HOUSE FLIPPING MACHINES

Do Bandit Signs Work?

2011-04-21T19:33:00.000-07:00

In this day of high tech advertising, real estate investors want to know – do roadside "bandit" signs still work?

The Answer: “Yes, they do!”

Ironic as it may sound, roadside signs are still a quick, easy, inexpensive way to grab the attention of needed prospects. Ugly yellow signs – with red or black lettering – attract the most attention. Coroplast signs, with wire stakes for putting in the ground, work well. Or you can nail them to telephone poles – high enough so no one will grab them down.

I encourage investors to be creative and let their imaginations go to work. “Try placing a few signs near a Home Depot or Lowes,” you know, “where the rehabbers hang out.”

Meanwhile, don’t forget your own properties. Never fail to put up your own signs in your own properties. While these locations might not be the highest traffic area, still and yet you will get calls from interested people within that neighborhood. If people steal them from the yard (which could happen), simply place the sign in the front window.

Ask friends and acquaintances if you could put a sign in their front yard – especially if they live in a high traffic area. Some RE investors have even been known to “rent” a portion of a fence on a commercial property. For a set monthly fee, they are allowed to mount their signs on that fence. A few of these around town, and your phone calls will definitely increase.

If there are strict rules about roadside signs in your city or community, you may have to be even more creative. By putting up signs on Friday evening and taking them down Sunday evening or early Monday morning, most of the “sign officials” can be avoided. This way you can comply with business ethics.

If having Coroplast signs professionally printed is too expensive at this time, buy the sign material and create your own signs with permanent marker. Or you may prefer to always use this “homemade look” that portrays a non-threatening appearance.

Make sure the signs are large enough for a driver to see quickly as they pass by. Keep the message brief and to the point. Also make sure the phone numbers are larger than the rest!

A good mix of online advertising added with such techniques as roadside signs works well.

Whenever business gets slow, the solution is to simply get out and place 25 or 50 signs and wait for the phone calls.

As soon as possible every investor should contract this work out to others in order to save even more time. That means working smarter not harder!

So if business is slow, get out there and get your signs where people can see them.

Antonio Macias

Real Estate Flipping Systems Vs Sources

2011-03-01T21:49:00.000-08:00

There are great systems out there but investors have forgotten that there are great sources too.

I get to network with tons of active investors and I have observed one fatal flaw that is causing so many new investors to fail. There are so many investors that I know personally that are going crazy trying to pick up REO properties to flip to make a profit. They have amazing systems to Real Estate Investing but unfortunately they haven't realized that there are tons of other sources of properties that they are not tapping into.

I know we all have heard the saying "Don't put all your eggs in one basket." So why are so many investors out there looking for properties with tunnel vision and only going after REO deals? I got a message from one investor that said he had been placing 100's of offers to the banks since March 2010 and had yet to get an offer accepted. This means in almost a year he has not succeeded in purchasing a property. This investor wasn't the only one telling me this either.

The flaw is not the system that they have in place, the flaw is that they are only using the system for one source of properties. There are so many different sources of buying investment properties it is unreal. I want those of you who have been struggling to get a property under contract and are dying to do your first flip to start looking for motivated sellers too. There are so many motivated sellers in today's market right now in every ones back yard. There will always be motivated sellers in every market. You can find them on craigslist, www.forsalebyowner.com, www.fsbo.com, and many other sites. You can definitely find them in your local newspaper too.

You can also pick up Probate properties. Probate is the legal process of proving the written will or last testament of a deceased person is genuine and then following the deceased wishes in that document. When assets of the deceased, such as a house, are probated, the locale probate court procedure gives creditors several months to file their unpaid claims against the deceased estate. The unpaid bills will be paid once the property is sold.   Probate properties are a little more difficult to find but can be purchased up to 40% below market value. This is were your networking skills come in. Search the Internet and see what you can find concerning how to buy probate properties in your area and contact them for more information.

Sometimes are source can change from property types too. Income producing properties such as duplexes and multi units are in demand in areas around the country. Do some market research in your area and see what you come up with. Two great market analysis sites we use are www.altosresearch.com and www.neighborhoodscout.com. These websites can give you basic information concerning real estate markets nationwide. Your Realtors can also help you find out what other types of properties besides SFR's are in demand in your area too.

