten- one bath home, 1,100 square feet, with a vestors who are from all over the country. ant and never have to deal with or pay for one car garage, for $700 a month. Many The weather rarely has anything to do with maintenance,” Julian explains. homes are brick with full basements, some our business, unlike the Wright Brothers.” The company offers a 10-year NNN are ranch houses built in the late ’50s. Julian shifts to business quickly explain- (triple net) lease. If investors want to ter- Dayton is home to the largest single ing how he created a NNN (triple net) in- minate early, all they have to do is provide site employer in the state of Ohio: Wright vesting model, which is traditionally only a 60-day written notice. There is no penalty Patterson Air Force Base with 26,000 em- found in commercial real estate transac- and the investor still owns the property. ployees. The city also has two universities: tions. “It’s a turn-key investment. It pays a Wright State University with an enroll- “I’ve been a real estate broker for a little high yield and we’re able to buy houses at ment of about 18,000, including a medical over 30 years. I’ve worked with investors low cost and rehab them economically. We school. Next is the University of Dayton, my entire career. When I talk to them, most then pass that deal on to an investor, as a which enrolls over 10,000 students and like all the good things about real estate, totally turn-key investment. Their total in- also offers a law school program. like the cash flow, the tax write-offs, build- volvement after the investment is to collect As far as the financials, a Triple Net in- ing-up equity, and potential appreciation. a payment from us each month, which is vestor can realize up to 17% return on each But when potential investors get to talking electronically deposited into their checking house. about managing, they’ve all heard the hor- account. It’s a perfect storm.” “If the investor pays cash then they ror stories about tenants, maintenance and When asked how Triple Net Houses can will receive 9.1%.” Julian explains fur- all those kinds of things.” provide guaranteed returns for investors, ther: “For example, if they have a $60,000 So Julian and his team came up with regardless of what is going on with their house the investor will be receiving $5,460 a unique solution. It’s basic and simple, property, Julian replies: “We’re very care- a year, which is 9.1% of the purchase price. even though it tackles a complicated con- ful in selecting properties in neighborhoods Continued on pg. 47 cept. The Triple Net Houses program where we know the rents are going to be Realty411Guide.com PAGE 9 • 2010 reWEALTHmag.com
  • 10.
    California Investors Specializing in the Memphis Market!
  • 11.
    California Life Tennessee Rentals by Ginger Macias | photography by Sam Green L ast year, while working as a pan- Ginger: What did you do before you elist at a local real estate invest- became a full-time real estate investor? ment club in Los Angeles, I had What is your background? the pleasure of meeting Mathew Mathew: Let’s see, I grew up in the tiny Owens, a certified public accountant and town of Los Angeles and graduated from owner of OCG Properties. I was so im- the University of California, Santa Bar- pressed by his experience and work ethic bara, with a degree in economics and an that I invited him to partner with me on emphasis in accounting. Afterwards, I was syndicating real estate projects. able to achieve one of the accomplishments Having worked closely with him for al- I am most proud of, passing all four parts most six months now, I can say that he’s the of the CPA exam in one sitting, a feat only real deal and you’ll be in for a treat if you 10% of candidates have been able to do. get the chance to work with him. Mathew After passing the exam, I worked as a has many strengths that make him a great CPA, auditor and business adviser, help- partner: integrity, organizational skills, ing my corporate and individual clients and real estate and investment proficiency. increase their bottom line, helping them Plus, he’s very likable. find fraud risk factors inside their business I have met a lot of people in this business, systems and auditing their accounting re- and I expect great things from him in the cords. coming years. I guess that is why I am so good at do- I recently sat down with him to ask about ing due diligence on real estate transactions his real estate investing strategies and the now. The accounting and due diligence current projects he’s working on out in Ten- skills are a perfect match for a real estate nessee. Mathew has purchased, renovated, investor, I just had to adjust my personality and sold or held more than 100 investment to be more outgoing and personable, which properties in the last three years alone. most CPAs are not known to be. Being in Below is a partial transcript of the inter- the real estate industry as a full-time inves- view I had with him. tor, I am finding it is rare to find a CPA who understands the tax and legal implications Ginger: Mathew, in your own words, of investing and the real estate investment what exactly does OCG Properties do? side in detail. Mathew: In a nutshell, we help people in- vest in real estate. At OCG, we sit down and Ginger: So tell us, how did you get your go over our client’s financial situation and start in real estate? resources to help them find the best ways Mathew: I started investing about five to invest and meet their individual goals. years before I decided to take some real With good in-house management in place, estate education courses and quit my cor- you can hold for long-term growth and re- porate job cold turkey. I found that the skill ally get a great return on your money. On sets I gained from working at CPA firms top of that, the price points are low enough were hugely valuable, and I still hold the that you can buy with cash and not even partners of those firms with the upmost have to deal with financing. Talk about low respect for what they taught me, the eth- risk! ics they instilled in me and the guidance We help our clients achieve great returns they gave me. However, the skills that I on their money while doing all of the due have developed running my own company diligence on every investment. We bring a are unparalleled to anything I would have ton of real estate experience to the table and ever expected. While working for myself, help our investors every step of the way. I started flipping and holding properties > Realty411Guide.com PAGE 11 • 2010 reWEALTHmag.com
  • 12.
