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Single-Family Home Rentals are Dead? Discover the #1 Investment Opportunity FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS

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By Gene Guarino, CFP

Are single-family home (SFH) rentals dead? Well, that depends on who you are renting them to of course. How does $200-$300 a month in positive cash flow sound? When I was 20 years old, that was exciting. Today, that doesn’t get me very excited at all.

Lets face it, one turn over with even one month of vacancy eats up an entire year’s worth of profits in most cases. Let me show you how to get TWICE the fair market rent with a long-term, low-impact tenant or if you’d rather, how you can make $10,000 or more NET per month with Residential Assisted Living.

The Baby Boomers are here and they are driving the demographics in housing for the next 20 years. Nearly eighty million of us were born between 1946-1964. We are the Baby Boomers, and we are turning 65 at the rate of over 10,000 a day. Life expectancy is increasing and many of us will live well into our 80s and 90s. There are 4,000 a day turning 85 and 70% of those people will need help for an average of 3.5 years. The 85+ year old group is the fastest-growing demographic of all in the U.S.

It is projected to triple over the next 20 years. Senior housing is a great place to be now and will only be getting better and better for the next 20-30 years.

The reality is that most seniors will not need a nursing home but they can’t live safely on their own either. They do need assistance and that is what is provided with Residential Assisted Living or RAL.

Many of you have already faced this situation with your own parents. If not, well, your time is coming. This mega-trend will last for several decades to come and you can profit from this unstoppable wave and help a lot of people by “Doing Good and Doing Well”.

Senior Assisted Living is the Best Real Estate Investment Opportunity for the Next 20 Years.

This mega trend is a “Silver Tsunami”and it has created a massive opportunity for smart investors who are poised to profit. Let me explain why “typical” SFH rentals are dead. If you rent a home to a typical tenant, you will get a typical profit of a few hundred dollars a month, maybe. With a typical turnover and a month of vacancy in between you may end up with little or no profit at all at the end of the year. Now, if you were to get TWICE the fair market rent, your profit increases exponentially. Instead of a few hundred dollars in profit you would be netting a few THOUSAND dollars in profit each month.

With your typical tenant you have a one-year lease. They may stay for a second or even a third year but they are looking to buy their own home and move out in most cases. That’s not bad but, on the other hand, what if they move out after a few months in the middle of the night and leave you with thousands of dollars of repairs from the damage they left behind? Been there, done that.

Let me ask a silly question: Would you rather have a long-term, low-impact tenant? A tenant that wants a five-year lease and wants to have two or three, five-year renewals on top of that? That is what an operator of a RAL wants. That is why senior housing is the best real estate investment opportunity for the next twenty years. Long-term, low-impact tenants who are willing to pay twice the fair market rent.

Why would someone pay TWICE the fair market rent and how do I find them!

The answer is your tenant, the operator of the RAL, will still be able to make a lot of money even after paying you twice the FMR. Let me fully explain that by crunching the numbers.

The national average for a private room in a residential assisted living care home is $3,500 per person, per month. Keep in mind that there are people paying two and three times that and there are people paying half that amount. You get what you pay for of course. Remember that 70% or more of the wealth in the U.S. is controlled by seniors. You may not be able to afford or provide for your own long-term care needs, but they can. Keep reading and I will share with you how you can live for free when you need your own long term care.

How much can I really make?

With a home that is licensed for 10 residents, at an average rate of $3,500 per resident, that is $35,000 per month in potential gross income. The expenses, including debt service or rent and even vacancy is about $25,000. That leaves a net profit of $10,000 per month for an average home. That is for an average home and an average clientele. I have homes that gross $40,000 and $50,000 per month and more. The reality is the expenses are virtually the same for an average home as they are for an above average home. The difference is the cost of the real estate.

As a landlord you could be very happy to have a couple thousand dollars per month in positive cash flow. As the operator of the RAL you can earn $10,000 to $20,000 net per month. That is a true win-win situation.

If you are considering renting your home to an RAL operator…

You will be well served to learn all you can about this opportunity. You will want to know what your tenant, the RAL operator, is supposed to be doing to be successful. That way you can better choose the right tenant and be set up for success from the start. At RAL Academy, I show people how they can profit whether they are a landlord or a tenant.

When we age we become more dependent upon the help of others in order to do basic activities of daily living. These self-care activities include ADLs such as cleaning, clothing, bathing, medication management and food prep.

