Real Estate Investing Today : Real Estate Investing | Wholesaling | Flipping | Funding | Self Directed Ira | Finding Deals |

What if your “curb appeal” was costing you 28 PERCENT OF YOUR SALES PRICE? You’d probably crack out a lawn mower, or weed eater, or a paint brush as fast as possible! I’m Carole Ellis. I’ll expose these three all-too-common curb appeal “improvement” errors today, in EPISODE 33.The “improvements” you and your sellers are making to add curb appeal to your property could be costing you more than a quarter of your sales price! I’ll tell you all about these three common mistakes that most people actually think are improvements in just a minute, but first I want to make sure that you’re aware of something else that could be a “danger zone” if you’re buying in a certain VERY HOT MARKET down south. In one of the hottest residential markets in the country not on the west coast, developers are keeping a certain DANGEROUS SECRET about a lot of their new developments. They’re not legally obligated to reveal this information, and they’re not, but if you’re buying there or anywhere else that might have a certain water-rela

Let’s set some money on fire and watch it burn, shall we? Sounds like a terrible idea to me! If you’re doing certain UPGRADES on your homes and assuming buyers are going to shell out the big bucks for them, however, you might as well crack out the lighter. I’m Carole Ellis. I’ll tell you all about it today in Episode 32.Here’s the cold, hard, frustrating truth: buyers do not appreciate you, the real estate investor. They simply do not have any clue how hard you work to clean up those houses for them, do the repairs, contract out the rehabs and upgrades, and generally create a wonderful home for them to purchase (preferably at top dollar, of course, but sometimes still at an unbelievable discount, right?) Now, as a quick aside, if you want to make a certain SUBSET of buyers appreciate you in a meaningful, immediate way to the tune of 3.74 percent above average asking in your area, check out our latest report in our news and networking section about a PREMIUM UPGRADE that has buyers going ga-ga these days. You

How would you like to add more than $14,000 to your sales price when you close your next transaction? I’ve got data that shows a simple, eco-friendly upgrade can make that happen for you…IF you do it right. Get the details and avoid the mistakes by listening to today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 31.---So who doesn’t love the environment AND want to make an extra 3.74 percent or so on their sales price when they sell their home thanks to being earth friendly? I know all of that sounds good to me! And once I tell you how to make it happen, it’s going to sound good to you, too. First, though I want to mention a really valuable resource that you can get, if it’s still available in your area, that will enable you to LEGALLY BYPASS BANKS when you need funding for your deals. It’s a FUNDING KIT that not only tells you how many properties in YOUR COUNTY are available for alternative funding, but tells you how to gain access to them as well. See if your target market is still available by going to www.

Do we have front row seats for the end of the country’s most popular, most resilient, hottest-by-definition real estate market? We’ll look at the disturbing facts today. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 30.Is it really possible that the New York City real estate market could be in trouble? It’s hard to imagine. When you think “hot real estate” you may think of the west coast today, but when you think of the DEFINITION of high-end, high-value, nearly-always-appreciating real estate you’d love to own, you probably think of New York City. So valuable that it’s basically out of the realm of possibility for most owners. So rare it’s generally perceived as impossible to lose if you own it. As desirable as Coke stocks passed down through generations. Square footage in the Big Apple.And now, it’s starting to look like the market to end all markets could be in serious trouble thanks to a dangerous overreliance on foreign investors, ultra-luxury buyers, and what has historically been an extremely solid winning strateg

What do strippers, renters, and bad grades have in common? Probably not what you’re coming up with right now! If you want to know how much these things can cost you in terms of real estate, you can’t afford to miss today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is episode 29.So how do strippers, renters, and bad grades cost you in terms of your real estate profits? Well, I’ll give you a hint: the price slashing heads into the double digits fast. Before I give you the cold, hard numbers on your cold, hard cash losses in terms of these three things, though, I have some other news in the same vein as “there goes the neighborhood.” Imagine something much worse than coming home to new, lousy neighbors. Imagine coming home to NO HOUSE because the demolition crew hired to knock down a property one block away messed up and leveled YOURS. And let’s just say you won’t BELIEVE what the CEO of the demolition company said about the mix-up (it wasn’t “I’m sorry.”) Get all the details on this epic mix-up and find out what Google h

