Wednesday, 15 April 2009

3 Tools ALL Real Estate investors need

By Doc Schmyz

I am always being asked. "Doc what advice can you give me that will help me with investing. What tricks of the trade or inside tidbits can you share with me?? The best answer is you need to develop a "toolbox".

OK...Hey Doc..what do you mean "Tool Box". Okay...let me explain it ad tell you the 3 important areas that make it up.

1) Mental tools: This is the part of the tool box most of us use the most. It is all about how we think about investing. Are you a outside the box type of thinker?? Or do you follow a set program to help guide you in your investment choices? It is how your brain reacts to the idea of a new investment...the mental aspects that make up the checklist in your head.

It is about gathering all the info you can in order to be able to think about investing and where it can lead you.

IMPORTANT ELEMENT. While we all know that a zillion books have been written about investing. It is important to understand that you MUST have some knowledge from that book...WHY? Because if you understand what other investors are reading?it actually makes it easier to work with them since you understand where they are getting their basic tactics and understanding from, that helps steer them to the investments THEY are making.

2)Your on-line tool box: Most investors use the web daily. Its a great information source, but most investors also have tunnel vision when they are on the web. we get stuck using a few websites that we think are the best at that will cover all our needs. WRONG answer. This causes a type of blindness I call "INFO INPUT SHUT DOWN".

How do you avoid the INFO SHUT DOWN...easy...open your tool box to get more tools/ info.

Just go to the free email server of your choice...create a new email address that you will use to collect email updates/newsletters from various websites. then go thru them at your leasure.

Once your on a email list I suggest allowing a few weeks before opting out of it. Just because it doesnt give you the "diamond in the rough" on the first email doesnt mean the newletter your getting is worthless. Newletters to look can originate from RE investment clubs, Blogs, News sites...etc

I ,myself, avoid most ad based emailing lists. however, that doesnt mean that all of them are a waste of time. review a few and decide for yourself if they are worth keeping.

The most inportant sites to me are the ones that make the investing game easier. sites that offer me something for free or VERY little cost out of my pocket. Some websites have tools that you just cant wait to try out. (I will admit I have a few sites I visit daily just to play around on and try out the tools they offer) When you find them you will know it...once agian bookmark them.

3) Physical tools. tools we would use in the field. this can be anything from a lap top to a great flashlight for crawling under a house. (I know a ton of investors who get "EYES ON" when it comes to real estate. One of them keeps a jumpsuit in his trunk just incase he needs to dive under a house to check the foundation...by the way...the man is a millionaire several times over and is a very young 64 years old.) These are the tools we need when we need them..I am a huge fan of "dont fail me tools". Flash lights, a good go by list, circut tester, actualy mortgage calculator...etc.

Build your tool box and USE IT.

About the Author:

No comments: