5/6/12: Catching the Wave – Where Tropical Profits are a Breeze

One of the secrets to making a lot of money is to catch a profitable wave.  Sounds interesting, but how does it work?

Well, a financial wave happens when a variety of forces converge to move people or their money in a particular direction. That movement can have a substantial impact on any given asset class or geographic region – and the effect can be much more pronounced when the asset class or region is very limited in size.   That’s why we’ve been intrigued over the years by the tiny country of Belize.

In this episode of The Real Estate Guys™ radio show, we’re on location at a beautiful beachfront resort in Ambergris Caye, Belize.  Yes, it’s a rough life on the road as radio talk show hosts, but someone has to do it.

Sipping coconut juice behind the microphones while the tropical breezes blow:

• Your light and breezy host, Robert Helms
• Your coconut co-host, Russell Gray
• Special guest, top producing international real estate broker, John Turley

As part of the preparation for our upcoming field trips to Belize, we headed to San Pedro Town in Ambergris Caye, Belize.  Yes, it’s THAT San Pedro – the one Madonna sings about in La Isla Bonita.

When you’re here, you understand why Madonna fell in love with San Pedro…and why we stopped here during our recent Summit at Sea™, then came back just a few weeks later for this trip, and are now going back for Memorial Day, again in June and staying into July.  Yeah, it’s an addiction.

But for John Turley, formerly from the Rocky Mountain state of Colorado, his visit turned into a 7 year (and counting) transplantation.  And in those 7 years, big John has become the #1 real estate agent in the entire country of Belize and the #2 international property (non-US) agent in the RE/MAX system.  In case you didn’t know it, RE/MAX is the #1 (as in top selling) real estate brokerage in the world.  So John Turley is not just #1 in his cubicle.  He’s #1 for the #1 company in the world.  Hey, nothing but the best for our listeners.

So NOW you can see that we have a LOT to talk about.  Like, why did John decide to leave his life in the USA, uproot his family and start all over again in some dinky third world country? Hint: it’s beautiful, peaceful, friendly and insanely profitable.  But listen in and let John tell you himself.

What’s important to note is that John is just like MILLIONS of other people in the US, Canada and around the world who are looking for a change.  And as that wave of people continues to discover enchanting Belize, many are grabbing homes and filling hotels.  Hmmmm….does that sound like real estate investment opportunity?

John explains how tourism is UP over the several years.  What?!?  We thought there was a global recession and everyone was hunkered down waiting for the storm to clear.

Some are.  But it seems that others have decided that financial and political storms bring big waves, so it might be fun (and profitable) to go ride one (figuratively speaking, of course).

John reports that the interests of the people who come through his office have changed significantly in the last several years.  It used to be that people came to Belize because it’s beautiful, quiet, affordable and friendly.  After all, Belize is the ONLY English speaking country in Latin America, and it’s government and currency are stable.  Did we mention that it’s breathtakingly beautiful?

But today, according to John, MANY people are coming into his office because they are concerned about the direction of the United States.  Now, you may or may not be concerned, but apparently lots of folks are.  So much so, they come to Belize not to vacation, but to establish a second home that could be easily converted into a primary residence.  Kind of a Plan B (like Belize).

There are lots of other interesting tidbits in this interview, and your job (should you choose to accept it) is to listen as Big John Turley shares his perspectives on what’s driving this very popular real estate market – and how you can catch the wave of interest that is building about Belize.

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3/4/12: Keeping What You Have – Asset Protection Strategies for Real Estate Investors

It’s funny how people will buy a fancy new car or a big new home and invest a bunch of money into a security system.  Yet so many real estate investors don’t put any thought or money into creating a security system around the equity and cash flow building up in their investment properties.  And if something goes wrong, not only are the rental properties at risk, but so is the fancy new car, big new home and every other of their prized possessions!

Since this is the time of year most investors are neck deep in reviewing their finances and preparing their tax returns, we thought it would be a great time to get an update on the wonderful world of asset protection.

Sitting down at the microphones for this edifying episode of The Real Estate Guys™ radio show:

• The bodyguard of broadcasting, your host Robert Helms
• The body odor of broadcasting, co-host Russell Gray
• A man with a large body of work on the topic of asset protection, attorney Garrett Sutton

The United States is the lawsuit capital of the world.  And even though our show is now downloaded in over 160 countries, many folks throughout the world are coming to the USA to pick up bargain real estate (and who can blame them?).  Plus, many of the essential concepts of asset protection are applicable in jurisdictions around the world.  So no matter where you’re from, there’s something for everyone in this episode!

The basic concept of asset protection is the utilization of entities to create legal separation between assets.  These entities can also be useful for privacy, tax and estate planning purposes.  And the bigger your collection of properties becomes, the bigger a target you become for financial predators of all types.  The sooner you get your asset protection structure built, the faster you can move when adding properties to your portfolio.

If you’re unfamiliar with the basic concepts, we recommend you do some reading before you sit down with an attorney.  No point in paying out hundreds of dollars per hour for a basic education.  However, with that said, once you’re ready to actually implement a plan we STRONGLY suggest you engage a competent attorney to actually help create the plan and form the entities.  There are lots of “fill in the forms” do-it-yourself websites for this type of thing, but they don’t come with professional advice and errors and omissions insurance.  If an asset protection plan makes sense for you, then it makes sense to do it right.  At least that’s our not so humble opinion.

