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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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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Who are these people – and why are they smiling???
Rich Dad Poor Dad author Robert Kiyosaki and his lovely wife Kim Kiyosaki (author of Rich Woman), plus several of their Rich Dad Advisors® are all part of The Real Estate Guys™ 10th annual Investor Summit at Sea™.
And while the idea of spending an ENTIRE WEEK at a conference may seem a little boring, nearly seven of the eight days take place aboard a cruise ship sailing the Caribbean and visiting four beautiful ports. That’s the complete opposite of boring.
Wow! Fun in the sun and financial education too. No wonder Robert and Kim are smiling. And when you join us, you’ll be smiling too!
After all, we already have people coming from ten different countries. Just imagine the caliber of people you’ll meet, the quality of conversations you’ll enjoy, and all the things you’ll learn! Plus we have an all star faculty – all of whom have committed not only to teach,, but to hang out with you at our private parties, shore excursions, round table discussions and nightly shipboard meals. Really, is there ANY other place you can go to get this level of education, access and entertainment?
Here’s a special message from Robert Kiyosaki:
And this special message from Robert and Kim is for couples:
This Investor Summit at Sea™ is a VERY RARE opportunity for you to learn from and get to know the Kiyosakis, their Rich Dad Advisors and, of course, The Real Estate Guys™ and the rest of our amazing Summit faculty – all aboard the spectacular Carnival Dream.
So make your plans NOW to be on board March 30th – April 7th, 2012. Space is limited and your reservation must be secured many weeks in advance. If you wait too long, the event may sell out. Don’t miss the boat!!! For all the the details, click here now.
Live Stream 8/23 with Robert Kiyosaki and The Real Estate Guys
Tune in on August 23rd at 11 am Pacific / 2 pm Eastern when The Real Estate Guys™ will be in the Rich Dad office to sit down face to face with Robert Kiyosaki, the author of mega-best selling Rich Dad Poor Dad series. The 30 minute meeting will be streamed live, so you can watch it right on your computer (isn’t technology cool?) as it’s happening!
We’ll be talking real estate and how investors can take advantage of today’s real estate market.
To get in on the action, just go to our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/TheRealEstateGuys and Like us!
If you aren’t on Facebook or can’t make the time, fill out the form below and we’ll send you a link to a recording of the live event as soon as it’s ready.
You’re Invited to Robert Kiyosaki’s Boardroom!
Join The Real Estate Guys™ on August 11th as we listen in live to a boardroom conversation between Robert Kiyosaki and several of his Rich Dad Advisors®. Click here to register now!
Robert Kiyosaki and his Rich Dad Advisors® will be talking about how investors can capitalize on all the turmoil in today’s economic environment. Gold is at all time highs. Interest rates are at historic lows. The US is teetering on the brink of default as the debt ceiling debate rages on. Wouldn’t you like to know what several successful real world investors are thinking? We do!
Robert Kiyosaki is one of our favorite financial gurus. We know he’s sometimes controversial, but we don’t get the criticisms. He preaches the importance of education, surrounding yourself with qualified professionals, and understanding that most of the world’s financial marketing and “education” programs are designed to steer uninformed consumers into the waiting arms of brokerage houses, bankers and tax collectors. Kiyosaki says financial education is essential to your economic well being. What’s controversial about that?
Besides, whether you agree with him or not, the fact remains that he’s the best selling financial author in the history of the planet. That alone makes him worth listening to, since millions of people around the world are influenced by him.
As for us, we like Robert and his advisors a lot. We’re very fortunate to get backstage with the Kiyosakis and many of their advisors. If you’re a regular listener to The Real Estate Guys™ radio show or podcast, then you know we’ve had Rich Dad Advisors Ken McElroy and Wayne Palmer as faculty on our last two Summits. And not only are Ken and Wayne coming back for 2012, but Robert and Kim Kiyosaki will also be on board the Summit for the entire week!
We’ve gotten great personal and professional advice from Robert and the Rich Dad Advisors that has made a positive difference in our lives. We’re big fans. We think the world will be much better off as every day working people make it a priority to expand their financial education. It’s why we do the radio show, run our mentoring clubs, promote Rich Dad and others who believe in education, and run around collecting interviews and expert opinions from as many people as we can. Ideas, information, strategies and perspectives from lots of sources are a great way to form your own well-crafted opinions.
