Hey guys check out this article that I wrote for San Antonio NSIDE Business Magazine talking about the state of the economy and what that means for Real Estate investors, entrepreneurs, and small business owners. I mentioned being a part of Mike Dillard's Elevation Group, constantly being informed and ahead of the curve.

The media out there makes things sound horrible and the truth is things will get much worse before they get better. That just means more opportunity. Learn more about it here on my blog, Have an awesome weekend!   

http://www.getnside.com/sa/magazine/business/current/articles/1961-Perfect_Timing/

Perfect Timing
Written by: David Montelongo
Issue: January 2011 | NSIDE Business
 
What side of the wealth transfer will you be on? 
Is 2011 going to be the year that changes the game for your financial future? I believe the choices we make over the next several years will definitely shape our financial outcomes and our ability to either succeed or flounder in these crazy economic times. The United States has taken a beating over the last several years, and many people’s retirement dreams have been swept away. Millions have lost 30 to 50 percent of the life savings that were held in their 401k accounts. It’s interesting, however, that wealth is never lost; it is only transferred. I believe we are about to experience the largest transfer of wealth in our history. My question to you is: What are you doing right now to make sure you are on the right side of that wealth transfer?

If you are not sure, let me first say that understanding the past is very important in predicting the future. History truly does repeat itself, and a brief history lesson will help lead you in the right direction in preparing for a positive economic future. Not everyone suffered during the Great Depression. More people became millionaires during this time than in any other time in American history. Opportunities that had not been present during the 1920s economic boom times suddenly became available. Savvy entrepreneurs edged in and positioned themselves for when the economic climate improved. It was these “if you can dream it, you can do it” Great Depression entrepreneurs who made the best of the crisis to provide a service or product for new markets.* Sound familiar? We are in the midst of repeating history! An economic downturn is a good time to start a business. Start-up costs are much lower in a recession than in boom periods.

I am a member of a mastermind group made up of multimillionaires and billionaires called “The Elevation Group,” founded by Mike Dillard. Its members say, “What’s going to happen in the economy during the next six to 36 months will bankrupt 95 percent of the population. This has already happened in 30 different countries during the last 100 years, and TWICE in the U.S.” Whether you are currently building your financial empire or you want to create a nest egg for yourself and your family that will last for generations to come, it is the perfect time to get involved in real estate. Since the beginning of the meltdown in 2007, foreclosures across the United States have been at an all-time high. This time has been a bit confusing as a real estate investor because the banks have reclaimed so many properties that one would think there would be major fireside sales going on. In reality, the banks have been very tight and for the most part, unwilling to sell off property at a price point that makes sense to an investor.

However, in September 2010, we actually began to see the banks loosening up their belts and selling property at a price point that makes positive dollars and cents to the real estate investor. For us, this is exciting news. A shift is occurring from the resume-driven society to people creating their own jobs through entrepreneurship. This results in those hardworking people not putting complete faith in big business where jobs are created for them, but in their own success. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, only 24.4 percent of 2010 graduates who applied for a job had one waiting for them after graduation (up from 19.7 percent in 2009). “THE lesson may be that entrepreneurship can be a viable career path, not a renegade choice – especially since the promise of ‘Go to college, get good grades and then get a job’ isn’t working the way it once did,” according to the New York Times.

People with cash savings have been holding onto it; this is similar to the days of hiding money between mattresses because the dollar has been devalued in this economic state. It is true, however, that turning that cash into assets, such as property, produces cash flow. You make money instead of hiding it. Cash flow properties like small apartment complexes and rental houses are key to building a great investment portfolio. Due to the large number of foreclosures, many people now rent. This is good news for the investor because investment properties provide remarkable returns.

I highly recommend that you consult with a financial advisor and challenge him or her about your portfolio. Ask questions of your advisors to make sure you are getting the highest returns this year, and expect straightforward answers that are not status quo, but unique to your situation. Definitely consider real estate as a top choice for your upcoming investments. Real estate offers immense possibilities for growth to your economic portfolio in 2011. It really is the perfect time to get involved in real estate.

David Montelongo is a real estate investor, national speaker, mentor and author.

For more information about investing in real estate or starting a real estate investing business, please contact Montelongo Coaching Director of Operations Rey Lerma at 210-569-0669, or visit www.montelongocoaching.com.

Hey Guys

I hope you are kicking it into high gear right now, after all December is a short month and as we get closer to the 25^th, less work seems to happen. Here’s a thought, instead of December being your least productive month of the year why don’t you turn it into one of the most powerful networking months of the year.

