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The Real Deal Real Estate Show with Larry Harbolt

The Real Deal Real Estate Show with Larry Harbolt is brought to you by The Real Estate Institute of Advanced Strategies. This show will teach any real estate investor how to buy and sell real estate for long term wealth and prosperity. Listen to real estate investing legends discuss the timeless methods used to acquire real estate. Larry discusses many strategies including but not limited to Seller Financing, Land Trusts, Options, Negotiations, Tax Planning, Asset Protection, Wholesaling, Lease Options, Contract for Deed and many other creative methods that provide a win/win solution for both buyers and sellers.
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The Real Deal Real Estate Show with Larry Harbolt
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Now displaying: 2017
Dec 29, 2017

Today I want to talk about a conversation I had recently with a stock market enthusiast. They were dumbfounded when I told them I didn’t invest in stocks and had no interest in doing so. My father lost money in the stock market during the Great Depression and lost almost $100,000 OVERNIGHT. The "expert" I talked with insisted stocks were going up and up and up, but markets eventually correct themselves.

Dec 22, 2017

Today, I want to talk about something critical to your financial future: the time value of money. What this means is that a dollar today is more important than a dollar in your future. A dollar today can help you purchase what you need right now, as opposed to the dollar coming later.

Dec 15, 2017

If you want to have any success in real estate investing, you need to listen up to today’s episode. Recently I went to the mall to pick some things up, and as I was walking across the street from the parking lot to go inside, a car came at me. It was a younger person, and instead of waiting for me to cross, they just swerved around me and high-tailed it out of there. They didn’t say “Excuse me,” “Pardon me”, or even “Go to hell.”

What amazing manners!

If you don’t have manners, you will get NOWHERE with sellers. When you sit down with people to talk with them, if you don’t have manners they will already be closed off to you. It doesn’t matter what age you are, you need to understand basic etiquette to win their approval. It’s about being mindful of their feelings and showing respect for them inviting you into your home and of their time.

Another big issue of etiquette: if you are going to be late, make sure you call and let them know that you’ll be late. This is showing that you respect the fact they took time out of their day to talk with you. They didn’t HAVE to do this, but they liked you enough to do it. Make sure you don’t disappoint them.

Without basic manners, your negotiation is going to go straight down the toilet. It’s not hard to be nice and show courtesy, and it’ll get you FAR in this industry.

Make sure you visit my website, LarryHarbolt.com, for all your real estate investing education needs.

Good Luck and Happy Investing!

Dec 8, 2017

Today’s episode is a little something different for all of you. I’ve got my good friend Tyler Sheff in the studio today with me. For those of you who don’t know, Tyler at Cash Flow Guys produces this podcast, The Real Deal Podcast with Larry Harbolt. We’ve been working together for about a year and found we had a mutual passion for helping people in our market. Tyler and I are both non-gurus who want to educate the real estate investing community honestly, without the sketchy bullshit many are putting out there today. I've been investing for 38 years, almost FOUR DECADES. There’s not a whole lot I haven’t seen yet!

Dec 1, 2017

Today I'd like to talk about an issue with real estate investors that I hear a lot about: how to get their properties free and clear as soon as possible. I, personally, don't care as much about this, as long as the properties cash flow every time. My tenants are paying for the debt service (the mortgage) on the property by paying rent every month.

Nov 24, 2017

One of my favorite teaching moments was telling a group of young entrepreneurs that I loved being in a business where I could study 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and never know it all. They were horrified, but it’s the truth: you can’t learn everything about real estate in an instant. There’s just too much.

Nov 17, 2017

Today we’re going back to the basics: what you need to create your plan and get started in real estate investing. I’m going to walk you through what you need to accomplish in the next 30 days to get you on your way to making money in this business.

Nov 10, 2017

More and more people are getting into the market of real estate investing, but as the investing base grows, so does the number of “new” gurus. A lot of these gurus have a few deals under their belt and are pushing their students into getting started as a wholesaler. There’s nothing wrong with being a wholesaler, but the misleading part is the idea that wholesalers will make bank in this area of investing.

A wholesaler is someone who gets a property under contract, then turns around and sells that contract to another investor for a profit. They are being paid for putting the deal together, and once they get their profit, they’re out of the deal entirely. Sometimes a wholesaler will “pre-hab”, such as painting, landscaping, or putting on a new roof, to increase the value for the new investor who will take the contract over. I, personally, do not do “pre-habbing”; if I don’t want a property, I don’t want any more money than necessary tied up in it so I can assign the contract and move on to a deal I DO want.

