Matt Malouf

Check out today's featured content on Realtor.com blogs

http://www.realtor.com/blogs/2009/08/06/the-impact-of-foreclosures-on-renters/

As a young boy, Warren Buffett read a book titled 1,000 Ways to Make $1,000. Warren quickly calculated that these ideas would bring him a million dollars. I loved the title of this book. So I went searching on the internet and I found an updated version of the book at http://tinyurl.com/knrsqt for $19. One of the free bonuses that comes with the new version is the original book that Warren Buffett read many years ago. Amazing!

Here are a few of the ideas presented in the new version of the book:

1. Become a Used Car Broker: Couldn’t you help people sell their used cars and charge them 5% to 10% of the selling price? One of the best ways to sell a used car is by listing it in Craigslist. You could advertise their car for free and pocket 5% to 10% of the sales price. You could probably sell one car a week creating a few thousand dollars a month of extra income. This was idea # 9 in the book.

2. Offer a Data Retrieval Service: Apparently you can download free software from the internet that allows you to retrieve lost or deleted items from your computer. Run an advertisement in the Yellow Pages and on Craigslist and help people retrieve lost data for a fee. I think you might be surprised at how much you could make with this new service. This was idea number #14.

3. Become a Consultant to Local Contractors: You could teach electricians, plumbers, painters how to offer warranties to their customers. The contractor could offer this warranty to their customers as an “up-sell” and dramatically increase their income. A lot of people by warranties, but never use them. You can create the warranty contracts, certificates and sales literature for the contractor to use and charge them $1,000. This could then become a turn-key service you offer to contractors in different industries. This was idea #42.

4. Start a Pressure Washing Business for Home Owners. You can buy a top of the line pressure washer for about $1,000. You can then charge $300 to pressure wash someone’s home and/or deck. Your initial investment would be recovered after the 4th job. Advertise this new business for free on Craigslist. Once the pressure washer is paid for, you don’t have any overhead! This was idea #118,

5. Help Local Businesses Market to Local Residents Via Email: Offer a $1,000 shopping spree at your local grocery store. To register for the $1,000 spree, customers will have to give their email address and sign up for your local email newsletter. The email list could then become very profitable by allowing other businesses to advertise their specials and discounts. Depending on the size of your email list, you could make several thousand dollars a month. You would obviously have to select a winner and pay the $1,000 for the shopping spree. In essence, you’re buying a list of local residents email addresses for $1,000. This was idea #121.

6. Create a Newsletter That Helps Small Businesses Motivate their Employees: It’s a constant challenge for small businesses to keep their employees motivated and excited. You can produce motivational monthly newsletter for them to use with their employees. This newsletter could obviously be sold to other small businesses giving you the opportunity to leverage one monthly newsletter into thousands of dollars of monthly income. You could then offer these same small businesses a special monthly newsletter for their customers, too! Before you know it, you’ll have a small publishing empire! This was idea #124 and #140.

I’ve only included a handful of ideas from the book for you. There are 1,000 ideas in the book. Some are off the wall, but many are very good. At a minimum, these ideas will help you see opportunities that you might not have considered. It did for me.

If you’re looking to generate some extra income these days, I would suggest grab the 1,000 Ways to Make $1,000 Dollars book. The website for this book is http://tinyurl.com/knrsqt

Much attention is placed on homeowners facing foreclosure. Yes, this attention is well deserved, but it appears as if many media and news organizations have forgotten about the impact foreclosure has on renters.

If you are a renter living in a property that is facing or is in the middle of foreclosure proceedings, you may not know what to do or where to turn. For you, it may seem like you are at the end of your rope.

When facing foreclosure, many renters will simply just cut their losses and relocate. This may mean having to move without recouping a security deposit. Unfortunately, there are some renters, possibly you, who cannot up and afford to relocate, especially without getting your security deposit back.

When renting a new apartment

, most landlords require a security deposit and if you weren't prepared to move, you may not have the money.

There is another serious issue that renters forced to relocated are facing. Foreclosures are on the rise. What does this mean? It means that an unprecedented number of homeowners have no place to live.

This often turns them into renters. Unfortunately, this lessens the availability and rental choices for renters, like yourself. It may mean that you have to pay more in rent or move to another city or town.

As previously stated, many renters decide to throw in the towel and relocate. If you are unable to do so, you may want to wait and see what happens. Of course, during this time you should take steps to protect yourself.

Save enough money to cover your moving expenses, including a new security deposit. You will be prepared in the event that you are legally evicted from the property.

You should, however, know that eviction from a property in foreclosure is not something happens overnight. You usually have a few days or even a few weeks to make alternative living arrangements.

Before making a decision, all renters are urged to look at the property in question. Are you renting a unit from an apartment complex or a multi-family home? If you are, you may be able to stay.

Investors at foreclosure auctions often purchase rental units. These investors want to see a return on their profit. The way to do this is to make sure their rental units are filled with quality, on time paying tenants.

With that said, if you are renting a single-family home, you may want to prepare to relocate. Unlike with rental properties, single-family homes are often purchased in foreclosure auctions by those looking to live inside.

Despite the fact that some new rental property owners may be willing to work with you and let you continue to rent, there is no guarantee that the property will sell. When low bids are received at a foreclosure auction, the original lender often steps up to the plate and buys the home.

In this case, the home is no longer considered a foreclosure, but a REO (real estate owned) property. Unfortunately, this doesn't always workout well for renters. With REO properties, lenders, who are also known as investors, may start the eviction process right away. Many cannot or do not want to become property managers, even just for a month or two.

As previously stated, foreclosures can occasionally come as a surprise to renters. Your landlord will receive multiple warnings and notices, but they are not required by law to share them with you.

Renters usually become aware of foreclosure proceedings when notices are placed on the building. At this point in time, you should contact the lender in question. See what your options are. Can you buy the property yourself? If you can prove that you have a stable income, the lender in question may be willing to work with you.

As a recap, foreclosures are having a significant and usually negative impact on renters. If you are a renter who lives in a property that is facing foreclosure or if you fear foreclosure is looming, you may want to start making preparations to ensure that you are well prepared for what is to come.

So Put yourself in the buyer's shoes for a moment, so you will have to take off your agent's hat and think....if I wanted to buy a foreclosure what 5 essential questions would I want answers to?

Where would I go to find these answers?

How do I know the info is realiable?

Any suggestions out there on this? It will greatly assist me with a new client.....

Profit in Real Estate Without Cash, Credit or Risk!

Looking to get started in real estate investing but don't know where to start? Don't have enough cash or credit to purchase an investment property? Afraid to take on payment risk? Too confused on lease options, pre-foreclosures, buying "subject to" or short sales? Yeah, so was I. But then I discovered a way to make money in real estate in a SAFE way, and now I can share this information with you.

HOW TO MAKE $5000 OR MORE PER DEAL BY FINDING, BINDING AND ASSIGNING UGLY PROPERTIES WITHOUT CASH, CREDIT OR RISK

Are you interested in making money in real estate, if you answered, "YES", then read on. And if you answered "no" then read on anyways. You may have heard all about buying properties, fixing them up (rehabbing) and reselling them. While that is a great way to make money, it does take a combination of cash, credit and risk. I am going to show you how to make realistic profits without any of the risks.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY "FIND IT, BIND IT, AND ASSIGN IT"?

Using our program, you will learn how to find properties that are in need of rehab work, then make an offer on the property that guarantees another investor the profits that he can make after he rehabs the house and resells it. You will then learn how to find these investors, lock up the deal and assign them the contract you negotiated with the homeowner. You get your assignment fee of around $5000 to $15,000, guaranteed before the closing. You will also learn how to use an option to purchase the property and assign the option to an investor for an assignment fee, which you get right away, whether or not the investor buys the property!

WHY IS THIS A BETTER WAY TO MAKE MONEY THAN ANY OTHER REAL ESTATE METHOD?

There are several ways to make money in real estate investing, from buying and holding rental properties, to buying and renting properties on a short-term lease-option, to buying deals subject to an existing mortgage, to doing a short-sell on a non-performing mortgage, to buying and rehabbing properties. While these are all great ways to generate cash flow or build wealth, they all take some degree of risk, plus cash or credit and a lot of time. I share with you in my Wholesale Training Camp I will teach you what the typical real estate "guru" won't. Using the "Find It, Bind It and Assign It" approach, you have the following benefits:

No Need for Excessive Cash or Credit: You are not taking title to a house and thus have no need for cash or credit. All you need is $10 for an Earnest Money Deposit, or perhaps $100 for a purchase option, and some nominal amounts for business cards, classified ads and mailings.

No Repair Headaches: You will not be involved in the rehab of the home, thus you do not have to worry about monitoring your contractor, dealing with cost overruns or getting permits and inspections done.

No Holding Costs: You will have no payments to make, no property taxes to pay and no insurance to obtain.

Ready Market of Sellers and Buyers: Using the techniques in this package, you will learn about several creative ways to find motivated sellers and eager buyers who will purchase your contract or option from you. Plus, I tell you why these buyers will pay you to find a property for them!

Fast Profits: You can make your first $7000 in less than 45 days.

YOU WILL LEARN EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO GET STARTED NOW! NO EXPENSIVE ADD-ONS LATER.

I want you to get started making offers on properties the first day after my Wholesale Training Camp. In my reality-based course, you will learn everything you need to do just that.

If you would like to learn more, please call us at 562-443-7042.

No pressure sales, just information. Give us a call now! 562-443-7042

DON'T FORGET THE NEXT FREE MONTHLY CLUB MEETING. Norco, CA Wed. March 11 and Downey, CA Thurs. March 12 Must call and RSVP for location and seating, thanks!

"HOW TO BUILD A REAL ESTATE CASH MACHINE"