Viva Las Vegas! The City That Never Sleeps, Sin City, Lost Wages. It is too bad that Las Vegas only seems to be known by most people as a place to party and try and parlay – and loose – your fortune. Vegas, as it is called by nearly everybody living there, is a thriving, fast growing metropolitan all grown up town that is becoming a haven for people moving away from bad weather, income tax, and nothing to do. Even though a lot of boomers are heading there, it is a young crowd due to the work force. The city has worked hard on redevelopment and cleaned up a lot. I happen to like to party there, as there is lots to do, and thankfully due to my successful lead gen digital real estate, I can.
Let’s roll some dice and bet on how you can score in Las Vegas real estate investing.
The City That Never Sleeps is a Kind of Newbie
The fastest growing city in the U.S. the last several years in a row, Las Vegas is a relative newcomer on the town of any size scene. Five hours out of Los Angeles and over the San
Bernardino Mountains, the City of Neon is way out in the desert and pretty much in the middle of nowhere. It was a wide spot in the road after crossing the Mojave on Hwy. 66 for decades. Legalized gambling, wedding chapels, and brothels changed that, but Las Vegas still did not really start to grow up until the last 20 years. Over 320 days of sunshine annually, along with no state income tax and a strong job scene after the Great Recession set up Las Vegas as a good place to get a start, raise a family, and invest – especially in real estate.
Glitter Gulch lost its sparkle during the Great Recession
Nevada real estate took a real beating during the Recession, and Vegas was one of the hardest of all hit with foreclosures and failed valuation on property. Home valuations fell an average of 56%. Parts of Las Vegas 
looked like one of the many ghost towns dotting rural Nevada, reminiscent of another rush for wealth 150 years ago. But, in Las Vegas, one thing is certain – everything is a gamble. You either make it or break it in Vegas, and many a fortune has been won or lost – mostly lost – on the Strip and elsewhere in Glitter Gulch.
Las Vegas is an interesting creature by location. What really put the area on the map was the building of Boulder Dam, what we now know as Hoover Dam, and Lake Mead as a water reservoir to back up the mighty Colorado River. The desert is not forgiving when it comes to the need for water. An interesting note, Las Vegas was originally a thriving agricultural area due to close, high quality surface water in the late 1800’s. Seismic activity, mining pollution, along with tapping into the natural reserve for too long, drawing too much out of the Colorado, damming upstream, all took their toll and Las Vegas found itself without 
sufficient potable water. Water is still a very important and trying issue in this dry, arid region, especially now with the greater Las Vegas area population approaching 2 million, an increase of over a million in less than 20 years.
Las Vegas has a very low toleration for crime… sort of
Las Vegas has had challenges keeping up with growth and infrastructure during that time. One of the big issues was police and fire protection. Law enforcement was especially challenged in the late 90’s when gangs began to migrate from L.A. to easier pickings in Las Vegas. The city has responded, however, and has a very low toleration for anyone choosing to break the law. Clark County, where Vegas is metro proper, is not known for a sense of humor with illegal activities, that is, unless you outrank them by owning or controlling a casino. Even then the Nevada Gaming Commission has a heavy hand in local affairs.
It’s all wide-open spaces ripe for development, right? Wrong.
Real estate in Las Vegas might seem to go on forever with miles to grow into. Nothing could be further from the truth. Actually Las Vegas is running out of space to build, as it is nearly surrounded by federal lands, with a few state properties sprinkled in. In fact, right at 85% of Nevada is owned by the feds. Clark County and the State of Nevada have requested permitting to develop 27,000 additional acres from Bureau of Land Management properties around the greater Las Vegas area, but the request has gone no where.
The biggest challenge with all the federal land is it is not just federal, it is military. High security military, including nuclear testing, bombing range, arsenals, armament storage, you name it, some of the most targetable stuff we have is located near Las Vegas. Yucca Mountain, where the feds keep trying to pawn off nuclear waste, is a stone’s throw outside of town. It is understandable why the feds do not want to give up anything, including information about where the old location of Area 51 was, reputed to be close by.
Just how is the Las Vegas housing market now?
Since the Recession, Las Vegas has experienced unprecedented growth and recovery of valuation on homes. Just last year, even as the national economy was slowing, Vegas experienced an 11.6% average increase in valuations. With a lower cost of living than many places in the U.S. and lower home prices than most of the west coast major cities, Las Vegas is being seen as both a good place to move and invest in real estate.
Sources differ considerably about what the average price for a home is in Las Vegas, ranging from $198,000 to near $275,000. Zillow reports that the median host price is currently $273,500, Trulia $275,000, realtor sites $226-$246K. What we do know is real estate in Las Vegas does not stay on the market long, an average of 44 days, with 2 offers by then. Las Vegas was the top real estate market in the nation the last two years in a row.
The jobs market is improving in Las Vegas but unemployment is still above national average. Businesses are relocating to Nevada due to no corporate taxes and no state income tax, and many cities, Las Vegas included, have major incentive packages for corporate relocation that includes jobs packages. A word of caution, though – Nevada is a strong right to work state. This has kept wages for anyone but top earners well below average per hour rates of nearly anywhere else in the west.
The rental market is strong and tight in Vegas
With the influx of retirees and those relocating (they think) to brighter pastures, rentals are in very short supply in the area. Rent has had the highest year over year increase of any major city in the U.S. for a number of years running. Las Vegas is one of those places it is actually cheaper, often much cheaper, to pay a mortgage, as median rent hovers currently around $1,500 a month for a two bedroom apartment or house. Eviction rates are fairly low, as evictions are quick in Nevada and laws are tough, so most people try to keep their nose clean.