After all there are a ton of parties anyway so you might as well take the opportunity to take a bottle of wine as a gift to your local Title Co. agent, Banker, Attorney, REO Agents and anyone else that supports your business.

I know December is going to be one of my busiest months this year. My team knows that what we do In the month of December will be a direct reflection of our success in January.

If you’re having a blowout Christmas or end of the year party this year make sure to invite me because you're officially invited to all of my stuff. So here are some of the things we have going on and I really want you to join us!

Launching the Brand that's Bringing Sexy Back into Real Estate

On December 13^th we launch a massive direct mail campaign launching our new brand “We Buy Sexy Houses” check out my website www.webuysexyhouses.com (squeeze page only, site under construction) it is a work in progress but it is absolutely gonna ROCK!

Many of you know that I’ve been a Professional Real Estate Investor for the last 10 years and Melina felt like it was time to put some fun and sexy back into our business. So we developed “The” Sexy house buying brand.

This Powerful Brand will bring back excitement, fun and "Sexy" to the house buying industry!

What the heck is “We Buy Sexy Houses” anyway? We Buy Sexy Houses helps people that need to sell their house quickly even if their house is trashy, falling apart, and nobody else wants it. We make CASH offers and close quickly.

We are committed to help sellers successfully sell their properties and put CASH in there pockets!

Our Newest Team Members

I am bringing in a 11 year veteran Real Estate Investor and trainer Rick Gossett to my Team. He and Kimberly Gossett are a powerhouse Real Estate couple. Rick is going lead our corporate training, and Kimberly will step in as the Director of operations for our Austin TX. Office

I have also come to an agreement with my business coach that we will up the stakes and bring her in as the Director of Business Development and Communications. Her name is Heather Ann Duesse and she's a very talented lady. She's lead the operations of many top coaching organizations including Marshall Sylver and Ron LeGrand.

Wealth Building Club and Sexy Launch Party

January 26^th will mark the date for our San Antonio Wealth Building Club! Our first meeting will be held at our offices at 4 Dominion Dr. #250 in San Antonio please see our site for details…..

This is a club you are going to want to be a part of in Austin and San Antonio!

Now here is the event you definitely don’t want to miss, Melina is organizing the Launch Party for our incredible and exciting new house buying brand “We Buy Sexy Houses”.

The Launch Party date is February 3^rd which just happens to be the day before my birthday. I am turning 34!

At Barbaresco…..(visit Barbaresco here) in San Antonio, if you haven’t been there, now is the opportunity! It is a very upscale place and they are reserving the whole venue just for us (that means me and you)! There will be complementary valet parking, casino night, the “We Buy Sexy Houses” pin-up girls! Gifts, door prizes, a charity benefit and a HUGE Grand Prize give-away. Plus I hear the DJ is off the charts!

Visit our We Buy Sexy Houses Facebook Page and hit the "LIKE" button to get the detaisl on how to RSVP for the party and details for the Grand Prize Giveaway!

February 1^st also marks the date for the opening of our Austin “We Buy Sexy Houses” office.

Oh and I am running in the Livestrong Austin Marathon on February 15^th!

So since we know the first quarter of 2011 is going to be huge we are taking the Actions Now to produce the results for January and you should too!

My parting thought for you, instead of waiting for just after Christmas to make a New Years resolution, make some important decisions today and take the Actions in December to produce the results in January.

Instead of setting Goals this New Year, Create Some New Possibilities and DECIDE Now on your Outcomes for 2011.

As you figure this out, post your thoughts here and let me know what your new possibilities are and what outcomes are you creating for yourself for 2011!

Hit the “Like” button below and share this with your friends!

Much Success to you! Finish the Year Strong and Happy Holidays!

David Montelongo

From time to time I receive emails from people looking to reach out to me wanting to know where to begin their Real Estate Investing passion. Under the normal circumstances I would reply back and state the obvious response of staying connected to me through my blog and social media.

But this one particular email that I received from a gentleman in Austin I noticed my response was more personal than most. So I decided to share it with everyone.

Leveraging Individual Knowledge Versus the Power of a Networked Community

Before I share the email I want to communicate a powerful thought to you. Are you stronger as an individual than being a part of a network or a community of people? You may think to yourself that the answer is obvious but to many others the answer is easy but the result is difficult to achieve. Do you stand to achieve more by doing things by yourself or would you achieve more by leveraging a network of like minded people?

Read below. 

