foreclosure property, is now

Amazon.com: How to Make Money Buying Pre Foreclosure Properties Before They Hit the County Courthouse Steps: The Complete Guide to Finding and Buying Pre-Foreclosure Properties: Books Your Store Books See All 32 Product Categories Your Account | Cart | Wish List | Help | Advanced Search | Browse Subjects | Bestsellers | The New York Times® Best Sellers | Magazines | Corporate Accounts | Amazon Shorts | Bargain Books | Used Books | Textbooks Search Amazon.com Books Web Search This item is not eligible for Amazon Prime, but over a million other items are. Join Amazon Prime today. Already a member? Sign in . 7 used & new from $76.95 Have one to sell? A9.com users save 1.57% on Amazon. Learn how . See larger image Share your own customer images Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book. How to Make Money Buying Pre Foreclosure Properties Before They Hit the County Courthouse Steps: The Complete Guide to Finding and Buying Pre-Foreclosure Properties (Paperback) by Thomas J. Lucier (9 customer reviews) Availability: Available from these sellers . 7 used & new available from $76.95 Other Editions: List Price: Our Price: Other Offers: Paperback Order it used! Editorial Reviews Book Description Before Thomas J. Lucier wrote the first edition of How To Make Money Buying Pre-Foreclosure Properties Before They Hit The County Courthouse Steps in 1989, he was making time consuming and costly mistakes. The mistakes were inevitable; no one had written a book on how to buy pre-foreclosure properties, so Tom had to learn the hard way from his own mistakes and first hand experiences. All of the advice that he received said: "buy property on the county courthouse steps after it has been foreclosed on." But Tom eventually learned to avoid those costly courthouse-bidding wars by buying directly from property owners whose mortgage loans are in default and facing foreclosure. And the book that didn’t exist back in 1985, when Tom bought his first pre-foreclosure property, is now in its fourth revised edition. The newly revised fourth edition of How To Make Money Buying Pre-Foreclosure Properties Before They Hit The County Courthouse Steps was released on October 1, 2003, and is comprised of fourteen meaty chapters that are packed chock-full of step-by-step instructions, ready-to-use information and practical, no-nonsense advice. You’ll learn: 1. The difference between judicial and non-judicial foreclosure. 2. How the short payoff sale acquisition technique works. 3. How to get subordinate or "junior" lienholders to discount their liens by fifty percent or more. 4. How to use foreclosure notices to find all of the property owners in your county whose loans are in default and facing foreclosure. 5. How to use direct mail to contact property owners whose loans are in default. 6. How to perform due diligence on pre-foreclosure properties. 7. How to quickly verify loan information with foreclosing lenders. 8. How to accurately estimate the current market value of a pre-foreclosure property. 9. How to negotiate with property owners whose loans are in default and facing foreclosure. 10. How to properly prepare your purchase agreements and protect your interests when buying pre-foreclosure properties. 11. How to package, market and resell pre-foreclosure properties for maximum profit. 12. How to do a thorough pre-buy property inspection. 13. What you need to know about your state’s foreclosure statute when buying pre-foreclosure properties. How To Make Money Buying Pre-Foreclosure Properties Before They Hit The County Courthouse Steps has a fourteen-page chapter on the much-ballyhooed short payoff sale acquisition technique. The problem with ninety-nine percent of the short sales hype that’s currently being foisted onto an unsuspecting public, by unscrupulous real estate hucksters peddling overpriced courses and boot camp seminars, is that it’s based on misinformation, half-truths, distortions and outright lies. And unfortunately, all of this hype has fueled unrealistic expectations on the part of would-be short sale investors, who’ve been led to believe, that every lender in America will approve a short payoff sale, at the drop of a hat. Tom Lucier gives you the unvarnished truth about short payoff sales, along with detailed, step-by-step instructions on exactly how the short payoff of a mortgage or deed of trust actually works. How To Make Money Buying Pre-Foreclosure Properties Before They Hit The County Courthouse Steps comes complete with the following ready-to-use worksheets, letters, checklists, notices, forms and agreements: 1. Short payoff sale checklist. 2. Sample notice of lis pendens. 3. Sample notice of default. 4. Loan breach letter. 5. Borrower’s letter of authorization to release loan information. 6. Foreclosure lawsuit worksheet. 7. Notice of default worksheet. 8. Due diligence checklist. 9. Property tracking worksheet. 10. Short payoff sale proposal letter. 11. Six sample letters to owners in foreclosure. 12. Loan worksheet. 