1/29/12: Where in the World to Invest? Tracking Trends in Global Real Estate

Emerging economies, free(er) trade, high speed communication and the troubled financial systems of the U.S. and Europe all add up to people, money and opportunities moving around the globe in unprecedented fashion.

It’s a lot to keep up on!  But have no fear, The Real Estate Guys™ are here!

In the studio, behind the shiny silver microphones for another scintillating soiree into broadcast excellence:

  • Your emerging, high speed host, Robert Helms
  • Your troubled co-host, Russell Gray

In this episode, we flip the mirror around and look at the world from a different angle.  Now that we’re big shot international podcasters (being downloaded in over 160 countries!), we can’t just look at the world exclusively through our U.S. centric eyeballs.

Besides, we’ve discovered through our recent trips to South Florida and Phoenix, that non-U.S. citizens are actively buying U.S. real estate that they view as being on sale.  So even if you’re a U.S. citizen with no interest in off-shore investing, your domestic real estate is being affected by foreign activity.

Plus as the Chinese economy continues to climb up the food chain (nipping at the heels of Uncle Sam at last check), wealth being created overseas is affecting markets all over the world.  One of our fastest growing audiences is in Australia.  What’s the connection?  Australia is a big exporter of commodities to…drum roll please…China!  And how’s Aussie real estate been doing?  Pretty hot for quite some time.

And just so you don’t think it’s just all about China, Brazil is starting to light up the economic scoreboard also.  Our sources tell us the Brazilians make up a significant chunk of the buyers gobbling up South Florida real estate.

And don’t forget the Canadian dollar, eh?  It’s been strong against the U.S. greenback, making U.S. dollar denominated assets more attractive.  It’s too bad old guys like us don’t get more attractive when our dollars gets weak…but we digress.

Our point is, as we all learned as children at Disneyland, it’s a small world after all.  And what happens in the big economies of the world, can affect you – pretty much wherever you are.

So, listen in as The Real Estate Guys™ talk trends in global real estate – and consider how those trends might create opportunities or challenges you should be aware of.  Hey!  It it was easy, everyone would do it.  But if it can’t be easy, you can count on us to make it fun!

And speaking of fun (warning: incoming shameless plug), we’re getting close to last call for our fabulous annual Investor Summit at Sea™.  As of this post, we have investors coming from at least 13 different countries.  It’s a great opportunity to build you global network and gain direct personal insights into real estate markets and mindsets from around the world.  To get in on the fun, click here now!

Listen Now:

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The Real Estate Guys™ radio show and podcast provides real estate investing news, education, training and resources to help real estate investors succeed.

1/22/12: Transcending Financing – Doing Deals in a Changing Climate

Today’s successful real estate investors don’t waste time waiting for “the good old days” of easy conventional money to return to the marketplace.

For some, it’s déjà vu all over again because this isn’t the first time fast and furious financing has faded from the funding landscape.

For others, it’s their first foray into the fabulous world of creative deal making.

For us, it’s time to take a trip to visit one of the most creative deal makers we know!

Behind the microphones for this episode of The Real Estate Guys™ radio show:

  • Your good old host, Robert Helms
  • Your old dazed co-host, Russell Gray
  • Special guest, the one and only Wayne Palmer

When you’ve been a real estate developer, note broker, investor, gold mint owner, author, teacher; and are active in creative real estate exchange networks, PLUS you were around (and survived) the Savings & Loan crisis of the late ’80s, you have a broad and unique range of experiences from which to form opinions.  But where can you find such a person?

Salt Lake City!  So off we went to sit down face to face with the amazing Wayne Palmer.

We’ve gotten to know Wayne on our last two Summits, where he’s enlightened the audience with his teaching on both notes and equity exchanging.  In this interview, we are interested in what he sees for 2012 – both challenges and opportunities.

To no surprise, Wayne describes the U.S. mortgage system as “broken” -therefore creating liquidity issues for homeowner, investors and even equity exchangers.  However, this “problem” has an off-setting opportunity: private money.