We’d love to share more, but we’re guessing you’d rather hear from the real expert, so listen in to our conversation with Garrett Sutton.  Then jump into The Real Estate Guys™ Recommended Reading bookstore and pick up some books on the topic, including Garrett’s recently updated Start Your Own Corporation.  Before you know it, you’ll be proudly pontificating on asset protection principles – and you’ll be the life of the party!

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Explore Enchanting Belize with The Real Estate Guys!

Join Robert Helms, host of The Real Estate Guys™ Radio Show for a memorable weekend discovery trip to the beautiful country of Belize!  Three great dates to choose from: Sep 15-18, Oct 6-9 or Nov 3-6, 2011

Why Belize?

Three words: Location, Location, Location (we’ve heard those are important for real estate).

Click here to download your registration form.

Belize is the former British Honduras and is located just under Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Mainland Belize features lush green tropical rain forests, while it’s Eastern border faces the Caribbean ocean safely nestled behind the world’s 2nd largest barrier reef. The islands are postcard perfect and attract vacationers, diving enthusiasts and celebrities alike. Harrison Ford, and more recently, Reese Witherspoon are known to visit Belize for private, relaxing getaways. Leonardo DiCaprio purchased a 110 acre island known as Blackadore Caye. We’ll show it to you when you attend this discovery trip!

But beyond beautiful, Belize has other unique attributes which make it attractive to investors and tourists alike. Belize is the ONLY country in Latin America whose official language is English. This, and the fact that its currency is pegged at a fixed 2:1 exchange rate with the U.S. dollar, make it a friendly place for Americans. Plus there are direct flights from several U.S. cities including Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Houston and many others. Belize is actually closer for most Americans, Canadians and Europeans than Hawaii!

The Real Estate Guys™ will show you Belize!

Click here to download your registration form.

Robert Helms and his team have been visiting and investing in Belize for several years. He’s led several investor field trips with as few as one couple and as many as forty-five. The feedback on every trip has been over the top positive! Robert will share his extensive market knowledge, introduce you to local market experts, and personally show you the mainland, the islands, and several different developments.

This is an EDUCATIONAL event. This is not one of those “fly n’ buy” sales trips where aggressive salespeople are waiting to pounce on you. We believe the right approach to real estate is to start with the market first, then build a team, and then select property that meets your personal and investment goals. This trip is about exploring the market and meeting people who may become part of your team down the road.

Discover the real estate, banking and lifestyle opportunities available to you in beautiful Belize during a semi-private tour led by The Real Estate Guys™ Radio Show host Robert Helms.

Click here to download your registration form.

Trip Logistics

Once you’re enrolled, our registration team will contact you to help arrange your air travel. Your round trip airfare is not included in your tuition, but it’s very important that your arrival is coordinated through our team. While you’re in Belize, virtually all your trip expenses including transportation, hotel accommodations, speaker sessions, materials and most meals are included. Alcoholic beverages, souvenirs, extended stays and certain other incidental expenses are not included. Upon receipt of your completed registration form, we’ll provide you with information about what to wear, pack and expect.

The Opportunity is Now

There are lots of reasons to like a place like Belize (is there any other place like Belize?), but the opportunity today is better than ever!

Americans haven’t lost purchasing power in Belize because of the fixed exchange rate, while many other countries have gained purchasing power because of a soft U.S. dollar. Baby boomers in the U.S. still dream of warm weather, low tax, beautiful places to resort and retire, but many of the more established areas remain relatively expensive in a post recession economy.

Belize offers an English speaking, affordable, “non-touristy”, and reasonably nearby alternative. And popular TV shows like House Hunters International are helping a growing number of people discover Belize as a great option not just for retirement, but also full time residency for a growing new class of telecommuters and independent information workers. Think about it: would you rather sit in a corporate cubicle in Cleveland or a beautiful beach in Belize?

Additionally, Belize still enjoys a great reputation as a tax friendly jurisdiction with strong privacy banking and asset protection laws. As citizens of “developed” countries face increasing concerns about privacy, taxes and frivolous litigation, the affluent are seeking off-shore alternatives in greater numbers than ever.

All of these trends point to increasing demand, but the wave is still growing. Alert investors can position themselves in the market to provide the properties that tourists, retirees, remote workers and ex-pats will want to buy or rent. Besides, if the worst thing that happens is that you have to live or use your property for personal use, would you rather it be a duplex in Detroit or bungalow in Belize? Meanwhile (check with your own tax advisor), once you have investments in Belize, your trips to visit just might be tax deductible. Very cool.

A Visit is with Worth a Million Words

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a personal visit to paradise is worth at least a million. Come see it with your own eyes!

Click here to download your registration form now.

We look forward to seeing YOU in beautiful Belize!

12/19/10: Winding Down the Year – Maximizing Your Properties, Deductions and Strategies

Let’s face it.  Running even a fledgling real estate empire is hard work.  The only paperwork that’s fun is cashing those rent checks!  Nonetheless, the end of the year is a great time to step back from all the wheeling and dealing and do some strategic planning for the New Year.

In The E-Myth Revisited (on our list of Recommended Reading), author Michael Gerber says you must invest time “working ON your business instead of IN it”.  In Before You Quit Your Job (hey! that’s also on the recommended list!), our good friend Rich Dad Poor Dad (yes, it’s on the list too) author Robert Kiyosaki explains the importance of SYSTEMS in his B-I (Business Owner / Investor) Triangle.  The point is that being organized and thinking strategically are critical components of success.