You can profit either way.

This is not just another real estate “fad” that comes and goes.

This is a massive shift in housing demographics. You will either be riding on top of this unstoppable wave or you will hesitate, procrastinate and potentially miss it completely. That choice is yours but you will be a participant one way or the other. I have comparatively little competition. How many people do you know that are in the business of RAL?

With RAL it doesn’t matter whether the real estate market is at the peak or coming down from it, cashflow is cashflow. After 30 years as a real estate investor, doing everything from fix and flips, short sales, REOs, lease options and more, my goal is now just one thing: Significant long-term residual cash flow. Residential Assisted living gives you the opportunity to do one deal and you are done. For life.

What is the key to success in Residential Assisted Living?

The key to success in RAL is in the details. You need to know which type of home works best, what location is best, how to find the home that no one else wants that will work perfectly for a RAL home and how to do it quickly without all the guess work. You need to know how to find the right team to make your life easy and to fill the home with high-paying residents. I’m sure there are more questions coming to mind for you like: What about the liability? What about a two- or three-story home? What about… There is a lot to know, but the good news is you are not on your own.

If you want help in learning how to do this, it is available. Learn more at www.RALAcademy.com The phrase, “paying for speed” is not just an expression, it’s a reality. That’s why the Residential Assisted Living Academy was founded. To show others what to do and what not to do in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step process. I’ve done it, and I show you how you can do it too.

The “Silver Tsunami” is here and the opportunity to “Do Good and Do Well” is clear.

If you would like to learn more, at my training programs we go into depth so you will be totally prepared to succeed in this endeavor. Imagine having one RAL home providing your family a $10,000 per month POSITIVE CASH FLOW… Now, imagine scaling a bit and having two or three… now you’regetting the idea. It’s a new world out there. The days of making a few hundred dollars a month in cashflow per house are history. If you’d like to learn how to do one deal and make $10,000 per month or more, let me show you how you can make that happen. Gene Guarino, CFP is the founder of the Residential Assisted Living Academy. Learn more by visiting www.RALAcademy.com. Gene can be reached at: Gene@RALAcademy.com

The TOP FIVE Reasons to Consider COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE for Your Portfolio

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By Tom K. Wilson

While many investors see single-family homes as their “bread-and-butter” investment, investing in commercial properties is an option that can also help you achieve your financial goals.

“Commercial” in its broadest lay vernacular includes multifamily apartments, however, the true industry definition separates multifamily properties (over five residential units) from true commercial, such as retail, office space, industrial, self-storage or medical centers.

I’m often asked what kinds of properties I recommend. There is, of course, no one size that fits all investors or markets. While in a normal market multifamily properties are a natural progression from single family homes, this is anything but a normal market and currently there are too many multifamily buyers chasing too few deals, so it currently has lower CAP* rates or returns than pure commercial.

Here are five reasons to consider commercial properties for your portfolio.

#1 HIGHER ROI

Commercial properties often have higher and more predictable return-oninvestment than single-family homes, in part due to the economies of scale from investing in a larger property not usually available to the small investor.

For example, a current commercial retail center that we are acquiring has an 8.2 CAP rate and a four-year internal rate of return* of 12.0%. When you can borrow money at 4.25% and invest it in something yielding 12.0%, that’s worth considering!

#2 FEWER HEADACHES

It’s generally easier to manage one large property through a professional property management firm than to manage scattered single-family homes. Also the business tenants you get in retail or office space are usually of higher quality than most residential tenants. Business tenants have higher credit/risk scores, have pride of ownership in their businesses and want to protect their livelihoods. As a result, they have an interest in taking care of the property.

Many commercial properties are NNN* (triple net), so the tenant pays most of the expenses including taxes, insurance, and maintenance making the owner’s expenses very predictable and consistent.

#3 STABLE CASH FLOW

Commercial leases are typically 5-10 years in length vs. annually for single-family homes. Additionally, commercial leases include annual bumps in rent and options to-renew. As a result of all these factors, cash flows are more predictable.

#4 NO 10-MORTGAGE FANNIE MAE LIMIT

Any loans taken by the owner or syndicate do not count against your 10-mortgage limit because they are in the name of the owning entity and not on your personal credit. This enables you to put more of your capital to work.