    in Memphis. Igot through my initial learn- that the current reported unemployment to go out and develop a team in every mar- ing curve and kept striving for more deals rate is 12.8%, there is a $19.9 billion dollar ket, which is exactly what we did out in with a magnificent obsession for real estate gap in the California budget, the California Memphis. We have in-house management that only few can really understand. It was mortgage delinquency is up almost 100% and a team on the ground there that helps tough, but after getting through the strug- year on year, 90% of us get all of the gles, you find yourself breaking through the Alt-A and Option Mathew Owens, his brother and little sister. information we and finally achieving success. Working that ARM loans coming need to be suc- much taught me multiple things. But one due are underwater in cessful. thing stuck more than anything else: Pas- California, 1/3 of Op- sive income is the goal! tion ARM loans are Ginger: What delinquent already, the team members Ginger: You live in Southern California California tax rate rose should one have and invest in Memphis, Tennessee. Why from 9.3% in 2008 to when investing do you invest so far away from where 9.55% in 2009, and it out of state? you live? will rise again to cover Mathew: There Mathew: That is right, I live in sunny the gap in the budget. are a number of Redondo Beach and invest in Memphis. On top of all that, team members Most of the investors I meet ask me this people who are under- you need in order exact question, and the simple answer is: water in their homes to be a success- I invest with logic and statistics, not based and not in financial ful real estate on what my emotions are telling me. hardship are starting investor. At the Look at the economics in the Memphis to walk away because top of the list market. It has one of the highest price-to- it does not make finan- for any buy-and- rent ratios in the nation! It did not take a cial sense to hold them hold investor is a huge dip like a lot of markets, it had an av- and hope they go up great, and I mean erage annual appreciation of 4% per year $200,000! G R E AT, p r o p - over the past 20 years. It’s a very stable e r t y m a n a g e r. market. The population is also expected to Ginger: I’m an out- Property man- increase and you can pick up property that of-state investor too but other investors agement is the number one reason an in- not only cash flows but gives you apprecia- may be skeptical about owning property vestment property will fail to produce posi- tion potential in the next 10 years, which is so far away. tive cash flow, assuming you did your numbers correctly and did not buy in a ghetto. In addition, an investor needs lend- ers, REALTORS®, inspectors, appraisers, attorneys, CPAs, IT consultants, marketing agents and the whole nine yards to really develop a good system. Each team member is crucial to your success, and that is why investing in real estate can be so difficult at times. Your team can make or break you, and you need to have reliable team members that communicate well with you to be suc- cessful. Ginger: What separates your company, OCG Properties, from the rest? Mathew: At OCG we have in-house prop- erty management, which is the key to our A sample OCG Property. and your investment success. We also take an ethical and conservative approach to in- not something I can say about California. Mathew: They are really missing out! vesting and do all of the right due diligence California is a huge risk right now for buy- Ginger, we both know that with technolog- on every investment. and-hold investments. ical advances you can invest anywhere in We really care for our clients and care If you take a look at some of the econom- the world now, and it’s as if you’re invest- about their goals and what their interests ic indicators in the California real estate ing in your own backyard. are. We have a guaranteed tenant and reno- market, some of the things you will find are The reality is, everyone has the resources vation on every property, and put the proper Realty411Guide.com PAGE 12 • 2010 reWEALTHmag.com
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    structuring and riskmiti- exactly what the majority of men do.” gation procedures in place If you never quit, you will succeed no on every investment. We matter what adversity you face. also set up proper com- Ginger: What is the first step someone munication procedures needs to take to invest with you? for our management com- Mathew: They need to call us and sched- pany to keep our investors ule a consultation. We look at each inves- frequently updated on the tor’s resources, financial situation and in- progress of their invest- vestment goals to make sure we help them ment. invest the right way and surpass their indi- vidual investment goals. Once an investor Ginger: What due dili- schedules a consultation with us, we move gence is done on your them from sitting on the sidelines to devel- investments? oping a passive income stream to retire on Mathew: Wow, where — as fast and safely as possible. do I begin? I will give you the quick version. To Ginger: Do you have anything else you start off, we do a complete Mathew: Do not give up, no matter what. would like to share with our readers? neighborhood analysis on every property Any business, any new venture or opportu- Mathew: Yes, thank you. I would just like along with a market value analysis, which nity that you want to achieve, is 90% men- to add that some people will make up ev- includes pulling comparable sales and get- tal and 10% skill. If you never give up, you ery excuse in the book for why they do not ting an appraisal done before we close es- can never lose. It’s best said in the book or cannot do something. I am here to tell “With technological advances you can invest anywhere in the world now, and it’s as if you’re investing in your own backyard.” crow. We also do a rental analysis, cash “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill: you that you can do ANYTHING if you flow analysis, profit analysis, renovation “Before success comes in anyone’s life, focus and take ACTION steps towards its analysis and every kind of analysis a CPA one is sure to meet with much temporary achievement. can think of to protect ourselves and our defeat, and, perhaps, some failure. When Do not let your emotions tell you it can- investors. defeat overtakes someone, the easiest and not be done, even if you were not initially In addition, we get an inspection by a most logical thing to do is to QUIT. That is successful. Even if it is difficult to see how qualified inspector and compare it to the you are going to accomplish it, don’t give renovation bid. Each renovation bid comes up. There is always a way, but it comes with an item-by-item, room-by-room down to taking action. Most people give breakdown of the renovation costs, includ- up at the mere thought of difficulty, and ing materials and labor. This is extremely your success in real estate, and in life, are important so you know what your costs are going to be based on your ability to focus going to be on future renovations. When and take action. leasing a property, it is important to get a Also, a successful investor has to be qualified tenant. If you do not, you will be completely dedicated. They must ignore all sorry later when you have to evict them of the people who have an opinion but are because they cannot afford the rent. We less- educated about the subject. qualify them similar to a home loan pro- cess. We look at their debt-to-income ratio Ginger: Thanks, Mathew. I wish you and credit. We do a background check and continued success in your investments. really get a good assessment of their per- Mathew: You’re welcome, Ginger. sonality, which can tell you a lot. For more information, please visit: Ginger: What tips can you give to people www.ocgproperties.com or email: who want to get started investing in real invest@owenscg.com | OCG Properties estate? Photograph of Mathew Owens by Sam Green can also be reached at: (424) 757-4680 Realty411Guide.com PAGE 13 • 2010 reWEALTHmag.com
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    Invest Investment Vampires in YOU for the Next Decade by Richard Barrett T Never Miss an Issue! he ten years ahead of us will be cant inflation soon. Experts argue that de- Realty411 Wealth Real Estate extremely difficult for investors. flation is the bigger risk. While that may th A e Pu Sp blish ec ia l Ed s of er iti Real on ty fro 41 m 1 Yield and growth will be scarce, be true, it does not make inflation any less www.realty411guide.com | Vol. 3 • No. 2 • 2010 A Resource Guide for Investors Tips for Long-Distance Vol. 1 • No. 1 • 2010 LANDLORDING Maverick Investor Group Turn-Key Rentals but much worse will be the four destructive when it starts nibbling at your Around the Nation Cash Flow from the Comfort of Home vampires waiting to suck the life out of investments. almost every investment you consider. 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With the right when the Federal Reserve prints more guidance and team in place, an investor _____________________________________ money than the economy can absorb, the will never have to worry about those evil City State Zip economy catches a bad case of inflation in investment vampires. the next 12-24 months. _____________________________________ The money supply exploded in 2009. It Email Address or Phone (to join our network) doubled in the space of a few months and Richard Barrett is CEO of RBS Homes then grew another 50% in the next year. (www.RBSHomes.com). With offices Go Green! Fax copy to: 310.499.9545 Since the economy has not grown by based in California and Texas, RBS Homes or email: info@realty411guide.com 150% in the past two years, all this money provide investment properties with these 4221 Neosho Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90066 Questions? 