Hi David, Wow, I used the watch the show, you always came across to me as a highly principled, honest person. What I just learned since sending you a friend request is that we went to the same high school in San Antonio. I'm from the class of '81.The other thing I learned just this morning, according to your wall, is that you are now in Austin. I live in Austin as well, and have been here since 1990. I have been very active in the commercial construction industry for over 25 years. In 2003, I attended Robert Kiyosaki's 3 day course for real estate investors, after reading his book "Rich Dad/Poor Dad". I came away with a sense that I should act, and I did, problem is, I never seemed to be able to assess whether a deal was good or not, and as a consequence, I've lost tons of money in the process.How do you assess whether a property will be a money maker? I know the basics of buying low and selling high, but I always seem to get things working just the opposite. Sometimes, it has been that I underestimate the amount of money that it will take to fix a property, and others it becomes a process of trying to do too much work that doesn't add to the value like I had planned. I'm very skilled, and can do everything from rough framing, to sheetrock, to installing all of the finishes. What I need is to partner with someone who knows the ins and outs better financially.

Where would you suggest I start when looking for that person/people?

Thanks.  Jay

Reply:

Hey Jay

Thanks for reaching out me! I am in Austin and loving every minute of it! Don't feel bad about making mistakes in Real Estate as long as you don't make the same ones again.Education is Key- when your trying to sort through the forest of information on Real Estate Investing. I do recommend looking for as much free training a possible through blogs, webinars, training calls etc. Stay connected to my blog and sign up to get on my email list. www.montelongocoaching.com/blog  My company does offer training, partnership, property, hard money loans etc. I just finished a private coaching session in Austin for a few students out of Waco. If you are looking for some great no money down Real Estate Strategies go to www.lifestyleflipping.com. I am also starting a Real Estate Investment and Information Marketing Club in San Antonio and Austin there will be a small fee to start and there will be lots low cost education and even lots of free education. I will say this, if you have had trouble in the past just understand that the past does not equal the future. When is Now the time to take action in your life? You can't understand what success truly feels like without going through some hardships Again sign up for my email list on the home page of www.montelongocoaching.com and keep in touch through facebook.

I look forward to seeing you at the top!

David Montelongo

Lost in a World of Misinformation.

There are a lot of people just like Jay that are looking to breakthrough with their real estate investing passion. The most common problem is where do they go for this information?

That’s why I’ve been actively getting the right people together to help bring on the brightest and most talented individuals to help build a community for people looking to achieve greater results than they were getting before. To see what I'm talking about click "Real Estate Investment Clubs, Are They Worth It?".

The growing concern is the vast majority of information that exists is either extremely expensive to access or we just don't know where to get it. Then even if you do find the right information, how do you apply it? It's as if we’re stuck in a never ending mouse wheel that just keeps spinning and spinning until we've spent ourselves out of the game.

Knowledge and Power of a Network of Like-Minded People

That's were the power of leveraging a network of like minded people can exponentially grow your knowledge, skills and business. You see, once you meet someone in your niche you begin to have a conversation that's not just between you and the other person. There is also a conversation that is going on between you and yourself, well your inner sub-conscious.  You begin to validate some of your fears, concerns and self doubts about where you're at versus the rest of your peers. And that's ok. At the same time, you'll begin to feel comfortable and even encouraged in the fact that there is a vast wealth of knowledge that you can tap at anytime amongst your peers that you normally wouldn't achieve because you don't reach out and connect with groups in your area.

When you network and connect with other successful investors, marketers, lenders and even those who are just beginning, you will no doubt grow in ways that aren't seen in your bank account.

To provide an environment where the new school and old school, savvy and newbie, wealthy and the barely making it can meet to help elevate everyone by networking, discussing and sharing ideas. That is the purpose of the group I'm passionately creating. To have people to connect with others in the marketplace to further you beyond what you believe is possible.

For Jay, and many others like them, it's time to reach out, take action and stay connected.

Stay connected,

David Montelongo

P.S. I’m always answering questions and starting conversation on my blog and social media profile. Start a discussion on my Facebook page and I, along with others that are connected with me, will be happy to respond.

This is for all of you Powerhouse Real Estate Networkers out there. Are you currently part of a REIA or Investment Club if so awesome. If not listen up because this is going to be extremely valuable for you.

If you're from San Antonio or Austin and you are looking for low-priced and even free education then your local REI is a great place to start. But wait, if your from San Antonio there's no local REIA. That’s right the former San Antonio REIA is completely dead, so would be investors or even experienced guys have no place to turn for continued education, support, networking and leads.

Could there be an emerging Real Estate Investment Club coming?

