New squeeze page website!

Check out our new website for foreclosures,.

http://sellyourforeclosurefast.com/

Working with REO brokers

Investing in Real Estate can be exciting, challenging, scarry, and sometimes downright overwhelming. Gone are the days of having to search hours upon hours to find a deal, a good deal is waiting to be had on every other street it seems like these days. When I first starting investing in Real Estate I was overwhelmed by the amount of inventory their was, so I began creating "systems" to track prospective properties all around my town, Jacksonville, FL. As I got more confident and aware of the "game" so to speak I realized my Real Estate community was not as big as I thought it was. Upon driving the areas I began to notice the same broker signs and names associated with those signs. At first I thought I needed to get ahold of every one of these people and tell them who I was, but the more I thought about it I decided to target only 5-7 REO brokers and begin building relationships with those people. Since adopting that strategy my company, Premier Choice Investments, has had extreme success. I buy 3-5 properties from REO brokers every month and have been for quite some time now. I say all that to say this, "How is your relationship with REO brokers in your town?" If it is not that good or if your intimadated with the whole process let me give you some tips that might help. The number one tip I can give you is this, Don't waste there time. Simple isn't it, but it works, always be aware of there time and go the extra mile for them. For example when you call them to introduce yourself don't ramble on about your business and how much you want to pay for properties, they don't care about that, but they will if you build the relationship first and think business second. I want to give you my Top 5 reasons REO brokers will want to work with you. Here yah go.

1. You are always curteous of there time.(Ask them to set you up with an automatic email update for there properties)
2. You don't ask them if they think the bank will take your offer. (Just submit your offer, don't explain why your offer is low, they don't care they just want to sell the property)
3. When you are building the relationship with them tell them this line "I always close" (This will set you apart from the wannabies who always back out because of some reason)
4. When you start building the relationship find out if you have common interests, this will set you apart from the jerk investor who is always about business.
5. After you close a deal with them, bring them the lock box back to there office, this will give you an excuse to meet them which will set you apart from the other investors.(This face to face meeting is crucial because now you are a person not just someone behind the phone)

Creative Financing 101 Pt.2

In my previous article titled "Creative Financing 101" I gave 10 creative financing strategies that you can use in today markets. If you are open minded to unique and creative forms of real estate it will benefit you and your company immensely. I have seen to many times investors get frustrated because deals don't come there way or they can't close a transaction. My advice is, don't give up, in some of the worst circumstances and situations is where I have learned the most. The business can make you feel like your riding a roller coaster sometimes, but what I have observed from my mentors is the people that truly make it big in real estate investing are the ones that have creative minds and perserver the most. So my goal for writing these two article was to help you open your minds to the endless possibilities in Real Estate investing. Now drum roll please, here are the last 10 creative financing techniques that you can use to complete more deals. Please as always use discretion and a little common sense when applying these. 11. 1031 exchange - when the buyer exchanges a property already owned for a property of equal or MORE value, can include profits from a sale of a property, tax benefit
12. Joint venture with seller - when the seller keeps some or all of his equity in the deal for some sort of financial incentive from the transaction
13. Equity Partnership - when the buyer brings a partner in based on equity sharing (some of the equity)
14. Cashing Out - the buyer pays cash for the property with the intent of financing the deal in a short while to take their cash out.
15. Lease with Option to buy - the buyer leases the property with the right to buy it at a future date, can buy and sell this way
16. Cash flow mortgage - buyer negotiates monthly mortgage payments to equal cash flow from rental income
17. Subordination - buyer negotiates owner financing, a mortgage note that will require the seller to take a secondary position to future financing
18. Blanket Mortgage - when one or more properties are encumbered by the same loan and mortgage KEY POINT - predetermine the release figure from each property
19. Alternate goodie method - when the buyer buys or barters something else of value as part of the sales price of the property.
20. Straight Option - when the buyer options the property for a certain period of time at a certain price, notarize the contract, AM, record at the county clerks office, clouding the title
----------If you have any questions regarding any of these strategies or you just want to chat about real estate investing send me an email at scott@jaxhomebuy.com. I enjoy meeting like-minded people. God bless

Everybody Needs a Mentor!