310.994.1962 is waiting in bank vaults to drive signifi- three critical factors in place. 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    T he world of real estate investing is a small one. Investors rub elbows at similar events, read in- dustry publications and generally run in the same circles. Carter Froelich, an author, investor and CEO of The Property Ledger, recalls the time he met best- give & the latest DolfreadersCarter Tips from AZ selling author and renowned educator Dolf de Roos, Ph.D. The two savvy Phoenix-based investors became friends after an introduction by Andrew Waite, publisher of the Ari- zona-based, Personal Real Estate Investor magazine. At the time, Froelich was busy developing The Property Interview by Carter Froelich, CEO of The Property Ledger Ledger, his online software designed to analyze property holdings, store documents and forecast future returns. Once ready to launch, he asked de Roos to test out his creation. That was three years ago, and de Roos still uses the software to track his portfolio. Recently, Froelich welcomed de Roos home from his ex- tended visit to Australia. The famed author of eight books, including the New York Times Best Seller “Real Estate Riches,” was visiting Down Under to raise private money for property investments in Arizona. It proved to be a won- derful opportunity for one master investor to interview another. Froelich enthusiastically took on our assignment and provided an outstanding interview. This indeed is a rare treat; prepare to learn from two of Dolf de Roos Carter Froelich Arizona’s top real estate investing giants. —The Editor Carter: Hello, Dolf. Tell us about what Dolf: I like being on the cutting edge of cloud, you can access your portfolio’s de- you’ve been doing lately and give inves- what is available. I have always done well tails from any computer connected to the tors your perspective on the market. with new technology. When fax machines Web. Before long, most services will have Dolf: Well, Carter, although the media re- came out, it saved us thousands of dollars a that feature, but by then The Property Led- peatedly states this is the worst real estate year in courier fees. ger will have innovated yet another area. market we have seen in decades, it is only Now, we don’t fax; scanned attachments Surfing is so much easier one foot ahead of the wave than one foot behind. Furthermore, having all the details of “... with the information stored in the cloud, a property, including title documents, HUD1s, leases, management agreements, you can access your portfolio’s details from and the like, stored in one central reposi- tory is simply a great way to run your prop- any computer connected to the Web.” erty investment business. Once you have experienced it, it is difficult to revert back. It would be like going back to using slide- the worst market if you are in the unfortu- are better quality, in full color and don’t rules, or for those readers not old enough to nate position of being forced to sell. If you require an outdated phone system to get remember what they are, the curly-paged are in the fortunate position of being able through to a recipient. and faded fax machine — if they even re- to buy, then by definition, this is the best When I come across people in the real es- member that! market we have seen in decades. tate industry who do not use email, and in- With that said, there are still many who sist on using faxes exclusively, I think they Carter: Since you travel often, are the have trepidation about entering our current must miss out on deals because of their features of Electronic Library useful? real estate market. This has forced me to go aversion to new technology. I do not want Dolf: Absolutely. In fact, more and more overseas. There are many countries right to fall into that trap. The Property Ledger companies are trending towards cloud now experiencing the peak we saw a few is cutting edge, extraordinarily useful and computing. Clearly, it is convenient to years ago so they see the relative merits of easy to use. Why would you not use it? be able to access all the relevant data on bringing their money to the United States a property from anywhere and not have and investing here. Carter: What benefits are provided by to be concerned with taking up space on The Property Ledger, which other prod- your own computer, keeping data in sync, Carter: Why did you become interested ucts do not provide? having the data concerned fall into strange in The Property Ledger? Dolf: With the information stored in the hands in the event of a computer loss, in- Realty411Guide.com PAGE 16 • 2010 reWEALTHmag.com
  • 17.
    stalling upgrades, etc.It is all done for the investments regularly, with real estate, you simply the income divided by the invest- end user. can buy a property and put the title in a bot- ment. With real estate, since you only need tom drawer, take a six-month cruise, and to come up with a small portion of the pur- Carter: Why is it important for investors not worry if you should sell the property chase price in cash, the cash-on-cash return to monitor the financial performance of again. However, it is comforting to be able becomes very important and, dare I say their real estate portfolio? to put your finger on the pulse of how your it, interesting. It is an advantage inherent Dolf: Interestingly, it is important for inves- investments are performing. in real estate investing that is often over- tors in stocks and commodities to maintain looked by financial advisors. a vigilant eye on their volatile investments Carter: What is your favorite financial so that they can jump ship if the ship starts calculation when analyzing your proper- Carter: What type of investment do to sink. With real estate being a much more ties? And why? Here are the choices: you favor right now and why? stable investment, much of the interest in •Gross Rent Multiplier Dolf: When it comes to residential property, monitoring your portfolio is just that: inter- •Cash-on-Cash Return on Investment I prefer the single-family home. However, est. However, if you want to know when •After Tax Cash-on-Cash Return for the last two decades, I have personally you can invest in yet another property, •Internal Rate of Return focused on commercial real estate. That based on cash-reserve build-up, equity po- •Return on Equity doesn’t mean I haven’t invested in other sition, available collateral, etc.), then you Dolf: I like to analyze based on cash-on- sectors but the benefits of commercial real want to have the up-to-date information cash return. This calculation shows you estate for the property owner are incred- available instantly. The Property Ledger how the cash you are putting up is perform- ible. Here are just a few of the benefits: provides just that when you need it. ing. It is the prime indicator of how you 1. The leases tend to be much longer — can truly leverage your money. What other anything from three to twenty years. They Carter: How often should an investor investment allows you to get a $100,000 are generally secured by the business, with track the financial performance of their asset for only $10,000 or $20,000 in cash? the owners offering a personal guarantee. real estate portfolio? For most investors, you can’t buy 2. Commercial tenants tend to maintain the Dolf: As often as they feel comfortable. $100,000 worth of stock or gold or oil property better as the look and condition of One of the advantages of real estate invest- without coming up with the entire pur- the property is important to their business. ing that I often tout is that unlike the stock chase price in full. When you put up all the market, where you have to monitor your money to buy an investment, the return is Continued on next page
  • 18.
    Dolf & Carter,pg. 17 Tenants often improve and up- the Gilbert Planning Commis- grade the space with their own sion. This is indicative of the money. long term. In the short term, 3. With residential property, the things look pretty grim, again, landlord tends to pay the outgo- if you are forced to sell. There ings such as property taxes, in- is word on the street that there surance and maintenance. With will not be a u-turn for years. commercial real estate, the ten- Things go in cycles. When ants who are leasing the prop- you get old enough to have erty, pay for those expenses. experienced a few cycles, you learn to embrace them rather Carter: We’re both located in than fear them. There will be a Arizona; let’s discuss the local turnaround. If you can buy real market. Where is it heading? estate that cash flows now and Dolf: I’m optimistic. There was have a great chance that long an article in the paper just three term the capital value will go days ago stating Taylor Morri- up immensely, why would you son Homes will begin construc- not acquire some real estate? tion in July of a master-planned Learn more online about community in Gilbert. There The Property Ledger, visit: will be 17 phases developed www.thepropertyledger.com over the next 12 years accord- To reach Dr. Dolf de Roos, visit: ing to the report submitted to www.dolfderoos.com FREE e-Book Offer, For a Limited Time! Download The Real Estate Wake Up Call Today http://thepropertyledger.com/buy/90-the-real-estate-wake-up-call-e-book-free
  • 19.
