The Top 20 Real Estate Investor Websites You Need To Know About
Youve probably heard that 90% of all millionaires become so through owning real estate. While getting rich is a great goal to have, for many people the problem is knowing how to get there. Real estate investor websites offer so much information for free that its almost too good to be true.
Keep reading to understand why theyre such a valuable resource, and to learn about the 20 best real estate investor websites youll find this year.
How To Get Started With Real Estate: Real Estate Investing 101
When you are first starting out as a real estate investor, you might be overwhelmed with the sheer number of options. Within the world of real estate investing, you have a wide range of investment opportunities. Each presents a different opportunity that might be the right fit for you.
Before you get started, it is important to understand a few things.
Real Estate Course Education
Congratulations! Not everyone seeks to further their education through real estate courses and real estate coaching.
It’s the difference between making a profit or losing your investment â and weâre glad that you decided to take the time to understand the real estate investing process more.
Youâve learned so much, including:
- How to get started with your first real estate deal
- Types of real estate investing and which one is right for you
- How to find real estate deals in your local area
- How to obtain funding for your real estate deals
- How important closing a real estate deal is
- Tax strategies associated with a real estate investing business
Successful real estate investors will tell you that even though they are growing their investing education all the time, the learning never stops.
Because of this, feel free to revisit any of these courses above throughout your real estate investing journey.
Or, if youâre looking for more courses, you can view our real estate course library right here.
We would love to know how these real estate courses have helped you. Let us know by dropping us a line on , or email us at contact@wealthfit.com!
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Understand The Types Of Real Estate Investments
In Real Estate Investing 101, the first step to becoming a successful real estate investor is to decide what type of investments you want to pursue. In this section, we will cover the most common types of real estate investments.
Of course, there are a few other options out there. But this list should give you a good overview of your options.
Why Invest In Real Estate
Real estate can enhance the risk-and-return profile of an investors portfolio, offering competitive risk-adjusted returns. In general, the real estate market is one of low volatility, especially compared to equities and bonds.
Real estate is also attractive when compared with more-traditional sources of income return. This asset class typically trades at a yield premium to U.S. Treasuries and is especially attractive in an environment where Treasury rates are low.
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How To Invest In Real Estate: 5 Ways To Get Started
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If youve ever had a landlord, you probably don’t dream of being one: Fielding calls about oversize bugs and overflowing toilets doesnt seem like the most glamorous job.
But done right, real estate investing can be lucrative, if not flashy. It can help diversify your existing investment portfolio and be an additional income stream. And many of the best real estate investments dont require showing up at a tenants every beck and call.
The trouble is that many new investors dont know where or how to invest in real estate. Here are some of the best ways to make money in real estate, ranging from low maintenance to high.
What Is Real Estate Investing
Real estate investing generally doesnt mean buying a home to live in. While a home purchase may result in appreciation , youre not getting the tax advantages associated with investing or a monthly cash flow. And since youre not getting any rental income, youre sinking your own money into expenses that do not contribute to its appreciation. Think mortgage interest, property tax, insurance, utilities, lawn maintenance etc., In an ideal investment situation you would never have to dig into your own pocket because the rental income would cover all those costs.
Plus, since you always need a place to live, its hard to buy and sell your home at the most adventageous market time, as you would with a true investment. Instead, you usually buy your home when you need the space and can afford it, and sell it when you dont want to live there anymore its rarely possible to time the buying and selling as to when it will make you the greatest return, because your main consideration is if the house is serving your familys needs, not if it is making you the most money.
Besides that caveat, theres plenty of ways to invest in real estate.
Here are a few common ways you can make a healthy return off property:
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Closing A Real Estate Deal: 9 Steps To Get You From Signed Contract To Closing Table
Whether you are buying or selling a house, if youâre closing a real estate deal, you need to understand the key steps, parties, and vocabulary used in the process.
If not, a mistake in this area can be costly.
If you have any questions about the closing process, whether itâs a few or the process as a whole, you can find answers in the real estate course âClosing a Real Estate Deal: 9 Steps to Get You from Signed Contract to Closing Tableâ.
In the real estate coaching course, youâll learn:
- The common terms and components used in every closing
- How to perform due diligence thatâll keep your risk low and your profits high
- What is title insurance and why you need it
- how to review your closing statement to make sure everything is accounted for and credited properly
If you want to close a real estate deal with confidence and accuracy, watch the real estate training course here.
