Read more at Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) > Webcast Replay: Hot New Atlanta REIA Member Benefits

• Would you like to learn a new and proven System for Buying Houses with little or no competition?
• Would you like to know how to apply this System when buying your next investment property?
• Would you like to work less and earn more money?
• Would you like to network with other like-minded Savannah Real Estate Investors?

If so, please RSVP on Meetup or RSVP on Facebook and join us Monday, May 28, 2012 at 6:00 PM at Barnes Restaurant located at 5320 Waters Avenue in Savannah, GA.

Join us and you will you will have the opportunity to join fellow Savannah Real Estate professionals for networking and learning the ins and outs of Owner Financing by a proven pro, and past President of the Savannah Landlord Association, our special guest this month, Mr. W.A. (Tony) Stanford. He will show you how creative financing can change your thought process and hopefully make you even more successful!

Tony says “I believe in helping others obtain what they need and sharing knowledge I have learned over the years to help equal the playing field. I have bought property with no money down, I have bought property they actually paid me to buy and I have bought property the wrong way also.”

Again, please RSVP on Meetup or RSVP on Facebook and join us Monday, May 28, 2012 at 6:00 PM at Barnes Restaurant. We look forward to seeing you there!

Haves and Wants is a weekly investor’s networking, brainstorming and deal making jam session hosted by Joe Thompson and held every Thursday at 5 Seasons Brewing at the Prado from 1:30 PM till approximately 3:00 PM. This group has been meeting for over 6 years and is all about networking, sharing information, doing deals and making money right now. If you are a real estate player or want to be, this is one meeting you don’t want to miss!

5 Seasons Brewing is located at 5600 Roswell Rd (map) inside the Perimeter at the “Prado” in Sandy Springs. The all natural, organic food at the 5 Seasons is excellent and the hand-crafted beer is even better! Come out and eat, drink, network and do some deals with us! There is no charge to attend this meeting for Atlanta REIA Members or guests. Feel free to come early and stay late.

Read more at Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) > What’s Happening at Atlanta REIA – Week of May 28, 2012

For example, Kim and I spent this past week in Florida. One morning we went yard selling. This particular day, we came across a guy who was selling almost everything he owned. Turned out he was losing his home to foreclosure and had to be moved out in a couple of days.

The guy was so negative we had to stand a few extra steps back to ensure we didn’t catch his negative funk. He blamed his situation on the government, the banks, rich folks, the economy, BP Oil, Presidents Obama and Bush, etc. Never once did he take any responsibility for getting himself into his financial mess.

Here’s the ironic thing: He already had the one tool he needed to dig himself out of his financial hole. In looking through his yard sale stuff, I found a copy of The Greatest Secret in the World by Og Mandino.

Oggie’s book is one of the best self-help books ever written. I think first read it when my mother gave it to me in 1978, and over the years I’ve read it at least ten times. Anyway, I handed Oggie’s book to the man and explained how it could solve all of his problems. Sadly, he wanted no part of it. He sold me the book for a mere quarter. What a deal – millions of dollars worth of how-to-be-successful information in exchange for a single quarter!

Need to point one thing out: Oggie’s book is not about how to be successful. Rather, it’s about how not to be a failure. He points out that “success” is too hard to define because it’s so individual. On the other hand, failure is easy to define: “Failure is man’s inability to reach his goals in life… whatever they may be.”

The biggest lesson I learned from the book is this: Procrastination is the #1 killer of success. We’re all guilty of it. We all know we’re doing it when we do it. It’s putting off until tomorrow what should be done today.

The second biggest lesson I learned from the book was this: The only way to get rid of a bad habit is to replace it with a good habit. For example, I knew a fella who would come home from work, climb into his lounge chair and flick channels until he went to bed. He basically ignored his beautiful wife and wonderful kids.

After a number of heated family arguments, he realized the TV was nothing more than a procrastination machine that was about to cause him to lose his family. He took drastic action. He gave away all of his TVs. He replaced his TV habit with the habit of spending lots of quality time with his family. Today, he and his family couldn’t be happier – and talk about a guy who gets stuff done!

Do you and your family a big favor. Pick up a copy of Oggie’s book. Bet it will be a life changer!

Bill & Kim Cook are a husband and wife real estate investing team. They live in Adairsville, Georgia and have been investing in real estate since 1995. They specialize in buying single-family homes, mobile homes and mobile home parks. They also run North Georgia REIA and teach folks how to successfully invest in real estate.

Read more at Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) > The #1 Killer of Success

Let’s first look at what’s normally done, then look at another way that may work better.

