Rina

Hello girl,

I hope the day finds you well. Ya know I realized that I need to get more organized with my book-keeping.

I seriously just use a piece of paper in my microsoft works and keep a running tally of expenses. My property manager does a monthly statement but that's all.

So I wanted to ask you if you use a book-keeper or a computer program? I know you have many rentals and I am hoping you can suggest a good one?

I am going to have to go with commercial loans now. They want extra things that weren't required with the traditional 30 yr fixed loans. Such as finacial statements/balance sheets, profits & losses, rent rolls etc, etc.

Any suggestions you may have would be greatly appreicated. I am really feeling overwhelmed and can't believe all these new things I need to provide for them that I am totally unfamiliar with.

I know that when I do it a few times it will become second nature. It's just getting started with the new is always a little daunting at first. Aaagghhh. lol.

All my best,
Angie Novigrod

congrads on top user! I need about double what I got to be on the list

Rina, what other medals and things do I need to become a inner circle member!? I want to be one so bad! lol

Its nice to see you so enthused about real estate but the badges and points on here are not just because you reply to a message.

Points are given for each post/reply that you create. But the badges are awarded as a means of achievemnt. You received badges for posting relavent information and content. By doing deals and helping others along the way.

Collecting point/badges will not automatically get you into the INNER CIRCLE. The members of the inner cirsle are chosen by DG staff and other members within the Circle. They again, base this on content, growth and a number of other factors. FYI there are members og DG.com that have been on here over a year that still have not been selected.

Its nice that you strive to achieve these things but if you are serious about REI then keep learning and keep asking questions and your time will come.

Much success to you and I hope you are gaining the knowledge you need here on DG.com to make you into a force to be recconed with soon to come.

How are ya?

not sure why this is out of chronological order hmmm...

Hope the response in the PM was sufficient. Didn't see you had posted here too. Good luck!!

Rina

I see you tried catching me here first.
Hope the PM helped. Let me know what you come up with. Always looking for better efficiency.

Rina

If the "how are ya" was for me, doing fine, thank you. Hope you are as well.

Anita gave you some great info and advice concerning badges/IC (thanks, Nita). Keep plugging away at your learning. You've got quite the spirit and a good head on your shoulders. You might just be the one that gets mom & dad back into REI.

I can tell you're having fun, so I know you'll never quit!
Good to have you here.

Rina

Yeah this site is the funniest site! Better then facebook or rate my drawings!

This site is the funnest but there is funny stuff on here like when dean gets hype! I get to hyper and thats a disadvantige about me! (Also I need to learn to spell lol)

Ok thanks for the reply Anita!but im the kind of person that strives till they get what they want, I know that sounds like a brat but it has helped me in understanding real estate and is going to help me become who I want and need to be.

Rina,

I know there's a wealth of information here that can answer almost any question about REI, but I cant seem to find an answer to this one.

I noticed you accomplished a "simultaneous closing" a couple months back so I figured you'd be a great person to ask.

I am attempting to do a double close with an REO and transactional funding. However, is it true that most banks require you to use their own title company? I've been given this stringent information by a broker who says that routinely, the EM deposit needs to be held by the Sellers title company : (

Only problem is thier title company probably wont administer this type of deal.

Did you run into any trouble with this? Do you have any suggestions to get around this?

Thanks for all the help you can provide!

Angela.

Hi Rina-you're an inspiration

I did want to ask about realtors. I've been floating these questions around and wanted to get your take on it. I've found one, but want to make sure that I use her in the best way possible. What is the best way to do that? Does she make my offers for me and find target properties? What else should my realtor do? Also, if there is another realtor on a property that I want to get under contract, would the seller's realtor object? Also are there any ethics issues in regard to my realtor and her broker if my realtor works with me? Any help would be great.

