What are the "27" areas of real estate investing?

Question

Okay, I was at a presentation a few weeks ago and the speaker stated there were 27 different niches in real estate investing.  I emailed him but he didn't reply when I asked him what the 27 areas are and it's driving me nuts!

I came up with 23 on my own but just wondering if others agree or can fill in the blanks on other areas.  I'm trying to put together a class on niche investing and want to make sure I'm covering or at least mentioning every niche I can.  Here's what I have so far:

• Wholesaling
• Wholetailing
• Fix and Flip/Rehabbing
• Multifamily
• Vacation Homes/Rentals
• RV Parks
• Rentals
• Mobile Home Parks
• Mobile Homes
• Self-Storage
• Land
• Mineral Rights
• Short Sales
• Pre-Foreclosures
• Foreclosures
• Probate
• Tax Deeds
• REITs
• Construction/Development
• Owner Financing
• Notes
• Lease Options
• Master Leases

Rick H. · Answer

Some years ago I did an all-day probate seminar near LAX airport titled:     53 Ways and 53 Plays. Popular BP poster K. Marie Poe joined us and participated on a panel with other experts.

Even before the event I think I found another 53 or so plays. Seems almost endless. Truth be told, many are not restricted to probate however that was the primary topic.

I attempted to use one hour-long module to briefly tough on each of the 53 plays I originally had in mind. Aside from running out of breath and time, I failed miserably to hit many of the techniques.

Some, such as adverse possession by way of either color or title or claim of right, are pretty heady topics and could easily devour an entire weekend of training, rather than the one minute +/- that I allocated. Of course, I was merely trying to shed light on the topic as a tool, not to train people how to use that particular tool.

I'm not going to enter a debate about what is -- or isn't -- a niche. I do know this: in my early real estate investing years, title was a mystery to me and I made a number of boneheaded mistakes due to my ignorance. When I studied that topic, perhaps obsessively, it unlocked a tremendous number of opportunities that I previously missed.

These opportunities have literally changed my life and today I prefer title problems that I fix on paper to any others, hands down. And if you consider probate to merely be another title problem, it starts to become clear; I like fixing problems using tools that many others could utilize but do not. They'd probably rather fix it the hard way.

Account Closed · Answer

I'm curious what he meant by niches.  Some of what you posted is lead source niche as opposed to an investment niche.  I wouldn't call a probate lead or pre foreclosure lead a niche investment strategy if all you do is buy it in a straight sale agreement.

I have some other strategies:

Buying partial interests

Buying heirs interests in estates

Adverse possession and gaining title via quiet title

Buying property subject-to

Straight Options

Buying debt to turn into foreclose-able judgment liens

I've done four out of the six above. There are more to be sure.  RE opportunities are seemingly limitless.

Scott Meyers · Answer

Hi Belinda,

I'll take a stab at it, as these are areas we either add to our Self Storage Facilities, or they can be stand alone Real Estate Plays:

24.  Parking Lots/Garages

25.  Billboard Parcels or Cell Tower Parcels and the corresponding rentals of the towers and boards.

26.  Industrial buildings/Cold Storage/Warehousing

27.  Marinas

28.  Golf Courses

29.  Campgrounds/RV Parks

28.  Retail Strip Centers

29.  Buying Old stretches of Railroad or Spurs.....

Yeah, I know, some are a stretch, but ALL of these are Real Estate Plays that I, or someone I know has invested in.

If these weren't part of his list, then I guess we now have 34!

Talk Soon,

Michael Herr · Answer

He left the 27 areas as a mystery so you would pay to find them out. We could come up with a list of 100, boil them down to a dozen,  then expand those back out to 200 areas.

I had to chuckle a bit that you are trying to come up with the same 27 that this person came up with.

Bill Gulley · Answer

Areas that one can make money at? Investing here includes making a job for yourself, like wholesaling. Activities to make money dealing in or with RE?

At a glance, RE management isn't there, neither is:

Advisory and consultation services

Engineering

RE schools, owners, administrators and teachers

RE Brokerage management and support services

RE publications (Homes magazine types)

Industrial/commercial RE management

Marinas are considered RE

Aspects of municipal and state land management, they sub contract services

Free lance settlement agents and title examiners

Low-Moderate Income Housing administrators

Non-profit housing entities

Home inspectors

Recreational Land Mgt.

Construction Management

Agricultural Land Management,

Timber management

Environmental Land/Water Mgt.

RE Brokers/agents

RE Brokerage support services (training, admin, escrow, advertising)

Asset Managers

Trust Administration, RE Depts

Appraisers

I don't consider notes or seller financing as a RE function as a finance function, if you toss that out of it's industry into RE, then...

Note servicers

Attorneys

Mortgage brokers.

Note brokers

Loan Modification Specialists

Mortgage underwriters and processors

Government employees

Oh my gosh, the IRS has RE lease specialists, every military installation has land management, every building has maintenance, air ports have RE managers and lease specialists, Assessors, County Administrators dispose of RE, I'm not going to mention HUD employees and sub contractors.

I'd say there are hundreds of jobs and entrepreneurial areas dealing directly with RE. :)

Brian Gibbons · Answer

Joint Ventures with Sellers (e.g. minor rehabs, you do the work, place a note and a mortgage, get a JV fee)

Joint Ventures With Buyers (eg shared appreciation schemes)

Joint Ventures with Money and Credit Partners (getting doctors to buy and pay for rehab, splitting profits)

The creative minds are opening!!

Belinda Lopez · Answer

Agreed Michael,  it had me doing some research too and that is always good!  I see that there are many different way to categorize RE investing 'opportunities' as some had them as asset classes and others had them as 'ways to make money.'  I think this is a really valuable thread b/c you've all listed some creative areas I hadn't even considered!

Thanks everyone - the learning never stops.

What are the "27" areas of real estate investing?

Most Popular Reply