Articles

 

Hey Affiliates!

Here are a few articles for your use. You are free to publish these articles in your e-zine, on your website, on your blog or on your forum, provided the entire article is left un-altered* and the "about the author" resource box is included in its entirety. All you need to do is copy and paste.

*Don't forget to replace all www.win-winforeclsoure.com links with your affiliate hoplink.

 

 

 
 

 

Buying Foreclosures and Preforeclosure: Financing Options

By: Ross Craft

At first, it may seem like real estate investing is reserved for the well off or at least the financially comfortable family. If you are of low to moderate means, you may dream of investing in real estate but feel that it is an impossible dream because you cannot afford to get started. You know that once you get that first break, you could make a lot of money. You’re smart; you’re savvy, but you need a little help taking that first step.

 In solving the problem of down payments look first at your  own resources.  The reason is that real estate investors often overlook valuable resources right under their own noses. They frequently have personal real estate property, talents, expertise, or equity resources that could be used to acquire desirable real estate property. And sometimes they even have cash or inheritances that could be applied .

 If you have money, use it, but use it with skill and creativity. The conventional real estate investor with $25,000 to spare will go out into the marketplace and plunk the full amount down on a single real estate property. He might find a nice rental home worth $60,000 with a $35,000 mortgage. His first instinct is to take his $25.000 and cash out the seller. There will be no contract payments or balloon mortgages to worry about. Very likely there will be a modest positive cash flow after expenses and debt service are taken care of. He is happy watching his rental unit appreciate in value.

By way of contrast, the creative real estate investor takes his $25,000 and distributes it over. Let's say five rental homes worth a total of $300,000.  Here's how it works:

Using my Cookie Cutter Approach To Preforeclosures,  the investor would find the five preforeclosures and buy them for 50cents on the dollar, making up the back payments and giving the home owner money to move. (the total cash would be $5,000 each house )  He would have $300,000 worth of property with mortgages of only $150,000, creating $150,000 in equity with a $25,000 investment.   This is using a combination of creative acquisition techniques and strategies. This real estate investor puts out only $5,000 on each of the homes.  The outcome is that he controls the growth of five times the real estate for the same amount of investment.  He can flip these houses and turn that equity into cash.

In either case, the best approach might be to use the cash resources as collateral to borrow down payment funds. That way the cash assets can remain in the hands of the real estate investor and earn a substantial amount of interest. The same might be true of coming inheritances that would be acceptable as collateral on loans.

Another financing option for buying foreclosures involves the equity in your home, if you own one. By refinancing your house, you may be able to get enough money to purchase a low-end foreclosure. Once your investment sells, put the money that you borrowed back into your home and use the profit earned to finance your next project.

If you don’t own your home, you are in a great position to begin buying foreclosures. As a first-time homebuyer, you will be eligible for many unique financing options that can save you a bundle of money. Plus, you can earn tax breaks if you live in the home while you’re fixing it up for resale. Here’s how it works: You buy an inexpensive foreclosed home, live in it for two years while you fix it up all the while paying the bank note down, sell the house for profit after two years, and walk away without paying any taxes on your earnings. Now you can use this money for buying even more foreclosures.

Those options only start to cover  financing, and don’t take into account many types of creative financing. When you throw in hard money loans, seller-carry mortgages and lease options into the mix, your options, whether you have cash, credit or neither, really take off.

See, there is a way for everyone to become a real estate investor no matter how small their means.

About the Author: Ross Craft is a real estate investor and author of the best selling ebook "The Cookie Cutter Approach To A Preforeclosure Fortune," which teaches you how to acquire property in pre-foreclosure with a successful, proven way to approach homeowners and get the deal. Learn the strategies that the top investors have quietly used to make a fortune in real estate, by visiting http://www.win-winforeclosures.com

 

Back To Affiliate Page

 


 
Build a Real Estate Fortune With  Self Directed IRAs

 

By: Ross Craft

Hi,

Thank you for you interest in using self directed IRA's to enhance your real estate fortune. When you begin to use "The Cookie Cutter Approach To A Preforeclosure Fortune" you will start making big profitable deals, which will lead you to considering the tax consequences of earning all that money.  You see, dollar-for-dollar, nothing provides a better return on investment than investing in what you know (real estate) in a tax-free environment that retirement plans provide.

 

Have you been burnt by that hot stock tip? Or just been upset the market's general unpredictability?

 

Imagine buying and selling real state or  keeping  for investment  and having the profit or appreciation tax free. Would it make you sleep better at night, knowing that you could go and see your retirement growing in front of your eyes?

In this report, you will discover the secrets to Real Estate IRAs and wealth generation for you and your family.

 

.

