How would you like to know something that you can do to ANY PROPERTY right this very second that could potentially dramatically hike the value of your appraisal? Appraisers deny this, but one came out and admitted it recently and hundreds of happy homeowners swear by this easy technique. I’ll tell you all about it in today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is episode 94. ---- So, want to know a simple step that might take a little time but could dramatically increase your home value as stated by a certified appraiser? I’ve got the details today, including a CRAZY admission from trial court judges about what makes them “think positive” about their cases and what that has to do with your appraised home value. Let’s get started… We all know that getting a property under contract for a certain price is only half the battle these days when it comes to selling real estate. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard real estate investors at our local REIA groaning in frustration because they’ve found buyers for their properties but those buyers can’t get the FINANCING they need on the properties because the appraisals just aren’t coming back high enough. It’s really frustrating for everyone, and while we’ve all heard tips like “make a list of all the renovations you did and how much they cost,” the fact of the matter is that while these types of tips help, we all want to do everything we POSSIBLY CAN to boost the value of a property before a sale so that our buyers can get financing and we can get PAID MAXIMUM VALUE for our hard work. And that’s where this simple, elbow-grease-based trick comes in… According to the National Association of Realtors (that’s the NAR) more and more real estate professionals are finding that a truly spic-and-span home, one that is DEEEEEEEP CLEANED immediately prior to its inspection and appraisal, will usually bring back an appraised value in excess of a similar home that has not been deep cleaned and, perhaps more exciting, a value in excess of what said real estate professional had even been expecting. Here’s what one Colorado investor reported: “Having your house clean does make a difference, even though in theory it should not,” he said, adding, “Appraisers are people and they are swayed by smells and how a house feels even if they aren’t conscious of it.” Another California homeowner named Jennifer Chataeuvert insists that deep cleaning her home enabled her to land an appraisal that was much higher than what she predicted, even though her appraiser insisted that he didn’t care that the house was gleaming. “The appraisal came back much higher than we had even hoped,” Chataeuvert insisted, and our Colorado agent agrees that it probably had something to do with the major deep cleaning that went on before the appraiser arrived. So does that mean that you need to deep-clean every property before you get it appraised now? Not necessarily. It depends on what you need the appraisal for. If you’re hoping to help your buyers get financing, then yes, it probably won’t hurt. On the other hand, if you’re seeking a dollar value with which to negotiate or as a reference point, for example, that deep clean may not be that important. Now, I know that I promised you some information about trial court judges and how their hunger affects their sentencing patterns (and what it means for your appraisals) so here you go: In a 2011 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, an Israeli professor and his research team discovered that judges were far more likely to allow lighter sentences and possibly parole requests right after breakfast and again right after lunch, with the odds of a request for a lighter sentence being granted fell sharply as the judges got hungrier. “And what is an appraiser if not a judge?” asked realtor.com, noting that since the effects of hunger are generally obvious to ethical, objective professionals, it’s unlikely that having something light to eat out will hurt your chances of getting a better “eye” on your property and it certainly can’t hurt your appraiser’s mindset. Now of course, for good, straight-up honest appraisers, none of these things should affect how they judge your home, but the most honest of us can be swayed by a number of factors subconsciously, which is where deep cleaning and something called “storyline” comes in. Get the details on how to maximize your home’s presentation via a good “storyline” in our report in the REI Today Vault at www.rei.today/vault. It’s labeled with today’s episode number, 94, and titled “The REI Today Storyline Report.” Not yet a member of the REI Today Vault? Get your access right now! Join right now by texting REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444. When you do, I’ll provide you with fast, immediate access to the report as well as a lot of other timely, insightful, PRACTICAL information that will help make your investing safer, faster, and more profitable. And folks, remember, when you join the Vault you join our community, which means you have the opportunity to network with me, my guests, and your fellow listeners across the country. So go ahead right now and text REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444 or visit us online at www.rei.today/vault. REI Nation, thanks for listening in and please always remember this: Your best investment is your own education.

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

Appraisers Admit: THIS SIMPLE MOVE could make your home APPRAISE HIGHER | Episode 94

What if your TWEETS are violating certain codes of real estate ethics and advertising that could put you on the LOSING END of a lawsuit? I’ll tell the latest in new Twitter-verse regulations for real estate professionals in today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is episode 93. --- Twitter may only give you 140 characters with which to express yourself, but that doesn’t mean that your local board of realtors is going to give you a pass if you tweet something that isn’t 100-percent ABOVE BOARD with their ethics regulations. Fortunately for you (if you’re a realtor, anyway, and honestly just in general to make sure you’re practicing good real estate business) the Realtors’ Code of Ethics, which tends to keep pace with other governing bodies’ regulations and ethics requirements, has recently been revised to accommodate the new needs of tweeting real estate professionals. There are three major changes that could mean great things for your Tweet promotions, but make sure you handle them correctly or you could find yourself on the losing end of a lawsuit. First, the issue of disclosure. Technically, until recently you were supposed to disclose your ENTIRE COMPANY NAME in every tweet, which, as you can imagine, made tweeting kind of a moot point for a lot of people. Now, however, you can simply link to a display containing information about your company, but make sure that link is in your tweets if you don’t want to find yourself facing ethics scrutiny. A lot of real estate professionals use their Twitter profile to publicize this information. It’s unclear from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) report on this subject whether or not that’s technically sufficient. Second, and this is more of a timeframe issue, but it’s been changed because of the dynamic nature of advertising these days, if you find yourself dealing with a grievance complaint in a realtor’s association setting, then you only have about a month-and-a-half, 45 days, to wait before you get a resolution. That’s great news for everyone involved, but it does mean you had better keep up with all your deadlines because there won’t be a lot of timeline flexibility. Thirdly, and this is important for your EMPLOYEES, ask that employees who may tweet about your business to add a disclaimer stating that their opinions are their own in their Twitter profile. This protects you not just from negative publicity if someone gets annoyed with you and tweets about it, but also protects you in the event that an employee tweets something about your company that could land you in ethical trouble. It may or may not completely cover your bases, but the NAR says it will certainly help. Want to know more about how to legally AND effectively use Twitter in your real estate business? Check out our compilation of Twitter Tips and Legal Tricks in the REI Today Vault at www.rei.today/vault. It’s labeled with this episode number 93, and it’s full of information that will make your tweeting more effective and help keep you within the bounds of safety and ethics while you Tweet as well. Not yet a member of the REI Today Vault? Get your access right now! Join right now by texting REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444. When you do, I’ll provide you with fast, immediate access to the report as well as a lot of other timely, insightful, PRACTICAL information that will help make your investing safer, faster, and more profitable. And folks, remember, when you join the Vault you join our community, which means you have the opportunity to network with me, my guests, and your fellow listeners across the country. So go ahead right now and text REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444 or visit us online at www.rei.today/vault. REI Nation, thanks for listening in and please always remember this:

