BiggerPockets

Mobile Marketing for Real Estate... Scan Me!

Monday, April 09

Have you heard the news?  Mobile marketing is exploding.  It is  highly effective, easy to use and a great way to connect with potential customers and clients in the real estate business.

There are a lot of things that can be done with regards to mobile marketing including developing specific apps.  However, I want to focus on marketing that is guerrilla style, essentially free and also very effective.  What part of mobile marketing could that be?  Yes, QR Codes.

If you are not using QR codes, ask yourself why not?  It is likely that you are not using them because you do not quite understand how to use them.  I will get you past your FEAR FACTOR and you will be integrating them into your marketing very soon. Wait Jim, did you say QR Code?  What the heck is a QR Code?  QR stands for Quick Response, think of it as a bar code on steroids and you will have a visual to remember.  It is technically a two dimensional matrix style bar code and was invented by Toyota in the 1990?s.  The key to the QR codes is the scanner, just like bar codes are useless without a scanner.  Any thoughts on how many QR code scanners are in use?  Every smart phone has the option to download a QR code scanner in the form of a free and simple app.  They work super easy, right through the camera function on a smart phone.  The user simply points the phone camera towards a QR code and the smart phone will scan the code and take the user to destination as specified by the code.

Now that you understand what a QR Code is and how to read one, how can it be used for buying, selling and renting real estate?  Simply stated, it connects you to your customers through a smart phone mobile device and the possibilities are endless.  Here are some to consider:

1.  Property flyers:   A property flyer is a highly effective marketing method when selling or renting houses.  Typically a flyer will include a picture or two and some basic house information.  If the reader wants more information on the house, they typically need to call the owner or Realtor to get that information.  However, you could easily add a QR code to the flyer that will take the user to a website or a YouTube video for more information.  This works especially well if the flyers are sitting in the front yard in a flyer type box and a potential buyer drives up to the house to check it out.  The person looking at the home, can scan the code on the flyer and be taken directly to your website or your YouTube video.  I like to have a separate QR code for both my YouTube video and my website.  This allows the interested people to instantly see the inside of my houses, right on their smart phones.

2.  Signs – For Sale and For Rent:  For sale and for rent signs are an essential element in real estate marketing.  A QR code can added directly onto your sign and when the user scans your code, they can be right onto your website to see everything you have to offer.  This will take a “ride by” potential buyer and create an opportunity where you can give them more information instantly, right on their smart phone.  You could send them directly to your YouTube video which would instantly show them the inside of the house. 

Open House Signs:  Usually a few days prior to an open house, the Agent or Home Owner will place signs with the information.  Why not include the QR code that takes the user to a short video or your website to instantly connect them to your property and entice them to come see your house?

3.  Business cards:  Most business cards are just boring.  A QR code can add curiosity to the equation and lead people back to you in an alternate and fresh way.  Consider uploading a short video to YouTube and then create a QR code that takes the user directly to your Video.  In the video you can give them additional information, thank them for watching and entice them to continue to build a relationship with you.

4. Direct mail:  Many real estate wholesalers, investors and agents love to send direct mail campaigns.  What if you could create a short video specific to the geographic location you are mailing to.  Something that started like this, “Thank you for clicking through to this video.  We love working in Mountain Road area of Glen Allen, VA and we would love to work with you…”  You could then track the effectiveness of your mail campaign by monitoring how many people watched the video, called you, etc.

I hope that expanded your mind enough to see that the mobile marketing opportunities in real estate really are endless.  Get your creative juices flowing and you will surely find many more ways to use a QR Code.  Now you may be wondering how you can continue this journey and develop your own QR Code.  It is easier than you think to generate the actual QR Code.  Here is how You can do it.

1.  Go to:  QRstuff.com at http://www.qrstuff.com

2.  Choose your data type.  This is the type of site you plan to send your user.  If your sending them to a YouTube video, then choose YouTube.  If a website, then choose that option.

3.  Type in your destination URL into the content box.

4.  Choose your color

5.  Generate your code by choosing output type.  I like to use the download option, then save it to my computer and insert it into my marketing.

That is it! 

The Best Kept Secret... Using retirement savings for real estate investing.

Wednesday, February 15

Are you ready to take control of your own retirement future? Are you ready to begin to diversify your investments beyond the traditional stocks, bonds and mutual funds? Do you have what it takes to invest how, where and when you want? If you answered yes to these qualification questions, then you are a prime candidate to add rocket fuel to your retirement by utilizing a self?directed IRA in 2012.

It is estimated that only two percent of the total assets in IRAs are held in a self-­directed IRA. The self-­directed IRA is a well-­kept secret and we are ready to reveal the powerful investment opportunities that await the savvy retirement investor.

