Category Archives: DC Real Estate Investing

Perfect Example Property For Our July WREIA Meeting

This property is a perfect example of the topics we will cover this Monday night at our July WREIA meeting in Bethesda.

I’ve asked our WREIA guests this month to share some of their best tips when it comes to Money, Renovation and Wholesaling real estate.

Our WREIA panel nights are some of the favorites of the year for our WREIA members. It gives us all a chance to reach back into our community and find out what other local investors are doing to have success.

If you understand how to Wholesale real estate, you have a good grasp of how to find properties – at a discount.

If you understand how to renovate the properties – within a set budget – you can profitably sell or rent them for a profit.

If you understand how the MONEY flows through your projects, you might uncover a few spots where you can make or keep MORE of your profits.

If MORE MONEY sounds good to you, come join us at the last WREIA meeting of the summer next Monday. Remember, we take a break in August every year to enjoy time with family and friends. Maybe this year you can do some Whitewater rafting?

Monday, July 16th at Washington REIA.

Will I see you there?

Bring your questions for the Q&A section.

Save a few dollars and reserve your seat early. Then join us at WREIA – Monday, July 16th. It will be a great meeting to get you motivated and get some momentum for the rest of 2018.

Join us as we enjoy “Three Pros Talk Money, Renovation, and Wholesale.”

Meet real people doing real deals in real estate – right here in the DC/Baltimore area.

Reserve your seat at this link.

John Peterson
Founder, Washington Real Estate Investors Association

July WREIA Meeting Details – VIDEO – Pro’s Talk Money, Renovation and Wholesale

Hello Again!

I was waiting on a new tenant at a rental yesterday and decided to make a quick video for your viewing pleasure.

Enjoy!

I’ve asked our WREIA guests this month to share some of their best tips when it comes to Money, Renovation and Wholesaling real estate.

Our WREIA panel nights are some of the favorites of the year for our WREIA members. It gives us all a chance to reach back into our community and find out what other local investors are doing to have success.

If you understand how to Wholesale real estate, you have a good grasp of how to find properties – at a discount.

If you understand how to renovate the properties – within a set budget – you can profitably sell or rent them for a profit.

If you understand how the MONEY flows through your projects, you might uncover a few spots where you can make or keep MORE of your profits.

If MORE MONEY sounds good to you, come join us at the last WREIA meeting of the summer next Monday. Remember, we take a break in August every year to enjoy time with family and friends. Maybe this year you can do some Whitewater rafting?

Monday, July 16th at Washington REIA.

Will I see you there?

Bring your questions for the Q&A section.

Save a few dollars and reserve your seat early. Then join us at WREIA – Monday, July 16th. It will be a great meeting to get you motivated and get some momentum for the rest of 2018.

Join us as we enjoy “Three Pros Talk Money, Renovation, and Wholesale.”

Meet real people doing real deals in real estate – right here in the DC/Baltimore area.

Reserve your seat at this link.

John Peterson
Founder, Washington Real Estate Investors Association

Rivers Of Money @ WREIA Meeting July 16th

Re: Rivers Of Money

Here we are – smack in the middle of summer 2018.

People all over our area have been enjoying their summer vacations or just celebrating with a few days off with friends.

Seems like a lot of the fun is taking place in, on or near the water.

Have you ever had some friends in from out of town and took them down to the Tidal Basin and enjoyed the paddle boats around the Jefferson Memorial?

Some people have joined their friends on a day-trip down a river. Maybe the Potomac or out in Annapolis for the day. Skiing, tubing, jet-ski’s – or just “going fast” on the water – it’s all fun and enjoyable.

At some point, a few of us have even ventured out to the Whitewater rafting trips in the Shenandoah mountains or beyond.

Each of those trips is similar to renovating different properties.

The small projects are easy going – a bit like the paddles boats or a dinner cruise in Alexandria. The renovation money spent is “smaller” and the projects are rather simple. There aren’t too many ways to make mistakes. In order to hurt yourself, you literally need to jump overboard.

Join some friends on a boat in a crowded marina and it’s a whole different adventure.

The boat won’t start – always a good way to start the day. But when it does there are so many other people zipping around it’s nerve-wracking just trying to get out to a safe spot to doing some skiing or tubing with the kids.

That’s a bit like doing a big renovation on a house in a neighborhood with a bunch of other properties for sale. Lot’s of moving parts, and you have to keep an eye on the market – your competition. Who is adjusting prices and why? Is the new foreclosure or bank property going to ruin your chance for good comps?

Or how about that Whitewater Rafting trip? Holy cow – exciting with the risk of injury or even death! The reality is, those rafting trips are most like the big renovations these days.

Failed inspections pop up like hidden rocks ready to throw everyone off the raft and totally derail your project timeline.

Opening the attic doors of newly purchased auction properties can be like approaching level 3 rapids. You never know if you’re going to find rodents, mold, holes in the roof or some other exciting way to add unexpected costs to your project.