ETHICAL CHANGES to Twitter Usage that could cost you EVERYTHING | Episode 93

Wouldn’t you want to know if YOUR CITY was the official WORST PLACE TO LIVE in the United States? I’ll have the identity of the metro area earning that dubious distinction in today’s episode, along with how you can turn that title to your advantage if you live or invest there. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 92. --- So what’s the worst city to live in in the entire country? Well, it’s probably not where you’d think. This city beat out Milwaukee, Buffalo, and Detroit for the title, and the judges of the contest, such as it is, at 24/7 Wall Street cited income inequality, high rates of violent crime, and sky-high houses prices as the reason for their decision. Oh, and the city also was recently awarded the title “rudest city in the United States” by another news and tourism outlet. So there’s that… So what city takes the cake for unpleasantness on all sides? Well, I’ll give you a hint, it’s located in sunny southern Florida, has miles of sandy beaches, and nearly perfect weather. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, it may be hard to believe but MIAMI, Florida was named the “Worst City to Live In” in 24/7 Wall Street’s most recent awarding of the title. Now, many fans of Miami and Miami tourism locals have been quick to point out that words like “best” and “worst” are extremely subjective, and that’s fair. However, whether you LIKE or AGREE with the results of this type of study or not, if you choose to invest in Miami (or in any other area that has recently gotten a top-10-worst bad rap) then you are going to have to deal with them because your potential buyers are going to have read them: trust me. The best way to deal with this kind of negative publicity is to first become informed about it, then run with it. For example, in this instance, one of the main issues that the researchers cited for Miami’s low livability score is its terrible affordability when compared to other cities of similar sizes across the country. The city’s median income is about $22,000 less than the national average and housing is about $64,000 higher than the national average. Furthermore, according to the same researchers, about one in every four people in Miami live in poverty. They then went on to point out that the income gap in the city, that means the gap in earning power between the richest one percent and the AVERAGE of the other 99 percent of earners scored a 45, meaning that the top one percent earns 45 times more than the average of everyone else, making Miami’s metro area, quote, “nearly the most unequal of any U.S. city.” End quote. So all of that sounds pretty negative on the face of it, but the important thing for YOU as an investor is to consider how relevant this is to your target market, then adjust accordingly. For example, if you are investing in luxury properties in Miami, the entire study is probably going to be largely irrelevant to your buyers because it simply does not directly affect them. On the other hand, the other “99 percent” as it were, of buyers, may find the results problematic, but if you represent a solution to their housing affordability problem (maybe via creative financing or just offering really great rental opportunities) then you’ve at least muted the study there, too. Most people will be more concerned with their personal situation than in their city’s national ranking anyway, so appealing to their personal, specific needs will quite likely resolve those issues. The real fallout from this type of study tends to affect investors who work mainly with other INVESTORS, interestingly enough, because people with little personal interest vested in an area may opt to avoid it if they believe that it has too many negative connotations. In this case, you should simply rely on local housing TRENDS and your own personal experience, complete with evidence and case studies, to make your case for you. Investors tend to view their money without a lot of emotion, so if you can prove that your strategies work in a “top-10-worst city,” then you’ll probably be okay. Want to see exactly why Miami got such a bad rap in 24/7 Wall Street’s study? We’ve got a bullet-point list of exactly what the problems were in the REI Today Vault at www.rei.today/vault. join right now by texting REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444. When you do, I’ll provide you with fast, immediate access to the report as well as a lot of other timely, insightful, PRACTICAL information that will help make your investing safer, faster, and more profitable. And folks, remember, when you join the Vault you join our community, which means you have the opportunity to network with me, my guests, and your fellow listeners across the country. So go ahead right now and text REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444 or visit us online at www.rei.today/vault. REI Nation, thanks for listening in and please always remember this: Your best investment is your own education.

the OFFICIAL WORST PLACE TO LIVE in the United States | Episode 92

Wouldn’t you like to know the ONE THING that a truly GOOD LENDER looks for that will very nearly GUARANTEE YOU FUNDING for your real estate deals? I got on the phone WITH A HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL REAL ESTATE LENDER to get all the details, and I’ll tell you what she said in today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 91. --- So wouldn’t you like to know anytime you asked for a loan for a real estate deal that you already basically HAD IT IN THE BAG because you were giving the lender exactly what they are looking for? If you’ve always wondered how real estate money gets from underwriters to YOUR DEALS, then you’re going to love today’s episode. I got on the phone with Heather Dreves, director of funding for Secured Investment Corporation, a real estate lender present in 90 percent of the U.S. that specializes in real estate lending (so you’re not dealing with someone who doesn’t understand your business like you probably have if you ever tried to get funding from a private lender or a mega-bank), to find out exactly what makes her underwriters approve a loan. The answer was surprisingly simple, as you’ll see. Here’s what Heather told me: In the end, we’re looking at the “whole story,” she said, noting that a good loan not only will have a borrower with “skin in the transaction,” meaning that the borrower has a vested interest in making the deal work, but will also have some education under their belt. Here’s the interesting thing: just because Heather’s underwriters require education does not mean that if you’re not already a seasoned investor, you can’t get a loan. In fact, Secured Investment Corporation actually has training that they offer to investors to educate new investors about buying properties and rehabbing them. “That way, we know we’re dealing with someone who knows what they’re doing because, well, we know what we’re doing!” Heather told me. I like that: a lender who is going the extra mile to make SURE your deals are good and that they succeed instead of just assuming that they can foreclose on you and still make good if your deal falls through on your end. I asked Heather about credit as well, since we all know that real estate investors don’t tend to have the greatest credit because so many of us have multiple mortgages, have our credit pulled regularly as part of the financing process, or have more than one project going at once. “We do pull credit on most of our borrowers,” Heather told me, but she added that in her experience, using credit alone to evaluate a borrower is “skewed.” She said, “We’re not looking for a credit SCORE, we’re looking for a willingness to make payments and good payment habits.” That means that if you have late accounts all over the place going back 10 years or so, you may have a problem, but if you have good payment habits and just a so-so credit score, your borrowing “story” as Heather refers to it, is still a good one. “We call what we do storybook lending,” Heather told me, “because we really want to know the investor’s story. What’s going on, where you came up with the amount of money you need, and what your experience is.” She added that these things don’t all have to be perfect because they are looking at the total picture, the WHOLE STORY, instead of just a few isolated pieces. And here’s an interesting side note, folks: you can see that Heather’s company does some FANTASTIC due diligence on their lending investments, and YOU can benefit from that due diligence in another way if you have money you want to INVEST in lending with someone who clearly takes care of their lenders’ interests as well as their investors’ interests. You can learn more about how to get involved with Heather on the lending side by checking out the show notes in the REI Today Vault. Let’s just say they’re basically the “Amazon.com of real estate lending” when it comes to full service for their lenders… Now, I think you’re probably starting to see what an INCREDIBLE ADVANTAGE it is to have a real live lender on speed dial, as it were, to talk to you about your deals, your borrowing, and your strategies. This is only the tip of the iceberg, folks. Heather told me SO MUCH MORE than I could ever fit into a single podcast, so I strongly recommend that you read the entire, uncut interview in the REI Today Vault and check out a special REI Today Report on Secured Investment Corporation that lays out, in three EASY POINTS, the three BIGGEST MISTAKES Heather encounters investors making on a DAILY BASIS that cause them to lose out on funding for deals that SHOULD be good ones. We’ve also got an exclusive training from Heather and her colleagues at Secured Investment Corporation in the vault, it’s called “6 Steps to Getting Your Money to Outlive You,” so head over there right now to claim yours at www.rei.today/vault. Don’t delay, and if you’re not yet a member, don’t worry! You can become one right now by texting REITODAY no spaces, no periods to 33444. When you do, I’ll provide you with fast, immediate access to these reports and trainings as well as a lot of other timely, insightful, PRACTICAL information that will help make your investing safer, faster, and more profitable. And folks, remember, when you join the Vault you join our community, which means you have the opportunity to network with me, my guests, and your fellow listeners across the country. So go ahead right now and text REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444 or visit us online at www.rei.today/vault. REI Nation, thanks for listening in and please always remember this: Your best investment is your own education.