Realtors are also great sources of properties. Did you notice the (s) on the word Realtor. I know some investors that only have one realtor sending them deals and placing offers in for them. You need to establish relationships with as many Realtors as you can. You are not a one time buyer so you don't have to feel like you have to only work with one realtor. I know some Realtors make you feel that way but they should not be afraid of competition and should welcome you having other Realtors if they truly care to see you succeed in this business.

There are other sources of properties out there but we will save them for another blog. Let's get out there and put our systems to work by implementing other sources of deals into our arsenal.

antonio macias

real estate investor

on facebook
Antonio Macias
On Twitter
@FlippinAntonio

Websites
Seller     http://www.offerin12hours.com/
Buyer    www.RentToOwnBuyer.com
Investor www.RealEstateInvestorDeals.com

Building Your Real Estate Investing Team

2011-02-22T01:39:00.000-08:00

It's 3:14am as I write this so please forgive the typos and grammatical errors.

I have been working like crazy developing our real estate investing team and the systems we are putting in place to be able to invest anywhere at any time.

If you haven't realized it by now you will eventually figure out that to be successful in this business it takes a strong team. What I mean by Team is a group of individuals who work together to win. At times your team is just merely composed of strategic alliances to reach a common goal.

There are some core team members that you need to develope that will help you build your business faster. Here is a list of your main team players.
1. Mentor
2. Realtor
3. Mortgage Broker
4. Wholesalers
5. Buyers
6. Sellers
7. Internet Marketing Specialist
8. Social Media Expert

If you don't have atleast one of each in your business currently then you need to work on doing so. Sometimes you might be playing two positions on your team. In highschool football I played free safety and wide receiver. You might be the Realtor and consider yourself the Social Media Expert. (Just because you spend 4 hrs a day on facebook and twitter it doesn't make you a Social Media Expert. :)

The main thing is that you realize that having a person out of each section on your team will significantly improve your odds of succeeding as investor.

Don't be a statistic be a Success!!

to Blessed to be stressed,

Antonio Macias

Real Estate Investor

Our websites:
buyer http://www.lowdown.renttoownbuyer.com/
seller http://www.your.offerin12hours.com/
investors http://www.wholesale.realestateinvestordeals.com/

Working Millionaire Hours

2011-02-18T23:59:00.000-08:00

It's 1:44am here at my house and I am up working Millionaire Hours. I honestly feel pretty good. I am currently working on building my business on line, meaning the Internet. The Internet is such an amazing resource.

I just wanted to say thank you to Armando Montelongo for teaching us what it means to work Millionaire Hours.

He not only tells us that at times we will be working hard and long hours, but he actually leads by example. When I begin to get a little tired on the nights I am working up late. I simply think about how many hours Armando and his team work over the course of the weekend at one of his Armando Montelongo VIP Bus Tours.

Armando is a unique individual who definitely is passionate about what he does. I think of him when I feel discouraged. I remember his story about where he came from and how he busted his butt at the beginning to get where he is today. I have been working hard on developing our systems for our company so we can work smarter not harder. It truly is all about systems.

I just want to encourage all of you to keep moving forward. This business is not for everyone only for a select few. Decide that you are one of those select few. Decide that you are one of the elite. People dream of being a successful real estate investor. You have the opportunity to become one. Don't let it slip away.

sincerely,

antonio macias

Real Estate Investor

www.armandobustour.com

It's All About Networking and Taking Action

2011-02-18T12:01:00.000-08:00

The Gold Bus from the Armando Montelongo VIP Bus Tour Feb. 2011

Hey guys I decided not to be all technical with my blogs and try to write all proper. This is the reason why I haven't written one in so long. I have now decided to write my blogs just like I am talking to my friends and family.

