The No-Nonsense Real Estate Investor's
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luci_a01ffirs.qxd 2/24/06 10:11 AM Page iii THE NO-NONSENSE REAL ESTATE INVESTOR’S KIT How You Can Double Your Income by Investing in Real Estate on a Part-Time Basis THOMAS J. LUCIER John Wiley & Sons, Inc. luci_a01ffirs.qxd 2/24/06 10:11 AM Page vi luci_a01ffirs.qxd 2/24/06 10:11 AM Page i The No-Nonsense Real Estate Investor’s Kit luci_a01ffirs.qxd 2/24/06 10:11 AM Page ii luci_a01ffirs.qxd 2/24/06 10:11 AM Page iii THE NO-NONSENSE REAL ESTATE INVESTOR’S KIT How You Can Double Your Income by Investing in Real Estate on a Part-Time Basis THOMAS J. LUCIER John Wiley & Sons, Inc. luci_a01ffirs.qxd 2/24/06 10:11 AM Page iv This book is printed on acid-free paper. ➇ Copyright © 2006 by Thomas J. Lucier. All rights reserved. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey. Published simultaneously in Canada. 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Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data: Lucier, Thomas J. The no-nonsense real estate investor ’s kit : how you can double your income by investing in real estate on a part-time basis / Thomas J. Lucier. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN-13: 978-0-471-75653-8 ISBN-10: 0-471-75653-9 1. Real estate investment—United States. 2. Real property—Purchasing—United States. 3. House buying—United States. 4. House selling—United States. I. Title. HD255.L8286 2006 332.63′240973—dc22 2005034024 Printed in the United States of America. 10987654321 luci_a01ffirs.qxd 2/24/06 10:11 AM Page v To my good friend and fellow real estate entrepreneur, Lucas Hoppel, keep on keeping on! luci_a01ffirs.qxd 2/24/06 10:11 AM Page vi luci_a02ftoc.qxd 2/23/06 10:09 AM Page vii CONTENTS LIST OF DOWNLOADABLE FORMS xv PART I HOW TO GET STARTED TODAY AS A PROFITABLE REAL ESTATE INVESTOR CHAPTER 1 How You Can Double Your Annual Income by Investing in Real Estate on a Part-Time Basis 3 What you need to know about the real estate bubble babble in the media. • Why this may turn out to be the Golden Age of real estate investing in America. • Why you shouldn’t start out in the real estate investment business as a full- time investor. • How you can double your annual income by investing in real estate on a part-time basis. • How you can use my nine-step process for buying and selling real estate. •How to contact the most accessible real estate author in America right now. CHAPTER 2 What It Takes to Be a Successful Real Estate Investor in Today’s Competitive Market 17 What every investor must possess to succeed in the real estate investment business today. • Why you must obtain your real estate knowledge from reliable sources. • How to avoid doing business with incompetent real estate service providers. • What you need to know about real estate investment clubs. • What you need to know about your perceived competition. • How to use this book to become your own real estate investment expert. CHAPTER 3 How to Reduce Your Risk and Limit Your Liability as a Real Estate Investor 34 Why it’s always best for real estate investors to maintain a low profile. • The four types of insurance coverage that all real estate investors should carry. • Sixteen ways that you can reduce your annual insurance premium payments. • vii luci_a02ftoc.qxd 2/23/06 10:09 AM Page viii viii CONTENTS Why you must carry adequate general liability insurance coverage. • Why it’s best to use the services of an independent insurance agent who represent many insurers. •How to form a business entity in your state. CHAPTER 4 How to Set Up and Operate Your Real Estate Investment Business for Maximum Efficiency and Profitability 55 How to obtain the maximum return on each hour that you invest in your real estate investment business. • How to operate your real estate investment business on a bare- bones budget. • How to set up a home office for your real estate business that you can deduct for tax purposes. • What you’ll need to set up shop as a real estate investor. • What it takes to run a real estate investment business at maximum efficiency. • How to maintain accurate records for your real estate business. CHAPTER 5 How to Choose Real Estate Investment Strategies That Will Work for You 72 Why you should have more than one investment strategy in your repertoire. • The four main ways that investors can profit from owning property. • Why your investment strategies must be goal oriented. • Why you must prepare a written plan of action for achieving your investment goals. •How to know what type of real estate market you’re investing in. • How to maintain a balance between your family and your real estate investment business. PART II FIVE REALISTIC INVESTMENT STRATEGIES THAT YOU CAN USE TO MAKE MONEY FROM REAL ESTATE TODAY CHAPTER 6 Why Most of the Creative Real Estate Investment Strategies Being Taught Today Seldom Work Well 85 The five creative real estate investment strategies that very seldom work well. • Why creative investment strategies involve high-risk, low-profit type deals. • Why it’s next to impossible for inexperienced wannabe investors, who are broke and have lousy credit, to successfully use creative investment strategies. • How the so-called cash back at closing strategy requires investors to commit loan fraud. • What creative real estate hucksters don’t tell seminar attendees about the strategies they teach. • Why creative luci_a02ftoc.qxd 2/23/06 10:09 AM Page ix Contents ix real estate transactions are so closely scrutinized by closing agents and lenders. CHAPTER 7 How to Make Money from Vacant Properties That Aren’t Advertised as Being for Sale 94 Why vacant properties can be a bonanza for savvy real estate investors. • How I made a $30,000 profit from a vacant building full of pigeon droppings. • How to quickly find the owners of vacant properties. • The 10 telltale signs that a property is probably vacant. • What to check for when looking over a vacant property. • How to make an unsolicited offer to purchase a vacant piece of property. • Vacant property checklist. • Letter to vacant property owners. CHAPTER 8 How to Profit from Properties That Have Been Condemned for Code Violations 105 The three most common types of code violations. • How the code enforcement process works in most jurisdictions. • Where to find your local code enforcement regulations online. • How to get the addresses of all the condemned properties in your city or county. • How to effectively deal with local code enforcement bureaucrats. • How to contact the owners of condemned properties. • Letter to condemned property owners. CHAPTER 9 How You Can Earn Tax-Free Income for the Rest of Your Life as a Serial Home Buyer 114 Why being a serial home buyer may be the ideal real estate investment strategy. • Five types of properties that qualify as a principal residence. • Six factors the IRS considers to determine a home owner ’s principal residence. • How married couples can earn up to $500,000 tax-free every two years. • How single and joint home owners can earn up to $250,000 every two years. • How to use real estate options to keep houses in the pipeline for future purchase. CHAPTER 10 How to Profit from Problem Properties That Scare Off Most Investors 123 The four most profitable types of problem properties to buy. • Why you must know the difference between correctable and non-correctable property problems. • The four most efficient ways to find problem properties. • How to find solutions to property problems. • How to contact luci_a02ftoc.qxd 2/23/06 10:09 AM Page x xCONTENTS problem property owners.