Working With Realtors® as an Investor

Does your Realtor® understand ARV? If you’re working with Realtors® as an investor, he or she should be able to intelligently discuss After Repair Value (ARV) with you. Unfortunately, most Realtors® aren’t fluent in the language of investors. They’re fluent in calculating down payments and pointing out the shiny stainless steel appliances in the kitchen – the language of white picket fence buyers.

An investor savvy Realtor® won’t be asking how many children you have and if you want a backyard swimming pool. Instead, he or she is asking what your investment strategy is? Is it fix to flip or long term rentals? Are you looking for distressed properties or turnkey rentals with a qualified tenant in place? Do you want to hear about every property that comes on the market or is it the agent’s responsibility to screen for only the best opportunities?

How to Find the Right Realtor® When Working with Realtors® as an Investor

Realtors® interested in investment properties hang out at the same places as investors do. These aren’t the open houses showcasing the most polished house in a neighborhood. However, it can be worth your time checking out Realtors® that specialize in the types of houses and neighborhoods you invest in. Drive through these neighborhoods looking for “For Sale” signs. Also call on listings in marketing brochures. But remember they need to speak your investor lingo.

Just because an agent is the office “Rock Star” doesn’t make him/her a good Realtor®` for investors. Working with Realtors® as an investor still means they understand phrases like “hurdle rate”, “cap rate”, “rate of return”, and “income vs. capital gains”. You can check out some Realtors® by making telephone calls or sending out emails asking the right questions.

A better avenue to finding a Realtor® knowledgeable in working with investors is one of the thousands of real estate investor groups across the country. Most of these groups welcome real estate professionals as members. Realtors® join these groups because they want to work with investors. Even if he or she is new to the group and not yet up to speed, you know you are working with someone interested in the investment world. You can find local groups on websites such as REIclub.com and NationalREIA.com or by simply doing a Google search for real estate investing groups in your city.

How to Best Work with Realtors® as an Investor

One way you benefit by working with Realtors® as an investor is having them keep you current on market trends. You probably have your own secret formula for rehabbing houses that sell fast and for top dollar. But the market is always changing. Today’s megatrend is driven by the Millennials that now dominate the market. Are you fully up to speed on their needs and wants?

Where are the best rental opportunities? Which neighborhoods are ‘hot’ right now for sales? Where are new jobs being created or new schools being built? This is information Realtors® are often more tuned into than investors are.

However, it’s a two way street. The more he/she knows about your objectives, the more useful a Realtor® can be in tailoring your efforts to help achieve them. Once they master bringing you the best deals, he/she needs to specialize in is closing the deal tomorrow.

When you have a shortlist of Realtors® wanting to work with you, the next step is having a face-to-face conversation. You need to be clear about what it means to be working with a Realtor® as an investor. You need to be clear about your investing strategy. You need to let him or her know your price range, your neighborhoods, and what your exist strategy is. You need to let them know if you expect to be shown the interior of every potential house or if the Realtor® only needs to forward you prospective houses and you’ll drive by to view the outside but only ask for access to the interiors when you are truly thinking about making the purchase.

Ultimately, working with a Realtor® as an investor often works best when he/she is an investor them self. There is a possible conflict of interest here because the Realtor® might scoop up investments that you would have been interested in. However, there are usually more than enough to go around. Another work around to this issue is having more than one Realtor® working with you. You shouldn’t have any trouble finding as many investment grade properties as you want.

What you need to do now is TAKE ACTION!

By Wendy Patton

For more than 30 years, I’ve used the Sandwich Lease Option System to earn myself and my students millions of dollars. From my experience, I know there is plenty of room and opportunity in the real estate investment market for everyone wanting to participate to find profitable deals. It’s because of that fact and my personal success that I share the Sandwich Lease Option System with others.

If you found this information useful, please visit again soon at wendypatton.com.

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What did you think of this article? Please leave a comment below.

 

Lease Option Coaching FAQ

When it comes to lease option coaching FAQ the sellers and end buyers have different concerns. You, as the principle (investor) in the deal not only have your own questions but also need to be able to answer the questions for your sellers and buyers. These FAQ should be of interest to everyone (investors, sellers, and buyers).