But where to start?  That’s the topic of this episode!

Behind the microphones, in the Equity Sleigh, winding down the year:

• Your host, the Santa of Real Estate Wisdom, ho-ho-host Robert Helms
• Santa’s Helper, co-ho-ho-host (or just “co-ho” for short), Russell Gray
• Our own Santa look-alike, the Godfather of Real Estate, Bob Helms

Taking a page from Santa’s playbook, The Real Estate Guys are making a list and checking it twice.  But we’re not looking for who’s naughty or nice…well, actually naughty would be okay   …our list has a bunch of things real estate investors should be thinking about this time of year.

When rushing to open your holiday gifts, wouldn’t it be nice to open up a great big tax deduction, reduced mortgage rate or increased cash flow?  Of course it would!  But sadly, no one is going to slide down your chimney and stuff your stocking with enhanced profits.  So, if you want to pad your bottom line, and keep your assets safe and warm, you’re going to have to wrap your own gifts.

So grab a pen and paper (or that brand new iPad you just opened) and get ready to take some notes.  When you’re done listening to this episode, you’ll have very own end of year checklist and a great start of a new holiday tradition!

Happy Holidays!

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8/1/10: Economics, Politics and Real Estate – Interviews from Freedom Fest 2010

If you’re one of those who take The Real Estate Guys™ to the gym, make sure you carbo load first! This one’s a whopper!  Our radio audience only got an hour, but the podcast audience gets the whole enchilada.  That way whether you like American or Mexican, there’s something for everyone.

A few weeks back, we went to Las Vegas for the 7th Annual Freedom Fest conference.  This was our first time and we weren’t sure what to expect.  But after our previous interview with event founder, economist Mark Skousen, we thought it would be worthwhile.  It turned out even better than we thought!

After being near the epicenter of the financial earthquake which rocked the real estate portfolios of even the most experienced investors, we’ve put a big emphasis on studying economics.  Who cares if you’re expert at fixing up properties, managing tenants or putting together syndications if property values are crashing, tenants don’t have jobs, loans aren’t available, and people are too scared to act?

So we started looking for people who saw it coming, put their predictions in writing and got it right for the right reasons.  Hindsight’s often 20/20, but seeing the storm coming while there’s still time to shutter the windows is better.  You might not be able to avoid bad economic weather, but with advance notice at least you can prepare!

We looked at the lineup of speakers at Freedom Fest and decided this would surely be an eye-opening experience. We were especially excited about Peter Schiff, author of Crash Proof 2.0 (a highly recommended read!).  Schiff called the crisis for the right reasons – and way ahead of time.  We’re happy to say we got a lengthy interview with Mr. Schiff to see what he’s thinking now – which is the feature of our next show.

While we’re boasting about awesome interviews, we also had a chance to talk with billionaire CEO of Forbes Magazine and former Presidential candidate, Steve Forbes.  That interview is coming up in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned!  The best way to be sure you don’t miss any of our exciting episodes is to subscribe to our podcast via iTunes (shameless plug).

Today’s episode is about talking to LOTS of people! It was like one of those speed dating sessions.  Robert sat at the microphone from early morning to late at night, and Russ rounded up a long line of interesting people to interview.

Featured in this episode of The Real Estate Guys™ Radio Show:

• Your host, Robert Helms
• Co-host and cat herder, Russell Gray

And a long parade of very special guests (in order of appearance):

Jeffrey Verdon, Attorney, talks about estate planning and asset protection strategies utilized by wealthy individuals; including off-shore entities and a very interesting technique for funding life insurance.

Dave Fessler, Energy & Infrastructure Expert for the Oxford Club.  Dave discusses his views on the future of energy and infrastructure and their impact on jobs and the economy.  He also comments on “the paradox of thrift” – how consumer savings is actually fueling the recession.  He tells us how long he thinks it’s going to last, and where he believes America’s best chance for job creation are right now.

Bob Bauman, Attorney, Former U.S. Congressman, Founder of The Sovereign Society; shares his thoughts on offshore investment, asset protection, second citizenship and the growing interest many people have in diversifying globally.

Vernon Jacobs, CPA, is an expert in international taxation.  Vern tells us what to consider when investing or employing asset protection strategies offshore.

Robert Barnes, Attorney, is part one of two back to back interviews with lawyers from a premier tax and investment fraud law firm that went 3 for 3 (that’s pretty good!) in three of the top four high profile tax cases in the U.S. (you’d recognize the names).  Mr. Barnes reveals the worst thing you can do when contacted by the IRS.

Robert Bernhoft, Attorney, is part two of our tax and investment fraud attorney interviews.  Mr. Bernhoft describes what you can do to proactively avoid problems with both your investors and regulators; and shares how his firm uses specialized “non-litigation” techniques to recover misappropriated funds without going to court.

Steve Hochberg, Chief Market Analyst for Elliott Wave, works closely with Robert Prechter.  Prechter’s 2002 NY Times best seller, Conquer the Crash, accurately predicted the current financial crisis.  While everyone is running scared of inflation, Steve says DEFLATION is actually the big near term threat.  He believes we are “on the precipice of the greatest stock market decline of our lifetime.”

