Just Start Real Estate Archive 1: Recent Episodes
Inspiring interviews with today's most successful real estate investors!
New shows 5 Days a week! Mondays are an interview with a successful real estate investor. I get to the bottom of their business to discover the secret to how they became successful. Tuesday through Friday is filled with small actionable advice and tips that you can use in your business to immediately help you further your success in real estate.
This episode I'm going to discuss the amount of information that is readily accessible to anyone with Internet access. The information age has ushered in some great things. Some unbelievable companies are being started every day. The Internet is packed with more and more information about every subject you can imagine. Sounds good doesn't it? Maybe not. I'll explain.
In this episode I'm going to discuss my decision to become a house flipper. If you have yet to start your real estate investing business, but have been doing a lot of reading and research, I'll tell you how I made my decision years ago to flip houses as opposed to any other style of real estate.
In this episode I tell you how to become an expert real estate investor. That's right. I give you the secret, and it really not that difficult! You just have to do some things that most people are not willing to do!
In this episode I interview a really impressive real estate investor name Steve Mills. Steve first entered my radar as a wholesaler. I knew that he was a very big wholesaler here in Michigan, but I was surprised to find out exactly how experienced and successful of an over all real estate investor he really is. He's much more than just a wholesaler and we get into that in this interview. I broke this interview into two parts because it was going so incredibly well, that I just had to find out more and the interview went much longer than expected. Next week I will air part two of this incredible interview
In this episode I want to clarify once and for all what it means to be productive versus what it needs to be busy. Most people think that if they are busy, then they are being productive. But often been busy has nothing to do with the productive.
This episode I discussed the importance of becoming a lead machine. If you can find leads that turn into solid deals, the world is your oyster. Everyone is looking for deals, that doesn't make you stand out. If you have the leads that are actually going to turn into good deals, you hold the keys.
Episode I discuss the smell of desperation. Most people can smell it on you. Desperation is never a position that you want to make decisions out of. It always ends in disaster.
In this episode I discuss one of the worst things you can do as a real estate investor. It is probably one of the most common mistakes if not the most common mistake that new real estate investors make. It's reaching for a deal in lying to yourself about the numbers.
In this episode I'm going to break format just a little. Normally interview that I release on Mondays. Today however I want to dedicate today to answering some listener questions. At the core, this podcast is about helping new real estate investors. What better way than answering questions from beginners so that everyone can benefit from the answer?
In this episode I am going to give you some ideas for being more productive. I am always trying to figure out how to get more done in less time. We are all busy, but being more productive will definitely contribute to your bottom line!
In this episode I'm to share with you one of my failures in real estate. This was more than out single deal. It was a separate business that I set up with a partner to do a very different kind of investing than what I had previously attempted. There were some successes but ultimately it failed for a number of reasons. I'm going to tell you all about it!
In this episode I dig a little deeper into the concept of surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals and eventually creating, what I call, your own private mastermind. I won't be talking about your team – realtors, accountant, title agency, or contractors. What I'm going to talk about in this episode is more about your core group of friends in this industry and how they can help shape your business.
In this episode I reveal a cost associated with rehabbing that many real estate investors fail to plan for. It will probably not ruin the deal, but many investors have been burned by it. I am going to help you avoid this one!
In this episode, Eric Tomei comes back on the show for an unprecedented THIRD time! Eric generously agreed to come back on to share a very interesting case study of a recent flip. This is the first case study we have done on Just Start Real Estate, and I am very excited to present this to you. Learning from others experiences is very valuable!
Today I am going to talk about the house that I wholesaled. When I say that I wholesaled it, I mean I was part of the process. I have never done a wholesale deal before, and this one was a little bit unusual. I kind of liked it. And I think I'm going to do more.
In this episode I tell a story about encounter that I had just today. I was meeting with someone at one of my rental properties, and what started out as a routine meeting for something very minor, turned into something that could make me a lot of money by the end of the year.
In this episode I discuss how to know when it's the right time to get started with your real estate business. In other words, I have said time and time again that you can't wait until you know everything, but how much knowledge is enough?
In this episode I talk about the military mindset. I give you the top four ways that utilizing a military mindset and approach, in your business, will help make you very successful in real estate.
In this episode I turn the tables and do a self interview. I ask myself all of the questions that I normally ask my guests and answer them is if I was a guest on my own show.
In today's show I talk about some of the things that are holding you back from really taking off in real estate. These are the things that you need to overcome in order to be highly successful as a real estate investor.
In this episode I discussed whether or not real estate is strictly local or something that is common throughout the United States and around the world.