Thanks

Hi vinlor,

To me, my realtor is so important when making offers on listed properties. She does a LOT of the work. Your realtor will get you comps, set you up to receive automated e-mails on properties, and do all the paperwork/negotiating for you. They will know most of, if not all, the listing agents in your area and hopefully have a good working relationship with them. They should represent you well and be willing to take time to get to know YOU and what you are looking for, put in lots of offers, and be available when you need them. In turn, you will be providing income for them by purchasing properties (seller pays their commission). I think they are a crucial part of an investor's team.
If you don't have a realtor yet, you can start by looking at a property with it's listing agent. Someone made a great suggestion yesterday in the forums to look for SOLD signs as an indication of a realtor who is "moving" properties. They may be the aggressive one you are looking for.

Hope that helps some. Good luck on you REI and have fun!!

Rina

Hey Rina, Just wanted to quickly say Thank You for your advice awhile back. You were pushing me to move forward and to not let my fear get the best of me. I have taken your advice and have met with two RE Agents yesterday. You can read about it if you want at the forum I created..."First Meeting With RE Agent" under the everything listing.

Thanks again,

Tim

you are very welcome. And congratulations on stepping out! That is a huge accomplishment in itself. I hope your meeting went well and you're on your way to much success!
I'll go check out your thread.

Rina

sorry I missed your post. Hope all is going well on the double-close! I have never had any bank or seller question when I put "buyer's choice" for the closing/title company. Might be different in other parts of the country, but I have bought from out-of-town banks and they really haven't squabbled on where we closed. They just wanted to know where I chose within a few days of acceptance. I have found a title company in our town that has done such an awesome job on all the things I've wanted to try. i think it really boils down to the closing representative (if that's what they're called) and how outgoing they are. Find a good one and you're set.

Good luck and God bless,

Rina

hello rita, you advice would be most appreciated..?

here is the deal...our cash buyer is from their own reserves. i want to keep the property myself and lease with option to buy for the future...keep cashflow for now...i want to get my investor out of the picture quick by giving them a small return on their initial investment. my revocable trust in currently on the contract and plan to leave it that way...with a clause that states, trustee vesting tbd at closing. this leaves it open ended for the close. my solution that is still outstanding for me is, getting the equity of the FMV out of the property to pay them off and keep the property myself with a very small monthly payment, hence positive cashflow.

Do i go Hard Money lender? Paramount Funding says they do not have program to help. looking for a 80% LTV with the offers that we have placed. one has been signed and we are waiting for the banks approval. need to act fast.

any thoughts?

First I had to laugh at the "Rita", only because I have a sister-in-law named Rita with the same last name and everyone in the family gets tongue-twisted at gatherings saying the right name to the right person. lol (especially our father-in-law)

Anyway, sorry to stray from your question.

I'm a little confused. You're buying the property in both of your names, and now you'd like his off? Or do you have it locked up with his funds? Has he agreed to a certain amount for a pay-off and you need to come up with the funds? I guess I'm just wondering what you have worked out with him.

Just wanted to drop in & say hi! Also say, that is a one of my fav. verses Jeremiah 29:11 God bless!

Your New Friend,
John A.

Hi Rina, my name is Joe and am a newbie at this. i have a question on how to lock up a short sale from 1200 miles away...lol
there is a property in Florida and i'm in NY. do you have any info on what to do first and how to go about this? it's a 2 bed/1 bath/1 gar. in deed restricted community on a canal..sounds nice..all i want to do is lock it up and pass it off.
would muchly appreciate any help, ty for your time,
Joe Hull email is
getreel64@****
Alwyslrnn

Jumping onto your page now to say Hello!
Like you I have been away more than I have been here, more than have wanted to.
I am looking forward to catching up and reading your continued success in your journal which I am sure will be as inspirational as ever!

Feels good to be back in the grove and with a little more time too.

Love Angela

Hi Rina, how you doing? I have a question, when I was reading your success story, the part where you talk about "My real estate strategy is simple" You write, "If the property is an REO, my realtor will suggest a price that she thinks the bank would take. Otherwise, I'll talk to the owners and get a feel for what they might need rather than just throw a price out there." For what I'm understanding is you can speak with the seller yourself & not have to go through the agent to make your offers. I thought that since the agent is representing the seller that you would not be allowed to contact the owner. Am I right on that, & can you explain that part to me.