Did you know that you probably added about two-and-a-half weeks to your time on market by not ALREADY LISTING YOUR HOME? I’m Carole Ellis, and I’ll tell you all about what you ALREADY MISSED THIS YEAR and what to do about it today, in Episode 28.So yeah, you missed it. If you’d just listed your home LAST THURSDAY, you could have made more on your sales price, spent less time on market, and generally just had a happier, more fulfilling life. Okay, I’m just kidding on the last one, and the first two aren’t really as dire as they sound either. But in reality, according to Redfin, a national real estate brokerage with a penchant for fun analytics, Thursday is, technically, the best day of the week to list and, furthermore, March is the best month in which to list for 2016. So depending on when you’re listening, you may have to hurry up a bit or you might need to wait for 100-percent optimum listing time.We’re going to delve into just what these facts and figures actually mean for your real estate investing deals

Ever found yourself wondering where in the world Zillow’s home values ACTUALLY come from? Today, we’ll go straight to the source (Zillow itself) and explain a number that’s been a mystery to real estate investors and homeowners for years: the ZESTIMATE. I’m Carole Ellis. This is episode 27.Admit it: you love Zillow (or, you know, maybe you hate it). Either way, real estate investors have no choice but to live with and EMBRACE the online listings giant. Zillow was founded in 2005 and, in a little over a decade, managed to become the most heavily trafficked real estate website in the world with millions and millions of homes and their associated data, including the somewhat mysterious “zestimate” listed on the site.If you’ve ever made an offer to a seller only to hear “but Zillow says my house is worth…” in response, then you know the frustration and, in some cases, total disconnect with reality, that Zillow’s custom estimated value for a home can cause. Spencer Rascoff, Zillow’s CEO, has addressed the zestimat

Wouldn’t you want to know if buying near a certain HUGELY POPULAR store that is often touted as a BONUS by sellers could actually be LIMITING APPRECIATION compared to similar retailers by as much as 10 percent? If you don’t like the sound of “always low prices” and YOUR HOME in the same sentence, you can’t miss this. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 25.So, let’s just get this out in the open. We all love the people of Walmart. Some of us have even BEEN the people of Wal-Mart if we really needed that toilet paper run at midnight! And that’s okay. Wal-Mart gets a lot of grief from a lot of different directions, and this podcast is not about shaming Wal-Mart, its customers, or even its management. This podcast is about alerting you to the cold, hard facts that if you buy property near a Wal-Mart, it could cost you by comparison to buying near other big-box retailers.Now before we go any farther, I want to take a minute to put you on HIGH ALERT. REI Today has gained what we’re calling “first look access” to a br

How would you like access to $600,000 in no-fee, no-points funding to use for FAST, EASY DEALS? If you want to know how it works (and how the lender is actually on YOUR SIDE instead of being in the government’s pocket), you can’t miss today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 26.How would you like it if I could make something that is wayyy too good to be true (like that 600K in no-fee no-points funding) TRUE for you? I HOPE given that you’re all savvy real estate investors who know what they could do with that kind of investing freedom, you’d listen up. I interviewed a very interesting guy to get this information and this access for you, REI Nation, and I think you’re going to like what he had to say and what it means for your ability not just to fund your deals, but to a LOT of them starting very soon.Let’s cut to the chase. My investor guest has been working in real estate for decades, and he’s pretty darn good at what he does. If he wanted to, instead of his cute little family on that “who I am sl

We all love a little weird in our real estate, but we wouldn’t all want to live in the weird, you might say. Many real estate professionals have done some pretty wild things in order to “go viral” and get attention on their properties. Is it worth it? I’m Carole Ellis. I’ll give you both sides of the story today in Episode 24.So you may not have a hard and fast definition for it, but we all know weird when we see it. And because this episode is all about the WEIRD FACTOR in real estate, I’m going to take a little liberty and indulge in what we all know we secretly wanted when we started listening today: a list of the truly weird and a few insights into what actually works. If you want to get into really crazy detail however (say, more real estate weirdness than will fit in the next eight-and-a-half minutes), then head on over to our News and Networking section at www.REI.Today and check out our “Top 5 Weird Real Estate Decisions You Won’t Believe” article in that section.For now, though, let’s start cramming