Banking, and getting a mortgage, can be a challenge where cash is king
It is harder, however, to do banking in Nevada. Writing a mortgage, even opening a checking account, can be a challenge, with more proof of everything than you might imagine. Those challenges extend to things like licensing, car 
registrations, just about anything to prove you are there and why you are there and why you have money there. It goes back to the transient nature of Nevada due to the gaming industry, and the high number of people that have financial issues in the state due to their gambling habits. Writing a mortgage is a reach and requires a lot more proof of income and stability than nearly any other place in the U.S. That goes for investment property and second homes used for rentals, also. Cash purchases for homes, once the standard for the region, are no longer, and banks intend to not be taken by surprise due to the number of borrowers increasingly under water due to inflating prices.
I have an advantage in that I actually can pay cash and have strong financials if I go to purchase real estate, thanks to my digital real estate. That was not always the case, though. I changed it with my lead gen business. Here is the link to learn how I did it https://www.bestrealestatedirectory.com/lead-gen/
All that glitters is not gold, or accurate, in real estate investment information for Las Vegas
There are a few things the investment blogs and prognosticators are not telling you about the Las Vegas real estate market. The valuation increase for homes is that high because the increase has been driven the past several years by high-end luxury homes – those over half a million. Lower priced single-family homes in Las Vegas simply have not gone up nearly as quickly.
While there is a decent market for home buyers getting into their first place due to the prices being lower than they might see in San Francisco or Seattle, the income growth and regular home valuation increases are simply not there. Cash purchases for homes in the Las Vegas area are at an all time low, meaning people can not afford to pay cash – which was the gold standard for decades in the region when buying a house – and have to mortgage. That said, delinquency and foreclosures are on an uptick again in the Las Vegas area. In 2017 the Las Vegas area was nearly double of any major place in the U.S. In 2018 it settled some, but is still high, as more and more homeowners find themselves upside down and under water.
Does this mean that in the near future there will be a glut of foreclosures and short sales to feast upon in the lit up desert?
Probably not.
What is going on with real estate investment opportunities in Vegas?
One of the reasons that you see only, and I mean only, blogs and articles from the real estate investments groups and associations is that long term investors, many from the Eurozone, have been and are buying up nearly everything that has, was, and is, coming available as a “bargain” in Las Vegas. That is true for single-family homes, condos, multi-plex, and commercial real estate. They are banking that the Millennials who are trying, hoping to some day own their own place will eventually buy the luxury homes the investment groups are all sitting on, and having to rent at high rates meanwhile. They are in it for the long haul to capitalize, and they are hoping to suck you into an investment group to use your money, not theirs, to sit on for perhaps a decade or more.
Another use for those houses they sucked up is short-term rentals.
What about investing in a short-term rental property?
Las Vegas had nearly 43 million – yes, 43 million – tourists in 2017. Year-to-year increase runs around 16-17%. They gotta’ put them somewhere. While you can stay cheap Monday-Thursday in Las Vegas, weekend prices on accommodations anywhere in the city are no longer anywhere close to a bargain. It is no longer cheap to eat out in Las Vegas, and show prices sure have caught up. Las Vegas no long just makes a buck off you in the casino. They get you before, 
during, and after the roulette table. One of the largest number of units in the nation for online rental is greater Las Vegas now.
So all this is great, you are thinking, and it really isn’t a crapshoot if I can find a decent place to buy, even if it is not cheap. Well, let’s talk about the property that ended up dumping during the Recession.
Caveat emptor on Las Vegas “cheap” property
Las Vegas, Nevada in general until the last 10 years, has been a place of rich and poor for the most part. Wages were horrid compared to hours, and most working conditions were not good. Nevada did not even have a mandatory lunch break law for decades. That said, when the Recession hit and people did not have money to gamble, Las Vegas took a 
terrible hit. Homes that had not had a lot of TLC for years got none. Many of the homes that were abandoned had very little maintenance for long periods of time.
If you can even find a lower priced property that is not already ready for rent, you have to be careful about the roof, water heater, heating and air conditioning units, plumbing, really, everything. The weather might be nice in southern Nevada but it is hard on materials. You also need to check on property taxes, potential liens that have not turned up, and neighborhood regulations in Clark County. Nevada was one of the last states admitted to the Union, and it also lagged behind in regulations and still does. Due diligence is critical.
Don’t try to bluff in Las Vegas or you will get flushed
Another thing in Las Vegas, they do not call it Lost Wages for nothing, and they don’t just mean at the craps table. People in the area are used to negotiations, slick talkers, and bluff. They are hard to read and harder to get a deal out of. You have to keep your emotions in check at all times when trying to bargain on anything in Las Vegas.
Tourism, and world economy, wags the tail of the Las Vegas dog
Due to a local economy run on tourism, and a lot of it international and from the East, political instability, tariff wars, and tensions politically all affect the economy of Las Vegas. People come to spend money and leave, and those who serve them live there and are stuck. When less come, less wages are paid. Simple math. Makes no difference cost of living is less than elsewhere when you do not have it to spend.
Some Las Vegas real estate investment firms will try and tell you property increased 46% last year – a figure I could not substantiate anywhere. However, all the responsible economists, due to the economy slowing nationally and real estate leveling out in most places out west (or heading down) – all of them are stating the property values will go into deceleration in Las Vegas after third quarter 2021.