Patri Friedman, Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of The Seasteading Institute.  A city on the sea?  Really??? Before you write it off as Looney Tunes, go to their website and look at their management team.  These guys are all brilliant.  We’re talking Stanford, Harvard, Yale.  Wow.  Have you heard of Pay Pal?   Yeah,the founder is on their board.  And why were they at Freedom Fest?  Take a listen!

Leon Louw, Executive Director of the Free Market Foundation, all the way from South Africa!  Why?  To raise money to advance property ownership rights for blacks in South Africa. For what it’s worth, we didn’t see any evidence of racism at Freedom Fest, though it was full of “tea baggers”.  Obviously, Leon felt people at the event would be supportive of his cause. From our observations he was right.  But this isn’t a political interview. any more than our show is political.  We just  want to understand what people are thinking and doing, and how it creates or undermines real estate opportunities.  Think about the ramifications on demand in a market where a large part of the population, formerly locked out, suddenly has access to buy property.  Very interesting stuff.

Terry Coxon, author of Unleash Your IRA, shares a powerful concept for maximizing your Individual Retirement Account.  We thought we knew all about this topic, but Terry shares a strategy we hadn’t considered. Now we’re hyped to read his book.  With the demise of home equity, and a growing number of people predicting a tough stock market (at best); and lending getting even tighter from financial reform, we think IRA’s and rollover 401k’s are one of the BEST sources of private investment capital.  That makes this a topic worth exploring!

Ron Holland, editor of two financial newsletters and 30 year financial industry veteran, has something to say on the topic of IRA’s.  And it’s concerning.  He shares what he thinks is the greatest threat to your retirement account.

Terry Easton, author of Refounding America and contributor to Human Events. Terry is uber-conservative / Libertarian and has a lot to say on the topics of economics, politics and real estate.  We came to hear a lot of opinions and it just so happens that Terry has a lot of opinions.  But since they come from a long history of study and involvement, we think they’re worth listening to.

All in all, Freedom Fest was a great experience and we’re very likely to attend next year’s event.  We met great people, got valuable insights, and had our paradigms stretched (we’ve been icing them since we got back).  Most of all, we see the economy and real estate from a much broader perspective.  As we continue to seek out markets, opportunities and product niches to invest in, we are convinced a bigger perspective will pay huge dividends.

Remember – our next two episodes feature our interviews with Peter Schiff and Steve Forbes!

The Real Estate Guys™ Radio Show provides ideas, perspectives and resources to help real estate investors succeed.

This podcast brought to you in part by Audible.com.  To download a FREE audiobook of your choice, click here.

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4/25/10: LIVE! from the 8th Annual Investor Summit at Sea

Most of the time when we do a show, our producer keeps us locked up in the cold, lonely studio with our headphones on.  And even though we have each other, we have to use our imaginations to see our listeners.  But this week, we get to do the show in front of a LIVE STUDIO AUDIENCE! Better yet, we’re aboard a cruise ship sailing through the Caribbean!  Best of all, we’re hanging out with some the brightest, most committed real estate investors on the planet.  Toss in our SPECIAL GUESTS and the whole experience is over the top awesome!

On board and behind (and in front) of the microphones on the beautiful Carnival Triumph for this week’s show:

•    Your Captain and a mighty sailing man, host Robert “Skipper” Helms
•    Your brave and sure first mate, co-host Russell “Gilligan” Gray
•    The Godfather of Real Estate, Bob Helms
•    Rich Dad’s Asset Protection Advisor, Garrett Sutton
•    Rich Dad’s Real Estate Advisor, Ken McElroy
•    Rich Dad’s Creative Finance Advisor, Wayne Palmer
•    International Real Estate Developer, Beth Clifford
•    International Entity Planner, Attorney Mauricio Rauld
•    Special guest from Puglia’s restaurant in Little Italy, New York; featured entertainer in Adam Sandler’s Big Daddy, the one and only Jorge Buccio
•    Fine passengers that sailed that day, a cast of thousands (okay, maybe a few dozen), our live Summit at Sea audience!

As we’re stuffing the faculty and studio audience into the Big Easy Piano Bar for this live taping, we quickly that discover fitting everyone in (physically into the room, but also getting their comments into a one hour broadcast) is anything but easy!  However, the Skipper quickly takes control and before we know it, we’re off and running.

After some brief opening remarks, the Skipper asks each of the Summit Faculty to share their insights and reflections on the remarkable week we’ve all had together.  For the Rich Dad Advisors, this was their first (but hopefully not last!) Summit with The Real Estate Guys™.   They’ve all heard Robert Kiyosaki call us wild and crazy, but now they had a chance to observe it first hand.  Of course, none of that stuff makes it into the show because Summit Rule #1 is “what happens at sea stays at sea”.  Sorry!  Join us next year and then you can be a Summit Insider too!

For today’s show, each Faculty Member shares some of the highlights from their Summit presentations.

Ken McElroy taught on how he approaches real estate in today’s economy.  This is a guys who has over 10,000 doors under his control and is actively acquiring more…in spite of the “bad” real estate market.

Garrett Sutton spoke on state-of-the-art asset protection structures for real estate investors.  He also did a class on how to properly structure deals using investors and partners.  Many well meaning people end up in trouble when they raise money to buy real estate – simply because they don’t know what they don’t know.  Considering that syndicating is arguably the fastest path to big deals and big bucks, a small investment in knowing how to do it right is time and money well spent!

