The #1 mistake new investors make is that they wait too long to get started investing in real estate. When should they have gotten started? When should you (if you haven't) get started investing in real estate?

Now.

If you haven't already decided to get started investing in real estate, I can already hear your reasons why not. I can hear these 'reasons' loud and clear.

Honestly, I've used a number of them before myself.

And I've heard every single one of them- and more- sitting down with new and aspiring real estate investors all across the country.

"Not enough money."

"Not enough knowledge."

"Not enough time."

"Market is down."

"Credit is bad"

"That's for other people"

"I can't until _______..."

"What if _______ happens?"

"I'm waiting for _______..."

I want you to realize something, here and now: all of these 'reasons' are in fact excuses.

That's right.

Excuses.

Take a quick second and answer for yourself these questions.

Are you waiting too long to invest? What's the worst that could happen? Are you scared of something specific? Do you believe you can't do something when others can't? Do you give up easily without trying? Do you let other people (like the media or family) create your beliefs as to what is possible and what not? Do you fear making a mistake or failing and maybe looking stupid in front of people you admire or in front of people who love you?

Chances are, if you're not investing and you care enough about getting this part of your financial life handled to take the time to read articles like this, you could answer "yes" to one or more of those questions.

Am I right?

Let me share something with you.

The real reason that people don't get started investing sooner is fear.

FEAR!

Psychologists have recognized for years that fear takes many forms but the three most relevant fears many new and aspiring real estate investors face are in the form of: the fear of failure, the fear of success and the fear of that which is unknown.

We're going to address each of these separately because this is such a HUGE issue for many people out there.

To read part II of this article and see what can happen in your life when you release fear of failure in your investing, look for the next article in this series titled the same.

If you find yourself asking these questions, rest assured this article is dedicated to you…

First thing's first…

As professional investors, we need to understand what is causing this boom. As the real estate prices continue to climb developers/investors are finding that it is much more profitable to sell the apartment complex as individual condos rather than holding on and renting it or selling it as a single apartment complex.

Let me give you an example to illustrate a point. Consider a 112 unit apartment complex I recently examined. This complex generated approximately $2,000 yearly net operating income per unit. If it were to sell as an apartment complex you may get it under $75,000 per unit or $8,288,000. However if you sell this complex as individual condos you are looking at an easy $13 MILLION DOLLARS. Let me ask you a question. If you owned this apartment complex, would you not sell it as condos if the conversion cost numbers worked? Of course!

Are condos still lucrative?

The answer to this question lies only in the condo project or conversion you're looking at, as well as in analyzing and understanding the market trend. Before I give you the key areas to analyze a deal like a pro, let's lay the foundation.

Never buy an investment condo without knowing your exit strategy. You have to cater to your potential end buyers. In most locations, a condo conversion will appeal mainly to young first-time home buyers and/or retirees looking to downsize. What does this mean to you? Simply this: does the market you're looking in have a large and growing demographic of these customers?

With that exit strategy in mind let's look at some of the key areas that have to be analyzed to determine if that condo will work for your portfolio…

Market Growth: There are three important factors to take into account that will help you determine if the area you are analyzing will work:

1. Appreciation: A rule of thumb is to focus on areas that have a history of appreciating at a healthy rate of 10%.

2. Population: The population growth is another vital piece to know if that market will support growth. Remember your customers. Don't fall into the trap of "if you build it they will come".

3. Income: Employment growth is another ingredient that will reveal weather you are in a good spot for condos. Homeownership trends parallel higher and growing incomes. A true investor wants to know that people want what he has AND that they can afford it.

Demand: Does the market clearly show and support the desires of the end buyers more likely to buy your condo? This is usually seen in areas where people would feel proud to buy. (Example: Clean environment, close to shopping, close to work places, convenient to mass transit/highways, etc.)

Supply: The best question to ask in this category is… Are there more condos than end buyers in this area or is it limited? Don't forget that there can be a multitude of condos for sale in a large metro area and still have a limited supply in the area you are looking at.

Quality: The quality workmanship of the condo conversion is a key element in assuring that people will want to live there. Remember that real people will be looking at your unit when you sell- which means that ugly won't cut it. Nor will the average or "standard" upgrade get you the top price you want…not when the comps are right next door and across the parking lot.