I was approached by a Club out of North Texas that is growing and expanding and wants me and my team to bring a New Club to San Antonio and Austin.

Now I can tell you what is needed to make this succeed and I can also tell you why the last San Antonio REIA tanked.

But first this is what's needed:

Strong Leadership from a group or Board that is experienced.

Local educators that care about the success of the group and it’s members.

Connection to other clubs that are having success.

Regular meet up sessions that are entertaining and educational.

Support from local experienced and new investors.

Why the Last San Antonio Real Investors Association crumbled.

I said leadership not dictatorship!

Power struggles from local leaders; foolish!

lack of innovative and new ideas.

It became a support group for struggling investors instead of a fun learning environment.

What do you get out of being a part of a new Real Estate Investment Club?

Connectivity

Real Estate and Financial Education- Low cost and even free.

Networking with other very experienced Real Estate Investors.

Leads for Deals

Beginners Training- Learn how to do no money down deals!

Experienced Investors- train “Bird Dogs” and deal finders from scratch.

Hear from top trainers from around the Nation.

My Experience in Buying and selling over 350 properties.

Learn Residential and Commercial Strategies.

Position yourself to buy Real Estate in the most opportune time in History.

There's Never Been a Better Time to Get Involved in Real Estate Investing

That’s right this country has never seen a better time to be involved in the most sound form of Investment, Real Estate.

I have been training Real Estate Investors for the past 4 years and I have ramped that up in the past 18 months. I always tell my students to get involved in the local club or REIA. The networking alone is priceless so I feel very compelled to Host a local meet-up group in the city I was born and raised in.

I am 90% sure at this point that I will start the club and would love the feedback of other Real Estate Pro’s in San Antonio and Austin.

Why Austin Texas?

Yes Austin, because this is the city I now call home and when I start the club in San Antonio I will also start the club in Austin.

The benefit to you is that you will be able to Network with Investors from San Antonio and Austin and do deals in both cities and everything in between.

I would love some feedback from some locals and would love to hear that you will support this group and get involved.

I will follow up with future blogs and more information on the name of the club, the start-up dates the first meeting dates etc.

The club will also need a strong board of directors, so if you have experience in Real Estate, Internet Marketing, event planning, or anything else related and you want to get involved please leave a comment below.

I have a funny story about how I was once kicked out of my local REIA (is that really possible, yes but you would have to hear the story to believe it), if you really want to hear about how I got kicked out of my local REIA let me know in the comments below and I will either shoot a video and tell the story or I will write a blog specifically about it. Not trying to be a tease just don’t want to take up anymore of your time right now.

If you like this Blog share it with your friends and and hit the “Like” button above.

David Montelongo

One small step for a Real Estate Investor one Giant Leap for Investors of all Kind!

Greetings to all current and future real estate investors. I am writing this blog from the top of a bridge over Town Lake in Austin. I have sat for a while and asked myself, If I were starting all over as an Real Estate Investor, what is the one tip or bit of advice I wish I knew to get me started.

Obviously there are many things to know when getting started as a real estate investor however, the one thing I would've wanted to know is that the “First Deal” is always the hardest. I know that sounds cliché but it is extremely true. Your “First Anything” is always the hardest to accomplish is a statement that'll be a running cliche throughout your entrepreneurial career. It is always harder to go some place you've never been.

It can be daunting owning your own business, doing real estate deals, buying your first rental house, your first rehab, your first Apartment Complex. Statistics have shown that the odds of success are not in our favor when starting out. In fact according to the Small Business Administration, 85% of new business fail with in the first 5 years. It's no wonder with statistics like that can have an enormous emotional impact on whether or not we decide to operate a business.

What the statistics aren't telling you.

When year hear that 85% of businesses failing within the first five years you automatically think that you're taking on a risk that you can't afford to lose. But what the stats don't tell you is how many of those 85% that failed returned to start again.

One principal I have always followed is that if someone you know or know of, has accomplished something special it becomes that much easier for you to achieve an even higher level of success. The “Law of the Lid,” as John Maxwell talked about, basically states that once something is accomplished it is never seen as impossible again.

The really cool thing is that once you have done a real estate deal and perfected that skill set, that knowledge never leaves you. You can continue to earn from a single strategy over and over again until your ready to add the next tool to your real estate tool-box.

The one area I have seen investors weak in, is after learning an effective, new strategy they sometimes hesitate in putting the strategy to work. Being cautious is good, being confident is better. When you have confidence in your real estate investing skills to move forward with a sound decision you reap the benefits of being a Real Estate Investor.