    Maverick Investor Group Scoursthe Globe for the Best Investment Properties Interview by Linda Pliagas W ith a name like Maverick, one immediately expects the unex- pected. Real estate with a hip and a bit of a rebellious twist. Maverick Investor Group delivers all that and more. It is a real estate brokerage that caters to a community of sophisticated real estate investors and agents, all of whom are committed to using real estate as a vehicle for designing their lifestyles. The broker- age is licensed with its primary office in Las Vegas, but the Maverick principals all live in different states, work from laptops on rooftop pool decks, and travel the globe in search of premium buying opportunities for their exclusive clientele. Maverick negotiates directly with devel- opers and owners for prices and terms that are not available to the public. The buying power of the Maverick community enables developers to move more properties in less time and save money on advertising, mar- keting and other normal overhead. This al- lows them to offer special prices and terms to buyers in the Maverick community that they could not offer to the general public. Indeed, the traditional brick-and-mor- tar neighborhood brokerage dedicated to farming a five-mile radius, driving buyers around and sitting at open houses seems like an archaic business model next to Maverick. Even more avant-garde than their busi- ness model is their corporate vision: “To Mark Solak Valerie Schrock Matt Bowles Next Destination: The Hidden Tropical Paradise of...Nicaragua radically improve people’s lives through close as many as 34 transactions and pay the international component, is just a con- real estate.” out nearly a quarter of a million dollars in tinuation of the global lifestyle enjoyed by And their radical approach to real estate buyer referral fees to real estate brokers in its principals. The company was founded is working. Even during 2009, in a single the Maverick Referral Network. by Mark Solak, Valerie Schrock and Mat- 90-day period, the company was able to Maverick’s business model, including thew Bowles — real estate investors > Realty411Guide.com PAGE 19 • 2010 reWEALTHmag.com
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    and licensed realestate professionals with worthy people I had ever met, all essential we use. It was crucial for everyone to start formal, advanced degrees. Prior to joining qualities for business partners. The three of with the vision of their own ideal lifestyle. forces, they led cosmopolitan lives, trav- us began pooling our skills, resources and Matt likes to work from his rooftop pool eled the world and lived in foreign coun- creative energies to develop a cutting edge deck in LA, Mark likes to spend extended tries for extended periods of time. business model that could provide unparal- time in Europe each year, and I like to go Recently, I caught up with the Maverick leled advantages to real estate investors and skiing in Canada and spend part of the year power trio to discuss their latest turn-key real estate agents. In 2007, it was ready to in Phoenix with my parents. So we struc- buying opportunity—the Seaside Mariana be launched so we all quit our jobs, flew to tured our real estate business to facilitate Spa & Golf Resort on the Pacific coast of Las Vegas and, while overlooking the Strip our dream lifestyles. But, more than that, Nicaragua. from a rooftop lounge, raised our glasses Maverick has built an entire community Seaside Mariana Spa & Golf Resort features the first Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course in Nicaragua. Q: How did the three of you become busi- and announced to the world that Maverick of real estate investors and agents who are ness partners? Tell us a bit about how Investor Group was born! focused on using real estate as a vehicle Maverick Investor Group formed? for designing their dream lifestyles. We MB: Well, Valerie and I met in graduate Q: The Maverick partners live in differ- show our clients how to do what we do. school in 1999. We both got master’s de- ent states — Matt is in Los Angeles, Valer- You will notice that we have a section on grees in International Peace and Conflict ie is in Washington D.C., and Mark lives our website that discusses “real estate life- Resolution and then worked in human between Chicago and Las Vegas. That is style design” in great detail, down to the rights advocacy in Washington, D.C., for pretty incredible! How did you decide to specific technology products we use. Real several years. We started investing in real structure your company like that and how estate investing is only a means to an end… estate on the side, reading books about it does it affect your business? it’s always important to keep your eyes on and learning by experience. Soon we had VS: We were intentional about structuring the larger prize. Money isn’t very useful millions of dollars in real estate holdings in the company that way from day one, and if you have lost touch with your dreams. states all over the country. the primary reason is “freedom of mobili- How can real estate enable you to recapture I met Mark in 2005 when he sold me over ty” for the Maverick partners. It’s all about your time, design your dream lifestyle and $2 million worth of investment properties lifestyle. We can live wherever we want make enough money to finance it? That’s in Las Vegas. I was blown away by his and travel whenever we want for as long the big picture. customer service; it was the best I had ever as we want, and no business falls through seen in any industry. These were two of the the cracks because of the systems and pro- Q: Maverick has always encouraged most talented, ambitious, honest and trust- cesses we have set up and the technology out-of-state investing, why are you now Realty411Guide.com PAGE 20 • 2010 reWEALTHmag.com
  • 21.