With central banks pumping liquidity into the system, all that cash is looking for a home.  An astute real estate investor has a great opportunity to help cash rich investors find assets that provide better yields than savings institutions, and better long term growth potential than the stock market.

Wayne explains that the decrease in property values has made it a real challenge to find quality notes to trade, but the corresponding opportunity is the bargains available in the short sale market.  Are you seeing a theme?  Challenges always bring opportunities!

One of our big takeaways from this interview is that when you think currency and institutions are a prerequisite to commerce, you’re crippled when currencies and banks fail.  The problem is that you have no control over if or when these events happen. Many people are very concerned about both as we move forward into 2012.

However, when you know how to conduct business outside of currencies and institutions, you’re more insulated from fluctuations in both – and in a great position to grab bargains in a chaotic and confused market.

So if you haven’t already brushed up on your creative deal making skills, this interview reminds us that now is the time to do so.  Wayne says these market conditions are more conducive to deal making than any in recent memory.  As we’re often reminded, the wort of times often result in the best of times.

Listen Now:

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The Real Estate Guys™ radio show and podcast provides real estate investing news, education, training and resources to help real estate investors succeed.

1/15/12: Getting to the Next Level – Are You Ready for a Coach?

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…the NFL playoffs!

There’s so much you can learn about life and business through football!  As we considered how to kick off (get it?) the New Year, we thought it would be fun to look into the notion of coaching for real estate investors.  After all, what professional football team heads into a season without a coach?

So we put on our thermals and headed to chilly (but VERY pretty) Salt Lake City Utah to pay a visit on the folks at Rich Dad Coaching.

It’s no secret we’re fans of Robert Kiyosaki and the Rich Dad message.  And on one of our recent field trips we got to know some people who had good things to say about their experience in the Rich Dad Coaching program.  So who better to talk with about this subject than the Rich Dad team?

Behind the microphones for this episode of The Real Estate Guys™ radio show:

  • Your frosty breathed host, head coach Robert Helms
  • Your frost-bitten co-host, head case Russell Gray
  • Special guest, Director of Rich Dad Coaching, Eric Lloyd

Elite achievers in every profession (not just athletics!) use coaches to provide training, accountability, motivation and encouragement.  It only makes sense that someone pursuing excellence in real estate investing would at least entertain the idea of having a coach.

So once the microphones thawed out, we asked Eric to help us understand who needs a coach, how coaching works, what to expect and how to work effectively with a coach once you decide to take  the plunge.

Eric tells us that you don’t need a coach if you’re satisfied with your current level of accomplishment. But we’re guessing most people want to improve.  And even though the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl last year, they still entered the 2011 season with a coach.  So even when you’re just trying to stay at the top of your game, it probably makes sense to have a coach – and certainly if you want to get to the next level.

And speaking of getting to the next level…how about those 49ers?  Look at what an amazing difference coaching makes! A team made of essentially the same players as last year’s team is one game away from going to the Super Bowl!  Though they wouldn’t think so, anyone looking at the 49ers would have to say that even if they lose to the New York Giants, they’ve had an epic year.

When you look at the 49ers turnaround, it makes you wonder what’s possible in your own life with the right coaching!

Eric explains to us that a good coach is a great listener.  And after learning about who are and what you have to work with, the coach helps you develop a game plan that fits YOU.  Just like in football, a good coach will help you play to your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses.

Eric also points out that a good coach brings a team of coaches to effort.  Just like a head football coach has specialty coaches, so Eric says a good investing coach will have associated “resource” coaches to provide technical training and additional perspectives.  We like it.  We know it’s always good to get a lot of brains working on a challenge.

There’s lot more that Eric shares with us, so be sure to listen to the entire episode – and at the end, Eric offers a free resource to reward you for your perseverance.

Listen Now:

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The Real Estate Guys™ radio show provides real estate investing news, education, training and resources that helps real estate investors succeed.