We encourage you to join us and listen in to Robert, Kim and the Rich Advisors on August 11th as they talk about the pressing economic issues of today and where the opportunities are. The event isn’t free, but it sure isn’t expensive! It’s a very small investment in your education which has the potential to pay huge dividends. Afterwards, drop us a note on our Feedback page and let us know what you thought.
4/17/11: Live from our 9th Annual Investor Summit at Sea!
For the ninth straight year, The Real Estate Guys™ and an energized group of committed real estate investors boarded a cruise ship for a week of powerful education, networking and fun. And as is our tradition, while on board we recorded a radio show with a live studio audience.
We call this annual event our Investor Summit at Sea™ because Summit means “the highest point of attainment or aspiration: the summit of one’s ambition; the highest state or degree”.
More than education, the Summit is about relationships, enthusiasm, focus and family. Because of the unique environment created on a cruise ship, faculty and students often bring their families. It’s proven to be a great opportunity to unite families around their pursuit of financial independence and prosperity.
Reflecting on their Summit experience from the Mad Hatter’s Lounge on the Carnival Miracle:
- Your host, Robert Helms
- Co-host, Russell Gray
- The Godfather of Real Estate, Bob Helms
- Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Real Estate Advisors, Ken McElroy and Wayne Palmer
- International Real Estate Developer, Beth Clifford
- Attorney, Mauricio Rauld
- Real estate investor, developer and author, David Campbell
- Financial strategist, Patrick Donohoe
After one week of focused education, networking and outrageous fun, each faculty member share their most important takeaways. Over two-thirds of the 2011 attendees, including the complete faculty and their families immediately signed up to come back in 2012 to celebrate our 10th annual Investor Summit at Sea™. It’s hard to describe the Summit experience, as several surveys described the event as “life changing”, “incredible”, “awesome” and “over the top”.
How can a simple real estate investment conference have such a powerful impact? Tune in as our prestigious faculty tries to distrill their experience into a one hour radio show – and consider the power of just one great idea, relationship or commitment.
Listen now!
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The Real Estate Guys™ Radio Show podcast provides education, information, training and resources to help investors make money with their real estate investing. Learn more and subscribe to the free newsletter at www.realestateguysradio.com
Did You MISS THE BOAT?
For Information on The Real Estate Guys™ CURRENT Investor Summit at Sea™, CLICK HERE NOW!
Our 9th Annual Investor Summit at Sea™ sailed away on April 4, 2011. If you weren’t on it, you missed a lot more than the boat!
For the second straight year, Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Real Estate Advisors Ken McElroy and Wayne Palmer join The Real Estate Guys™ and our other fabulous faculty members for four full days of classes, seminars and workshops. Plus we have three amazing days visiting beautiful Caribbean ports of call, including our traditional real estate field trip shore excursion.
But enough rubbing your nose in a missed opportunity, because we’ve already got our 2012 10th annual Investor Summit at Sea™ in the works. And to celebrate our 10th year, we’re planning something BIG. We can’t give you the details now because we’ll be announcing it to our Summit alumni first. But you can be next in line by getting on our 2012 Investor Summit at Sea™ Advance Notice list by completing the form below.
We’d love to share more, but it’s time to get on the ship!
Secrets of Successful Syndication
Tired of waiting for someone else to create a job for you or give you a raise? Take control of your own future by discovering how to make big money doing big deals through real estate syndication.
Syndication is simply putting together a group of investors and use the combined resources to take advantage of more and bigger opportunities for everyone’s benefit. And when you’ve fully deployed your own cash and credit, syndication is a great way to keep going.
Now is one of the greatest times we’ve seen to become a real estate syndicator. Distressed properties and notes are abundant. Assets can be purchased for pennies on the dollar. Best of all, you’re not preying upon the unfortunate. You’re helping clean up a big mess and playing a vital role in revitalizing the economy.