Thanks for your help,
John A

Hi Rina!!

So much congratulations for all that you have achieved. It really is great to see how well you have done... And to be in the book and on the videos!! Wow. Must be fun... I have set a goal to be one of Dean's future success stories. lol

Anyway, I'm a pretty new guy to this REI thing but extremely excited to make a difference out there and create a legacy for my family and I, just as you have done. I just wanted to say hi and introduce myself to you officially, and also ask a couple questions.... HI! lol

A couple things I was wondering about, and yes I know they are kinda dumb but it's bugging me, so I thought with your experience and "star" status on this board, you would be the best one to ask. Cool??

Number one, what the heck are these symbols / points, etc. and how does it work. I really want my silver medal, ya know! I did a search but really did not find much info about it. Care to elaborate a little?

Second question... Is there some way to go directly to the new messages in the forums. I try clicking on the "new" messages in the listing but it always seems to start from the beginning. I'm sure I'm missing some tricks??

Last question, and I won't bug ya anymore tonight... I realized I was able to gain access to the "inner circle" forum. Does this mean that I have been accepted to join or do I need to be officially invited? Obviously, I would love to gain that distinction (and of course get my medal), but I also obviously want to earn it. I plan on contributing greatly to this community and helping out any way I can. I'm also a CPA and definately will try to help on the tax and accounting side of things too, so never hesitate to ask when needed. So, just let me know how that works if you have some time.

Thanks so much for all your insightfullness and participation in this community. You are obviously trully well respected within.

Take care and thank you in advance for your time!

Robert M. Burkett CPA

Welcome to the DG family. Good to have you here.

I am happy to say that since that interview last year I have been able to successfully add a number of Dean's different techniques to my "resume", so I could add a lot more now to my "strategy".
But yes, my favorite way to find and offer on properties is still through my RE agent. With a listed property I would ALWAYS make my offer through my agent (or through the listing agent), even if I did get opportunity to talk to the owner. FSBO's are different of course. You have a lot more one-on-one with the seller. But even there you could use your realtor and work her/his expertise into the deal.

I hope that answers the question you had, and I hope you are enjoying and finding success your REI so far!

Rina

Congrats on jumping into your REI!
First, I'm wondering, is this a "listed" short sale that you want to offer on and lock up? Or is it a preforeclosure that you are wanting to start the process of a short-sale on?
That will make a huge difference on how you are advised to move forward.
If you are starting from scratch, of course, you will need to spend a significant amount of time going through the process and working closely with the owner and the bank. I'll wait to hear your answer before I go into that.
If it's a short sale that's already in the works, you would just follow the regular procedure of locking up the property (getting it under contract). Run all your numbers to KNOW what a great deal would be on the property (make sure you have someone you trust do the walk-thru, send you pictures, and figure what repairs are needed, if you can't be there yourself), and then offer accordingly. Remember to offer with "and/or assigns" next to your name on the offer to purchase. Always use that first, even if a bank rejects the wording. You can always go with a double-close instead if you have too. IMPORTANT also to have a buyer (or a few buyers) lined up. That makes you feel all the more confident going into a deal, not having to worry about WHAT to do if you get a great deal locked up, especially if you are counting on assigning it.

Hope that helps. Sorry for being so long getting in here to answer. Hope all works out great for you. Keep looking for more deals in the meantime. Short sales can take a LONGG time, so you always want to have other RE stuff in the works too. That increases your odds of success!

God bless,

Rina

Miss you!
Yes, I've been busy too. Always REI, but lots of family stuff lately, as well (which is a blessing!). I have to get in my journal and put some updates! Right now I'm really just kind of hanging low. Going through some refinancing and working on one property to sell. Always keeping my eye out of course, but not a heck of a lot going on right now. Thanks for asking, sister!
I hope all is going well with you, and that life and REI are treating you well. How is the REI group out East doing? I think that's so exciting that the bunch of you is meeting and brainstorming!