#5 APPRECIATION MULTIPLIERS

Unlike single-family homes, which are strictly valued based on market demand, or ‘sales comps’, commercial properties are valued as a multiple of their Net Operating Income (NOI),* which can be driven up by a good property manager’s addition of value. At a Cap Rate* of 8.0,everyone-dollar increase in annual NOI can result in $12.50 of appreciation!

Steps you can take to actively improve NOI include:

  • Upgrading the existing buildings
  • Increasing TI (tenant improvement)
  • Adding leasable square footage
  • Raising rents
  • Reducing operating expenses
  • Adding amenities
  • Adding additional revenue generating resources (ATM kiosk), and many more

Rather than wait for market forces to raise real estate prices organically, you can create appreciation using levers like the ones listed above.

ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Of course, the five advantages of commercial real estate listed above are in addition to the usual benefits of any real estate investment:

  • Tax Benefits
  • Hedge against inflation
  • A hard asset with intrinsic value

Caveats of Commercial Investing

No discussion of commercial investing would be complete without noting a few issues that investors should be aware of.

Financing can be more challenging

Typically, the investor(s) must put down 25-30% of the sales price and finance the loan amount over a 5-10 year term with a balloon payment at the end of the term. Selling or refinancing options at that time will vary depending on market conditions. And there can be stiff prepayment penalties.

Not as Liquid

If you own 10% of a Commercial building and want to sell your interest, you can sell to your fellow investors (who usually get first right of refusal) but if none are interested, it may be difficult to get out of the investment. That is why long-term funds, like IRA money, are ideal for commercial properties.

Sale of a Commercial Property can take longer

While just about everyone wants a home, only a small percentage of the population is capable of purchasing a retail center or office building. The smaller market of potential buyers coupled with a detailed due diligence process means that the sale of the property can take longer than for a single-family home.

Syndications

Many of the challenges outlined above can be mitigated by investing with an experienced syndicator. Their knowledge, track record, and ability to qualify for the loan and manage the property, allows the small investor to participate in a high quality commercial property or to invest in multiple projects to distribute their risks.

SUMMARY

The benefits, economies of scale, opportunities for forced appreciation and higher returns make commercial properties an attractive addition to most investors’ portfolio, and one worthy of serious consideration.

For your free copy of Wilson Investment Properties article “Are Real Estate Syndications for You?” and a guide to “Commercial Real Estate Terms” please go to our website, www.TomWilsonProperties.com .

Tom K. Wilson has utilized his experience and skills acquired in 30 years of managing some of Silicon Valley’s pioneering high tech companies to buy and sell more than 2,500 units and over $130 million of real estate, including three condo conversion projects, eight syndications, and seven multifamily properties. He founded and owns Wilson Investment Properties, Inc., a company that has provided over 500 high cash flow, high-quality, rehabbed and leased residential properties to investors. Active in real estate associations, Mr. Wilson is a frequent speaker on real estate investing where his expertise and experience makes him an audience favorite. He is the weekly host of the Wed 2pm edition of KDOW’s RE Radio Live in San Francisco, the Wall Street Business Network (1220am).

*A GLOSSARY OF COMMERCIAL TERMS

CAP RATE (Capitalization Rate)

A measure of return calculated by dividing the property’s net operating income by its purchase price.

CONC (Cash on Cash Return)

A measure of return calculated by dividing pre-tax cash flow from a property by the total cash invested (e.g., down payment plus closing costs).

GRM (Gross Rent Multiplier)

The Gross Rent Multiplier is a measure of how expensive a commercial property is relative to the gross rents it brings in, calculated as: GRM = Purchase price of the property / Gross monthly rents.

NOI (Net Operating Income)

The total income from a property minus vacancy, credit losses, and operating expenses.

NNN (Triple Net)

A commercial lease in which the tenant pays three operating expenses (in addition to rent): Property taxes, insurance, and maintenance.

ROI (Return on Investment)

ROI measures the amount of return on an investment relative to the investment’s cost and is calculated as: ROI % = (Gain from the investment – Cost of the investment) / Cost of the investment.

Retire Wealthy with IRA Investing

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By Stephanie B. Mojica

Self-directed individual retirement accounts or IRAs are rapidly growing in popularity, but experts warn that it is important to only get into such an investment with proper education and professional guidance.