Wayne Palmer comments about his extensive series of classes on the creative use of private notes.  Wayne uses notes for putting together real estate deals which might not otherwise happen.  He also uses them to create equity and cash flow from next to nothing!  It seems like magic, but during the Summit he revealed some of his trade secrets.   Also, he shared the guidelines he follows to mitigate risk and optimize return.  His classes were among the most demanding, but also the most popular.  Powerful and practical principles for profiting from paper (say that fast 10 times).

Beth Clifford wowed the group with her amazing presentation on the how and why of going offshore with some of your investments and business ventures.  Hers was one of the most popular topics at the Summit, even with the faculty!  Wayne Palmer said Beth’s presentation stretched his brain and was his favorite of the Summit.  Now THAT’S saying something!

Mauricio Rauld expanded on the concept of international investment and business structures – and how to avoid the dangerous schemes which land so many novices in trouble.  There are many valid, legal and ethical structures which can be used to better protect assets, protect privacy and mitigate taxes.

There’s a lot more that happened on the Summit which just can’t fit into the radio show – even in a summary – including the Apartment Investors Panel, the Ask the Attorneys Panel and the Investor Roundtables.  Plus the fun in the sun real estate shore excursion in Belize, the more fun in the sun beach party in Cozumel and all the private shipboard parties.  Alumni will never look at a napkin the same way again!

Going into the Summit, we weren’t sure what the Rich Dad Advisors would think by the end of the week.  After all, they get to hang out with Robert Kiyosaki and talk in front of crowds of thousands!  But when it was all said and done, they had a great time.  Don’t take our word for it.  Listen to the show and you can hear it for yourself!

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To get in on the EARLY BIRD deals for the 2011 Investor Summit at Sea, use the Feedback page to send us your request.   You’ll be given an opportunity to sign up at the lowest public price.  And after listening to this show, why wouldn’t you want to be with us on the 9th Annual Summit at Sea?

Seven Lessons from the Summit at Sea

The Real Estate Guys™ 8th Annual Summit at Sea was a huge success! We feel sorry for everyone that wasn’t with us this year.   All the energy, education, experiences and relationships are hard to put into words, but we have 7 lessons we believe will help you.

We kicked off the 2010 Summit in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Many Summit attendees wisely came in a day early and made plans to stay a day or two later in order to enjoy the hospitality of this amazing city.  Those who got the most out of their trip had invested the time to research the city beforehand.  When they arrived they had geographical context and some idea about what they wanted to see and do.  One of our attendees had plans to attend a certain restaurant he’d heard good things about.  The food of the French Quarter was certainly one of the highlights of this trip. Russ took the opportunity to try turtle soup and fried alligator.  Both were great and he’d order them again!

Summit Lesson #1:  Life’s best surprises go to the curious and adventurous. Invest time to visit new places, meet new people, try new things and discover new ideas.  You’ll be the richer for it.  If you’re not that way naturally (like Russ) – hang out with people who are (like Robert).  Some of our best real estate deals and business relationships have come from simply exploring.  Deal hunting is as much art as science.  You can’t always script it.

Back to our attendee. So this guy is heading out according to his plan.  But when he steps into the hotel elevator, he runs into Rich Dad Advisor® Wayne Palmer and his family.  The short of it is our guy ends up going to dinner with Wayne!  We’ve been at Rich Dad events with hundreds and thousands of people in attendance, many of whom wait in line for a long time just to get two minutes with an Advisor.  Can you imagine being able to enjoy a long casual dinner with Wayne Palmer?

Summit Lesson #2:  Great opportunities to meet interesting people and learn new things won’t happen to those who stay home, arrive late, leave early or aren’t flexible. If you want to build strategic relationships, you must go to where the right people are and put yourself in a position to get lucky (speaking purely in terms of business).

As real estate investors, it’s important to practice exploring markets. There’s so much more you learn from actually being there.  The internet can’t capture the spirit of a market.  From cab drivers, to hotel and restaurant workers, to local shop keepers and business owners, to the people on the street, there is a lot you will discover about what’s REALLY happening in a local economy when you’re physically in it.  People living in a community know what’s happening right now with rents, prices, migration trends, demographics and job creation.  Only when you add this anecdotal information to your own real life observations can you begin to put statistics into useful perspective.  Remember: stats reports things that have already happened – not what’s happening now.

We noticed that New Orleans is a very entrepreneurial city. Perhaps in the wake of Katrina (the effects of which were still apparent) the bravest, most resilient and dedicated people have returned first.  In any case, these folks weren’t asking for handouts.  They were happy for the opportunity to earn our business – and very thankful for it when they got it.  As our nation and world continues to work through the effects of the financial crisis, the people of New Orleans gave us hope.  If people all over the world dedicate themselves to working their way out of a mess like these people are, our world is going to come out of this Great Recession just fine.

Summit Lesson #3:  Entrepreneurship and hard work (not handouts) are the keys to personal and societal recovery. Everyone who’s struggling in this economy should take a trip to New Orleans and see how winners react to adversity.  No wonder the Saints won the Super Bowl.  If we all take the spirit of New Orleans back to our businesses, this recession will quickly fade into the rear view mirror.