13. Sample HUD 1 Settlement Statement. 14. Sample Fannie Mae broker’s price opinion. 15. Request for mortgage or deed of trust estoppel letter. 16. Subordinate lienholder worksheet. 17. Current market value worksheet. 18. Letter to private mortgage or deed of trust lender. 19. Letter to subordinate lienholders. 20. Thirteen property inspection checklists. 21. Owner interview worksheet. 22. Purchase agreement. 23. Walk-around property inspection checklist. 24. Buyer's closing checklist. 25. Daily repair cost worksheet. 26. Outgoing telephone message. 27. Participating broker agreement. 28. Assignment of purchase agreement. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a degree from Harvard Law School in order to make money buying properties directly from owners whose mortgage or deeds of trust loans are in default, and about to be sold on the county courthouse steps at a public foreclosure auction sale. Granted, finding, researching, inspecting, negotiating, buying and reselling pre-foreclosure properties is a lot of hard work. But it can be a very lucrative line of work if you really know what you’re doing, are well organized, and have the persistence that’s necessary to be a profitable investor. And, unlike the roving weekend real estate carnies, late-night, cable-TV hucksters, Internet real estate whiz kids, and a certain Harvard Business School graduate posing as a "real estate savant," Tom Lucier doesn’t claim to know-it-all, and you’ll never hear him promise to make you a pre-foreclosure property millionaire within the next thirty days. The simple fact remains that no real estate investment strategy will work unless you do! From the Publisher This newly revised fourth edition of the first book ever published on how to buy properties directly from owners whose mortgage or deed of trust loans are in default and facing foreclosure, was released on October 1, 2003! See all Editorial Reviews Product Details Paperback: 140 pages Publisher: Home Equities Corporation; 2nd edition (October, 1993) Language: English ISBN: 094534306X Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 10.2 x 11.5 inches Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds. Average Customer Review: based on 9 reviews. ( Write a review. ) Amazon.com Sales Rank: Today: #337,845 in Books Yesterday: #332,142 in Books (Publishers and authors: improve your sales ) Other Editions: Paperback | All Editions Customers interested in this title may also be interested in: Sponsored Links: What is this? Pre - Foreclosure Profits How-to for beginners, veterans: 35-50% discount, little competition www.PropertyForeclosure.com Pre - Foreclosure Listings Daily updated pre foreclosure listings with phone numbers www.defaultresearch.com Make 10,000+ Per Month Automatic System to Make Money Start within 15 mins from now! www.AutomaticMoneyVault.com Feedback Spotlight Reviews Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers. 30 of 31 people found the following review helpful: How to Make... , February 20, 2004 Reviewer: Disgusted (USA) - See all my reviews If you look over the positive reviews, you notice they are all written by commonly named individuals with no location listed. Furthermore, all of the comments use the same verbage and contain similar idiosyncrasies. Someone tell the author or the author's friends to stop writing positive reviews to boost sales. Instead, use that time being wasted to do some research and write a decent book. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) Customer Reviews Average Customer Review: Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers. 10 of 11 people found the following review helpful: A Very Satisfied Reader In Los Angeles, CA , March 1, 2004 Reviewer: Clyde (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews This is the absolute best book ever written about buying property directly from owners in foreclosure! The chapter on short payoff sales is just plain brilliant! No fluff, no filler and no white spaces! Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 8 of 11 people found the following review helpful: Rudimentary , February 26, 2004 Reviewer: "mjm1005" (Colorado) - See all my reviews This book is pretty basic and not worth the money. Lucier must be trying to make money on the book and not on in real estate. A real disappointment. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 30 of 35 people found the following review helpful: Basic , July 13, 2003 Reviewer: This book could be replaced with 2 hours of internet research. Many of the pages just list websites and "worksheets" that are used as filler. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 26 of 34 people found the following review helpful: BEGINNERS BOOK , March 19, 2003 Reviewer: This book is a beginners book it truely does not get indepth into what happens and how to deal with the bank on short sales or buying the note. Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) 3 of 8 people found the following review helpful: How To Make Money Buying Pre-Foreclosure Properties , February 22, 2003 Reviewer: paul wells (Henderson, NV-USA) - See all my reviews Thomas Lucier has created a unique opportunity for anyone, anywhere, reguardless of past experience or knowledge reguarding Real Estate, Investing or Sales ability to take his material, read it, digest it and then apply what they have learned, and create a business that not only results in financial rewards for you as an investor, but puts you in a position of becoming a problem solver by helping people who truly need help,that do not know how to solve their problems,or even where to turn. His information gives you a straight forward step by step approach, from beginning to end, and is loaded with invaluable resources such as agreements, documents, and web sites that will give you the exact information you need to initiate and complete a successful transaction from the very begining through completion. When was the last time you paid for something you saw advertised or heard about that you purchased , just to find the hype and promotion proved to be overdone and the product was a dissapointment? Happens all the time. The invaluable information and knowledge you will gain from Thomas Lucier will last you the rest of your life and you will feel GUILTY that you paid so little for it. Get it in your hands as quickly as you possibly can, and apply it, because I promise you, opportunities are never lost......some one will take the ones you miss! Was this review helpful to you? ( Report this ) See all 9 customer reviews... Auctions and zShops sellers and our other stores recommend Need Money? Fast Cast with Quick Turn Real Estate (Price: $12.95) Listmania! Real Estate Investing - Grow R... : A list by Jeremy Brandt My favorite wealth building bo... : A list by Larry Grinik Real Estate : A list by Ahsen Abro Create a Listmania! list So You'd Like to... Make Real Money in Real Estate : A guide by Barry Feisner , real estate investor Be mentored by a millionaire? : A guide by Dan Mentzer , millionaire trainee Be mentored by a millionaire Pt 2? : A guide by Dan Mentzer , millionaire trainee Create a So You'd Like to... guide Look for similar items by category Subjects > Business & Investing > General Subjects > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Real Estate > General Subjects > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Real Estate > Investments Look for similar items by subject Business / Economics / Finance Business/Economics Foreclosure House buying Real Estate - General Real estate investment i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ... This Book and You Sign in to rate this item Write a Review | Write a So You'd Like To... Guide | Tell a Friend About This Item | Rate This Item Spec tacular Readers Never misplace your reading glasses again with the hip and stylish magnetic readers from CliC . 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Rental Property (Including Rental

Tax Topics - Topic 415 Renting Residential and Vacation Property (formerly Renting Vacation Property and Renting to Relatives) Home | Contact IRS | About IRS | Site Map | Español | Help Advanced Search Search Tips IRS Resources Compliance & Enforcement Contact My Local Office e-file Forms and Publications Frequently Asked Questions News Taxpayer Advocacy Where To File Topic 415 - Renting Residential and Vacation Property (formerly Renting Vacation Property and Renting to Relatives) If you receive rental income from renting to others a dwelling unit, such as a house or an apartment, you may deduct certain expenses. These expenses, which may include interest, taxes, casualty losses, maintenance, utilities, insurance, and depreciation, will reduce the amount of rental income that is taxed. You will generally report such income and expenses on Form 1040 (PDF) and Schedule E . If you are renting to make a profit and do not use the dwelling unit as a home, your deductible rental expenses can be more than your gross rental income, subject to certain limits. Your rental losses, however, may be limited by the "at-risk" rules and the passive activity loss rules. For information on these limits, refer to Publication 925 , Passive Activities and At-Risk Rules . However, if you rent a dwelling unit that you also use as a home, your deductible rental expenses will be limited. You are considered to use a dwelling unit as a home if you use it for personal purposes during the tax year for more than the greater of: 14 days or 10% of the total days it is rented to others at a fair rental price. It is possible that you will use more than one dwelling unit as a home during the year. For example, if you live in your main home for 11 months, your home is a dwelling unit used as a home. If you live in your vacation home for the other 30 days of the year, your vacation home is also a dwelling unit used as a home unless you rent your vacation home to others at a fair rental value for 300 or more days during the year. A day of personal use of a dwelling unit