How would you like to start collecting 100 PERCENT of your commissions when you close a real estate transaction? If you like the sound of “ALL” much more than “half or less,” you can’t afford to miss this episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 23.It’s hard to believe – and even harder to swallow if you’re doing it – but most real estate agents actually fork over about half of their commissions to their broker! A new trend in real estate sales presents an exciting way around this HUGE PAYCHECK DEDUCTION. I’ll tell you exactly how to land this innovative new way of getting paid in full for your work in just a minute, but first I want to mention another way to get PAID IN FULL. It has to do with a certain popular word that nearly every real estate professional throws into their listings every single time it is remotely appropriate. This word has to do with being environmentally friendly and, I’ll give you another hint: it’s a color. And turns out, it’s now officially cliché. Buyers actually reported that the

What’s made of concrete, can be installed in a weekend, and has up to a 60-percent return on investment as soon as the concrete solidifies? All you “Weekend Warrior” investors, you are not going to want to miss the details on this fast, easy home addition that comes with a nearly instant 60-percent ROI. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 22.So how does a little concrete and less than two days of work translate to up to 60 percent ROI? I’ll tell you in just a minute! Before we get there, though, I want to let you in on a “hot” little item you can find in our news & networking section at www.rei.today. There are certain housing markets that are absolutely IDEAL for a certain type of real estate investment: cash-flowing rental properties. Investors love these properties because most feel like they are “money in the bank” with any appreciation as the “cherry on top.” If you like buying in hot rental markets, then you’re going to want to review our “HOT RENTAL MARKET Projections for 2016” in the News & netw

How would you feel if I could distill the entire process involved in flipping commercial real estate on a MASSIVE SCALE into just four simple steps? You’d be HUGELY excited! Good news. I’m Carole Ellis, and my guest, Sue Nelson, who has purchased thousands of apartments in her decade of commercial real estate investing, will break the entire process down for you today in Episode 21.So let’s get right down to the four green flags you’re looking for when you’re thinking about investing in an apartment building. Now, for the sake of clarity, let’s take just a minute to define “apartment building.” If you listened to episode 20 (and if you haven’t, I HIGHLY recommend you do so immediately after you finish this one because my expert has a VERY UNIQUE way of looking at real estate deals that will truly revolutionize the process for you should you choose also to adopt it), then you know that Sue is not a big fan of the “small potatoes” apartment complex, say duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes. So during this podcas

How would you like to know the LITTLE SECRET to doing HUGE, six-figure flips in a simple, predictable, HIGHLY REPEATABLE way? If four- and five-digit profits just aren’t big enough for you anymore, then you’re going to love today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 20.Seriously guys? Four- and five-digit profits aren’t enough anymore? Okay, okay, I get it. If you could make $100,000 or MORE every time you did a deal, you’d certainly have to do fewer of them, and I imagine we could all find great things to do with that time, like spending time with our loved ones or pursuing passions outside of real estate. But let’s face it: the majority of the deals you do in residential real estate are going to net you profits with four and five digits, not six or seven. If you want those bigger numbers, then you’re going to have to do something that today’s guest refers to as “becoming someone’s JOB.” I’ll explain what she means by that and how it can – and should – revolutionize the way you think about your invol

Wouldn’t it be INCREDIBLY USEFUL to know in advance, before you purchased an investment property, if the local market was going to REQUIRE that you make a certain EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE CHANGE to that property in order to sell it? Find out what that change is and which HOT MARKETS DEMAND IT today. I’m Carole Ellis. This is episode 19.----One of the biggest problems a real estate investor can face is not being able to exit a deal in a profitable way once they have purchased it. For many investors who flip and rehab properties, the ideal exit strategy is a relatively fast sale. However, in certain markets in the United States these days, buyers just are not all that likely to make that quick purchase if you don’t do a certain something to your property before you put it on the market – and that certain something doesn’t come cheap.I’m going to disclose exactly where in the United States this is happening and the exact dollar amount of this HEFTY UPGRADE in just a moment, but before I do I want to mention an easy u

