Sunday, July 26, 2009

3 Tools ALL Real Estate Investors Need

By Doc Schmyz

"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?? " My response is normally..."What is in your tool box?" Let me explain what this question means exactly

Ok let me define the "tool box" for you and explain the three parts that make it up.

1) Grey matter tools: This is the in your head part of the tool box. It is the manner in which you think about investing, the guidelines you use to select investments as well as ALL the information you call on every time the prospect of an investment even shows its self. It is the investment filter you have developed for yourself.

Simply put..it is the mental list you use when you start thinking about investing. the "what's, where's and how much's".

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) Online tool box: This is one of the most over looked elements...when I say over looked I am not referring to being not utilized...but more to the fact it is not utilized to its overall potential. For example do you have one site you go to more often than not for investment information? If so why? Your answer is most likely because they have the best info I can use. This maybe the answer however, a little side note to this. Most of us get some sort of tunnel vision thinking that one or even a few sites will cover us for all the info we want...but in all honesty we normally close down other avenues of "information input" when we do this. How do we get around the "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 avoid most of the "pop up" mailing lists for the simple fact that if the info they offer is any good?someone else is going to share it and it will cause enough of a buzz that you will hear about it. If that the case then go ahead and join it.

My favorite online tools/sites are the ones that cost me very little to use/buy or better yet are free to me. I love to find good resource sites. ( I admit freely I normally link them to my own) A good web tool is a great thing to find. Im not refering to another mortgage calculator...I mena that online tool your just dying to try out. When you find them...bookmark them.

3) And last but not least... actual physical, hold in your hand, tools. It can be a great "go by list". A solid flash light. anything that makes the time in the field looking at investments easier.

Build your tool box and USE IT.

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