Kaaren Hall, owner of uDirect IRA Services in Orange County, Calif., says even after more than two decades in the financial industry and four years of running her company she too must continually stay on top of her investment education particularly regarding Internal Revenue Service guidelines for retirement accounts.

Self-directed IRAs allow people to invest their retirement funds into a variety of options outside of the traditional stock market, including real estate, land, and private notes.

“Financial literacy is not taught in schools, but our future depends on understanding it,” Hall says. “Only about 4 percent of u.S. investors have a self-directed IRA. Why? Because most investors and many advisors simply aren’t aware of it.”

But even those who are aware of the potential financial power of self directed IRAs often do not fully comprehend is the IRS guidelines of “prohibited transactions,” according to Hall.

“You’re not allowed to have any personal benefit from your IRA prior to retirement,” Hall says.

A common misconception among investors is that they can use the self-directed IRA funds to purchase real estate or other property from themselves or close relatives such as a spouse, a child, a grandchild, a parent, a grandparent and any spouses of such relatives. These transactions are not permitted under self-directed IRAs, according to Hall. However, an investor could purchase property from a more distant relative such as a sibling, a cousin, a niece, or an uncle.

“Make sure you know what you’re doing,” Hall says. “We’re here to help people so they understand the twists and turns as much as possible.”

The term self-directed in itself misleads some people because it is the IRA doing the investing, Hall adds.

“So that’s confusing because they get into trouble by maybe signing a purchase contract (in their own name),” she says. “Your IRA can’t buy an asset that you own.”

Consequently, people should wait until they actually open an account with a qualified custodian before funding it and making transactions, Hall says. Generally, a custodian rather than the actual investor should sign purchase contracts relevant to self-directed IRAs.

While representatives of companies such as uDirect IRA do not give actual investment advice due to potential legal liability, they can help people follow ever-changing IRS guidelines.

Hall, a former mortgage broker whose work history includes Bank of America and Indymac Bank, has educated tens of thousands of investors into deciding whether self-directed IRAs are right for them. She and her associates have directly worked with thousands of clients.

To learn more about self-directed IRAs, call 866-447-6598 or visit www.udirectira.com

Attracting Private Money DISCLOSING RISK

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An excerpt from “The Insider’s Guide to Attracting Private Money: Five Secrets to Fast, Unlimited Capital So You Can Save Money, Buy More Real Estate, & Build Wealth,” by Mark Hanf, President of Pacific Private Money.

When you seek to attract capital from private investors, you need to disclose the risk involved in your proposed project. The reasons you need to do so are several, but one of them is that you are asking people to lend you a portion of their life savings, and they are entitled to know what happens to that money in the event that you exit the picture.

The fifth question we answer in The Five Steps to Money Method™, “What happens if you disappear?” is asking much more than just “What happens if you get hit by a bus?” Disclosing risk is a very important yet often overlooked or ignored piece of the private lending equation.

That is, risk disclosure is often overlooked or ignored by borrowers. Your prospective private lender, on the other hand, is absolutely thinking about the risks of investing with you whether you bring them up or not. And what that prospective lender wants to hear from you is, “What are the risks, and what are your plans if things go wrong?”

You can answer this question by showing your lender how you are structuring your company and what measures you are taking to protect that individual’s investment. For example, who on your team is positioned to take over in the event that something happens to you? If you can address this question and others like it, you will show your potential lender that you have thought this through, and that you take the protection of his or her capital investment very seriously.

The level of detail that you go into when disclosing risk is up to you (with sound advice from your real estate attorney). But the most basic risk disclosure essentially boils down to this message:

YOUR INVESTOR COULD LOSE SOME OR ALL OF HIS OR HER MONEY.

That is why disclosing risk is such an important factor when you create your investment opportunity presentation. Addressing and disclosing risks in your presentation will make you look professional and thorough, just as the other important components that we have discussed so far in this book have done.

Many real estate investors don’t want to include risk-factor disclosures in their presentations because they are afraid that they will scare away their prospective private lenders. They worry that if their potential lender understood the risks, then that person would decide not to invest with them.

However, just sitting back and hoping that everything goes perfectly is not a strong strategy for success. The truth is that many real estate entrepreneurs have ended up in lawsuits because they failed to provide even the most basic disclosure of potential risks.