These projects are all taking place on rivers of money that can really make people nervous because of the amounts of capital required or the speed at which it is being deployed.

Even when the water is shallow and barely moving – you need to keep an eye out for trouble. Nature has a way of ruining your best plans with burst frozen pipes on vacant property, or downed tree limbs from a passing storm.

We will have a couple stories about recent water damage at our July WREIA meeting next Monday. It’s a great chance to learn from other peoples mistakes.

I’ve asked our WREIA guests this month to share some of their best tips when it comes to Money, Renovation and Wholesaling real estate.

Our WREIA panel nights are some of the favorites of the year for our WREIA members. It gives us all a chance to reach back into our community and find out what other local investors are doing to have success.

If you understand how to Wholesale real estate, you have a good grasp of how to find properties – at a discount.

If you understand how to renovate the properties – within a set budget – you can profitably sell or rent them for a profit.

If you understand how the MONEY flows through your projects, you might uncover a few spots where you can make or keep MORE of your profits.

If MORE MONEY sounds good to you, come join us at the last WREIA meeting of the summer next Monday. Remember, we take a break in August every year to enjoy time with family and friends. Maybe this year you can do some Whitewater rafting?

Monday, July 16th at Washington REIA.

Will I see you there?

Bring your questions for the Q&A section.

Save a few dollars and reserve your seat early. Then join us at WREIA – Monday, July 16th. It will be a great meeting to get you motivated and get some momentum for the rest of 2018.

Join us as we enjoy “Three Pros Talk Money, Renovation, and Wholesale.”

Meet real people doing real deals in real estate – right here in the DC/Baltimore area.

Reserve your seat at this link.

John Peterson
Founder, Washington Real Estate Investors Association

US existing home sales fall for second straight month

Existing home sales were expected to increase in May.

The Commerce Department reported on Tuesday that housing starts increased 5.0 percent to a rate of 1.350 million units in May. Housing completions increased 1.9 percent to a rate of 1.291 million units last month.

Still, both starts and completions remain below the range of 1.5 million to 1.6 million units that realtors and economists said is needed to ease the supply squeeze.

According to the NAR, sales of homes priced below $100,000 plunged about 18 percent in May from a year ago. Houses for sale typically stayed on the market for 26 days in May, matching April’s seven-year low and slightly down from 27 days a year ago. Fifty-eight percent of homes sold in May were on the market for less than a month.

First-time buyers accounted for 31 percent of transactions in May, down from 33 percent in both April and May 2017. Economists and realtors say a 40 percent share of first-time buyers is needed for a robust housing market.

Find the complete report at https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/20/existing-home-sales-may.html

Success

I showed you one that we lost.

How about a property we completed?

Check out the video above and get a few details about our next June WREIA meeting.

If you are interested in the process of bankruptcy – join us on June 18th as we explore the many ways you can find properties that very few people know about. Long before other people know about them too.

Next Monday, June 18th at Washington REIA.

Will I see you there?

Bring your questions for the Q&A section.

Save a few dollars and reserve your seat early. Then join us at WREIA – Monday, June 18th. It will be a great meeting to finally start the summer season, get you motivated, and get some momentum for the rest of 2018.

Join us as we talk about Finding Property In the Bankruptcy Courts.

Meet real people doing real deals in real estate – right here in the DC/Baltimore area.

Reserve your seat at this link.

John Peterson
Founder, Washington Real Estate Investors Association

The One That Got Away

One Minute Forty Five Seconds about the “One Deal That Got Away”

I knew the value of the property.

I knew what needed to be done to fix it up.

I stuck to my numbers.

We were close to closing the deal.

Someone else bought the property.

They outbid me.

It’s the “One That Got Away”.

The person that did buy the house went ahead and renovated it and I’m sure did very well on the project.

And that’s ok.

There over 17 THOUSAND more chances to find another property from the bankruptcy courts.

Sure, not every case has real estate involved.

But many do.

If you have a good grasp on property values but are struggling to find property that you might be able to buy – at a discount – this next June WREIA meeting is for you.

If you are interested in the process of bankruptcy – join us on June 18th as we explore the many ways you can find properties that very few people know about. Long before other people know about them too.

Next Monday, June 18th at Washington REIA.

Will I see you there?

Bring your questions for the Q&A section.

Save a few dollars and reserve your seat early. Then join us at WREIA – Monday, June 18th. It will be a great meeting to finally start the summer season, get you motivated, and get some momentum for the rest of 2018.

Join us as we talk about Finding Property In the Bankruptcy Courts.

Meet real people doing real deals in real estate – right here in the DC/Baltimore area.

Reserve your seat at this link.

John Peterson
Founder, Washington Real Estate Investors Association

Bankruptcy Court In Greenbelt – June WREIA Meeting

I stopped by the Bankruptcy Court in Greenbelt earlier this week and made a short little video.

Lots of people in our business have no idea what goes on in these courts and all the opportunity it gives for those of us willing to do just a little extra work reviewing some of these files.

