Category: DC Real Estate Investing

  • Big Trouble at the FHA

    Does This Surprise You?

    “Over 1 in 6 FHA loans are delinquent 30 days or more.

    Most of these were originated in 2008, 2009 and 2010…”

    Like I said last week…. I see opportunity ahead in 2013. 

    Right now, there are a few things about the FHA that make me feel a little like …. 2007.
    http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/11/the-next-housing-bailout-big-trouble-brewing-at-the-fha/265359/

    Here are three quick take-aways from this article:

    • FHA now guarantees 16 percent of all US mortgages, and 30 percent of all new home purchase mortgages.
    • Fannie, Freddie, FHA, Ginnie Mae, and even the USDA act as the five faces of Uncle Sam’s home loan shop; they account for 90 percent of all new originations.
    • In the first quarter of FY 2012, an estimated 40 percent of FHA’s business consists of loans with either one or two subprime attributes.

    Articles like this make me wonder if we didn’t “federally guarantee” our way out of the housing mess.  In fact, I wonder how big are the problems still within the industry.

    But articles like this can’t stop your business.  One of the things that keeps me going is the one big thing we all have going for us in our business – people need a place to live.

    Join us tonight at WREIA for the last meeting of the year.  There will be no outline to follow.  There is no script tonight.  But that doesn’t mean you won’t want to take notes.

      Come join us tonight and find out more about where our members

    found terrific success in 2012 and where we are focusing in 2013. 

    Get more details and register for the WREIA Nov. meeting tonight at
    http://nov2012-wreia-wreia.eventbrite.com

    Many people will need help in 2013 – I sure hope you plan on being with us tonight to listen in an maybe even contribute to the conversation.

    We are going to cover a lot of ground.  Washington REIA members will be talking about their investing discipline, including answering the following;
    • Commercial
      • Where do I find small commercial deals that cash flow?
      • What type of programs are available to finance commercial properties?
      • Advantages and disadvantages of this type of investment?
    • Renovation
      • How are you finding deals?
      • What is the toughest part of the process?  Finding, Fixing or Selling?
      • Where are the best places to invest?  Where are the DC Area Hot Spots?
    • Wholesaling
      • How do you build a reliable list of Purchasers?
      • Where do you find information on value and renovation expenses?
      • How much money can I expect to make on a typical wholesale deal?
    • Investor/Realtor
      • How do I find a realtor that can assist me with investments?
      • Is the MLS a good source of deals?
      • What do I need to have in order to be attractive to realtors?

    Get more details and register at   http://nov2012-wreia-cc2.eventbrite.com

    Let me know how I can help you,

    John Peterson

    301-881-5541
    Washington REIA Network, President
    Profitable Property, FounderP.S We are doing projects all over Metro DC!  If you need an active finance partner in the Washington DC area, we have been expanding our capital base and now have all the funds you could ever need to help you with your deals.   You can request a funding letter or share details on your property at http://dchardmoneylender.com/quick-property-submit/ Get more details about tonights meeting at http://nov2012-wreia-wreia.eventbrite.com
  • Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act

     I HAD To Laugh When I Heard Him Say…

    “This fiscal cliff is scaring me to death! I don’t know what to do.”

    “Why?” I asked.

    For the next 5 minutes I heard what sounded like a word for word reporting of every thing I’ve been reading and hearing about across every newspaper and news station.

    The big difference for me, I explained, was that after all the same “news”…..

    I see opportunity.

    If all of the headlines are making you just the slightest bit nervous, come join us on Monday night at Washington REIA.

    One of the things we are going to talk about is the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act. The Act is set to expire on Dec. 31st.

    You can find more at http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/The-Mortgage-Forgiveness-Debt-Relief-Act-and-Debt-Cancellation-

    The expiration of the Act concerns me for one reason.  When we are talking with potential sellers of over-leveraged properties, this Act creates an incredible tax incentive for them to sell their property through the short sale process OR apply for a modification of their existing mortgage.

    There are still millions of people across the country who are underwater on their homes.  There are thousands of people in the DC/Baltimore area who still need help.

    If this Debt Relief Act is not extended, we will be switching most of our focus to the bankruptcy courts.  That will be the only solution for many of these people in our area who need to get out from under their properties and the massive deficiency judgements that would follow.

    Come join us Monday night and find out more about where our members
    found terrific success in 2012 and where we are focusing in 2013.

    Get more details and register for the WREIA Nov. meeting at
    http://nov2012-wreia-wreia.eventbrite.com

    We are going to cover a lot of ground on Monday.  Washington REIA members will be talking about their investing discipline, including answering the following;

    Commercial
    Where do I find small commercial deals that cash flow?
    What type of programs are available to finance commercial properties?
    Advantages and disadvantages of this type of investment?