In this episode I discuss the importance of creating systems in your business. I'm not necessarily talking about systems that remove you from the business or allow it to run without, although that is very important at some point. What I am specifically talking about are systems that allow you to follow a set process every time you buy an investment property so that you don't miss anything or operate in an inefficient manner.
In this episode I discuss why I believe that the connections you make in this business and the friendships that you form are your best assets. No matter how much you learn it will never be more than the accumulated knowledge of all of the people that you meet and form friendships with. This is not to say that if you don't have a big network you cannot be successful, but rather having a larger network makes it that much easier.
In this episode, I interview Mark Ferguson. Mark is a real estate investor based in Colorado; he is also a licensed realtor since 2002. He has sold over 400 HUD and REO listings in the last three years. Currently, he owns 7 long-term rentals that he has purchased in the past three years. Mark has also purchased and sold over 70 fix-and-flips in the past ten years with the help of his father.
In this episode I talk about the yes-no balance. The yes-no balance is the balance between wanting to say yes to every opportunity that comes your way and the wisdom to know when you need to say no. There is definitely a time to say yes, but there is just as importantly, time to say no to things. Maybe even no to EVERYTHING.
In this episode I discuss learning to give yourself a break. By give yourself a break I mean not everything you try is going to work. There will be failures. There will be bumps in the road and obstacles that you're going to have to work through. This is normal. If you're not failing once in a while you're not trying hard enough to succeed!
In this episode I discuss the difference between cash flow and appreciation as it relates to buy and hold real estate. I recently had a conversation with one of my coaching students regarding the business that they intend to build. They have chosen to invest in rentals. I am now educating him on the difference between cash flow and appreciation goals.
In this episode I discussed the importance of partnering and learning to share profits in order to do more deals. I talked to a lot of real estate investors that struggle with the idea of giving up profits. Most successful investors either profit share on a regular basis, or did a lot of profit-sharing when they were starting their business.
In this episode, I am re-airing an incredible interview that I did several months ago, with Douglas Dowell, when this podcast originally launched. I think this interview has gotten buried in the archives, and since it was heard by relatively few subscribers, I felt it deserved to be played again.
In this episode I discuss why it is important to be a connector in your industry. Real estate is a very social and interactive industry. There are always people who need a little help, and people who have someone in their network that can be of assistance.
In this episode I am going to get back to basics. I'm going to talk about what this podcast is all about – Just Starting! After 137 episodes I have given you more than enough information to start your real estate investing career. If you haven't started yet then you're missing the entire point of this podcast. If you have been reading blogs, listening to podcasts like this, and reading books, for a while now, it's time to put the materials down and put the information to action!
In this episode I discuss why it is important to maintain your momentum in business. Success is like pushing a big boulder. It is very difficult to start but once it's moving, it is considerably easier to keep it moving. In business you have to keep your business moving forward. Lose momentum and you will find it difficult to get things going again!
In this episode I discuss why I believe there is never a bad time to invest in real estate. There's a lot of things said on the news and in the general media about real estate from one year to the next. I started investing in real estate at perhaps the worst time in history, according to the media, and it was the best thing I ever did!
In this episode I interview someone who I have been a fan of for quite some time – J Scott. J is and incredibly savvy house flipper and new construction "spec" builder. I have wanted to interview J for quite some time, and am lucky that his schedule freed up and I was able to get him the show. I think this is one of the best shows that I have done so far. I hope you enjoy it!
In this episode I talk about the 5 things you should look for in a partner should you decide to take one on. Partnerships aren’t for everyone, but if you do decide to partner with someone, you need to make sure your partner has these 5 traits!
In this episode I talk about the top five things that all good wholesalers do. I am always on the lookout for a good wholesaler in my market. And I have learned over the years what separates the good wholesalers from the bad wholesalers. The following list are things that all good wholesalers will do for you as their buyer.
In this episode I talk about the 10 things your realtor should be doing for you. I advise most beginning real estate investors to find a good realtor as soon as they launch their business. Not all realtors are created equally and it's important that you set your expectations right from the start.
In this episode I discussed the top 10 things that every contractor should do. In other words, the top 10 things that you should expect from your contractor as a real estate investor. Any contractor listening to this show should take note. I am telling you exactly what real estate investors are looking for in a good contractor. If you do these things you will instantly set yourself apart from every other contractor in your market.
In this episode I talked to a friend of mine and someone who I admire quite a bit. He is a private investor here in my local real estate investing community. Larry has been involved in real estate since 2007. He and I have work together on deals in the past and he currently is a private investor for several real estate investors locally. He has a lot of insight and experience that he shares with us in this episode. It was definitely packed with good information. This is one you should definitely check out!