Self-Directed IRA

The Self?directed IRA is perfect for the investor who is prepared to make his/her own investments outside the arena of stocks, bonds, CDs and mutual funds. The types of investments that are possible with a self?directed IRA extend to the following:

• Real Estate – Residential single family, multi-family, mobiles on land, commercial property and raw land

• Notes, Deeds of Trust and mortgages – secured with real estate, unsecured, automobiles, etc.

• Foreign currency – investing in the exchange rate between the US and other currencies

• Oil and Gas – Production, royalties, mineral rights, etc.

• Precious metals including gold and silver – Hedge against all political, social and other influences

• Private and Public Stock – Venture capital type investments

• Tax lien certificates – Investing in tax delinquent real estate

• Many other alternate investments – If you are ready to jump-start your retirement and give it new life for 2012, then you will want to consider jumping into some alternate investments that are not tied to the traditional stock market. There are a lot of great opportunities in each of these alternate investment classes. For instance, if you can learn to invest in real estate and mortgages, you can find investments that are returning 6–15% annually.

Prohibited Transactions for Self-Directed IRAs

There are some prohibited transactions associated with a self-directed IRA and I will highlight a few of the big ones for you:

• Collectibles such as stamps, antiques and rugs
• Life insurance
• Alcoholic beverages
• Lend money to yourself (IRA holder)
• Profit from investments must go back to IRA account
• Transactions with disqualified people including: Self, Spouse, Parents, Children

Both a traditional and Roth IRA can be self-­directed. The traditional approach for an IRA will have a custodian control your retirement account with services they sell which are typically stocks, bonds and mutual fund type products. However, with a truly self?directed IRA custodian you are the one in control of your retirement account and you are responsible for making your own investments.

A self?directed IRA is easy to establish and roll funds into. Once your account is established, the custodian takes the role of account administrator and will help direct your investment transactions. They will direct the paperwork and documentation as well as provide guidance to help you not make a prohibited
transaction along the way.

Investment Control

The account owner is the one who makes every single investment decision and ultimately determines how, where and when to invest the retirement funds. Now that the best kept IRA secret has been revealed, you are free to begin investing in any of the asset classes that you choose. You should choose your investment wisely based upon your knowledge and the risk you are willing to take with your retirement funds.

The good news is that there are plenty of great investment options that exceed the scope of traditional stocks, bonds, mutual funds and CDs. If you have the investing knowledge you may want to invest in oil by buying production, mineral rights or on a royalty interest. Maybe you are ready to invest in a precious metal such as gold or silver or maybe you are like me and ready to capitalize on the greatest transfer of real estate wealth of our generation.

The good news is that all of these investment options are available through a self-directed IRA.

Compound Interest

Are you ready to take charge of your own retirement for 2012? Now is the time to get yourself ready to take control of your own retirement investing. Albert Einstein said, “The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest.” When Einstein makes statements like that, we need to listen.

Let me show you the difference between a 5% return, 10% return and 15% return starting with a $100,000 balance and investing for 20 years:

$100,000 with a 5% return for 20 years will grow to $271,264.32

$100,000 with a 10% return for 20 years will grow to $732,808.95

$100,000 with a 15% return for 20 years will grow to $1,971,555.75

Now is the perfect time to plan your future and determine what rate of return you need to meet your
retirement investing goals.

One way to take full control of your own retirement investing is to roll funds into a self-directed IRA using the investment of your choice as the vehicle to achieve your personal goals.

How to turn $1,500 into a 1,000% tax-free return using an option and an IRA

Sunday, December 18

My good friend, David Phelps, told me about his transaction this week. It is a great example of combining a Roth self-directed IRA with a real estate option.

This week, among 3 other transactions, I took $1,500.00 from my daughter's Roth IRA and purchased an option interest on a property that is worth at least $15,000.00 at today's market values.

These deals are available in EVERYONE'S market today - if you are not doing these kind of deals on a regular basis, you are missing out on the greatest wealth transfer of our lifetime.

So.....how did I do it?

Here's what I didn't do.....

I didn't search Craigslist or the local MLS for "Options for Sale."

I didn't call FSBO signs or ads asking to "Buy and Option."

And no one answered my ad "Investor Seeks Option Contract."

Nope.........none of those.

Here's what I did........

I simply surrounded myself with other like-minded investors and catalysts entrepreneurs) who are all going in different directions seeking different goals.

I helped two other REAL PEOPLE (not banks) put together a great deal that someone else "found" and from that opportunity, "created" the option as well as a great deal for another private lender's traditional IRA and helped the entrepreneur/catalyst make a killer acquistion.

My daughter's Roth will hold the Option for the next 5 years and at least generate a profit of 10X the $1,500.00 investment.

My guess is that it will be closer to 20X. But 10 X would be 'good enuf.'

If you aren't getting these opportunities at least on a weekly basis, then you are hunting in the wrong field. Or you just are not open to what is available.

Either way, you are doing yourself a huge disservice by not putting some time and effort into the killer deals that are available in any market in the U.S. today.

