Sleaze-free Real Estate Investing

In this episode, Jeff sits down with Nate, a client in The DEALS Workshop, who recently bought a great property off-market with Seller Financing.  Nate tells the story of the whole deal, from meeting the Seller to negotiating the purchase, making adjustments through the due diligence period, and getting it closed.  He also tells the story of a simultaneous negotiation he had with a different Seller, and explains how having those two negotiations happening at the same time was very helpful, and an incredible learning experience.   Learn to buy Seller-Financing properties off-market, the thoughtful way:  http://www.thedealsworkshop.com

One of the challenges of real estate investing is that there are so many different ways to do it—so many different acquisition strategies, property types, income strategies, etc.  Simply learning about them all and sampling each one could seemingly take a lifetime by itself!  So how do you know when you’ve found the right strategy for you?  How do you know it’s OK to stop learning about every other strategy, and simply commit to one strategy?  In this episode, Jeff discusses the journey of exploring different strategies, and suggests how to know when you’ve found your place in the broader real estate investing world:  when you’ve discovered a strategy that resonates both with your head and your heart.   Learn to buy Seller-Financing properties off-market, the thoughtful way:  http://www.thedealsworkshop.com

When it comes to getting Seller Financing loans, how exactly do we quality as borrowers?  Is there an application to complete with the Seller? How do they decide if we are safe to loan money to?  In this episode, Jeff discusses the secret to qualifying for Seller Financing loans, which is to demonstrate who we are to Sellers, rather than telling them.  Jeff provides several tactical and specific examples of things you can do to show the Seller who you are, and ultimately to qualify for the Seller Financing loan.   Learn to buy Seller-Financing properties off-market, the thoughtful way:  http://www.thedealsworkshop.com

In this bonus episode, Jeff shares an exciting new offering:  a FREE Seller Financing 101 video training course.  After hundreds of conversations with real estate investors, it became clear to Jeff that in order for the Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneur community to have advanced conversations about harnessing Seller Financing strategies, we first needed to establish a common framework and language of the fundamental concepts of Seller Financing.  In this episode, Jeff shares the audio from the first video in the series.  You can register for this free Seller Financing 101 video training course at http://www.sellerfinancing-101.com 

Many investors think that their interests as Buyers are diametrically opposed to the interests of Sellers—that Buyers simply want to pay the least, and Sellers simply want to get paid the most.  But is this really true? And if Buyer and Seller have opposing interests, how do so many deals get done?  Is every party disappointed at the end of every transaction?  In this episode, Jeff discusses why Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs know that Buyer and Seller actually have interests that are truly aligned, which leads to win-win negotiations.  Learn to buy Seller-Financing properties off-market, the thoughtful way:  http://www.thedealsworkshop.com

For many real estate investors, seeing the market shift from being an extreme Seller’s market to being a more balanced market—if not in favor of Buyers—is a very welcome sight!  They are getting excited about being able to buy more properties than they’ve been able to these past few years.  But is buying MORE real estate always the best way to take advantage of this new market cycle?  Perhaps not.  In this episode, Jeff discusses the difference between buying MORE real estate, and buying BETTER real estate, and explains the importance of becoming more discerning as Buyers.     Learn to buy Seller-Financing properties off-market, the thoughtful way:  http://www.thedealsworkshop.com

When we are having a conversation with a Seller, we must be able to respond to the Seller’s comments and questions in real-time.  And because we’re human, we have a natural tendency to “react” to their comments—either giving them the impression of agreement or disagreement. But often times the best way to respond is not to agree or to disagree, but to gather more information and keep the conversation moving forward.  In this episode, Jeff shares a powerful three-word sentence you can use as a go-to, all-purpose tool to respond to Sellers, and explains why it’s so powerful.  Learn to buy Seller-Financing properties off-market, the thoughtful way:  http://www.thedealsworkshop.com   

It’s no secret—the real estate market is currently changing.  After a few years of a strong Seller’s market, the market is currently balancing itself out.  Many people are now exclaiming, “we can finally get Seller Financing again!”  And it’s true that Seller Financing is quickly become a more and more accessible tool.  But it’s important to understand that Seller Financing was always a great tool—even in the Seller’s market.  In this episode, Jeff explains the changing role of Seller Financing in today’s market.  

When we think about the benefit of owning rental properties, we often think about financial freedom. And when we think of financial freedom, we think of having the ability to stop working so that we can spend our time doing things that we enjoy far more in our lives—spending time with family, traveling, volunteering, etc.  In this episode, Jeff shares a personal story about how he was reminded that financial freedom from real estate actually also offers a different type of benefit, as well.  

Have you ever considered a real estate investment strategy where you partner with other investors, and contribute money into their deals—having a small slice of of a much larger pie?  If so, this episode is for you.  In this interview, Jeff chats with Julie Holly of The Conscious Investor podcast.  Julie is an investor in multifamily properties through syndication, and works with private investors to fund deals.  Jeff and Julie discuss what it means to be a conscious investor, the journey of experimenting with multiple different types of real estate investing, and the perks of multifamily syndications.  