the ONE THING that GOOD LENDERS are really looking for | Episode 91

Wouldn’t you want to know if a certain word that YOU thought was covering your bases in your marketing materials was actually setting you up to pay MAXIMUM FINES AND PENALTIES if your buyers know to sue you over it? I’ll tell you the word and the court case in today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 90. --- So a certain word is very popular in real estate marketing materials, and although you’d think it would protect you, in reality it could land you squarely on the losing side of a lawsuit if your buyers opt to sue. A recent case out in California set the precedent when a judge awarded a buyer the maximum amount he requested (and probably would have received more) when the seller of a certain property used the word “approximate” to describe the size of a condo in a listing. While the seller believed that the use of the word approximate covered his bases when it turned out the condo was 78 square feet smaller than advertised, a small claims court judge did not agree and said that the seller made a quote “material misrepresentation about the property’s square footage” end quote and the seller had to pay the buyer exactly what he demanded, $4,999, for the error. The judge would have fined him more but that is all the buyer asked for, erroneously assuming that was the maximum amount he could demand. Here are the details so you don’t make a similar error: A homeowner in Glendale, California, paid cash for a condo in the area when he bought it in 2011. Later that year, he discovered that the condo was not, as he had believed and had been advertised, 1,338 square feet, but rather 1,260 square feet. He had not been aware of the discrepancy earlier because he did not have the condo appraised before he made the purchase (he didn’t have to because he paid cash, but I think you guys can maybe see a bit of a lesson here as well…) Anyway, later in the year a neighbor trying to finance a condo discovered HIS unit was smaller than advertised and so the plaintiff in the case checked out his own unit and discovered a similar issue. He then took the seller, developer Americana, to small claims court over the issue and received the response that square footage in sales materials had been labeled as “approximate” and there was no issue. The judge in the case, however, sided with the plaintiff, who says now he overpaid more than $30,000 for that extra 78 square feet. He could have gotten right at a third of that from small claims court if he’d realized he could ask for it. The condo owner told the Los Angeles Times that he’s not so upset about the money he didn’t get in his case as he is glad about his “moral victory,” which he says will protect other consumers from the misleading advertising. Want a list of other potentially problematic words that could hurt your marketing? We’ve got in the REI Today Vault at www.rei.today/vault! Not yet a member? Become one! join right now by texting REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444. When you do, I’ll provide you with fast, immediate access to the report as well as a lot of other timely, insightful, PRACTICAL information that will help make your investing safer, faster, and more profitable. And folks, remember, when you join the Vault you join our community, which means you have the opportunity to network with me, my guests, and your fellow listeners across the country. So go ahead right now and text REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444 or visit us online at www.rei.today/vault. REI Nation, thanks for listening in and please always remember this: Your best investment is your own education.

THIS BAD WORD can cost you MAX FINES when your buyers SUE YOU | Episode 90

Something that SCARES THE PANTS OFF homeowners and makes them HATE INVESTORS is coming our way, and it’s actually GOOD NEWS FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED! I’ll tell you all the details about why there are going to be MORE DEALS and MORE APPRECIATION in a certain state in the second half of 2016 today. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 88. So, wouldn’t you like to know what state just DRAMATICALLY CHANGED its housing regulations to RAMP UP APPRECIATION and give YOU better access to great deals? Oh, and why it’s actually going to make everyone HATE YOU until the media buzz dies down? I’ll tell you all about it in just a minute, but first, I’d like to mention something that’s smart, REALLY SMART: a certain city in the Midwest. This city actually just won $50 MILLION because it’s so smart about housing and development, and you could directly benefit if you know the details and are involved in real estate investing in the area. Check out all the details in the “Real Estate Investing News” Section on www.rei.today. The title of the report is “Smartest City in the Country Snags $50 Million.” You’ll love what they did to show off their brains for sure. Now, back to ramping up appreciation, bad media buzz for investors, and how you can take advantage of the situation to turn higher, better profits… Here’s what’s happening: The state of OHIO has recently passed legislation to FAST-TRACK FORECLOSURES, something that most people tend to sneer at because it feels like the big bad lenders are going to be throwing people out of their homes with government permission (you remember “foreclosure-gate” in Florida back in the wake of the housing crash and the whole robo-signing fiasco? Well, that’s what most people think of when they fear foreclosure fast track, and who can blame them? That was some dirty, dirty dealing all the way around…) But in Ohio, the situation is seriously different, and this foreclosure fast track is actually going to be a great move because it is only pushing ABANDONED homes through the system, which means that the faster those properties get foreclosed and then either torn down or renovated and sold, the better property values around them are going to be and the less blight there will be. A lot of states struggle with the issue of whether or not to bite the bullet on foreclosure fast tracking because it has such negative connotations, but with abandoned homes sitting around like zombies for more than two years in Ohio, changing that timeline to six months will make the market a far, far friendlier place for investors, homeowners, and sellers. Here’s how it works: A home must not only be in default, but it must show clear signs of abandonment in order to qualify for the program. This could be physical deterioration, disconnected utilities, and, most importantly, NO ONE IN RESIDENCE. Once an inspector has certified the home abandoned, the accelerated foreclosure can begin and that ZOMBIE FORECLOSURE now has a future once more, possibly in YOUR real estate investing portfolio as a renovation or a tear-down, for example, which will be great for local property values as you can imagine! One of the best things a real estate investor can do is keep an eye out for states where the state government clearly has the markets’ best interests in mind instead of just getting a good spin on a bad situation, because states with GOOD fast-track foreclosure laws actually recover their markets far more quickly after downturns than those that either forego these laws or actually try to legislate AGAINST foreclosures without taking the time to distinguish between a good foreclosure and a bad one. Want to know which states are foreclosure fast-track friendly and which ones are literally out to get their own housing markets thanks to BAD legislation that might sound good in a media bite but really hurts housing? Get the list in the REI Today Vault, it’s labeled with today’s episode number, 88, at www.rei.today/vault. Not yet a member? you can join right now by texting REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444. When you do, I’ll provide you with fast, immediate access to the report as well as a lot of other timely, insightful, PRACTICAL information that will help make your investing safer, faster, and more profitable. And folks, remember, when you join the Vault you join our community, which means you have the opportunity to network with me, my guests, and your fellow listeners across the country. So go ahead right now and text REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444 or visit us online at www.rei.today/vault. REI Nation, thanks for listening in and please always remember this: Your best investment is your own education.

the TRUTH about FAST-TRACK FORECLOSURES (which state is accelerating RIGHT NOW) | Episode 88