Will the Las Vegas area’s real estate crash again? You tell me.
The real estate trend predictors are pushing that it will be great until that third quarter. Their accuracy rate for predictions in the Las Vegas area is 71%. The Nevada Gaming Commission sets the mandatory minimum pay back amount at Clark County casino slot machines…96%.
I don’t know too many people who have made a good investment yanking on a one armed bandit at 96% return. That makes me super leery of 71% odds.
It is really hard to tell what is really going on in the Las Vegas real estate market
One thing that really bothered me when I started to look into investing in real estate in Las Vegas was the lack of independent information. All, and I mean ALL, the information is from investment firms. Not even the realtors have hardly anything up. No one is talking, except those who are trying to dig into your pocket. I guess what happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas.
As for me, my greenbacks are going to stay in my pocket, to invest in my own digital real estate.
Gamble on yourself
If I am going to gamble, I am going to gamble on myself and a sure thing – my lead gen business. I am sure not going to 
go out and put my hard earned money down some rabbit hole of an investment group based out of country who wants to tie up my money long term for a not so bright outlook return. Here is how I learned to do what I do to make the money I do https://www.bestrealestatedirectory.com/lead-gen/
I started looking into Las Vegas for property investment as I really do like the town. I just turned 30, I’m single, and I like to party some. I also am sitting pretty well financially now thanks to my businesses I own controlling digital real estate. It was not always like that though.
Work for yourself, not the house
When I graduated from college I landed a corporate job that sounded good, and I was anxious to tackle the world. I soon learned that it was really hard to survive on $35K a year, paying my own bills. Starting my own business sounded like a good way to put some money back and be more comfortable, so I looked around and ran into many MLMs. I tried a few, got little of the money I invested back, and irritated a lot of family and friends in the process.
A couple of years at not winning sent me hunting again. I started drop shipping and made a little money, but still not enough to really invest in anything. I was also working stupid hours, had no life, and my apartment was stacked full of boxes and packing materials and stuff. I had no life. That was not what I wanted for myself, either, so back to the hunt I went.
One night while reading business blogs I ran into an article about a guy out west who was deep into marketing for businesses via the Internet. That got my attention. I knew enough to know the web was the future, and the future was here and now. I also knew very few business owners knew what to do with the Internet to build their business.
The guy the article talked about, Dan, had built his business writing lead generation websites for businesses from scratch. He worked his business every day and was making serious money. He also had a training program available for people like me who were willing to work to make a good living for themselves in their own business in control of their own life. By now I was completely sick of the corporate job and my apartment full of freight, so I thought what the heck, nothing to loose, and I clicked on the link to set up a time to talk. This was the link https://www.bestrealestatedirectory.com/lead-gen/
Dan shot straight from the hip and pulled no punches. He explained his training program and how it worked to legitimately help businesses succeed. The training program was reasonable and I could work at my own pace while I kept my job. It was way less than I had invested already in other things that sure did not get me where I wanted to be, and after thinking about it, I signed up, paid my tuition, and dove in.
The first thing I did was build a website, the one below. It took me like six hours start to finish. I still own it today.
I was able to rent the leads to a business owner right away, and five years later the same business owner still pays me $750/mo, direct deposit. My expenses are really low (I regularly make 80-90% profit on all my rented sites) and in five years I have cleared over $37,600 in profit on this six hours of work. I hardly ever have to touch it, and honestly, hardly ever have to deal with the customer, either. He is happy, and I am sure happy.
I was pretty impressed. I kept studying, working, and building sites. Yeah, it was work at first, I had to hustle as I still had the 9-5. But in five months I got to walk out of the 9-5 – permanently.
Now, 5 years later, I just turned 30. I am well over 7 figures a year, 80-90% profit margins on all of it. And my business – and investments – just keep growing.
Could you use an extra $37,600 in your pocket?
The best part about my real estate – digital real estate – I do not have to pay property tax. I do 
not have to hit the alarm in the morning. I can fly anywhere in the world I want and my office is in my laptop. I work when I want, how hard I want, party when I want. And the businesses I work with are thrilled to get the help.
Is whoever you are working for thrilled you are helping them make money? I kind of doubt it.
If you are ready and willing to do some work for yourself and not the other guy, click this link https://www.bestrealestatedirectory.com/lead-gen/
There is no obligation, I won’t call you back, I will not sell your name and number. I just think that a few more people like me would like a chance to change their life for the good in some monumental ways.
Don’t waste your time gambling on anything but a sure bet. You have everything to gain, and nothing to loose, unlike Las Vegas.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we have a lift-off. Houston is alive and well.
You cannot think of Texas without thinking of oil, gas, and other energy production. Houston is the heart of everything oil and gas from production to planning to marketing to research. Because fuel is less expensive this close to production, nearly 6,500 manufacturing plants are located in the greater Houston area and a multitude of warehousing and transportation hubs as well. All this industry and research in so many segments adds up to a very large skilled worker base, and a reason to think about investing in Houston real estate.
area. It is logical that Houston has one of the most diverse populations by origin of any city in the United States and it makes Houston a good place to raise a family.