Lease Option FAQ for Sellers

Q: Why would I choose to do a lease option instead of outright selling the house for cash?

 

A: That depends on your circumstances but this definitely offers you (as the seller) more options. First, while the national market is currently a seller’s market, it isn’t that way everywhere. If yours is a slower market, the lease option opens your market to many more potential buyers. Same thing if your market is highly active. Another good reason is some sellers would like to collect a monthly rent for a year or more and still have a highly motivated buyer in the not too distant future. If you would like to discuss your particular circumstances, please contact my staff or myself at wendypatton.com/contact/.

 

Q: The lease option seems like a complicated process. Where do I start?

 

A: Start by deciding the terms you want to offer the buyer. Decide how long you want the purchase option to be available. Most common is 18 months to 2 years but it can be longer. Then decide how much to charge for a nonrefundable purchase option fee. Typically, it’s between 1% and 3% of the purchase price. Check your local market to see if a standard exists. You also want to begin considering what maintenance responsibilities you want the tenant to assume that go beyond a traditional lease.

 

Q: What’s the next step in a lease option?

 

A: As the seller, you have several options to consider. Even before you have a buyer interested in the lease option, you should create a draft of the purchase option agreement. You want a win-win agreement, which means the buyer will have some say in the final contract. However, a draft will go a long way towards helping the buyer understand how the process works. I always recommend that you have a real estate attorney knowledgeable in lease options review your contracts. This is particularly important with your first several deals and after any change in regulations.

 

For investors, I encourage you to take full advantage of these additional lease option coaching FAQ and personal lease option coaching as well as the additional resources I’ve included at the end of this article.

Lease Option FAQ for Buyers

Q: Finding a lease option purchase home seems difficult, where do I start?

 

A: Finding a lease option purchase starts with a search for available houses. Begin your search by asking a real estate agent to review the MLS. Also, look at your local craigslist and other local periodic publications with a real estate section. You can also find any house for sale to make a lease option purchase offer.

 

Q: When deciding to accept a lease option purchase agreement, how do I know if I’m getting a fair deal?

 

A: You should always have a real estate attorney review any contract before signing. Just as importantly, you can counter offer any lease option purchase agreement to include terms that you prefer. The lease option purchase agreement is a very flexible contract that should be written to suit both the buyer and the seller.

 

Q: What is my biggest risk?

 

A: Qualifying for a loan to complete the purchase is the biggest difficulty most buyers face with a lease purchase agreement. Carefully consider if it’s reasonably possible for you to fix your credit rating and come up with the down payment within the option time period. If not, ask for more time. Also, a lease option agreement can include a provision to automatically extend the option period if agreed credit improvement is being made. Credit counseling is another option.

 

These lease option coaching FAQ demonstrate the many possibilities for investors, buyers, and sellers willing to think outside the box. These are only a few of the many possible questions you may have. To learn more, you’ll want to read this other useful information that I offer to you free. Please take advantage of it today.

 

By Wendy Patton

 

For more than 30 years, I’ve used the Sandwich Lease Option System to earn myself and my students millions of dollars. From my experience, I know there is plenty of room and opportunity in the real estate investment market for everyone wanting to participate to find profitable deals. It’s because of that fact and my personal success that I share the Sandwich Lease Option System with others.

 

If you found this information useful, please visit again soon at wendypatton.com.

 

For more exclusive content, please subscribe to my RSS Feed and YouTube Channel.

 

What did you think of this article? Please leave a comment below.

5 Reasons You Don’t Want to Own Multiple Properties

How many rental properties do YOU dream of owning? It’s a trick question. Most investors are saying, “As many as possible!” Your answer should be, “Zero.”

Why even read on? Because there’s money to be made, and the magic is in controlling  — not owning — as many properties as possible. So, what’s the difference between owning and controlling property? Check out below to learn more, including the top five reasons why controlling properties through lease options and sandwich lease options is the best way to earn money in real estate investing.

 

#1. Owning Multiple Properties Leaves You Wanting More

Most investors think it’s counterintuitive that controlling property gives you a financial upper hand over owning, but I’m going to break it down for you.

Dave is an experienced investor. He’s got 20 rental properties valued well over $1,000,000. Cash for most investors is limited, so to invest in more properties, Dave borrows $15,000 against his current properties to free up some funds. This leveraging puts those properties at risk, not to mention the added debt Dave’s got to repay. With $15,000, Dave qualifies for a mortgage to own a $150,000 rental house. Maybe he can stretch that to two properties, but it’s unlikely that a beginning investor or even Dave himself will end up owning more properties than that.

 

#2. Lease Options Give You More Bang For Your Buck

Why own if you can profit more by controlling properties through lease options?

Let’s take that same $15,000 that our experienced investor, Dave, is working with. Rather than using those funds as a downpayment on a rental like he did, you’re going to apply that cash to purchase option fees — non-refundable fees, typically set at 1-5% of the purchase price of a property. Let’s say the option fee for that $150,000 rental house is $2000 (1.3% fee). You’ve got enough capital left to control six more properties at the same rate.

 

#3. Lease Options Continue to Show You the Money

Whether you own or lease the house, you’ll still be pulling in the same amount monthly. When charging $1500 for rent (1% of the purchase value), you’re paying about $675 a month towards the mortgage or rent. This leaves you with added income of $825 a month before taxes, insurance, and maintenance.

 

#4. Lease Option Investors Are Rolling in ROI

Let’s say Dave, our experienced investor, was able to purchase two rental houses with his $15,000 investment. He’s now pulling in $825 in profits from each of his properties totaling $1650 gross monthly profit per month. Not a bad haul!

You, on the other hand, use your knowledge of lease option strategies and take control of 7 houses with your $15,000 investment. You’re netting $825 for each of your seven properties on a monthly basis, earning you a gross profit of $5775 per month, over $4000 more than our experienced investor, Dave.

But wait, there’s more!

As if your monthly income wasn’t great enough, let’s now look at your return on investment.

The annual gross ROI for Dave the experienced investor is 132%.
12 months x $825 rent profit x 2 houses = $19,800
$19,800 / $15,000 = 132%

The annual gross ROI for you, the lease option investor, is an unbelievable 462%.
12 months x $825 rent x 7 houses = $169,300
$169,300 / $15,000 = 462%

Learn more in my eBook: Investing in Real Estate with Lease Options, now including one free month membership in my Inner Circle.

 

#5. Level Up Your Investment Game with Sandwich Lease Options

Although Dave the experienced owner is gaining appreciation on his properties that you won’t as an option investor, it’s going to take years for the appreciation to catch up to the difference in ROI between the two of you. You’re pulling in more profits over the next few years and moving on to repeat the deal long before the appreciation catches up.

 

Let’s say you put an end buyer, Sheila, in place to pay the rent until the purchase is complete. Sheila pays YOU a lease option fee that reimburses your original $2000 cost.

When your investment becomes $0, your ROI becomes infinite.

 

You’ve got another payday coming your way when your end buyer, Sheila, completes the purchase. You’re selling to Sheila for $10,000 more than you owe the original owner.

 

What do you think?

Let’s review. This sandwich lease option deal begins with an initial $15,000 investment that’s returned almost immediately, pulls in a gross rent profit larger than what’s possible as an owner, and generates a sales profit greater than the appreciated value that an owner receives. All these perks without the risks and responsibilities of ownership.  

It’s no argument. The pros of lease option strategies outweigh those of owning multiple properties, hands down.

Learn about my Sandwich Lease Option Business in a Box packed with all tips, tools, and training you need to buy and sell properties using lease option strategies.

 


 

For more than 30 years, I’ve used the Sandwich Lease Option System to earn millions of dollars. I know there is plenty of opportunity in real estate investing for everyone. I want to see you be successful. That is why I am sharing my Sandwich Lease Option System with you.

If you found this information useful, please visit again soon at wendypatton.com.

For more exclusive content, please subscribe to my RSS Feed and YouTube Channel.

What did you think of this article? Please leave a comment below.

 

Rent to Own Properties Done Ethically

As a rent to own properties investor, your goal should be putting people into houses and turning renters into homeowners.  A ‘few bad apples’ give the rent to own investment strategy a bad name, which is a shame, because it is a great strategy.

I don’t believe in the strategy of repeatedly churning rent to own properties to collect multiple option fees from multiple potential buyers. Instead, when done correctly, the rent to own properties strategy is a win-win for both the buyer and the seller. By doing this ethically, most buyers complete the purchase, your good reputation grows, buyers tell family and friends, with more deals flow to your business.

Rent to Own Property Buyers Need to Understand the Details

For the rent to own properties strategy to work best, potential buyers need to be confident that they’ll be ready to make the purchase when the lease term expires.

If the purchase isn’t completed, they’ll have paid substantial nonrefundable option money with nothing to show at the end. That becomes what they tell family and friends.

Buyers need to read and understand every word of rent to own property contracts and know exactly what they’re getting into. These are not standard purchase agreements. Each one is unique. These people may not have ever purchased a home before. Sellers should encourage buyers to seek the help of a qualified attorney. A qualified real estate attorney who clarifies the contract and their rights, before signing anything.

If they decides not to or can’t purchase the property at the end of the lease, the option simply expires. If the wording is ‘lease purchase’, without the word ‘option’, the buyer could be legally obligated to purchase the property but have not ability or desire to do so. Clarifying the wording is one of many reasons buyers should have the contract vetted by a real estate attorney before agreeing to it.

Rent to Own Properties Offer Buyers Many Benefits

Most tenants considering rent to own properties don’t think they can qualify for a mortgage.

The fact is that many won’t. But today is the time to learn what it takes to qualify in the future, maybe in 2018. Interest rates remaining near all-time lows means that mortgage payments are also at all-time lows.

Myself and other real estate experts fully expect home prices to continue appreciating in value. That means home affordability is more attractive today than it will be for the foreseeable future. Not being able to qualify for a mortgage today doesn’t mean you can’t lock in the best purchase opportunity that you may see during your lifetime.

Best Place To Start

Granted, sellers of rent to own properties often sell for a premium price. That should NOT keep buyers out of the market, especially when they are close to qualifying for a mortgage. Locking in the sales price of an appreciating rent to own property possibly means the sales price today will be at, or below, market value when the deal actually closes.

The best place to start is by achieving the FHA loan prequalification essentials:

  • An established steady employment history, at least two years with the same employer.
  • Consistent or increasing income over the past two years.
  • Your credit report should be in good standing with less than two 30-day late payments in the past two years. The minimum FICO score can be as low as 500 (subject to change).
  • Any bankruptcy on record must be at least two years old with good credit for the two consecutive years.
  • Any foreclosure must be at least three years old with good credit for the past three years.
  • Mortgage payment must be approximately 30 percent (or less) of your total monthly gross income.

If you can answer YES to these statements, you should have no problem qualifying for an FHA home mortgage loan. If not, rent to own properties allow you to work towards these goals over the next couple of years with a purchase price locked in today.

 

Rent to Own Properties Have Flexible Contracts

Buyers should treat rent to own homes as any other purchased agreement. They should have an appraisal done and have the home inspected before signing the final contract. Then the buyer needs work with a mortgage broker to develop a plan enabling them to qualify for a mortgage before the option period expires.

By working with real estate professionals, including an attorney, rent to own properties can have contracts drawn up to satisfy both the buyer and the seller. The seller no longer has a vacant house to deal with.  While the buyer is able to overcome down payment and mortgage hurdles.

 

Length Of Purchase Option Flexibility 

Part of the flexibility that comes with rent to own property contracts is the length of the purchase option. These typically range from one to three years. If the seller wants to cash out of the deal asap, they will want a short option period.  If the buyer needs more time to repair their, or increase the down payment, they’ll want a longer option period. In some cases, the seller decides to carry the financing after finding the buyer is reliable about making monthly payments. There are significant tax advantages for the seller when they takes installment payments versus a lump sum.  This is particularly true when it’s an investment property rather than a primary residence.

 

Rent To Own Properties Conclusion

Rent to own property agreements are among the most flexible real estate contracts available in this dynamic market. This article only covers some of the options and requirements. I have many other articles available and strive to keep information about rent to own properties current with today’s market. You’ll find more information by clicking here.

If you want to work directly with me on the lease options business model or any of the other investing models that have proven highly profitable, please join me at www.wendypatton.com/what-is-wendy-pattons-inner-circle.