There’s a MONSTER out there EATING UP HOUSING in today’s hottest housing markets, making it nearly impossible for homeowners and even investors to participate. This isn’t a rant against BIG REAL ESTATE folks, the monster is actually teeny tiny and, some say, DEADLY. I’ll tell you all about it in today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 87. ---- There’s a monster out there, and it’s not under your bed. In fact, it very well could be living right out in the open next door. According to a new report, certain NEW factors in real estate are driving homeowners and even RENTERS right out of the equation. This method of investing is working SO WELL for certain investors that certain sectors of city and state governments are actually looking for ways to SHUT IT DOWN before things, according to them, get out of hand. I’ll tell you all details on both sides in just a minute, but first I want to take 30 seconds to mention something that is probably on your mind right now as you hear this scary story: OPTIONS. In this world we live in, things are constantly changing. And even though real estate always has been and always will be the best, most reliable and effective route to lasting financial security and wealth (and that’s not my opinion, folks, that is general, educated consensus), the real estate world is always changing as well. One thing that doesn’t change, however, is the demand from a growing population for somewhere to LIVE, and you can bet that when real estate gets expensive (and it’s getting expensive, more on that in a minute) owners start looking into their own options, specifically renting. That’s why multifamily real estate is such an attractive, hot topic these days. The sector is ready to boom, and there is SO MUCH MONEY looking to get into commercial properties that simply having the ability to put these deals together can be worth WAY MORE than actually doing half a dozen single-family residential deals. If you like the sound of six-figure profits on FLIPPING commercial buildings, then you understand the value of having options. Get all the details at www.rei.today/IMPORTANT in our free training on this topic. It’s IMPORTANT to have options, so start building them out now with this free training at www.rei.today/IMPORTANT. Now, let’s get back to that monster living next door, because THAT is a pretty important trend too…Here’s what’s going on: According to a new report just released by the Housing Conservation Coordinators (that’s HCC to their friends, but I’m pretty sure we’re not friends), Airbnb is eating up as much as 10 percent of housing stock in popular destination cities like New York City. The study focused specifically on the Big Apple, noting that average rent increases have doubled in desirable areas of the city and that there are more than 8,000 FEWER available housing units in the area because investors are buying properties and then listing them on Airbnb instead of renting them to tenants. New York is not the only major city in which this trend is becoming “problematic” for renters; a number of West-Coast cities also are dealing with this as are hot destination spots across the country. So what’s the big deal? Well, for investors, Airbnb is a big deal in a GOOD way. In fact, investors who own more than one housing unit on Airbnb reportedly pulled in more than $317 million in 2015, and that is with occupancy at only about a third since most Airbnb rentals only are occupied 11 days a month, meaning that there is likely a lot less strain on the facility and the maintenance budget. However, the HCC (I’m going to go ahead and call them that) and local city governments say that this is a big problem because Airbnb is making housing unaffordable to actual residents of the city, and that furthermore, more than half of the listings on Airbnb in New York, at least, violate short-term housing laws that strictly limit time of occupancy for short-term rentals. Folks, here’s the deal: Airbnb represents HUGE opportunity for investors who can get properties in hot markets and rent and maintain them effectively, but you MUST be aware of local legislation and how friendly any given municipal government is likely to be to your activities. You’ve heard me say it before, guys, the government is NOT your friend! But…you do have to work with them, so you might as well make sure that they can’t ultimately SUE YOU FOR YOUR PROFITS or SHUT YOUR BUSINESS DOWN because it doesn’t suit THEIR NEEDS. Get all the details on where this is happening to Airbnb investors in the case files in the REI Today Vault, and start protecting yourself! Not yet a member? you can join right now by texting REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444. When you do, I’ll provide you with fast, immediate access to the report as well as a lot of other timely, insightful, PRACTICAL information that will help make your investing safer, faster, and more profitable. And folks, remember, when you join the Vault you join our community, which means you have the opportunity to network with me, my guests, and your fellow listeners across the country. So go ahead right now and text REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444 or visit us online at www.rei.today/vault. REI Nation, thanks for listening in and please always remember this: Your best investment is your own education.

the MONSTER EATING HOUSING STOCK in the country's best markets | Episode 87

How would you like to know about a particular WALL FEATURE that, in certain markets, could knock more than a MONTH off your time on market? I’ve got all the details in today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is episode 86. ---- So wouldn’t you want to know the one particular wall feature that in a certain market nearly ALWAYS knocks a little over a month off the time on market? I’ll tell you all about it, but first, I want to mention something that might leave you feeling a little let down. It has to do with the Better Business Bureau and, well, a certain guilty pleasure a LOT of real estate professionals enjoy. Get your mind out of the gutter! We’re talking about reality real estate television! According to the Better Business Bureau of St. Louis, reality television personalities are abusing their positions of authority, and the triple B wants to make sure you’re prepared. Find out exactly WHICH STAR got an F rating from that agency and how to make sure YOUR educational investment dollars are being respected by checking out this story right now in the News & Networking Section at www.rei.today. It’s not NEARLY as simple as you might think, and I’ll go ahead and tell you there’s a “surprise ending” of sorts… Now, back to knocking a month off time on market. So where were we? Oh, that’s right, we’re somewhere that a WALL FEATURE is worth 36 days (that’s a whole mortgage payment saved, folks) on market. Here’s the deal: According to Zillow Digs, the online real estate listing and data giant’s design and home improvement division, when you put about 2.8 million residential real estate listings from January 2014 to March 2016 into the Zillow Digs analyzer and shake them all up, some trends emerge. And those trends can clearly, in some cases, be distinctly tied to higher home sales and shorter times on market. Sometimes, the trends are national, (you may remember when we talked about how a barn door installation in your home could snag you more than $13,000 extra at closing, and if you don’t, check out episode XX) but sometimes they’re local, and one particularly distinct trend has to do with something in NEW YORK CITY that makes a property in a hot city even hotter, raising the sales price, on average, 4.9 percent and saving owners with this snazzy little feature a full 36 days on market. Are you ready for it? EXPOSED BRICK. If you have an exposed brick wall in your New York City condo or co-op, then you have a distinct edge when it comes to getting at or above asking price and to selling fast. Now, you may be thinking, “Why on earth would 36 days matter in the Big Apple? Isn’t it basically a GIVEN that you’ll make money when you buy and sell in NYC? Well, not so much these days. Of course, New York City real estate is still in high demand, but sellers who bought in the last few years at peak values are starting to get a little worried as more and more buyers are opting to hurry up and WAIT to make a purchase in hopes that the market will soften and they’ll get a better deal. At present, New York City’s home values are still rising - median value is at present nearly $600,000 and analysts predict another 3 percent appreciation in the next 12 months, but that’s a dramatic slow-down from last year’s 9.1 percent appreciation. Even if you don’t invest in New York, which is a pretty intimidating market, the exposed brick look is likely to spread if it’s popular in the trend-setting big apple. One high-end real estate agent noted that regardless of market, buyers with money are looking for quote “authenticity” in their homes, and that a feeling of “brand-new old,” which exposed brick can certainly provide, is in high demand across the board. Want to know what other home features are particularly hot and in what markets? Don’t worry! I’ve got all that information – including one feature that can knock nearly TWO months off time on market and add more than 13 percent to your sales price – laid out for you in the REI Today Vault. Not yet a member? you can join right now by texting REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444. When you do, I’ll provide you with fast, immediate access to the report as well as a lot of other timely, insightful, PRACTICAL information that will help make your investing safer, faster, and more profitable. And folks, remember, when you join the Vault you join our community, which means you have the opportunity to network with me, my guests, and your fellow listeners across the country. So go ahead right now and text REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444 or visit us online at www.rei.today/vault. REI Nation, thanks for listening in and please always remember this: Your best investment is your own education.