Your realtor emails you the offer that is usually lower – sometimes a lot lower – than your asking price. Also, the seller is regularly asked to pay a portion of the buyer’s closing costs. Lastly, you’re given two days to respond to the buyer’s offer.

After thinking things through, you respond with a counteroffer and give the buyer two days to respond. The negotiation drags on until you either reach an accord or the potential buyer walks away.

Having the buyer and seller fax offers and counteroffers back and forth without ever meeting never made much sense to us. Early on, we all learn that the best way to find common ground – to reach an agreement – with folks is to meet with them face-to-face and talk things through. When you want to get to know someone – want to know what they’re thinking – emails, faxes and phone calls just don’t cut it.

When a buyer makes us an offer, our first question is: Why does he want to buy our property? The answer to this question is a critical piece of the negotiation puzzle. Take a good look at most purchase and sale contracts. Nowhere does it say, “I want to buy your house because…” The only way to find the answer to this all-important question is to meet with the buyers and ask them.

Here’s what Kim and I do instead of going the offer/counter offer, take-five-days-to-make-a-decision route. When an offer comes in, we immediately ask for a sit-down meeting with the potential buyers. We’ll meet them anywhere – at the property, the realtor’s office or over a cup of coffee. In addition, we encourage everyone to join us – the realtors, the buyer’s family members, their attorney, etc.

Here are the results: 1) Getting together is a lot more fun than faxing offers back and forth with folks you’ve never met. 2) Usually we reach a yes-no decision in less than an hour instead of wasting time dragging things out over several days. 3) We quickly find out why the buyers want our property. 4) We easily discover any roadblocks that may keep the deal from happening. This allows us to work out a creative win-win solution to the problem right then and there.

The secret to being a great negotiator is to learn what the other side wants, why they want it, then help them get it. The only way you can learn what the other side wants and why they want it is to ask them…and it’s best done face-to-face.

The next time a buyer makes you an offer, why not give our method a try?!

Bill & Kim Cook are a husband and wife real estate investing team. They live in Adairsville, Georgia and have been investing in real estate since 1995. They specialize in buying single-family homes, mobile homes and mobile home parks. They also run North Georgia REIA and teach folks how to successfully invest in real estate.

Read more at Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) > A Buyer Makes You An Offer – Now What?

Are You A New Investor Who Doesn’t Know Where To Start? Or, An Old Salt Who Can’t Find Deals – Or You Can’t Find Cheap Enough Money to Buy Properties?

The Truth is many investors only know one way to buy property… with Cash. And now that banks are not lending to just anyone, where do investors turn? The investor today is likely dead in the water unless they know how to Buy with Creative Owner Financing and learn how to Sell with Creative Owner Financing. Larry Harbolt has over 30-plus years of experience doing just that. That is why he has been called the Master at teaching how to buy houses with No Money and No Credit using Creative Owner Financing.

Larry will be with us at our Atlanta REIA Main Monthly Meeting on June 4th and again for a full-day Saturday Training Workshop on June 9th for what could prove to be a career changing and life altering event for you, your family and your business.

How would you like to be able to buy 3 to 6 properties a month without using your own credit or any real money? What would that do for your lifestyle if you could churn out 5, 10 to 25 houses a year making money – helping others get started? All it takes is the proper training and the dedication to get the job done. That is exactly what Larry will do for you. Larry is going to show you how to:

• Learn How to Wholesale at Lightning Speed = Pay off Debts & Stable Cash Flow!
• Learn How to Buy Properties Without Banks! = No Credit and No Money
• Learn How to Become Wealthy Owning Properties That Are Paid Off in 8.3 Years!
• Learn How to Create Non Recourse Financing and Never Gamble Again!
• Learn How to Sell at Lightning Speed! Don’t Be a Puppet to a Bankers Whim!
• Learn How to Become Wealthy and Be Done in 3-5 Years!

“New Member Orientation” is a mini-session hosted by Karen Bershad that is designed to introduce our new members (and guests interested in become a member) to our organization and show them multiple ways they can get involved, get connected and get educated. Come learn more about our website, meetings, networking events, workshops, webcasts, replays and more!

“What’s Happening at Atlanta REIA” is a mini-session hosted by Atlanta REIA Executive Director, Dustin Griffin, to update our members and guests on many of the exciting new things that are going on at Atlanta REIA in the upcoming weeks and months such as upcoming workshops, webcasts, special events, member’s benefits and more!

“There’s an App for That” is a fun new mini-session dedicated to updating you on some of the latest and greatest applications or “apps” for your iPad, iphone or Droid smartphones and tablets for both business and personal use. We want to help you become a high-tech, mobile real estate entrepreneur and this month, Don DeRosa is going to help you do just that!