Con #: A Chunk Of Money
While financing an investment property makes it easier to buy, youll still need a good amount of cash up front. To even throw your hat into the real estate game, you need enough money for a down payment , closing costs and initial repairs and updates to the property. Also take into account that there will be ongoing expenses including insurance, mortgage payments, property taxes and maintenance. For many investors, that may be too much money to put into a single investment.
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Tips On How To Invest In Real Estate
For many aspiring investors, the closest they have come to a real estate deal is by watching reality TV. While television shows can be a good source of general information, they are often an unrealistic portrait of how to start a real estate business. Rather than watching HGTV in the hopes of picking up a new term or strategy, it is a good idea to form a concrete plan for learning the industry. The following list will outline some of the best real estate investing tips for beginners:
Assess Your Risk Tolerance
Although every investment is different, each one has its unique risks. As an investor, your risk tolerance depends on your personal circumstances. That, in turn, will help you decide which investments to take on. Some are less volatile, like money market accounts, while others are more, like futures.
If you dont know how to navigate the risk of investing, consider ways to take strategic risks. You may have to reevaluate your emotions or revise your strategy.
However, one of the best ways to mitigate risk is to build a diversified portfolio. Trading in various assets with different risk levels will cushion you if one happens to fail. In addition, building a strong portfolio lays the foundation for understanding your unique overall approach to real estate investment and portfolios of property.
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Pro #: Cash Flow / Passive Income
Real estate is a good long-term investment. But that doesnt always mean a property wont start producing cash flow in the short-term. As soon as the rental is filled with tenants, its totally possible to receive passive income from rents every month.
The key to buying a property that will cash flow is to run the numbers. Meticulously analyze and calculate all associated costs and expenses, including the mortgage. Check out average rental rates in the area for properties similar to yours. This will give you an idea of how much you can realistically charge tenants for rent.
If your mortgage and total monthly expenses are less than your rental income, youve got a cash flowing investment property!
If mortgage interest rates decrease down the road, refinancing the property at a lower rate will add to your monthly margins.
Real Estate Investing : Start Investing In Real Estate
If you are wondering how to get started in real estate, then look no further. With a basic grasp on real estate investing 101 concepts, youll be better prepared to dive into the world of real estate investing.
It is important to avoid expensive mistakes with real estate investing. Use our free guide to learn which 9 mistakes need to be avoided.
Learning how to start investing in real estate is essential if you want to build a solid portfolio. Today on FI by REI, you will learn about real estate investing 101.
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Max Real Estate Exposure
Speaking of exceptional marketers, Bill Gassett of Max Real Estate Exposure knows marketing. Consider his blog aptly named.
He covers everything from financing to moving, selling tricks to lien searches, and land loans to where to donate furniture when you move. And he does so not only on his own blog, but in a far-reaching network with other real estate bloggers. Bill is so knowledgeable about so many different facets of real estate that you never quite know what to expect on his blog, which makes it a fun, rounded hodgepodge of real estate facts, tips, tricks, and trivia.
Again, we work with Bill on content collaborations, so full disclosure, yada yada yada.
What If You Could Take All My Real Estate Knowledge And Download It Into Your Mind
Thatâs why I created this program! It’s the closest way I could do that! Elon’s Neuralink isn’t out yet, so I gotta do it this way. For those who don’t know… I was just a regular guy working at Jamba Juice who now has over $20 million invested in real estate.
Real estate has changed my life.
Not many people realize that real estate investing is why I had a net worth in the millions even before I even started making any real money on YouTube.
And before you think“ahh, I don’t think I have the cash right now to build my real estate portfolio”…
…remember, I started from scratch.
ð° I came from a broken, immigrant home with divorced parents.
ð° I left home and stepped into the world with no money.
ð° I worked several jobs that left me unhappy and unfulfilled.
ð° I saved what I could and invested every penny.
ð° My net worth was in the millions before any significant “YouTube money”
I got into my first property at 19 and it instantly boosted my net worth by around $100,000. This was when I only had about $9,000 in the bank.
More on how I did that later…
Maybe right now investing in real estate feels out of reach.
You might be in a paycheck-to-paycheck loop.
I actually recommend that the first $20k you have you use towards real estate. Not trying to do stock options first which many of you are doing…Read that again…
You could use the real estate strategies that have helped me grow my wealth even if you:
â Have ZERO Investing Experience.