Where ONE WALL FEATURE can CUT A MONTH off your time on market | Episode 86

Did you know that a $2,500 MISTAKE could very well be LURKING UNDERGROUND in your next investment property? I’ll tell you what it is and how to avoid it in today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 85. --- So wouldn’t you want to know if you were about to make an investing mistake that could EASILY cost you $2,500 if all goes WELL while you’re trying to fix it? Good news! I’ll tell you all about it in today’s episode. Before I do that, however, I want to talk about something that the kids are doing these days…Well, actually, 500 million people are doing it and if you’re not already, you probably should be too: Instagram! A lot of real estate professionals have steered clear of Instagram, at least in a professional sense, because it is generally considered to be "too young” or not really marketing-friendly because it focuses exclusively on uploaded pictures and videos. However, there are actually some well-documented ways other than just posting listing photos that real estate professionals are using Instagram to great effect, and REI Today is covering this topic on our website! Check it out in the News & Networking section at www.rei.today, it’s called “Why you need to SUCK IT UP and get on Instagram,” and it’s full of helpful advice from the experts. Now for some more helpful advice from THIS expert: let’s talk about that $2,500 mistake, shall we? Here’s the deal. According to a recent study from Curbed.com, there are actually 14 common mistakes that home buyers make during home inspections – and even worse, your inspector is pretty likely to make at least one of them as well. And if that mistake turns out to be costly, well, you’re footing the bill, not the inspector, so it can really pay off for you to know what to look for. One of the “biggies” is failing to find an UNDERGROUND OIL TANK. Often, homes that are actually heated with gas still have these tanks from when they were heated with oil, and a lot of times those tanks were either abandoned, possibly with oil still in them (big potential problem) or they were just filled with sand and gravel. Even more problematic, sometimes a property actually will have more than one of these things lurking out of sight and the present-day sellers may not even know that they are there! Why should you worry about something that doesn’t appear to be causing anyone any problems? Well, because at some point, it could cause you a HUGE problem. It used to be okay to just stop using your tank and switch to gas, but these days a lot of cities have regulations requiring property owners to remove underground tanks no longer in use, even if they are not leaking and have been filled with rocks! And just because YOUR inspector missed it doesn’t mean the next one will, and it could cost you as much as $2,500 to remove a tank with NO PROBLEMS AT ALL before you sell your property. If the tank has leaked, then you’re in even more trouble. Want to rent out that property? Probably not going to happen until you get the soil cleaned up and if you don’t, you could end up being sued. As you’ve probably guessed, clean-up doesn’t come cheap, either. In fact, remediation of a SMALL LEAK costs, on average, about $10,000 and large leaks can cost you up to $100,000 before you pay the price of disposing of any fuel remaining in the tank or the tank itself. And don’t plan on selling until you’ve dealt with the leak, either. Some areas won’t even let you sell the property if you disclose the problem to the buyer, and most buyers are not going to want to take on that type of clean-up anyway. If those price tags have you shaking in your investing boots, you’ll definitely want to check out the full 14-point list in the REI Today Vault. All of these things are easy issues to spot and factor into the math on your deal before you buy, but you MUST know to look for them in order to ask your inspector and cover your bases. Check out the list now at www.rei.today/vault, and if you’re not yet a member, you can join right now by texting REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444. When you do, I’ll provide you with fast, immediate access to the report as well as a lot of other timely, insightful, PRACTICAL information that will help make your investing safer, faster, and more profitable. And folks, remember, when you join the Vault you join our community, which means you have the opportunity to network with me, my guests, and your fellow listeners across the country. So go ahead right now and text REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444 or visit us online at www.rei.today/vault. REI Nation, thanks for listening in and please always remember this: Your best investment is your own education.

the $2,500 PITFALL LURKING underground on your investment property

How would you like to know the common kitchen color decision that could cost you $1,442 when you sell your home? I’ll tell you all about it in today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 84. So wouldn’t you want to know which popular kitchen color would MAKE you about more than $1400 when you sell your home and which could COST YOU that same amount? Given that if you are an investor, you’re probably going to be painting a few kitchens along the way, those numbers could quickly add up. I’ll tell you which color will cost you and which color can tack a hefty chunk of change onto your price tag in just a minute, but first I want to take a minute to mention an EXCITING piece of news: the FAA has finally taken some conclusive action on drone regulations, which means all of you investors, agents, and other professionals who had to stop using drones for listing pictures and videos because the FAA was threatening to come after people clearly abusing their personal drones for real-estate-related benefit can now start using them again – with certain restrictions, of course. This is our government after all! Anyway, you can get all the details on the new regulations on our website at www.rei.today in the news and networking section. Check it out, then charge up those batteries and start filming! That’s www.rei.today. Now, back to the kitchen color decision that will really shock you. According to Zillow and their gazillion online listings full of information about kitchen colors (yes, I’m serious, not kidding, and this is why I love them even when I don’t love their zestimates), homes with yellow kitchens sell, on average, for $1,442 more than homes with white kitchens, all other things being equal! That’s right: if your home has a yellow kitchen, then you’ll quite possibly make more than $1,400 more than your neighbor with the same home and a white kitchen when you sell your property. That’s pretty exciting! But before you break out the egg-yolk yellow, let’s get clear about what Zillow really means when they say yellow. If you’re not in the mood for an abusively brilliant ray of sunshine on your wall first thing in the morning, don’t worry. In fact, Zillow noted that what they termed “yellow” actually appeared on the wall as quote “creamy or wheat-colored yellow” rather than the primary color you might have been thinking of. White was also not only traditional white, but also off-white and eggshell, and it was the least popular kitchen color, actually detracting an average of $82 from ANY HOME regardless of the kitchen color comparison. With numbers like that for the kitchen, imagine what painting the BATHROOM the wrong color could do! Well, you don’t have to imagine for long, because I’m going to tell you right here that the wrong choice in the dining room could cost you more than $2,000 and the bathroom alone could cost you nearly $800. You can get the full rundown of the best and worst color decisions, by room, in the REI Today Vault at www.rei.today/vault, and if you’re not yet a member, don’t worry! Just text REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444 and I’ll provide you with fast, immediate access to the color-decision report as well as a lot of other timely, insightful, PRACTICAL information that will help make your investing safer, faster, and more profitable. And folks, remember, when you join the Vault you join our community, which means you have the opportunity to network with me, my guests, and your fellow listeners across the country. So go ahead right now and text REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444 or visit us online at www.rei.today/vault. REI Nation, thanks for listening in and please always remember this: Your best investment is your own education.