Affordability: How much is the price compared to the home median values in the area? Make sure that your purchase price is lower than the like-kind competitors in the community. The safest way to invest is to stay within the context of affordable housing in that area.

Cash Flow: To determine your cash flow, you have to start with knowing your rental comparables (include the yearly average vacancy rates for the subject area) and know all of your total costs. The figure you get will determine your net operating income (NOI). Keep in mind that most of the condos that meet above criteria will negative cash flow. It is what it is. However, if the numbers work and you can project a higher appreciation that exceeds the costs and you have the pockets to carry the cost- go for it!

I also make sure that the developer gives as many incentives as possible.

When I buy a condo, I am looking for price discounts, HOA fees waived for 1 to 2 years, Developer fee waived, possible cash back after closing, guaranteed rent and more. Remember, if you don't ask…you don't get. I get to negotiate these types of terms because I work with a buying group. When you buy in bulk you always have a better chance of sweetening the pot. So, when you find a condo in the right area make sure that the developer gives you as many incentives as possible.

How would you like to be that person that is always motivated… always getting things done… always enjoying life… always fulfilled? If so, here are some time tested principals that, if you apply them, will take you to that next level…

Motivation vs. Inspiration

Many people believe that motivation is the "engine" that drives you to success. Most seeking motivation attend seminars to hear others as they share success stories and strategies. These events cause us to feel good and challenge us to get moving. However, when you face the real world, it seems to just burn out on the extra mile… Have you ever felt that way too?

That is because "motivation" as Napoleon Hill says "is like fuel to a vehicle." So what exactly is the "engine" that drives you to success? If motivation is just an external portion that helps build momentum, where does the power lie? Now inspiration, on the other hand, is internal and comes from realizing your purpose… The problem with most people is that their purpose is unclear and much smaller than was intended.

The reason why many lose motivation and quit before ever reaching the next level is because their purpose is smaller than themselves. However, what would happen if your purpose was bigger than you? I'm glad you asked…

Imagine you want to build a home, and just the thought of all the work makes you lose your motivation, but as you begin to think of the fact that in this "home" you will live with your spouse, raise your children, and have your grandchildren visit. You are now inspired and compelled to fulfill the vision of building your "home" no matter what the cost… Don't you deserve a life of inspiration?

Define your purpose

"Why?" is the first question you must ask yourself personally and in business. If your "home" wanted to discover why it was built who would it ask, the neighbor, the mail man, or its builder? I think you get the picture. So visualize your purpose by writing it down. Once your "Why" is bigger than your "How" you will get inspired and the "How's" will automatically aligning themselves.

Break through

You can't fight what you don't know exists. Answer this question, "What is holding me back from fulfilling my purpose?" The most popular answer is fear. Whatever your answer may be realize that you must conquer your obstacles or they will conquer you. If while building your "home" you find there are problems with the foundation you must do what it takes to strengthen what holds it all together. When you get weary, don't worry its normal. Remember the foundation is the reason "why" you are paying the price. Break free!

Assemble your Power Team

As you press toward the next level you will find that you can't do it on your own. Take the time to pick the right people that will empower you to keep moving forward in your journey. For example, a few things you might need to build your "home" are a developer, an architect and a construction crew. What kind of team do you need to build your vision? A team that balances out all your weaknesses… So when you run across problems that seem impossible seek answers from those who have them.

Grow in balance

True success can be measured by how balanced your life is. Balance can be like the fence that protects your "home." It is vital to grow in every area of your life to experience the type of fulfillment that comes to those who grow in discipline… So decide to live balanced today and reap the benefits.

Enjoy the journey

When you are taking action, every day takes you one step closer to fulfilling your purpose. Just like you would get exited about your "home" taking shape with each new day, so too should you enjoy traveling your path to success. So get exited!!! Every day you are one step closer to fulfilling your vision.

REMEMBER…Though your "home" that took so much work is very valuable, nothing compares to the lives shaped by it. So empower others to do the same by passing on these tools that enabled you to build your own.

Gaining this clarity in the real estate marketplace is a function of examining hard data and asking objective questions of it.

What do I mean by that?