“Have’s & Wants Speed Marketing” is 30 minute marketing session hosted by Joe Thompson that is held to help facilitate deals by giving our members the opportunity to quickly market things they HAVE and no longer want and to find things they WANT but don’t yet have. Be sure to get to the meeting early and get on the speed marketing list if you want to participate.

After the conclusion of the Main Meeting, we will be reconvening at the Tilted Kilt Perimeter located at 1155-B Mount Vernon Highway in Atlanta for the “Meeting after the Meeting”. The Tilted Kilt will be offering half price appetizers as well as food and drink specials for our members and guests. Come eat, drink, network and have fun with us as hang out late into the night!

*Please Note: Meeting agenda is subject to change.

Each and every month, for the duration of our meeting, we have a Vendor Tradeshow in which you can come out and meet many of our participating business members who help sponsor our meeting. It’s not to late to sponsor this meeting. Thanks again sponsors!

Lima One Capital, LLC – A fully capitalized, direct lender for residential real estate investors and homebuilders. We are fully capitalized and our team prides itself on closing loans quickly for our clients. Read More→

Networth Realty of Atlanta, LLC – A licensed, full-service residential wholesale brokerage that specializes in finding quality wholesale properties and making them available to you. Read More→

American IRA – The American IRA mission is to provide the highest level of customer service in the self-directed retirement industry. Read More→

The Small Business Advisor – A full service small business consulting firm specializing in QuickBooks with a wide variety of specialized services, trainings and products for small businesses. Read More→

Solutions Realty Network – Providing expert property management and investment services since 2003. You invest and we take care of the rest! We’re the solution to all your real estate needs. Read More→

Atlanta Private Lending – Atlanta’s premier private real estate lending company. We provide private, hard money loans to professional real estate investors for renovation and investment purposes. Read More→

Halperin Lyman, LLC – A transactional real property law firm devoted to providing the full spectrum of non-litigation related real estate legal and consulting services to its clientele. Read More→

Atlanta Carpet Services, Inc. – Providing carpet, wood, vinyl, and tile, ACS is dedicated to every aspect of your floor covering needs from initial consultation to the sale and follow-up services. Read More→

Fuller Center for Housing of Greater Atlanta – A faith-driven, Christ-centered, non-profit organization dedicated to providing adequate shelter for people in need in the Greater Atlanta area. Read More→

Scott Bowen’s Specialized Services

C. Brown Property Management & Investments LLC

Angel Oak Funding

Goldmine Properties, Inc.

Also, special thanks to all of our volunteers that help make our meetings and networking events possible!

Read more at Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) > Atlanta REIA Main Meeting on June 4, 2012

When I started over 30 years ago I had neither good credit nor money to buy real estate. All I had was a burning desire to create money to care for my family and live a lifestyle I could only dream of at the time. At that time in my life it took all the money I could earn just to feed and clothe my 6 children. I’m sure many of you today, like myself back then, are unable to get a loan even if you try, but why let that stop you from participating in one of the greatest and most profitable businesses known to mankind. Did you know that more millionaires have been created from real estate than any other business?

Because I started with no money and not-so-good credit, I had to be creative structuring every deal I did, or I wouldn’t be able to buy any properties. As I look back, for me it was a blessing because it quickly taught me how to use what I had, which wasn’t much, to get what I wanted. Now, today as investors are finding it nearly impossible to find financing for the deals they do, it is essential for you to know that if any property you look at is not a foreclosure or Bank owned, every other property you look at will always fall into one of three categories. I will thoroughly explain on June 4^th, 2012 when I speak at your Atlanta REIA Main Monthly Meeting. Once I learned about the 4 Pillars of real estate investing, it truly changed the way I did business from that day forward.

It Seems That Every Time We Turn on the Television or Open Up a Newspaper, We Are Constantly Reminded About All of the Properties Being Lost to Foreclosure Nationwide, and that’s a fact! But just as interesting is the fact that we seldom hear that between 30% and 40% of all properties in this country are FREE & CLEAR, while last time I heard, only 12% of all houses nationwide were in foreclosure. I find those who are dealing only with foreclosure properties, which are new to the real estate investing business, are trying to become short sale experts – with little money in most cases. Most of these newer investors don’t have the experience to know what to do with all of the properties they come across that are not in foreclosure.