Most of you that read this blog are friends of mine that I met thru different Real Estate Investment events. If we met at one of Armando Montelongo's VIP Bus Tours than we are like family then. Remember the song and dance, "We are family, all my brother sisters and me, yay...yay!!" I actually have lots of fun when we do that. :)

Guys what I learned at this last Bus Tour was that some of us need to be more transparent and open with eachother. Sometimes this business can become highly competitive and this holds us back from networking with others. This is a PEOPLE BUSINESS and more important a RELATIONSHIP BUSINESS. We all need to get out there and talk more and find ways to help eachother. The way we help eachother is by sharing our stories about our experiences.

Our experiences being what obstacles we are running into, what are our needs (private money, deals, and etc.) This weekend at the Armando Montelongo VIP Bus Tour we began opening up with other investors more with what was going on in our business and what we needed help with. The investors that we were talking to shared their experiences and areas of struggle. In the end we had tools and strategies that ended up solving these issues for eachother. All just from taking the time to network and be transparent with eachother.

I know we all want to be the next Self Made Multi-Millionaire investor and we go about trying to be the LoneWolf of investing. The reality is there is no such thing as a Self Made Millionaire. You become successful in this business by helping others. Just like Zig Zigler says

"You can have everything in life that you want if you just give enough other people what they want."

You see its not about what you know...It's about who knows you and how you can help them. The only way to accomplish this is by getting out there and networking.

Let me share a little story about how I networked and took action. I read the book "The Insider Secrets Of The World's Most Successful Real Estate Investors." by Mark Evans DM. Mark Evans is known for Virtual Real Estate Investing. Basically he invest from his computer and has other virtual assistants doing a lot of the day to day activities.

I read the book and enjoyed it so much that I felt the need to let Mark Evans know. I sent him a friend request via facebook and sent him a message too. It took about a week then he accepted my request and told me to keep him posted on my success as an investor. I recieve daily emails from Mark that he sends out to his email database. He had mentioned in his email that he was in Malibu California so I sent him an email about meeting up and discussing a business opportunity I had. To my surprise he responded and long story short I rented a car and drove almost 2hrs to Malibu to meet Mark.

I had tons of reasons not to meet him and ask him for a rain check but Armando's words kept ringing in my mind "When do Millionaires TAKE ACTION.....NOW!!!" So I did what I had to do to make it happen.

At the meeting Mark Evans DM and I hit it off great. He had so much great advice to offer me concerning how to take my business to the next level and offered me an opportunity to do business with him.

So I want to encourage all of you to get out there and Network and this includes Taking Action. Now Take Action and fill out our survey we have developed so we can see how we can help you become more successful in your business.
Click on the link:
<a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QN6SN8N">Click here to take survey</a>

If you are considering selling your property you can go to our website:
http://www.your.offerin12hours.com/
We will evaluate your information and see if we are able to give you an offer that will work for you.

God Bless,

Antonio Macias
Real Estate Investor

PS. Don't forget to follow our blog so you can stay up to date on what we share with our friends and readers.

http://www.armandolive.com/
http://www.armandobustour.com/

TAKING "IMMEDIATE ACTION"

2010-12-10T06:53:00.000-08:00

I just came back from my trip to California. I was there for the Armando Montelongo VIP Bus Tour. It is by far the best Real Estate Investment Seminar that I have ever been to. Armando Montelongo has taking things to another level and teaches his students from the fundamentals in investing to advance strategies.

Armando has three keys to success that he teaches his students, "1. Massive Passion 2. Immediate Action and 3. Continuous Education." What I have come to find is the most difficult of the three is taking Immediate Action. We all seem to be passionate about becoming successful investors and we continue to educate ourselves. We tend to lack when it comes to Taking Action.

I have found myself falling back into my old routines and there will be a few days that I'm not searching for properties or making calls. I have made a declaration now that I will not let a day go by without working on my real estate business . When I worked on my business daily I seen some major strides happen. We are working on some big projects now and have made some amazing business partners.

I admitted where I lacked in Taking Action, now it is time for you to evaluate yourself and admit where you have failed in this area. We should always self evaluate ourselves to make sure we are on track with our goals and that we are making progress. Are you one of those investors that when someone sends you a deal you take forever to evaluate it? You see the email and the property looks great but you wait till later to review. By the time you get to it the property is no longer available.