Love ya,

Rina

P.S. I'm going to put this in your guestbook too, so I make sure to connect with you.

Thank you for the kind words. Yes, it really is an honor to be part of the DG family, and to be able to share my successes thanks to Dean and everyone here. As you can tell, I certainly have no "superskills", lol, so I hope my story can inspire other "everyday" people to know that all of this can work for them, just like it has for me. Using REI just makes life so much easier.
Thanks again.

OK, your questions:

1) I think you have earned your silver badge. lol
Actually, it's not that hard to earn the badges. As long as a person is active on these forums and is willing to share and is striving to succeed, they sort of come automatically. If ever you feel you or another member has "earned" a certain badge and haven't been noticed, you can certainly bring it to DGadmin's attention in his guestbook. We are excited to see members collect all of them!

2) Sorry, the threads ARE set up to show oldest posts first. You do have to go to the end to post. (Choose the last page of the thread to get there). BUT, that gives you a chance to maybe scan through some others? You can see what date each one was posted next to the post..

3) Ahh, the Inner Circle. I see you had a brief glimpse into the world of the IC by accident. Yes, you do need to earn all the badges first, along with a certain number of points, and then be "invited" based on your knowledge, experience, and willingness to actively share in the DG forums and share innovation. Hoping to have you and others join in the future (that is strictly the decision of Dean and his staff) and we welcome all who are added!

I appreciate your input, Robert. And I have to remember to pick your CPA brain in the future! I do have questions.

Thanks again, and I hope I answered sufficiently.

God bless,

Rina

HEY RINA MY NAME IS RAY AND I JUST GOT DONE READING DEANS BOOK AND I WAS WONDERING IF U CAN GIVE ME AN PIONTER JUST WHERE TO GET STARTED IM JUST NOT SURE IM STUCK LOL UMMMM IM NOT SURE IF I SHOULD FINDS AN REAL ESTATE AGENT FIRST OR JUST GOT OUT THERE MYSELF AND FIND THE HOMES AND IF I DO THAT IM NOT EVEN SHE WHAT FORMS TO USE AND I WANT TO USE THE NO MONEY DOWN TECHNIQUE TO START LOL MY HEAD HURTS THERES NOT MANY DG STUDENT WHERE IM AT THERE ONE THAT I KNOW OF LOUISA AND SHE SEEMS TO BE VERY BUZY I JUST DONT WANT TO BOTHER TO MUCH SO IF U CAN PLASE HELP ME OUT I NEED SOME GUIDANCE OR JUST HOW TO GET STARTED

THANKS RAY

Hi Rina i really enjoyed your success stories I just finished reading Deans books I live i Illinois and i am looking for someone that has been successful in Deans program that would like to help me get my first deals done i am kinda scared because i donot have any money and my credit really is not to bad but i am doing as much research as i can but do not know just where to start i do not know what part of Wisconsin you are from but i would be willing to take some vacation time from my job to come and learn from you or from some one you know in my area.

I also am renting a small one bedroom house so the other question do i fine something to live in first or try and do some deals to make some money so i can find a better place to live first .

Thank you
Kevin Mcl.

Hi Rina,

Quick question?
I have a property under contract to close in 2 weeks. I have the end buyer and I have the transactional funds. The closing agent is coordinating everything so I should be fine, hopefully.

I signed the A-B under my personal name and now I would like to use my LLC to close instead. My question is this: do I need to use a standard assignment contract and have the seller sign it in order to properly do this? I know this is a very simple Q, and I dont want to bother my atty about it (it will confuse things that much more).

What are your thoughts?

Yes, do a second purchase agreement with your end buyer. Give both contracts to your closing agent (title company?). They should know what to do. If the first one doesn't go through, obviously the second one is obsolete. Make sure your end buyer understands the whole process, too. They don't need to know the numbers on the first transcation, but you want them to feel "informed" in case something goes awry. At least that's how I would do it.