Learn and master a real estate strategy then teach it to someone else.

What's better that learning and using a real estate strategy? Teaching what you know to someone else. When you can learn a strategy then use it, tweek it, make it better, share it with someone new!

Last weekend at my Commercial Real Estate Bootcamp in Houston Texas I told students and fellow Investors that I feel that Success in Real Estate is 10% knowledge and 90% Action because even with all of the knowledge in the world, if not applied, adds zero dollars to anyone’s bottom line. There hasn't been a better time in our history to buy Real Estate than there is right now! The action takers are the ones that will change the legacies of their families.

Those that see opportunity and move on it, take action immediately, will get the juice out of life. If you don’t take action now someone else will.

Real Estate Investors all over the Country are Reaping the Rewards! Why aren't You?

Real Estate Investors all over the country are benefiting from this long stretch of downturn in the economy and I believe the floodgates of opportunity haven't even been fully opened yet.

If you are currently buying Real Estate and want to learn to buy more and build your wealth even faster you will find my blog to be of Highest Interest! Bookmark MontelongoCoaching.com/blog now!

If you are thinking of entering the Real Estate Investing space and are hesitating because you need more knowledge then montelongocoaching/blog is going to be of Great Interest to you. Bookmark MontelongoCoaching/blog.com now!

Stay tuned for some really cool videos and blogs on Real Estate Buyer List Building, after all, you can find all the deals you could ever want but if you don’t have the buyers, what good are the deals?

If you have a buyers list and feel like you want to get your hands on more quality real estate deals, we want to help you attract the deals to you.

Whatever strategy you are using or plan to use in real estate investing I believe there are always three keys to a sustainable real estate investment business.

Key#1: Build a Powerhouse Buyers List

Key#2: Build a perpetual lead stream of quality new deals

Key#3:Identifing winner deals & taking action on them

So basically, you have 3 months to close out the year strong and make good on some of those Jan. 2010 resolutions. When is now the right time to take action and make something happen? It could be a 2010 Christmas of a lifetime with a little less talk and a lot more action!

If you are already having success in the real estate markets, let us know what is working for you.

If this has been helpful to you please hit the “like” button to the side and share this with your friends!

Your Partner in Success!

David Montelongo

Stop the Sleepless Nights and Stomach Aches!
…this is not a Pepto Bismol commercial
ForeclosureProblemSellNow.info

What’s that? Is your phone ringing? Is it an UNKNOWN caller? Did the hair on the back of your neck just stand up and your stomach just turn? Yes, it the mortgage company calling to let you know your mortgage payment is late… again.

Are you facing foreclosure? Is the bank breathing down your neck? Do you have a pile of bills that you try not to look at? Is time running out?!

I ask these questions because I once was faced with a similar situation and I know what it feels like and I know it sucks! I tell you this because I want you to know that bad thing and hard time can fall on the best of us. What you are facing today does not have to define your life.

In fact if you are faced with loosing your house, it may be your biggest investment but you need to realize that some of the countries biggest financial icons like Donald Trump, Robert Kyosaki, Dave Ramsey, Willie Jollie and myself have been in financial straights as bad and possibly worse than yourself.

Willie Jollie said it best in his book “a setback is a set up for a comeback” and you have the opportunity to change everything in your life in the moment of your decision. The best thing you can do when faced with major hardship is make your decisions wisely at this moment in time.

It is critical that you put this moment in time behind as fast as you possibly can. The biggest mistake I see people make when faced with foreclosure is holding on to the property until the final hour. Many hold out feeling like they may get that offer that will allow them to pull all the equity out of their property and set them selves up for a restart.

Lets discuss a few options for selling your house and/or stopping your foreclosure dead in its tracks. In the event that you have regained your former income you can always bring the loan current. If for some reason you have lost your income or it has been drastically reduced here are a few options:

a.) Work out a forbearance plan- or written agreement with the bank to reduce or
suspend monthly payments for a specified time.

b.) Sell by way of Short Sale- where the lender agrees to discount the loan to a
prospective buyer due to your financial hardship.

c.) Deed in Lieu- Allows a homeowner in default to sign the property back over to
the bank.

d.) Loan Modification- Changing the terms of the loan to be more palatable for you.

e.) Sell to a CASH buyer-
The challenge I see some people face while holding out for leads until the final hour is it’s possible to loose the house because their buyers purchase was contingent upon bank financing. If you are selling your home when faced with foreclosure you must only sell to a cash buyer that can close quickly.