The KITCHEN COLOR DECISION that can cost you $1,442 | Episode 84

You might think you know what to do with $487,000 in FREE MONEY, but the odds are that YOU’RE WRONG. I’ve got the details on how one investor used that exact amount of money  (and it wasn’t his and it wasn’t loaned to him, either) to completely REVOLUTIONIZE his business. I’m Carole Ellis. This is episode 83. So if you think that just having $487,000 makes you rich, you may have a point, but the REAL POINT of today’s episode is that you can use this FREE MONEY to UP-END your business and your lifestyle, permanently, by following some very simple instructions. My featured guest today, Sean Carpenter, has been investing in real estate for YEARS using federal funds that he doesn’t have to pay back, public programs that he can even GET PAID to participate in, and federal, state, and local tax credits that can sometimes keep paying off for YEARS after a project is done. So basically, he’s the expert when it comes to using free money from the government to get into real estate and, to be blunt, to get rich. Here’s what he told me about these programs and how they work for real estate investors who are prepared to use them: “Government funding is an opportunity that exists out there in every major city in every major market in the country,” Sean said. He added that simply understanding the process by which one might obtain this funding is HIGHLY valuable and that a lot of investors have actually leveraged these programs indirectly by completely overhauling their careers and going into financial consulting. “If you don’t like doing deals, you don’t have to in this business,” he said.   In today’s episode, we’re going to pick apart a specific deal, with Sean’s input of course, so that you can see just how to get your hands on this type of funding and then, more importantly, how to LEVERAGE it to really flip your business, your lifestyle, and your bottom line all on its head. In this case, we’re talking about a piece of property probably similar to something a lot of you have seen in your lives but didn’t really think much about seriously because even though you knew it represented huge potential income for SOMEONE, you couldn’t imagine handling the deal yourself or finding the funds to get started. This property was (is again, actually) a four-storefront commercial property that had burned down and was sitting empty. Now, imagine what you could do with a storefront in an active part of YOUR town with four units for retail lease. Think of the income that represents! But again, how to take it from burned-out husk to functioning, attractive retail space? That’s where the $487,000 in free money from the government comes in. “We did what is called an economic development value play,” Sean told me, explaining that he and his partners (by the way, Sean works with hundreds of partners who scout out deals and then bring him in to help them get funding) went to the city and asked for the money they needed to bring that retail space back to life, thereby creating business opportunities, jobs, and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. “Boom,” said Sean, “There it was. $487,000.” And perhaps the really nice thing about that $487,000 is that it was truly free. Check out these terms: It was ZERO PERCENT interest. Payable in 40 years. Forgiven in 15 years. So that means no payments were due until AFTER the loan was forgiven. How do you think that might affect your bottom line? So they took the funds and they fixed up the space and now everyone, including the city, is thrilled. Instead of a burned-down building, there’s a functional, profitable real estate space GENERATING PROFITS FOR ITS OWNERS RIGHT NOW and how did they get those profits? USING $487,000 from the city government! Are you starting to see the pattern? Now let’s think about your business for a moment. Imagine how it might change things if your job wasn’t to spot a good deal, track down investors to work with you, raise the capital to do the deal, and THEN have to actually go do the deal itself. What if your job STARTED with actually DOING THE DEAL because you already knew how to get the best funding on the best terms possible (seriously, can you beat zero percent and forgiven before the first payment?). What if your job actually started AND ENDED with finding the deals because you didn’t really feel like doing them? What if your job started and ended with landing FANTASTIC FUNDING like $487,000 in free money from the government because people would PAY YOU BIG BUCKS just to help them with that simple step on their deals and you didn’t have to do any real estate AT ALL if you didn’t feel like it? Are you starting to see the potential here? Folks, Sean didn’t just do an interview with REI Today, he actually did an extended training on this topic that includes not only a description of this $487,000 deal, but many other case studies and avenues to using government programs that don’t even require you to actually DO REAL ESTATE DEALS if you don’t want to. This training is available only for a limited time, but you can check it out at www.rei.today/EXPOSED, because EXPOSED is just what Sean does to the “secret insider government programs” (and admit it, you know they’re there, you just don’t know how to find them) that you can start using, IMMEDIATELY to change the profit margin on your deals and the TYPE of deals you’re capable of doing, permanently. Folks, these are some of the BIGGEST and BEST-KEPT INSIDER SECRETS about how to make the federal government (we’re talking not just grants but tax credits, development funds, forgivable loans, the works) go to work for your real estate business the same way CONNECTED INSIDERS have been doing for YEARS. That’s www.rei.today/exposed. REI Nation, thanks for listening in, and please always remember this: Your best investment is your own education.

YOUR GUIDE to “MAKING BANK” USING $487,000 in FREE MONEY | Episode 83

Wouldn’t it be great if you DIDN’T HAVE TO WORRY about who our next president would be? Well, I may not be able to resolve ALL your issues with The Donald and Hilary, but my guest today CAN help you at least insulate your business from both of them. I’m Carole Ellis. This is Episode 82. So the year of a presidential election is always tough on the economy. Why? Because business does NOT THRIVE when times are uncertain, and what is more uncertain (particularly in THIS presidential competition) than when leadership of the United States of America is up for grabs? Regardless of your personal beliefs, morals, and ethical systems, wouldn’t it be WONDERFUL if you knew in the back of your mind that no matter which of these crazy candidates ultimately wins the presidency, YOUR BUSINESS (and by extension, your ability to support your family and loved ones) would remain intact, productive, and profitable? My guest today has managed to pull that off, and that’s why even though he’s got some pretty FAR LEFT opinions when it comes to his personal views, he doesn’t care whether a Republican, a Democrat or even a Libertarian ends up in the White House as far as his business is concerned. His name is Sean Carpenter, and today I’ll tell you exactly what he’s done in his real estate business to insulate it nearly completely from the nasty presidential politics of today. Sean told me that his business revolves around doing real estate deals that are funded by government programs, and these days, he’s particularly focused on multifamily real estate because developments that house multiple families at affordable prices are EXTREMELY ATTRACTIVE to the federal government. “The residential real estate market has GONE BAD,” Sean told me, pointing out that residential real estate doesn’t even have any real rules these days when it comes to predicting how a local market will behave. “It’s its own planet,” he laughed, adding that basically quote “a whole lot of people are just trying to create another bubble” in any market that they can. “You know it’s true,” he added. On the other hand, government-funded commercial developments DO have rules, and they’re all written to help the real estate investor WIN. Why? Because the government allocates millions and millions of dollars to helping people find and afford housing and that is becoming more and more important as the residential real estate market gets out of control and affordable housing becomes harder and harder to find. “In the end, I don’t CARE who the next guy or gal in the White House is,” Sean told me, “Because I’ll still be doing something that has to be done, that is needed, it’s a proven fact.” He added, “It doesn’t matter to me who the next president of the United States is because it makes absolutely no difference in the world that I work in,” and noted that he is using the SAME PROGRAMS that presumptive republican presidential nominee Donald Trump uses to fund many of HIS commercial developments, ironically, making it irrelevant (at least to Trump’s BUSINESS INTERESTS) who the next president is either. But what if you’re presently in residential real estate? What if that’s your business? Well, it’s actually a pretty easy switch to make thanks (again) to the government-funded programs and tax credits and subsidies DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO. Take Steve, a contractor for over 30 years. He told us, “Building properties has been my trade as a contractor for 30 years. Now, though, I’m acquiring deals and CASH FLOW with Sean’s help.” You can actually see   picture of Steve and several of the properties in his portfolio in Sean’s extended training that he recorded for REI Today and will be offering for a limited time this week. You can register now at www.rei.today/EXPOSED, because Sean is EXPOSING the underbelly of federal funding programs and real estate investing in a way that is both unique and highly relevant to real estate investors in ANY SECTOR in today’s market. That’s www.rei.today/EXPOSED. Folks, these are some of the BIGGEST and BEST-KEPT INSIDER SECRETS about how to make the federal government (we’re talking not just grants but tax credits, development funds, forgivable loans, the works) go to work for your real estate business the same way CONNECTED INSIDERS have been doing for YEARS. That’s www.rei.today/exposed. Folks, wouldn’t you love to know in the back of your mind that this nutty upcoming election just DIDN’T MATTER, at least to your real estate business? Get that peace of mind and go to www.rei.today/exposed right now. REI Nation, thanks for listening in, and please always remember this: Your best investment is your own education.

