Dean Graziosi | Dean Graziosi Real Estate | Dean Graziosi Investment

A report issued by the International Communications Research group (ICR) was designed to delve into the inner space of men and women who are involved in or have been involved in real estate transactions.  Working with Coldwell Banker, ICR interviewed 1000 individuals with purchasing experience.

The study dispelled long-standing misconceptions about what men and women actually consider priorities in the homes they buy.  Coldwell Banker’s Dian Patton who is the company’s consumer real estate expert said, “The results were surprising.  Not only did we uncover some of the inherent differences between men and women, but we also pinpointed a number of ways that the two genders are actually the same.”

In recent years, purchasing trends have definitely changed.  A high priority is now placed on neighborhood and the sense of security surrounding the home.  In fact, the respondents indicated they would sacrifice certain amenities for a secure feeling.  64% of women said that if they found the home of their dreams but had concerns about security, they would not be interested.  51% of men agreed.

The survey also indicated that women make quicker decisions about real estate purchases than men do.  70% of women said their minds were made up the day they first saw the house.  Women also expressed their desire to be closer to their extended families while men preferred to be close to their jobs.

However, today’s men feel strongly about locating a space where they can work at home.  The idea of a home-office was a motivating factor for male purchasers.  For the most part though that extra room will still be used as a bedroom.  25% of respondents indicated an extra room would be kept as bedroom while 15% suggested use as an office/den and 11% liked the idea of a family room/den.  Men and women may not agree, but it seems women are taking charge of real estate decisions.

Lease options are one of the most popular real estate transactions in today’s market.  Why?  Not only are they relatively easy to find these days, but they are in most cases, a win-win situation.  However, most real estate investors know that you must be prepared for the worst.  Things definitely have a way of coming back to haunt you if you are not prepared and avoiding these costly mistakes should be as important as securing the million dollar deals.

First and foremost, you MUST be certain that your real estate investment is protected.  With a lease option deal, there are three ways that you can do this:

·         Above and beyond your signed contracts, you should always record the option and file it with the proper county.  If you get it signed in front of a notary you can file it with public records.  This simply makes it a little more difficult for the seller to sell the property out from under you without further investigation and compliance.  It doesn’t create a lien in the true sense of the word, but it makes your interest in the property known and on paper. 

·         When entering into a lease option contract, you would be wise to make sure that the deed is put in escrow.  While it may not be likely that the seller of the property will disappear, if they do, you will have no one to sign the deed.   By putting the deed in escrow, you put a third party in the mix so that when you are ready to exercise your purchase option you can go directly to the agent for the deed.

·         The last thing you can do, and perhaps the most beneficial, is to record a mortgage.  In most cases, payments are recorded on a promissory note.  A mortgage can be recorded for any real estate agreement.  By doing this, you become a legal lien holder, just like a traditional lender.  This gives you the advantage should a seller try to back out of any deal.

There are very few givens in life, but the one thing that is always certain is that everything changes.  People change, circumstances change and the economy changes.  Your goal as a successful real estate investor is not only to understand those changes, but profit from them as well.

The generalized viewpoint that we are constantly bombarded with today is that the economy is at its lowest point since the great depression.  While this may be true as a “whole”, what you don’t hear is that there are many communities throughout the United States that continue to thrive regardless of the poor economy.  If you want real estate millions to become a reality for you, you must look at the economy from a microeconomic viewpoint. 

In order to get and stay ahead, you analyze the smaller real estate markets within large metro areas.  Moreover, you must also analyze economic outlook for the type of real estate you are after.  Commercial real estate and residential real estate do not necessarily have the same economic forecast, even within the same city.  Furthermore, what is true in one area of a city may be totally different in another.  It’s all about supply and demand. 

One thing that real estate gurus such as Dean Grasiozi and many others have in common, is that they have become very good at forecasting supply and demand.  Cash flow depends on supply and demand and in a sluggish market; you have to know where to invest.  It’s no longer good enough to predict the hustle and bustle of large metropolitan areas, because the real growth is happening in much smaller communities.  Remember the saying, “what goes up, must come down.”  Your job as a real estate investor is to stay on the upside as much as possible!