I honestly believe that some new investors wait to review a property in hopes that it does become unavailable. I have sent out some great deals to some private investors and they take forever to review and when they do review it they over analyze it. They are not Taking Action! As an investor you should be able to recognize a great deal when you see it and you should take Immediate Action as Armando Montelongo teaches. You can't ever succeed if you continue to let deals pass you by. Let's Take Action everyday towards our success. Now is the best time to be investing in real estate. If you don't Take Action you will be left behind with tons of regret. To your success!!

real estate investor,

Antonio Macias

www.armandolive.com
www.armandobustour.com

TIME- THE MOST PRECIOUS COMMODITY

2010-10-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

I'm finishing up my packing right now for my first cruise ever. I'm going on the JILLIAN MICHAELS ULTIMATE WELLNESS CRUISE. My wife and daughter are big Jillian Michaels fans and do some of her workouts. I'm a P90X graduate myself.

I wanted to make sure I posted something before I was out of the country for a few days. I needed a topic to discuss and I thought of the topic TIME. I have heard so many times that the most common thing that anyone says on their death bed is that they wish they had more time. Most of the time their biggest regret is not spending enough time with their family. You see time is the most precious commodity because we can't buy more time. Every one has exactly 24hrs in any given day. It doesn't matter if you are a billionaire you still have 24hrs in a day.

I decided to be a Real Estate Investor not only for the benefits of money but mainly for the benefits of having more time with my family. You see while you still work your 9 to 5 you do not have time freedom. I was a slave to my occupation. I was a Gang Investigator for the Texas Department Of Criminal Justice and I was on call in case of any prison uprising in the entire state of Texas. I loved the excitement of my job but I hated when I missed out on family events because of it.

I am blessed with a beautiful loving family. I knew the only way to have time freedom, was to be my own boss and set my own hours. I am able to take this cruise with my family because my boss (my wife) said I could. No, honestly because we chose to. My wife had to request off from work but I didn't. It was seldom for me to be able to take vacation without at least 3 months prior notice at my prior job. Now that I am the boss I just walk to a mirror and tell my boss I am taking off.

My point is, that I encourage all of you who are pursuing your dreams of being a full time investor to keep moving forward. Don't let obstacles and negativity stop you from one day firing your boss. Work diligently and never give up. It is all worth it when you have gained freedom of time. Time is precious and we never know how long we will be around. Don't waste another minute watching T.V. or sleeping in late when you could be working on finding properties or negotiating a deal. You owe it to yourself to set yourself free!!

antonio macias

real estate investor

http://www.jillianmichaels.com/cruise.aspx

Why You Need a Mentor To Succeed In House Flipping

2010-10-14T08:16:00.000-07:00

"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."
Proverbs 15:22

This proverb is so true when it comes to making decisions for your business. In any worthwhile business endeavor, it's impossible to be successful without seeking counsel and effective mentor ship. Most of us are knowledgeable in a few things, and we're totally ignorant and incapable in millions of other things. The only way to ensure success in the areas in which we lack knowledge and experience it to seek out counsel or mentor ship.

Be very strategic when seeking counsel or mentor ship from someone. Some investors go to family members for counsel on certain investment deals. This is never a good idea. You should never seek advice from someone who is not knowledgeable in your field of business. I would not ask my mother if she thought I should invest in the stock market because she knows nothing of it and most definitely say "no." Yet there are tons of people who have become millionaires by investing in the stock market. You must qualify who you seek counsel from. Never seek advice from a novice investor when dealing with real estate investing. Always seek advice from a qualified mentor or coach. They can teach you the systems for house flipping.

History shows us, that no one has ever achieved any significant project, worthwhile goal, or impossible dream without seeking outside counsel. If the most successful people in history have needed the help from mentors and partners, why should you think that you can accomplish anything worthwhile without help. Fact is, none of us can. Successful entrepreneurs do not seek counsel simply when their business is in trouble; rather, they seek mentor ship from the very beginning, before they begin any effort. Seeking counsel and mentor ship from the very beginning greatly reduces risk of failure. It also significantly increases one's probability of success.