    moving to internationalreal ment in Nicaragua, making estate? it particularly friendly to for- MS: For the same reasons, eign real estate investors. we’re just expanding the play- For example, as an inter- ground. The reason why I national investor who lives would never limit myself to in the US, I can own freehold buying in my own city or state property in Nicaragua with is because there might be a bet- title insurance from a North- ter market than the one I live American-based title com- in. The failure to consider in- pany, and when I sell it for ternational real estate markets a profit I will owe no capital produces the same restriction. gains tax in Nicaragua. Pres- I want my money in the best ident Ortega has personally market in the world no matter endorsed the Seaside Mari- where I live, period. Maverick ana resort because it is an- is opening up a private chan- ticipated that it will result in nel for real estate investors to an explosion of tourism and access unlisted properties in be a huge economic boon for premium global markets, with the country. So the govern- property management options ment is very supportive of in place and a variety of exit foreign investors coming in strategies. Buying through to buy real estate. Maverick has always meant Seaside Mariana Spa & Golf Resort sits on 2 kilometers of pristine beach front. getting exclusive prices and Q: What kind of deal terms terms that are not available to up the coast is Nicaragua. It borders Costa was Maverick able to nego- the public. That has simply expanded to Rica and has the same weather, the same tiate at Seaside Mariana and how can our the international arena. beaches, the same sunsets, but a much readers get in on the action? lower cost of living and, at the moment, VS: As you know, our prices and terms Q: Why did Maverick choose Nicaragua? much lower property prices. Seaside Mari- are not available to the public, so I cannot And why the Seaside Mariana Spa & Golf ana will be Nicaragua’s first luxury resort unveil any details here. I will tell you that Resort project in particular? with a five-star international brand hotel this is one of the most extraordinary deals MB: Over the last two years, the Maverick and a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course. I have ever seen and that we have a global partners have traveled throughout Europe, We are talking about a 923-acre resort on exclusive on the entire resort—the only the Middle East, the Caribbean and Central 2 kilometers of pristine beach front. Noth- way to buy a property at Seaside Mariana America to review real estate projects. In ing like it currently exists in Nicaragua. is through Maverick. our opinion, Nicaragua is one of the pre- This project will single-handedly take the For detailed information and private ac- miere emerging markets on the world stage country to the next level as a tourist desti- cess to our special prices and terms, your today. When you look at a map of Central nation. When the number one golf course readers will need to become part of the America starting from the south, you be- designer in the world chooses to go into a Maverick community. Real Estate Inves- gin with Panama, then Costa Rica — both market for the first time, real estate inves- tors can apply to join our community of of which have already exploded as tour- tors should perk up their ears. It is exactly VIP Buyers and get access to unlisted deals ist destinations over the last 15 years and these types of seismic events that I look for like Seaside Mariana. Real Estate Agents have seen corresponding appreciation in when I choose where and when to invest can apply to join the Maverick Referral property values — and the next country my own money. Network and make 3% every time their cli- ents close on a Maverick Deal. Q: What is the political We invite smart real estate investors and and economic climate in savvy real estate agents to contact us today. Nicaragua right now? We don’t care if someone has a lot of ex- MS: Nicaragua has had perience, we care if they are serious about a democratic government using real estate to build their wealth and for the past 20 years and design their lifestyle. has had five transfers of power during that time. For information, contact Maverick Investor Recently, the government Group: www.maverickinvestorgroup.com or has been passing laws to email: info@maverickinvestorgroup.com. encourage foreign invest- Realty411Guide.com PAGE 21 • 2010 reWEALTHmag.com
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    Blue-Chip Real EstateStrategy Fits Economic Climate by Ryan Hinricher, co-founder of InvestorNation.com This article originally appeared on BiggerPockets.com T a lot of investors get well-versed in Section 8 you can profit he housing recovery is in trouble. The lower greatly in the lower-end homes. limping along slowly priced homes usually The median-priced home becomes the leaving many real es- have households with blue-chip property. The blue-chip home tate investors wonder- limited to no savings has lower levels of vacancy and rents that ing where to invest their dollars. or emergency fund. So have been buoyed by average people be- Some speculation is even re- when a tenant loses a ing displaced from their primary residence turning to the market with new job, the property owner via foreclosure. In the market where my investors looking to purchase, feels that impact pretty company is located, average-priced homes renovate, and resale distressed quickly. Also lower- are selling for around $115,000. Obviously properties for short term profits. priced homes tend to with distressed inventory out there, one can Owning a real estate investment be in older areas giv- purchase properties at lower prices than Ryan Hinricher brokerage allows me to see a va- ing the owner a much this, improve them and probably have eq- riety of transactions, including retail flips higher rate of maintenance. uity that is more tangible than lower-priced from speculators, investors buying $8,000 homes. How can one possibly model a homes, renovating and placing tenants in The Numbers $115,000 home the same way as a $30,000 them, and a higher quality purchase and This is where investors usually make mis- home? The $30,000 home (in most cases) hold homes closer to median home prices. takes. The surface numbers can be very will have significantly higher rates of va- The latter is a strategy that I believe right deceiving in real estate. When analyzing cancy and maintenance. now is being overlooked by many inves- a real estate transaction If you go up a step to tors. many investors aren’t the higher-than-average using vacancy and main- priced homes, you’ll no- The Product tenance, or applying the tice those homes might There are many markets where you can same vacancy and mainte- offer stable tenants, usu- purchase and hold homes at the median nance numbers to homes ally high-end profession- or even average home price and receive a that vary widely in price, als who will reliably pay positive cash flow with a traditional 20% age, neighborhood, size the rents. The cash flows down strategy. These homes, are out-per- and city. This can cause a may look lower on the forming many lower-priced homes from pretty big disappointment surface than other types of rental prices and home values perspective. when the cheap property you purchase is homes but these blue-chip homes perform Median-priced homes in most markets are affected by socio-economic issues leading more reliably on maintenance, vacancy, three bedrooms, two bathroom homes, to high tenant turnover, criminal element, and valuations. which offer good car storage. Usually this slow-paying tenants and maintenance is- is the type of home most Americans desire sues. Financing to live in ensuring you always have both an I’ve seen many people advertise profor- Financing on blue-chip homes tends to be available rental pool and an available buyer mas with high cash flow on smaller, older much easier than most any other price point pool. This product offers real estate inves- homes in areas with high crime, poverty, for a number of reasons. First because the tors multiple exit strategies with the ability poor schools, and with low rates of home prices are low enough you don’t worry to sell it retail versus lower-end properties, ownership. One can argue that these can be about jumbo loan pricing, rates, and re- which usually need to be sold to other in- good investments structured correctly and strictions. On the lower end not all lenders vestors. by applying the right metrics to ensure a are lending on homes priced under $50,000 In addition, median-priced homes are more accurate projection of cash flows is and at times have a different rate table. In usually in areas low in crime, close to achieved. These lower-end properties have and around the median price nearly every schools, shopping, houses of worship, and become the penny stocks of the real estate lender offers investor loan products. I’ve with easy access to employment. The in- investment business. If you get the perfect also found the appraisal issues are fewer verse of this is, of course, also true. I per- tenant who doesn’t feel the pains of the because normal sales activity exists at this sonally own properties at much lower price recession, maintains the home themselves Continued on page 24 points as well. They took the hardest hit and stays in the property for a long time, on rents and value. This is where I’ve seen you could hit pay dirt. Similarly if you’re Realty411Guide.com PAGE 22 • 2010 reWEALTHmag.com
  • 24.