This is why understanding the 4 Pillars of real estate investing are so important in today’s real estate market. Years ago when I figured out this theory for myself I started teaching how it worked to my students. This idea alone will change the way real estate investors buy houses from that day forward. Ladies and Gentlemen… this fact is truly where the rubber meets the road in today’s real estate climate. This is the missing information you have all been looking for.  So why, if this is such important information, don’t more investors know about it?

Why is it many investors are resistant to change? Why do so many refuse to learn the simplest and easiest, cutting edge, buying and selling techniques that will surely work in a market like the one we are currently experiencing? Why do so many investors continue to make offers to buy property, using the same strategies that have been used over and over during the past decade, that no longer work today? I don’t have a clue!

I continue to talk to investors whose only focus is to make offers to buy property contingent on getting institutional financing, hoping they can find an end buyer who can qualify and get a loan to actually fund the purchase. If the investor is forced to actually close on the property before they can find an end buyer, the investor will be forced to get what is known as a bridge loan (transactional funding) for a period of a few hours to a few days before the money must be paid back. This will give the investor seasoning they need so the new buyer will be able to get a new loan to fund the deal. If investors don’t have all of this availability to get funding in place, they then decide to become short sale experts. This, in today’s real estate climate, as I have been talking about, will be very difficult for the investor to do so that they can eventually get the property sold and get their profit check.

Over the Past Year I Have Been Telling Investors All Across This Country how they can find more opportunities, using less cash and not be forced to try to get institutional financing that is nearly impossible to get. If you don’t believe us, just try to think of anyone you know who can walk into a Bank today and get a loan to buy an investment property. Being able to buy real estate that doesn’t require Bank financing is something you need to know if you want to survive as a real estate investor. Actually, buying real estate in this manner has been used by seasoned investors for many, many years. Before Banks were invented, when a seller sold something and the buyer only made an income in the fall of the year when their crops were harvested, the seller allowed the buyer to pay a portion of what was owed to them each fall until the debt was completely paid off. This type of financing has been used since before biblical days, and it is still being used successfully today.

Knowing this is very important because Banks aren’t making loans to investors today. In most cases the only loans Banks are making today are either for first time home buyers or FHA buyers. Real estate investors usually don’t fall into either category. It is important to know this, because using the same methods that were used when money was easy to get, no longer works. Therefore, if you don’t learn different ways to get your deals financed, you will be forced out of the investing business or starve to death from lack of doing profitable deals. You will quickly become a statistic rather than a success story and I’m sure you don’t want that!

The techniques I am talking about have been continually used even in times when money was easy to get. I am going to let you in on a little secret most of you might not know, even Donald Trump is a huge proponent of creative seller involved financing on every deal he does. I will show you when I see you at Atlanta REIA.

Creative seller financing is not at all difficult to learn when you know what to look for and how to quickly recognize the good deals from the bad deals. When you know the right questions to ask the seller, as well as the right answers to give the seller, regardless of any objections they may have. I will show you what to say and what to do to make it all happen. By knowing how the system works you will not only know what to look for, you will also know what the sellers are thinking as soon as you meet them. Once you learn how to get sellers to eat out of your hand, knowing how to write killer offers that generate what the seller really wants or possibly even more and still be a great deal for you, will be easy for you to structure.

On, June 4^th, 2012, I will show you how easy it really is to learn what has worked for centuries and still works today. What I have for you is truly timeless, cutting edge information.  As a matter of fact, today couldn’t be a more perfect time to implement these time tested strategies sellers don’t know about and your competition doesn’t either. Ladies and Gentlemen… what I have for you is very powerful and will also be very profitable. But to learn what I have to share with you, you will need to be at the Atlanta REIA Main Meeting on June 4^th, 2012.

I will be giving away several of my products with a total value at over $1,900

See you there!

Larry Harbolt

Read more at Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) > Real Estate Investing is One of the Greatest Opportunities Available to Everyone!

Larry is so respected in the industry that NBA Super Star, Shaquille O’Neill has purchased his courses and he is one of only two real estate teachers whose works have ever been inducted into the Library of Congress. Larry Harbolt ‘s reputation of being one of the best “kitchen-table” negotiators who has the ability to make a deal where others cannot see an opportunity has made him a sought after consultant and mentor for real estate investors everywhere he goes. Larry is the real deal!

Read more at Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) > Larry Harbolt

• Would you like to learn a new and proven System for Buying Houses with little or no competition?
• Would you like to know how to apply this System when buying your next investment property?
• Would you like to work less and earn more money?
• Would you like to network with other like-minded Savannah Real Estate Investors?

If so, please RSVP on Meetup or RSVP on Facebook and join us Monday, May 28, 2012 at 6:00 PM at Barnes Restaurant located at 5320 Waters Avenue in Savannah, GA.