Good luck!!! Post a thread about your deal when you feel like it. It's exciting to watch others "making it happen"!

Rina

YOU ROCK!

THANKS!

Thanks for the comment, Hope you are having a great day.

I just fount this comment. I have not been posting much here, and have been busy, and got the Edge program as well. I am about to start marketing for buyers, and check out the probate system I have now.
I am getting my ducks lined up right because this will be public, and I have studied the PR. and PR 2.0. The master for high profile PR and real estate is of course Trump, so seeking that expertise soon after I start blowing my horn. Part of my business is financial education (including some real estate) to everyone, and will be contacting Dean on collaboration as well.
I am going to create a pseudo investor system that allows for
"scouts" to find a deal and get 80% of the net, equity or cash flow. 18% percent goes to education in the school district of the property. Real Solutions .Me will get 2% processing.
I can manage on my own deals. I don't need theirs, but their schools do.
Dunno if its on my site yet, but next years goal is having 50 students in the high school down the street, knowing passive income by doing.
Imagine if we had had that.
I have created a social structure modeled much after Deans site, as an ideal setup for open community collaboration on creating that educational excellence. OPEN SOURCE ROCKS. Dean makes a good example of this. I am looking now for initial marketing capital. I have studied philosophy, and many many other things all my life, including quantum physics, and understand how it scientifically proves the process and concepts of "the secret" or law of attraction. Soc I am consciously creating as I go. A quick example - Physics has proved that for a photon, electron, or even an atom, to collapse down from its superposition of possibility to a particle that can be observed, the observer is necessary. It is the conscious intention of the observer that determines it. We create at the sub atomic level observably.

The "business plan" for this hit me earlier this year. My goal is 100's of billions, and to take over fanny mae and mac.
2012. Education and diet are the first major steps. I am now spreading this vision to you for a reason.

Have an awesome day, and thanks again for the post.

Jason Greninger

Im sending you a messxage because your the top user here so hopefully youll have some helpfull advise for me. anyway, my name is sy, i live in colorado and currently own a townhouse at the time. Im thinking about investing and think ive done most of my homework about it. Im currently looking into investment properties but not sure exactly how to go about the process of getting a loan. I have decent credit (680) and im kind of leaning towards the no money down option. Any ideas on how or where i can get a loan
Thanks for you time
Sy

Just start checking with your local banks and see what they have to offer. You may be surprised at what you find. Also, if you have equity in your townhome and feel comfortable with using that equity to start out your investment career, that may be a very easy route to go, and you should get a lower interest rate than an investment loan. You could also do it as a HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit). Then you would only draw out $ as you need it, and pay interest on that amount only. HELOCS are pretty nice anyway, because you can pay them down at any time, and yet have the resource always readily available.
There are so many ways to get started, and so many sources of funding, even if this idea doesn't work out, you have a lot of options. But I would start by asking locally.

Hope that helps,

Rina

Congrats on purchasing the EDGE program!! I trust it will be as valuable a resource/tool for you as it has been for so many of us!

Sounds like you really have a heart for education, and also a very noble plan to help out the schools/students. That is awesome, and I wish you much success in your endeavors!

I find physics very fascinating, and there is SO much we do not know concerning this great universe of ours. Thank you for sharing your observations and findings.

Again, congrats on taking action and I wish you all the best in your REI!!!

Rina

First let me say congrats on taking action and jumping into the opportunity of a lifetime!

In my opinion, a good realtor is one of the most valuable people to have on your REI team. If you have the book "Profit From Real Estate Right Now", I would read it thoroughly and get your base knowledge set firm in your mind, and then follow Dean's step-by-step "recipe" for success laid out in the book. Then find yourself a great realtor to work with, and educate them on what you are looking to do as RE investor. I even gave my realtor a copy of Dean's book so she knew exactly where I was coming from.

I wish you well in your new career, and may you have MUCH success!

Rina

Thank you for the kind words, and welcome to the DG family. Good to have you here.