While there’s no “crystal ball” that will tell you where to buy property and when to buy, and when to sell, there ARE certain economic and social indicators we can use to trigger our decision to invest or not invest (and even HOW to invest) in a given geographic area at any given point in time in the real estate marketplace.

Together, these indicators that drive the real estate market cycles. Can be uncovered with good real estate investing research.

It’s a lot easier to focus your investing efforts when you can do two things, which this article will teach you how to do:

1. Invest nationwide (or worldwide), choosing markets that make sense for the current local real estate market cycle

2. Easily eliminate potential markets from contention that are less attractive than others right now

Please understand that these are macroeconomic factors, independent of where you live.

So you want to evaluate whether investing in a particular geographic area is a good idea or not. Successful investors understand that the real estate investing game is one of probabilities and not certainties.

Therefore, when evaluating which real estate markets are ripe for investment, and which kinds of investments will work best at that time, you need to look for certain telltale probabilities converging before you buy in an area.

Let’s say someone tells you that City XYZ is the “next big thing”.

Would you want to take their word for it and just go and buy property there?

No, you’d want to confirm what they told you, quickly and easily, by doing your own simple due diligence.

In point of fact, if you’re like me—because your time is valuable, you’d want a simple “litmus test” of how to research real estate markets and evaluate potential possibilities.

I promise you, no one is too busy for these simple tips you can use to gain a clear understanding of how the market trends work, see how to maximize your returns, find markets where the current real estate cycle fits the type and time-frame of investment you’re looking to make, and even how to avoid investing in certain areas right now.

So…What about “City XYZ”…to invest or not to invest?

What elements and probabilities do you base your decision on?

1. You look for an area of strong demographic growth

2. You look for a strong, growing, and diverse economy

3. You look for an area of growing retirement and/or first-time homebuyer

population

4. You look for new and substantial infrastructure changes

5. You only move into undervalued markets

6. You look to acquire a property with strong potential for appreciation

7. You look for contracting vacancy trends

If you buy property in an area that meets these criteria, looking to invest with a longer term exit strategy in mind, are observant of where you are in the local real estate market cycles, and you always provide the rental type that renters prefer in that area…you’re set.

All of this sounds like common sense, doesn’t it?

Unfortunately, as someone once said: “common sense ain’t common”.

In a small article like this I can’t tell you where to get all the real estate investing research data you need, and nor can I explain the fundamentals of real estate market cycles (something economists are much better qualified for) but here’s a great resource you can use from now on. This is just ONE of the insider sources real estate pros use to determine market trends (and when and where to invest).

Click the link below and look for the “Housing Price Index” which will show you the most recent report by the United States Office of Fair Housing Enterprise Oversight, comparing how much and how fast your house appreciates and goes up in value, compared with houses in all the other major metro markets in the United States:

http://www.ofheo.gov

Where does your city rank?

I must tell you that while real estate investing research is INCREDIBLY important, simply taking action as an investor is the most important step in the drive to success in real estate investing.

It can also be the most difficult, because we are predisposed sometimes to want to see that all the lights are green ahead of us before we put our foot on the gas.

Of course, while knowing while that would make it that much easier to make a decision, it isn’t always that straightforward even when you understand how to research real estate markets and have a good handle on real estate investing research…this is because your own PERSONAL investment criteria, goals, and resources will determine what you can DO with what the market IS.

That’s why it’s SO key to know your own investment criteria, resources and goals. Because if you add THAT to a fundamental understanding of the marketplace and the trends of RIGHT NOW…that is a powerful combination.

With those two pieces to the investing puzzle it’s that much easier to take a look at a deal and decide to invest.

Or if the probabilities aren’t there and/or the deal doesn’t fit in with your goals, you don’t pull the trigger.

It’s that simple.

The truth is- the world is full of educated "failures", is it not?

If knowledge were power, we'd all be taking orders from professors, librarians would run governments, and you would welcome the door-to-door

Encyclopedia salesman warmly into your home.

And everyone who'd ever read a bunch of real estate investing articles would be a real estate mogul multimillionaire.

That's just not the way it is, though, is it?

No, knowledge is not power. Not in and of itself, anyway.

Applied knowledge is power.

It's not what you 'know' but what you DO with what you know.

I write real estate investing articles in part because I'm driven to write, so I may as well provide some kind of benefit to somebody…by sharing what I know with others.