    Renovation
    How are you finding deals?
    What is the toughest part of the process?  Finding, Fixing or Selling?
    Where are the best places to invest?  Where are the DC Area Hot Spots?

    Wholesaling
    How do you build a reliable list of Purchasers?
    Where do you find information on value and renovation expenses?
    How much money can I expect to make on a typical wholesale deal?

    Investor/Realtor
    How do I find a realtor that can assist me with investments?
    Is the MLS a good source of deals?
    What do I need to have in order to be attractive to realtors?

    Get more details and register for the WREIA Nov. meeting at   http://nov2012-wreia-wreia.eventbrite.com

    Let me know how I can help you,

    John Peterson
    301-881-5541
    Washington REIA Network, President
    Profitable Property, Founder

    P.S We are doing projects all over Metro DC!  If you need an active finance partner in the Washington DC area, we have been expanding our capital base and now have all the funds you could ever need to help you with your deals.   You can request a funding letter or share details on your property at http://dchardmoneylender.com/quick-property-submit/

    Join us at the November WREIA meeting.  Get more details at http://nov2012-wreia-wreia.eventbrite.com

  • The Window Is Closing

    The Window IS Closing

    Where are we going in 2013? Well….

    “The end of 2013 is going to look very different than the beginning of the year.”

    That quote was said during a conversation a few days ago with one of our private money partners.

    ***
    By the way – We currently have access to all the capital you could
    possibly need to fund your deals.
    (And yes, that’s a shameless plug.)
    Call the office at 301-881-5541 if you need a finance partner.
    ***

    Come join us at WREIA next Monday at the final monthly meeting of the year and find out why 2013 will present many opportunities at the beginning of the year, that will not be available at the end of the year.

    Last year when we had this same members-only format for the November meeting, everyone who attended agreed it was one of their favorite nights of the year.  Our WREIA members are going to get up and tell you about their year – both positive and challenging – and how a few of them have made exponential progress during 2012.

    Come a little early for the pizza and networking, but make sure you get a good seat.

    Please note: We will not be distributing a presentation after the meeting and there will be no video or audio recording available of the Nov. meeting.

    Like a stuck window that you need to close due to a coming storm – sometimes you have to open it further to get it moving.  Our window of opportunity is going to swing wide open in the 1st quarter of 2013 before it slams shut later in the year.

    Come join us and find out why on Monday night.

    Get more details and register for the WREIA Nov. meeting at
    http://nov2012-wreia-wreia.eventbrite.com

    We are going to cover a lot of ground on Monday.  Washington REIA members will be talking about their investing discipline, including answering the following;

    Commercial
    Where do I find small commercial deals that cash flow?
    What type of programs are available to finance commercial properties?
    Advantages and disadvantages of this type of investment?

         Renovation
    How are you finding deals?
    What is the toughest part of the process?  Finding, Fixing or Selling?
    Where are the best places to invest?  Where are the DC Area Hot Spots?   

    Wholesaling
    How do you build a reliable list of Purchasers?
    Where do you find information on value and renovation expenses?
    How much money can I expect to make on a typical wholesale deal?

        Investor/Realtor
    How do I find a realtor that can assist me with investments?
    Is the MLS a good source of deals?
    What do I need to have in order to be attractive to realtors?

    Get more details and register for the WREIA Nov. meeting at   http://nov2012-wreia-wreia.eventbrite.com

    Let me know how I can help you,

    John Peterson
    301-881-5541
    Washington REIA Network, President
    Profitable Property, Founder

  • Sponsored Social Media Marketing Classes & End Of Year Wrap-up

    Unbelievable. I looked up at the calendar and it’s November already….

    What happened to 2012!!??

    I hope you have had an exciting and profitable 2012. We only have a few chances for you to catch us as we start ramping up our renovation business for 2013.

    Just like you, we are out there every day looking for those lucrative projects to start as we head into the end of the year. We have joint venture opportunities and capital to lend on your great projects so don’t be shy. We would love to help you get your ready-to-sell inventory primed for the spring buying rush.

    For those of you who attended our October WREIA meeting, you know that we are focused and planning on doing good, solid projects, in sought after communities, across our broader DC region.

    Some of you also mentioned the WREIA meeting in September was helpful and exciting, but you wanted to see more of the tools and techniques we use to generate interest and leads for the projects we do.

    Well, we heard you. On November 2nd, WREIA and Profitable Property are sponsoring a super low-cost 2 part training that will knock your socks off.

    At our old stomping grounds at the Rockville Hilton, we are going to be showing you more of our numbers and the results we are getting from online and social media marketing campaigns here in the DC area.