By Wendy Patton

For over 30 years I’ve used the Sandwich Lease Option System to earn myself and my students millions of dollars. I know there is plenty of opportunity in the real estate investment market for everyone to find profitable deals. It’s because of that fact and my personal success that I share the Sandwich Lease Option System with others.

If you found this information useful, please visit again soon at wendypatton.com.

For more exclusive content, please subscribe to my RSS Feed and YouTube Channel.

What did you think of this article? Please leave a comment below.

 

 

Cash Out or Reinvest Real Estate Holdings

Real estate investing goes through cycles. There are times to buy (low point of the cycle), times to hold (middle), and times to sell (high). This isn’t complicated. All types of investing are about buying low and selling high. What is more complicated is deciding whether to cash out or reinvest your real estate holdings.

The ideal time to buy in the current cycle (low point) was 6 or 7 years ago. Since then, rents and property values have been steadily increasing. Making these years the time to hold and profit (mid point). I don’t have a crystal ball but based on many years of experience, now is the time to be considering selling at the high point. With that, comes the decision to cash out or reinvest your real estate holdings.

The Buy, Hold, Cash Out or Reinvest Cycle

It may not have been clear then but it’s clear today that the time to buy was 7 years ago. The market was flooded with foreclosures, REOs, short sales, and individuals desperate to sell. Buyers were very few and very far between. Unemployment was stretching for historical highs. Foreclosures and unpayable debt trashed people’s credit ratings by the millions. If you didn’t have cash, even a stellar credit rating probably won’t buy you a mortgage. Still, creative investors found ways to gain control of properties for little or nothing down. But that was not the time to cash out or reinvest.

The past several years have been a time to hold as people got back on their feet after the financial meltdown. Today, foreclosures and bad debt are falling off people’s credit reports. An unemployment rate below 5 percent is considered a fully employed economy. Property values and rents have been steadily increasing. This may seem predatory to some people. However, buying those short sales and rehabbing foreclosures got many people out of bad situations. More recently, the lease with option to purchase has helped return countless people to homeownership. It was a win-win during tough times.

Right now, markets like San Francisco, New York City, and Los Angeles, are well beyond the last bubble peak in terms of pricing. If not declining in price, these have become price stagnant. Bidding wars are dwindling as the result of few buyers being able to afford or willing to pay peak prices. While real estate investing is always driven by local markets, today’s national circumstances strongly indicate a time to consider if you should cash out or reinvest.

Cash Out or Reinvest Considerations

Hopefully, as a real estate investor, you find yourself in the enviable position of needing to decide whether to cash out or reinvest the appreciated value of your existing properties. The place I highly suggest you begin is by performing a thorough analysis of all investment properties that you currently own.

You may or may not have financial holdings outside of real estate but I’m only dealing with real estate investments. You want to take a very close look at your real estate holdings to prioritize a list of them from best performing to the least performing. This isn’t always about the property generating the most cash. If you’ve followed my on-going advice, you are controlling property with the least amount of your own money invested. Deciding to cash out or reinvest involves looking at the Return on Investment generated based on how much cash you put into the deal rather than just the amount of cash the property is throwing off each month.

Positive cash flow of $500 per month from an initial investment of $1,500 is much better than the same $500 positive cash flow from a $40,000 investment (reclaim your large investment). With that in mind, conduct a thorough analysis to prioritize your investments from best to least performing. Those at the bottom of the list should next be considered for cash out or reinvest options.  

Cash Out or Reinvest Options

Once you decide to take the equity out of your investment(s), you have several options. Among the most common are:

  • Bring in cash via an equity line of credit or equity loan. This typically brings in 70 to 75 percent of the appreciated value. And you still control the property. Maybe use the money for another bargain investment.
  • Take out 100 percent of the profit by selling. This brings in more cash but you lose control.
  • Offer seller financing to maximize your cash flow and profit while minimizing taxes.
  • Use the cash to invest in another property or two or three. Think “controlling the property for the least amount invested”. Also, think about a 1031 Exchange for this.
  • Use the cash to pay a balloon payment that is coming due on a high cash flow property.
  • Use the cash to take your family on vacation. Taxes will be owed.
  • You might be able to refinance at a lower interest rate to both keep control of the property and improve cash flow.
  • Keep the cash in a reserve fund for emergencies or until a fantastic investment opportunity presents itself.
  • Use the cash to buy real estate secured notes paying 6 to 8 percent interest. This gets you out of the landlord business while still generating a healthy rate of return on your money.