Join us and you will you will have the opportunity to join fellow Savannah Real Estate professionals for networking and learning the ins and outs of Owner Financing by a proven pro, and past President of the Savannah Landlord Association, our special guest this month, Mr. W.A. (Tony) Stanford. He will show you how creative financing can change your thought process and hopefully make you even more successful!

Tony says “I believe in helping others obtain what they need and sharing knowledge I have learned over the years to help equal the playing field. I have bought property with no money down, I have bought property they actually paid me to buy and I have bought property the wrong way also.”

Again, please RSVP on Meetup or RSVP on Facebook and join us Monday, May 28, 2012 at 6:00 PM at Barnes Restaurant. We look forward to seeing you there!

Haves and Wants is a weekly investor’s networking, brainstorming and deal making jam session hosted by Joe Thompson and held every Thursday at 5 Seasons Brewing at the Prado from 1:30 PM till approximately 3:00 PM. This group has been meeting for over 6 years and is all about networking, sharing information, doing deals and making money right now. If you are a real estate player or want to be, this is one meeting you don’t want to miss!

5 Seasons Brewing is located at 5600 Roswell Rd (map) inside the Perimeter at the “Prado” in Sandy Springs. The all natural, organic food at the 5 Seasons is excellent and the hand-crafted beer is even better! Come out and eat, drink, network and do some deals with us! There is no charge to attend this meeting for Atlanta REIA Members or guests. Feel free to come early and stay late.

Read more at Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) > What’s Happening at Atlanta REIA

A big part of having the house “sold” before you buy is having an active buyers list of ready, willing and able buyers such as wholesalers, rehabbers, landlords, tenant/buyers, first time home buyers, etc. This month at the Beginning Investors Group (BIG), Rock Shukoor, leader of the I Love Marketing Group is going to share the online and offline tips and tricks that he uses to build his various buyers lists and keep them current.

Rock will teach you…

• How To build a buyers list using social media such as Facebook
• Why social media is important to an investor
• How to set up an automated system for your social media marketing
• The ins and outs of mobile media marketing

Social media is something 2 out of 3 people use today. Register to attend BIG on Wednesday May 23, to know how to put this powerful media to work for you. People with tickets will receive Rock’s E-book “Go Mobile Now or Die”. This is definitely a BIG meeting you don’t want to miss!

I look forward to seeing you at BIG on Wednesday May 23, 6:30pm at Chef Rob’s Caribbean Cafe at 5920 Roswell Rd in Sandy Springs.

Read more at Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) > How To Sell Houses Before You’ve Even Purchased Them!

Movers and Shakers is an educational and networking group led by Gordon Catts that is designed to meet the interests of intermediate and advanced investors rather than new investors. The group meets on Monday, May 21st at 11:00 AM and on the 3rd Monday of each month at 5 Seasons Brewing in Alpharetta. The doors open at 11:00 AM and the program officially starts at 11:30 AM. Atlanta REIA members can attend at no charge and non-members for $5.00.

Oprah Winfrey knows about a $40 Billion Dollar niche, and Russ Hiner has the Insider’s Secrets on how you can get your piece of the pie! Ever wondered what happens to the all of the money at a foreclosure sale when there’s a bid over the amount of the mortgage? What about when there’s an over bid at the tax sale-where do those funds go? This month at our Atlanta REIA West Meeting on Monday, May 21st at 6:30 PM at the Cherokee Cattle Company, local subgroup leader and real estate expert Russ Hiner will be speaking on “Unclaimed Money”! Russ will show us where there’s money that’s free for the customer, and abundant for you. Join us at Atlanta REIA West and find out how you too can cash in! Read More >>

The Note Buyers Group an Atlanta REIA educational and networking subgroup led by Tom Boyer that is designed to teach real estate investors how to buy and sell the mortgage notes that secure a property rather than buying the property itself. The group’s goal is to transact deals within the group and increase our professionalism through education in a changing credit market. The agenda for this month’s meeting is (1) Haves/Wants, (2) Notes for Sale – Bring yours for analysis, (3) Smaller investment amount opportunities and (4) Strategies using seller financing to buy/sell properties, and (4) Legislation update as appropriate.