If you’re buying, selling, and rehabbing a property, that is NOT wholesaling. Wholesaling is meant to be a way to get cash to pay your bills, build capital, or make a profit on a property you don’t want for yourself. There is ALWAYS a cost to using money, no matter how you use it. Guaranteed.

If you need help to get started in real estate, check out my online courses, the Cashflow Blueprint and the Cashflow Foundations. You can find them at my website, LarryHarbolt.com.

Good Luck and Happy Investing.

Nov 3, 2017

Today I’d like to talk with you about something I think a lot of people are failing at in their investing business: naming their land trusts. Please note: I am NOT an attorney, but I do present a live event a few times a year where I teach people how to protect their real estate assets by placing them in a land trust.

I believe every investor who plans on keeping a property long-term should learn how to create a land trust. Once you know how, it takes very little time, effort, and money to put one together. The land trust can protect you from bottom-feeders, but it will NOT excuse you from paying your taxes to Uncle Sam.

There are two reasons to have your property in a land trust:

  1. Privacy: Anyone can go to the courthouse and look up the owner of a particular property.
  2. Estate planning: When you put a property into a land trust, you can pass a property to your contingent beneficiary and continue to protect them from prying eyes.

If you’d like to attend my next Land Trust event, visit LarryHarbolt.com/events/category/bootcamps/ for all of my upcoming bootcamps and live events.

Don’t forget to visit me at LarryHarbolt.com for all your real estate investing education needs.

Oct 27, 2017

Today, I want to talk about my fears with investing in real estate, not that I have very many. But recently I was asked what my great fear was about the economy and the real estate market going into a future real estate crash like we experienced in 2008. I don't know if that's going to happen. I think we're seeing places going up continuously just like we did in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Money is available. Most people can get some type of financing. There is a shortage of properties in the MLS. I don't know if it's going to be like we had in 2008 but is there going to be a crash?

Oct 19, 2017

In this episode Larry discusses the importance of buy and hold and being a landlord as compared to being a hamster on a wheel working as a “wholesaler”.

With that said; also think of this as planting a garden, your properties are the seeds.

The tenants got to work for you each month in order to bring you money, this should be remembered when making decisions on how they need to be treated.  Larry believes in treating his tenants like “clients”.

Many new investors believe that they themselves need to be able to “afford” the mortgage which is simply not true. Landlord mindset should dictate that the tenants pay your mortgage, not you.

Larry also discusses how the tenants that occupy all of his properties have provided his retirement income while at the same time paying off the loans on these properties which in turn creates equity in them.

Oct 13, 2017

Welcome again, real estate friends! Today I’d like to talk with you about the Six Weakest Points of Investing; faux pas made by beginner and experienced investors alike. This is simply because of a lack of understanding of why: why you’re looking at the deal, why you’re interested in buying it, and why it could be profitable.

  1. If the house lacks curb appeal, it will be difficult to buy or sell later on. Know what you’re looking at.
  2. What are the numbers of the deal? What is the seller asking? What can it be resold or rented out for later? What are the holding costs?
  3. Talking with the sellers and negotiating for the property. Build rapport and ask the seller why they need the money.
  4. Structure your offers so they make sense for you and for the seller.
  5. Consider all your financing options. You don’t need cash if you work with the seller to create desirable terms for them and their goals.
  6. The weakest point for most investors: How to maximize the profit. Always think about how to make the deal better, such as offering the seller a higher price in exchange for a lower monthly payment.

Don’t forget to visit me at LarryHarbolt.com for all your real estate investing educational needs.

Good Luck and Happy Investing!

Oct 6, 2017

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: you have to know your numbers to be successful in this business. Here are the 12 most common mistakes I see investors make when beginning to analyze a deal:

  1. Taking too long to get to the deal itself; they’re usually too afraid to “pull the trigger”. Learn how to do the numbers quickly so you don’t lose deals to time.

  2. After talking with the seller, you don’t double-check the numbers they give you for any potential rehab. Most sellers have good intentions, but each part of a deal is subjective to the respecting party. Always check the numbers.

  3. Don’t do the math using a pencil. If you’re working the numbers and think it’s a good idea to fudge the numbers, it’ll be your own money you flush down the drain. You have to be a straight-shooter every time.

  4. Never overestimate a property’s rental potential. There are great websites, including RentoMeter.com, where you can check the local rents. Another great option is to call local property managers and ask them what they would set rent at for that particular size of unit in that area.

  5. Don’t overestimate the “as-is” value of the property. This is the value of the property today in its current condition, and many investors estimate higher than the market actually calls for.

  6. Don’t get “bogged down” in the process. Look at the property and analyze it quickly so you know exactly what path you’re taking with that deal.

  7. Why is the seller selling that property? You need to know what they’re going to use the money for and if they’re truly motivated.

  8. You need to understand what equity is available in the property.

  9. Underestimating the time it takes to purchase, renovate, and either sell or rent out the property.

  10. Don’t skip analyzing the deal just to throw cash at it. What’s the point of throwing cash if you don’t understand the deal as a whole?

  11. Hiding behind the analysis and become afraid of pulling the trigger and taking action.

  12. You don’t know how to negotiate a good deal or how to communicate effectively with the seller.

Don’t forget to visit us at LarryHarbolt.com for all your real estate investing education needs.

Good Luck and Happy Investing!

Sep 29, 2017

One of the KEY tips I can give any real estate investor, new or seasoned, is to LEARN ABOUT YOUR MARKET. It doesn’t matter where you live or where you’re investing, you’re going to adjust and adapt. This is going to help you create your own market and eliminate your competition.

People always focus on “buyer’s markets, seller’s markets,” etc. These aren’t really factors in your investments if you understand your market and take the time to talk with the seller. For example, a flip can be one of the riskiest investments out there if you don’t understand the area. Flipping without all the facts can lead to market speculation, which is DANGEROUS. Stock marketers speculate, but investors shouldn’t; otherwise you’ll lose your shirt.

Make sure to head over to LarryHarbolt.com for all your real estate education needs.

And don’t forget to fill out my quick survey and let me know what you want to learn at LarryHarbolt.com/CheatSheet.

Good Luck and Happy Investing!

Sep 22, 2017

We're continuing from our last podcast episode, where we discussed how you can create a marketable promissory note that can then be sold for cash. This is a lifesaver for the investor short on cash, and it's all based on fulfilling your promises as a business person.

In every seller financing transaction you'll ever do in your investing career, you'll need to understand the concept of clauses. There are specific ones we need to include in our Purchase Agreement and in the final note. One of the most important is the "Right to Refusal" clause.

The "Right to Refusal" clause says that if the holder of the note decides to sell that note to someone else for a discount, they would have to contact YOU first. You would then be given the opportunity to purchase the note at the discounted price, or refuse. If you can come up with the money, why not exercise your right?

Another crucial clause is the "Exculpatory Clause". This one isn't as well known and you may not meet too many gurus who even understand what it is. This clause allows you to purchase any property WITHOUT personal liability. The liability is limited to the property itself and will not extend to you. If you don't pay, then they simply take the property and can't come after you.

You also need to understand if you're a "Mortgage State" or a "Deed of Trust State". Depending on where you live, the standard deed will either be a mortgage or a deed of trust. Most investors like deed of trust based on how quickly they can make their money back. However, you can still make money in a mortgage state, but it will take more time.

This is only a few of the clauses you'll need to truly create a market all of your own. For a FREE download of sample documents, visit LarryHarbolt.com/ThinAir.

For all your real estate education needs, visit me at LarryHarbolt.com.

Sep 15, 2017

Today’s episode is one of my more exciting ones: making money out of thin air. It’s not a hoax or a scam, but a viable way to create deals without taking money from your own pocket. It’s never really about the numbers or the asset: every deal is built on the foundation of a promise. A buyer creates a formal promise to a seller that they need to fulfill, and that’s where every deal begins.

There are different types of promises that we make to sellers when we create a deal for their property. We use promises such as:

  • The Purchase Agreement, which is a mutual promise between the seller and the buyer.
  • There is also the Promissory Note, which many college students or anyone who has ever taken out a loan will recognize.
  • Next is the Mortgage, which details the repercussions if the promise is not kept (the Mortgage is not paid).
  • There is also the Lease Agreement, detailing the stipulations of the lease during its term.
  • An Option to Purchase is a promise that the buyer will buy the property down the road at today’s price.
  • A Land Contract and a Contract for Deed.

