SELECTING THE RIGHT NEIGHBORHOOD TO INVEST IN IS VITAL IN TODAY’S MARKET

Seeing ‘for sale’ signs up and down the street should be viewed as an opportunity for money to be made if you are an investor. Although there can be great investment opportunities in a struggling town, there are a few things to look for when deciding to invest in an area to ensure you are getting a good deal. 

If you want a sure fire way to help you choose the right neighborhoods to invest in and make the maximum profits – READ ON.

Here are some questions to ask before jumping into a low price market:

• Are the businesses solid and/or growing in the area?
• Are the surrounding properties in good condition?
• Is the neighborhood appealing?
• What’s the crime rate in the area?

Another thing to take into consideration is how far from conveniences the property is. Having to commute long distances to a job or shopping is unattractive to today’s homebuyer.

In many cases the massive foreclosures of the last few years have left a lot of once affluent neighborhoods struggling but still only in need of a little help. If the homes are in generally good condition and the area has much to offer, those are the values to look for when considering a real estate investment. Buying these properties is actually good for the area because growing numbers of vacant properties soon lures in a criminal element that runs down once beautiful towns.

Investors who come in and restore the equilibrium to such cities by providing a beautiful living area to those in need are a great asset to the city.

©Brenda Pugh

OK this one has nothing to do with real estate. If you know me, or have looked around on this site you know that I am a big fan of TED.com. This video, from a TED Conference, displays how seemingly random samples of music can mesh as one cohesive musical piece. Watch this video and turn up your speakers. Its just amazing.

ALSO – don’t read the bottom half of this article until you watch the video

Ok, so how did you like it? Yeah, pretty amazing. I knew before I watched it that it was going to be good but I didn’t think it was going to be that moving. For me it summed up what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. Ok… I fibbed; this is about real estate. Qi Zang’s organ play is very similar to the emotional roller coaster we go through running a business and investing in real estate.

There are going to be ups, and there are going to be downs. When a deal comes together you are going to drive home and feel like you just conquered the world, then a deal that you have worked very hard on is going to fall apart and you are going to feel like your life is over. You must remain in control of your emotions. This will build your emotional intelligence.

Over time this will become easier to do, but in the short term just remember that many things will happen in your entrepreneurial journey. Be prepared mentally for the good and bad times. Don’t live up the good times too much don’t let the bad time discourage you. Always keep your mind on your goals.  

This should be a rule to live by for new investors and a reminder to myself and the experienced entrepreneurs out there. We can’t let our decisions be dictated by our emotions. 

What do you think? Let me know in the comments.

I thought I would share this video with the you. You should definably watch it. Its about sustainable building in urban areas and Majora tells about it with great passion.  Let me know what you think by leaving a comment.

Majora Talks About:

-Leveraging a $10,000 seed grant into a $3,000,000 Park
-Green Roofs, Green Highway and Path Redevelopment
-Bottom Line Performing Green Redevelopment
-How Bogata Columbia Resurgence is a lesson for US Cities

and whole lot more… Watch Now.

Majora Carter: Greening the ghetto

I heard recently that 98% of IRA funds (anywhere from 5 to 14 TRILLION) dollars are invested in the stock market with 2% of that market share being invested in non-traditional assets i.e. mortgage positions, tax liens, startup companies etc. With the global markets melting down, I am curious as to why more people aren’t investing their funds in self-directed IRAs. I think it goes beyond the mere fact that….well….people have no idea that they actually can invest in non-traditional asset classes if they work with a self-directed IRA company (See my earlier post Why Don’t More People Self-Direct IRAs into Real Estate?)

Although that is a HUGE component, I think its more the symptom and not necessarily the disease. Beyond that huge hurdle is “Ok…great…Mr. or Mrs. Self-Directed IRA person, I get that I can self direct my IRA but can you recommend an investment for me to invest IN once I roll my old 401K over to your organization?”

The answer is indubitably and definitively no!

Why, you ask? Because, self-directed IRA companies are forbidden from providing investment advice. This is an interesting and cruel twist of fate for the population en mass, the self-directed IRA companies that hope to serve them and the real estate investor (and other kinds of investors) who would like to work with said individuals rolling over 401ks. Big business essentially has a monopoly on 401K monies (when was the last time you worked at large corporate organization X and went to HR and said “I would love to invest my money in an individual mortgage position in a local market and have the borrower personally guarantee to pay me back or I’ll foreclose and seize the asset and file a deficiency judgment against the borrower.” I am guessing not often.)

So you see, even if you knew that you could self-direct you still might not know how to invest or what in. At the end of the day, you should invest in something that makes sense to you, allows you to sleep at night and provides you some protections.

Just the thoughts of one man who recently watched his stock market investment account half in value.

Via { EpiphanyMD }

Hello, Ryan Sears here. Vice President at the Gilliard Group.

It’s the same old story everywhere you look these days “the sky is falling”. We can’t turn on the news or read the paper without hearing how bad the economy is, or how bad the real estate market is. Well I am here to tell you that it’s all a bunch of hogwash.

Flat out… this economy is ripe with opportunity. Especially in real estate. Many people are dismissing real estate because prices are falling. Lower competition is just one of the things that have brought about great opportunities in this market. We have a different set of challenges than we did several years ago. Before, the challenges were finding sellers and getting properties under contract, now the challenges are finding buyers and securing financing. It’s not “better” or “worse” than other markets, it’s just different.

So what’s the solution? One of the most important things you can do is surround yourself with people who have a positive mind-set and are doing what you want to be doing. This will begin to change the way you think about business opportunities, investing, money, family and life. A quote I know to be absolutely true:

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
-Jim Rohn

By surrounding yourself with like-minded people, you will begin to see clearly the opportunities that are available. Through networking you will be able to acquire the knowledge and resources you need to succeed. Whether you’re just starting out or you are a seasoned entrepreneur, networking is one of the highest and best uses of your time.

There is a great opportunity to surround yourself with some of the most successful people in the Baltimore/Wahsington DC Metro Area coming up on March 26^th. You will hear great speakers (including Kenneth Gills) and network with like-minded people. I highly recommend attending this event (I know I will be there).

Our very own Kenneth Gills was named one of the top CEOs in the Baltimore/Washington DC Metro Area. You can here him speak live along with 3 other top CEOs at the “BE PART OF THE SOLUTION” event hosted by Inspirion Inc. on March 26^th from 6 – 8 PM in Vienna, VA.

Click here for more information

The Baltimore based firm, Gilliard Group and Mid-Atlantic based Provident Bank announced a joint endorsement last week. Kenneth Gills (President of The Gilliard Group) and Provident Bank have had a long standing business and personal banking relationship, extending from personal checking accounts to business accounts and payroll services. Mr. Gills had many positive things to say about Provident Bank, touting them as “a business friendly bank”.

The Gilliard Group provided a table display with an ongoing slideshow presentation presenting the firm’s products and services, including: real estate investment properties, investment education services and $123 free with a new checking account at Provident Bank.

Many folks continue to be surprised that a real estate investment firm is flourishing despite the current market conditions.Bank patrons were intrigued as many of them signed up to receive information form The Gilliard Group. For a limited time the table display and presentation are located at the Southside Marketplace location at 857 E. Fort Ave. in Baltimore’s Federal Hill Neighborhood.

We intend to use this blog to deliver information and resources to you about running a real estate business. Here at the Gilliard Group we believe in reciprocity. We know that by helping others to achieve there goals, it will in turn help us achieve ours.

Look forward to articles, audio and video on real estate investment techniques, business systemization, productivity, business strategy and much more. If you have topic suggestions or questions about real estate investing please submit them as a comment. Thank you.