is any day that it is used by: You or any other person who has an interest in it, unless you rent your interest to another owner as his or her main home under a shared equity financing agreement; A member of your family or of a family of any other person who has an interest in it, unless the family member uses it as his or her main home and pays a fair rental price; Anyone under an agreement that lets you use some other dwelling unit; or Anyone at less than fair rental price. If you use the dwelling unit for both rental and personal purposes, you generally must divide your total expenses between the rental use and the personal use based on the number of days used for each purpose. However, you will not be able to deduct your rental expense in excess of your gross rental income. If you itemize your deductions on Form 1040, Schedule A (PDF), you may still be able to deduct mortgage interest, property taxes, and casualty losses on that schedule. There is a special rule if you use a dwelling as a home and rent it for fewer than 15 days. In this case, do not report any of the rental income and do not deduct any expenses as rental expenses. Another special rule applies if you rent part of your home to your employer and provide services for your employer in that rented space. In this case, report the rental income, but do not deduct any expenses as rental expenses. Refer to Publication 527 , Residential Rental Property (Including Rental of Vacation Homes). More Tax Topic Categories Accessibility | FirstGov.gov | Freedom of Information Act | Important Links | IRS Privacy Policy | U.S. Treasury

Buy Home

Find Homes For Sale, New Houses, Foreclosures and Real Estate Agents on Yahoo! Real Estate Find Homes For Sale, New Houses, Foreclosures and Real Estate Agents Choose Location Home Homes for Sale Apartments for Rent Home Loans Moving & Insurance Tools My Real Estate Features Classifieds • Sell Your Home • Rent Your Apartment Neighborhood Research • What's My Home Worth? • School Profiles • Neighborhood Profiles Home Loans • Mortgage Rates • Online Rate Quotes • Refinance Loans & Rates • Home Equity Loans & Rates • Free Credit Reports REALTORS • Find & Compare REALTORS Resources • Moving Services • Foreclosure Center Home Improvement & Services • Home Services • Home Improvement Library • House Facts Search Homes For Sale City & State, or Zip: Price Range: $0 $30,000 $50,000 $80,000 $100,000 $125,000 $150,000 $175,000 $200,000 $225,000 $250,000 $275,000 $300,000 $350,000 $400,000 $450,000 $500,000 $550,000 $650,000 $750,000 $850,000 $1 million $1.25 million $1.5 million $1.75 million $2 million $2.25 million $2.75 million $3 million $3.5 million $4 million $4.5 million $5 million $6 million $8 million $10 million to No limit $30,000 $50,000 $80,000 $100,000 $125,000 $150,000 $175,000 $200,000 $225,000 $250,000 $275,000 $300,000 $350,000 $400,000 $450,000 $500,000 $550,000 $650,000 $750,000 $850,000 $1 million $1.25 million $1.5 million $1.75 million $2 million $2.25 million $2.75 million $3 million $3.5 million $4 million $4.5 million $5 million $6 million $8 million $10 million Beds: Any 1+ 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+ Baths: Any 1+ 1 1/2+ 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+ Search For: Existing Homes Yahoo! Classifieds New Homes Foreclosures Advanced Search Search Commercial Real Estate Sell Your Home with the Help of Yahoo! Classifieds. Generate leads quickly with placement in front of millions of Yahoo! users. Your ad runs for 21 days URL link to another Web site Post up to six photos Full property description Sell Your Home Today! Foreclosure Center Search Foreclosures Find properties at 20-50% off market value. Learning Center Get educated about foreclosure opportunities. Sponsored Links Buying a Home? Save Thousands Build One Save thousands building your own home with structural insulated panels (Sips). Buying a home? Use our do-it-yourself panelized home kits instead. Dealership opportunities available. www.ameripanel.com Home Buying at Homestore.com Find information, articles and quotes for home loans in your area. We have the loan that's right for you. Complete our easy form and get free, competitive quotes. homestore.com New Homes and Home Builders - iNest iNest's guide to new homes and home builders in 19 states: AZ, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, MD, MI, MN, NC, NM, NV, OH, SC, TN, TX, VA, UT and WI. Save 1% on your new home with a cash back coupon. www.inest.com Buying a Home with Bad Credit Get free quotes on first home loans and professional home buying advice. Compare rates, programs. Down payment assistance. Instant match to first time buyer loans for any credit situation. www.homemortgagematch.com (Become a Sponsor) Partner Spotlight Featured Sponsor Find a Local REALTOR by HomeGain • Find & Compare REALTORS • Get Home Prices Home Services by ServiceMaster Clean, Fix and Improve your Home Get an Estimate or call 1-866-843-2834 Real Estate News A term every home buyer, real estate agent, homeowner should know Dec 28, 2005, Inman News Rolling Boom Lifts Real Estate Beyond Coastal Cities, States Dec 28, 2005, Realty Times Housing Affordability Hits 14-Year Low Dec 22, 2005, RealEstateJournal.com New home sales tumble but consumers bright Dec 23, 2005, Yahoo! Finance REIT Funds See More Growth In 2006 (Investor's Business Daily) Dec 27, 2005, Yahoo! News New Home Sales for 2006 Look Good Dec 23, 2005, Quicken Loans more real estate news Homes For Sale - Apartments For Rent - Current Mortgage Rates - Real Estate Agents - Local - Yellow Pages