After the massive devastation from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, it would seem logical there ought to be a lot of houses sitting vacant ready for flipping. Nothing could be further from the truth in Houston. In fact, it has been hard to find a house to flip in Houston since right after the storm. While the typical post-hurricane insurance issues are still grinding slowly after nearly 18 months, the truth is many damaged houses in Houston where people decided not to stay for record flood #4 put them up for sale and sold them nearly immediately after the storm to investors. That is why when you hunt for property to invest in, you come up with bunches of real estate investor groups in Houston and not neighborhoods, property listings, or independent investment opportunities.
Houston has a lot of investment property still up for sale, but it is a combination of commercial, residential and bare land. Houston, unlike some large cities, still has area to grow into, but there is also considerable real estate downtown that is abandoned or vacant that need bulldozed and started new.
Location, location, location – and water
When you look at the job growth in Houston, it does not seem the flooding has influenced the influx of people coming to Houston to look for work in this diverse and international city. But, even for all the flood damage, Houston is not a cheap place to live.
The average home is around $187,000 in Houston now, but Houston varies tremendously by neighborhood, perhaps more than any major city. The market is considered neutral at this point. With the 20% fluctuation that can occur monthly, repeatedly and with no warning, investing in Houston real estate is a true game of nerves and timing. You hit a high and you may immediately loose substantial money. You hit a low and you can be ok, make some money – until the next high crashes.
Bare land values have not taken much of a hit around the area, and in 2018 residential real estate enjoyed a 4.8% across the board increase. In typical Texas fashion, some of the strongest increases were on the devastated peninsulas and barrier islands. Go figure.
A lot of historically architecturally significant homes were lost in Harvey and other recent flooding in Houston. Houston led the nation in modern home-style building after California, both locations for the space program. The rambling ranches of Texas fame also took a lot of damage, and with so many homes taking sewage (yes, sewage) and refinery contamination for extended periods of time, tearing down and rebuilding may be the only sane option.
either.
The flood maps were redone by FEMA several weeks into adjusting after Harvey, and it was done based on claims submitted and GPS coordinates taken at the front of the property. A lot of places did not flood at the road because roads tend to be built up in that part of Texas because of the flooding. The new flood maps also did not take into account areas flooded subsequently due to rivers backing up and floodwater standing over long periods of time, often containing significant chemical waste and biologics.
Then I got into drop shipping on Amazon. That worked better, but I was working stupid hours, had a ton of money in inventory, and had no life. I was making a little extra cash, but it was still not enough to really make a dent in my goals. I was working the regular job, working the side gig, and still searching for the golden arrow business that would hit my target.
I was really pleased and realized the builds were not hard, even though I had never done one before. I kept building. I put in some work, and I knew it would take that as any business and anything worth having takes work. I stayed focused, and in five months I was able to resign and leave the J-O-B. It was not too long after I got all the inventory out of my place for the drop shipping, too. It took more time than it was making me, my time was more valuable writing sites and selling the leads to businesses. I found out it was a lot easier than I thought, as business owners really truly needed more customers, and had no idea how to gain them digitally.
Aloha! Welcome to the Place of the Gods – Hawai’i 
What do Spam®, poke, pineapple, and Pele, all have in common? Not soccer. They are all near and dear to hearts, stomachs, or both, of Hawaiians. Food, faith, and fire surround the intricate 
web of cultures and history making up the land in one of the hottest real estate markets in the U.S. And we’re not talking scalding lava from Kilauea here, baby.
Hawaii’s real estate forecast is good
Our 50thstate may be known for tropical drinks and world championship surfing, but living in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has its challenges. Did you know that the most expensive place in the world to buy toilet paper is Hawaii? It is also the most expensive place for electricity and gasoline in the U.S. The reason is importation. Nearly everything you need in Hawaii has to come in by plane or ship. And the cost of that 2,500 miles from the mainland adds up quick.
planes when it became the 50thstate in 1959. It was, and still is, a key strategic U.S. military location. A waypoint to the Far East, Pacific, Asia, and Middle East for carriers, cruisers, and flights, the Joint Base Pearl Harbor – Hickam headquarters the US Pacific Fleet, and Hickam “Field” as it is still called, the Pacific Air Force 
Command, on Oahu. This large military facility is adjacent to Pearl Harbor and is a strong economic force in Hawaii after the #1 tourism trade.
either, having been dedicated to appeasing Pele, the goddess of fire, and ruler of the volcanoes.
A volcanic wonder, Hawaii has eight main islands and 126 more small islands, atolls, shoals, reefs, banks and seamounts stretching 1,500 miles in its archipelago. This includes the famous Midway Island of WWII, all while sitting atop one of the most active seamounts, or volcanic seafloor tectonic areas, in the world. After the most recent Kilauea eruptions that wiped large parts of towns and significant structures and roads out of Volcano National Park, Hawaii has done what is has always done, whether it is eruption, tsunami, or typhoon. They immediately 
started to rebuild, and bounce back. Lava was still sending up steam tendrils when moveable B’n’B and tiny homes began to pop up on the 100’ deep new lava fields. And Hawaii gained some valuable real estate in the process.
It is not like you are miles and miles away anywhere on Hawaii
Hawaii is unique in that there are ocean views from a lot of each island, not just beachfront or oceanfront. Often better views with far less traffic can be found further inland, up the mountain, or in smaller neighborhoods. There is also a better probability of finding a home in need of TLC in those areas. Homes in Hawaii do depreciate faster though, than on the mainland, due to weather and temperatures.
