All Forum Posts by: Norberto Villanueva

Welcome to BP Dave!

@Jeff Slusarz - Hi Jeff. We are Atlas Real Estate Group. With the second largest single family asset holder in all the U.S. as a client and in addition to our own portfolio, we are one of the largest residential investors along the Front Range and welcome the opportunity to work with you from Denver to Colorado Springs. Feel free to connect!

@Account Closed - Sold on buy and hold strategies, we are one of the area's largest buyers and welcome the opportunity to be placed on your buyer list. Where we won't buy everything, we are very aggressive with what we like. Let's make a deal! :)

Here is a link to the upcoming event. https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/521/topics/353141-build-long-term-wealth-with-real-estate

Preferably sooner than later, it’s important to save for the long term. The question is, where? A certificate of deposit, checking and/or savings account? The employer's 401k? A college savings plan? 

What about real estate? I know. The prospect of mere single digit returns can be really exciting, but real estate is a rock-solid savings vehicle! Really. 

Here are just a few reasons to consider real estate over other investment vehicles:

• Control – you decide the acquisition and exit strategy. In a strong seller’s market? Focus on buy and hold strategies that emphasize long term cash flow over instant profits. Distressed market? Buy low and sell high with fix and flip, wholesale, even fix and hold strategies! always implement non-traditional seller financing, lease options, exchanges...
• Leverage – use OPM to invest, freeing up investment capital for other opportunities or perhaps additional properties. By the way, OPM isn't necessarily a rich uncle but could also be the ordinary mortgage lender
• Tax advantages – Done correctly, real estate can be sold at a profit without an immediate capital gain, deferring them as far out as retirement
• It's less volatile, more tangible, easier to analyze and quantify
• Protection against inflation with scheduled rent escalations
• The market pays the mortgage, decreasing the principal balance while the asset's historical value increases at a somewhat predictable rate

Any investor will agree, real estate is local. The staple, arbiter of any economy. A zombie apocalypse? Change strategies accordingly and real estate somewhat insulates its investor from the local, national, even global economy. Yet, the most compelling reason to choose real estate over other investment vehicles for building long term wealth? Real estate consistently beat stock market returns from 2000 - 2011 and is estimated to continue the trend today.

Though not illustrated here, it's been estimated that over the last twenty years and at about half the performance, only one traditional investment vehicle came close to matching it, the S&P 500. 

Long story short? When properly acquired and managed, undervalued real estate assets become desirable homes to quality residents who must pay market rents no matter what, providing the investor a turnkey, "mailbox money" solution that is time tested and Buffet approved.

Thanks for reading.

@Eric Kellum - Hello! Thanks for asking. It is on September 20th, 6:30 pm at Colorado Technical University, 4425 Chestnut St Rm 252, Colorado Springs, CO. 

Please click here to RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/Real-Estate-Investment-Hour-...

We're looking forward to meeting and networking with you.

@Jenn N. - Talking buy and hold. Because slim margins exist all across the spectrum, the fix/flip, wholesale model must await brighter (or is that blighted) days to flourish. 

You have to wonder about the quality of tenants wherever a lower acquisition basis exists. I know nothing about Indianapolis', but take Pueblo's market as an example. With $50k properties that rent for $900+ a month, many see gold in them there hills. Except, and not to generalize but, catch a meth lab and see what happens to equity position and recuperation time. Not to mention the invariably older stock that is available at the lower price points and well, just think more money, more problems. Sum it all with limited upside potential (poor long term employment, population growth, etc) and it can become a long term owie. 

There are many reasons to like the Colorado Springs market. There's that moxy again!

@Jenn N. - Hi! Funny, for someone with a newfound interest, you have all the moxy of a land developer. I wonder how that happened. :) 

The Colorado Springs market is in a strong seller's market, making it tougher (not impossible) to find a good deal, good being a relative term. If that's an equity return above the low teens after expenses, then it's slim pickings. However, if an 8% - 12% range after a little lipstick and rouge will work, execution begins to look a lot better.

How does the Indy market compare?

@Carole G. - a Colorado Springs based real estate professional since 2002, I can certainly help with a referral. Feel free to connect.

@Jonathan Baker - Quite the plan there. Chris covered many of the important factors to consider, to which I would add one with a clear understanding of your buy box. Is it equity return, cash flow, acquisition basis...? And when presented with an opportunity, will they have already factored for expenses including capex AND future maintenance? Do they understand and have contacts in the world of real estate finance, such as hard/private/bridge/portfolio lending? How comfortable are they with assignments, simultaneous closings, subject-to, deeds in lieu and such? 

A full service REALTOR in the Colorado Springs market since 2002, I represent Atlas Real Estate Group, a premiere real estate investment brokerage operating from Denver to Colorado Springs, and exclusive buyer's agent for the second largest single family homeowner in all the U.S.

All the best in your endeavors. Feel free to connect.