real estate investing. (And,

MSN Money - Nothing quick about getting rich with real estate MSN Home Hotmail My MSN Sign In Money S earch MSN Money: Help Home News Banking Investing Planning Taxes My Money Portfolio Loans Insurance Investing Home Portfolio Markets Stocks Funds ETFs Commentary Brokers CNBC TV MSN Money Insight Jubak's Journal SuperModels Start Investing Strategy Lab Company Focus Mutual Funds Street Patrol Other Views Contrarian Chronicles TheStreet.com Resources Commentary Index Decision Centers Start Investing Mutual Funds Find Hot Stocks Simple Strategies Power Tools Investing For Income Real Estate Related Links Expert Picks Market Dispatches CNBC Stock Picks Message Boards Print-friendly version Send this to a friend Research any REIT Find top-performing mutual funds Sortable database of SEC filings Find stock winners with our screener Personal finance bookshelf Find It! Article Index Finance Q&A Tools Index Site Map Recent articles by MP Dunleavey: • How to invest when you've got just $500 , 1/15/2004 • Your 3 worst debt consolidation moves , 1/11/2004 • Feel guilty if youre not shopping? , 1/4/2004 More... Related Sites Robert Allen Institute Millionaire Hall of Fame National Association of Realtors John T. Reeds Web site John T. Reeds reviews of the real estate gurus Carleton Sheets Web site Joe Crumps Real Estate Moneymaker.com The Basics Nothing quick about getting rich with real estate advertisement A real estate seminar promoter promised to create 1,000 new millionaires, but so far none are in sight. See what happened to his believers. By MP Dunleavey Like a lot of people these days, Marjorie Stark wouldnt mind making a little extra cash -- or even a lot of it. So when she attended an information session for Robert Allens Creating Wealth Through Real Estate seminar in New York, she was more than willing to pay $2,495 for Allens intensive three-day course on real estate investment strategies. Concerned about not having enough to retire on and wanting to pass along some wealth to her kids some day, the 62-year-old New York City educator said to me then: I am convinced that real estate is the way to go. I was there that night, too, and I could scarcely resist the mouth-watering idea that those three days could make me rich. As the guy leading the session announced: We are on a mission to create 1,000 new millionaires in 12 months! A year later, Stark isnt any closer to being a millionaire. She hasnt bought any new property nor made any money on real estate -- except for the rental property she owned before and bought the hard way (with cash and bank loans). She even admitted that when she saw Robert Allens newest venture was in vitamin sales, I thought I was going to puke. I was very disillusioned. But Stark is undaunted and still believes there are fortunes to be made in real estate. She just enrolled in another seminar at a local college on how to buy distressed and foreclosed properties, she says. With a full-time job, Im not sure how I can do it, but, boy, am I itching to go! Start investing with $100. Explore our new ETF center. Theres something about real estate Stark is not alone. The National Association of Realtors doesnt track independent real estate investment seminars or how many people attend them, but their allure springs eternal like the get-rich hopes of those who sign up for these courses. The odds of winning are not high. Robert Allens 1,000 new millionaires never materialized in the last year, for example. Allen operates whats called The Enlightened Millionaire Institute. Its Millionaire Hall of Fame Web site lists only 50 millionaires (defined as having generated gains averaging $2.6 million). A spokesman admits not all of them exclusively used the Allen method of real estate investing. (And, in a disclaimer, the site notes, No information has been verified or authenticated. Results vary. All successes are subject to one's own knowledge and effort.) Despite all that, the Robert Allen Institute still conducts two or three seminars a week in different cities and says it reaches about 1,200 people each month. (Thats 1,200 x $2,495 = $2.99 million a month, in case you left your calculator home.) Allen is just one of dozens of artful salesmen who preach fancy financing, no money down, flipping properties quickly and numerous other strategies to get rich buying and selling real estate. And the question all this preaching raises is, do these investment