With all the liquidity being pumped into the economy, there’s still time to take advantage of low interest rates. Longer term, many economists expect inflation – which means rising asset values (equity!), rising rents and rising interest rates. But inflation hasn’t hit real estate yet, so there’s a window of opportunity to snap up deals.
We could go on and on about why the next 2-3 years look to be among the best ever to be a buyer. But that’s not the point of this article and we’ve discussed it many times on the broadcast.
The real point is that syndication is a great opportunity for sharp, hardworking people to become real estate entrepreneurs. In his new book, The Sleeping Giant, best selling author and Robert Kiyosaki Rich Dad Advisor Ken McElroy says a new American Dream is upon us: the age of the entrepreneur. Gone are the days of working four decades for the same company and retiring on a comfortable pension. And the last time we looked, Social Security isn’t looking very secure. So you need a good paying job now AND a way to build up wealth over the the long term.
If you’re unemployed, under-employed or concerned about the future of your job or company, then you might want to give serious consideration to starting your own business. And while there are many different businesses to choose from, in most all cases you’ll need to organize capital to get started. For the average Joe, that means using up his life’s savings, home equity and all his available credit card lines – literally betting the farm on the success of the business. That’s one way to go.
On the other hand, wouldn’t it be better if you were or raise some private investor money where neither you nor any of your investors are ruined if things don’t go as planned? Shared risk and shared reward. That’s all a syndication is.
Of course, that begs the question: what kind of a business?
Obviously, we like real estate – and for many reasons. First, it’s everywhere and not overly complicated – at least compared to starting a bio-tech firm or a software company. That makes it possible for you to get up to speed and run the business effectively pretty quickly. But it’s also a business that your investors should be able to understand and get excited about without needing Ph.D.’s.
Most people can see there are bargains galore in real estate right now, but because the dollars are big they can’t take advantage of them…by themselves. They don’t have enough money, time, knowledge or connections. That’s why so many people buy mutual funds instead of picking their own stocks. They are effectively hiring a fund manager to do the hard work of investing.
When you organize a real estate syndication, your investors are essentially hiring you to buy, manage and sell the investments – just like a mutual fund manager. Except instead of investing in stocks, you’re investing in real estate or notes. Now before you freak out, remember that you’ve probably already bought or sold a property, rented a property, gotten a loan or otherwise been involved in some real estate transactions. So you already have some experience. And if you’re a real estate agent, loan officer, appraiser, contractor or someone who deals with the business of real estate on a daily basis, you’re way ahead of the curve. Remember, most mutual fund managers don’t have to know how to run the companies they invest in, they just have to know how to recognize good business models and managers.
Of course, in the spirit of full disclosure, if syndication were THAT easy, then everyone would be doing it, right? True. However, we bet there are many very capable people out there who would be very successful syndicators, but it never occurred to them they could do it. And like any manager, it’s a huge responsibility to be in charge of other people’s assets. Yet, many people do a fine job for their employers every day, but just don’t think of it as asset management. Yet if you’re a manager of any kind, you’re responsible for someone else’s assets - their money, their customers, their reputation, their property, their information – on a daily basis. If you do a good job there, the odds are good you will be successful in real estate – which is quite possibly a lot less complicated than your current day job.
Still, it’s important to be properly trained. And the task of organizing an investment syndication is not one to be taken up lightly. There are laws to follow and lots of details to be aware of. Again, if it was brain dead easy, than everyone would be doing it.
So where can you go to learn the secrets of successful syndication? You can and should read books, take classes, and get around people who are doing it. Much of which you can figure out on your own if you have the time and motivation. But if the gap between where you are and where you want to be looks to big to jump on your own, we have something for you!
We’ve imposed upon our outstanding Investor Summit at Sea™ Faculty, which includes Ken McElroy and fellow Rich Dad Advisor Wayne Palmer (a very successful syndicator in his own right), plus international real estate developer Beth Clifford and attorney Mauricio Rauld, to conduct an all day training called The Secrets of Successful Syndication Seminar on April 3rd in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (you’ve been looking for a great reason to visit beautiful South Florida, right?).
Discover what it takes to organize and operate a real estate syndication business, where you can go from zero to a full time income (even part time!) in six months or less.
