Sharon Vornholt - Let's Talk Real Estate Investing

Passive income strategies will set you free. Today’s show is one that you’re not going to want to miss. How would you feel if you had money coming into your bank account week after week, month after month that you knew you could count on whether or not you had a job?  I’d say that would be a pretty great feeling. My guest today is the Land Geek himself, Mark Podolsky.  Mark has been on my podcast several times before, and I couldn’t be more excited to have him back on the show today.  Land investing is probably not the first real estate investing strategy that comes to mind when you think about passive income strategies.  In fact, you may have never given it a single thought. But if you hate the thought of dealing with tenants, toilets, and termites, this might be one of the best passive income strategies of all for you. Mark bought his first parcel of land back in 2001.  In today’s show, he is going to tell you exactly how you can have a business built on land investing no matter how much money you have to g

My guest today is Chicago investor, Farrah Ali. Farrah is a single mom with a full-time job that requires a long daily commute to downtown Chicago.  At the same time, she has been successful in building an impressive portfolio of 28 rentals, she is completing her second flip, and she has done 16 wholesales. What’s her secret?  You’re going to find out in this show.   Show Notes – Building a Rental Portfolio Here is some of what we covered in this show: How she first learned about real estate investing Buying her first house with only a few hundred dollars in the bank Why having a strong “why” is so important to your success Choosing her first investing strategy out of necessity Her first deal Why having a mentor is crucial to your success How losing her job caused her to pivot and change investing strategies temporarily How Farrah scaled up the over the last 6 years Building a rental portfolio of 28 buy and hold properties, 1 flip and 15 wholesales in just 6 years The importance of aligning yourself with pri

I have been asked this question a lot lately. What happens if you stop your direct mail marketing now?  Investors everywhere wonder if they should continue their direct mail marketing now that everything is shut down due to COVID-19 or stop for a while?  That’s a valid question. However, before you decide there are some things you need to consider.   Show Notes Today I’m going to go over some of these things: Should you continue your direct mail marketing or stop or delay it for a while? Should you send the same mail direct mail piece you’ve been sending or something different? Should your message be different? What about sending a “value add” marketing piece instead of what you normally send? What happens if you do stop mailing now and start again later? Ways to stay top of mind with sellers so that they remember you when this is over   Final Thoughts… Marketing is like a rock rolling down a hill. It takes a while to get momentum.  Anytime you stop your marketing campaigns, it may take a while to ramp thin

Digital marketing for real estate investors is a hot topic today. Learning how to use digital marketing to your advantage is critical for growing your business in 2020.   It not only helps you grow your business, but it’s also how you grow your brand and ultimately your bottom line. Motivated sellers expect you to have an online presence today. It’s no longer optional. Digital marketing helps you become the go-to source for information so that you stand out from your competition.   So, how do you do that?  You’re going to learn the answer in today’s show. My guest today is Bob Sparkins from Leadpages.  Leadpages is a service I have used for a long time now, and I love it.  Bob is a digital marketing expert. He has been on a mission since 2006 to teach business owners around the world how to leverage digital marketing to impact more people with less effort. He is a former high school history teacher & academic team coach, a published author, and he lives in Minnesota with his wife and 2 kids.    What is Le

Did you know that as many as 80% of your deals will come from consistent follow-up?  That’s a pretty staggering statistic, but I can tell you that consistently follow up beats your competition every time.  When I think back to when I was just getting started and I didn’t do this, it makes me wonder just how many deals I missed out on.  If they said no to my offer, I thought that meant “never”. I have since learned that that actually might mean “not now”. Today I want to talk about the importance of following up with people that either didn’t respond or said no to your offer previously. You may have noticed that I didn’t say “last time”.  You should be following up multiple times with these sellers.  If you are doing consistent marketing especially for off-market deals, you should have a lot of these leads.  Any time you can get face to face with a seller, you have another opportunity to get a “yes”.  After all, real estate investing is a numbers game.   Quick Question… Do you follow-up after you get a no? If

I wanted to address some of the questions and concerns I’ve been getting recently about the effect the Coronavirus is going to have on real estate investors and their businesses.  I’ve talked with a lot of investors recently and they are worried.  Today, I have some survival tips for real estate investors during this crisis.   Real Estate is Always Changing As I look back over the more than 2 decades I have been in this business, real estate has always been cyclical.  Real estate is bound to change if you stay in this business long enough.  You may need to adjust the way you do business or the strategies you are currently using, but you can make money in real estate in any market. You just may have to do it differently.   Show Notes: How world events impact real estate investors – buyers and sellers The devastating effects a government ban may have on landlords Which sellers will be the most motivated to sell at a discount? The “thinning of the herd” Why rehabbers have good reasons to be worried Probates: a