Make the PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IRRELEVANT to Your Real Estate Business | Episode 82

How would you like to blow the currently ready-to-burst residential real estate bubble right out of the water while SNEAKING INTO HOT MARKETS with the full force of the federal government supporting you? My guest today has been doing this for YEARS (through more than ONE bubble folks) and he’s going to tell you all about it. I’m Carole Ellis. This is episode 81. Wouldn’t it be great if the rumors of an about-to-burst real estate bubble meant absolutely NOTHING to you other than more profits, more opportunities, and even better access to WHITE-HOT REAL ESTATE MARKETS? Of course it would! And more importantly, it CAN mean that. My guest today, Sean Carpenter, has spent YEARS (and multiple real estate cycles) leveraging the full force of the federal government in his real estate investing business doing exactly that, and today’s he’s going to get into just why residential real estate is about to GO BUST again and why it’s the best news anyone working with public funding (and that can and should be you) could possibly hear. Sean is the president and CEO of Shamrock Development Associates, a full-scale development, consulting, public relations, corporate marketing, and asset and property management firm. He started out in real estate as an acquisitions officer for a national low income housing tax credit syndicator and eventually got SO GOOD at figuring out ways to take great real estate opportunities and turn them into LOCAL JOBS, economic opportunities, tax credits, and HUGELY PROFITABLE DEALS that he was commissioned to work with state senators, national development companies, and many, many not-for-profit agencies working hard to turn local communities around. And while Sean is great at making local communities grow, he knows that the best way to keep the growth going is to build in profits for those local communities, developers, and dealmakers. That’s why Sean’s take on public funding programs, government tax credits, and even federal real estate subsidies is EXTREMELY UNIQUE and extremely attractive to real estate investors at all levels. During our recent interview, Sean disclosed a trend that he’s noticing in the national real estate market that is going to mean BIG TROUBLE for the vast majority of real estate investors like those of you listening. Here’s what he said: “The residential real estate space is crowded and reaching peak value. Go to an event anywhere around the country. You’ll see flipping this and flipping that in residential. There are a lot of people working in the space and it’s getting more and more crowded.” This is a big deal, folks, because national numbers indicate that even though more investors than ever are involved in residential real estate, fewer and fewer home BUYERS are able to afford to purchase that residential real estate, that is to say, fewer and fewer people are able to afford their own homes. In fact, according to a CNBC report on a recent Trulia study, some of the lowest interest rates in history are basically going to waste because people just can’t afford to buy. Down payments alone take up a full fifth or more of the average American’s annual salary, and that means that most would-be buyers are quite simply and wholly priced out of homeownership, possibly permanently. Does the combination of more and more people trying to get in and sell single-family homes (not even counting the actual homeowners out there trying to sell) and fewer and fewer people being able to AFFORD those homes sound like a toxic combination? You bet it does! But Sean had a simple solution for forward thinking investors, and the nice thing about this solution is that not only is there relatively little competition in the space, but with the right knowledge and resources, you can actually just go ahead and get the federal government to basically support your personal real estate deals in this area and push you (financially, to be clear) toward bigger and better profits! Here’s what he said: “Beat the bubble! What you won’t find is a whole lot of people working on commercial properties. And what you absolutely won’t find is a whole lot of people working on commercial properties AND bringing in government funding, which WORKS LIKE MAGIC and is a white-hot market right now. Affordable housing is a constant conversation and it’s the best (and sometimes only) way to sneak into the really hot markets.” So what does Sean mean when he says “affordable housing” and tells you to get involved in government-funded commercial real estate deals? Well, it sounds a bit intimidating, but it’s actually quite simple. Here’s the 10-second breakdown: By obtaining government funding to do commercial deals that create economic development, local jobs, and affordable housing opportunities (because they’re multifamily rental properties in a lot of cases) you can do HUGELY PROFITABLE government-supported deals that land you not only profits but tax credits, great publicity, and SERIOUSLY VALUABLE experience that you can then leverage within and outside of the real estate industry by consulting if you don’t even want to do deals. Sound exciting? Yes, I think so. And what’s perhaps even MORE exciting is that although this might sound a bit complicated, Sean is offering a limited-time extended training on this topic and REI Today is presenting it for a limited time this week. Reserve your spot now so that you can get all the details on exactly how to make the leap from your current real estate investing business to HUGELY PROFITABLE real estate endeavors supported by your government that, as a little bonus, create SHOVEL-READY JOBS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT and lead directly to further JOB CREATION and a total career shift (if you want it) into high-profile consulting and SERIOUSLY BENEFICIAL (for you and your community) projects and developments. Go to www.rei.today/exposed to register right now, because EXPOSED is what Sean is going to do to some of the BIGGEST and BEST-KEPT INSIDER SECRETS about how to make the federal government (we’re talking not just grants but tax credits, development funds, forgivable loans, the works) go to work for your real estate business the same way CONNECTED INSIDERS have been doing for YEARS. That’s www.rei.today/exposed. Folks, Sean has worked INSIDE The System and knows what makes federally-funded real estate really tick. Get access to all his insights during this extended training and make the switch for yourself. Go to www.rei.today/exposed right now. REI Nation, thanks for listening in, and please always remember this: Your best investment is your OWN education.

How to BEAT THE RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE BUBBLE and SNEAK INTO HOT MARKETS using FEDERAL REAL ESTATE PROGRAMS and AFFORDABLE HOUSING SOLUTIONS | Episode 81