And while I can attest from personal experience that you can gain invaluable knowledge when you make reading real estate investing articles part of your regular schedule, it's just not enough to get the knowledge.

You can accumulate a lot of insider information on powerful strategies like Wholesaling and Quick Flips, Retirement Plans, Negotiation Strategies, Creative Financing, Asset Protection, and more…

But unless you DO something with what you 'know'…nothing great can come of all that knowledge!

That too I can attest from personal experience.

Only applied knowledge is power.

But don't let me discourage you from reading real estate investing articles.

To be honest, I truly believe that when you apply the principles in many of these valuable real estate investing articles the doors of opportunity will open for you.

You just have to be ready and willing to ably walk through them.

Are you now ready?

Now, when I talk about gold mine ads and such techniques, I'm not talking about marketing for real estate investors that is for "branding" or "top-of-mind-awareness" or any of that baloney you will hear from people trying to SELL you advertising space. You'll typically hear newspapers and print media (magazines are especially notorious for this) using the consistency angle to justify why you should always run ads in their publications so that the regular readers thereof will get to know you and see that you are professional and not going anywhere.

No, I mean CONSISTENTLY doing the marketing activities that get you RESPONSE.

And here's the kicker...you don't STOP doing what you're doing-- even if you're no longer offering that property/offer/solution/deal you should...KEEP running those winning ads.

This is called using real estate gold mine ads. Using "gold mine ads" (or "ghost ads" depending on what seminars you've gone to), is a very useful technique in marketing for real estate investors.

(Disclaimer: Many licensed real estate professionals such as real estate agents are prohibited from doing things like this by statute or professional standards regulation, as they must be representing a specific property and disclose their licensure both. If this is the case for you, perhaps you can do as others I know and have your spouse run the gold mine ads- consult your professional legal counsel to ensure you comply with appropriate guidelines you operate under)

When you continue running those winning real estate gold mine ads, make two additions though.

1. Add a blind/"ghost" ad to every specific ad (especially with non-space limited stuff like Craigslist).

2. And DATABASE your responses.

Why?

Because you're going to have a list of people to offer your solution/offer/deal/property to first as SOON AS YOU GET IT/CREATE IT/BUY IT later.

When it comes to marketing for real estate investors, this is what I mean when I say "have your exit strategy going in".

Let's say you want to lease option or rent-to-own that house, ok?

It wouldn't hurt to have three dozen names, emails, phone numbers and "I'm looking for"s you harvested running Lease Option ads the LAST recent time you had a live LO deal...would it?

That is a simple strategy for lease option buyer marketing.

It's just that simple. Be smart enough to realize that EVERY call/contact/inquiry you get should be kept for use. And making that known in your ads is a winning move. It will develop a list of people looking for a specific thing you can then provide as you find/develop/acquire it- and already know that the demand is there for what you supply.

Here is a smart example of marketing for real estate investors that can provide and target that demand for the hypothetical lease option investor we just talked about...

EXAMPLE gold mine ad, tack a GENERAL ad like this:

"Buy Like Rent. No Bank Qualifying. 3/2's and 4/2's nice neighborhood $1400 a month, Flexible Down Payment- If you Want to be a Homeowner We want to Talk to You"

…onto a specific ad for a specific property or service you're already offering/doing) and you have successfully created a real estate gold mine ad.

When people call, ask them questions! Believe me, the information you acquire at this stage is the most important part of generating that inquiry and the reason you paid to run those ads in the first place.

Ask them where are they looking to live? When do they want to move or buy?

How much can they afford monthly? How much can they put down on their new home? What AREAS are their preferred places to live?

When it comes to how much they can afford, always ask: "Is that the best you can do?"

Log that info. Database it.

That's just for Lease Option buyer marketing and finding lease option buyers..

Can you now think of a dozen other uses for this technique to FIND more of the people for whom YOU are set up already specifically to SOLVE A PROBLEM for?

Exactly! The use of real estate gold mine ads is by no means limited to only finding potential lease-option tenant-buyers.

When it comes to marketing for real estate investors, it's the same as marketing for any service you can provide to people who can use it and are willing to pay for it.

Don't set your marketing up to sell a drill. Set it up to FIND PEOPLE WHO WANT AND NEED A HOLE IN THEIR WALL.