If you have a good grasp on property values but are struggling to find property that you might be able to buy – at a discount – this next June WREIA meeting is for you.

If you are interested in the process of bankruptcy – join us on June 18th as we explore the many ways you can find properties that very few people know about.  Long before other people know about them too.

Monday, June 18th at Washington REIA.

Will I see you there?

Bring your questions for the Q&A section.

Save a few dollars and reserve your seat early.

Then, come join us at WREIA – Monday, June 18th. It will be a great meeting to finally start the summer season, get you motivated, and get some momentum for the rest of 2018.

Join us as we talk about Finding Property In the Bankruptcy Courts.

Meet real people doing real deals in real estate – right here in the DC/Baltimore area.

Reserve your seat at this link.

John Peterson
Founder, Washington Real Estate Investors Association

17,400 Bankruptcies in Maryland in 2017

Over 17,000. That’s a big number.

But, there is one more item that actually got my attention.

It was the fact that this number was an INCREASE (+2.02%) over the previous year.

In fact, this was the first increase since 2010. Most of us remember that tough period from 2008-2010. People refer to it as the Great Recession.

This increase is a reversal of a trend. Small reversal, yes. But it is something to keep an eye on – and if the trend continues, or even gets larger, there could be an opportunity for those of us looking in this little nook of our business.

My point is this – as a well rounded real estate entrepreneur – are you looking for properties in the Bankruptcy Courts?

This is another skill set that you can take with you anywhere across the country. In fact, if you are looking for property outside of the DC area this process might be perfect for you.

I’ve had a lot of discussions with people over the last couple of years. Most people are getting frustrated that they can’t find property.

Are you looking at Bankruptcies?

In 2017 there were over 17,000 reasons you should be. And that’s only in Maryland!

If you are interested in the process of bankruptcy – join us on June 18th as we explore the many ways you can find properties that very few people know about. Long before other people know about them too.

Next Monday, June 18th at Washington REIA.

Will I see you there?

Bring your questions for the Q&A section.

Save a few dollars and reserve your seat early. Then, come join us at WREIA – Monday, June 18th. It will be a great meeting to finally start the summer season, get you motivated, and get some momentum for the rest of 2018.

Join us as we talk about Finding Property In the Bankruptcy Courts.

Meet real people doing real deals in real estate – right here in the DC/Baltimore area.

Reserve your seat at this link.

John Peterson
Founder, Washington Real Estate Investors Association

Finding Property At The Bankruptcy Courts

Re: Walt Disney

Walt Disney created what has become one of the most lucrative businesses of all time.

The Disney company brought in over 55 BILLION dollars in 2016.

But did you know it started as a result of a bankruptcy?

Most people don’t know that Walt Disney moved from Kansas City to Hollywood in 1923 after he declared bankruptcy with his previous company – Laugh-O-Gram Studios.

Walt had his tail between his legs and was a little embarrassed in the early 1920’s.

He had learned a few lessons from his earlier business and was ready to put that knowledge into action.

And that is how bankruptcy is supposed to be used. It gives people a chance to start over.

Fail. Get back up and go again.

It doesn’t get much more American than that. Entrepreneurship at its very core.

Forward to 2018, nearly a century later. Nestled inside the bankruptcy process is a way for us, as real estate investors, to help people through the process.

If you are interested in the process of bankruptcy – join us on June 18th as we explore the many ways you can find properties that very few people know about. Long before other people know about them too.

If you are interested in the process of bankruptcy – join us on June 18th as we explore the many ways you can find properties that very few people know about.  Long before other people know about them too.

Monday, June 18th at Washington REIA.

Will I see you there?

Bring your questions for the Q&A section.

Save a few dollars and reserve your seat early.

Then, come join us at WREIA – Monday, June 18th. It will be a great meeting to finally start the summer season, get you motivated, and get some momentum for the rest of 2018.

Join us as we talk about Finding Property In the Bankruptcy Courts.

Meet real people doing real deals in real estate – right here in the DC/Baltimore area.

Reserve your seat at this link.

John Peterson
Founder, Washington Real Estate Investors Association

 

How bad is Silicon Valley’s housing crunch? More than 6000 people applied for 95 affordable units

The nation’s housing policy for the poor can feel like a giant lottery. Sometimes it actually is a lottery.

For $1,200 a month, Patricia Torres and her family were renting a bedroom, a share of time in the bathroom, one vegetable drawer and one shelf in the fridge, and two cupboards over the stove. They rented not so much a home as a fraction of one.

Karen Calderon had even less: a single room in a homeless shelter where she was not allowed so much as a hot plate to cook for her family.

Adrian Caratowsa had a studio he’d remade as his own, repainting the walls and wallpapering over the kitchen cabinets. But every day for five years, he walked out into a neighborhood he found depressing.

For each, San Francisco’s housing crisis had meant living without essential elements of home. A large affordable housing development rising downtown promised what they did not have: 95 complete homes, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with privacy, a sense of peace, a place to cook.

More at CNBC