You should be looking for a buyer that can close in 7-21 days and can close with CASH! Once you set a closing date if your buyer needs to extend the closing, give only one short extension of 3-5 days and if your buyer still cannot perform then move on to the next CASH buyer.

If your buyer has trouble closing and begins to ask for multiple extensions it is safe to assume that the buyer may not be using his own cash and you run the risk of being strung along. The longer you wait the deeper your troubles could become.

Selling quickly in this scenario is not a “sell out”; you must look out for you and your family’s best interest. You want to stop the bleeding quickly so that you can begin the rebuilding process sooner. I will tell you from experience that you can rebuild twice as fast if you can do it from a worry free, stress free, creative place. It can be difficult to be creative when the Bank is banging down your door.

Remember this is only a moment in time and “this too shall pass.”

You can read more about stopping foreclosure in my Free Report
“The 5 Fastest Ways to Stop Foreclosure in 48 Hours or Less”

You can get this report at www.foreclosureproblemsellnow.info

David Montelongo

I hope everyone is having a great first back to school day! My family and I got started early this morning and I am ready to ROCK! I wanted to take a quick second before the week gets so busy and tell you about a quick Real Estate Wholesale case study.

Last week my office closed on a Wholesale transaction that could have gone south really quick! When we began looking at this deal 2 weeks ago the deal was riddled with problems. First off, the day we were called out to look at the property, another less experienced wholesaler put the property under contract 20 min before us. The wholesaler said he was going to do a “House Flip” to us…LOL.

James from our office told the homeowner that the wholesaler put the “Flipping House” under contract for too much money and that he was going to have a very tough time selling it, plus he did not explain to the homeowner that he would be assigning the contract so she was very confused. James just simply asked that she call him when all of the dust settled if the deal did not make it to a closing.

Seller Panic Rears its Ugly Head

Sure enough we were called 2 days later by the homeowner in a panic, we didn’t quite understand the urgency but this is was all revealed once we executed a purchase contract and went to open escrow at the title company. This is where the real problems began (This is where you earn the big bucks; become a problem solver)! So the property was encumbered by a “tax suit” and a “Home equity loan” in default. This is where things got funky because even the Title Co. wasn’t sure which encumbrance held the first position?

The House was actually going up for foreclosure in 3 weeks and if we didn’t work fast we would loose a deal and the homeowner would loose her house with nothing to show for it. The other big issue that we didn’t realize initially was that the owner of the Home Equity Lien had attached the lien to 3 properties that were all owned by our seller, including the property we were buying and the seller’s personal home.

When you’re doing a “House Flip”, realize that at any moment any perfect situation can go south on a deal in an instant. It's extremely important to have a good title and escrow agent involved that can help to weed through all of the issues to get to the bottom of things. Our title agent Angela was able to help work through all of the moving parts of this deal and help us figure out that the “tax suits” would take first position and legally had the right to foreclose before the Home Equity lone in default. Angela was able to track down all of the payoffs including old fees for being served by the Sheriff's department and fees to the city of San Antonio for lot clean up.

Using Blatant Bribery to Close the Flippin Deal

When everything was said and done and the final HUD statement was worked up the seller actually had to bring $10 to the closing (Final Hurdle). How do you get a homeowner to show up to a closing that it seems as if she doesn’t care about?

When all else fails turn to blatant bribery; ha-ha I offered her $150 cash for her trouble to show up to the closing, and the best thing about it is that it worked!

The seller showed up to the closing, our end buyer was in place ready to close on the Real Estate Wholesale transaction and the deal got done!

The best part of this transaction, which we didn’t even realize at the time, is that if the Home Equity Lien holder had foreclosed the seller ran the risk of loosing all three properties encumbered by the HEL, including her personal home. The seller would have had a good case to fight the foreclosure but it also takes money to fight that battle which the homeowner definitely did not have.

In the end we were able to save the lady’s home, help her walk away with a little spending cash, make some money ourselves and ultimately SAVE THE DAY!

If you have similar success stories or interesting Real Estate Posts please share…love us or loathe us, leave me a comment, I appreciate the feedback!

David Montelongo

Real Estate Investor | Mentor

P.S. If you’ve enjoyed this article, feel free to share the free content with others using the sharing icons below. Also, don’t forget to LIKE or FB SHARE this article above, BUZZ it up and TWEET this post to others.

How in the world am I going to do a BIG Commercial Real Estate deal? (sub header)

I know what some of you are thinking, how in the world am I going to do a BIG Commercial Real Estate deal when I am struggling to get my rehabs, shortsales and subject to’s done on a residential level? I will get into that briefly but just let me say now that if you can get a simple single family deal done in this market, you can absolutely get a commercial real estate deal done. Don’t let the dollar amount scare you, it’s all about adding a few commas and a few more zero’s.