There are a number of Dean's student from Illinois, including Matt Larsen, who is now a millionaire+ from using Dean's techniques. For you, since you appear to very devoted to getting this REI career going, I would recommend looking into Dean's Success Academy to see if it's something that would work for you. It is an awesome training program (all done from your own home on-line and by phone) which will totally equip you for being successful in REI, and also gives you nearly 24-hour access to the RE coaches for any questions you may have along the way. There are also several tele-classes each week where other you and other DG students are on a conference call with the instructors as they teach on the different investing subjects. It is pretty amazing.

In regard to your question about housing, one thing you may want to look into is purchasing an investment property that you could also live in, such as a duplex, tri-plex. Your rental income would cover the payments, therefore eliminating your need to "rent" or buy a place of your own. If you are single, this might be ideal for you. just a thought.

Hope that helps, and again congrats and I wish you the best,

Rina

dear rina,
Like many im all new to this,my main concern right now is I live in fl and i need to move to Mass.i have an 11 mth old son that i have not seen yet.I need a place and it has to be near chiltonville. hope you can help in anyway.
thank you very much,
alex

Hi Rina,

I'm new to the site and have a few questions... I am almost finished reading Dean's "Be A Real Estate Millionaire" I got so inspired that I started locating properties to purchase (or at least for someone else for now and I make a profit helping to expedite the deal).

There are 5 properties in and around Atlanta GA that are priced way below the market value by $60,000 - $100,000.

They are in good areas and don't look like they need much work. Is there anyone out there able to give me some direct as to how to purchase these or partner up with someone who can?

My credit isn't the greatest and I have no money. However, what I do have is a strong desire to become a successful investor!

Do have any advice for a newbie?

Hi Rina, I am in the LA area, I am working hard to make this investment thing work, and stumbled onto a great thing for other investors / Deans guys to work together on. I am representing a REO wholesale company, which I can offer properties after my cut at 80% fair market value, in the cities of Las Vegas, Atlanta, Miami Ft Lauderdale, Orlando, and Tampa. I am looking for hungry people like me to also represent me in these cities. How do I get the word out to our guys? I can find the exact specifications, and cities in these metropolis areas, which should make it easier to fit the investors needs. Thanks Mark Hewitt

Hello Rina,

Hey can I chat with you from time to time to knock out some of the confusions that I may have ? I am trying to biuld a support system from with in the DG program. If it is "OK" please drop me a line when you get some time.

Thanks
Christian

Just Stopping by to say Hello and Thank you

God Bless

Welcome to the DG family.
It will be wonderful for you to see your little son for the first time. I'm guessing that is why you are moving?
First you need to start looking into what is available in Chiltonville. Maybe you can connect with a good realtor who can get you started. But you can also look online to get an idea of the neighborhoods and what the market is like, and decide what you are needing as far as housing. If you are in the position to buy,t a duplex might be a good idea to get you some cash-flow along with a place to live. If you need to rent for a time, but would like to own, you could look for a seller willing to do a lease/option. Even if you are strictly going to rent for now, make sure you are getting the best deal for your money. A little research goes a long way.

Wishing you all the best,

Rina

Love the screen name.
Welcome to the DG family.
Advice for a newbie, just dive right into the information. Then get out there and start doing a little something every day. Success comes by action. Looking at properties, building your buyers list (if assigning or bird-dogging), checking into financing (if buying to hold) would all be important first steps. You will learn about these and so much more from Dean's books and from reading through this site. Just stay determined and have fun. Success is sure to follow.

Wishing you all the best,

Rina

A couple of thoughts for getting DG family involved: You could try using the Classifieds on the DG site, you could start a group on the site, or you could post in your journal. Also watch for site members from your areas and PM them directly.

For outside investors: You could advertise on Craigslist or other national or local sites to connect with other investors in the areas you are targeting. Maybe connecting with a REI Club in the area would be helpful as well.

COngrats on finding the deals and good luck! Can't wait to hear of your successes!

Rino