A lot less posts here

Is it just me or are there a lot less posts on the forums recently?

Does it say something about the current market? Or is it just the season…a lot of people on vacation,etc?

Yeah ive noticed that too. Im still here and readin’ everything, but rarely post because I have nothing valuable to say.

It just seems like before there were many new threads every day in each subforum .

I keep on looking and seeing the same thing!

I need something to keep entertained haha.

I noticed the same thing. I attribute it to the dropping off of the no credit no cash crowd that want to flip their way to riches. I use real estate as a solid plan to financial independence. If I had never found this site, or these massive numbers of foreclosures not occurred, I would still have half a dozen or so houses using basically the same philosophy. If you notice I only talk about what I do, it is a strategy I have had for years. The idea is I do this propertymanager does that, Mdhaas does another thing, etc. You should be able to find someone that does what you want here giving you advice to get you past the parts that are not obvious. There are a lot fewer planful people making goals and plans and following these plans with advice. Those people post here.

Just like the occurrence of kids being born out of wedlock is almost ½ of all kids born last year in the USA. That is an indication of poor planning the people that want to do real estate are a subset of the population so they don’t planned either. Just today I was in my bank and one of the “personnel bankers” (in today’s terms a kid in a polo shirt that show you how to use the ATM) asked me what I thought about his “plan” to buy this vacant lot and flip it. He had no plan. It was just an opportunity in front of him, just like a girl that you stumble onto in a club that wants to have sex is a potential baby’s mother but not a planned potential wife. This lot is not a part of a proven thought out plan it is a real estate deal that he stumbled onto. You can’t get rich doing a deal at a time you get rich working the deals that follow your plan. Maybe he is going to be the vacant lot king of Houston.

I need to stop preaching. I think it is that there is a lot fewer flip this house shows. People are probably now trying to make internet millions without even owning a computer while they sleep.

Bluemoon06,
Yes, I notice fewer posts as well.

The statistics on 1/2 of babies being born out-of-wedlock may not indicate poor planning. That’s just a presumption, although logical.

Instead, it may indicate MORE planning. More babies are born out-of-wedlock in Scandinavia than to married couples. I have several family members who have lived together for years and are raising their kids and are not married. They say, “We have a paper-less marriage. It is as if we are married, so why bother?”
I think they should bother though, because of inheritance laws, tradition, etc.

But here I am hearing young women say, “I want a baby, but I don’t want a marriage because I don’t want a divorce if it doesn’t work out.”
These women are choosing to stay unwed. There is almost no stigma anymore for being an unwed mother.

It would make an interesting sociological study. The times–they are a’changin.

Furnishedowner

I have several family members who have lived together for years and are raising their kids and are not married. They say, "We have a paper-less marriage. It is as if we are married, so why bother?" I think they should bother though, because of inheritance laws, tradition, etc.

I think they should because it’s the MORAL thing to do. They don’t have a “paper-less marriage”, they’re just shacking up!

But here I am hearing young women say, "I want a baby, but I don't want a marriage because I don't want a divorce if it doesn't work out." These women are choosing to stay unwed. There is almost no stigma anymore for being an unwed mother.

And this lack of morality is a large part of the destruction of the USA.

Mike

I too have noticed that it seems like the number of posts has gone down recently. I’m just too busy (with business) to sit and respond as much as when I first found the site!

I also think the difficulty of the current market (obtaining credit, etc) has started to weed out the newbies, who usually seem to have the most questions. I know that when I first started out I had a lot more questions than where I am now, as I’ve learned TONS from then to now, therefore don’t post new questions as often.

Roger J posted the same thing a few months ago. As propertymanager said then, the real estate fad is over. Times are gone when any idiot could get credit, hold something for a few years, and make multiple tens of thousands on the sale.

Since this has become the morality thread . . . I believe in paperless marriages. Religion has a lot to do with marriage. If one doesn’t believe in a religion is marriage even viable? Why is a commitment ceremony not enough for you? I agree, the lack of morality is ruining the US. People dont give a crap about their neighbors or elders, but I dont think the shortage of marriages has anything to do with it.