Once you understand that EVERYTHING you do is a promise, then you’ll understand your integrity is on the line. In negotiations, you’re showing the sellers that you’re a person of integrity who can keep your promises. That’s how the best deals are made.

Don’t forget to visit us at LarryHarbolt.com for all your real estate education needs.

If you’d like copies of the forms we mentioned in the episode today, visit LarryHarbolt.com/ThinAir.

Good Luck and Happy Investing!

Sep 8, 2017

Over the past few weeks I’ve had several investors come to me and tell me that they can NEVER get sellers to give them seller financing terms. For me that makes no sense: I have plenty of success in getting seller financing terms on the properties I buy, over 30 years in fact. So today I’m going to help out those investors who are having little to no success in negotiating seller financing terms on their deals.

I’ve talked with some investors who are buying upwards of 35 houses A MONTH. They already have a network and a system of lenders that allows them to pay cash for each house. This podcast isn’t for them; it’s for those investors that don’t have the cash or the network to scale their business yet to such a high level.

Cash is never the only way to buy a house; I’m living proof. Even if you have money, eventually that money runs dry and your business shrivels up. So why not just save that money for other deals and negotiate seller financing terms whenever you can?

For all your real estate education needs, visit me online at LarryHarbolt.com.

Good Luck and Happy Investing!

Sep 1, 2017

Every investor has to ask themselves this question sometime: “What the heck should I be buying to build my portfolio and cash flow?”. For some people, what they care about most in an investment property are:

  • Style
  • Price
  • Neighborhood
  • Income ability of the property
  • Whether the property is or is not listed on the MLS

Most investors DON’T think about some of these important aspects of the property that could seriously impact your bottom line:

  • The highest and best use of the property itself
  • The number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and overall size
  • The amenities: the lot size, a paved or unpaved driveway, a pool, a garage, etc.
  • Home owner association (HOA) fees
  • Special assessments owed on the property, i.e. new utility work
  • Active code enforcement leads
  • Updated cooling and heating system
  • Size of the kitchen
  • The types of windows
  • The type of flooring
  • The exterior siding or paint
  • The current state of the foundation
  • How close is the property to a busy street
  • Architectural features
  • Layout of the rooms
  • Condition of the neighborhood roads and sidewalks
  • The overall curb appeal

In the end, you need to decide how hard you want to work and how much you want to spend on each of your houses. Be mindful and do your homework on EVERY SINGLE PROPERTY you come across. This is how you’ll make more money on every deal you do. Otherwise you’ll make some costly mistakes.

For all your real estate education needs, visit me online at LarryHarbolt.com.

Good Luck and Happy Investing!

Aug 25, 2017

What is your attitude about becoming a real estate investor?

I hate to bust your bubble (actually, no I don’t), but it takes a LOT of hard work to become successful in this business.

Do you really want to put in the work? Are you willing to knock on doors, talk to neighbors in the street, and sit down at kitchen tables?

Most new investors today are lazy. They aren’t dedicated enough to put in the hours, blood, and sweat to make those goals a reality. They want their easy, comfortable lifestyles and aren’t willing to work outside of the usual 9-5.

Do you know when sellers are usually out of the house? 9 am to 5 pm. So why are you expecting to contact them when they’re out at work themselves?

You have to be willing to burn the midnight oil in order to succeed. When you make that change, you’ll have a market all to yourself.

For all your real estate investing education needs, visit LarryHarbolt.com

Good Luck and Happy Investing!

Aug 18, 2017

Today want to emphasize just how important it really is to take a step back and think your entire deal through. When you look at a house, what exactly do you see?

Do you just see bricks or siding and a door?

Or are you seeing a cash-flowing asset that can supplement or replace your income?

Every property is a tool to build wealth and improve you and your family’s lifestyle. It’s important that you see MORE than just dollar signs with each opportunity you come across. You need to think about the exit strategy for each deal.

Remember: “Until you know where the back door is, you don’t go through the front door.”

For all your real estate education needs, visit LarryHarbolt.com.

Good Luck and Happy Investing!

