Epic Fails Of Real Estate Investor History

Posted on by John Fedro

Welcome back,

Do you ever feel like a failure? I know I have.

The reason I ask is because like you I have felt like a big failure in all sorts of aspects of my life from time to time. Ideally we should raise ourselves to a very high standard, way above the standards that others hold us to. Each of us has so much potential power and energy that can be used for good and to build something great:

  • To improve your community.
  • To improve your life.
  • To improve your family’s well being.
  • To improve our customers’ (buyers and seller) lives.

Yet, why is it that we feel like failures occasionally when everything we do and go through help shape us to be the person we are right now?!

While I don’t have the schooling or answers to these questions I do have a little secret that helps me get through the tough times I’ve made mistakes in my real estate investing past (watch video). Some of the past real estate mistakes that sting and come to mind are:

  • Paying too much for a property.
  • Not acting quickly when a seller is ready to sell.
  • Placing a higher priority on my real estate investing business than on my loved ones.
  • Being too greedy when buying.
  • Over improving a property and losing money on the resale.
  • Following my heart when reselling.
  • Selling or renting to someone who is not qualified and therefore a much high-risk.

While these mistakes may have cost me time, money, energy, headaches, and potential profits – each one has been valuable in teaching me to never make the same mistakes twice. These mistakes and how to avoid them is something I love instilling into everyone I help investing in manufactured housing through this free real estate investing blog and private training.

Pro Tip: Never make the same mistake twice. Seems obvious right…

When you know an error has been made, here are some simple steps to follow to help insure it is not duplicated.

  1. Spot a mistake.
  2. Acknowledge the error and take blame for it. (Feel the pain for a brief while of making the mistake, however do not become depressed about any single mistake for more than a few minutes.)
  3. Identify where you went wrong and how to correct the mistake, if correctable.
  4. Consider the different paths you could have taken to prevent this mistake from happening.
  5. Phone or email a trusted mentor to confirm your findings and ask for additional feedback.
  6. Never make the same mistake again.

Conclusion: Even when working with a seasoned trainer mistakes may happen. One idea is to always set yourself up for large successes and to mitigate the smallest risk as possible. If mistakes happen there should be steps in place to mitigate these mistakes.

Example to mitigate risk when fist starting (for those wondering): Knowing which “win/win purchase offers” to make to each seller to acquire their mobile home for sale at a price/terms that the seller likes, plus makes the resale both quick and profitable for you. The importance of building a sizable cash-flow business safely and quickly requires crafting and offering “win/win purchase offers” to as many (50 or more following our formula) sellers in your first 30 days of investing in mobile homes. In short: We mitigate our chances for short term failure by making correct offers to every local seller possible in a very short period of time.

While to err is human, these errors never need to happen again if we stay diligent. Strive daily to be a better investor, better spouse, better friend every day.

Every seasoned (long-term successful) real estate investor has failed over and over again. It is not how you fail but how you get back up and fight with even more determination to become the success you know you can be.

If you have unanswered real estate investing questions feel free to reach out to me at the email address below.

And as always… love what you do daily,
John Fedro
support@mobilehomeinvesting.net

 

Related Videos:

Mobile Home Park Investor Due Diligence (Part 1)

Posted on by John Fedro

Welcome back,

Many of you know I’m on the quest for mobile home parks for sale. A unique opportunity came across my desk that I wouldn’t pass up. Like my mindset when it comes to investing in the individual mobile homes – every seller deserves to hear an offer.

mobile home park 8 unit

With only 8 units (all park owned homes), this smaller-than-I’d-like park was no different. The sellers are looking to sell, and our company is in the market to purchase. After successfully making a Win-Win offer and some negotiations a Purchase Contract was reached and signed. The park was to be profitable in a few months and break even in 7.5 years.

  • Happy park seller… check!
  • Happy investor (me)… check!
  • Win-Win terms offer accepted… check!

Now it’s time for the due diligence phase.

due diligence def

Due diligence is the roughly 30 to 90 days of pre-screening you and hired professionals perform once a Purchase and Sale Agreement is signed. This fact checking can be performed right until closing. During this process you are making 100% sure you know what you are buying and there are no surprises.

In the video below we go though the first few major steps with regards to proper mobile home park purchase due diligence.

In this video we learned:

  • Who are some of the folks to chat with in your local town?
  • Where to verify criminal activity nearby?
  • How to check for local “for rent” properties for sale?

Related article: Mobile Home For Sale? Tell Me About It.

If you have any real estate investing questions or know of a park for sale do not hesitate to reach out to me at the email address below.

Love what you do daily,
John Fedro
support@mobilehomeinvesting.net

48% Of People Make This Huge Real Estate Investing Error

Posted on by John Fedro

Welcome back,

Most real estate investors do not know the answers to the question, “What price and terms did every past seller you’ve spent time with finally sell their properties for?” While this question may seem daunting at first, a simple tweak in your business practice can provide you more real-world sales data for your niche and additional face-time with possible soon to be motivated sellers.

According to followupsuccess.com, 80% of sales are made between the fifth and twelfth contact with a seller. Additionally, 48% of sales people will never follow up with a client. This article will discuss just a few of the ideas to consider when calling sellers back. Additionally, this article will be discussing following-up with sellers you have already made purchase offers to; these sellers have previously said “No” to your purchase attempts and no Win-Win purchase offer has been reached.

follow up negotiations mobile home

Below is dialog from a recent call made to a seller.