1/8/12: Show Me the Money! Financing Outlook for 2012

In the classic musical movie, Cabaret, Joel Grey and Liza Minnelli sang, “Money makes the world go ’round…”

A couple of decades later, Cuba Gooding Jr., playing an ambitious football player, screamed at his agent, Jerry McGuire (Tom Cruise), “Show me the money!”

The point is that money is the lubricant that keeps the machinery of commerce humming – and nowhere is that more true than in real estate investing.

But it’s no secret that a few years ago the world of real estate financing imploded, wreaking havoc on balance sheets from Wall Street to Main Street.  Now that the dust is starting to settle, what’s the state of the union when it comes to real estate financing?  To find out, we called up our old friend, The Investment Mortgage Guy.

Making mortgage music together in the studio:

  • Your host and leader of the band, Robert Helms
  • Your co-host and cleaner of the instruments, Russell Gray
  • Expert guest, The Investment Mortgage Guy, Rob Bonahoom

In an industry where lots of businesses and people have quit, Rob Bonahoom has managed to persevere through massive change and market adversity to remain active in the business of helping investors find funding for their real estate acquisitions.  So we thought he’d be the perfect guy to bring us up to speed on both residential and commercial lending in the new reality of mortgage underwriting.

Rob reveals what lenders are looking for from today’s borrowers and why newbies have a significant advantage.  Even more fun, he shares specific strategies for how investors with little cash or credit can still get into the apartment game.  So if you got whacked in the downturn, you’re not out of the game yet!

Rob also gets into detail on how government backed mortgages are working for real estate investors today.  As we’ve always said, because real estate is such an important part of the economy and serves an essential human need – so politicians have a huge motivation (in spite of their disagreements about methods!) to help make money available…especially for residential property.

We go on to talk local banks (flush with cash!), FHA 203k, SBA loans and more!

So listen and learn as Rob Bonahoom shows us the money!

Listen Now:

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The Real Estate Guys™ radio show and podcast provides real estate investing news, education, training and resources to help real estate investors succeed.

12/25/11: Ask The Guys – From Bangalore to Botswana

Happy Holidays from The Real Estate Guys™!

On this week’s Christmas edition of the show, we are giving our answers to a collection of your questions that are all over the map. 

No, really.  We mean it.  These questions are from ALL over the map!

The Real Estate Guys™ podcast is now being downloaded in over 150 countries.  So we get Ask The Guys questions from EVERYWHERE.  It’s very cool.

In studio this lovely Christmas Day:

  • Your holly jolly host, Robert Helms
  • Your ho-ho co-host, Russell Gray
  • Our Santa Claus understudy, the Godfather of Real Estate, Bob Helms

After landing the sleigh on the roof of the radio station, we stopped by the breakroom and loaded up on some egg nog.  We thought getting a little red-nosed might help us see our way through the holiday fog so we could deliver our answers to all of your very interesting questions.

But Botswana?  Really?  Do you even know where Botswana is? 

We didn’t either.  But here’s what we’re discovering:  No matter where you live or invest, as long as you have the basic right to own private property, you have opportunities to make money with real estate.  Even Botswana.

And what’s awesome is that while many of the technical details are different from country to country, the basic principles and strategies of real estate investing are very similar.  So no matter where you’re from or where you’re investing, the answers to the questions your fellow listeners have can have relevance to you.  It also tells you how important it is to have experienced local technical advisors and service providers in every jurisdiction in which you invest.  But that’s a topic for another episode.

For now, listen in and learn how much you have in common with real estate investors half a world away.  It really is a small world after all!  Maybe that’s how Santa’s able to get all those gifts delivered in just one night.  Of course, digital downloads make things a little easier too.  ;-)

Listen:

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The Real Estate Guys™ radio show and podcast provides real estate investing news, education, training and resources to help real estate investors succeed.