That is where using real estate gold mine ads come in extremely handy.

Danny Welsh is an editor of the real estate investing newsletter The Good Steward, with Investing Do's, Don'ts and Deals. Subscribe to the Good Steward Newsletter at http://www.hisrealestatenetwork.com today.

If you want to be mentored in real estate investing then you want to ask the real estate experts. It makes sense to find and get real estate mentoring not only by successful real estate experts, but even beyond that-find those who themselves have achieved that status and also helped mentor others to millionaire status with real estate investing as well.

Real estate experts who are also the mentors of millionaires are who you want to learn from, but it's not always easy to find them (or give them a reason to mentor you) to get free real estate mentoring.

Why is that important to keep in mind when thinking about real estate mentoring?

Well, would you take business advice from someone who has never succeeded in business? Would you ask a nun about childbirth? Would you ask a bank manager about running a business? Many do, unfortunately.

There are a lot of never-took-a-risk academics and "gurus" out there who make money selling seminars, supposed solutions and opinions. They make their money from selling information (some good, some decidedly NOT) and motivation.

Whether they ever used or did what they are selling is sometimes questionable.

But let's pretend that they did.

Let's say that they used what they are selling and became millionaires before they ever put it down on paper, recorded an audio program, or presented a seminar.

Can they then be qualified to engage in real estate mentoring?

Maybe, maybe not.

Personally, I'd be interested very much in what THEY achieved, but I'd be even MORE interested in what those they mentored achieved.

So they are real estate experts, which should be priority number one.

Are they also the mentors of millionaires in real estate investing?

Just because someone can do a thing, doesn't mean they can articulate in a simple manner how you too can do the same thing. Just because one person can take actions and receive a result, doesn't mean they can necessarily teach you to do it. Just because a man can make a million bucks, doesn't mean he can explain to you how he thinks and how he makes decisions.

Mentoring is all about finding what works and being able to clearly articulate and teach it to someone who could not achieve on their own what they achieve with what you teach them.

That's why, if you want to be a millionaire, and you believe that the right real estate mentoring relationship can help you there, you need to find the real estate experts who have also mentored millionaires.

Learning directly from a mentor of millionaires isn't always easy unless and until you get in their network. Especially if you're looking for free real estate mentoring…

Let's examine the story of Andrew Carnegie, one of the most successful entrepreneurs of all time, a man who was the mentor of many millionaires. Was he a great mentor because he was so successful? Or was he so successful because he was such a great mentor?

Andrew Carnegie had a tremendous ability to draw the best out of a man. Way back then, if you had been among the scores of men who became extremely wealthy and powerful multi-millionaires at a time in our history when such a feat as amassing a million dollars was actually difficult, you would have seen firsthand how a great mentor can empower you to strive for levels of success you never dreamed possible.

He didn't just tell you what he did in business. He told you what he did and then he taught you why.

But he didn't stop there. No mentor of millionaires could!

He would empower you to strive for ever higher heights by setting a positive and powerful example, yes, but also by helping you believe you could do it.

And almost as importantly, once you proved yourself, he opened his sphere of influence up to you, let you trade on his credibility and experience, and empowered you to make use of his network for yourself.

And just look at the results for men like Charles Schwab and Napoleon Hill who became members of his network!

You've heard of them, right?

Read one of the many biographies available on Andrew Carnegie and you'll see how many other names like Charles Schwab and Napoleon Hill that even today are household names owe their successes to his mentoring and their desire to seek out a mentor like Carnegie.

So, when you're looking for real estate mentoring, look closely- even if you are trying to provide value to someone in exchange for free real estate mentoring.

It's not enough that they simply are millionaires themselves. If you want to be a successful real estate investor, or even more successful, it's not enough to try to learn from just successful real estate investors. If you want to get to the next level with finding and doing real estate deals then you need to be able to call on mentors who have made money finding and doing real estate deals- and who have also mentored others to do the same.

Success over many years in the real estate investing business, and with managing real estate investments, should give your real estate mentor the knowledge and experience of what works and what doesn't from their own successes and mistakes- and from those of others. Their experiences with those they have already mentored should take it further.

It's not enough that the "guru" did it. What is the result people get when they do what he claims to have done?