The Note Buyers Group meets on the 4th Tuesday of each month from 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM at Olive Garden located at 2467 Cobb Parkway SE in Smyrna about 1/2 mile from I-285. If you are a new investor, this is a great opportunity to pick up pointers on what to do and what not to do when investing in notes. Atlanta REIA Members can attend at no charge. Read more >>

The Atlanta REIA Beginning Investors Group (BIG) is an educational and networking special interest group, hosted by Alan McDonald, for new investors who are just getting started in real estate investing as well as “new again” real estate investors who’ve taken a few years off and are looking to start investing again. The entire purpose of this group is to help new investors get their first deal and help new again investors get their next deal.

A big part of having the house “sold” before you ever buy it is having an active buyers list of ready, willing and able buyers such as wholesalers, rehabbers, landlords, tenant/buyers, first time home buyers, etc. This month at the Beginning Investors Group (BIG), Rock Shukoor, leader of the I Love Marketing Group is going to share the online and offline tips and tricks that he uses to build his various buyers lists and keep them current.

Rock will teach you…

• How To build a buyers list using social media such as Facebook
• Why social media is important to an investor
• How to set up an automated system for your social media marketing
• The ins and outs of mobile media marketing

Register to attend BIG on Wednesday May 23, to know how to put this powerful media to work for you. People with tickets will receive Rock’s E-book “Go Mobile Now or Die”. This is definitely a BIG meeting you don’t want to miss! I look forward to seeing you at BIG on Wednesday May 23, 6:30pm at Chef Rob’s Caribbean Cafe at 5920 Roswell Rd in Sandy Springs.

The Cash Cows Commercial Real Estate Group is an educational, networking and call to action subgroup, led by Steve Brown for new, intermediate and advanced investors with a serious interest in purchasing commercial real estate. This month, Steve will be covering Mobile Home Parks which are truly “Cash Cows”. This meetings is a “must attend” for anyone serious about mobile home investing. In fact, Steve will show you 2 Local Mobile Home Parks that you can purchase with creative financing. The Cash Cows group meets on Thursday, May 24th 11:30 AM and the 4th Thursday of each month at at 5 Seasons Brewing located at 5600 Roswell Rd in Sandy Springs, GA at the Prado. If you yearn to learn, come learn to earn!

Haves and Wants is a weekly investor’s networking, brainstorming and deal making jam session hosted by Joe Thompson and held every Thursday at 5 Seasons Brewing at the Prado from 1:30 PM till approximately 3:00 PM. This group has been meeting for over 5 years and is all about networking, sharing information, doing deals and making money right now. If you are a real estate player or want to be, this is one meeting you don’t want to miss!

5 Seasons Brewing is located at 5600 Roswell Rd (map) inside the Perimeter at the “Prado” in Sandy Springs. The all natural, organic food at the 5 Seasons is excellent and the hand-crafted beer is even better! Come out and eat, drink, network and do some deals with us! There is no charge to attend this meeting for Atlanta REIA Members or guests. Feel free to come early and stay late.

If you missed Ben Rao, President of the Community Buying Group, at the Atlanta REIA Main Meeting for May, he will be back with us on the What’s Hot in Real Estate Investing Webcast on Thursday, May 24th at 7PM to discuss all the hot new Member Benefits available to Atlanta REIA Members through our new relationship with the Community Buying Group. Don’t miss this opportunity to pick up new ideas on doing business better and how to save money on products and services you may already be using. There are no programs to buy since these benefits are already included in your paid Atlanta REIA Membership. Ben will show you how to get started so you can save BIG!

Join us on the webcast and learn…

• See how other Real Estate Investors and Landlords are putting more money into their deals by saving money on materials, services and products they use everyday
• Tools and Tips to expand your sphere of influence and network more effectively with other RE Investors locally and nationwide
• Showcase your business or services to other RE investors in your Community
• Learn how to use technology to do business better
• Learn the importance of building your brand and see tools to build your own brand.

Come hear about these incredible benefits and discounts that are now included in your Atlanta REIA Membership. You now have access to more tools to help you save you both time and money. We also will show you how you can get bigger discounts at from suppliers such as Lowe’s, Sun Belt Tool Rentals, Sherwin Williams, Sears Commercial, Sprint /Nextel, Rent Fast, Build a Sign and others.

Read more at Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) > What’s Happening at Atlanta REIA – Week of May 21, 2012

Russ is speaking at Atlanta REIA West on coming Monday, April 21st. Here’s what you’ll learn at this very special evening:

• Where to find this $40 Billion Dollar niche that the Government is not entitled to.
• These funds are called “surplus funds”, “overages”, “excess funds”, even “unclaimed tax sale funds”.
• Why the Government calls it “escheating” when they take this money into their accounts!
• Gain an understanding of how this simple process works
• Where to find your share of this specialty niche
• Where and how to find who this money rightfully belongs to.
• How to talk to the prospects who are entitled to receive funds—so you can convert them into your customers
• Learn how to counsel your customers to give them their money, so you can get paid
• Learn how to build credibility for yourself… quickly
• Where to find the resources to get this done for you, so you can cash checks over and over again!

