Pay close attention to this message – especially if you live outside of America.
About 5 or 6 years ago, I wanted to start investing in real estate. So I went to a guy I knew who supposedly did well as an investor, and I asked him what to do.
He was a real estate wholesaler – this means, he buys property cheap… adds a few bucks for himself… and then sells the property to investors.
The thing is, even after a wholesaler’s markup, you’re still buying at a significant discount off normal retail prices you’d pay working with a real estate agent.
Which means you’re able to get properties at a decent enough price so you can still earn 10-20% gross return on your investment per year, in rents.
Or if the property is more of a rehab type project – where you fix it up and sell it… you can typically earn between 15 and 30% on your money.
And let’s face it – in today’s interest rate environment, that’s a great deal for anyone.
Well, let me tell you, I made every single mistake in the book with those properties, from day one… and I paid dearly for it.
So, one of the things I did, during the last 3 years, was… I attended a number of classes on how to invest your money in real estate.
These were NOT classes put on buy Real Estate Information gurus. These are inexpensive 2-3 day workshops put on by people who have actually been investing in real estate, for anywhere from 10 to 50 years.
They put these classes on, NOT to make money… but because they love what they do. They all have a ton of time and financial freedom, and putting on these classes gives them a chance to meet other investors — many of whom they wind up doing deals with.
It’s kind of like an underground community of really savvy, really laid back investors.
And let me tell you – these are the salt of the earth people. They’re as pure and genuine as they come. You’d NEVER know how filthy rich any of them are, because they’re extremely humble and reserved in their demeanor. And they’re also some of the sharpest and most knowledgeable and clever people I’ve ever met.
I’ve always felt very comfortable and enthusiastic whenever I’m around guys like this.
They also happen to know more about business and negotiating than anyone I’ve met – and I’ve worked with some very bright people over the years.
Anyway, keep this in mind, but let’s shift gears for just a second.
When I was younger and when retirement seemed incredibly far away… business friends would often ask you, “What’s your number?” In other words, how much money do you need to have in the bank before you can retire?
You know, your “FU” number.
And sure, back then when CD’s were paying anywhere from 10-15%, you could come up with a number that actually made sense.
Today, a 5 year CD pays you less than ONE percent, so having some kind of an FU number, is pretty useless, for most of us.
However, I heard one of the teachers say something during one of these investing workshops, that absolutely blew me away. He gave out the simplest definition of financial freedom I’ve ever heard. And it was also very practical, and extremely tangible.
He said, true financial freedom is when you’ve got passive monthly income coming in, that’s greater than your monthly nut.
I know this is very apparent, but for some reason, this wasn’t a goal I was chasing.
In fact, I’m not really sure what I was chasing, but it wasn’t this..
Once I heard it, though… it became a goal of mine. And actually, more like an obsession. To accumulate enough property by age 60 (10 years away) so my monthly passive income is greater than my monthly nut.
I don’t think I’ll ever completely “stop” working — I’m just not wired to sit still. But I’d like to have the ability to stop if I want to – and meeting this goal, gives me this ability.
Plus, I’m not someone who pisses away a lot of money on “things,” anyway – so my monthly nut isn’t really that big. (Outside of traveling, lol)
So, what does this have to do with you?
Well, about 8 months ago, I approached a couple of successful friends of mine who’ve been successfully investing in real estate for several years. I asked them what was the best way for me to get involved with real estate, and how could I put myself in the center of people and activity, to learn as much as possible… as fast as possible.
And, get as many good deals as possible.
Both of them said, the fastest way to do this – especially with my marketing and personal communication skills – was to start wholesaling property.
Fast-forward the clock, and I’ve been doing this successfully, in addition to running my core kingofcopy business – for about 6 months now. And things are working our well.
I’ve been buying and selling more properties every month, and business is exciting.
Which brings me to the purpose of this e-mail:
I’ve got plenty of houses to sell. But as my business is growing, I’d like to find a few more investors to work with.
So if you’ve ever wanted to invest in Florida real estate and get the kinds of gross double digit returns I mentioned, you can now work with me and do this.
Listen closely and I’ll tell you how, in just a minute.
You should also know, investing here in Florida is especially beneficial for you if you live OUTSIDE of America, since the dollar is so low against most currencies. And since Florida real estate is still inexpensive compared to lots of metropolitan areas.