After a great session in the hotel, the group headed to the pier and boarded the ship.  We sailed on the Carnival Triumph, which was SOLD OUT!  Cruise lines are actually weathering the financial storm pretty well.  Why? Perhaps people realize that a cruise is a great value, meets a basic human need (to refresh themselves) and attracts financially capable people from all over the world (a broad market).  Do these principles apply to real estate investing?  It’s obvious that real estate meets a basic human need, but we’re reminded of the importance of having a large, financially capable target market.  No matter how badly someone wants something, if they can’t afford it (or don’t think they can) they won’t buy.

Summit Lesson #4:  Pick markets and properties that appeal to a large demographic of financially capable people and you will weather difficult times more easily.

The next lesson came later, but is an extension of lesson #4.  Rich Dad’s Real Estate Advisor Ken McElroy talked about the markets and properties he targets:  B-Class apartments (meets a basic human need – housing) with affordable rents (provides a great value) that appeal to working class people (a large, financially capable demographic) in markets with good mid-to-long term job creation (he focuses on areas with fundamental and growing industries such as energy).

What was very interesting is that on the real estate shore excursion to Belize, we saw a very different variation on the same themes.

In Belize, we visited a piece of beautiful waterfront land and listened as the developer shared her vision for the property.  She plans to build high quality, moderately priced residential units suitable for resort, retirement or ex-pat full time occupancy.  While the country of Belize is sparsely populated and very poor, it is a land of breathtaking natural beauty and terrific year round warm weather.

Like the cruise ship, the project in Belize provides great value, satisfies a basic human need and desire, and appeals to a worldwide, financially capable demographic.  In other words, the project’s success isn’t dependent on the local population to be successful.  It attracts people from all over the world.  And because there will be so few units available relative to the size of the market, it’s hard to imagine the project won’t be successful.  It’s very different than B-class apartments, but like the cruise line, follows a similar fundamental formula.

Summit Lesson #5: Essential principles of successful investing don’t vary much, even though markets, properties and target customers might. Or as the old adage says, there’s more than one way to skin a cat (though we have no idea why anyone would want to do that – it’s cruel).

Even though this was our 8th Summit, there is no doubt it was our most compelling line up of speakers. We were very fortunate to have not one, but THREE of Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Advisors® teaching at our Summit.  Creative real estate genius Wayne Palmer taught a powerful and practical series on how to create capital, produce profits and generate cash flow with the creative use of private notes.  Even though people had to ice their brains after each session, Wayne was gracious to make himself available during non-class times.  He answered questions and even did some individual personal consultations.  These opportunities weren’t part of the official program, but some people at the event got lucky (see Summit Lesson #2).  People left the event believing they could use the education they got to do at least one deal which would more than pay for the cost of the entire Summit – and next year’s too!

To quote Robert Kiyosaki, “Savers are Losers”.  Though we agree with his premise (and highly recommend you read his latest mega bestseller Conspiracy of the Rich), we’re saying it for a completely different reason.  We think people who “saved money” by not coming on the Summit actually lost money.  We know.  That sounds like sales pitch.  But anyone who’s ever tried to do an event like this knows that no one is getting rich by promoting it.  More, if you saw the surveys of the people who came, you’d realize that we still haven’t figured out how to over-promote the Summit.  Everyone felt it was easily worth the time and money.

When you’re around people who know how to make money in a tough economy; who are optimistic about the future; who are resourceful and busy taking advantage of all the opportunities they see in the market, you quickly realize those who lost out were those who wanted to attend and chose not to because they told themselves “I can’t afford it”.  This paradigm looks at the Summit (or similar events) as an expense and not an investment.  The difference is that an expense pays for something that is consumed and doesn’t produce a profit.  An investment pays for itself and returns a profit.  The paradigm should have been, “I can’t afford not to” and “How can I afford it?”  Most people believe a college education is worth the price, yet hesitate to invest in non-institutional education.  Could it be they believe the degree is more important than the knowledge?  What do you believe?

Summit Lesson #6:  Paradigms affect potential and profits, so pick your paradigms carefully. The Summit was full of winners and after living with these amazing people for a week we found ourselves picking up new paradigms and making commitments to shed some bad ones.  One of the great challenges is to manage the influences to our thinking.  We look for every opportunity to hang around top performers.

One common theme we noticed in the presentations of nearly all the speakers was “control”.  Wayne Palmer talked about his rules for risk.  He follows strict (but flexible) guidelines for collateral, loan-to-values, target returns and cash flows in order to control the risks he takes in any deal.  Rich Dad’s Asset Protection Advisor, attorney Garrett Sutton, talked about entity planning and how to structure your affairs in order to control liability and tax risk.  Attorney Mauricio Rauld spoke on international entity structures which further control liability and tax risk when investing outside of the US.

Ken McElroy talked about his guidelines for market and property due diligence, as well as his dogged attention to cash flow.  He uses these disciplines to control market risk.  He says this control is why his real estate investments aren’t in trouble even though he’s going through the same challenging market conditions that are wiping out so many others.  He doesn’t rely upon the market to do the work for him.  He looks for deals with upside and works to improve the cash flow, which in turn increases the equity.  Then he uses prudent leverage to release the new equity and return his seed capital so he can move forward with positive cash flow – all on no money invested.  This produces what Robert Kiyosaki calls “infinite returns”.  Meanwhile, he recycles the seed capital to do the next deal!