How would you like to know the specific words that you needed to say to open up a nearly LIMITLESS TREASURE TROVE of real estate funding with your personal name and your personal deals to benefit? If you’re in the mood to say “open sesame” to full funding for your deals that you never have to pay back, say, Aladdin! I’m Carole Ellis, and I’ll give you the exact details you need to make that vault open for you in Episode 18.----Let’s get started chanting some magic words, shall we? This stuff is so good, I’m not even going to make you wait for it today. You may recall in episode 13 we discussed how to basically guarantee yourself government funding for your real estate deals with our government grant funding expert, Chris Johnson. If you missed that episode, I highly, HIGHLY recommend that you listen to it next. You can play catch-up by going to www.rei.today/13 or check out more success stories from people who have gotten tens and even hundreds of thousands of dollars in government funding for their real esta

How would you like to DOUBLE YOUR LISTING VIEWS by including a certain “best friend” in your property pictures? You’ll never believe what one Australian real estate agent is doing to promote her listings and sell faster than ever. I’m Carole Ellis, and I’ll tell you all about this CRAZY tactic today, in Episode 17.----We’ve all heard the stories about crazy listing photo shoots and over-the-top models, parties, and staging that ultra-high-end agents use regularly to attract attention to their properties. According to the National Association of Realtors, (the NAR), however, one Australian agent is actually get far better results simply by putting her best friend in her listing pictures. We’ll get to exactly who this listing star is in just a minute, but before we do, I want to mention something that if you have high school aged kids, will make YOU a star for them. Wait for it…how about a FULL RIDE TO COLLEGE? A good friend of mine who teaches real estate investors how to fund their deals recently told me that

What if you knew a SECRET about the people who buy your deals that would enable you to sell just about any deal within days – if not hours – of getting that deal lined up in the first place? If that just might light a fire under your real estate business, then listen up. I’m Carole Ellis, and I’ll reveal this secret in Episode 16.----There is a secret that far too few investors realize about the people who buy their deals, but the investors who are “in the know” are able to do more deals, more quickly, and with less of their own money on the line than anyone else. It’s a really important little piece of information to have, and we’re going to talk about exactly how to GET IT today. However, before we do so, I’ve got another “important little piece of information” you’re not going to want to miss: the location of a city in which home prices have gone up 25 PERCENT in the past year alone. It’s not located on the west coast either. The local and national governments that regulate this municipality have worked to

How would you like to know how looking out a window could save you 2 weeks on market? I’ll reveal the hard numbers behind this simple time-and-money-saving real estate trick in today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is episode 15. When you look out the window of a potential real estate investment, you’re probably checking out the state of the neighbor’s property, worrying about spotting potential maintenance or landscaping issues, or evaluating how much you can charge for a fantastic view. However, you ought to be doing something far simpler as well: adding or subtracting at least two weeks from your potential time on market. It may be difficult to believe, but Realtor.com researchers recently analyzed millions of listing records from just the past three months and determined that certain common views can actually add or subtract as much as two weeks from the amount of time that elapses between when you list a property and when it sells.Now, as you well know, I’m going to get right to that very timely (haha)

What if spotting an invisible structural problem that can SUCK THE PROFIT right out of your deals was as simple as turning on your phone? That’s right: 98 percent of buildings in the United States have this issue to one degree or another, and if you know where to look on your phone, you can spot it. Get the insight on this tiny profit-sucker in today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 14.Can you believe that 98 percent of the buildings in the country have an invisible structural issue that is literally sucking the profits out of them every single day it goes unresolved? Kind of makes you want to check the ground under your feet, doesn’t it? Before we expose this massive issue that you’ve probably experienced already without even knowing it, however, I want to take just 30 seconds to mention something else that might make the earth move for you if you happen to be renting at this time. You know those mortgage-interest tax deductions homeowners love? Well, there’s a bill in Congress right now, JUST FO