Hawaii is no longer just Honolulu, Diamond Head, and Waikiki Beach
Single-family homes bring the highest rent, but if considering rental property, it needs to be near busy areas and accessible. Small houses are the most reasonable homes for Hawaiian residential real estate investments, but any SFH is difficult to find for a decent buy. Townhouses and condos including studios are more readily available, but often in areas specific to rentals having zoning restrictions. Those restrictions include if you may rent at night and rules for long term stays.
Vacation rental property in Hawaii is more likely to need additional maintenance, and who is going to handle it while you are away? If you are not a local, Hawaii requires you to hire a local company to do maintenance on the property and take care of guest issues. This is not optional. Property taxes have remained low in Hawaii, and one reason is quality of property care. Hawaii is a nice place and they intend to keep it that way, and keep their worldwide tourist base happy during their stays.
There are more and higher costs than normal to hold rentals in Hawaii
Hawaii, especially for investment. Nothing could be further from the truth, for the most part. Hawaii has both fee simple property, meaning you can own the improvements and the land, and leasehold and Department of Hawaiian Homelands property. For either of those categories, you must be a certain percentage of direct Hawaiian heritage. There are a few more regulations for non-residents, too.
While there may be conditions dictating where a single family home would be purchased, especially if you plan to move to Hawaii as many now are, there really are few “bad” places to look for the best place to buy real estate in Hawaii. Know, though, it is all going to be high. There are no bargains to speak of in Hawaii. If you do snag a total repair job, remember – everything pretty much comes from the mainland. You need to be very realistic about the repair and remodeling costs, as they will be far, far more than they would be in the upper 48.
When you do find a place that has been used for a rental, ask to see their books and maintenance logs. Any reputable owner will be happy to share them with you, as they know it will increase their chance at a sale near the price they are asking. If they have been responsible, it will provide you a good idea of earnings potential and expenses, as well as turnover rate, taxes, utilities, and other costs you need a clear handle on before signing on the dotted line.
Then I got into drop shipping. I made a little, but I had an apartment full of stuff, was working stupid hours on top of the job, and had no, zero, life. I could pay all the bills easier, but I still could not really save. So I kept reading, browsing, asking questions, looking at other business models. That was when late one night I ran into a blog talking about a guy named Dan who was into lead generation websites, and had written a training program based on exactly what he was doing every single day. He was making good money. And he had a life.
pretty much no where) I decided to give it a try, as I did not have a lot to loose and had not seen another business model that looked anywhere close to this solid. I also knew the massive potential for businesses needing help getting customers. I paid my tuition and dug in.
If you want a cliff hanging view of the Pacific over Diamond Head, do it the old fashioned way. Earn it. It is a whole lot better than sweating a $10,000 or more a month mortgage payment when the house is empty. The lead gen model is efficient and the future of business. There are millions of businesses that have to get customers, all competing. And the internet is the future of marketing, hands down. Some of the money going out to attract customers may as well be in your pocket.
anything you want, and we will tell you right up front if you do not seem like a good fit. We want people to learn and become part of a supportive group that want, to be their own boss, leave a legacy for their family, and have some time to do the important things in life. Yes you will have to put in some work. You will learn some skills. And you will gain so much more than skills and work ethic. You will recover your soul and hope, to really make a difference for yourself.
Wilkommen zu Deutschland! 
but for cleanliness, safety pretty much everywhere in the country, a strong economy, and open arms to diversity. Couple that with cutting edge quality, precision, and technical skills, and you have a business environ that is healthy and stable compared to many other places in Europe.
Germany has long been known for quality manufacturing and practical application of materials and workmanship to make things that work, run, and last. From tools to electronics to autos, Germany sets a high mark. Even the Autobahn is a work of practicality – you can go as fast as you want. You are, however, personally responsible for any damage you cause. However, getting a driver’s license in Germany is like many other things there, a lot more challenging than what we are used to in the U.S.
Buying an East German castle ever been your dream? It won’t be East German, because it does not exist any more, but yes, castles can be bought in Germany. A farm in Schleswig-Holstein? (You really didn’t think the cow was named after someone, did you?) Ditto. Homes, apartments, flats, even just buy a room can be a real estate investment in Germany, a concept that might seem a bit odd in the West. Germany in general is stable in their real estate market and happy to take the money of foreigners, and was pretty much unaffected by the recession while the rest of the EU suffered.
It is fairly easy for foreigners to buy property in Germany
Since buying a home or castle in Germany is kind of a permanent thing, at least in terms of how the Germans look at it, getting a mortgage is more restrictive, especially if they think you are a short-timer. Another factor is commission rates and fees are much higher than you are used to. The average home sale price is $345,00 USD, so they make a bunch of Euros off the 
average home sale. German real estate agents act as house headhunters due to lower supply, German incentives for nationals, and local real estate investors (who hold the lion’s share of all German real estate), as finding what you want can be very challenging. You pretty much have to use a German real estate broker if you don’t have personal insider info just to find out something is for sale, as no real estate for sale signs appear in German yards.
That fairytale castle is not so cheap now, huh?
A big challenge is Germany underwrites their own on mortgages. If you are pensioned through the statutory program or are buying a “used” home, the government gives incentives or provides subsidies for German nationals to buy property. It might be easier to just get acquainted with a real estate investment firms in the area you are hunting, or look into the German Real Estate Association. Their directories, besides brokers, list accountants, real estate attorneys, appraiser, surveying companies, notary of the public, and others that you may need to find in the future.