Or you are…
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How Does Reit Investing Work
The simplest and most widely available way to invest in a REIT is to purchase shares in a publicly traded REIT company or in a REIT mutual fund. Any individual with a stock trading account can invest in REITs this way.
But accredited investors typically high-net-worth individuals who meet certain minimum financial criteria based on income and total assets can also invest in private REITs. These are not publicly traded and are not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which means they do not have the same regulatory requirements to disclose details about their financial records. This is why investment opportunities in private REITs are typically open only to accredited investors.
Consider Your Financing Options
After you have a handle on your personal finances, youll know what kind of upfront investment you might be willing to make. For example, youll know whether you want to buy in cash or commit the lowest possible down payment.
If you are looking for affordable entry points, there are many ways to secure affordable financing as the resident of a property. A few of the most affordable loans include the FHA, USDA, and VA home loan options. You might only need to put down 3.5% to get into a house. With that, house hacking is a great entry point into real estate investing for anyone.
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Strategies For Wealth Stage #3 Saver
Strategy Goal: Dramatically increase your savings rate by reducing expenses and/or increasing income
- Any of the options in stage #1
- Hack your housing in order to reduce or eliminate your housing payment
- Do a Live-In Flip in order to build big, tax-free savings
- Do a Live-In-Then-Rent by living in an affordable house for 1-2 years and then keeping it as a rental
- Start wholesaling real estate for quicker, smaller chunks of cash
- Start a non-real estate side-hustle that matches your skills and passions with a need in the marketplace
You Just Went From $10k To $40k In Value You Just 4x’d Your Investment That’s The Power Of Real Estate Your Appreciation Is Based On The Total Value Of The Property
Without the right knowledge about money and how to invest it, it can be hard to get out of the paycheck to paycheck trap and get off the sort of hamster wheel people stay on for sometimes their entire lives.
Learn the principles now that can help you grow your passive income, negotiate better prices, build wealth, and finally get on the right path to retire early all using the power of real estate.
Get in before the price increase and you’ll get future lectures included for free!
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Cons Of Real Estate Investing
- Potential returns aren’t as high as the stock market: From 1991 to 2019, the S& P 500 gained over 600% housing prices increased by only about 160%.
- Real estate investment can be cash heavy: If you really want to get a steady income stream going, then you need enough cash on hand. Whether it’s your own money or it’s loaned to you, you’ll need to be able to pay for building improvements, maintenance, and more.
- Properties are not liquid investments: You can’t turn a property into cash quickly like you can when you sell a stock.
- Managing tenants and building maintenance can be a challenge: Whether you hire a property manager or manage it yourself, running a property can be full of unexpected problems. These can include overdue rent, roof leaks, power outages, and more.
Consider Flipping Investment Properties
This is HGTV come to life: You invest in an underpriced home in need of a little love, renovate it as inexpensively as possible and then resell it for a profit. Called house flipping, the strategy is a wee bit harder than it looks on TV.
There is a bigger element of risk, because so much of the math behind flipping requires a very accurate estimate of how much repairs are going to cost, which is not an easy thing to do, says Meyer.
His suggestion: Find an experienced partner. Maybe you have capital or time to contribute, but you find a contractor who is good at estimating expenses or managing the project, he says.
The other risk of flipping is that the longer you hold the property, the less money you make because youre paying a mortgage without bringing in any income. You can lower that risk by living in the house as you fix it up. This works as long as most of the updates are cosmetic and you dont mind a little dust.
» Which is better?Real estate vs. stocks
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Is Real Estate Investing For You
Real estate investing has its pros and cons, and it isnt for everyone. If youre wondering whether or not real estate investing has a place in your wealth-building plan, sit down and have a conversation with your investment professional. And be sure youre working with an experienced real estate agent to help guide you.
When considering a new investment, an investment pro can offer practical advice on how to diversify your investments so youre prepared for the future. Need help finding quality pros? Try SmartVestor. Its a free way to find qualified investing pros in your area.
About the author
Ramsey Solutions
Ramsey Solutions has been committed to helping people regain control of their money, build wealth, grow their leadership skills, and enhance their lives through personal development since 1992. Millions of people have used our financial advice through 22 books published by Ramsey Press, as well as two syndicated radio shows and 10 podcasts, which have over 17 million weekly listeners.