America is on sale!

You need to tap into this sale or forever hold your peace.

Don't be one of those who will look back in 5 years and "wonder what happened" and why you didn't take action!

Wholesaling, Mobile Homes, Options and a Roth

Sunday, November 20

I was recently contacted by an investor in the mid-west who was working on putting together an interesting transaction involving a mobile on land that he is wholesaling, but he wanted pick up some future equity after the sale and do the entire transaction in his Roth IRA.

He had a contract on a mobile home/land for $15,000 purchase price (only used a couple hundred dollars to tie up the contract).

This particular property had sold in prior years for $80,000. Sound familiar?? You bet! These deals are everywhere.

His plan was to simply take this good deal, fix it up and create long-term cash flow and upside profits.

However, another investor offered him $10K to assign the deal wholesale- a quick $10K profit for his Roth IRA simply for finding and negotiating the deal.

The question was: “If I give a good deal to this second investor, can I keep an option position of 25% of future profits when the second investor later sells the property.

Answer: “Yes!” It’s all what you negotiate!

And the best part is that all of the profit – the $10K now plus the 25% of the future upside all goes into the Roth IRA and comes out 100% TAX FREE!  The 25% upside future equity is accomplished using a real estate option that gets recorded at the courthouse and paid out when the mobile is sold in the future.

What’s the return on that deal??? Good enough!!

Don’t let these opportunities pass you by!! The deal-making window is open right now, but it won’t last forever!!

 

This is an interesting and creative way to put a mobile on land under contract, wholesale it to another investor for $10k profit now and then retain 25% of the future upside for your Roth IRA which will distribute tax-free.

Jim Ingersoll

Author, "Investing Now"

Investing in Real Estate is a Team Sport

Sunday, November 13

   The very best opportunities and best deals are not listed on some exchange board or found through mutual funds, private
or publicly traded investment trusts.

 

     I recommend investing in only secured real estate investments – where your capital is secured by a specific property that you can control (you can have control whether you are an active or passive investor
– the important part is the control).

Passive – you have capital to invest but you don’t want to do the ‘heavy lifting.’ Good news! Because of the lack of conventional financing today, your capital can be invested with low risk into secured
real estate transactions right in your own local market – or any market that you desire. Secured by 1st lien mortgage positions – with returns 3-4 times what the banks are paying. And as a “lender,” you don’t have to deal with tenants, toilets or contractors. You make your money by being
“the bank.”

Active – you’ve got time or knowledge or both. You know how to find the good deals and manage them. You just need capital.
Good news! Your passive friends in the paragraph above are looking for you! And unlike a bank, they don’t change names every two years!

All that’s missing is how to put Passive and Active together – and that’s is the whole key to sucessful real estate investing now.  

If you can create a network of financial friends who all help each other reach their passive and active investing goals, then everyone will do great investing together!  Just like in the sports world, your team needs to be helping each other suceed, building trust in one another and watching each others "Backs!"

What is holding you back from building your team?  We are in the greatest market opportunity of our generation and the time to capitalize is right now!  Leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts on building a team to help you succeed.

Jim

Author, Investing Now

 

 

Assets, Liabilities and Cash Flow

Sunday, October 30

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes it is hard to know how to spend your money. Should you buy a liability (car, boat, r.v.) or should you take some of your money and buy some investment real estate? It can be so much fun to go out and get a new car or a new "toy" to give you the fun that you so deserve.  But, what if you could invest your time and resources into assets that could provide you with income streams to help you meet your financial goals?  What if you get rental property at todays reduced prices and you didn't need to use a bank to get that financing?

This photo above was sent to me from a reader, Bruce Brown, and it tells the perfect story about the difference between assets, liabilities and cash flow.  I appreciate Bruce sharing this illustration and this is how he further describes it:

"The price of the house and the rehab was $300 less than the price of the 2012 Galant. The cashflow that the rental produces will make the car payment. Four years later the car is paid off and the cashflow from the house continues... Cha ching!!"... Bruce Brown

Bruce has figured out how to invest in today's real estate market.  Purchase income producing assets without using your own money and without needing a bank and begin to enjoy the many benefits of positive cash flow. Cars and other liabilities will be depreciating and creating negative cash flow for you, however, if you can focus your energy on positive cash flow and building assets you can strike it rich in today's real estate market.

How many houses would you need to purchase to set you financially free?  How much positive rental income would be required so you could quit your job?  We are experiencing the greatest transfer of real estate wealth of our generation.  Now is the perfect time to establish a real plan to allow you to experience the financial freedom you deserve.  Think about what your life would look like if you were no longer a slave to your daily living expenses or the day you no longer needed a job. Visualize it in your mind and focus on finding a real estate plan to set you FREE.  Put that plan together and begin to make it happen NOW!

Please leave me your thoughts and comments.