I love to have people on the show that have pivoted from one totally unrelated career to real estate investing. My guest today is Colorado investor, Jill Speth. In today’s show, we are going to dive into how this former nurse was able to build a successful real estate investing business, relocate to another city, then start again and build another successful business. Jill started investing in Colorado Springs in 2009 where she focused on wholesaling and rehabs. She also managed to build a small portfolio of rental properties.  In 2012, she moved to Littleton Colorado with her family.  Jill got her associate broker license in 2016 and focused on selling her rental portfolio that she had built in Colorado Springs.  Jill has been a full-time investor since 2018, and she continues to flip houses in the southwest Denver Metro area.   Show Notes Jill’s journey from nursing to real estate investing How mentors helped her get results faster Building a business in one city, then starting again in another city Jill’s

I have waited so long to be able to say this, but now I can say without a doubt that the new face of real estate investing is female.  I've been in this business since 1998, and I could have never predicted that it would take more than two decades for women to find equality and success equal to their male counterparts in this business.   Show Notes Here are just a few things we covered in this show. Why did it take so long for women to catch up? The “good old boys club” Why women are so good at this business How have women made such a big impact in this previously male-dominated field? Why real estate is the perfect fit for women of all ages Key advantages for women in this business When should you start? Traits needed for success; you already have them! Why real estate investing is perfect for moms How your business will grow as you mature   Be sure to stop by the Louisville Gal’s Real Estate Blog and pick up your freebies!

Today I have a workshop for you on writing a marketing plan for your real estate investing business.  I have talked about this a lot, and I have a “Quick Start Marketing Plan Template” free here on the blog.  However, I still get a lot of questions from folks asking me if I would go over the actual process of writing a marketing plan using the template as a guide so that’s what today is about.    Download Your Template Below Before you dive in, download your Quick Start Marketing Plan Template below so that we can work through this together. At the end of this training, you can have a fully fleshed out marketing plan for your real estate investing business. Writing a marketing plan makes keeping your marketing on track so much easier.  However, the real bonus you get from doing this is the difference you will see in your bottom line.   Show Notes If you’re ready to finally have a written marketing plan, this is the show for you. In this show we’ll cover: Choosing your strategies How to define the steps for e

My guest today is California investor, Gary Boomershine. We’re going to dive into using direct mail and targeted follow up to generate consistent motivated seller leads.  Gary’s company has sent out over 42 million direct mail pieces so he might know a thing or two about this topic. His company has also made 2.5 million live seller calls, and you’ll learn how you can do this even if you’re a small company.  One thing that is unique about Gary’s company is that over the years they have collected data and statistics to track everything in their business.    Show Notes We covered a lot of ground in this show.  Here is just some of what we covered: Growing up in a real estate family; paying for college painting rental properties, door knocking, holding open houses, cold calling and more How getting a computer engineering degree ultimately set him on this successful path Taking his computer engineering background to build technology to scale his own business Why direct mail is only the first piece of the puzzle;

One of the reasons real estate investors gets stuck doing just a few deals a year is that they stay a "one-man show" way too long. Building a winning team is a process, and that’s what we’re going to talk about in this show. My guest today is Nashville investor, Bill Allen, and that's where Bill found himself 5 years ago. He was doing just a few deals each year and doing all the work himself. Today, he has grown a large team that allows him to do over 200 wholesale deals a year. but it didn't happen overnight.  Bill scaled upon hire at a time. In this show, you’ll discover how he now has a "winning team", and why skills aren't necessarily the most important thing to look at when you are hiring.   Show Notes This show is a little longer than normal, but it has so much information on how to build a successful wholesaling business that runs without you cannot afford to miss it!  Here is just some of what we went over: Transitioning from Navy pilot to full-time investor Why Bill left Florida to start a new busin

There are so many benefits of joining a mastermind group.  I have been a member of both free peer-to-peer mastermind groups and paid groups over the years. One thing I have learned is that joining a mastermind group can profoundly change your business and your life. There really is no downside if you have the right group of people.  What if you don’t know of a group you can join? Start your own!     Show Notes Here are a few things you’ll discover in this show: Why you should join a mastermind group and the benefits you’ll get What exactly is a peer-to-peer mastermind group? The guiding principles you need to know How does a mastermind group work? What a mastermind group is NOT What is a facilitator and what are their duties? Inside my first mastermind group How often should you meet How long should the meetings last?   Get Your Freebie Don’t forget to pick up your “Quick Start Marketing Guide” on the Louisville Gal’s Real Estate Blog.  It’s completely free. Having a written marketing plan will be a game-ch

My guest today is Michelle Bosch.  Michelle has focused on building a business through land and multifamily properties.  She is the Co-Founder and CFO of Orbit Investments and a full-time real estate investor since 2002. She has bought and sold over 4000 pieces of real estate and built the 3rd largest land investment and auction company in the US.   Michelle has some terrific information to share. Here’s a sample of what we covered in this show: How an immigrant from Honduras got started in real estate investing  Why land?  Building a business through land and multifamily properties How to get those deals before they go to auction Creating passive income with land How they sold over 4000 pieces of land in 18 years Scaling their business to add single-family houses and apartments Profitability: Specializing in 3 types of land Finding buyers for land deals; “Dream Building Your Listing”. Success Tip: Focus on Mastery The secret to building your team Michelle’s tips for finding balance in a busy world Be sure