 

12/18/11: Regional Roundup – Taking The Pulse of the U.S. Real Estate Market

So many markets, so little time!

Let’s face it.  When you get the hots for real estate investing, there are lots of tempting opportunities out there!

But before you go out on a market field trip date or get hot and heavy with just one market, why not get a quick sampling of what’s out there?  And as great as the internet is, sometimes you just need the warmth of a real human voice.

So we decided to round up 8 different real estate practitioners from 8 different U.S. real estate markets for The Real Estate Guys™ version of market speed dating!

In the studio and calling in from around the country:

  • Your ever debonair host of the show, Robert Helms
  • The ever air- headed co-host, Russell Gray
  • Our marvelous man in Memphis, Terry Kerr
  • Our Miami market maven, Deborah Boza-Valledor
  • Our amazing Atlanta affiliate, Bruce Carlisle
  • A guy who really knows the way to San Jose, Jurgen Weller
  • Our deal-making dude from Dallas, Jay Hartley
  • Our money man from Minneapolis, Rob “Boom Boom” Bonahoom
  • Our phabulous phriend in Phoenix, Timothy Theiss
  • The Washington DC Wonder Woman, Beth “Bubbles” Clifford

Wow!  What a line up! Like Santa in his sled, we decided to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time.  So we hitched up our eight market reindeer and headed into the foggy air of market prognostication.

We ask each call in contributor to give us a quick update on their market from their unique perspective – and what does 2012 look like?

We quickly find out that each market is different.  And each person’s perspective is different too!  That’s the beautiful thing about real estate.  There’s a LOT of variety!

We have a lender, a couple of turnkey property providers, an executive from the largest local Realtor® association in the USA, the manager of a large residential brokerage in a very pricy area, a property manager, an investment property broker and a real estate developer.  Different people, property types and price points, market personalities and perspectives.  Fun!

Some of these markets were killed in the Great Recession.  Others barely felt it.  Some are SUPER expensive, but people are still paying CASH.  And one has lots of foreign buys stepping in and snapping up bargains.

Want to know which is which?  Well, you’ll just have to listen in!  But have a cup of coffee, because this is a fast paced show.  Enjoy!

LISTEN:

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The Real Estate Guys™ radio show and podcast provides real estate investing news, education, training and resources to help real estate investors succeed.

12/4/11: Infinite Banking – The Broken Banking System and What You Can Do About It

Today’s banking system is a far cry from George Bailey’s Bailey Building and Loan in the classic film It’s a Wonderful Life.

Back then, savers put money in local institutions where local bankers lent it out to local borrowers.  It was very community focused.

Today, everything funnels through Wall Street and the Federal Reserve, and the last few years have shown that when deals get made too far away from Main Street, weird stuff happens -  like meltdowns and bailouts.

But where can you store your cash, if not banks?  Do you have any choice?

Well, “Yes!”  according to the authors of How Privatized Banking Really Works (a book that we read, enjoyed and recommend).

Privatized banking is a concept we’ve explored in previous episodes, so when the opportunity came along to sit down face to face with the authors, we happily grabbed it.

Behind the old fashioned microphones for yet another informative episode you can bank on:

  • Your host with a wonderful life, Robert Helms
  • Your co-host who needs to  get a life, Russell Gray
  • Special guest, economist and author, Robert Murphy
  • Special guest, management consultant and author, Carlos Lara

It seems like everyone from Occupy Wall Street to Congress to the GOP presidential hopefuls (not to mention the millions of people without jobs or in foreclosure) have figured out that the banking system is broken – or at least not working very well.  “Duh” as they say.

And with all the rhetoric and finger pointing, it’s easy to just throw up…your hands, that is…and say, “What can I really do about it?”

However, this episode isn’t about overthrowing the Fed, prosecuting bankers, or protesting foreclosures.  There are lots of people busily debating what needs to happen to fix the system.