techniques, systems and strategies really work? Can they actually make you rich? After all, would people keep trying it if it couldnt be done? Or are hundreds of thousands of people simply seduced by expert sales pitches and swindled out of hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars? Weighing the evidence Like so many things in life, it depends on whom you talk to. Or whose Web site you believe. John T. Reed is a real estate investment coach himself, based in Alamo, Calif. Hes also a self-appointed watchdog for this industry. He keeps the most exhaustive list I could find of dozens of so-called gurus, along with reviews of their techniques, books and other products. Although Reeds Web site , where you also can buy his various books for $29.95, reads a bit like he has a chip -- a very big chip -- on his shoulder, he was recommended by the National Association of Realtors as a serious investigator in the industry. Not that hes against real estate investment, or some of the reputable folks who teach their own hard-won wisdom. But those have been degraded by "the endless parade of B.S. artists coming into the real-estate-investment-advice field. It is an embarrassment to the good people in the business." And many people believe his grousing is justified. Norm Bour is the host of The Real Estate and Finance Hour on KLSX in Los Angeles, a top talk radio station. Hes worked in real estate as a mortgage lender and describes the proliferation of real estate seminars, workshops and scams as a major pet peeve. Case in point: foreclosures, he begins. Real estate in California has gone berserk in the last few years so people are looking for foreclosures to buy. The idea being you can buy a foreclosure more cheaply than other property and potentially gain a windfall when you sell it. But, as Bour notes, You can count on one hand how many actual foreclosure properties there are (for sale). Yet theres no lacking of people who are offering real estate foreclosure lists. One might pay $35 for a list, but it may be peppered with properties in other states. Its not fraudulent, but its certainly deceptive. The shady gray area Well-known personalities like Robert Allen or Carleton Sheets , who have extensive marketing organizations, are a little different, Bour says. They offer some very solid basics, but the number of people who can do what they propose is very small -- because they make it sound so much easier than it is. Thats what Josh Kelinson, a freelance advertising consultant in New York, found when he and two friends tried to follow the Sheets method. The three pals pooled their resources to master what Sheets preached, which is similar to the Allen method: buying property with no money down (or some other creative financing method) and flipping later on for a profit. One of his pals took the seminar, another bought the 8-CD set, etc. Thus inspired and determined, they tried to buy a building suitable for five apartments in Massachusetts, not far from where theyd all grown up. Kelinson says the actual experience of trying to buy an income property proved eye-opening. We spent a ton -- and I mean a ton -- of time on it. There was the approval process, the paperwork, getting lawyers. It took two to three hours a day, not including weekend travel time and unexpected snafus. I found it impossible to do with a full-time job. Ultimately, the project bogged down because of a major zoning problem. The building was in an area zoned for three apartments, and the building had been illegally converted into five apartments. The zoning authorities refused to grant an exception to the rules. Then, the building owner refused to return their deposit. The three were out $35,000. Still, Kelinson doesnt feel misled or duped by the Sheets method, and he and his friends are sure they can make it work with their next deal. There are a lot of other things out there that are scams, but this definitely can be done, he says. But investing in real estate is not nearly as easy as it looks, he says. Make sure you have the time to do it, he advises wannabe investors. If you dont allocate the time, it probably wont work. We want the system to work so much And therein lies the fundamental appeal, and ultimate trouble, of get-rich-quick (GRQ) strategies. Its the jackpot mentality, says psychologist Patricia Farrell, author of How to Be Your Own Therapist . Just like the schmoe who buys a winning lottery ticket -- every once in a while, someone, somewhere really does use these edgy real estate investment techniques to make millions. Its not the principles that are flawed, says Bour. Its the simplicity and ease that are overstated. Most of these courses are so seductive, Farrell says, because they operate according to a tried-and-true principle of behavioral psychology called the variable ratio reinforcement schedule. Basically, people (and rats) will persist in doing something, even with little or no return, if they are given the tiniest bit of hope of a coming reward. So the fact that