Recently asked by a friend how to find the best target area for investment.  Here's my response:My rule #1 is school district. Best district = highest, most stable values, longest lasting tenants.  On a more local ne...

Hello Mithhell, I'm wanting to know about "The Flip Secrets" also.

The Smart Investor's Secret Weapon: ReservesIn a market where interest rates are high, deals are tighter, and uncertainty seems to be the norm, reserves are one of the most underrated forms of protection an investor can have.We often talk about cash flow, returns, and growth — but what truly sustains a portfolio in challenging times is the ability to withstand the unexpected.

I have done a few flips in the last year, I heard about flip secrets, I don`t need thy`re course or mentorship really.

Here are my favorite books:Multifamily Millions by Dave LindahlThe ABCs of Real Estate Investing by Ken McElroyThe Complete Guide to Buying and Selling Apartment Buildings by Steve BergesCommercial Real Estate Investing by Dolf De RoosTrump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received by Donald TrumpTax Free Wealth by Tom WheelwrightCommercial Real Estate 101: How Small Investors Can Get Started and Make It Big by David LindahlRaising Private Capital: Building Your Real Estate Empire Using Other People’s Money by Matt FairclothThe Definitive Guide to Apartment Marketing by Josh GrilloInvesting in Apartment Building by Matthew MartinezCrushing It in Apartments and Commercial Real Estate by Brian H MurrayThe 7 Secrets to Successful Apartment Leasing by Eric Cumley2 Years to a Million in Real Estate by Matthew MartinezBurn Zones: Playing Life’s Bad Hands by Jorge NewberyCommercial Mortgages 101: Everything You Need to Know to Create a Winning Loan Request by Michael ReinhardIt’s a Whole New Business!

There is a top secret group here on BP just for note investors

Unless the market has a secret weapon in the pipeline, good signs of future appreciation, infrastructure improvement, city projects, etc. - No I'm not buying these properties. 

Focus on getting organized, finding good people, and learning how the numbers work.Those three things will save you more time and money than any “secret strategy” ever could.What’s one thing you wish you’d known before buying your first property?

It is no secret that Newark is rundown, that the violence in some areas is beyond tolerable (just look at all the shootings this week), and yes, it is going to take  lot to bring the city back.  

I reached out first to the big ones, they were by far the toughest to deal with, but I learned a secret that usually gave me the in.