Since were all on the topic of marriage, ill share how I feel.

I feel government should be out of marriage all together. Its supposed to be a religious/spiritual thing. If me and my girlfriend go decide to go get married at a church, why does the government need to know? Seems a bit silly to me. They have no business having their hands in it.

So basically, Im a conservative who supports gay marriage, because, I love small government, so small, I dont want them to even have their hands on marriage.

Howdy,

Well, getting back to the topic, I’m glad the forums are still alive. I left for a while as it was so busy here, I was over whelmed. I felt like I wouldn’t catch up reading all the posts.

In true against the crowd fashion, I can now see what this real estate wealth thing is all about.

Other than reading all the posts, I am re-reading the books I purchased. Do you all have suggestions for what else I should be doing?

I am building a buyers list. I am saving money. I have cleaned up my FICO, (more wouldn’t hurt)

I don’t believe I’d want to landlord. I’ve heard different opinions about landlording and its role on the path to wealth.

I know cash flow is king. I know you make money when you buy.

What else do I need to know?

I intend to begin this journey by accumulating cash by assigning discounted properties to investors.

then I will use that cash leverage to buy discounted cosmetic fixers to rehab and sell, or lease option if things get hairy.

I would keep a duplex or multi unit rental if it has great cash flow and use that cash to leverage repairs /acquisitions toward other wholesales.

I appreciate your feedback.

Maybe newbies questions were answered and they are out pounding the streets? I know I am. Or they got caught up with life issues and had to step back a bit.

I haven’t been here because I’ve been busy trying to get a house under contract + I got really sick and was bed ridden for a while. Aaaaannnd I’m still new so I can’t give that much advice on investing since I have yet to seal a deal.

You are right here. Everybody talks about being in real estate with no cash and no credit, but you CAN’T. You can work in real estate without cash or credit but you are not an investor unless you have both. It is like saying you want to be in baseball but you are actually the batboy. Sure you are in baseball but you are not a player. Get the cash and credit and you are really in the game.

You are right also here that you make the money when you buy, but you have to realize cash in order to be financially free. Flipping tends to get you chunks of cash but it is activity based and equates to a job buying fixing up and selling real estate. Rentals on the other hand give you smaller returns per transaction but over time accumulating property after property gives you passive streams of income that provide freedom. Most of the time all I do is cash checks. My time is not taken up with my real estate. Remember it is NOT about the money it is about the lifestyle. Can I hang out at the beach or on my boat, or do I have to find and flip another house. If I have rentals I hang out most of the time. If I flip I chase the next deal most of the time.

You are right also here that you make the money when you buy, but you have to realize cash in order to be financially free. Flipping tends to get you chunks of cash but it is activity based and equates to a job buying fixing up and selling real estate. Rentals on the other hand give you smaller returns per transaction but over time accumulating property after property gives you passive streams of income that provide freedom. Most of the time all I do is cash checks. My time is not taken up with my real estate. Remember it is NOT about the money it is about the lifestyle. Can I hang out at the beach or on my boat, or do I have to find and flip another house. If I have rentals I hang out most of the time. If I flip I chase the next deal most of the time.

These are some great points of the benefits of landlording over flipping.

A very big thing for me was focus. I was so hyped up during the frenzy when I was here last time, all I could do was feel like I was missing the boat.

I find 3 -4 things different for me this time:

1. I have realized that real estate is not going anywhere, and I must be logical and level headed for this game.

2. I have gotten rid of the mistakes on my credit.

3. I have saved money.

4. I have a plan.

It may not be a perfect plan ,and it may not be the plan of greater investors, but I think it is better than going off half cocked and being in way over my head without a clue. (fellow newbies)

I think the best advice anyone gave me was, to just get in the game. Instead of speculating, strategizing, and anylizing, just get in the game. Choose a niche and be good at it. You arent an investor until you have invested.

I agree with Brian, just do it. Make some mistakes (which you will) and then re-chart your course from there.

Otherwise for newbies, for heaven’s sake, use the $8,000 FREE DOWNPAYMENT MONEY, even if you buy a shack! Somewhere, there is a piece of property with your name on it.

Furnishedowner