In this episode I talk about how to set up a partnership in real estate. A partnership can be defined in a lot of different ways. It's important that you understand when setting up a partnership, that the roles and responsibilities that are defined in the beginning can have a big impact down the road.
In this episode I talk about when is the right time to replace contractor. Not all contractors are created equally. Sometimes it becomes necessary to fire one under certain conditions. The timing can be important and should not be done lightly.
In this episode I tackle the subject of having the tool (knowledge), vs. actually knowing how to apply that knowledge to your real estate investing business. This is going to be a frank discussion about studying vs. applying knowledge. As always, I hope that I don't offend anyone but this is a topic worth discussing!
In this episode I cover the idea of commitment. Commitment is a little different than massive action. I have talked about massive action on past shows. Commitment, is a deeper look into the idea of making your business successful.
In this episode I interview a very interesting guy and a really smart guy in the lending space. His name is Sasha Favlukis and he shared a lot of great information with us regarding hard money. This interview was extremely informative!
In this episode I discuss whether you need a computer to run the real estate investing business. I was recently asked by a listener whether or not I think he could start and run a real estate investing business without the computer. Answer might surprise you!
This episode I discuss the effect that your spouse can have on your business. If they are in support of your business, it can be a tremendous benefit and make your business even better. On the flipside, if they are not supportive, it can make it 10 times harder to start your business and make it successful. The bottom line is – what your spouse thinks and how they feel about your real estate investing business matters!
In this episode I talk about the importance of keeping your focus narrow when starting out in real estate. The bright shiny object syndrome (letting every new technique for making money grab your attention), will stall you out and make it difficult, if not impossible, to succeed!
In this episode I talk about why all real estate investors should be 100% transparent in their business. The reason for being transparent might seem obvious, but I am going to give you some great examples, that you may not of thought of, where being transparent can really propel your business forward!
In this episode, I interview Chandler Crouch. Chandler is nothing short of amazing. At a very young age, he has managed to do several different types of real estate transactions and build himself into one of the most successful realtors in Texas! This is a long episode, but I didn't want to cut short the great flow of information that he was giving. I know you're going to love this interview as much as I did!
In this episode, I explain why you should ALWAYS work to create win-win situation for your business partners. This goes for all phases of your business. It is a very common mistake for real estate investors to be so focused on what *they* want and what *they* need that they forget to make sure to consider what other people require. In other words, if you approach someone asking for something, you better figure out a way to create value for them as well!
In this episode I discussed the importance of who you spend your time with. Who exactly are you hanging out with during the course of your week? Are they people who share similar goals and have similar drive? Or are they complainers full of negative energy and bad attitudes?
In this episode I discuss the relentless attitude that you need to adopt as a real estate investor. By relentless, I mean when you get knocked down you immediately get back up and go at it again. Don't wait or you may lose your nerve. Relentless means that you, not only do not take no for an answer, but you do not get complacent when this are going well!
In this episode I talk about the fear associated with starting your real estate investing business. Fear of success, fear of failure, and the biggest fear of all – getting your offer accepted!
In this episode I am going to encourage you to become a spy! What kind of spy? Real estate spy! The only way to know if you match up to your competition is to find out what your competition is up to you. I encourage you to do this in your real estate business!
In this episode I talk about developing your team. Over the years, if you're in this business long enough, your team will evolve as people go in and out your business. Some of them will leave on their own, others you will have to remove from your business for various reasons. This is a normal process and something you should not only expect but embrace and prepare for.
In this episode I discuss what it means to place a low offer. It can mean different things to different people. And how low your offer is can depend on many factors. I am going to cleared up for you!
In this episode I discuss the difference between the long-term and short-term goals in real estate. I am going to ask you to consider your long-term goals. A lot of real estate investors focus too much on the short-term goals and not enough on the long-term goals!
In this episode I interview a good friend of mine and someone who I respect tremendously in the industry. His name is Dennis Fassett. Dennis is a married father of four living here in Southeast Michigan. He earned an MBA back in 1992, and was fully vested in the corporate ladder until the automotive industry started to crash and burn in 2004. With kids, a stay at home wife, and his terminally ill mother at home, he jumped into real estate investing to create a safety net for his family. Since then he has developed a portfolio of rental houses and one apartment building.
In this episode I ask you a very important question- are you on pace to reach your goals 2014? At the beginning of the year, if you are like most people, you made New Year's resolutions. If you are interested in starting a real estate business, I hope you set goals for yourself for 2014. So, the first quarter is over. How are you doing?