I realize that I’m making it sound too easy, but with a little bit of training it’s actually pretty simple. Before we get into the subject too far, I want to tell you about the fastest way to have a commercial real estate CASH buyer stop a deal dead in it’s tracks, it’s called “Loopnet”!

The Fastest Way to Kill a Commercial Real Estate Deal

I’m sure you know what Loopnet is and if you don’t, it’s a large website for Real Estate Brokers and sellers to post their deals where lots of others have the option to see it.

The challenge with Loopnet, and many other similar sights, is that with the large number of “Cash” buyers that are out there on the hunt for “Great” deals. These cash buyers are using sites like LN to make sure that the deal they are being presented with is NOT on any of these Big National Broker websites. Puzzling I know, “why” you ask, it’s a little thing called EXCLUSIVITY!

Put yourself in the cash buyers shoes for just a minute, remember the old “Golden Rule” meaning “the one with the gold makes the rules”. If you have cash, and Cash is KING, then you want to invest your precious cash wisely. You also want to have the feeling that if someone brings you a deal to analyze, you want to make sure that you're not going to be in some sort of bidding war or buying frenzy.

A Solid Commercial Real Estate Deal, Until They Found it On Loopnet…

Just this last week a multi-family deal was presented to me in Fresno CA and it looked to be a solid deal, bringing in a respectable 11CAP (capitalization rate). My office knew that it was on Loopnet but it was suggested by one of our top people to move forward with it and present it to our cash buyer hot on the trail of a “killer deal”. At first glance the buyer submitted an LOI (letter of Intent) and signed our MFA (Master Fee Agreement) and was moving toward a contract and 7 day close UNTIL… the dreaded action…yes he “googled” the address only to find the LN listing pop up on the 2nd page. Just as suspected the deal was dropped dead in its tracks.

Don’t let this happen to you, we have tested it more times than I care to admit. Every legitimate cash buyer that I know will drop a deal immediately if it is a Loopnet listing. My suggestion to you is, that any commercial real estate deals that you analyze for the purpose of presenting to your cash buyers is first do a quick search to make sure that it is not a nationally marketed deal. If it is, then RUN the other way! Well, at least check with your buyers or my office to make sure that it is a do-able deal before spending too much time with it.

You Don’t Have to Be “The Don” to Invest in Commercial Real Estate

Now how do YOU get started in the commercial arena without being “The Don” (Trumpster)? It’s simple, “commercial wholesaling” or even easier become a commercial RE “Bird Dog”. I am currently looking for Commercial Real Estate “Bird Dogs” to fill the pipelines of the “CASH BUYERS” that we currently have in queue.

In my upcoming posts I will discuss in more detail the “HOT PROPERTIES” that we are looking for and how YOU can get started immediately! If your saying to yourself, “I don’t know any mult-million dollar buyers” then I will show you how to work with my company and put checks in your pocket right away! If your saying to yourself “show me how to create a buyers list then get out of my way” then more power to you! Stay connected with me here and drop me a quick comment whether you love or hate my opinions just drop me a quick note!

To your Success,

David Montelongo

Real Estate Investor | Mentor

I Have Made Millions of Dollars, Lost it and Made it Again

I have been an entrepreneur for the last twelve years. I’ve owned 7 different companies mostly in the construction and Real Estate Investing Niche. I was able to land a hit national television show “Flip This House” based around the operations of my real estate investing business. I built up a 2 million dollar portfolio and lost it because of a few critical errors. Errors that I will never make again! When I made these errors, and lost my shirt in this crazy economy, I didn’t know what in the world I was going to do. I went back to the drawing board teamed up with mentors for everything in my life that I felt was important and began to learn what it takes to make it in “Today’s Market”.

Wholesaling in any Economy is Still Key

A staple real estate investing strategy in any market is “Wholesaling.” It doesn’t matter what strategies you specialize in, Wholesaling is key because it provides “Cash Flow” on a consistent basis. If I had to pick one great thing that I love about wholesaling is that it is a simple strategy. I quickly realized that it’s just as easy to “Wholesale” an apartment building in Phoenix Arizona, or an office building in Nevada, as it is to sell a single family home in Texas. The really great thing is the “assignment fees” are about 5 to 10 times bigger. The most important elements to being successful at “Wholesaling” is building a powerhouse buyers list and generating consistent seller leads. This all boils down to marketing! This is one of the key elements of the topics I discuss as I work with “new” Investors or even more experienced investors that are trying to get their edge back!