A few things you’ll want to know about this:
- You’ll deal directly with me, so everything’s on the up and up.
- All closings are also done with a title company licensed with the state of Florida.
- And you can feel free to show any agreements or documents you get, to any advisors you’d like.
In other words – everything is done properly, from a legal standpoint.
And you’ll also get to avoid making the 3 biggest mistakes I made, when I invested in real estate. I’ll share them with you now, so you know what they are.
1. For starters… when you invest in property, you want to invest on the lower end of the spectrum:
Why? because these properties are MUCH easier to rent out (or sell, if you’re rehabbing them).
I’m not saying you should invest in low-income areas, because those properties come with other issues, like non-paying tenants, crime, and so on.
But here in Hillsborough County, and in the surrounding counties I work in, there are loads of very solid blue-collar neighborhoods where properties are quite affordable – say $45K to $150K +… where you can get quality tenants and solid long-term returns.
Plus, there are a LOT more people looking to spend between $700 – $1200 per month on rent, than are for people who want to spend $1,500 – $3,000.
PLUS… if, for whatever reason your property is vacant for a few months – taking a hit on $700-$1,200 rent you’re not getting, is a LOT less painful than taking a hit on $1,500 – $3,000.
Again, I learned this the hard way, so take it from the voice of experience here.
(However, with a good property manager, you shouldn’t have vacancies for too long. More on this in a minute.)
2. Pay all cash, or almost all cash for these properties.
I didn’t. I was W-A-A-Y too leveraged (I got the wrong advice from the wrong people), and when my property was vacant, it killed me. Because I was paying a huge note back, and no money was coming in.
Plus, all the people I’ve met who are super successful in real estate (NOT the big gurus, but actual regular guys doing deals all the time), are pretty conservative.
This lets them live a nice, stress-free lifestyle. Which is another reason this business is so appealing to me, frankly.
No sense getting $800 dollars a month in rent, only to turn around and have to pay out $650 a month towards a mortgage.
Plus, what are you going to do if you have to make a repair in the property one month? Maybe a toilet goes, or your Air Conditioner needs freon.
What happens then?
You’ll have to go negative, and that sucks.
So be conservative. Your bank account will like you for it, and your spouse or partner will applaud you for it, because your stress will be a LOT lower.
3. Have a good team:
You’re out of town – so you need to have GREAT, responsible property managers who are used to managing rentals like this, and reliable rehab teams or workers to make improvements.
And let me tell you – the property management business is absolutely filled with shysters. I got burned so many times by crooked property managers… I could tell you stories for hours.
But I have hooked up with TWO ethical property managers that are outstanding… have long-term track records of taking care of clients out of town… and who hold themselves very accountable to their property owners.
So I will be happy to recommend them to you. And by the way – this is NOT an affiliate relationship or anything like that. Unfortunately, I get nothing for referring them to you.
Only the satisfaction that your property is being managed correctly, which makes you happy and keep cash flowing. And if you’re happy and cash is coming in… you’ll be more inclined to buy more properties and do more deals with me.
One of these property managers has been a client of mine for 8 years and is now a close personal friend. I’ve seen him grow his business from Day one. The other is a student of his who used to work for him.
I also have a reliable team of contractors and rehab people you can speak with and work with.
OK… so what’s next?
If you want to know more about investing in single family homes here in the Tampa Bay area, e-mail my assistant Anne (anne AT kingofcopy.com), put “Real Estate Investing” in the subject line, and answer the following questions:
1. Have you ever invested in real estate before?
2. If so, what kinds of deals… and how many properties do you own now?
3. Do you have cash or hard money to use, to fund your deals?
4. Are you interested in investing for long-term rent and hold… or rehabs?
Once I get your information, we’ll set up a time to chat. We’ll talk more specifically about what your investing goals are… I’ll explain how the process works… and I’ll answer any questions you might have.
Then we’ll be off and running, and that’s it.
IMPORTANT: Please don’t respond to this, if you want me to “convince” you to invest in real estate. You either want to invest in real estate, or you don’t. If I have to convince you, then it’s definitely not right for you – which is totally fine.
Either way, thanks for taking the time to read this message… and enjoy the rest of your day.
Now go sell something, Craig Garber