Things don’t quite work like they used to when it comes to marketing for off market deals. It used to be pretty simple and straightforward but not so much anymore. Today, you must create a more memorable experience than your competition.  This is true at every point of contact.    The Beauty of Off Market Deals I have always preferred marketing directly to sellers for off market deals. When you only focus on properties on the MLS, you rarely get to have a conversation with the actual seller of the property. I believe that having these conversations gives you an opportunity to show them why they should choose you over the next guy. It’s always better when you can get face-to-face with a motivated seller. In today’s show, I have some tips on how you can create that memorable experience and scoop up the deal.  Finally…   Want to generate more leads for those profitable off market deals? Be sure to stop by the Louisville Gals Real Estate Blog and get your FREE Quick Start Marketing Plan Template.         .

Marketing is often baffling for new investors, so today I want to talk specifically about 5 marketing strategies for new investors. These are also for more experienced investors too. But before we do that…   What exactly is marketing?  Marketing is the process of reaching outside of your normal circle of people, to let potentially motivated sellers know what you do and how you can help them.  It’s what you do to get leads for your business. Our business is all about helping people solve their problems that just happen to involve real estate. However, before they can do business with you, they have to know about you.  In almost every case, you will be marketing yourself rather than your company name.  You are the face of your business. You’ll want to pay attention to how you do this because this my friend is your brand. You are your brand, and your brand is responsible for your reputation and your credibility, and ultimately for the success of your marketing campaigns.   Listen in as I dive into: 5 marketing

Today I want to talk about the goldmine of properties sitting in that stack of returned mail on your desk, and how to use skip tracing and other tools to find these property owners. Stop and think about this for a minute; if you haven’t bothered to find an updated address for these folks, most likely neither has your competition.   These other investors probably also have a big stack of returned mail just sitting on their desk gathering dust. It’s a safe bet that no one is really taking the time to track those motivated sellers down. I want that to change for you after today.  These could be some of the easiest deals you to put together simply because you will have little or no competition. And, I’m going to give you a list of resources you can use to find these folks.   What Exactly is Skip Tracing? Skip tracing is the process of finding someone.  It’s that simple     Why Should you be Skip Tracing? You should be trying to find these property owners because it’s a lot easier than chasing deals everyone else

I have a question today for anyone that’s an entrepreneur.  Is your employee mindset holding you back?  You might be wondering what started my trek down that rabbit hole. The truth of the matter is that when I started getting serious about my 2020 planning, I had to face the fact that my mindset and some of my habits were indeed holding me back.  They were causing me to play small. What do I mean by that? In spite of outsourcing a lot of things, I am doing too many tasks in my business I shouldn’t be doing. It’s just that simple.  Today’s show is about why so many entrepreneurs still have an employee mindset and the steps you need to take to change that once and for all.                                                                                                               Get Your Marketing Plan Don’t forget to pick up a copy of my Quick Start Marketing Plan Template.  It’s completely FREE, and it will show you exactly how to put together a marketing plan that works to grow your business in the new ye

I got a 2-part reader question recently. The first part of the question was, what do you do when you find a house where the owner is deceased, but no probate was opened? Where do you start when it comes to locating the heirs?  This isn’t an easy task, but I have a couple of tips today on where you can start.  The second part of the question was, can you make an offer directly to a bank? Listen in as I answer my listener question.    Get my Probate Investing Starter Kit Would you like a copy of my Probate Investing Roadmap completely FREE and some other goodies in my Probate Investing Starter Kit?   You can get it by CLICKING HERE.            .

Today’s show is on the mindset of probates.  It’s really not hard to talk to someone settling an estate. It’s just a conversation with someone that needs your help.    Show Notes - The Mindset of Probates  Mindset: yours and theirs Why educating yourself is the key to success with probates The reason they so desperately need your help How to begin the conversation so it’s easy for everyone Looking for visual clues at the property   Get my Probate Investing Starter Kit Would you like a copy of my Probate Investing Roadmap completely FREE and some other goodies in my Probate Investing Starter Kit?   You can get it by CLICKING HERE.         .

One of the main reasons investors and agents are reluctant to work in the niche of probates is that they lack a basic understanding of the probate process. Probates are undeniably some of the most profitable off-market deals on the planet.  Once you have a clear understanding of the probate process, you know exactly when you can buy the house. Probates are pretty much just like any other deal you would put together, and these folks need our help. They have the business of settling the estate to take care of in addition to all the normal things going on in their life.   Get my Probate Investing Starter Kit Would you like a copy of my probate investing roadmap completely FREE and some other goodies?  The roadmap will layout the exact steps in the probate process. You can get it by CLICKING HERE.          .