There are 12 only competitors in the USA. It is not just here in Georgia — It’s in ALL 50 states! If you could use some money flowing in on a consistent basis, you don’t want to miss this. Mark your calendars NOW to join us on Monday, May 21st at The Cherokee Cattle Company in Marietta. Dinner and networking, at 6:30 PM, program starts at 7 PM. See you there!

Read more at Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) > Get Your Cash Flow from Oprah’s Knowledge… Unclaimed Money!

The speaker for the first Mountain REIA Meeting on June 5th will be Jim Hitt, President of American IRA, LLC. Self Directed IRA’s allow an individual to manage their own retirement accounts and receive favorable treatment under the US Tax Code. Self Directed IRA’s allow individuals to fund certain real estate endeavors and make Private Mortgage Loans. Come join local real estate investors to network, share information, and interact with local and regional experts. Please be prepared to patron the restaurant, enjoy the networking, and the outstanding information!

Read more at Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) > Mountain REIA Starts on Tuesday, June 5th, 2012

The Gwinnett Investors Group (aka “The Fish Club”), led by Aaron McGinnis, meets on the 3rd Tuesday of every month at the Red Lobster Seafood Restaurant located at 2055 Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth just off I-85. This group is an educational and networking group that brings in local, active investors and service providers to provide information and education in a low or no-sales environment. This group is open to everyone for $2 per person. Please be prepared to patron the restaurant, enjoy the networking, and the outstanding information!

One of the biggest challenges facing both new and seasoned investors in today’s ever changing real estate market is to be able to accurately determining a property’s current market value. This is especially true with all the short sales, foreclosures, REOs and shadow inventory out there affecting property values. In the current market it is critical to be able to look at pricing objectively and avoid overpaying for a property. So how can you accurately determine a property’s value you that you want to purchase and/or resell?

You can start by joining us at this month’s Atlanta REIA North Meeting on Wednesday, May 16th at 6:30 PM at 1960 Skylar Hill Dr, Suite D, Buford, GA with special guest and seasoned appraiser, Donn Myers, who will share his insights and experience with you. Donn evaluates properties for banks, mortgage lenders, asset managers, investors as well as doing appraisals and review appraisals for federal institutions. Donn has years of experience as a residential and commercial appraiser as well as an investor and is a longtime REIA member. Join us at the meeting where Donn will be discussing:

• How is the current economy affecting the appraisal process?
• How do you tell when a neighborhood has “bottomed out”
• Are appraisers using REO’s and Foreclosures as comps?
• Can the appraiser use FSBO’s as comps?
• How current must the comps be?
• Must the sale comps be in the same neighborhood as the subject property?
• What outside pressures are influencing the appraiser?
• How reliable are the free valuation web sites?
• How can investors accurately determine the Current Market Value(CMV) of a property?
• How can investors best determine the After Repaired Value(ARV) of a property?
• What are the institutional investors currently buying?
• What yardsticks are the institutional investors using to determine their purchase prices?
• Answers to your burning questions and much more!

Immediately after the Atlanta REIA North Monthly Meeting at approximately 9 PM, we will reconvene at the Mall of Georgia Tilted Kilt located at 3480 Financial Center Pkwy in Buford, GA for the meeting-after-the-meeting, AKA Late Nite Networking. We hope you will come out and eat, drink, network, learn and have fun with us and keep the investing conversations going late into the evening!

Haves and Wants is a weekly investor’s networking, brainstorming and deal making jam session hosted by Joe Thompson and held every Thursday at 5 Seasons Brewing at the Prado from 1:30 PM till approximately 3:00 PM. This group has been meeting for over 5 years and is all about networking, sharing information, doing deals and making money right now. If you are a real estate player or want to be, this is one meeting you don’t want to miss!

5 Seasons Brewing is located at 5600 Roswell Rd (map) inside the Perimeter at the “Prado” in Sandy Springs. The all natural, organic food at the 5 Seasons is excellent and the hand-crafted beer is even better! Come out and eat, drink, network and do some deals with us! There is no charge to attend this meeting for Atlanta REIA Members or guests. Feel free to come early and stay late.