That's what matters.

If you want to reach the next level, why do you want to ask the real estate experts who have been the mentors of millionaires?

These individuals have earned the right to be called "experts" and so they have the experience and expertise you need to get the right answer the first time.

Unless you don't use it!

So, seek these individuals out…

And ask away…if you ask in the right way, ask the right people, look to provide value to those of whom you are asking help, and ask until you get the answers you seek, you can even get free real estate mentoring.

Believe me, I know.

After all, "your network determines your net worth."

Who knows?

Maybe one day, you too will be a mentor of millionaires.

If you'd like to get question-answered access to a highly successful group of real estate investors with hundreds of real estate transactions of over $100,000,000.00 completed, go to http://www.hisrealestatenetwork.com today!

Take a few moments and plan out your strategy for finding great real estate investments by gaining the attention, cooperation and loyalty of integral pieces to the real estate investing puzzle: the people you never talk to that you see every single day. These people hold the keys to your fortune (even if they drive a garbage truck).

The knowledge and inside information of who needs what, who has what, and who's looking for what, that lies untapped in the head of every single person you meet, and so you can find motivated sellers by networking. You can find investors and private lenders by networking. You can find tenants by networking. You can absolutely have others help you find property by word of mouth- and doing all these things every day can make you a very rich investor.

As you're mapping out your winning strategy for real estate investing, keep this in mind: in the real estate business, just like in life, your positive and strong relationships with other people are the greatest assets you can ever have. Thus, networking is an extremely important part of enhancing your investing success.

Networking with like-minded individuals, other investors and real estate professionals who can help you on your journey to success can help investors like you and I locate some great deals. However, it's networking with people NOT in the real estate business that can often bear the BEST fruit, the very best deals available.

How to Find Good Real Estate Deals- Overlooked People Resources

Why? Many times, we can learn about these great deals before anyone else- simply by being the ear on the receiving end of someone who wants to do us a favor (or return one). By being the person among someone's group of friends, family, acquaintances, or co-workers who is known to them as the "go-to-guy" to solve problems in real estate- and by making it worth that person's while to give you the information you need. (That's very important!)

This person could be ANYONE we meet, even if we just met them TODAY.

It's true, when it comes to finding great real estate investments; the best deals are never listed. Not on the MLS. Not in a FSBO magazine. Not on a website somewhere. No, the best deals are often never listed at all. In fact, a mentor of mine made famous the phrase, "if it's on a list, the deal doesn't exist". No, a true deal is something few people are going to know about (and the best is one where none who know about it know how to or are prepared to act on it). You want to be one of those few people who know!

Networking can yield some surprisingly fantastic results as connections are made with other movers and shakers and people in the know and believe me when I say that relationships can be forged in some unlikely place- and with some unlikely people.

Even your garbage man can be a great person to network with, when you're looking for great potential real estate deals. In fact, with a few garbage men on your bird-dog team you can find motivated sellers by networking all month long, just by being on the receiving end from information they might have that others don't (and compensating them for it legally- see your attorney).

Think about it a second and you'll realize why this makes so much sense. Do you see it?

In fact, right now I'm willing to bet that most of us (myself included) MISS OUT on most of the GREAT deals the universe has put within our grasp, simply because we do not have the eyes to see the message or the ears to hear the messenger or the voice to ask the right questions of the right person at the very moment we have been given the free opportunity to reach out and grab it.

Find Property by Word of Mouth & Networking

Many people fail to realize that the man or woman on the train next to you, the checkout girl at the local supermarket, or that guy at the gym who seems like he's trying to squat himself to death very well might hold the key to their investing dreams. They might have the knowledge of a potential deal that no one else does.

And all we have to do is ASK.

And you know what? Chances are two things are happening in this situation you and I miss out on almost every single day.

One, these folks have NO IDEA how VALUABLE the information they have is. They themselves don't have the specialized knowledge you do (they aren't real estate investors after all) to even SEE the deal, or make profits doing the deal, or the right words to use in getting the investor, or the resources in buying the house, or the need for renting the house…but they sure can give you all the information YOU need to do it.

Two, we never find out that information because we never think to ASK! We will only know for sure how many deals we have been missing out on if we take the critical first step to engage everyone we come into contact with a conversation, asking who they might know that needs "X", who has "Y", who is looking for "Z".