    Blue Chip RealEstate Strategy, pg. 22 price point. When you have a ida, which were impacted very lot of normal sales, valuation little by the housing boom and tends to be (somewhat) stabi- bust. Many of these cities have lized. a good economic future, afford- able tax rates, net population Exit Strategy growth, and high enough rents Having an exit strategy is an es- to achieve positive cash flow at sential part of your real estate the median home price. plan. Some investors plan on never selling and while that In Summary can make sense to receive all With distressed properties mak- the benefits of real estate, lives ing up a large percentage of change. If you think back five total sales, then it only makes years ago and how different sense to focus on buying blue- things in your life were at the chip homes at a discount today. time, you might agree that hav- In doing so, one can realize ing an exit strategy is impor- equity through quality reno- tant. vation, placing a tenant and With these blue-chip invest- holding. These homes should ment homes, you’ll find mul- provide you relative peace of Having an exit strategy is an essential part of your real estate plan. tiple exit strategies. Median- mind when compared to lower priced homes have the widest price points due to the lower available buyer pool. Think socio-economic risk discussed about that for a minute: Lower- earlier. end homes typically are resold These types of rentals are a to investors. So imagine buying good fit for people looking to a home on the lower-end at 60 diversify out of equities and cents on the dollar and thinking accumulate a few properties. you have a lot of equity. In fact While they may offer stronger if your future end buyer is an fundamentals than most prop- investor, do you think they’ll erties they obviously aren’t pay 100 cents on the dollar? bullet-proof. These are compa- Time on the market is also rable to owning GE stock (GE another factor. At the median- registered no U.S. profit last home price, time on the market year). While you can depend is usually shorter than any other upon these homes most of the price point. So in planning your time, the downside risk is usu- long-term strategy it seems to ally minor price depression make sense to invest in homes during an economic recession. that could be sold quickly, fi- Lastly, in many markets this nanced easily, and sold at or type of product and strategy near market value? simply wasn’t an option when prices were higher. I doubt that Where to Find very far into the future this There are many markets you opportunity will be as widely can find these types of proper- available again in as many mar- ties in today. Without going kets as it is today. into much detail in this article, - there are plenty of cities which Ryan Hinricher is co-founder lie in states outside of Califor- of Investor Nation, visit online: nia, Nevada, Arizona and Flor- www.InvestorNation.com Realty411Guide.com PAGE 24 • 2010 reWEALTHmag.com
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    3 FREE Waysto Find a Great Wholesale Deal Today! by Ginger Macias I just had a great call with one narrow down your search of my coaching students on to REOs, probates, fixers how to get a deal signed up by or other criteria. You don’t the end of today. Times are tough, even need access to the favorite ways to find deals is to ask other and although sending direct mail MLS, just find an investor- wholesalers what they currently have un- pieces is a great way to get leads, friendly agent and let them der contract and to market that property sometimes it’s just not possible know your criteria. They to my buyers’ list. Or, if you’re a rehab- to send them out — especially if will set you up to receive ber or landlord, you can pick up amazing you’re just starting out. So over the years, free emails. deals without having to do all the leg work. I’ve learned some “cheapskate” ways of It’s important to work with an agent who Where do you find these wholesalers? If finding leads. knows you want a smokin’ deal, and who you see a “We Buy Houses” sign, call them. will make lots of lowball offers on your be- You’ll likely be dealing with a wholesaler. 1. Online RSS: If you’ve been in real es- half without flinching. Also visit your local REI meetings, Google tate any amount of time, you probably al- For most listings, other than REOs, you “wholesalers” in your area, ask rehabbers ready know that online sites such as Craig- can also try and make seller-financing who they recommend, and ... don’t forget, slist, Redfin, Backpage, Oodle, etc., can deals. The point is to get your foot in the ME! I’m an active wholesaler in Southern have some pretty amazing leads on For door and start negotiating with the seller. California who loves working with other Sale By Owner (FSBO) properties. The Another lead system you can set up on investors. (Shameless plug? Of course.) If only problem is that it takes tons of time to the MLS is expired listings. These list- you get a deal done and need to sell your sort through all those sites to find a decent ings have expired without anyone buying property really quickly, let me know. deal. the property. This can mean you’d be deal- Well, now there is no excuse for you not Rhett Halsey, one of my good friends and ing with very motivated people! to find a deal today! Good luck and send an internet marketing guru for real estate Set up a win-win situation with your me a brief email letting me know if you investors, told me of a free feature offered agent where they can present your offer, found this helpful. by most websites: RSS or Real Simple and if the sellers don’t like it, the agent may Syndication. Instead of multiple searches be able to pick up a new listing. To contact Ginger Macias or learn about for leads, the leads come to you in one her speaking engagements and wholesale spot. You can set up a Google Reader ac- 3. Other Wholesalers: One of my absolute deals, visit: www.OCWholesalers.com count and have all these leads sent directly to you, the minute they are posted on one of these sites. It’s simply amazing how much time this saves. We have just implemented this in my of- fice and within a few days got three proper- ties under contract and sold them within a few hours. My new assistant was floored at how quickly an investor can get a deal under contract and sold! To set up your own RSS feed, go to your favorite FSBO site, Craigslist (www.Craig- slist.com) for example. Do a search using motivated seller keywords like “fixer,” “investor,” etc., one word at a time. Once the search is complete, you can scroll to the bottom of the page and click on RSS or the little orange RSS icon. Set it up to point to your Google Reader, and you’re done! 2. Multiple Listing Service: Your local MLS (Multiple Listing Service) offers a great way to find leads for free. You can Realty411Guide.com PAGE 25 • 2010 reWEALTHmag.com
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    A Brave New by Bill Gatten L et’s face it … money for a day World in the country, or two at a high the econ- interest rate (but at omy and the real a reasonable cost), Compromise estate market is with which to pur- just terrible. There chase a foreclosed- are no more good upon property by deals. Let’s all get means of an all- out of the business. cash offer prior to People are not building, buying or selling its scheduled pub- homes any more. There are so many over- lic sale date. And then selling it on the day for, or in advance of, services to be ren- encumbered and foreclosed-upon cheap of closing, or soon thereafter, in a separate dered, whether such services are actually properties available for pennies on the escrow settlement to an end-buyer who ob- performed or not. Another common viola- dollar that nobody wants them anymore. tains his own loan and lives in and loves tion has to do with “sand bagging” by attor- After all, who can make a living in this ri- the property forever. neys, and many non-attorneys, who bill on diculous business these days? This process is known as the “A to B/B a monthly basis for services (mostly loan Oh yeah? to C transaction.” In other words, you, the modification schemes) while a short sale And Michael Jackson faked his death, investor are the “B” component; the cur- or loan modification process is presumably Elvis eats at Burger King, and the world rent owner is “A,” and the end-buyer is taking place. Instead, either there never was ends in three years! “C”. In other words, “B” buys from “A” any such attempt or the attempt failed, and Not that they’re needed anymore, but here are a couple solutions to these hor- rible problems facing real estate investors “...two REALTORS® in Massachusetts were recently in this disastrous economy: sentenced to five years in prison each for 1. Stay in bed with a tinfoil hat on your head. having used this scheme several times.” 