![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
As an active real estate investor you probably already know that the most important phase of your investment is when you buy the property. Most of us are getting the bargains in the foreclosure market. You will agree with me that the best time to buy is before the actual foreclosure. This is commonly known as pre-foreclosure.
If you ever found yourself in the heat of a foreclosure auction you would agree that this is not the situation you want to be in. To get into the pre-foreclosure market you need to have quick access to all kind of information. You can imagine that there's a huge competition in the pre-foreclosure market. Everybody wants a piece of the pie and the bigger the pie gets the more people want a piece.
We are looking at a tidal wave of new foreclosures within the next 1-3 years. I'm talking about all the interest only mortgages and special mortgages that enabled homebuyers to get more house than they actually can afford. These loans are converting into higher interest loans or fixed rate loans. Either way these folks will be looking at about a 40% higher mortgage payment each month. For most families this will be disastrous.
That's why I predict a tidal wave of foreclosures. As a real estate investor you might say "great", but in reality it will kill your business. Residential real estate is typically appraised through the recent sales comparison method. This means that the value of your home depends on how the market works in your area. As an example; you just bought a bargain foreclosure home in a nice sub division. There are a total of 50 homes in this development. You got the house for 30% under market value. Now your purchase price will be factored in into the comparison model for the next appraisal.
In itself this is not a big deal. A small percentage of under market deals will not spoil the market for the next regular sale. Imagine that instead of 1 or 2 foreclosure deals all a sudden 5 or 10 foreclosures happen. If you were the first to buy a foreclosure in this development you're looking at financial challenge. Your so called bargain buy represents the new lower market value. Actually you're lucky if you do not own an overpriced piece of investment real estate. So, watch out for the tidal wave.
There's a better way to deal with foreclosures. This requires a little bit of negotiation skills and a sincere motivation to help other people. This is called Forbearance. What does this mean? It means that you will be in the business to help people to avoid foreclosure and if you're successful you will charge a fee for your services. Forbearance is much more than just a form of charity. You will actually cash in on both sides of the foreclosure process.
You will earn a fee for helping distressed homeowners and if you fail to stop foreclosure you will have a first hand bid on buying the property. But your first and most important goal is always to help the homeowner to keep their property. If you don't set this as your primary business mission you will be out of business in no time. If you fail to build a circle of trust you will have no business.
Most real estate investors I know tell me that they are rather take the big checks once in a while than working in a regular base on a fee based business. If you're related to Donald Trump, go for it. If not, you will have a huge cash flow problem at hand. With a Forbearance business you will have control over your cash flow. By simply calculating how much money you need to pay your bills you can calculate how many deals you need to do to cover these expenses.
Let's say you need $8,000 a month to cover your living costs. At a fee rate of $1000 per Forbearance case, you need just 8 cases per month or 2 per week. The Forbearance business is a full time business. There's simply no way that you can negotiate with lenders after hours. Also you need to be flexible to talk to homeowners during evening hours and weekends. Although it doesn't take a lot of time to work on a single case it takes a lot of commitment to run this business. A homeowner trusts you to save his home and you don't want to disappoint him.
So why would you step into this business? Again it's all in the cash flow. Investing in real estate is fun, but these big checks are just not happening every day. You need to pay your bills and support your family. Forbearance allows you to do exactly that; generating cash flow. You will have enough time at hand to hunt for great real estate deals. So you get the steady income plus the big checks once in while.
I think this is a great real estate business model and worthwhile to spend more time researching. Some states regulate the Forbearance business and some actually have laws in place that don't allow you to charge for offering a service like this. Do your homework before you start and make sure that you have a good working relationship with a real estate attorney. You don't want to start this business without a real estate attorney.
Sincerely,
Peter Dobler
© 2005
Peter Dobler is a 20+ year veteran in the IT business. He is an active Real Estate Investor and a successful Internet business owner. Learn more about foreclosure investments at http://www.suncoastrenttoown.com/foreclosu resdaily or send a blank email to mailto:[email protected]
Besides the emotional upheaval of uprooting from your home, your... Read More
Let's say you've had your home on the market for... Read More
Mexico is CHEAP! But its getting more expensive. As property... Read More
Traditionally, real estate has been viewed as a sales industry.... Read More
Okay, so we all can agree - listings are the... Read More
San Diego is home to millions of beautiful apartments, condominiums,... Read More
Bankruptcy Will Stop Your Sale - At Least For Now... Read More
Title insurance is generally associated with insuring a purchaser's or... Read More
So you've picked up your first (or third, or tenth)... Read More
My report is for you to use your power to... Read More
When it comes to home buying, the ideal situation would... Read More
Florida Investment Property ? Why Investing is a Wise Decision... Read More
Did you know that the sales flyer is the most... Read More
It might not seem necessary to involve a real estate... Read More
So you're interested in going into business as a property... Read More
It's a dream for many to buy and take ownership... Read More
Investing in commercial property is well beyond the financial means... Read More
There are different types of real estate, and different ways... Read More
Waterfront living is among the most desirable of locations in... Read More
We all have seen some book called "How I Turned... Read More
If you already own your home, you will probably make... Read More
In his recent testimony, Alan Greenspan warned against the possiblity... Read More
Spain has a lot to offer Northern Europeans and until... Read More
Another real estate writer's mini course, full of promises and... Read More
When you call sellers, what do you say? When you... Read More
When we open our doors to strangers, we can never... Read More
Welcome to this first portion of a three-part series about... Read More
When preparing to sell a house, you should always consider... Read More
Fixtures, related to real estate, are items that were originally... Read More
So you've decided you want to own a home and... Read More
As with any business transaction, there are pros and cons... Read More
It's probably happened to you...Folks learn that you know something... Read More
So, it's home hunting time. Where do you start? Who... Read More
For most of my adult life I had thought about... Read More
Home buyers and sellers should think twice before jumping into... Read More
Location, location, location - known as the 3 most important... Read More
Renting to tenants is no longer "where the money is"... Read More
Making money in real estate is an endless topic that... Read More
Want to sell your home right away, for the highest... Read More
As a native Midwesterner, the first thing I noticed when... Read More
Signage, though quite fundamental in nature, plays an important role... Read More
According to research carried out by the Thomson Group, owning... Read More
So, you're selling your home (house, townhouse, condo, apartment, land,... Read More
When buying a home, it can be easy to overlook... Read More
Let's say you've had your home on the market for... Read More
Real Estate investing can be used to gain wealth in... Read More
The real estate market buzz across the country these days... Read More
Be careful when buying rental property. We stayed at a... Read More
Why commercial property?Compared to residential property investments, commercial property offers... Read More
Excluding some professional real estate agents buying a house is... Read More
Real Estate Real Estate |