Do You Have a Marketing Strategy, Online?

So let’s talk about a few things that can really set you apart from the “pack” when marketing yourself today. Now if you’re stuck on bandit signs and mail outs, you’re probably struggling to generate a consistent lead flow. Don’t get me wrong these strategies, while a little dated, still work but you’ll have to get a little more creative especially online if you expect to attract the apartment and commercial property sellers of the world. Let’s face it, if someone is looking for information today they don’t go to the phone book anymore.

My Top 10 Tips and Strategies for Building an Online Presence

Here are a few things you MUST DO NOW to create an online presence and begin evolving yourself into the go to expert in your market. 1) Own your own domain name. If you don’t already own your personal domain name (URL) i.e. www.melinamontelongo.com go get it it’s probably no more than $10 through www.buymyurlnow.com You’ll also have to buy hosting for your site. Godaddy, Blue Host and Host Gator are all great hosting providers 2) Build a website. I recommend using a self hosted WordPress site on your domain (not a WordPress.com). You can find some great WordPress templates from WordPress that come ready to go right out of the box. Just add content. A basic website should have a video of you explaining briefly what you do and why you are the best at it! An Opt-in form for perspective clients, sellers and buyers to leave there contact information including name, email, and phone number. A written statement about how you treat your clients and people that you do business with. 3) Start a Blog. It’s best if your blog is connected to your site.  You want your blog to have written and or video content if possible. This will help with your search engine rankings or basically ranking near the top of search engine results page when someone searches for keywords in your area of expertise. Example, “save my house from foreclosure” 4) Get your Social BUZZ on with Social Media Connect with all your friends, clients and people of similar interest through Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Linkedin, etc. There are 600,000 new members that sign up for Facebook daily! If you want people to know what you do there is probably not a better way to create an online BUZZ about yourself and or business than through your social medias… Period! 5). Promote your websites and Blogs through all of your social medias i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube etc. Invite all of your friends and network to read and comment on your blog posts. Link your blog site (RSS feed) with other bloggers to syndicate and maximize your exposure. 6) Shoot a series of Videos Either how to’s or case studies, on the deals that you are currently working. Post these videos on Youtube and your Blog site making sure to add your URL and strong keywords describing the content of the video. i.e. Wholesale Real Estate, Stop Foreclosure etc. Tip: keep the videos short 2 minute videos are great, definitely no more than 4 minutes and don’t ramble! 7) Participate in the Online Conversation There is no greater way for people to reciprocate syndication of your content than to comment on other niche related blogs. Seek out other niche related sites and comment on their topics. It goes a long way to establish rapport with other leading experts in their field. 8 ) Create written articles to distribute to article distribution websites like www.Ezine.com Make sure the articles are legitimate and not duplicated and or repetitive. Each article should focus on certain keywords around your topic of choice or your area of expertise. Create press releases to submit to www.PR.org for example, these rank really high with search engines. Tip: If you’re not familiar with how to write a press release you can have one written for you through www.needanarticle.com for about $10. 9) Build a list with an email service provider You can build a list by placing a web form on your site from an email service provider. This way you can capture your prospects email addresses and turn them into leads for your business. There is no better way to establish communication and trust with your clients, customers or subscribers than with email marketing. IContact and Aweber are two great resources for email autoresponder services. You’ll be able to email your entire list all at once and also schedule out several emails out in advance on auto pilot. 10) Always deliver value In everything that you do always deliver more value than you expect in return. You will absolutely set your self apart from everyone else when you understand this principle. People are looking for answers, help them find it.

In a Crowded Room of People All Holding Up the Same Sign, Who Stands out?

All of these tips can totally set you apart from the next guy when marketing for leads. When I began my trek back to the top I needed deals and I needed them fast.  I didn’t become who I am today by following the crowd. I’ve established trust, expertise and delivered results to all of my clients all by setting myself apart from my competition. I believe that now and over the next 3 to 5 years will be one of the largest opportunities to create an absolute windfall of income in this industry that we love. If you’ll take 1 or 2 of these tips and implement them immediately, it will have a huge impact on your business and you’ll have already positioned yourself to be ready to capitalize. I am extremely excited to come to your beautiful city of Houston to speak about the things that have created the lifestyle of my dreams and I can’t wait to hear about the Massive Success that the great Investors of Houston are experiencing as well. Until then take care and Godspeed! David Montelongo