My purpose behind writing this article is two-fold. First, I would like to encourage all people in business to acquire a mentor if you don't already have one. The right mentor with the right motives can be "priceless" for any business man/woman. Secondly, I have just experienced my best month ever, not only in business but personally as well. Of course there are tons of people to thank but I would like to show special appreciation to one person in particular, Omar Periu. I cannot write enough words to express how much I admire, esteem and truly appreciate what this gentleman has done for me and my family. As a real estate investor I was not unlike many in that I knew plenty of strategies, techniques, tips, and all that is associated with Investing in Real Estate. The problem was I struggled putting everything together in order to make money. As you are reading this you may relate to my story, because I had all the knowledge I needed to be successful but I had very little success (money)behind all my knowledge. That is why I am writing this article because I want everyone to get a mentor. According to Webster's Dictionary a mentor can be defined as "a trusted counselor or guide, tutor or coach." Now that I have defined what a mentor is let me ask you a question, Do you have someone that fits the definition of a mentor behind you? If not, I will certaintly recommend Omar to anyone but deeper than that I want to encourage all real estate investors to get a mentor. Notice in the definition is mentioned the word "coach". I don't know about you but I played my fair shair of sports growing up including receiving a basketball scholarship in college. I remember some of the practices and extra work I would have to put in because I wanted to the best I could be. I always wanted to please my coach and for him to tell me I was getting better no matter if it took tough love or not. See, I take the same approach with my coach/mentor now in regards to business. When I get off track or need some advice I have a mentor there that cares about me and can take a third party look at my situation, whether it is a bad real estate deal, negotiating struggles, analyzing a deal, and so on. My point is I have someone and because of that I have reached success at lightning speed, quicker than I would have ever imagined. One of Omar's sayings in regards to a mentor is "when the student is ready the teacher will appear!" What a great concept and philosophy to have. My question to you would be "ARE YOU READY?" Are you coachable, or do you know it all already? Are you a self starter or do you need some motivation to get started? My challenge to you in writing this article is simple, do you have a mentor that challenges you to succeed, if not I would like to introduce the best one in the country to you right now. As a tribute for what he has done in my life I want to give back in any way possible to him because I feel it is the least I could do. If you are ready to experience tremendous growth in all aspects of your life, if you are coachable and willing to learn, and if you are sick and tired of not succeeding I want to introduce you to Omar Periu. His life story is amazing, his success is amazing and his wealth building systems are first class. Out of all the mentors and trainings that I have had nothing even compares to the level of Omar's. Take action today and look him up at http://www.omarperiu.com, I guarantee it will be life changing. He has products that range from negotiation strategies to networking fundamentals and even real estate courses. If you get an opportunity to see him speak your mindset on life and business will change. I want to end this article by saying "Thank you Mr. Periu for changing my life and giving me strategies and systems that produce results."