I spent thousands of dollars on education and having a mentor before I even thought about investing in real estate. Some people see it as a waste of money. They do not see the value of being mentored. A mentor is key to your success as a real estate investor. There are so many ways to make money in this business. There are also so many ways to lose money in this business. I choose to make money and not lose money. Go ahead and try it on your own. You run the risk at losing thousands of dollars while I used my money to educate myself and to learn from the best in the business.

Armando Montelongo and his mentors are the best in the business. I have learned so much from Armando and the mentors that sometimes I feel like my head is going to explode from so much information. Another great thing about having a mentor like Armando is that he will push you to higher levels. Levels that you thought you could never reach. He will definitely keep you highly motivated. Many investors that I have met over the course of two years have quit investing for lack of motivation to stick with it. Having the right mentors keep you accountable and motivate you by their success stories which drive you to succeed. Make sure to get yourself a mentor. If you are new to investing in real estate then I definitely recommend you getting signed up with one of Armando Montelongo's mentorship programs.

antonio macias

real estate investor and house flipping machine

Check out the picture of Armando Montelongo with my wife, baby, and me in front of the first house FM Investors flipped in California from out of state.

http://www.armandolive.com/
http://www.armandobustour.com/

The Power of Networking

2010-10-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

The Social Network.

How many of you haven't seen The Social Network? If I hadn't been in California on business and a little bored one night I probably wouldn't have seen it by now either. I was really impressed by the movie and how they told the story. I didn't know how facebook got started so it was all new to me. It was amazing to find out that thefacebook was launched from a college dorm room. I'm not here to tell you the movie so I will move on. I definitely recommend it.

I want to discuss the Power of Networking with you. Networking to me is one of the most powerful tools you can have in your Real Estate Investment business. You know the old quote "It's not what you know but who you know that matters." There's definitely some truth to this. The amazing thing about social networks like facebook and twitter is that it allows you to build relationships with people that you would have never met in your lifetime. These relationships are built upon things in common or what type of business you are in or who you know. This is very key when building your business. The great thing about investing in Real Estate is that real estate is everywhere. By networking with other investors across the world I begin to learn global real estate trends. I know what's going on in New York, North Carolina, and California in a matter of minutes. I'm not talking about what the news says. I'm talking about the information I get directly from successful investors in those areas. I have made some key contacts via facebook and twitter and eventually set up business meetings with these contacts.

I talk to lots of people that think using facebook is a waste of time. Unfortunately they are not aware of how beneficial social networks are to a business. Studies show that the average person spends 1 minute on a website that they go to. The average person spends a minimum of 19 minutes a day on facebook. Those are significant numbers. I know some people that take forever to reply to an email but if you send them a message on facebook they reply almost instantly.

I encourage everyone that I know to start implementing Social Networks into their daily business activities. It has paid off significantly for all my businesses. If you are not sure how to use social networks to benefit your business then leave a comment with your questions and I will respond.

antonio macias

real estate investor

Wall Street Money Never Sleeps

2010-09-29T09:55:00.000-07:00

I watched the Movie Wall Street Money Never Sleeps because my mentor Armando Montelongo tweeted on Sept. 24th "Any self respecting Shark or Wolf Pack member will watch: Wall Street Money Never Sleeps, this weekend!"

Unfortunately I watched it before I read his tweet on Sept. 27th "My mistake, Wall Street 2 sucks. The original was legendary. I'm inspired to write a great money movie considering my disappointment."

I enjoyed the movie despite Armando's comment. I do agree Wall Street Money Never Sleeps was not that great of a movie compared to the original. Sequels hardly ever are in comparison. One thing I've learned is anytime I watch a movie I am always looking for what I call "Golden Nuggets" These are things that I can implement in my life and business. Wall Street Money Never Sleeps was about Gordon Gekko's return after 8 years in prison for insider trading. Gordon Gekko was a shark when it comes to Wall Street but there was someone else that caught my interest in the movie.