In this episode I talk about how your business changes after you get your first check. What I mean by getting your first check is once you get the profit check on your first deal. When this happens, everything will seem a little bit more clear and you will feel unbelievably empowered and motivated! Until you get your first check, all you're doing is fantasizing and imagining what it will be like to be a real estate investor. When you get your first check you are officially in business!
In this episode I want to address a tendency that I see in new real estate investors. It's the tendency to try and over complicate things. Some beginners try to learn everything about real estate (impossible to do by the way), before they get out there and get going. This is a HUGE mistake and one that you better avoid if you want to have any level of success in this business!
In this episode I interview and incredible property manager. His name is Phil Dwyer, and he's based out of Los Angeles. Phil is an incredibly smart and savvy real estate professional. He also happens to run a really great property management company. I struck up conversation with Phil online and quickly realized I had to have him on the show. He brings the perspective to buy and hold investing that we've not heard yet. It was a great interview.
In this episode, I discuss follow up and the effect it will have on your business no matter how new or experienced you are. I have struggled with improving my follow up over the years , and I can tell you that your competition is having a hard time with it as well, so the sooner you master it, the sooner you will explode your business!
In this episode I discuss wholesaling and why I feel it might be the most difficult form of real estate investing. A lot people say that wholesaling is a good place to start your real estate investing career. I tend to disagree and I'm going to tell you why in this episode.
In this episode I discuss how little things in your business can make the biggest difference. It's the little tweaks the little subtleties of how you run your business, how do you find properties, how you evaluate them, or how you interact with your lenders that will separate you from the pack. Everyone knows the big picture steps, it's all of the subtleties that will make you successful.
In this episode I talk about what I call power of one. It's one connection, one introduction, or one meeting. In real estate or any other business for that matter, your entire world can be changed by one individual, one partnership, or one meeting. What are you doing to find that one thing that will change your business forever?
In this episode I replay one of my most popular interviews today. It was episode number for where I interview Ben Leybovich. Ben is a phenomenally intelligent and successful real estate investor. He is focused on long-term investing through buy-and-hold properties. This episode ranks among the very top shows that I have done in terms of popularity. Because I did this show so early in the podcast, I think many of you haven't had the opportunity to hear it.
In this episode I discuss what to do if your realtor stops being responsive or seems unwilling to give you the information you need to be successful as a real estate investor. Just like anyone else, not all realtors are created equal. You should not waste your time working with people who are not interested in working with you.
In this episode I (barely) celebrate my 100th episode. Why do I barely celebrated? Because frankly it has come so quickly I hardly feel like I've been doing this very long at all! It's been just over four months since I started. I think I'll celebrate when I hit the one year mark. But for now, I am going to look back and talk about what I've learned as the host of the show over the past 100 episodes.
In this episode I discuss the mindset of not having to be an expert in real estate investing before you become a real estate investor. A lot of people feel like they have to be an absolute expert in every aspect of real estate before they can dive in and start their business. This is simply not true and it's a myth that I do not want you to believe!
In this episode I discuss what it really takes to succeed in real estate investing – massive action. Massive action is the single biggest determining factor in the ultimate success or failure for a new real estate investor. I dish out some tough love in this episode, so I hope you're ready!
In this episode I have my first return guest ever! I talked with Eric Tomei about private investors. Eric has been attracting and working with private investors for over seven years. He and I have an unscripted conversation about private investors that I think you will find extremely interesting. We don't hold back at all!
In this episode I discuss some of the things that cause new real estate investors the most pain. These things can ultimately keep would-be investors from actually getting started.
In this episode I talk about how much time you should plan on devoting to your real estate investing business. My answer might surprise you a little bit.
In this episode I discuss the best time to start your real estate investing business. This is a question that I think a lot of new real estate investors ask. Actually anybody who's thinking about starting a business has to ask themseves if this is the right time, or when is the best time.
n this episode I discuss the role of a business plan in a real estate investing business. A lot of people will probably disagree with my opinion, but I'm sticking by it!
In this episode I interview pair of brothers, who are killing it in Michigan real estate. They have a portfolio of rentals, as well as a thriving fix and flip business. These guys have been friends of mine for about four years now. I have always been impressed with them and I was thrilled when they agreed to be on the show. I think you're going to learn a lot from these two guys.
In this episode I discuss how getting help in your business will allow you to be more successful and ultimately get a lot more done. Whether it be a spouse or a virtual assistant, downloading teachable tasks will make a huge difference to your bottom-line.