    The class is jam packed with tons of information you can act on as soon as you leave the building. For those of you who are super motivated, you could actually start using some of the tools in the lobby……

    We are going to be showing you details on why and how much time you should be spending on social media. Believe me, if you are seasoned in this business, you could be spending as little at 6 hours – A WEEK – on social media marketing and generating all the leads you can handle. (In fact, 61% are seeing lead generation benefits with 6 hours or less.)

    Please understand – I said 6 hours for seasoned business owners.  If you are getting started, it will take a little more work than 6 hours per week to get your plan up and running.

    Friday Nov. 2nd is not for the “push a button and I’m rich” crowd.

    This business today takes some hustle.

    Friday Nov. 2nd is not for the “I’ll just hire someone on Odesk to do it for me” business owner.

    The hungry outsourcing crowd on Odesk offer services that could actually hurt your business online today. You have to know what to tell them to do – as well as understand why they are doing it. Our online contractors are doing very different work for us today compared to what they were doing in 2009.

    If you are just getting started in this business or your marketing online could use a jump-start – that’s OK. You are really going to enjoy the morning session from 9-11AM.

    However, if you have a good system up and running already, and want to get out in front of your competition, you will want to attend the Advanced class from 12-2PM.

    Of course you can choose the morning Beginner & Getting Started session, the afternoon Advanced session or simply attend both. Get more details on the two sessions here.

    Please don’t wait to register. For the first time, our new affiliates went live and started marketing to their lists yesterday.

    We only have 30 seats and at the rate we are going, this class is going to sell out soon. You cannot plan on coming to the door to register – you simply will not find a seat. (We offered the same class last year, and sadly, some of our members were turned away at the door. If your marketing needs help, please don’t let that happen to you on Nov. 2nd.)

    Bring your marketing frustrations and questions – this is an interactive training experience.

    Let me sum up the class by saying this:

    Both sessions are focused on creating multimedia content your clients and customers will engage and respond to – with an intense focus on generating a bottom-line, dollar denominated, measurable profit for your business.

    You can find even more details and register here or at
    http://small-business-profitable-property-marketing-cc1.eventbrite.com

    Now – on to the last WREIA meeting of the year.

    Last year, we had the most positive feedback and comments from the November WREIA monthly meeting – BY FAR. Dozens of people let us know how much they enjoyed the evening.

    We are going to bring in some of our WREIA members who are superstars, and they tell you what they did, and how well they did over the course of 2012. They are not joining us to brag about themselves, but to help motivate you. (If you are interested in sharing your success story, let us know.)

    We plan this November format because of one simple reason:

    When you see other people doing it, you realize you can do it too.

    Let me know how I can help you,

    John Peterson
    301-881-5541

  • Oct. WREIA Monthly Meeting Recap

    If you missed this months meeting – you missed a lot.

    Local REO agent Steve Loffler and expert short sale negotiatior Brian Gormley gave some insight into their business today, and how they are preparing their business for 2013.

     

    Don’t miss our upcoming DC Area Small Business Marketing Classes on Nov. 2nd. and our last WREIA meeting of the year on Nov. 19th.

  • Oct. 15th at WREIA – Short Sales, REO’s and Auctions

    John Peterson discusses the upcoming October 2012 meeting at Washington Real Estate Investors Association. The panel of guest speakers will be focused on Short Sales, REO’s and Auctions in the DC area.

  • $300 Million Commission Check – Gone.

    Fannie Mae owns about 110,000 homes.  They are collecting rent on about 8,000 of those properties.

    Some real estate agents are getting upset about the new plan to sell these homes directly to hedge funds and private equity groups.

    Let’s run some round numbers real quick:

    100,000 Homes
    100,000 Average Sale Price
    10,000,000,000 – That’s 10 Billion in sales.

    Now, the average Realtor commission is about 3% on the sale of a home….

    That totals $300 Million in Realtor sales commissions -GONE-  if Fannie Mae were to sell all of their inventory directly to hedge funds.

    You can read more about this at http://blogs.wsj.com/developments/2012/09/10/fannies-big-foreclosure-sale-maybe-not-so-big-after-all/

    Hmmmmm – I imagine if you asked your friendly neighborhood Realtor if they are excited about missing out on their “piece” of that pile of commissions, they probably won’t be too happy.

    Next Monday at Washington REIA Network we are going to be talking about the alternatives to the private equity and hedge fund sales – which are short sales and auctions.