Who do you know looking to rent?

Who do you know maybe wants to sell their house?

Do you know anyone looking to invest money in real estate?

Etc

Don't believe me about the fact that you're missing a deal EVERY SINGLE DAY?

Then it's time for a demonstration of how to find good real estate deals, ok?

Let's take one simple example, shall we? Let's say for instance that you live in Atlanta and you're a pre-foreclosure investor, meaning you buy the homes from sellers who are behind on their mortgage and want out before their home gets foreclosed on and their credit is ruined. People will tell you that these deals are hard to find and that there is a lot of competition for them. They'd be right only if YOU believed THEM.

In fact, while these deals aren't EASY to find. It CAN be SIMPLE to find property by word of mouth and networking.

Here's how.

Open up your mind to the possibilities that people all around you know about these deals.

If I told you that 1 in 54 houses in Atlanta were going to foreclose in the next 12 months, what would that mean to you?

1 in 54!

That's tens of thousands of potential pre-foreclosure deals for this example investor to find.

Is the best way to find motivated sellers by networking?

Maybe, maybe not. In a large city like Atlanta, you might see a motivated seller prompted to call from a billboard, a Yellow Pages ad, a TV commercial, from one of the hundreds of thousands if not millions of pieces of direct mail daily dropped in the area- or you could see that same call generated by simple word of mouth. Simple, cheap, effective word of mouth.

And each of those people going through foreclosure will know an average of 300 friends, family, co-workers, and acquaintances, as the statistics of human relations tell us.

Do you think one of them might be known by the man or woman on the train next to you, the checkout girl at the local supermarket, or that guy at the gym who seems like he's trying to squat himself to death?

Do you think your garbage man might know one of them?

Do you think they might tell you what you need to know or who you need to talk with, if you give them an incentive to do so?

Yes and Yes.

Are you beginning to see what I'm talking about now?

About how you can be out there with a force of people finding great real estate investments for you?

Talk to everyone!

And give them a reason to tell you who they know who can use your services.

Before you do ANYTHING ELSE, it's important that you create a special folder to store the landslide of free information on real estate investing and real estate investing tips you're about to receive. Open a new folder in your email program and title it: '!Real Estate Investing Newsletters'.

(Special tip: Make sure to put '!' before the 'R' so it's at the top of your folder list-where it belongs!)

This way, once all the free information on real estate investing begins to flow into your email inbox you can sort it and access it later and more importantly find it when you need to apply it!

If you're anything like the millions of people each day trying to find these answers you've likely searched - in frustration-- quite some time to find powerful strategies to help you and your family get to the next level financially...and I understand if you're likely unhappy with the 'solutions' that you've discovered thus far.

If so, you're part of a large and growing group of people who are looking for answers to very common financial challenges.

They say…

"I'm looking to retire faster, easier, and with more income…"

"I'm looking to take control of my financial future…"

"I'm looking to save money for a new home or child's future education…"

"I'm looking to leverage my existing assets to create more passive income…"

"I'm looking to get better returns on my investments by investing in real estate…"

"I'm looking to build wealth for my family, as hands-off as possible…"

Do you, too, ask these questions of yourself?

The truth is…

How we spend our time directly affects our quality of living. This article I wanted to encourage you to do something extremely important: invest time to read the best free real estate investing newsletters out there.

You CAN find free information on real estate investing!

Here's how you find the best free real estate investing newsletters to subscribe to, so that your valuable time isn't wasted, and you can get the information you need.

Go to your favorite search engine right now and search for "free real estate investing newsletter".

You'll find quite a few results!

As of writing this article, there were 2,430,000 results just from www.Google.com alone.

Here's a few tips to help you sift through a lot of the stuff that won't help you, is too difficult, is too costly in what they recommend, or is too commercialized (i.e. they're only trying to sell you).

Look for free real estate investing newsletters that:

1. Key in on specific techniques or areas of real estate you're most interested in (i.e. commercial real estate, beginning real estate investing, foreclosure real estate investing, etc)

2. Give case studies of specific successes and how you can duplicate them

3. Connect you not only with the provider of the newsletter but also other readers (networking is a powerful tool in real estate investing)

4. Is produced by someone that sells something but doesn't require you to buy it (if you live in a capitalist system you understand that you often get the most value from something that is free when the people providing it have something they sell for you to look at in exchange)

5. Offer differing perspectives and articles from different experts and students both (while I've learned a lot from free real estate investing newsletters produced by one-man bands, there's often a limit to what one person can teach you!)