You should strongly consider engaging a real estate attorney to advise you if you plan to raise capital from private individuals. I am not an attorney, and this does not constitute legal advice. That being said, I have attended numerous real estate conferences and seminars on the topic of private capital, and I have seen many examples of risk disclosures ranging from simple ones to explanations that were long and complicated. As an example, for my mortgage pool fund, I provide prospective investors with a memorandum that includes over twenty pages of risk-factor disclosures.

The fact is that there are basic risks that you should be disclosing to your investors. Those disclosures should be included in any write-up you create for the purpose of raising capital from private individuals.

You don’t disclose these risks to your potential investor to scare them away. You disclose them so that the investor can make an informed decision. Risk factors you might discuss could include things such as:

  • changes in the real estate market
  • cash flow problems
  • conflicts of interest
  • an unproven real estate investing company (if you’ve never done a deal before)

CHANGES IN THE REAL ESTATE MARKET

Your opportunity presentation is based on a set of assumptions. Those assumptions include things like market demand, potential market appreciation, and an estimate of the increase in value as a result of your planned improvements.

However, the real estate market is subject to cycles that can affect the marketability, pricing, and days-onmarket estimate of your project. Real estate can and does decline in value as a result of certain market forces. Rising interest rates, job growth, joblessness, new inventory, and other factors can contribute to a drop in demand and prices for real estate in a given market. Your prediction of how well your proposed project will do should be based on a careful review of local market conditions, but you cannot guarantee that the results you predict will be realized.

CASH FLOW PROBLEMS

You have proposed a budget and a spreadsheet to your lender that shows your sources and uses of funds. But what if you come across significant and unexpected cost increases? Do you have the ability to cover them? Typically, your money partner will not be under any obligation to fund additional costs beyond the agreed-upon budget unless you bring this up in your written agreement beforehand. If the project stops as a result of running out of cash, you could be faced with mounting costs and declining profits as time goes on.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Are you planning to dedicate 100 percent of your time to this one project with your prospective money partner? Or do you have other projects or work obligations that might be construed as “conflicts of interest”? You can make a statement in your presentation that gives your lender notice that, while you are dedicated to the success of this endeavor, you are nonetheless free to pursue other business ventures or obligations, as well.

UNPROVEN REAL ESTATE INVESTING COMPANY

If you are new to real estate investing or if you have formed a new company to pursue real estate investments, you may not have a track record of success. In that case, your business model is unproven.

Changes in the market, cash flow problems, conflicts of interest, and an unproven real estate company are just a few examples of the risks that you may want to disclose to your lender. There are many others that you can identify and include in your proposal to give your investor a complete picture of what the project will entail. A qualified real estate attorney is an integral component to your team and should be consulted to assist you in drafting an appropriate disclosure statement.

I have been telling you to always put the best interests of your private lender first, but the fact of the matter is that a primary purpose of your disclosure statement is to protect you in case your lender chooses to sue you. If you can demonstrate that you disclosed material risks to your private lender before that individual invested with you, should things not work out as planned, you will be much better protected in a court of law.

Excerpted from the book “The Insider’s Guide to Attracting Private Money” by Mark Hanf, available at www.AttractingPrivateMoneyBook.com . Mark is president of Pacific Private Money Inc., a California-based hard money lender who has raised over $200 million in private capital since 2009.

Bruce Norris and the Norris Group

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By Bruce Kellogg

Who is Bruce Norris?

Bruce is a longtime real estate investor, builder, “hard money” lender, and real estate educator with over 35 years of experience. His history includes over 2,000 real estate transactions as buyer, seller, builder, or money lender.

He was married at 17, and had two children by age 18. He has lived on food stamps, and was fired from five consecutive jobs before entering his present business. He started by flipping houses, and he opened The Norris Group in 1997 as a “hard money” lender.

What Has He Done?

Renowned for his ability to forecast long-term real estate trends and timing, the release of The California Comeback report in 1997 gained him much notoriety. The accuracy of the extensive report led many California investors to financial freedom. His January 2006 release, The California Crash, was an in-depth look into the California market correction and the statistics behind Bruce’s predictions.

Bruce speaks and debates nationally, and has been a guest speaker at the Mortgage Bankers Association, REOMAC, Inman, HousingWire, California Association of Realtors, California Builders Industry Association, California Mortgage Association, the Real Estate Research Council, and several local and national investment clubs, associations, and service clubs. Bruce has met with local and national government officials, including FHA and Fannie Mae, to discuss market solutions and insights.