2. Go live with your parents and let them feed you until you win the lottery. in one escrow closing process (taking full the client wasn’t informed and was told, 3. Go back to school on the government, ownership of the property), and then sells “We’re working on it…be patient,” while and get a law degree so you can force peo- the property to “C” at a reasonable profit in the monthly payments continue. ple to pay you to stop suing them. a wholly separate escrow process. Another big one, and one that is proba- OR... It all sounds simple and it is! However, bly most tempting but also most deadly for 4. You can capitalize on singularly the a thorough knowledge of all the rules and REALTORS®, is the situation wherein the greatest money-making opportunity ever! regulations concerning short sales, equity- investor/REALTOR® has already lined- And you don’t even need a dollar or a dime purchasing, equity-stripping, foreclosure up a retail buyer who is ready to take the to do it. consulting, credit repair and mortgage property at its true market value following lending is absolutely mandatory before the short sale acquisition by the investor. SHORT SALES becoming too far vested in the business When the scheme comes to light, the con- The short sale industry is burgeoning of short sales. To date, hundreds of other- tention by the lender in these cases is that now and will probably continue to do so wise nice-guy and gal would-be investors if the property were worth more than they for three more years. New short sale mil- have been severally sanctioned, shut down, were told in the transaction, there would lionaires are being made every day. There heavily fined and/or sent to prison for vio- have been no need for a short sale and their are billions upon billions of dollars (Re- lating the very stringent laws regulating resultant loss. They see such schemes as member when a billion dollars was a lot short sales and foreclosure consulting in blatant bank fraud and have no sense of of money?) to be made in the “transac- various states. humor in such cases. As a matter of fact, tional funding” of compromised mortgage In my own case, I’ve spent my busi- two REALTORS® in Massachusetts were defaults — loans that would otherwise be ness as a fearless bull rider: but in this last recently sentenced to five years in prison forced into expensive and time-consuming Rodeo, I’m sticking to riding milk cows. each for having used this scheme several foreclosures, and sold by lenders at public I won’t set any records or win any prizes; times. auction. but I’m a lot less likely to get thrown of and So the long and short of it is…kind’a Def: Short Sale: The acquisition of real have a horn poked up my rear end (… this, like Henny Youngman was one to say: “If estate at a compromised (wholesale) pay- is, by the way, an analogy … not a good one, it’s gonna hurt when you go like that … for off amount that is less than the balance of I agree, but an analogy none-the-less). cryin’ out loud, don’t go like that!” the mortgage obligation. One of the most often violated of the Today’s short sale market is burgeoning. Def: Transactional Funding: The two- many regulations being put on the books stage practice of using another person’s as of late has been that of taking money Continued on pg. 29
  • 28.
    10 CA$H Weeks to ����� ��������� ��� �������� ��������� ���������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������� OW ���������������������������������������� ����������� ������������ ���������� ��� ��������������� ������������������������������������������ ��������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������� �������������������������������������������� ����� ������� ������ ����� ���� ���� ���� �� ���������� � ���� ����� ������� �������� ��� �������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������� ����� ���������� ����� ������ ���� �������� ��� ������� ���� ������������� ���� ���� ���� ������ ���� ������ ���� ����� ��� ��� �� ���� ����������������������������������������� ��������� ���� ��������� ���� ������������ with Matt Malouf ���������������������������������������� ��������������� ��� ���� ��� ����� ��� ����������������������������������������� ����������������������������������������� ���������� ����� �������� ���� �������� � ��������� �������� ���� ������ �������� ���������������������������������������������� T �������� ������ ��� ���� Macias by Ginger ����� ������� ����� ��������� ��������� ��� ����� ��� ���� ���� � ������������������������������������������ ���������������������������������������� tors, courses and systems to help them ������������ ������������ ������� � since 2001. Over the years, he has special- ��������� ����������� ��� ��� �����real ��������� ���� oday’s ���� estate environ- achieve their success? Those of you who ����������������� ized in wholesaling, owner financing and �������������������������������������� ment can seem a little ��������������������������������������� ����������� �����estate ����� ��� �������� are living the real ���� dream, you know foreclosures. Malouf has developed a busi- ������������������������������������ tricky to navigate. So many ������������������������������������������� that luck had little to do with where you are �������������������������������������� ness model that he describes as T.E.R.M. ���� ������ ��� ���������� ��� ���� ����� possible ways to make ��� ��������� �������� ��� ���� ����������� today. It takes concrete actions, goals and ������������������������� “It is a model designed to efficiently ����������������������������������� money exist in this indus- �������������������������������������� guidance to get to your dreams. �������������������������������������� minimize the investor’s time, energy, re- �������������������� ������������������������ overwhelm- try, it can be Well, for those of you starting out in real �������������������������������������������� sources���� ������� �������� ���� ��������� ������ and money – in that order,” he ex- ing, especially for those who are just get- �������� ��������� ����������� ��� estate who are anxious to get going, there ����������������������������������������� plains. ���������������������������������������� ting started in real estate investing. There ���������� ����� ��� ��� ��� ����������� ��� are wonderful ways to get into all this ac- ������������������������������������������ To that end, his program is a 10-week ��������������������������������������������� are many late-night television shows that �������������������������������������� tion. ����������������������������������������� course that walks������ ���� ��������� ��� ���� ������� investors through the ex- claim to teach you how to be a multi-gazil- ���������������������������������������� Recently, I spoke with Matt Malouf ���������������������������������������� act steps needed to find, analyze and buy an ������������������������������������������� ������������������������� there any truth lionaire by next week, but is about his new program, which helps inves- ������������������������������������������ investment property that cash flows from ��������������������������������������� to what they’re saying? ������������������������������������� tors bridge the gap from real estate dream ��������������������������������������� day one. Some topics include learning how ���������������������������������������� Take a look around. You’ll notice that ���������������������������������������� to reality. And by reality, I’m talking about ����������������������������������������� to set up your property management team, �������������������������������������� there are a lot of successful real estate en- ����������������� actually owning your very own investment ����������� ��������� �������� �� ����� screen tenants, how to hold title and financ- ������������ ������ ��������� ������ are making a kill- trepreneurs, people who ���� ����� ����� ������������� end of the course! (More on property at the ing options.���� �������� �������� ����� ��������� ing today, in this down market. The ques- ���������� ��� �������� ���� ������� �������� that later.) ����������� ��� ���� ������ ��� ���� ��� ������ ���� ��������create this���� ��� The motivation to ��� ����� course tion is did they just start making lots of ������ ���������� ��� ����� �������� ��� ���������� ��� ���� �������� ��� real estate Malouf is an investor-friendly ������ came from Malouf’s desire to meet the ������������������� ����������� ��������or did they have men- money by pure luck, ��� ����� ����� ������ ������ �������� ���� has ������ ������� agent in California and ���� been investing needs of investors who want to get educat- ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