Robert Helms stressed the importance of controlling one’s mindset when investing in the wake of an unprecedented drop in values (see Summit Lesson #6).  Each had a different angle, but again, all variations on a theme: control.

Summit Lesson #7:  Pay careful attention to the things you can control so you’re able to withstand the challenges caused by the things you can’t (inflation, taxes, market cycles, interest rates, etc).  When it comes to investing, most people are out of control.  Fear overrides common sense and they buy high and sell low.  They turn their money over to bankers and Wall Street and hope for the best (hope is not a strategy).  They manage cash flow by feel rather than budgets and bookkeeping.  Worst of all, they wait for external circumstances to get better rather than investing in making themselves better with education, relationships, strategies, disciplines, systems and a willingness to take action in the face of uncertainty.

We could go on and on!  There are SO many great lessons to glean from the Summit.  Of course, the only way to really get them is to actually be there.  The Real Estate Guys™ Summit isn’t the only event of its type, but after reading the surveys of the attendees, and even more, hearing the feedback of the Rich Dad Advisors®, we think it’s one of the best.  And we’re already making plans to make next year’s Summit even better!

We encourage you to make it your goal to be with us in 2011. Without exception, every survey we received said the event exceeded expectations and was well worth the time and money invested.  Over one third of this year’s group has already signed up for next year!

To make sure YOU get the upcoming announcement about The Real Estate Guys™ 9th Annual Summit at Sea in 2011, be sure to sign up for our newsletter. To be extra sure you get the early bird deal, use our feedback page to let us know you’re interested and we’ll put you on our VIP notification list.

All the best!

Robert Helms and Russell Gray
Hosts
The Real Estate Guys™ Radio Show

7 Real Estate Resolutions

Resolutions and New Years are as ubiquitous as Peanut Butter and Jelly.  So, rather than buck the trend, we thought we’d go with the flow.  As you enter this brand new year, here are 7 real estate resolutions for you to consider:

1. Set up (or clean up) a Budget and Bookkeeping System

Ironically, the person most likely to make this resolution is the least likely to need to – and vice versa.  However, like it or not, having a budget and accurate books is critical to making good business decisions.  Your budget is your game plan for revenue and expenses.  It gives you something to manage your daily activities to and will alert you quickly when something is wrong.  But more than that, your budget also empowers much of your tax and asset protection strategy.  The why behind that comment is a much bigger discussion, but if you don’t understand it, you will after you meet with your tax and asset protection advisors.

Unlike a budget, which is just a plan, bookkeeping is the actual daily discipline of tracking your real world activities so they can be measured against your plan.  Way before computers, “garbage in, garbage out” was already an unavoidable truth.  If your books are sloppy, then your reports and resulting decisions will be sloppy too.  So, like getting rid of the holiday “pudge”, it will take effort and discipline to get your books in order – and keep them there.  Sorry, that’s just the way it is.

2. Design and Implement an Aggressive Tax Avoidance Plan

With good books, one of the easiest areas to improve profitability is to optimize tax deductions.  This is one of the ways you are financially rewarded for keeping good books.  Keep in mind that “avoidance” is NOT tax “evasion”.  To avoid a tax liability is to not create it in the first place.  That’s good.  To evade a tax liability is to fail to pay once you legitimately owe.  That’s bad.  The good news is there are lots of provisions in the tax code to help you avoid tax liability, but you need to implement them before the tax year ends.  As you’re going through the process of preparing your tax returns, don’t just whip through it to get it done (as tempting as that is!).  Rather, take time to understand what you owe and why; then go to your tax advisor with the right question: “How can I avoid or reduce this tax liability?” (as opposed to the much poorer question, “How much do I owe?”).  Keep the questions and answers in your Tax Strategy Journal.   Then, implement the changes early in the new year, so when you’re preparing your tax returns next year, you’ll be getting the full benefit of the changes you make now.

3. Property Manager and Tenant Appreciation

Remember, as a real estate investor, your property managers are your “employees” and your tenants are your “customers”.  Think like a business owner (because that’s what you are) and make sure you measure (bookkeeping again!) and reward the performance of your employees.  This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to write big checks.  You can add value to the relationship in other ways.   Strong and sincere expressions of thanks go a long way.  All business people love referrals, so you can reward great performance with your word of mouth advertising.  Maybe you have a time share or vacation property that is going unused and you can reward a top performer with a weekend (or more) someplace special.  For your best tenants, you might buy them a gift certificate for a local restaurant or movie theater.  Be creative!   The point is that this is a people business and people like to be appreciated.

4. Estate Plan Update (or Implementation)

Estate planning is spending time and money today to prepare for an event that is inevitable, but no one wants to deal with.  It just isn’t fun.  If it was, then you wouldn’t need resolve (as in a “resolution”) to handle it.  Who makes a New Year’s resolution to eat more treats?  We just eat them naturally because it’s fun and easy.  Estate planning is not fun or easy (unless you’re weird), but organizing your estate plan is important because you can’t fix it once you’re gone.  And if it isn’t done right, your loved ones can literally lose a fortune (yours).  You might not think you have enough to worry about right now.  But that means you should have a large life insurance policy to handle things if you pass away before your real estate riches kick in.  If you don’t have such a policy, then add that to your resolution list.  If you already do, then you’re certain to need an estate plan.  See?  There’s no escaping it.  It’s like death.