For more information and to enroll on-line, click here now.
The Real Estate Guys™ Radio Show podcast provides education, information, training and resources to help investors make money with their real estate investing.
Your 2011 Conference Call to Action
Your Future is Calling!
“Designing Your BEST YEAR EVER – Developing 20/20 Hindsight in 2011″
Featuring Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Advisors Ken McElroy and Wayne Palmer
It’s a brand new year and a brand new decade! To kick it off, we decided to get together with two of the most successful real estate entrepreneurs we know and ask them to share their best success tips in an exclusive conference call we want to share with you.
Let’s face it. Being successful isn’t easy or else everyone would do it. If you’ve ever suffered a setback, you know it can be hard to keep pushing forward with energy and optimism. And if you don’t have credible, supportive people helping to lift your spirits, getting up or getting going can feel nearly impossible!
After several years of good success, we’ve certainly had our fair share (or more!) of setbacks these last few years. Maybe that’s where you’re at too. But whether you’re recovering from a setback, just getting started in your pursuit of success, or are already successful want to get better, it’s always good to get tips from successful people.
So rather than clog this blog with gobs of text, we invite you to call in and listen for yourself. It’s free and easy!
To get the time, date and call in info now, simply fill out the form below and Walter in our mail room will immediately send you the details!
1/9/11: Gold, Currency, Real Estate and the New Economy – Determining Real Value
Remember the last “new” economy when analysts told us that dot com companies didn’t need to earn profits to be a good investment? Oops. After much pain, stock investors went back to the old school where profits matter.
A closer examination reveals that a flood of new money (to pre-empt the Y2K “threat”) helped fuel stock speculation. Then, the money got shut off and everything crashed.
To solve the stock market problem, though they’ll never admit it, our money scientists lowered interest rates, effectively throwing currency at the problem. The result? The stock market stayed flat for 10 years and real estate took off. Oops again.
Now that real estate took a dump, what are the money scientists doing? Yep. Adding liquidity to the system. Perhaps you’ve heard of “quantitative easing”? Now commodities are taking off.
But not all liquid is good. Gasoline is a liquid, but you don’t use it to put out a fire. Seawater is a liquid, but you don’t use it to quench your thirst. Do you feel like another “oops” might be coming?
The “new” economy we’re talking about in this episode isn’t really new. It’s simply a return to the old school. So even though the money scientists are devaluing the dollar (which is the unavoidable result of excessive quantitative easing), good old common sense is keeping it from circulating. People don’t want to spend more than they can afford. Businesses don’t want to hire more people than they need. Banks don’t want to lend to people who aren’t qualified to borrow.
Of course, this frustrates the money scientists who are trying to get things “moving” again. So their answer appears to be more easing. Hmmmm…. how’s that worked out in the past?
Here’s the point: when the value of the dollar is dropping, how do you know what anything is really worth? And if you can’t judge value, then how can you bargain for a good deal?
To mine for the answers to these perplexing questions, we struck a claim to some studio time and sent out a lifeline to a man uniquely qualified to help us. He is a long time real estate and note investor, he operates one of the largest independent gold mints in the USA, and he’s a member of a small society of deal makers who have mastered the art of doing deals without dollars.
The voices of reason on today’s episode:
- Host and Chief Prospector of Wisdom, Robert Helms
- Co-Host and Nugget Cleaner, Russell Gray
- Special Guest, Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad’s Creative Financing Advisor, Wayne Palmer
Americans tend to denominate value in dollars. And after substantial quantitative easing by the Fed, the dollar has dropped while commodities like gold and oil have gone way up – at least when denominated in dollars.
But if an ounce of gold will buy the same amount of stuff as it did 20 years ago, then the only thing that changed is what the dollars will buy. And when the value of the dollar is warped, so then is our sense of real value.
Wayne says the number one skill for successful bargaining, in real estate or anything else, is knowing how to discern true value apart from dollars.
Listen in as Wayne, Robert and Russ talk though this fascinating and timely issue and discover why you may want to do business without dollars.
Listen now!
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The Real Estate Guys™ Radio Show podcast provides education, information, training and resources to help investors make money with their real estate investments.