Read more at Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) > What’s Happening at Atlanta REIA – Week of May 17, 2012

Join Duncan Wierman, a master of Strategic Internet Marketing, on Saturday, May 12th from 9 AM to 4 PM at the Atlanta Perimeter Hotel & Suites located at 111 Perimeter Center West for a live 6-hour Internet Marketing Workshop and Strategy Session entitled “Building Your Brand & Dominating Your Niche” to find out how you can easily leverage the power of the Internet to grow your business quicker and more profitably than you ever thought possible. Duncan helps real estate investors grow their businesses by developing online lead generation strategies that will make massive differences to sales revenues in their specific market.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKBxMA3z-58

During this 6-Hour Workshop and Strategy Session, Duncan will teach you:

• Website Design and Must Have Design Elements
• Building a Consistent Brand Across the Internet
• Identifying What Your Customer Really Wants (WIIFM)
• Creating a Custom Avatar. What is an Avatar Anyway?
• Mapping Our Your Customer Website Navigation & Buying Process
• Designing a Powerful Home Page to Make Traffic Stick & Click
• Creating Website Landing Pages to Convert Traffic to Leads
• Doing a Competitive Analysis So You Can Learn to Beat Your Competition
• Keyword Research for Maximum Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Performing On-Page & Off-Page Optimization
• Conducting a Search Engine Optimization Campaign
• Writing & Promoting Search Engine Optimized Content
• Using Pay-Per-Click Advertising Without Wasting Money
• Creating & Promoting Viral Video Content
• Promoting Your Business with Social Media Marketing
• Creating & Promoting Your Blog
• Setting Up Your Site Tracking & Conversion Testing
• And Much More!

Join Duncan in Atlanta on Saturday, May 12th from 9 AM to 4 PM at the Atlanta Perimeter Hotel & Suites for this rare appearance and you will receive his workbook on “How to Beat the Competition, Increase ROI & Bost Sales” for attending (only one copy per couple please). This Saturday training is currently limited to 50 participants to make sure Duncan is able fulfill his promise to deliver 3 growth strategies to everyone in the room. Therefore we are limiting the class size to ensure personal attention.

To attend, Reserve Your Seat(s) Now! Gold Members can attend for $24.95, Silver Members for $39.95 and Guests for $49.95. These prices are good for 2 people!

Read more at Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) > Build Your Brand & Dominate Your Competition Online with Duncan Wierman

Our big concern was where to invest.  My folks had done well in the stock market.  Kim’s had done well investing in real estate – they owned rental property.  Kim and I decided that real estate was the best way for us to go.

OK, we’ve all heard lots of landlord-tenant horror stories.  Sadly, because of these stories, not many folks view rental property as an excellent retirement vehicle.  But consider this: When you retire, if you own 10 paid-for rental homes that average $800 a month in rental income, would the $8,000 a month these homes provide help you to live better during your golden years?

Planning for retirement is pretty straightforward, but because it requires time, work and sacrifice, it’s not much fun.  By this, I mean you must be willing to live on less than you earn and use the money you save to buy capital assets – like rental property.  The thing is, you can’t use your retirement savings to do fun things like go on vacation or buy shiny red things that honk.

Why did Kim and I choose rental property over stocks as our primary retirement vehicle?  Because houses are easy to understand, while the whole stock thing – which stocks will go up and which will go down – is more of a mystery. 

We felt real estate was a safer investment because everyone needs a roof over their head.  Did you know that 35% of Americans don’t own their own home?  This means someone needs to provide shelter for these folks.  Tenants pay landlords rent in exchange for this shelter.  In addition, the government gives landlords large tax breaks for providing housing to its citizens. 

There’s another great benefit that comes from owning rental property: After write-offs, any income you make is investment income, not earned income.  Investment income is taxed at a much lower rate than earned income.  Remember: It’s not about how much you make – how much you keep is the important thing!

Let’s go back to what stops most folks from owning rental property – the fear of tenants.  This fear is unfounded.  For example, Kim and I have owned and managed rental property since the mid 90’s.  In all this time, we’ve never had a single property trashed and have only taken four tenants to court for nonpayment.

Folks, there is no such thing as a born landlord.  Landlording is a learned thing.  The best place to learn how to be an effective landlord is to hang out with been-there-and-done-that landlords.  The best place to meet with experienced landlords in your area is at your local real estate investors association meetings.  Hope to see you there!

Bill & Kim Cook are a husband and wife real estate investing team. They live in Adairsville, Georgia and have been investing in real estate since 1995. They specialize in buying single-family homes, mobile homes and mobile home parks. They also run North Georgia REIA and teach folks how to successfully invest in real estate.

Read more at Atlanta Real Estate Investors Alliance (Atlanta REIA) > Rental Property: A Great Retirement Vehicle