So...one of my oldest students (not by age, mind you) brags that he's been following me since 2002/2003-ish.  So...do the math.  That's a dozen years.  I think he's one of my "oldest" students still around (although that will probably change after he reads this email).

 

Yet he doesn't own his own apartment building.  He manages one, though.  It's 66 units to be exact.  And he boasts the fact that he's single-handedly brought it up from a 29% occupancy to full.

 

 

But...because he's used to "managing" (not "owning," remember) a 66 unit, it's beneath him to own any building below that amount of units.  He wants something bigger, he exclaims. None of this "smaller" building nonsense that I've been teaching my students will do underany circumstances.

 

It's almost like working for Microsoft as an employee, wanting to start your own business but your new business has to be a Fortune 500 right off the bat or...well, you just won't do it at all.

 

How stupid is that mentality?!

 

Yet, as history seems to be unraveling for this student, it seems that wanting to own something bigger is the only obstacle for him not owning anything at all!

 

By the way, do you want to know the fastest way to piss me off?  Introduce yourself to me at any of my seminar events like this, "I've been a student of yours for a dozen years but I haven't done shit with any of your information yet."

 

Trust me when I say that more than a healthy handful of my students have done this and every time it's like listening to nails on a chalkboard through a double bullhorn.

 

For those of you who have been following me for that long -- or even the past year -- you'll know that I personally have DRASTICALLY altered my PERSONAL investing methodology and strategy to exclusively focus on smaller buildings for the following reasons:

 

1)  No competition with the bigger investors.

2)  Properties are "mom and pop" owned allowing for all kinds of creative financing, lowered asking price, land trusts/contracts, etc.

3)  Cash flows, by "volume" are actually HIGHER than in a larger building; this is due to the LOWER operating costs by percentage against the gross operating income (gross rental receipts).  By "collecting" a bunch of little properties, you can see your overall operating expenses stay a steady low 40% to 45% instead of paying 65% of your gross income out in expenses (as you do with larger buildings).

4)  Qualification for smaller buildings is a CINCH, especially if you are a new investor with no management resume, no portfolio of buildings, no experience, and no assets to support a multi-million-dollar loan/mortgage as with what is NOW REQUIRED for you to acquire large multi-million-dollar acquisitions.  Banks/lenders do not expect to see any of the above with a small building, as you are a new investor and everyone has to start somewhere.

5)  A bank will put up with a lower personal FICO score and/or minor credit deficiencies when the loan risk isn't that high.

 

Yes, you can invest in larger buildings...as time moves on and as you put together your initial portfolio.  But the biggest MISCONCEPTION there seems to be out there is that you need a 100+ unit building to retire.

 

And you don't.  Far from it.

 

In fact, in my last seminar event, I did a presentation showing how any one of my students could get 3 buildings (all less than $500,000) which would result in a cash flow of $14,000 a month...IN YOUR POCKET.  And they weren't large buildings.

 

If you can't retire on $14,000 then we need to talk.  Even MY personal monthly expenses are below $8,000 a month and I own a million-dollar house and drive 2 luxury cars.  So, if $14,000 a month can't work for you then...you're delusional, don't know how to use a calculator, or you're a drug addict.

 

So...I guess I lost a student because he's going to still be sitting around, hard headed as hell, and waiting for another dozen years to buy a building that's "at least" 66 units because, after all, he's been making someone else rich all these years by managing a building this size.  And it would be "beneath" him to own something smaller than that REGARDLESS of how kick-ass it cash flows.

 

You know...like Forrest Gump says..."Stupid is as stupid does."

 

Hopefully you're not stupid like this, waiting around for no reason.

 

Now, part of the problem with this student (and many others) is credit.  So, let's address that right now with a "solution" that I'm posing to ANY of my students who have a mid-FICO that is 680 or below.  Click on this link for an audio seminar to listen to what I have to say about that:  http://www.monicamain.com/credit_blow_out

 

The second part is that, as you know, I'm doing a 2-day event in Detroit, Michigan...starting next Friday.  If you still want to go, you can still get in (barely).  I'm sold out on Platinum VIP but I have room for a few more Gold VIP (since we had to expand the room).  By volume of people, this is going to be my BIGGEST EVENT EVER! This will help you get the funds/cash for your deals.  Here's the link on that:  http://www.monicamain.com/underground_secret_event_in_detroit

 

If you have questions, call my office.  I've been running my staff ragged and they're all hating me right now but...oh well.  Life's a bitch when you work for someone else...which is why YOU should be looking to work for yourself as a successful real estate investor.

 

And since I'm giving you all the tools to work with, what's the problem??

 

See you at the top!
 

Your mentor,

 

Monica Main