The TRUTH about TRUMP is out at last: Real Estate Investing Today interviewed a HIGHLY CONNECTED real estate insider who basically blew the lid off just how Donald Trump has been so successful in real estate, and it’s not what you’ve heard before, and it’s something you can TOTALLY replicate, starting now. I’ve got the details in today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is episode 80. So what did Donald Trump REALLY DO to get so successful in real estate? We all know that spending money helps you make money, but where did the Donald get his? Well, thanks to an exclusive interview with highly connected real estate investor Sean Carpenter, who has spent the last few decades working within the public sector and LEVERAGING PUBLIC FUNDING PROGRAMS to not only fuel his own investing career, but also help local non-profits, state politicians, and even entire towns change the face of their housing markets using federal subsidies and tax credits, I can tell you that right now. Sean is an EXPERT in multifamily affordable housing and development (that means low-income housing in a lot of cases), and while you may not think TRUMP TOWER and affordable housing in the same sentence frequently, maybe you should. Here’s what Sean said about Donald Trump’s RISE in real estate, that is to say, what TRUMP did before he was “the Donald.” Here’s the deal: Think back, for a moment, to the time (perhaps blissful for you, perhaps not) before Donald Trump became the presumptive republican nominee for president. He was famous for any number of things, but most of all he is famous for his success in real estate. His fortune is built on it, and he wouldn’t have had the wherewithal to ever do the many other things he’s famously done (make and break himself multiple times, buy and sell casino empires, declare bankruptcy and come out smelling like a rose, start multiple hit television shows, own entire beauty pageant competitions…well, you get the idea) if it weren’t for real estate. And, if you’ve checked out REI Today’s somewhat notorious Trump Timeline, you already know that Trump has been in real estate his ENTIRE life and his family was in real estate before he was. But what enabled him to TRULY make the leap from pretty successful real estate developer to MEGA SUCCESSFUL? Well, that has always been a bit cloudy, and speculation has ranged from everything from dirty double dealing (no real evidence of that in the public purview by the way) to simply a lucky strike (or 10) in the New York City real estate market. But the truth, Sean points out, is actually much, much simpler and, most exciting, MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE to real estate investors everywhere. Back in the day, when Donald Trump was just another real estate investor, he did something that any real estate investor can do literally RIGHT NOW: He got into the government funding business and he started investing using the full power of the federal government to gain his success. Sean is the insider here guys. He’s been in the business for decades, and he knows how it’s done. Furthermore, he knows how Trump did it. Here ya’ go. Sean said: “Donald Trump is in the real estate business but even more importantly, he’s in the government funding business. He surrounds himself with people who do what we do, and one thing he says” (over and over again, I might add) is that “IGNORANCE IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN EDUCATION.” Now, Sean went on from there to detail three ways that Trump has been using the full force of federal funding for years in order to make money in real estate and let me assure you, he was doing it LONG before he started appeared on the presidential race scene. He was doing it back when he was getting started, just like so many REI Today listeners listening right now. First, Sean said, Trump and investors like him use people LIKE SEAN to help identify government funding programs that provide them with GRANT MONEY that does not have to be paid back for their investments.  Did Trump identify each and every opportunity that any given project he took on represented as far as qualifying for government grants went? Absolutely not. He paid someone for that education so that he could keep on building his real estate empire, and by filling that gap in his education, that “ignorance” if you will, he was able to fund project after project to successful completion. Second, Sean told me, Trump and investors like him ALWAYS go after low-income tax credits. Imagine knowing that huge chunks of your expenses on a project that was set to be HIGHLY PROFITABLE were going to be tax deductible thanks to someone else’s accounting know-how. Well, if you can imagine it, then once again you and the Donald have something in common. Third, Sean exposed a HUGELY OVERLOOKED RESERVOIR OF DEAL FUNDING that Trump and investors like him tap into regularly: forgivable redevelopment loans. I think you probably know what that means: loans for your projects and deals that you don’t have to repay. They’re going to be FORGIVEN! Now, if you had access to all of this “education” either in the form of directions for YOU or in the form of experts that would become part of your network and assist you, don’t you think you could be happy (not to mention successful) with the SAME START as DONALD TRUMP? Of course you could, and my great news for YOU is that Sean didn’t just do an interview, Sean did an EXTENDED TRAINING on this topic and REI Today is presenting it for a limited time this week. Reserve your spot now so that you can get all the details on the SAME THINGS that Trump did when he was starting out and all the details on how those programs have grown, changed, and IMPROVED to serve YOUR INVESTING NEEDS better than ever before in today’s real estate market. This training is a HUGE EXPOSURE for Sean and I’m so pleased that he decided to do it but, as you might imagine, space is limited and seats will fill fast. Go right now to www.rei.today/EXPOSED right now, because EXPOSED is what Sean is going to do to some of the BIGGEST and BEST-KEPT INSIDER SECRETS about how to make the federal government (we’re talking not just grants but tax credits, development funds, forgivable loans, the works) go to work for your real estate business the same way CONNECTED INSIDERS have been doing for YEARS. That’s www.rei.today/EXPOSED. Don’t delay because space is limited. REI Nation, thanks for listening in, and please always remember this: Just like Donald Trump (and Sean Carpenter) tell us: Your best investment is your OWN education.

Hugely Successful LEFT-WING INVESTOR Reveals: How TRUMP REALLY MADE HIS MONEY | Episode 80

How would you like to know how to use a HALLOWEEN COSTUME to get 12 showings for your properties in the next couple of days? I’ve got all the crazy details in today’s episode. I’m Carole Ellis. This is episode 79. --- So today I’m going to tell you how one resourceful real estate agent revived a DEAD LISTING using nothing more than a panda bear costume and her phone camera. Before I get to that, however, I want to take just a few minutes to mention something pretty exciting featured in the News & Network Section on the REI Today blog. We’ve got some FANTASTIC NEWS about the equity in YOUR home that you will not want to miss, so check it out at www.rei.today right now. The article is called “BLOCKBUSTER EQUITY NEWS you can’t miss” and you’ll be really glad to find out what’s going on with equity in your home and your neighbors’ homes. That’s www.rei.today. Now, let’s get into just how one agent took a dead listing and brought it back to life using nothing more than a panda bear outfit and her camera… Here’s what happened. The real estate agent, whose name is Jessica, had a listing in Spring, Texas that just wasn’t getting a whole lot of interest. In fact, in the three weeks that it had been on the market, it had only had two showings despite the fact that it was a perfectly lovely, reasonably priced four bedroom, 2.5 bath home. Jessica knew she had to do something, and since her seller had a bit of a sense of humor, she recalled an article that she’d read about an investor who used a giant bear suit to promote his listings in England. “I told the sellers, I don’t know, It’ll make it seem like I’m not serious as a real estate agent,” she told Realtor.com in a recent interview. However, the seller felt that they didn’t have much to lose, so Jessica threw on a panda bear costume and reshot the listing photos, posing in random places throughout the home. “At first I thought it was crazy,” she said, but she re-thought that when the requests for showings came pouring in. In fact, in the two days after the panda-full listing went live, she showed the home 12 times.  REI Today checked out the listing pictures, and the panda appears in all but three of the photos, enjoying the front porch, lounging in a lovely backyard, cuddling up in a kid’s room, and showcasing the kitchen and exercise areas. The pictures are definitely surprising, and we’re not surprised that more people are “stopping by” to look for the curious addition to the listing. According to marketing expert Seth Godin, Jessica basically cashed in on something that has been growing in marketing for a while. We actually talked about it in an earlier episode called “3 Keys to Investing Profitably with the Weird Factor.” Basically, the new normal for successful marketers is not normal at all: it’s strange. Godin described it this way in a recent panel discussion hosted by Inman Connect in New York. “There’s all this pressure to be normal, have normal clients, drive a normal car, have normal listings,” he said. “But now, something is changing. There are more people who are outside of normal than inside normal.” This is good news, Godin argued, because it enables any professional, real estate or otherwise, to identify a certain segment of their target market with which they particularly connect, then focus on that group to the exclusion of other sectors by making that group feel included, not normal but “inside” as he put it, by working with you. He cited the motorcycle company Harley Davidson as an example of a business that has found loyalty in a fringe market by targeting people who think of themselves as outsiders and then making them “insiders” in their own special group. If you want to hear the entirety of episode 24, where we go into detail about how to INVEST PROFITABLY using this weird factor, check it out in the REI Today Vault. It’s titled: “3 Keys to Investing Profitably with the WEIRD FACTOR” and it’s got some pretty crazy stuff in there that you’re going to love. You can listen in at www.rei.today/vault and, if you’re not yet a member, just text REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444 and I’ll provide you with fast, immediate access to this timely information. And remember, when you do that, you’ll also be able to GROW YOUR NETWORK by interacting with me and your fellow listeners to REI Today… so stop by to ask questions, make comments and network with other investors across the country. Text REITODAY no spaces no periods to 33444 or head over to www.REI.Today/vault right now. REI Nation, thanks for listening in and always remember this: Your best investment is your own education.

how a PANDA SUIT got 12 showings in 2 days | Episode 79

How to Quit Your Job and become a full-time real estate investor! REI.Today will provide short 9-minute shows each weekday that tell you which strategies (like flipping, wholesaling, rentals, private lending, etc.) are working RIGHT NOW... along with introduction to PEOPLE who are successfully using those strategies and connections to the TOOLS that make your life as a real estate investor easier, more fun and more profitable! This show is all about REALITY... no theory or fluff. Just actionable instruction each day. PLUS... listeners receive FREE access to the respected REI.Today Vault, a members-only resource library and community for today's individual real estate investor.

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Real Estate Investing Today : Real Estate Investing | Wholes...

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