Aug 11, 2017

I’m seeing too many people overpaying for properties today, well after the Recession hit the real estate market in 2008. Today’s market conditions are what we call a “seller’s market”; home prices are going up and keep rising. Most investors don’t qualify for conventional financing from banks, so they’re finding other sources of funding with higher interest rates. Another issue is that properties are only staying on the market for a short time. Before the downturn investors could put in a full-price offer, but were rejected because sellers knew that the next day they’d get an even higher offer.

Have you ever been to a real estate auction? Most investors there have no real limit or budget and constantly overpay. You MUST know your numbers! If you don’t know the numbers, don’t buy it. Without that information, done accurately, you will continue to lose money in this business.

Sometimes, when I’m bored, I’ll watch one of the popular flipping shows on HGTV. These so-called “experts” are just guessing at the numbers, without really understanding their own market or the neighborhood of the property they’re looking to buy. They’ll either offer full asking price or just under, and they ALWAYS end up paying beyond their rehab budget and go beyond their original timeline.

This is because they DID NOT KNOW THE NUMBERS. They just guessed and ran with it, throwing dollars at the deal and assuming they would make a huge return. That rarely happens, if ever.

STOP OVERPAYING FOR PROPERTIES!

Visit us at LarryHarbolt.com for all your real estate education needs.

Good Luck and Happy Investing!

Aug 4, 2017

Today I’m covering all the nuances and steps for the "wrap-around mortgage". A wrap-around mortgage is a loan arrangement in which an existing loan is retained, and an additional, larger loan is then created around it. The new lender agrees to make payments on the existing loan, which usually has a lower interest rate than the new loan being added. In the end, the rate on the new loan produces a higher yield than the old loan currently attached to the property.

Jul 28, 2017

If you want to truly build wealth and create freedom for you and your family, then you need to learn and understand how to analyze a deal. I'll be sharing just a few of the steps to get you started on the road to your first property.

Jul 21, 2017

Today I want to talk to you about getting out of your house, off your computer, and out into the world. Deals aren’t only to be found in meetings or over the phone; you need to actually take the time to talk with sellers on their own turf. This is where you’ll find sellers who could use your help and opportunities to help your family and grow your wealth.

Door knocking is almost a lost art among investors today; however, it’s still a powerful and effective tool to finding sellers who may not know they want to sell. One of the best in the business is Bill Cook, a former Kirby vacuum salesman. He takes groups on property tours and actually knocks on houses in a neighborhood in a demonstration; many times the homeowner will let the entire group of over forty people in!

Knocking on doors can be dangerous, especially for women; if you feel unsafe on your own, then bring someone with you as a buddy, especially in rougher neighborhoods. I prefer to find unloved homes that clearly need repairs and help. If the occupant isn’t the seller but a tenant, you can usually find out from them (they might need reassurances that you won’t kick them out after buying the property, however).

If you see older people working in their front yard, make sure to stop and talk with them. Ask them about the neighborhood, compliment their home, and build that rapport. Older people who have been in the neighborhood for years will know who is looking to sell, and you just might get a deal out of it.

Need practice negotiating? Go to a yard or garage sale. Find something cheap and negotiate with the seller and get it cheaper. This is training you can’t get in a guru’s class or an expensive seminar; it might cost you a dollar if you buy the item, and you always have the option to walk away. This is a fantastic, no-pressure environment to get  you into the negotiating mindset.

Visit LarryHarbolt.com for my investing courses and resources to take you further in your investing career.

Happy investing!

Jul 14, 2017

After my recent podcast on the inner workings of the Subject-To deal, people have been asking me relentlessly about how to do “Lease-Option” exit strategies in their deals. Today we’re going to cover how you can do your own Lease-Option deals, or as it’s more commonly known, the “rent-to-own”.

If a property has been on the market for many months, it has a mortgage, and the seller doesn’t live in it, then there’s a good chance that the sellers are making two mortgage payments. If they’ve renovated the property, you’ll often find that sellers are reluctant to put in tenants for cashflow if they can put it on the market and sell it for top dollar. But if it sits on the market for months, they’re continuing to lose money every month it doesn’t sell. This is where the Lease-Option comes into play to help ease their financial pain and help you gain control of the property.

The Lease-Option allows the tenant to lease the property now and gives them an option to purchase the property at a later time under a certain set of circumstances. This gives you, the investor, control of the property and the option to put it under your corporation or a land trust down the road when you exercise your option.

For a FREE copy of my Lease-Option cheat sheet, go to http://www.larryharbolt.com/leaseoption.

Happy investing!

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