You’ve got big plans, goals and dreams….but are you ready to pursue them?  Humans crave comfort, and comfort comes from perceiving that you’re “ready” for whatever you going to undertake next in your life.  But do you need to wait until you’re ready?  Is waiting until you’re ready actually hindering your progress?  In this episode, Jeff discusses the illusion of readiness, and offers five reasons why you should NOT wait until you feel “ready” to pursue your next endeavor—whether that’s buying a rental property, starting a business, leaving your job or anything else.

“How much does it cost?”  These words roll so naturally out of our mouths when presented with an opportunity to buy something. But is “how much does it cost” really the right first question?  In most cases, no.  Why? Because we don’t yet know enough about the thing we are potentially purchasing, to evaluate it if it’s really a good VALUE.  In this episode, Jeff discusses the difference between price and value, and explains why as real estate entrepreneurs, we need to be far more focused on value than price, or else we will miss many entrepreneurial opportunities to make massive financial headway.  

A talented and experienced Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneur has the skills and tools to make deals work that most other investors can’t. And that’s a great thing!  But should a real estate investor say yes and do every deal they can, just because they can find a way to make it work?  No, they shouldn’t.  In this episode, Jeff discusses the critical importance of holding two ideas in a healthy tension:  finding ways to say yes to a deal, but finding reasons to say no to a deal. When we have the talents and skills to make deals work, paired with the discretion to turn down mediocre opportunity, we make better decisions.  

Have you ever considered investing in mobile homes as rental properties?  For many of us, it’s an interesting and intriguing idea, but one we’re not very familiar with.  Mobile homes are an asset class within real estate investing that for many people is loaded with stereotypes, generalizations and even stigma.  In this episode, Jeff interviews mobile home investing expert and author of “How to Buy Mobile Homes,” Adrian Smude from Lifestyle REI.  Adrian and Jeff have a wide-ranging conversation, discussing everything from the 3 different ways to invest in mobile homes, to seller financing for mobile homes, to relationship-based negotiation with the Seller, and more.  

As Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs, we have a core thesis about how we do business.  It’s our strongest belief and the guiding principle for how we go about building wealth through real estate.  It says, “Designing your entire acquisition and finance strategy around relationship development directly with Sellers creates better outcomes for BOTH them and you.”  In this episode, Jeff breaks down this thesis statement into its many parts and explains the importance of each one.  Check out this episode and you’ll find yourself even more excited and committed to growing your rental portfolio as Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneur.  

When it comes to working directly with sellers—especially with seller financing or other creative financing—creating the right deal structures can admittedly seem a little complicated.  But ultimately, every deal simply comes down to three simple things:  1) what are you giving me?  2) what am I giving you?  3) what form does the things we are giving each other take?  In this episode, Jeff breaks down this simple framework in detail and provides examples of how to answer each of these three questions.  

Most people will tell you that real estate investing is all about the brain—looking at numbers and making purely rational decisions. These same people will tell you that they love any property that makes them money.  That may be one type of “love,” but there’s another type of love as well:  truly loving the properties you own themselves.  In this episode, Jeff discusses that there is great value and benefit in building a portfolio of properties you truly love.  

Let’s face it, real estate is a complex topic.  From numbers to forms and documents, to terminology, there’s a lot that has to be discussed between Buyer and Seller.  In the world of sales and marketing, it’s often said that “a confused mind always says no.”  The same is true for Sellers. You can have the best offer or proposal in the world, but if the Seller feels at all confused by any or all of it, their default response will be to say ‘no.’  In this episode, Jeff discusses the importance of not only making a great proposal, but presenting that proposal in a way that the Seller can follow and understands well.  

As real estate investors growing a portfolio, our perspective on the world is that we BUY properties.  But really, it would be more accurate to say that Sellers SELL properties.  Why?  Because there’s no transaction unless the Seller would prefer to trade what they currently have (a property and situation) for something different that they would consider “better.”  In this episode, Jeff explains that when we reorient our perspective to appreciate that properties aren’t actually bought, but rather sold, it helps us see that the game we are really playing in our acquisition efforts is the game of Seller Relations—the process of gaining empathy to facilitate a conversation in which the Seller can clarify exactly what they would be willing to trade their current property and situation for.  When we successfully navigate Seller Relations, we get Sellers to say “yes” to our proposals.  

You’ve heard the expression before:  “everything is for sale at the right price!”  But is it that actually true?  No, it’s not.  It’s close, but not quite accurate—and the distinction is an important one for Thoughtful Real Estate Entrepreneurs to understand, if they are to get the ‘yes’ they need from their Sellers.  In this episode, Jeff explains why it’s not true that “everything is for sale at the right price,” and explains the more accurate statement:  “everything is for sale when you can give the Seller something they’d prefer to have more.”