    Get more details on the WREIA Oct. metting at http://wreia-oct2012-cc1.eventbrite.com

    Let me know how I can help you,
    John Peterson

    301-881-5541
    Washington REIA Network, President
    Profitable Property, Founder

    P.S We are doing projects all over Metro DC!  If you need an active finance partner in the Washington DC area, we have been expanding our capital base to help you with your deals.   You can request a funding letter or share details on your property at http://dchardmoneylender.com/quick-property-submit/ 

    Finally – if you enjoyed last months WREIA meeting, you are going to love this:  Profitable Property is going to help you dig a little deeper into effective business marketing. We will be hosting two sessions tentatively scheduled for Friday morning Nov. 2nd in Rockville, MD. Let us know if you are interested by sending an email to ProfitableProperty@gmail.com.

  • Upcoming WREIA Meeting to Focus on Short Sales & REO’s

    Banks are becoming more and more bold…..

    Now that the robo-signing scandle is behind us, and the banks are beginning to pay their fines, you can expect to see more and more properties hit the market in the coming months.

    Oct. 1st marks the beginning of the 4th quarter for many businesses here in the United States. Many of the banks are looking to unload properties they are holding, either through auctions or short sale agreements with the current deed owners.  A precious few owners are actually making it through to the other side of a trial modification period arriving safely at a permanent loan modification.

    Here in the DC area we recently set aside one of the largest property auctions to ever hit our area.   We notified our WREIA members of the minimal 100k needed to enter a bid for the estimated 23 Million Dollar McLean property.

    If you are interested in learning more about what to expect through the end of the year and into next spring, join us on Oct. 15th at Washington REIA Network

  • Thursday Morning Meeting – Social Media Advertising – Google Hangout Clip

    In this clip from a meeting just a few minutes ago – listen in as our guest speaker on Monday night shows how he is using a $10 ad budget to get THREE TIMES as many people to connect with the media campaign his client was already doing.

    It’s happening everywhere this year – businesses are getting to the 99 yard line, and giving up.

    Watch this clip as one of our members learns a simple lesson, and gets a preview of a slide you will all get to see on Monday night at our Monthly WREIA meeting.

    Be sure to sign up for the monthly WREIA meeting on Monday night. You can register at http://wreia-sept2012-wreia.eventbrite.com

  • 41% Say This Increased Sales – WREIA Article #100

    You have been reading about this….

    Some of you have heard stories about people who are growing their business.

    Some small businesses are expanding, and hiring new people, and at the very least retaining the employees they do have.

    These results posted above are from a survey of over 40,000 small businesses.  Of those that responded over 40% said it caused them to increase sales, and 34% also increased their margins – because of this one thing.

    Now, I am all for increasing your sales & increasing your margins. But when you start to hire new staff because your business is growing – you must be doing something incredible, right?

    You would be surprised how simple this is to do and how few people actually do it.  Quite frankly, I am thinking of making it a requirement for people I do business with in the future.

    And – the cost?  Zero.

    My advice to you is to find out what this one thing is, and take advantage of it. 

    You can guess what this one thing is over on our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ProfitableProperty

    If you want to learn how to start growing your business again, you need to join us on Sept. 17th at our next WREIA meeting Monday night.

    In 2012 we have been focused on introducing you to local professionals who have been working our business.  Monday night we continue  – and I share some insight into my own business results.

    I am going to share a guest speaker with a powerful info-packed presentation.  The presentation will include updates on :

    • Email Marketing
    • Direct Mail Marketing
    • Social Media Marketing
    • Mobile Marketing
    • Reputation Management

    He will also be sharing some insight into topics I don’t completely understand, but he loves to work with every day including:

    • Search Engine Optimization,
    • Search Engine Marketing,
    • Mobile Ads,
    • Marketing Test Results (One slide has results from 19 recent tests.)

    When we talked last week, he wanted my permission to share some results from some of my recent campaigns.  I approved all of them.

    Most of you are going to be shocked by the results a few campaigns where the total ad budget was just a hair under $10.

    That’s not a typo – you will see ad campaigns with a budget of less than $10.

    Don’t forget – At our meeting, I want you to bring in your Smartphones, fire up Twitter, Facebook, and make sure you have a LinkedIn account.

    When you leave Monday night, you will have all the information you need to completely duplicate my business – and stamp your own personality on it.  It may surprise you, but it doesn’t make me the slightest bit nervous.  In fact – I want you to take the information and get started making improvements to your business on Tuesday!

    If you are willing to hustle, work hard – and learn how to help a LOT of people in the next 2  years – join me on Sept. 17th at WREIA.

    John Peterson

    301-881-5541
    Washington REIA Network, President
    Profitable Property, Founder
    P.S We are doing projects all over Metro DC!  If you need an active finance partner in the Washington DC area, we have been expanding our capital base to help you with your deals.   You can request a funding letter or share details on your property at http://dchardmoneylender.com/quick-property-submit/ 

    ***

    Register now for the Sept. WREIA meeting online, save $5, and skip the registration line!
    You will also find the registration link athttp://wreia-sept2012-wreia.eventbrite.com