5. Asset Protection Update (or Implementation)

Sadly, getting sued is almost as inevitable as dying.  And the more you have, the more you have to lose.  So proper insurance and entity structures are critical.  Again, there isn’t space to get into all the details of a proper asset protection plan, but here are a few items to consider.  First, asset protection doesn’t just protect what you have now, but also what you plan to accumulate later. Also, some insurance policies won’t pay if your property is in an entity, but you are the insured (and vice versa).  We like to have an insurance attorney review our policies to be sure we are getting the protection we need.  Of course, entity structuring will have an impact on your tax and estate strategies as well, so it’s wise to have all your risk mitigation advisors (insurance, asset protection, estate and tax) work together on your plan.  It’s not cheap.  Sorry.  But if you start with a strong tax avoidance plan, you can probably pay for everything from your savings.

6. Explore a New Market

Whew!  We need a break from all this death and taxes stuff.  Who wants to be a real estate investor so you can buy more insurance and pay more legal bills?  No one.  But exploring strange new markets and boldly going where no man has gone before (theme from Star Trek begins to play…) – well, that’s much more enticing.  In the (almost) wake of the mortgage meltdown, we’re emerging into a brave new real estate world.  Resolve to get out of your bunker and go out and survey the post-apocalyptic landscape.  We think you’ll find there’s a lot of opportunity out there in 2010.

7. Add to or Update Advisory Board

In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a lot to think about when you’re serious about being a real estate investor.  You’re far more likely to procrastinate when you don’t know the short path to a quick answer.  Having a complete and competent advisory board is very important.  So make a shopping list and go stock up on big brains to put into your speed dial.

Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

Each one of these topics could be a whole radio show (many of which are) or the focus of a Mentoring Club broadcast or live seminar.  For now, we just want to help you focus on these 7 key items early in the New Year, so you can be sure to include them in your planning.   This decade has the potential to be one of the best ever for real estate.  What you do in this first year will be your foundation for the entire decade.  Be sure to take this opportunity to build it right!

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Attorney Garrett Sutton joins Summit faculty

The Real Estate Guys are proud to announce that Attorney Garrett Sutton will be a special guest teacher on their 8th Annual Investor Summit at Sea April 9-17, 2010.

Garrett Sutton is one one of Robert Kiyosaki’s original Rich Dad Advisors and has spoken all over the world on the topic of partnership formation and asset protection for investors.  He is a best selling author and has over 25 years experience practicing law with offices in Wyoming, Nevada and California.  Garrett has been a guest on both The Real Estate Guys radio and TV shows, in addition to being featured in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.

Many people believe 2010 will be a great year for real estate acquisition.  If you see more opportunity than you have money, then setting up investing partnerships could be your formula for success.  But when you are investing other people’s money, having a strong understanding of the legal requirements is critical.  At this year’s Summit, Garrett will be teaching on what you need to to know to do investing partnerships right.

Also, in today’s lawsuit prone society, it’s important to have an asset protection structure in place and know how to use it properly. What’s the point in earning a fortune only to lose it all in a frivolous law suit?  Garrett will explain entity structuring to maximize protection and minimize costs.

Best of all, Garrett will be on board the cruise ship with us for 8 days and 7 nights, so attendees will have plenty of opportunity to ask questions. Take advantage of this RARE OPPORTUNITY to spend time with Garrett Sutton and the rest of The Real Estate Guys Summit at Sea faculty.  Sign up today!

12/6/09: The Home Stretch – Year End Strategies with Attorney Garrett Sutton

The end of the year is a great time to look back and grab lessons from the past so you can apply them to your plans for the new year.  It’s also a great time to clean up loose ends and organize yourself for a fast start in January.  While it’s exciting to build your portfolio, it also means you have more details to manage.  Being organized is no longer a luxury.  It’s a necessity!  On this broadcast, The Real Estate Guys focus on some of the many often overlooked, yet very important details of keeping your real estate empire tidy.

On this broadcast, making their lists and checking them twice are:

• Your Host, Robert Helms
• Co-Host and Chief Financial Organizer, Russell Gray
• The Godfather of Real Estate, Bob Helms
• Special Guest: Rich Dad Advisor, Attorney and Author, Garrett Sutton

The show kicks off with a quick discussion of the importance of getting off the hamster wheel long enough to take time to both reflect on the past and to plan for the future.  “Busy” isn’t always productive.  It’s important to work smart.  A big part of working smart is having a personal advisory board to help you know what to do.  But who do you need and how do you work with them?

Joining in on the discussion is attorney Garret Sutton.  Garrett begins with a review of essential asset protection strategies for real estate investors.  Then he provides important updates on upcoming and potential changes to tax, estate and asset protection laws that affect real estate investors.

In today’s challenging economy, it’s important to make every dollar count.  Garrett shares critical information about changes in fees related to entity formation and maintenance.  This leads to a discussion of jurisdictions which offer the best protection and privacy for the price.  He also reveals a little known technique to minimize the costs of moving an entity from one jurisdiction to another.  Good stuff!

Garret closes out with important reminders about critical, though mundane, tasks which should be attended to in order to maximize asset protection.  The Guys go on to discuss other items which should be considered in year end planning.  The show wraps up with an overall outlook for the new year.

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