Yes. No. Depends. Rental rates vary widely, much wider than in the US. Some areas like Leipzig you can rent an apartment for around 330 EU a month, or about $375 USD. That does not leave a lot of meat on the bone for ROI. Rents, as well as house prices, have seen substantial increases in popular places like Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, and Bavarian Alps, so much so there have been public protests and unrest over it. In contrast, mortgage rates are at all time lows due to the situations the EU facing in international politics and trade, Brexit, and otherwise.
Short answer, it is an EU challenge, it can cause economic issues and fluctuate the Euro a lot, and it affects every member of the EU, of which Germany is one. Since Germany is on the Euro, and the Euro is used all over Europe, everyone gains or suffers by Britain’s leaving the Union. It also affects things like trade agreements, tariffs, fuel prices, fees at borders/ports/terminals, and many other things. Things ripple out, and Germany is one of the biggest frogs in the pond to get jostled around by major issues within the EU, political or economic.
The future of business starts with www
Thinking about investing in Atlanta real estate? Not much beats a vibrant, exciting, younger mind-set big city with anything you can imagine to do. When mixed with cutting edge technology and business, as well as some well steeped history and four distinct seasons, nothing compares. That is why you should look at the Atlanta real estate market when you are thinking of investing money in real estate.
Atlanta, the capital of Georgia, is a key business hub for the southeast. Historically significant from the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement, Atlanta is a vibrant, growing, progressive modern city with a diverse population. Home to the 1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta has embraced a broad spectrum of culture and diversity to move into the 21stcentury. The Atlanta Development Authority created 
some prime incentive programs to draw real estate investment to the city with heritage zones, dream down payment assistance, homebuyer incentives, and what they call opportunity zones, areas they are seeking urban and suburban revitalization. Atlanta has been aggressive in getting people to buy their way out of recession.
including I-75, one of the heaviest traveled in the U.S. All this makes accessible Atlanta a primary location for business and growth.
One of the top ten fastest growing cities in the U.S., Atlanta boasts a younger average age population than most large cities. The greater Atlanta metro area has about 5.8 million in it, expected to gradually grow to 7 million by 2030. The unemployment rate is a decent 3.4%, and average income sits around $54K, well above the national average of $40K. It is also more evenly ethnically and racially diverse than most cities its size. This gives Atlanta an edge for up-and-coming technology, medical development, and business innovation and incubators, and corporate relocation. All those things need skilled labor to push them into the future.
Atlanta does have some safety and crime issues, especially in some downtown neighborhoods. If you are in the suburbs, though, you generally are ok. Buckhead, Marietta, Decatur, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, or lovely man-made Lake Lanier are all really nice (read: luxury for the most part) neighborhoods. In fact, several Atlanta suburbs were voted as one of the top places in the US to raise a family last year, if you can afford to live there.
The fact that a lot of the better neighborhoods have had bidding wars going on over listed property, and that the price advertised versus sale is still in the single digit range, tells you that Atlanta property is still hot. It makes a tough and not cheap investment market, though. You have to really hunt, or be willing to be creative or take some risk in a less healthy or more remote area to really be able to buy a property you can make investment dollars on, though.
Another fact they do not advertise is last year Atlanta had one of the largest major market mark-downs on real estate in the nation due to it sitting and not selling. Atlanta was averaging about a 9% drop in prices between listing time and sales previously. Last year the figure went up to 27.9%. Yikes. That means that Atlanta real estate is stalling and falling. Is it really safe to buy an investment property in Atlanta? It sure would make me pause hard.
Access to public transportation and major business zones is a key factor in those hunts, too. People simply do not want to have to deal with the brutal Atlanta traffic. Due to this, being on-site to view and immediately make an offer on a property helps a lot if you are determined to buy property now in Atlanta. Otherwise you should consider a trusted, vetted real estate investment group with a lot of Atlanta area experience to put equity money into. And remember, people in Atlanta do not like to commute from far outlying areas, so know where the location is and proximity to things before you invest.
A challenge to this, though, is the strong potential for a rising prime interest rate. Real estate market experts are saying they expect the average mortgage interest to reach 5% in 2019-2020. That means a tougher approval process and harder to save down payment for Generation Z and X, Millennials, and other first time home buyers. Many federal programs are also in jeopardy of being gone. Many of these buyers will seek a rental until they can afford to try and buy their own place.
While browsing around I ran across an article about lead generation, and how businesses needed vast amounts of help getting hooked up with their customers who were already hunting the internet for their goods and services. Now that was something I could relate to because I knew it was totally true from my corporate job. The article mentioned a guy named Dan who was killing it with lead generation websites, and he had written a training program to show how it was done. He was working the business himself, day in and day out. I liked that idea, as it told me he probably was pretty legit or he would not be doing it himself. I did some serious research and found out that yeah, this Dan guy was for real and was making serious money at what he was doing in lead gen.
You can invest in real estate with little to no money down
If you really want to try your hand at real estate investing and have little money to do it, there are some ways to reach that goal. It can be done running it from home, with little cash or no credit to start out.
Sometimes sellers will agree to finance the property, or “carry the paper.” This works well for people with little credit history or poor credit, if the seller agrees to the deal. Interest rates often are a higher than regular lenders. There is a legally binding agreement between the seller and buyer, as the seller is literally lending you that amount of money for a set period. It is a good way to get your foot in the door, though, when you have little or no credit history, or are recovering from bad.