"Tell me you want and I'll show you how to get it" OMAR PERIU

How to find 300-500 motivated sellers in ONE WEEK!!!! - Property Investment

Before we dive into the content of this article I would first like to say that what I am about to share may not be relevant to all parts of the country or even the areas you like to invest in. But, if you have this service available to you I implore you to look into what I am about to share with you cause it could just put your real estate investing career to the next level. I began utilizing this strategy a couple months back and what I have found is it fits perfect into my investment goals and daily to-do lists. While everyone is fighting over REO inventory and short sale deals, sometimes even bidding up prices over what investors should pay, you should look for a strategy or two that can bring in consistent leads every month. Here are my favorite two. The first involves the "LIS PENDINS" list. Lis pendins is a latin term that is used in the foreclosure process that means "pending lawsuit". Lis pendins is basically the end of the pre-foreclosure phase, and typically the home is auctioned off at the foreclosure sale as quickly as 2 weeks after "LIS PENDINS". This particular phase of the foreclosure process can be a great time to work a real estate deal, mostly because the homeowner is extremely motivated to talk to anyone that can show them some answers. Most counties have what I like to call a "LIS PENDINS" list, and it can be purchased from the county clerks office for a fee. In Duval county, where I conduct most of my business the list costs us $1.00 per page and there are 20-30 cases on each page. We typically purchase 10 pages, and now I have my hands on up to 300 very motivated sellers for ten bucks. However, that is only the beginning, unless your county really does you a favor and gives you the name and property address on the list you have to do some research, this may take you some time especially if you have never done it before. Once you have all the names and addresses simply send them a letter, the first letter you send out should basically say that you are interested in buying there home, and you are currently investing in the area, please call me direct at XXX-XXX-XXXX. Go with the low pressure approach at first and then you can build up from there with multiple letters if you have not heard from your prospects. This is a great strategy to get the phone ringing and talking to live sellers that are willing to sell you there homes. The second strategy also involves the city, but different department. This involves the county code enforcement office, or sometimes called the municipal code department. The catch with this tip is finding the right person to talk to. You want to get in touch with the person responsible for condemned houses. I call it the "unwanted houses list" because most of the time the homeowner is nowhere to be found, plus the home is unlivable a great deal of the time. This list can usually be acquired for free. I recommend asking the code officer to just email you the list, it will sometimes save you a trip downtown or to there office. Once you have the list simply go through it and decide what homes you want to target and the next time you are out looking at other inventory go by and check out the condemned house that is on the list. After viewing the home call the city code department and ask them to tell you what are the code violations they have on file. Once you are armed with that information now you can begin to contact the homeowner to see what there position on the home is. These two strategies are great to add to your investing tool belt because the competition will be at a minumum, which is great news for you and your company. Feel free to visit my website at www.jaxhomebuy.com and my blog-premierchoicejax.blogspot.com for more info on real estate investing.

About the Author

Scott MacDonald is President and CEO of Premier Choice Investments, LLC located in Jacksonville, FL. Premier Choice Investments purchases 5-10 homes per month in Northeast Florida and surrounding areas. Since starting the company in 2008 Scott has been investing in Real Estate full time and has experienced tremendous growth. Scott has quickly become an expert and guide for other real estate investors all over the Sunshine State.

Open House Millions - Selling

I was recently speaking with a competitor of mine, after small chitchat he asked me what I was working on at the moment. After explaining to him that I was preparing my team for our upcoming "open house" he laughed at me. His comments were as follows "Scott, you know nobody comes to those things anymore!", "Why are you wasting your time on that old technique?", and to finish it off "I haven't sold a home using an open house in years!" I wasn't completely shocked by his comments but I was a bit surprised at his anti open house stance. After replaying his comments over in my head for the next several days I did some investigating and found most of my investor friends do not hold open houses either. I began asking myself "why is that" and "do they honestly believe they can't sell at an open house?" Well, you can probably tell from the title of this article my stance is quite different. I believe if handled the proper way an open house can be a great asset to you and your business. I want to give you some tips and strategies for holding an open house the right way, more than that I am going to share with you what I call the "launch method" for an open house. The first point I would like to make involves timing. Timing is first because it is the most crucial point. Too many investors finish a rehab project and then stick it on the MLS(multiple list service) and expect a realtor to bring them a buyer. Well that certaintly is the hands off way to sell a home, but lets face it, in 2010 that is simply unacceptable if you are trying to move homes quickly. I believe in launching the property. Launching is simply the term we use because we are in a sense creating a buzz and building momentum for people to see our property. In reference to timing, I recommend not scheduling an open house around any kind of holidays. To further my point, also check and see if there are any events or special community functions taking place the weekend of your open house. You do not want to compete with entertainment, but you want your prospective customers to see value in coming to your open house. Once you pick the appropriate date, it is now time to begin your property launch. A simple sign in the yard will not do. Here are a couple tips you can use to get people through the door. About 2 weeks before your open house send the neighbors a letter, I would start around 100-150 of the closest ones. The letter should be short but should state something like this, "We are proud to announce the dates for our upcoming open house, we apologize for the dust and noise the last couple of weeks, but here is some of the features you can expect to see in you attend our open house." Neighbors are nosey, and you want to take advantage of this. This makes the surrounding neighbors not close to your home aware of what has been taking place and more importantly what they can expect in the future. The next letter or flyer you will send out will be approximately 2-3 days before the open house. This letter will be your call to action letter. You have already introduced your company and what you are doing, now it is time to involve them. The letter should reinforce the dates of the open house, plus give them the features and benefits of the home again, but more importantly you are going to give them a "bring me a buyer bargain." In my letters I state I will personally hand them $500-$1,000 cash if they bring me a buyer and I close with that person. This really gets there attention because now you have generated a buzz surrounding your home. What I have found is neighbors begin getting creative, they start thinking about the grandkids moving closer or the parents that may be up north and have talked about moving or possibly friends that want to live closer to each other. There are so many scenarios and I have heard them all, the most important point is these people have now become your sales people. Secondy, now you can involve the professionals, the realtors and mortgage brokers. I give them extra incentive too when they bring me a buyer. I use email for this. It is wise to call some the local real estate offices and ask for the top sales and listing professionals in that office, once you speak to them get there email and tell them what you are all about. Send the email on the wednesday or thursday before the open house. After talking to there clients they might put your home on the list to see that upcoming weekend. Once again timing is everything. Here is a few things that you should have at your open house: table with chairs, light refreshments (water, cookies, veggie tray), flyers of the home with an incentive some where on the flyer, a recent real estate article (make sure it is relevant, for example a one page article on interest rates and how they are the lowest in history), sign it sheet, mints or candy, and last but most important a contract. My last point that I want to cover involves sales. It is crucial that you spend some time with your team and update them on the procedures for the open house. My recommendations are this: update them on the school system, the recent home sales in the area, nearby shops and restuarants, history on the home, rebates, incentives, and warranties of the products in the home. These are all questions you and your staff will be asked at the open house, if you want to be ahead of the curve know all this information, this will give your buyers confidence in there soon to be purchase. Also teach your staff about the sales process, require them to read material on the subject and educate them throughout there time with you. This will make you an expert in your area and more importantly help you move more inventory.

