The prospect of shopping for a new construction residence can be quite daunting, but the rewards of owning a brand new home out-weigh the disadvantages if you know the potential pitfalls.

Due in part to the popularity of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)'s home auction program, more potential homebuyers than ever are buying homes at auction. Homes for auction aren't limited to just HUD, however. Many government entities auction homes for payment of back taxes, and some homeowners even auction their homes on eBay.com!

Many investment courses and books on real estate (mine included) tell you to find a motivated seller. That's where you get your good deals. As a rule, that's true. The higher the level of motivation, the more likely you're going to get a good price or good terms or both. But generally, when you find a motivated seller offering a good deal, you should take a moment to look that gift horse in the mouth. Ask hard questions about why a seller is motivated. Here are some examples of good opportunities that shouldn't necessarily motivate you to buy.

“Why should I focus on motivated sellers?" I would truly rather beat my head against the wall than talk to unmotivated and inflexible sellers. What is fun and financially rewarding in real estate is making great deals---not marginal ones.

It always amazes me when I talk to beginning investors about the homes that they are looking at and calling fixer uppers. They frequently tell me stories of homes that they feel need to be torn down, and when I see them I think they are in good shape, at least as far as a rehab is concerned.

“Knowing what you know now, what would you do differently?”

This is a question that so many people have asked me, and it’s a tough one. Based on my current position and the blessings I have experienced, I really would not have done anything differently. I’m very pleased with my current situation as an investor, and I fear that if I had done anything differently, then I wouldn’t be where I am today. In my opinion, a more appropriate question is:

I am often asked by people “How do you get started in real estate investing??My answer to this question is becoming clearer to me the more I give an answer. Click here for Steve’s answer.

How To Buy Homes From Banks...

How the market place changes and what to do about it. This is assuming our efforts are being spent trying to locate motivated sellers.

How To Get Out Of Most Deals...

Here's a contingency clause that can get you out of most deals...

"This offer is subject to the inspection and approval of buyer before the transfer of title".

A thriving real estate investor or retailer solves a lot of other people’s problems; that’s how you become successful. The more knowledge, ability, experience, contacts, and resources you have, the more solutions you can begin to offer people in solving their problems. In addition to this, you will be ahead of the pack if you can get people calling or coming to you with their specific problem first.

Real Estate investing is easy and fortunes are made in a simple manner. For example, an investor decides that a desert area will eventually become an industrial development. He purchases a number of acres at a very low price. If his guess turns out to be correct, ten years later he sells the land hundred times more than what he paid for it. This can happen in any part of the country and is not an exceptional case.

In many ways I've come a long way from the small northern California farm where I grew up in a doublewide trailer surrounded by old Quonset Huts that served as rentals. In other respects, it's as if I've never left.

Once you understand what the term, “Bridging Finance?means, it’s easy to understand how it got its name. The purpose of a bridging or bridge loan is to provide short term cash for a real estate transaction until permanent financing is secured. Bridge loans are commonly used to “bridge the cash gap?when completing commercial real estate transactions.