Bruce has contributed articles to many real estate magazines and newsletters, including The Business Press, Scotsman Guide, Creative Real Estate Magazine, The Orange County Register, RealtyTrac’s Foreclosure Newsletter, AOA Magazine, and The Daily Commerce. He has also been featured in: The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business News, Nightline ABC, The New York Times, Time Magazine, Good Morning America, The Los Angeles Times, Fortune, Mortgage Banker Magazine, Money Magazine, Reuters, The Associated Press, The Tribune, and numerous others.

What is Bruce Doing Now?

Bruce is also the host of the award-winning series, I Survived Real Estate. The events bring together leaders from numerous real estate sectors to discuss legal regulations, stimulus-related issues, and solutions to the current market. The events have also helped raise over $860,000 for charity since they began in 2008.

Bruce hosts the award-winning Norris Group Real Estate Radio Show and Podcast, where he interviews real estate industry leaders, authors, government officials, local experts, and economists. Guests have included representatives from the FBI, the MBA, Freddie Mac, the Appraisal Institute, HUD, Fannie Mae, PropertyRadar, Auction.com, PIMCO, PMI Group, REDC, the National Auctioneers Association, and the Center for Responsible Lending, as well as Peter Schiff of Euro-Pacific Capital, and John Maudlin, to name a few. There are almost 600 shows and 250 hours of free education in the real estate radio archives.

Bruce currently serves on the Executive Board for the Real Estate Research Council of Southern California. He was awarded Educator of the Year by Think Realty in 2018.

What About the Norris Group?

Besides making “hard money” loans in California and Florida, The Norris Group educates investors. Their training is unique in that they created the Quadrant System, which takes a lot of their market timing research and layers buying and selling strategies to the market. Their learning management system has over 60 hours of content, but an investor won’t use all of it at one time. In addition, they consider the investor’s skillset and personality, and can do one-on-one strategy sessions that consider who the person is, where the market is, and how they will most likely best succeed in the business. The Norris Group recommends exploring their free content, like their radio show and weekly real estate news videos, and then explore their VIP Subscription.

What About Bruce’s Market Predictions

Bruce is worried that markets have become hot in California. Affordability numbers suggest we could still experience price increases in many areas of California. We have never had “full employment” and a great economy while experiencing a decline. However, Bruce is concerned about a number of issues including interest rates, and in some markets how hot prices have become. His long-term and short-term outlooks for California differ. He wants investors to really think about protecting themselves in the next few years, and avoid buying into the hype.

The Norris Group in Florida

Bruce has been investing in Florida since Hurricane Andrew. Over 20 years, he and the Norris Group have built houses, done “flips”, and acquired rentals, along with establishing a “hard money” lending business. Bruce exchanged some California properties into new construction rentals over the last four years and expects to see many California investors diversify by using Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 1031 to exchange into Florida properties.

The Norris Group offers readers to visit their website, www:TheNorrisGroup, to take advantage of the free items available there.

 

 

An Industry Leader Discusses His Deals

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By Hannah Ash

Larry Goins doesn’t know it all. “When it comes to real estate, the learning never stops,” he tell me. When one of the country’s leading investors pauses for a moment of self-reflection, it’s worth a listen.

“You can learn something from everybody you meet,” he tells me. It’s one of the secrets to his success in real estate; he’s always on the hunt for a way to do it better. “Just this week, I attended two webinars,” he casually remarks. I must admit: I’m taken aback.

For someone who has been engaged in all aspects of real estate since the 1980’s, Larry Goins isn’t full of the slam-dunk advice one might expect; instead, his advice is to ask questions and keep an open mind. That’s what he does, he says. He wants to know how he can do better and wants to meet people who can teach him how; he is full of stories of things he’s learned this week and this month.

For a man who once served as president of the Metrolina ReIA and is a mortgage lender, real estate broker, agent and licensed general contractor, one would think he might just want to rest. Mr. Goins, however, is one of those rare breeds who love what they do so much, it doesn’t feel like he’s working a job. Goins’s work is stacking up success after success and helping others find their own successes along the way.