 

 

 

 

The Basics:

 

Do you think that your only retirement investment option is the stock market or low-yielding CDs?

Most real estate investors aren't aware that they can use their retirement savings, such as IRAs, 401(k) and other qualified plans, to invest in real estate. In addition, many do not fully understand the incredible wealth-building powers these government-sanctioned plans hold.

Any IRA invested in low-interest CDs or government bonds will grow exponentially due to the tax-deferred or tax-free status that IRAs possess. That's fine - if you are satisfied with low investment returns and believe that they will keep you ahead of the inflation rate and meet your retirement needs. For most investors, low-rate fixed investments are not the answer, so many have turned to the stock market.

 

Though the stock market can offer significantly higher returns, many investors in recent years have seen their retirement plans derailed or significantly altered. Historically, the stock market has been a sound investment over time. But looking more closely, the market has achieved virtually all of its gains over relatively short bull-market surges.

Given its historic ups-and-downs, do you really want to bet your retirement exclusively on the U.S. stock market rising in value? Can you be confident that the money you will need will be there when you need it?

 

You do have options."

 

Other investors, using their current investment strategies in real estate or other alternative assets, are able to achieve substantially greater returns in their IRA plans than they would by investing in stocks or mutual funds.

When you combine the powers of an IRA with the knowledge and expertise of a real estate entrepreneur, such as, investors using "The Cookie Cutter Approach To A Preforeclosure Fortune" the result can be an opportunity for tremendous financial growth.

By creating, transferring, or rolling over a 401(k) to a truly self-directed IRA, you will have complete control over how these funds are going to be invested.

Imagine being able to complete real estate transactions almost exactly as you are currently doing them, but gaining the added advantages offered by IRAs and their tax-deferred/free

 

Why haven't I heard about this before?"

 

Most investors don't know this opportunity exists because most IRA custodians do not offer truly self-directed IRAs that allow Americans to invest in real estate and other non-traditional investments.

Often, when you ask your custodian/trustee, "Can I invest my retirement funds in real estate?" they will say, "I've never heard of that" or, "No, you can't do that."

What they really mean is that you can't do this at their company because they have a vested interest in getting you to invest in their stock, mutual fund or CD products.

One company I have discovered that is a true self-directed IRA custodian is Equity Trust Company .  They will not only allow you to invest in all forms of real estate (or other investments not prohibited by the Internal Revenue Service), but will also handle all transactions within your IRA.  You should check them out for yourself.

 

"How do I know this is legal?"

 

For many years, corporations (large and small) as well as individual Americans have been using their retirement funds to invest in real estate using with IRAs, 401(k)s and other pension plans.

But because most Americans have not been educated about their options, they might wonder, "Is this legal?"

Well, quite simply, it is.

But don't take my word for it, just look at information published by the ultimate authority on IRAs, the Internal Revenue Service. In IRS Publication 590 (dealing with IRAs), it states what investments are prohibited; these investments include artwork, stamps, rugs, antiques, and gems.

All other investments, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate, mortgages, and private placements, are perfectly acceptable as long as IRS rules governing retirement plans are followed.

 

We can also look to information provided on the IRS website. The following is an excerpt from an FAQ section about IRAs:

"Are there any restrictions on the things I can invest my IRA in?

The law does not permit IRA funds to be invested in collectibles such as:

·        Artwork

·        Stamps

·        Rugs

·        Antiques

The law also does not permit IRA funds to be invested in life insurance contracts. See Code section 408(m) for additional investment restrictions.

 

 

Finally, IRA trustees are permitted to impose additional restrictions on investments. For example, because of administrative burdens, many IRA trustees do not permit IRA owners to invest IRA funds in real estate.

IRA law does not prohibit investing in real estate, but trustees are not required to offer real estate as an option.

  

"Now that I understand the basics, let's talk about how self-directed IRAs can benefit me!"

 

 

As mentioned before, an IRA is one of the most powerful wealth-building tools available to real estate investors. But why is this? What benefits can an IRA offer that your present investing strategies cannot?

Well, there are several benefits,  you will see how an IRA can provide investors much more than just a way to save for retirement.

 

If you have enjoyed this report, why not forward it to an associate or colleague who can profit from this information? They'll thank you for it!

 

About The Author:  Ross Craft is a real estate investor and author of the book “The Cookie Cutter Approach To A Preforeclosure Fortune”.  If you need more information, he can be reached at http://www.win-winforeclosures.com

 

 

Back To Affiliates Page

 

 

Calculating Real Estate Profit

By: Ross Craft
http://www. win-winforeclosures.com

There are many things that can affect your profit margin when investing in real estate. Being knowledgeable about all aspects of making money in real estate and learning to recognize all of the costs that you could incur with any given real estate investment will help you to choose good investment properties and avoid those that are more trouble than they are worth.