Rather, the privatized, or “infinite” banking concept is really about “opting out” of conventional banking – or at least, de-funding it to a large degree – not through legislation or litigation, but simply by personally using a little known alternative to banks for holding your cash.

Sound radical?  It really isn’t.  It’s more about getting back to a “closer to home way” of managing your savings.  Plus, we hear there are some real tangible financial benefits that come with doing it.

We’ll let our guests describe the details, but as real estate investors,  we should have an ever growing pile of cash that we’re managing.  These funds  include profits from operations and transactions that is waiting to be re-deployed, and cash and contingency reserves.  The more properties you have, the bigger you stash of cash gets.  So cash management is part of your responsibility as a real estate investor.

But before you just park all that cash in a broken banking system, listen to Robert Murphy and Carlos Lara explain an alternative which provides direct current benefits to you, while circumventing the fractional reserve system that they say contributes to the problems the current system causes.  VERY interesting stuff!

LISTEN:

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The Real Estate Guys™ radio show and podcast provides real estate investing news, education, training and resources to helps real estate investors succeed.

11/27/11: The Real World of Credit – Improve Your Credit Score Fast

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When it comes to conventional mortgage money, your three digit credit score is very important.  Since most people start their investing careers with residential 1-4 unit properties, we consider your credit score to be worthy of proper care and feeding.

It’s been a while since we covered this topic and a lot has changed in the world of credit and lending, so we decided to dedicate this episode to the brave new world of credit, credit repair and what you can do it improve your credit score.

In the studio looking for more credit than they deserve:

  • That beacon of broadcast excellence, your host Robert Helms
  • Your scoreless co-host, Russell Gray
  • Credit expert and author, “The Credit Guy”, Wayne Sanford

According to our special guest Wayne Sanford, there are two worlds of credit scoring:  the “perfect” world where everything is accurate, up to date and fair; and the “real” world where credit reports are littered with mistakes, scores take weeks and sometimes months to update, and a system that is rigged against investors.  Guess which world we live in?

The good news is that even though the system is far from perfect, when you’ve reviewed 11,000 credit reports like Wayne has, you begin to recognize real world trends and can implement techniques which actually can improve you score.
Now before you tune out, there are some things you should know.

First, it isn’t expensive or difficult to stay on top of your credit score.  But you do need to know what you’re doing.  Wayne will give you some tips in this episode.  If you listen all the way through, you’ll find out how you can get a free report on how you add a quick 15 points (or more) to your credit score at those times when you them the most.

Next, while it’s a hassle to babysit your credit score, it can be really expensive if you don’t.  The good news is that once you master a few basic principles and use a little discipline, you can keep your score in pretty good shape year round.

Then, once you understand that your credit score is a numerical “snap shot” of your credit profile at a particular point in time, you’ll discover with the right knowledge and foresight, you can pretty up your score and have it ready to smile for the camera when it’s picture time.

Having a pretty credit score at critical junctures (like when you’re locking in your interest rate on a rental property for the next 30 years) can save you many tens of thousands of dollars…or more!

Credit score management isn’t just repairing bad credit or avoiding identity theft.  It’s about leveraging one of your essential financial resources for optimal return on investment.  And like a piece of equipment, if you take it out and work with it, it’s going to get dinged up and need attention.  But the better you care for it, the more you can use it to make money.

So listen in as Wayne “The Credit Guy” Sanford talks credit, credit repair and what you can do to improve your credit score now and every time you really need it.

The Real Estate Guys™ radio show and podcast provides real estate investing news, education, training and resources to helps real estate investors succeed.

 

 

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11/20/11: Ask The Guys – Values, Ventures, Volatility and Velocity

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Answering your questions is one of our favorite things to do!  Every few weeks, we reach into the email grab bag and pull out a handful of interesting questions from our worldwide audience.

Behind the silver microphones from The Real Estate Guys™ international world headquarters:

  • Your silver tongued know-it-all host, Robert Helms
  • Your tongue-tied know-nothing co-host, Russell Gray
  • The silver- haired Godfather of Real Estate, Bob Helms

We picked out some good ones for this episode!

