Janet Wickell - The Everything Real Estate Investing Book: How to get started and make the most of your money

1. Get your finances in order. Don't miss out on a fantastic property because you are short of cash or have bad credit.
2. Become familiar with your local real-estate market. You won't know a good purchase unless you're in tune with what's available.
3. Network with friends, relatives, and other people you see on a daily basis. Tell everyone you are interested in buying real estate.
4. Take a real-estate licensing class, just for the information that it offers.
5. Find a mentor, someone who has already achieved success in the field. The advice will be invaluable.
6. Develop a professional relationship with at least one good real-estate agent. Agents are a wonderful source of information about your local real estate.
7. Talk to a tax professional to determine how you should progress with your business.
8. Find a local attorney who practices real-estate law.
9. Become familiar with the methods used to find public documents that are recorded online or at your county courthouse. Real-estate purchases and sales require a good deal of research, so it's important to learn how to find what you need.
10. Talk to locals who are already part of the local real-estate community.

Welcome to The Everything Real Estate Investing Book. Are you ready to begin exploring the world of real-estate investing? You've come to the right place, and you might be surprised to learn that the topic can take you down many different pathways. There's a real-estate specialty to suit just about everyone.

You've no doubt heard people say, I wish I had invested in real estate thirty years ago. Well, thirty years from now, people will still be making that comment. There's no time like the present to get started. The longer you wait, the higher real-estate prices will bethat's one reason real estate is such a wonderful place to invest your money. It's one of the most stable investments you'll ever find. The worst mistake you can make is not buying the wrong propertyit's not buying anything at all.

Many real-estate investors find that residential properties are the perfect place to startthey're a safe investment and, when you choose wisely, not too difficult to turn around in a hurry. Whether you stick to that path or branch off to another is up to you. There's plenty to choose from, including commercial real estate, land development, or owning and managing a large apartment complex or strip mallperhaps one of those specialties is more appealing to you.

You'll become a good detective as you learn to research properties and locate their owners. The real-estate negotiation process will help you improve your people skills because it forces you to interact with home-buyers, home-sellers, tenants, agents, and other members of the real-estate community. The knowledge you'll acquire will help you buy and sell personal residences, too. You'll even get to practice your home repair and maintenance talents as you remodel and care for your investment properties and who among us can't use those skills every day?