About the Author

Scott MacDonald is President and CEO of Premier Choice Investments, LLC located in Jacksonville, FL. Premier Choice Investments purchases 5-10 homes per month in Northeast Florida and surrounding areas. Since starting the company in 2008 Scott has been investing in Real Estate full time and has experienced tremendous growth. Scott has quickly become an expert and guide for other real estate investors all over the Sunshine State.

Understanding the Foreclosure Process

As Real Estate Investors, if you are going to work with sellers it is imperative you understand the foreclosure process. Knowledge is power in this game so it is important to know all aspects of a foreclosure in the state you are doing business in. To be thorough lets first define foreclosure, according to Wikipedia a "Foreclosure is the legal and professional proceeding in which a mortgagee, or other lien holder, usually a lender, obtains a court ordered termination of a mortgagor's equitable right of redemption". Next, depending on what state you are in the mortgage process can be a significantly different process. The two most important things to find out are if your state is a judicial state or non-judicial state. My recommendation is to go online to learn the differences between the two. Finally, you need to know the timeline for the foreclosure process, from beginning to end. A general timeline in most states would be as follows: Borrower is late on a payment, after 15 days late charges are now assessed and the bank tries to contact the borrower. After 60 days late the bank then sends a "demand" letter which demands payment in full including all late charges. The borrower is given 30 days to pay the bank or they will begin the foreclosure process. This period is typically known as the pre-foreclosure period. At approximately 90 days late the bank hires a local attorney to handle the foreclosure which is then followed by "LIS PENDENS". Lis pendens is latin for pending lawsuit. Once lis pendens is filed the process can vary in length from 30 days to 6 months. On a side note "Lis Pendens" is the best time to contact homeowners in regards to their property. My belief in that statement is due to the fact that most borrowers have given up once they have reached lis pendens. The next step involves notifying the county of the pending judgment or lawsuit; this is commonly known as the default period and is handled by the foreclosure attorney represented by the bank. We now come to the final judgment period; this is where everything is put together before the county auction. Dates are now set, advertising the property for sale is completed and off we go to the public sale, or foreclosure sale. If the property does not sell at the county auction the property now becomes an asset of the lending institution. These properties are referred to as REO's or Real Estate Owned. According to statistics 85% of all properties that go through the county public sale become REO's. That number is staggering but not surprising considering all the bank inventory we see every day in various markets. As investors, no matter what foreclosure stage you like to buy in it is important to know to realize the process as a whole. As always consult your mentor or legal counsel before playing in the foreclosure game, especially when it comes to pre foreclosure and auction purchases. Pay especially close attention to the liens on the property and how they affect your purchase.