some people do succeed at no money down strategies acts like a financial aphrodisiac for all those watching, waiting, hoping. So could the Starks and Kelinsons of the world be next? Is it just a matter of reapplying the Robert Allen/Carleton Sheets techniques until they work? Mark Wilson, one of the millionaires created by the Robert Allen Institute, would say yes. The president of Southeastern Housing Partners in Hickory, N.C., Wilson started investing in real estate in the late 1980s. We were doing OK, but nothing to write home about. Then in 2002, after hearing Robert Allen speak, Wilson paid $5,000 to join a one-year intensive coaching course. It changed his life, his business and, above all, his cash flow, he says. Although hed read Allen's No Money Down in college, the seminar focused more on another Allen signature strategy: developing multiple streams of income (from rentals, rehabs, buying foreclosed properties, commercial properties, etc.). Now, Wilson says, hes about to close a deal that will put his net worth at $8.5 million. He believes anyone can make big bucks from real estate if he or she is willing to take action -- not just sit on the sofa listening to tapes. Before you sign up, count to a million Of course, Wilson admits that it was easier for him to take the Robert Allen techniques and run with them. He had a lot of experience in real estate already. Most people, Bour points out, dont have those skills. And few people have the time or the diligence to acquire them. (Some skill sets you need to have -- and the course cant teach it to you, agrees Kelinson.) Bob Underwood of Stafford, Va., is one person who can testify to the fact that investing in real estate is not for those steeped in fantasy. Underwood bought an e-book from yet another author and teacher by the name of Joe Crump . Crump, who hails from Indianapolis, teaches a no-money-down technique, but he told me that he does it legally and ethically. Underwood, 43, has a wife and family and a full-time job -- and no time to muck about in real estate with no return. He paid Crump about $500 for one-on-one coaching in 2002 and, after a rocky start, has managed to buy three properties in the last two years. Hes sold one of them, made about $10,000, after taxes, in the process and is hoping to rehab and sell another this year. One deal Underwood did alone, the next was with a partner. He says theres no cookie-cutter method that works. What works, he says, is getting out into the market, investing the time to learn about the business, not neglecting your wife and kids (or day job), learning from your mistakes, making friends and getting advice from others as you move forward. Slowly, steadily and not particularly wealthily. Remember, you have to pay capital gains (taxes) on the profits, he says, so its not a lot of money in the end. But that, of course, isnt what people want to hear. People are lead to believe that all you need is the right plan and youll make a million, that if you use this system youll be rewarded, says psychologist Farrell. They dont realize that the possibility of getting that big reward is so remote. Editors' choice Don't get scammed by your mover Safeguard your Social Security number 5 ways to tap into the onshore drilling boom Your checkbook just became obsolete Turn $1 a day into $67,815 Readers' choice Ratings Top 5 Articles 9.30 Zombie debt collectors dig up your old mistakes 9.24 Keep thieves out of your bank account 9.22 Credit reports now free for entire U.S. 9.19 10 ways to avoid outrageous hospital overcharges 9.17 Tax breaks for Katrina victims -- and all of us View all top rated articles More Resources · E-mail us your comments on this article · Post on the Your Money message board · Get a daily dose of market news S earch MSN Money tips advertisement Sponsored Links Fund data provided by Morningstar, Inc. © 2005. All rights reserved. Quotes supplied by ComStock , an Interactive Data company. MSN Money's editorial goal is to provide a forum for personal finance and investment ideas. 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Real Estate Investing -

B2B Real Estate Investment Opportunities in the Yahoo! Directory Search: the Web | the Directory | this category B2B > Real Estate Investment Opportunities Email this page Suggest a Site Advanced Search Directory > Business and Economy > Business to Business > Business Opportunities > Investment Opportunities > Real Estate CATEGORIES Real Estate Investment Trusts@ SPONSOR LISTINGS ( What's this? ) Creative Real Estate Investing - offering teaching and training in various techniques, including foreclosure, no money down, rent to own, lease option, fixer uppers, hard money loans, and more. SITE LISTINGS By Popularity | Alphabetical ( What's This? ) Sites 1 - 40 of 76 Real Estate Promo - lists local investment clubs and provides education, training, mortgage calculators, and a weekly real estate investing newsletter. Top-Invest - real estate in Germany and Citrus County, Florida, plus investment