Billionaire Bretton James (actor Josh Brolin) was a backstabbing business man but had some great words of wisdom. He says two Golden Nugget statements in the movie. He says " I think every man should have a mentor and a protege at least one time in their life." I totally agree with this statement. This is why I have Armando Montelongo as my mentor when it comes to Real Estate investing. If you want to be successful in any business you should definitely find someone who is already successful in that business and seek mentorship by that person. You can learn so much from them, especially what not to do. Armando has shared with his students what he did that did not work but most importantly what does work. The wealth of knowledge that you learn from a mentor is priceless.

Another statement made by Bretton James was " If you don't know what you're doing it can be FATAL." This is so true when it comes to Real Estate Investing. That is why it is so key to have a mentor to teach you the odds and ends of the business. To have someone to run deals buy and ask for advice is so important in your success as an investor. I would have never invested out of state if I did not have Armando Montelongo and his amazing mentors show me the proper way to do it. To show me how to manage contractors from afar and be confident in the systems he has created. Without their guidance I would have not known what to do and it would truly have been fatal like Bretton said.

The last Golden Nugget that I learned from Mr. Bretton James in Wall Street Money Never Sleeps was this. Bretton James made millions of dollars by backstabbing his peers and participated in insider trading. These were highly unethical practices. In the end it all caught up to him. When you run your Real Estate Investment business make sure to run it with the utmost integrity. Investing is a people's business. You will ultimately make more money creating win win situations with the people involved. Most importantly you can sleep well at night knowing that you are not only creating wealth but you are contributing to the American Dream of Home ownership for tons of people. You don't want to end up like Mr. Bretton James.

Antonio Macias

Real Estate Investor

THE BEGINNING "First Bus Tour First Flip"

2010-09-28T09:45:00.000-07:00

I called up Joe and asked him to go to this Real Estate Investing event that Armando Montelongo from Flip This House San Antonio was going to be at. Joe was like "Armando who??" Joe at the time had really no idea who Armando was like some of you didn't either. Needless to say my buddy Joe made it to the meeting despite the crazy rain that was coming down that night.

We listened to the countless reasons why now was the time to invest in Real Estate from the several mentors speaking at the event. Honestly I did not have to be convinced I already knew investing in real estate was the best way to build wealth but I just didn't know how. I could see the look on Joe's face as the information was being layed out. Joe had already done a flip and ran into a lot of issues in the process. He didn't make as much money as he expected and was already thinking about not investing anymore. But I could tell he was getting excited about investing once again.

Armando Montelongo started to share his story about coming from living in his in-laws garage in California to being the #1 Flipper In The Nation. His story was not only inspirational but gave us great hope. Armando shared how he developed systems to flip houses and he was going to show us these systems if we decided to be mentored by him and his mentors. When the time came to make the decision I turned to Joe and said "Are you ready to do this?" as I stood up and headed to the back table to sign up. Joe was in shock and followed behind me. Everything seemed to be perfect timing. My wife and I just paid off all our credit card debt so we just happened to have the credit available to pay for the mentorship program and the Armando Montelongo VIP Bus Tour. I charged it up with out calling the wife because I knew she just might say no if I asked.

We did it! Joe and I had no idea what we got ourselves into. We didn't know where this decision was going to take us but we knew we had to do it. Everything happened so fast from that point of decision. We had a mentor come to Houston and taught us so much about investing in real estate and how to run your business. Then after are mentorship Joe and I took the tour of a lifetime. We went on the Armando Montelongo VIP Bus Tour. We went on the very first Bus Tour and there was about 40 people. Armando taught us how to assess properties and create flipping systems. He changed our destiny in the course of 3 days. We had a mind shift that changed absolutely everything.

We purchased two properties in Southern California. The very first property Armando Montelongo showed us on the Bus Tour was our first property that we purchased and flipped out of state. We used everything Armando taught us and put it into action. We were able to flip two houses all the way in SoCal from Houston TX. We used the systems that Armando taught us and just as he said we were able to successfully flip houses from another state. Check out the video and you will see our first California flip. Our first flip is the light blue house that Armando Montelongo is standing in front of and teaching students how to properly assess properties and write out contractor bids.
Check out the video.

Antonio Macias

Real Estate Investor

www.armandobustour.com
www.armandolive.com