By now you probably already know how to calculate how much gross profit a property can potentially earn. To do this all you have to do is take the market value of the home and subtract your purchase price to see how much profit the property could potentially make you. But this is only a skeleton glimpse into the potential of the property, making money in real estate requires that you know every hidden cost, no matter how small, that could reduce your profit margin.  If you don’t have a good feel for housing repair costs, ask a contractor to bid on the project before you buy.  By the way, one of the most difficult decisions to make in rehabbing is how much is enough.  If you look at a property and think, this needs to be taken down to the studs and rebuilt, you should probably move on the next deal.  If you use my “Cookie Cutter” approach finding once in a lifetime deals happen weekly.

 Make sure that you account for every repair. Get estimates and price supplies. Don’t guess. Attention to detail will make it more likely that you will be to stay on budget during the construction phase of your project. Oh, and don’t forget about building permit fees.

You will also need to account for any liens that you will inherit with the property. Liens can include arrearages in property taxes or any other bill that has been attached to the property for collection purposes. Being able to find these hidden costs is key to making money in real estate.

Carrying costs will also need to be subtracted from the gross profit potential of the investment. These include any taxes, loan payments, interest payments, and insurance costs that you will have to pay while you own the property. These costs will continue to mount as long as you hold the property. That is why it is very important to move a property quickly when making money in real estate.

You will also need to take into account inspection fees, brokerage commissions, legal fees, and advertising costs that you will have to cover when it comes time to sell the property. Include everything that you can think of. This will help you avoid any hidden costs and give you a clearer picture of what you stand to earn on each and every property investment that you make.

About the Author: Ross Craft is a real estate investor and author of the best selling ebook "The Cookie Cutter Approach To A Preforeclosure Fortune" which teaches you how to acquire property in pre-foreclosure with a successful, proven way to approach homeowners and get the deal. Learn the strategies that the top investors have quietly been using to make a fortune by visiting

  http://www.win-winforeclosure.com

 

Back To Affiliate Page


Making Money in Real Estate: Common Mistakes

By: Ross Craft

http://www.win-winforeclosure.com

When it comes to making money in real estate the highest profits can be found in the art of flipping. Flipping real estate is the process of buying a fixer home under value, doing the necessary work, and reselling it for substantial profit. But while there are great profits to be earned in flipping real estate, there is also a potential for loss.

The key to making money in real estate is to maximize profits and minimize loss; both of which can be done by avoiding these mistakes most commonly made by real estate investors:

  • Buying over-priced properties – Making money in real estate requires buying a home substantially under value so that you can resell it for a much higher price. If you buy a home that is only marginally under market value, you will have a hard time selling it for profit. Remember; you must also budget repairs, legal fees, broker commissions, taxes, operating costs, and leave room for unforeseen expenses. As you can imagine, all of these can dramatically affect your bottom line.
  • Buying properties that need too much work (for your individual experience) – While making money in real estate through property flips always involves some amount of remodel or repair work, you can purchase properties that are too far gone to make a profitable flip feasible. Always have a good idea of how much the needed work is going to cost before you purchase a home.  For details of my experience see Case Study X
  • Not performing a title search – If you purchase property by traditional means, a title search will be performed for you. But if you buy foreclosed homes, it might be up to you to perform a title search on your own. Never underestimate the need for a title search. Keep in mind that you will inherit all legal issues and liens associated with a property when you buy it.  A discussion of how to do a title search is included in my book "The Cookie Cutter Approach To A Preforeclosure Fortune"
  • Sticking to schedule – Making money in real estate only happens when you buy and sell a property quickly. If you hold onto a property for too long, you will have to pay bank loans and interest charges. Make sure that all of your construction stays on schedule to avoid these costly charges.  You can learn from my experience thru my Case Study VI  "What Not To Do With A Foreclosure" which is included in my book or it can be bought separately.

Sometimes making money in real estate has less to do with the smart choices you make and more to do with avoiding the costly mistakes that can cut into your profits. Keeping your eyes open for potential losses will ensure that you keep your hard-earned profit where it belongs.

About the Author: Ross Craft is a real estate investor and author of the best selling ebook "The Cookie Cutter Approach To A Preforeclosure Fortune," which teaches a step by step process for finding and acquiring property in pre-foreclosure with a successful, proven way to prospect and get the deal. Learn the strategies that the top investors have quietly been using to make a real estate fortune by visiting http://www.win-winforeclosures.com

 

Back To Affiliates Page



 

             Privacy Statement             Legal

 

(c) 2007 DominatePreforeclosures.com