opportunitues. Offers in English and German. Creative Real Estate OnLine - "how-to" resource for anyone who wants to make money in real estate. Articles, money-making ideas and much, much more. U.S. Land Company, The - offers real estate investing resources including free leads, articles, bookstore, investing clubs, and more. Real Estate Investing Depot - directory of real estate investing resources. RealEstateCourseReviews.com - read and write reviews of the most popular real estate investing courses. Also offers products, articles, and links related to real estate investment. Access Investment Property - find real estate property for sale throughout the world. REIClub.com - provides real estate investing resources such as how-to articles, discussion forums, newsletters, online chats, books, clubs, and more. RealEstateInvesting.com - offers information, books and courses on real estate investing with no-down-payment, lease options, flipping houses, and more. Carleton Sheets - offers products, software, newsletter, audio programs, videos, and more about their real estate investment program. Lease 2 Purchase .com - offers tips and strategies for creative real estate investing. Real Estate Investment Forum - features an investment guide and field reference manual for investing in apartments, houses, and commercial buildings. Pierre & Vacances Conseil Immobilier - designs, builds, and manages holiday homes and apartments throughout Europe. Wiltshire Properties - offers news, reviews, and how to articles. Home Business Solutions - offering information on lease purchasing and homebased businesses. Aaron's Investments - offering tax defaulted land, lien certificates, and foreclosed property deeds. Cash Flow Institute LLC - presents fresh investment plans for real estate investing including foreclosures. Resultsnow.com - offers free real estate investor tips, a book, a newsletter, and information on creating monthly streams of income to generate greater wealth. Fast Home Offers - offers leads for real estate investors with mortgage calculators, a glossary, and homeowner information. Tax Lien Certificates Network - for investors who buy, sell, and trade tax lien certificates. Flipping Homes - offers articles and an active newsgroup on no money down, foreclosure, rehab, fixer upper, and other forms of real estate investing. Creative Real Estate Investing [SPONSOR] - offering teaching and training in various techniques, including foreclosure, no money down, rent to own, lease option, fixer uppers, hard money loans, and more. Note Investors Group - offers programs focused on real estate investment strategy and the discounted cash flow business. B&B Online: Inns for Sale - U.S. bed & breakfast and country inns for sale. Aminoff & Co. - real estate investment opportunities. Invest In Belize - Assisting investors in the purchase, development, and management of Belize real estate and business opportunities. Exodus Island Ventures - specializes in Dominican Republic real estate investment opportunities, Caribbean luxury villa and condo development projects, and property management services. 4 Tax Lien Certificates - tax lien certificate sales and tax deed sale directories and property listings. Fuller Apartment Homes, LLC - An $8,000,000 offering of Limited Liability Company Shares to construct a 138-unit apartment home telecommunity in Bakersfield, California. Available to California Residents only. BnBForSale - features bed and breakfasts for sale. Kilimani Development Holdings - manages investments in small to medium sized residential, retail, and commercial properties in South Africa. Lennox Group, The - specializes in tax lien certificate investments, offering security through collateralized loans secured as legal liens over asset-based property. Operation Enterprise - for commercial and industrial businesses seeking competitive advantages through affordable and strategic site locations. Eastern Consolidated Properties - a commercial real estate brokerage company and commercial real estate investment banking firm. Investment Property Guide - offers advice on investment property in Spain, Dubai, France, Portugal, Thailand, Cyprus, and the United States. Nosy B Resort Hotels Construction Project - features construction plans and information about Andilana, Palm Beach, and Nosy Iranja resort hotels off the north coast of Madagascar. Seaquest Ventures Real Estate, BizOps & Telecommunications Abode Federal Foreclosed Homes - provides reports on homes for sale through bank and government institutions. Euroasian Equities Limited - international mortgage banking, equity capital, and project financing. Ted Thomas Tax Lien Certificates - offers a audio interview and a wealth conference tele-seminar. Results Page: 1 2 Next B2B > Real Estate Investment Opportunities Email this page Suggest a Site Advanced Search Directory > Business and Economy > Business to Business > Business Opportunities > Investment Opportunities > Real Estate Search: the Web | the Directory | this category