Real-Estate Investing

In the last couple of years, I've been discovering the amazing world of Real Estate Investing. It all started with my attending a free 2-day workshop going over different strategies and tax/legal benefits and issues. During that trip I read Rich Dad, Poor Dad and played cash flow. The pieces of the puzzle were coming together!

I had been going through the college thing and was soon to get married, and I didn't know for sure what I wanted to do with my life... I had lots of goals, dreams, and interests, but no coherent way of putting it all together. What can you graduate in or where can you find work if your interests and strong points are: Computer Aided Drafting, Russian, Armenia, Philosophy, & Laziness...alas--lol. I had a few ideas: Foreign Service Officer, Translation Jobs, etc. but nothing that I could really see myself doing.

I had always been biased against business majors and people--I thought it was a lame excuse for not knowing what you want to do. But after reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad and learning the power of Real-Estate, suddenly I saw the genius of it all.

Here was something that I liked and that I could do and that wouldn't necessarily hog up all my time, yet would still give me enough money--massive and passive--to travel to see my wife's family in Armenia, to live where I want and in the house I'd been developing plans for since my childhood and to retire young and wealthy! And not only that, but I starting have an overwhelming stream of ideas for new, simple and successful businesses... I'll need to build up some capital to achieve them, but I now know how to do it and know that in a few years of hard work, these ideas in my head will be realized.

Since then I've been attending a college for Real-Estate Investing that covers everything from mortgages (really crazy now!), Tax & Estate Planning, Self Directed IRAs, Legal Issues and Entities, Business Set-up and Management, Over 20 Investing Strategies... To say the least--it's been amazing, I can't stop learning! It's fascinating! To think that I'd love college (and in the field I'll end up in too!).

Well enough about that... and if anyone is interested in attending such a college, just let me know and I'll tell you more about it.

But, while I was still trying to figure out and implement what I'd been learning, several deals that would have made me between $30-$60K slipped through my fingers! Ouch! If only I'd have acted faster... But, oh well, I did finally get one--not quite as good though... I'm signing contracts tomorrow to sell it--which will net my partner and I $20,000! A couple months work (a few hours here and there--on the side) And I'd say it was worth it! My father recently retired, and after seeing how easy it was for me, he decided he'll go at it full time to help supplement his meager retirement and cover mounting insurance and medical costs.

The point is, I haven't really been applying myself to this either--and as they say: "If a lazy young kid can do it, imagine what a successful go-getter like yourself could do!" It does take some time and knowledge to find a good deal and not get burned, but really--all around the country, with the way the market is bottoming out, There's never been a better time to buy! 10 years from now I'll have wished that I would have bought twice as many as I'll have--in fact how many of you wish that you would have bought 20 houses 20 years ago, instead of just one... Well and maybe you're not saying that now because you don't live in the oil field, where Real-Estate is still in high demand and fat with equity... but in a few more years...

Let me ask you something, are there getting to be more people or less in the USA? Are they adding more land to the US? Then Real-Estate WILL go up! (and down---then back up) When should we buy stocks? When it's at the top or the bottom of a trough? The bottom, so that when it goes up--so will our earnings. But the thing about stocks is their not real and can disappear or divide or whatever they want, but they call it REAL-Estate for a reason--even if the house burns down, you have the land, even if a bomb craters out the land, you just have land with a depression... Do insurance companies insure your stocks? Do banks lend you 90% of the money you invest in the Stock Market? And do you make your ROI on the 10% you put in or on the 100% invested? Does the IRS let you depreciate your stocks (tax write-off) while they're making you money and appreciating in value? Can you, through your Stock investments quit paying income tax?

Did you know you can buy Real-Estate with your 401k or IRA (or ROTH)--like the little duplex next door...? Then all your income from rent or sales is tax deferred or tax free? Your broker won't let you because he can't, not because you can't. The only things you can't buy with your IRA or 401k are collectibles (cars, wine, cards, etc.), life insurance, or anything prohibited by law.

Also, did you know banks and lenders will give away houses all day long for less than is owed--or forgive debt... Only if you're an investor that knows what he's doing. Banks rely on investors to get non-producing assets off their books because they drastically hurt banks' lending power.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Real-Estate!
(If you want to know where you can learn more about Real-Estate Investing--send an e-mail to legolasgalactica@yahoo.com)