6. Are connected to a website with additional resources or offline resources besides the newsletter

Once you subscribe to a few free real estate investing newsletters, you'll find out pretty quickly which ones are for you, and which ones aren't.

I sincerely believe that the more you read the best free real estate investing newsletters out there, and the more you apply what you learn from this great source of free information on real estate investing, the more you will begin to see the answers to your financial questions and realize the accomplishment of your investment goals.

And the more you and your family will be prepared to create the life and the lifestyle you deserve...

Danny Welsh is the editor of free real estate investing newsletter 'The Good Steward' with Investing Do's, Don'ts and Deals! Subscribe to the newsletter at to read more articles and get free information on real estate investing such as how to position yourself to earn INFINITE returns investing in real estate. Visit America's #1 Real Estate Network™ today at http://www.hisrealestatenetwork.com

If you haven't, I'm going to enlighten you as to a number of reasons why you should consider investing in a group, and explain a few of the many benefits of group investing.

Group real estate investing can maximize financial leverage.

What do I mean by this?

Think about what happens when you put ten percent down, or $30,000 cash, on a single family house and you receive a loan for ninety percent of the purchase price of $300,000…in effect you just leveraged your money TEN times to control an asset worth (if you bought right that is) at least TEN times the money you used to control it.

That $270,000 loan, the other ninety percent of the money used to own the property, was OPM- or "other people's money". Maybe you got it from a bank, or a mortgage lender, maybe even from a private lender, or even the seller of the property itself gave you that loan you used to finance ninety percent of the purchase price.

Doesn't matter, because no matter where the money came from you didn't need to have the entire purchase price to get control of the property (and enjoy the benefits of investing and real estate ownership)…did you?

Regardless, it's nice to own a small house with a value of 10 times what you had to invest cash in order to get that ownership.

And for most people, they feel comfortable being on the line for that 90 we used earlier)?

For many people, those last two loan examples are out of their comfort zone.

Even if they had or could raise the amount of money required to control the property.

It wouldn't matter WHAT the property was worth, or how much more than $27 Million it was worth, signing on the dotted line for $27 Million is just not something they'd be comfortable doing.

And yet many of these are the kinds of deals that provide the BEST dollar-for-dollar returns…so how does the average investor get some of that money? Without shouldering the huge debt service themselves?

Well, it's often possible when you invest with a group in real estate.

For example, you can leverage the resources of other people, other investors-not just banks and mortgage companies. This can be a major plus because now it is not you alone who is responsible for the entire purchase price or perhaps, not even be on the line for the debt attached to the purchase.

Investing in a group can give you access to investments that might be so large in scale as to be out of reach for you alone. Many millionaire fortunes have been built by investing with groups- not only in real estate.

But let's stick to real estate for the purposes of this article. Group real estate investing, especially, has proven over time to be very lucrative.

There's a lot of information you need before deciding to pursue investing with a group in real estate…whether you're looking to invest with a real estate group that's already investing or whether you intend to start your own real estate investing group- in which case the scope of this article is much, much too small to adequately prepare you but will point you in the right direction.

Here are some simple tips that will guide you in your decision-making before you invest with a group in real estate:

1. Know the entity/business structure the investing group uses, and make sure it's conducive to a group

2. Transparency is key- financials should be disclosed to all investors in the group

3. Your money is only as protected as it says in the legal documents

4. Determine liquidity (can investors sell out, or transfer their piece of the investment?) before investing

5. Be aware of investing government regulations (especially SEC)

6. Learn the right questions to ask

7. Hire the right experts, professionals, and advisors- attorneys,

accountants, managers

8. Don't invest unless you are comfortable with the risk/reward ratio

I hope these tips have empowered you to think about the benefits of investing in real estate with a group. If so, you will have taken an important mental step into a brighter and more prosperous future. In fact, the majority of all millionaires at one point formed an alliance with other people of the same vision to ensure their success.

Perhaps it is time you did, too?