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    ed and matchthem with the people on the team. Malouf and best available product in the his team then go out and find a real estate marketplace. property that meets the stu- This “hybridization” will en- dent’s needs. They send per- able beginning investors to buy sonalized updates, letting them a property that meets their cri- know what’s being done to find teria, after learning all the basic them a property. steps needed to acquire and This program lays the foun- manage that property. dation to successful real estate “This is not just a course,” investing. Malouf gives this Malouf explains. “At the end of analogy: “It’s like building a 10 weeks, they’re going to have skyscraper. You have to spend a cash-flowing house, an asset the time to set up a foundation to put in their portfolio. It is and set it nice and deep, nice all- inclusive in the program.” and strong. That way, it will It takes concrete actions, goals and guidance to get to your dreams. Malouf’s T.E.R.M model is stand through the good and the ideal for someone who has a bad.” full-time job and wants to start Malouf’s T.E.R.M program building a real estate portfolio launched this summer and is as part of their retirement plan. available year-round to a limit- Over the course of 10 weeks, ed number of people. Be sure to students receive the entire reserve your place today. course through the internet, Readers can contact Matt which includes 30 to 60 minute Malouf directly at (562) 443- lessons by audio, video and text 7042; mention the “out-of- articles. Each student also re- state magazine special.” Or ceives the “Million Dollar visit: www.buysellwithmatt.com Rolodex,” which gives the con- Enter the promo code “Real- tact information of all the key ty411” in the note section. A Brave New World, pg. 27 There really is no limit to the worm,” and “If everybody is number of homes in foreclo- doing it, it’s time to do some- sure that lenders would like to thing else.” get off their books in order to Or reduce their matching fund re- Set B - “Haste makes waste”; quirements and free up more “Look before you leap”; and cash to lend out. “Wait until all the bugs are Millions of dollars are ready worked out before you jump to be made by integrally in- in,” or “Wait until you see ev- volved entrepreneurs over the eryone else doing it, then jump next few years. in … why take chances?” To miss out on any of it My own: “Successful people would be an out-and-out shame make quick decisions and are … if not a crime. slow to change their minds, the There are two sets of adages unsuccessful are slow to com- to live by that one must ponder mit and quick to change their and decide upon before jump- minds.” ing into the business: So, what’s my advice regard- Set A - “Strike while the iron ing the current short sale mar- is hot”; “He who hesitates is ket? OK, guess! lost”; “The early bird gets the Realty411Guide.com PAGE 29 • 2010 reWEALTHmag.com
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    [ Hitting the Club with Sensei at 12 Rounds by Linda Pliagas S elf-reliance, balance, integrity: ness cards in hand. Dressed in casual cloth- and building wealth through cash-flowing these are just some important ing, they chatted while munching on choc- rentals, all using Sensei’s Remote Rehab- mantras in the martial arts world. olate chip cookies. They discussed their bing program. “The Phoenix market is pro- Step into a monthly meeting at latest deals, needs and goals. viding incredible wholesale deals on newer Black Belt Investors and you’ll soon dis- When the master approached the front, homes starting at $48,000,” he says. “Flip- cover these disciplines are in full force. the students took their seats and settled pers are turning their properties and cashing With two locations in Southern California down quickly, ready to start their lesson. out about every 90 days. The buy and hold (Downey and Norco), Black Belt Inves- Sensei’s cash and wealth system is pure strategists are capitalizing on great cash tors provide a social network for both flow averaging $900 per month.” the novice and seasoned. It is a club Although he started his career as a where education is emphasized, deals are analyzed, and action is taken to Sensei Spills His Top 5 remote rehabber (his first deal was in Florida), he now prefers to wholesale reach goals. Secrets to Land a Deal and calls it: “The Ultimate Real Es- Ricardo Valencia, a national investor tate Cash Machine.” His investing with holdings in four states (CA, TX, formula, “Find it, Bind it and As- IN and MO), stressed the importance Can’t seem to locate sign It™,” is used in California, but of attending monthly club meetings, a distressed home- the strategy can be duplicated in any as we were walking into a community owner or unwanted area, in any market. property? Believe it center in Downey. Wholesaling “does not require cash, or not, many people “We have a responsibility to teach credit or a license, which equals NO have real estate that those who are newcomers,” he says they no longer need RISK.” He further explains, “The with a smile, “And, at the same time, or want. (Yes, we intention is to sell the contract to in- you learn from those who are more first found this con- vestors who can’t find a deeply dis- advanced.” cept hard to believe counted deal on their own.” Valencia, who travels throughout Sensei Gilliland While many people, including Bro- too!) Follow these Los Angeles County to attend numer- five secrets from a master wholesaler, kers and REALTORS® who do not ous real estate events, admits that and you’ll soon have more deals than understand creative real estate, frown the members of Black Belt Investors time to work them. upon any deal that is not a traditional “keep bringing me back ... it’s always transaction, wholesaling retains an nice to mix and mingle with them.” #5: Code Enforcement: Many local gov- important role in the community. ernment websites, such as Los Angeles What began as a casual meeting at As a matter of fact, wholesalers are County, offer online lists of distressed a coffee house in 2000, by investor, often the first to spot and service a properties. This is an often overlooked martial arts expert and entrepreneur, treasure filled with potential gems. homeowner or property in distress. “Sensei” Sean Gilliland has become In wholesaling, success depends on an organized official club boasting Continued on pg. 59 recognizing circumstances and offer- two locations and filling the room ing solutions. with a strong following each month. Sensei recalls one recent transac- Sensei chose to stake his claim in Downey, and simple. He trains his students on how tion in which he assisted a family made the city where he was raised. Next, he chose to create cash quickly through flipping real up of siblings scattered around the country Norco, the city where he now lives with his estate so that resources can be funneled to who were feuding over an inherited home wife, Annamaria, a licensed REALTOR®, purchase income-producing property. in need of many repairs. Because of the and their three children. And what areas are being focused on? stress it was bringing upon the family, they The club meeting room, located inside a Right now, he has two major target zones. wanted to dispose of the property quickly. community center, was full and bustling in Phoenix, Ariz., is his target zone for rehab- Sensei packaged the deal and sold it to a lo- May. The sweet aroma of freshly brewed bing flips and rentals; Southern California cal rehabber willing to put in a lot of sweat coffee and abundant smiles were inviting. is his bulls-eye for wholesaling properties. equity and cash. The investor was willing The group, mostly in their 40s and 50s, He and his members target Phoenix as to take a risk for a chance to profit. was diverse in experience and background. their area of operation for fixing and flip- They were master networkers, with busi- ping properties for immediate paydays Continued on pg. 59 Realty411Guide.com PAGE 30 • 2010 reWEALTHmag.com