Taking over a mortgage is pretty much a thing of the past
Don’t bite off a fixer upper you don’t have the skills to fix it
Look for low, or no, closing costs
Crowdfunding, real estate investor groups, and real estate investment trusts (a corporate investment group over which you have little say, but are closely regulated) are the newer ways to invest in real estate with little money down. A group of people pools their resources to buy or invest in the equity for a property, and share in the profits. It is important to know who you are working with and their experience and track record in picking and then selling the properties. Often you can start investing for as little as $500 – $1000 in these types of groups, but you do not stand to make a lot, either.
What a good feeling to finally see a healthy balance in the nest egg account. The emergency fund is funded, the bills paid down, and time to make some smart investments. You have looked around and real estate keeps coming up in conversations and articles. There is about $50,000 sitting in the account, and you are wondering – how can I make money with $50,000? Is that enough to realistically invest in real estate?
I did a lot of research when I started to make good money in my lead gen business and wanted to find a source for second income. There are different ways to invest in real estate, and you can invest $50,000 and make a return. I will touch on a few of them. If you are interested in how I made my extra cash to invest quickly in my lead gen business, you can click on this link and get some free information, no obligation 
One of the most common ways to invest a small amount for real estate is to buy a property that needs repaired. This could be a distressed property, one that is older, or went through foreclosure and was damaged. The common term is a rehab or flip property. A flip often needs repairs, remodeling, or cleaning up, requiring time and money. Some people buy and flip, some buy, remodel, and rent out, referred to as a buy and hold, utilizing the rental income to pay the mortgage.
Renting works best when the property is a duplex, four-plex, or multi-unit, as it allows you to leverage your $50,000 investment. You can live in one, and the rent from the other units pays the mortgage and hopefully at least a portion of your expenses. Some buy and hold investors also buy like they are going to flip, remodel/repair, then refinance the property to use the rental income to pay the mortgage, and the gained equity to invest in another property – the best of both worlds. Multi-units that are rental ready may prove easier to find than ones needing repairs, however. The later inventory overall is less, and they are snapped up quick.
Planning for emergencies and the unknown is a must
A variation on the buy and flip is the buy and live in flip. You have to have a place to live, right? Maybe the house needs a bathroom and kitchen remodel, and you can do the work, and can also live with what is there while you do it. This can be a good way to build up equity in a property, and once the remodeling is done, list the house and use the added value to find your next house to live in. Each time you can go up in value, or use the extra cash to finance additional properties while living in the current project. This model also may have tax advantages if you stay in the house long enough, as profits usually are not taxable after so long a time of residency. Talk to your tax professional about your state laws and your particular tax situation.
Is a real estate investment joint venture or group right for you?
It is important to know who you are dealing with, especially if the investments are flip properties. Are they a seasoned investor who is willing to share their real estate financials with you? It takes a lot of money pooled together from a number of sources to buy larger properties, making it sometimes more challenging to know who you are dealing with.
Last but not least is real estate investment trusts, or REITS. These funds are purchased usually through your brokerage account, and act like other funds groups. They vary tremendously by the initial investment amount, but most must distribute 95% of their earnings to shareholders. They range from private to traded accounts, and fees vary and may be higher than other forms of real estate investment. Ask your broker for clarification and what is currently available as they tend to bury information in massive bulletins. Know not all are liquid, so you may be locked into something you do not want to be in the future. Make sure to ask questions about fees, returns, values of the company, risk factors, and how they distribute.
I know mine was when I started looking into real estate investing when I had my first nest egg out of my lead gen business. I knew when I graduated from college that I had to find another means to put money away, so after starting the corporate grind for $35K, I looked into many money making opportunities, ranging from MLM and drop shipping to real estate. I did not have enough to invest in real estate at the time, so I hunted for a good business to do on the side. Since my background was in computers, I started there. I made a little, but the hours, along with the corporate job, were killing me. Rehabing real estate is kind of like that, every weekend spent cleaning, tiling, fixing, plumbing, painting, digging, pounding. Not the most fun. Especially for a 25 year old. We want to snowboard and party some!
Being in your 20’s is the sweet taste of you. It is dope to have your own place, car, job, and friends. Being in your twenties means you are adulting, make your own decisions, and are still learning what you are about. We express fast and furious, in the moment. Multi-tasks? Normal.
Buying a house is an American dream for most 20-somethings. According to realtor.com, Millennials are being seen as a strong force in real estate these days, especially in the high ticket (think luxury) real estate, where they received 49% of those jumbo (over $417K) mortgages last year. It looks like that trend is going to continue for 2019. That’s fire.
My new friends from my lead gen business, well, they can qualify for those high ticket mortgages, straight up lead gen money. And yeah, a bunch of them are 20-something Millennials. They see the future in the Internet and helping businesses grow and get customers.
Finding savings that pay above 1% can be very challenging, though. What you need is a return on investment, or ROI, that keeps up with inflation and also provides funds for reinvestment.
Smartasset.com in the May 2, 2016 article Top Three Reasons 20-somethings should invest in Real Estate, pointed out that real estate can be a hedge against the market as real estate is not as volatile as the stock market. Millennials are especially uncomfortable with investing in a roller coaster stock and bond portfolio, and often keep 70% of their assets in cash. Cash does not work for you a lot, though, when interest rates are so low. Real estate can be a more stable buffer with more ability to make a profit.
Some other options are out there, like private real estate purchasing, investment real estate which often requires sweat equity including flips and repos, investment clubs where you have little say in how the money is invested but can start small, and real estate crowd funding. Crowd funding lets you start investing in real estate with little money – at least of your own.