In this episode I discuss the power of understanding the WHY in your real estate investing business. By the why, I mean why is being successful in real estate important to you. What does it mean to you to successful in your business? If you have a powerful enough why, you will be able to overcome any obstacle.
In this episode I talk about what I have accomplished in my business so far in 2014. It's been a rough start to my year, but I still managed to get a lot done! I hope you have as well.
In this episode I discuss the importance of going to open houses in your target market. This will give you a better idea of what your flips should look like and how they need to be renovated in order to make your property look better than every other property your buyers will look at.
In this episode I discuss my upcoming coaching program. I layout the structure and how it will be ran. I am excited to launch this program and help some students out this year!
In this episode I discussed the importance of helping people in your business. As real estate investors sometimes we can be overly focused on making money, and we forget that helping others is important as well.
In this episode I discuss over delivering in your business. In my business, when I talk about over delivering, I'm usually referring to my relationship with my private investors. I always try to give my private investors just a little more then what I committed to doing.
In this episode I talk about how to get unstuck in your business. Bye unstuck I mean how to shake the feeling that nothing is happening, and your business is not progressing like you expected. Sometimes you just feel overwhelmed and think that you're a failure. I am going to talk about how to get your mind out of that mental state.
In this episode I explore partnerships. The first thing you need to ask yourself is why do you want a partner. What do you lack and what do you need in a partner?
In this episode I interview Nick Ruiz. Nick is a passionate twice self-made real estate entrepreneur from scratch. He started when he was 19 and built a multi million dollar net worth and borrowed millions of dollars from banks by his mid-20s. When the crash of 2008 came, he was too over-leveraged on his investment properties and it eventually forced him into bankruptcy. But, he got extremely creative and hustled hard and climbed back up flipping and wholesaling and is back into total financial independence as a real estate entrepreneur. That I why I say he is a twice self-made real estate entrepreneur!
**In this episode I discuss the very real possibility that your friends and family will think that you are crazy for trying to invest in real estate. The news is filled with negativity regarding real estate. This will cause most people to think that you were going to lose money you invest in real estate.**
In this episode I address the issue of selling your fix and flip property. Specifically, what you should do if you have trouble selling a property that you have just renovated.
In this episode I am going to discuss another fear that a lot of new real estate investors have – what if the contractor quits in the middle of the rehab? Or maybe just stops showing up?
**In this episode I want to attack what I feel is the biggest fear that new investors have in regard to starting their real estate investing business- losing money!**
This is a re-airing of one of my most popular interviews that I've done to date wiith Brandon Turner – Senior Editor at biggerpockets.com- the real estate investing social network. Brandon is an active real estate investor focusing on flips, apartments, and buy and hold real estate. Brandon is going to tell us what it’s like to work at bigger pockets and also share with us his knowledge of real estate investing and how he has been able to be both a successful real estate investor as well as work at a company like bigger pockets!
In this episode I share with you 10 of the tips and techniques that I have learned over the past few months of interviewing successful landlords. This list is not all-inclusive, but it's some things that I have learned that I am going to incorporate into my rental business.
In this episode I lay out the numbers that I will be using to evaluate rental properties this year. Whether you agree with the way I am going to evaluate properties or not, at least you can see my thought process and how I plan on knowing whether or not the property is going to make a sound investment for me in my business.
In this episode I give you my top three things to consider when evaluating a rental property to purchase. I realize that everyone's criteria can be a little different, that's why I am giving you three top level variables that you should consider no matter what.
In this episode I discuss what I call Renter Drama. I also reveal a challenge that I am having in managing a tenant in my rental property.
In this episode I interview a couple of good friends of mine. Kelly and Todd Brittingham are awesome people and incredibly smart and successful real estate investors. They are a husband and wife team from my home state of Michigan. They have been investing in real estate for four years now and have already done an incredible amount of things in that short amount of time. Todd is an engineer by trade and Kelly is a stay-at-home mom. Together they are an unstoppable real estate investing team with a growing business!
On this final day of January 2014, my only message to you is get out there and take action on your goals. Do not let the first month of the year slip by without taking any action at all. This episode is all about encouraging you to take action before the end of the day!
In this episode I discuss rehab draws. The money that you pay contractors for doing work in your investment properties. The draw is an amount of money you give them for work that they have completed. There are a number of ways that you can schedule the draws to be distributed. There is not necessarily a right way, but there are definitely some wrong ways. I want you to avoid doing it the wrong way.
In this episode I answer another listener's email question- how to know if the quote that you receive from a contractor is competitive or not? In other words how should a new real estate investor determine whether or not the quote is fair and the prices are reasonable?