Mr. Goins has a motto, “People and principles before profits.” When he’s not working, he’s with his family. I ask if they share his interest for real estate. His 17 year old daughter loves equestrianism, he says, “and she regularly takes to the ring, riding in shows”. Goins also has a son and wife. “My 9 year old son is already a hard money lender,” he laughs. When it comes to his wife, it’s not much different, “Pam is a hard money lender too. She also gives of her time generously by leading her church’s food pantry organization.” Both altruistic and driven to succeed, it should come as no surprise that he’s found a way to marry his two loves together; family and success. Following in suit, Goins has seamlessly merged his love of successful real estate investing and his love of educating into a dream job. He works with a large team of professionals who are all as excited about real estate as he is. Based in his scenic hometown of Lake Wylie, South Carolina, The Goins Group focuses on education while his Investors Rehab is all about actively buying and selling a lot of real estate.

A published author, his first book, Real Estate Day Trading, is available in bookstores everywhere. HUD Homes Half Off, his newest release, is available on Amazon and through his website. In his free time, Goins regularly hosts seminars, webinars and gives interviews as a way to motivate other investors to get serious about their money. Goins’ real estate blog is full of well-crafted tips for new and seasoned investors.

An apprenticeship in real estate investment is the best way to describe what Goins and his team offer students. You can’t get a college degree in real estate investing, but, Goins says, “you can latch onto someone experienced whom you trust to start learning.” He and his team, in many ways, operate like a trade school. There are books to read, active mentors, seminars and real-world investing experience through Investors Rehab.

For investors looking to get started or looking for a new edge, The Goins Group aims to serve. Each week, the business advisors Larry trusts to work alongside him in his office, check in with students to touch base, answer questions and provide some motivation. Goins says he too gets on the phone and talks to his students whenever necessary.

The skills his investors learn, Goins says, can change lives. “Real estate is what you make of it”, Goins explains, and his programs work for everyone; his clients come from all walks of life. One of his students, Alon, a pediatrician currently living in New York City, is working with Larry to diversify his investments and bring in some extra cash flow. Another client is a former prisoner who was able to change the direction of his life forever. “Do your techniques work?”, I ask. The proof is in the pudding: the hundreds and hundreds of letters and video testimonials that Goins and his team proudly receive each year say it all. As an active real estate investor, Goins has a simple approach to buying real estate; his philosophy is one that most investors can rally behind, “I buy houses. I don’t get sold houses.” Goins says people often say to him, “Wow! That’s a great deal. Where’d you find it?” goins explains, “I tell them: it wasn’t a good deal when I found it. We created the deal.” Investors Rehab, the investing arm of his business, attracts all types of investors. Whether it’s an investor looking for a great deal or someone he’s mentored, Investors Rehab has no shortage of buyers.

To create such good deals, Goins and his devoted team are always on the hunt for property to buy. He estimates they make a jaw-dropping 2,000 to 3,000 offers a week; they purchase 10-15 properties a month through their office. Once an offer has been accepted, his dedicated team gets three repair estimates and conducts a comparative market analysis. The properties Goins buys and sells aren’t “turn-key,” he says, they are what he has dubbed, “learn-key.”

Learn key? “That’s right,” Goins tells me, “Learn-key means you learn as you earn.” Investors buy properties for great prices that need a bit of work, and thanks to the research the Goins team does beforehand, they know about how much work will be needed before a property is rental-ready or can be flipped. The legwork goins’ team does takes away some of the risk for new investors and is a great help to seasoned investors. “Learn-key properties come with instant equity while turn-key properties come with instant cash flow”, goins explains. He wants investors to get the most equity they can out of a deal. Simply stated, learn key teaches investors to fish whereas turn key gives investors the fish.

Larry Goins, and his career in real estate, stand apart from the rest. His continuous drive to perfect his craft, learn better ways of doing things and new challenges to win is both inspirational and rare. Though his son and wife have an obvious interest in real estate, perhaps his daughter’s interest in horseback riding indicates that she too hasn’t fallen far from the Goins tree either; in both real estate and riding, there are always different horses to tame, new challenges to tackle and techniques that can be improved upon.

“Keep Learning. Take action.” Goins says. Just as in horseback riding, in real estate you can’t go far unless you saddle up and start riding. Since this is an article about a man driven to help others, it should come as no surprise that he’s decided to offer our readers his book about buying HUD Homes Half Off free of charge to our readers. Think of it as a nudge to take action from Larry himself.

To receive your copy, simply visit Amazon or get your free copy via this website: http://freehudbook.com/