Learning all you can up front about how to invest in real estate for income, how to invest in out of state rental property (challenging when you are a newbie), or even how to buy your first rental property are all topics you need to become well acquainted with. Believe it or not, Zillow and Trulia are really good sources for education on a geographical area, what median sales prices are, crime statistics, school locations (a big consideration for resale on flippers), and other topics.
Wouldn’t it be easier if you started with the cash first? You can.
I tried multi-level marketing, and quickly alienated most my friends and family, as well as had a lot of money tied up in products, paperwork, you name it. I kept looking around and Amazon started taking over, so I tried reselling on their platform. I made some money, not a ton, but decent, but I also was working myself to death for a slim profit margin by the time I paid for the product, shipping, packaging, and listing and selling fees. I still needed something stronger with more potential and less overhead. I mean, life at 25 was not supposed to be so dang serious, right?
Guarantee if you have ever had to rip out and rehang drywall on a ceiling, or retile an entire room, you know it takes a lot longer than six hours and you are not going to get back clear that kind of money every month off rent, anytime soon. Oh, maybe in 20 or 30 years after the mortgage is paid off. Of course by then you have had to replace the roof, some of the plumbing, painted umpteen times, remodeled the kitchen costing 10’s of thousands, snaked a toilet at 2 a.m. in freezing temps, replaced the HVAC unit (another 4 digits)….
At 770 miles long and 250 wide, California only follows Alaska and Texas in size. Believed to have been inhabited for over 10,000 years, over 70 native tribes inhabited the area when first visited by Portuguese explorer Joao Cabrilho in 1542, only 50 years after Columbus visited the southeast coast of the US. Spanish missionaries set up residence by the mid-1700’s building a trail of missions near the coast stretching from San Diego to San Jose. An interesting fact is that even though explored and settled, European maps showed California as a massive island up until the 1840’s after cross continental routes were found by trappers in the 1820’s.
California has a solid economy
Like most states, California has some challenges
Climate plays a role in property prices in California
California is not cheap to buy real estate
Real estate is in a flat-line currently in the Bear State
How expensive is a house in California?
What about northern California where the girls are warm? Sacramento -Roseville – Arcade – Arden — $469,050.
And if you really want to be a bay area real estate mogul – San Francisco – Oakland – Hayward — $1,000,015.
California real estate investment interested me early on, since it was a younger environment and there was work there in my field, computers. I looked around, but man, I simply could not justify the prices of residential real estate and really see it as an investment at the prices they were getting 8-9 years ago. Even after the recession and the housing bust in California with all the mortgage defaults, it still would have taken every cent I earned to pay a mortgage, if I could have even qualified for a real estate loan.
I looked into MLMs, and spent some money on a couple. My friends and family soon disowned me. I quickly learned only the top dogs make bucks. Then I looked at other web options, and started a reselling business via Amazon. I made some decent side money, not a killing, but the hours it took to do it and keep the 40++ going nearly killed me. I also had inventory in every nook and cranny of my already small place. Something had to give.
Great property in California really is possible
South of the Border Real Estate Investing is Hot! Hot! Hot! Or Not?!
Mexico is healthy, youthful world economy that has been growing by leaps and bounds, especially the last 20 years. A lot is broadcast about drug cartels and death in Mexico, and there are some issues, in small areas, and almost exclusive to drug gangs. Tourist areas and big cities have some violent crime – but hey, so do we.
Is Mexico a good place to invest in real estate?
What the heck is a restricted zone for Americans and Mexico real estate?
You can still own property and hold the title in the interior of Mexico. Be prepared to have the same responsibilities as a Mexican citizen, including taxes and annual fees, as well as a few challenges with local officials, haulers, and law enforcement who require “handling fees”.
Infrastructure is a big issue you need to look into thoroughly when thinking about buying a piece of real estate in Mexico. You might think it would be fun to “camp out” some, but try it in retirement and you will find it tends to not be nearly as enjoyable. And if you are looking at is as a rental or for investment value, there is not a lot of hope for most areas to improve quickly enough under their new president to make a difference.
Some Mexican banks are now beginning to lend money to foreigners for real estate purchases, but it usually requires a large deposit on hold to secure the loan, and considerable background information. And some U.S. banks are tentatively adding in Mexican property loans, but they will take a hard look at you. You better have solid evidence of the use of the money, the market, and who is handling the purchase. And you better have a lot of collateral to back it or money in their bank. Foreign banks are not keen on holding titles in a foreign country on a real estate loan.
Another challenge to the investment game is after 2008, Mexico quietly put a number of economic regulators in place, allowing internal investing of pension funds into real estate in-country. I think it made them nervous that more than $10 billion was sitting in a REIT run by Prudential. And we all know the history of mismanagement at Prudential when it comes to investments from their life insurance debacles. The uncertainty was enough that just in the first three quarters of 2018, investment in Mexico real estate funds was down 40%. And those bank-trust-investment groups you have to put your restricted property titles into? The ones that invest in property? Some have devalued by 41% in the last two years. That does not sound like a good investment to me
And modern luxury condos on the beach? The only millenials I know that can afford something like that are the ones I hang out with! Period. And it is because we all are making our own money in our own legitimate businesses helping businesses get more customers. And we are making good money. I will push 7 figures this year. Not bad for a not quite 30 year old who was making $35K a year working stupid hours four years ago while trying to run an at-home MLM and re-shipper business at the same time.