Newbies: Eager to learn or Entitled?

Newbies: Eager to learn or Entitled?

Shiloh LundahlPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Gilbert, AZ · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes

I know that BiggerPockets looks down on guru education programs and seminars that cost thousands of dollars to teach people what they can learn for free on this website. However, I didn't find BiggerPockets until after I was half way through the expensive one-year education and coaching program.  One thing my coach told me over and over again was to find investors to partner up with because it didn't matter how much money I personally had to invest, I would eventually run out if I only used my own money.

So, over the past few months to a year, I have reached out to several people who are newbies to real estate investing who are looking for a mentor to teach them how to flip houses for profit. I explain to them that I can show them from start to finish a system to learn how to find, fund, rehab, and sell houses for a profit in Arizona. I show them how they will gain experience, credibility, and earn money on the money they invest. But when I tell them that the profit they would make would be 10% APR on their money while it is invested, they become disinterested because they were hoping to make more on their deal.

When I see a newbie who wants to partner up and learn how to flip a house for profit and expects to make more on a first deal I think to myself, " Let me get this straight, I spent 75k on a real estate education program which I will never get back and which gave me education but didn't supply me with experience or credibility (having done a profitable deal) and I am offering this to you, plus you get your money back, and you are unsatisfied because it isn't as much as you wanted it to be?"  Hummm... I don't know of any education program, college, or institution, that you pay to go to that will teach you a skill to earn lots of money that will then give you your money back plus interest at the end of it.

Is there something wrong with my thinking, that someone would be glad to find a mentor to hold their hand through the whole process, and show them a detailed system of how to make money flipping a house, where they would gain experience, credibility, and money and that they should be pleased with that? Or is it that many newbies read posts on success stories of first flips where people made 30 or 40 grand on their first flip and they believe that they should be able to do that also without doing it all on their own?

Is it just me, or does it seem some newbies feel entitlement towards earning half of the profits when they come in with a quarter or less of the money for the deal and have no experience?

I would appreciate any thoughts. And don't be shy to correct my thinking.

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Real Estate Agent · Scottsdale, AZ · Member since 2011 · 471 posts · 296 votes
9y

@Shiloh Lundahl No offense Shiloh, but it sounds like you were the sucker that paid $75k on REI education (when you could've gotten it for free on BP or WORKING for a mentor) and need to persuade inexperienced newbies to partner with you to be successful!

They're not being "Entitled", they're being wise!

I wouldn't fall for your spiel either! ;)

What you may want to consider doing is just finding good deals and persuading SEASONED investors to partner with you.

If you have the experience and credibility, they will partner with you...simple!

Good luck warrior...anytime you can learn something new you're on the right track! ;)

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  • Investor · Scottsdale, AZ · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 885 votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Jeffrey Jahelka:

    I agree with your sentiments.  I am as new as they come.  I lost on my one and only flip.  To have someone to teach and guide them through every step is very "old school" and I would truly appreciate something like that.  I am going to be buying and selling contracts on the cheap just to build a network and learn the business.  I am lucky enough to be in a position to afford to do something like this. 

    A wise man once told me that 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing. 

    Hi @Jeffrey, we do deals in San Antonio to Austin to Round Rock. (Not Fix & Flips, but we do "Subject To" and Wraps, usually netting about $40,000 with a 2 month turn around.) What is it that you are looking to do? Ken

  • Investor · Scottsdale, AZ · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 885 votes
    9y

    @Shiloh Lundahl Okay, you lost me. 

    You say you had been "creating access to 750k in available credit, and flipping 6 properties for a profit of 95k in a year as a part time job"

    If you have access to 750k in available credit, what would you be using the money for that you are willing to pay 10% ?

  • Shiloh LundahlPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Gilbert, AZ · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    9y

    @Account Closed good question. We have used a lot of our available credit on some of our buy and hold properties in Indianapolis and Arizona. We are also using quite a bit of it on 3 flips that we have going right now. Additionally, as an investor you probably see your credit score fluctuate like waves on a stormy sea depending on how much of your credit you are using. So we had to pay down a lot of our credit accounts to get our score back over 740 in order for us to get a good rate on a loan on our first investment/personal residence in Southern California.  

    I mentioned previously that California is really expensive. The average home price in the city we are looking to live in is around 750k for a 1400-1600 square foot 2-3 bedroom 2 bath 50-70 year-old house.  We are under contract to purchase a home there and we need about 160k for the down payment plus about 80-90 for the value add construction. We are turning a 2 bed 2 bath 1360 square foot house into a 4 bed 3 bath 2000 square foot house.

    The neat thing about this house is that it has a guest house in the back that can easily be rented out on Airbnb for $100 a night for 15 nights a month which will lower our monthly mortgage from 4200 a month to 2700 a month (excluding the factoring of taxes). This would be 1200 less than what we are paying already a month in rent and we will probably be increasing the value of the house to a little over 1 million which in turn increases networth. Plus our kids can be a part of it by earning the cleaning fee by cleaning the house between guests.

    So I will have a lot (not all) of my credit tied up until the purchase and rehab of this house is over.  So the investor money would either be used to flip, or buy a second performing note depending on what the investor wants to do.

  • Investor · Scottsdale, AZ · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 885 votes
    9y

    @Shiloh Lundahl I see. I haven't used credit for years since "Subject To" doesn't require that nor does it require a lot of money. It isn't a problem I've faced, so I don't relate.

    Have you tried "Private Money" say from a Doctor or Dentist or a successful businessman? Seems to me that is your audience. They would love to get 10% and are not likely to be fussy that they are not getting a split. I use Private Money when it suits me and find them to be most agreeable. It's all in the way you approach them.

    Ken

  • Shiloh LundahlPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Gilbert, AZ · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    9y

    Thanks @Account Closed.  That  sounds like a good plan.

  • Wholesaler · Indianapolis, IN · Member since 2014 · 137 posts · 40 votes
    9y

    I love actionable steps! very well said.

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