About the Author

Scott MacDonald is President and CEO of Premier Choice Investments, LLC located in Jacksonville, FL. Premier Choice Investments purchases 5-10 homes per month in Northeast Florida and surrounding areas. Since starting the company in 2008 Scott has been investing in Real Estate full time and has experienced tremendous growth. Scott has quickly become an expert and guide for other real estate investors all over the Sunshine State.

Investing in Foreclosures - Property Investment

Investing in Foreclosures - Property Investment

Buying vs Renting a home.

Have you ever asked yourself this question, "Should I continue to rent a home or look for a Home to buy?" If you are like millions of Americans you have probably at one time or another asked yourself that question. I know this is a subjective question based on circumstances, financial position, and location but the simple fact is Homeownership could be the best financial decision you will ever make. I do not want to get into the pros and cons of both because that has been beat to death but what i do want to suggest is take a practical look into the housing market we are in right now. If there was ever a time to purchase a home it is, NOW! Why? Right now in certain parts of the country you can purchase homes for less than they were purchased 20 years ago. I personally buy 5-10 homes per month and I am buying homes for less than what people paid for them in 1975 (the year is just an example). You don't even have to look hard to find a great deal, there is about one in every neighborhood. The appreciation potential you can experience from this type of purchase can put you 10-15 years ahead when it comes to equity position. Also, last month bankrate.com announced that interest rates are at an all time low. All time low, I thought 5.5% was low already. So lets review a sec, you can purchase a home in 2010 for equal or lower than when it was brand new in the 70's and 80's but not have to lock in double digit interest rates, that to me sounds like a true bargain. Now, back to buying vs renting, taxable advantages aside, owning your own home is still the American Dream, because of this mortgage companies are offering low down payment and closing cost incentives. FHA (Federal Housing Administration)promotes homeownership and offers mortgages with as little as 3.5% down. Now that is a far cry from 100% financing but if you live in a rural area you can get one of those through USDA. That's right, the same people that approve the beef we eat offers 100% financing. Lets face it, you need to do some homework before you get started, but Homeownership is an attainable goal even in a rough economy and not only that, you will thank yourself in 10-15 years. For more information on Homeownership visit my website www.jaxhomebuy.com

Analyzing the deal!

Very well written article on the how the internet and social networking websites have changed the game or real estate.

http://www.futureofrealestatemarketing.com/2010/09/29/the-real-estate-industry-constant-state-of-evolution-and-change-%E2%80%93-are-you-on-board/

One of my recent video's that contains a few tricks of the trade for how to locate, buy and sell real estate in Jacksonville Fl

Great article regarding first time homebuying!!

I read this today at cnnmoney.com and found some great tools and strategies for all of you first time home buyers out there to look and prepare for before making this crucial investment.

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/money101/lesson8/

I know its not tax season.. but here are some benefits for owning a home!

http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Buying_a_House_What_You_Should_Know_About_Government_Tax_Incentives.html

Owner Financing with Premier Choice Investments

Highly recommend this website for anyone looking to save some cash by being energy efficient.

This website includes tax breaks, credits and other useful information you can applywhen shopping for replacement items for your home, or soon to be residence.

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index

Nice rental property

Just sold this home to a lucky buyer. Her first rental home, we are excited for her.

If you are looking to purchase a home in the next few months here is a great article for potential home buyers. It keeps it simple and to the point.

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/money101/lesson8/

Great article on buying real estate in 2010. The time to buy is now, interest rates are the lowest in history, prices are low, and financing is easier than you think.


http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=3114217

Own this home for pennies on the dollar. Newer home built in 2005 with all the upgrades. Awesome deal on the westside of Jacksonville.

Premier Choice Investments is your source for the best owner financing in Jacksonville, FL. Learn how you can purchase a home no matter what your situation is!!!!

We are proud to show off our new company logo, we introduced it last week and have had great response from it. Investing in Real Estate is truly my passion and I look forward to helping others achieve there dreams too.