Clearly, there are many considerations available when deciding to cash out or reinvest. If you’re faced with this decision, the good news is that you jumped into the market at the low point and rode it to a healthy profit. Good for you! Successful investors look for this exact opportunity. Now, may well be the time for you to analyze whether you should cash out or reinvest for another profitable round of real estate investing.

By Wendy Patton

For more than 30 years, I’ve used the Sandwich Lease Option System to earn myself and my students millions of dollars. From my experience, I know there is plenty of room and opportunity in the real estate investment market for everyone wanting to participate to find profitable deals. It’s because of that fact and my personal success that I share the Sandwich Lease Option System with others.

If you found this information useful, please visit again soon at wendypatton.com.

For more exclusive content, please subscribe to my RSS Feed and YouTube Channel.

What did you think of this article? Please leave a comment below.

 

Cash Out or Reinvest

There are many ways to raise money to invest in real estate. Or if you already own investment real estate, you could decide to sell and cash it out. The question is if you should cash out or reinvest? Before you answer that question, you need to ask yourself what you will do with the money if you cash out. You could use the money to fund a retirement account like a 401k or IRA but then you still need to find a way to invest and grow that money.

Save-Money[1]
Do you want the money in the stock markets where a self-serving financial adviser is making your investment decisions or at the least, a self-serving board of directors makes all of the financial decisions for a corporation that you personally make a decision to invest in? When making the decision to cash out or reinvest, you could use the money to start you own business. At least you’d still be in control. One thing you almost certainly don’t want to do is put the money in CDs or a saving account paying less than the rate of inflation.

 

Cash Out or Reinvest? – Reinvest

You could invest in gold as many people have done over the past few years as a hedge against hyperinflation. So far, the hyperinflation hasn’t materialized and as the economy has stabilized, the value of gold has declined over the past few years. Real estate is what has been appreciating those same years, out-pacing inflation.

Deciding to cash out or reinvest leans heavily towards reinvesting. When your investment property is appreciating in value and turning a positive cash flow monthly, the logical decision should be to stay in real estate. What you should do is take the time to study the current market. Ask yourself if your current investments are the best investments you can be holding? When it comes to the cash out or reinvest question, the real question is if your current investments are the most profitable that you can be holding.

Cash Out or Reinvest – Find Something More Profitable

First, look at your least profitable investment property. Can you sell that property to invest in one that is more profitable?  Maybe, you don’t even want to sell your least profitable. Can you use existing properties to cross-collateralize a new investment property to further grow your real estate empire? As I’ve said often, real estate investing isn’t about fully owning the most properties; it’s about controlling the most properties. Using existing properties to finance another property could well be your best answer when deciding to cash out or reinvest.

Let’s say that you have an investment property that currently has about a $150,000 mortgage. It’s a 15-year mortgage but you can pull $25,000 of equity out by refinancing. That will raise the cost of the monthly payment on that property by about $35. If that property is worth keeping, it’s certainly paying much more than $35 a month in positive cash flow. Now, you use that $25,000 cash out to invest in another positive cash flow property. This is truly leveraging your investment money because you end up with another profitable investment and another property that is appreciating in value.

What is always smart is to be constantly asking yourself if it’s better to cash out or reinvest. Too many investors get into a property and forget about it. They go year after year without asking themselves if there is a better investment opportunity that they should be pursuing. Or if they should be looking for ways to leverage the investment money they already have. From my experience, even part time investors should be looking for a new real estate investment opportunity about every 18 months. Not only do you have the opportunity to leverage your money, but the more real estate that you control, the more your investments are diversified.

By Wendy Patton

For more than 30 years, I’ve used the Sandwich Lease Option System to earn myself and my students millions of dollars. From my experience, I know there is plenty of room and opportunity in the real estate investment market for everyone wanting to participate to find profitable deals. It’s because of that fact and my personal success that I share the Sandwich Lease Option System with others.

If you found this information useful, please visit again soon at wendypatton.com.

For more exclusive content, please subscribe to my RSS Feed and YouTube Channel.

What did you think of this article? Please leave a comment below.