  • What happens to the value of your property when a big sports complex full of screaming kids moves in next door?  Should you stay or should you go?
  • What’s the easiest way to get a hard money lender out of your hair?
  • Is it possible to get more loans when your personal income isn’t enough to qualify?
  • What do you do when you have a great property but run out of money to finish your project?
  • And more!!!

Listen in and glean precious pearls of powerful wisdom as The Guys pontificate the possibilities while pondering the plethora of problems posed by your phellow listeners.  Phew!

The Real Estate Guys™ radio show and podcast provides real estate investing news, education, training and resources to helps real estate investors succeed.

11/13/11: The Compound Effect and Success Strategies for a Down Economy

“Success”.  What does it mean to you?

It’s probably safe to say that many people start investing in real estate because they want to be financially successful.  However, we think most people agree that true success is a LOT more than just financial gain.

But an even more important idea is that success in anything is almost always the result of consistently taking the right actions at the right time long enough for those “right actions” to compound into an extraordinary result.

Therefore the “secret” to success is not just knowing what to do, but actually doing it, and doing it, and doing it until you succeed.

To help you on your journey, our mission is to provide ideas, information, knowledge and perspectives about not just the technical aspects of real estate investing (“what to do”), but also on the psychology of implementation (“doing it”).  That’s what this particular broadcast is all about.

Behind the microphones for this inspirational episode of The Real Estate Guys™ radio show:

  • Your inspiring host, Robert Helms
  • Your perspiring co-host, Russell Gray
  • Success Magazine Publisher, author and speaker, Darren Hardy

It’s no secret the USA and much of the world has been slogging through some very challenging economic times.

Historically, many highly successful people and organizations have emerged from hard times more focused, inspired and productive than ever before.  Donald Trump, who nearly lost everything in the early 90’s is one of the highest profile members of the comeback club, but there have been many others over the decades.

Of course, there are also those who happen to be starting out at a time that appears far less than optimal, yet somehow manage to go on to greatness anyway.

So how is it that when times are tough, so many people don’t find the ideas and energy to turn their personal situations around, while others are enthusiastically working every day toward new heights of achievement, happiness and prosperity?

The perhaps not so obvious answer is attitude.  The context with which people views themselves and their circumstances is a major contributor to or detractor from their ability to take and sustain effective action.

Just think of most of the things in your life where you fell short of your goals.  Was it because you didn’t know what to do or where to find the knowledge to do it?  Or,  was it because you failed to do what you knew you should?  Perhaps you started out, but didn’t stay with it long enough to let your efforts compound.

In real estate investing, for example, if you’re acquiring one property a year that adds $500 a month to your passive income, you might be bored or discouraged after just two or three years – especially if you’re holding down a day job and having to deal with all the hassles of property ownership.  “Is this REALLY worth it?” you might ask yourself.

But if you stick with it, in 20 years you have $10,000 a month in passive income (probably more when you factor in inflation), and a net worth that now includes the equity build up from the pay down of the loans – and (if inflation persists) from the increase in value over the years.

However, if you quit early, as many people do, then you never arrive.

The point is: what good is all the knowledge in the world if it isn’t consistently, persistently acted upon?  And how can you find the power to keep on pushing through all the ups and downs?  You’ll be happy to know there are actually proven strategies for maximizing your power to persist!

As Publisher of Success Magazine, Darren Hardy has the unique privilege of interviewing many of the most prolific achievers in the world. Most have stories of not just overcoming adversity, but actually using it as a source of strength.  Sound crazy?  They don’t think so.

As a student, teacher and practitioner of success principles, Darren has gained powerful insights into the psychology of winning.  So tune in as Darren reveals several precious pearls of practical achievement wisdom and discusses his new book, The Compound Effect. Discover why your adversity is your advantage if you know how to use it.

 Listen Now!

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