Me: “Hello, Mrs. Tomkins. This is John Fedro giving you a call back about your 3 bedroom mobile home for sale in Sunny Dale MHP. I was curious to hear if you have had any more showings or interest from potential buyers since we last spoke.”

Seller: “Hi John. Yes, the home was sold last week to a nice young couple.”

Me: “Oh, good! I am really glad to hear that for you. I am curious, what price did you end up selling the home for?”

Seller: “We sold the home for $8,500.”

Me: “Congratulations Mrs. Tomkins. I am very happy for you and your family. The home was worth every bit of that. The buyers got themselves a beautiful home. In the future if you have any other real estate concerns or another mobile home for sale please don’t hesitate to ever call me anytime. Congratulations again.”

Following up with sellers should already be a mandatory part of your real estate investing business. To assume a seller’s current “No” to your purchase offer is permanent is unwise and simply untrue. Seller’s become more flexible overtime. As the market shows the seller’s original price was too high, your purchase offer becomes more and more realistic.

Continue following up with sellers as long as their homes are for sale and they are happy to hear from you. The number and proximity between each phone call or letter can depend on the motivation level of the seller and how close to a Win-Win deal you are both becoming.

Here are just a few benefits to following up with sellers:

1. Word of mouth referrals:Simply calling sellers back allows them to hear your voice and name again. Additionally, being proactive and genuinely interested in helping each seller is a great way to expand your circle of influence. Sellers often know other owners/sellers that may or will need to sell eventually.

follow up negotiations mobile home 1

2. Hear valuable first-hand information: “Have there been any showings to potential buyers?” “Any new buyer potential buyers?” Any purchase contracts accepted?” “Is the asking price still the same?” Ask these questions to better understand your negotiations and the seller’s current situation.

Always  aim to provide clarity and help to every seller you interact with. More than simply offering a fair price for most properties, investors aim to listen to sellers and give experienced filled advice and options to improve a seller’s situation.

3. Top of the Mind Awareness Through Others (TOMATO):Sellers understand that we are real estate investors. As real estate investors we purchase and are knowledgeable in real estate matters. The more time a seller spends with you and remembers your name, face, message, and phone number the further in the front of their minds you may remain. When the time is right and a sellermust sell, your name may be the first one they call. The squeaky wheel get the grease.

top of mind awareness

4. Congratulating the seller:Sometimes sellers find alternative solutions for their selling needs. That is very OK. Share in a seller’s happiness. Too often you may hear from sellers whom you cannot help, and you know a foreclosureor further heartache is imminent. If you have been investing for any period of time you may have experience dealing with sellers in tight-financial situations with nothing you can offer to help besides advice.

At the beginning of this article I mentioned a quick bit of dialogue discusses during a recent conversation between a mobile home seller and myself. Mrs. Tompkins had been trying to sell her home for over 4 months with no success. We had previously met once and spoken via phone multiple times about her property. Three hours or less time spent in total with the seller. She is a mother, widow, painter, and hard-working woman. When I heard she sold her home for almost what she wanted I was very happy for here. As we should aim to be with every seller we deal with.

What can we learn from a home that is already sold? First things first, if the home is not technically closed on then there is a chance the potential buyer will bail or be unable to close, thus giving you the continued opportunity to create value with the seller. However if the seller’s property did sell then this would be a good time to ask permission to find out from them…

  • When the home sold? Will give you additional information about the number of days on the market for this street in your market.
  • To another investor or end-user? Who is working in your general area? Did another investor pay a higher price or give more favorable terms? If yes, is there anything else you could have done or learned to do differently?
  • The final sales price?* How low the seller was really willing to drop down in price. In the future it would be wise to remember this negotiation and the seller’s final price and terms.  *In some states the sold price may be free public information, while in other states this sale data is kept confidential.

Seller situations change from month to month, week to week, and day to day. A once wishy-washy seller can develop into a motivated seller over months or days. It is important to be remembered at this tipping point when a seller realizes that a fast sale may not be possible without you.

Try this: Start following up with your past sellers. Aim to say Hi, reintroduce yourself, and get an update from each seller as to what has changed since you both last spoke. Begin with the past 2-4 weeks and call the past sellers you have made unsuccessful purchase offers to. Do not call with the expectation of making any deals, simply call for a quick 1-4 minute chit-chat or quick voice-mail message.

Conclusion: If a seller does not remember you or that you buy homes, it is not their fault. Make sure to be following up with sellers regularly. Some sellers will have sold. Some sellers will have decided not to sell. Some sellers will have not changed anything. While other sellers will realize their asking price/terms are too high and that your original purchase offers are fair and reasonable.

Love what you do daily,
John Fedro

 

Related videos:

 

Sources:

  1. http://followupsuccess.com/2011/02/21/shocking-sales-statistics-as-it-relates-to-follow-up/
  2. http://www.q4intel.com/crushing-mediocrity/sales-development/9-shocking-sales-statistics-that-determine-your-success

 

Colorado Road Trip 2014

Posted on by John Fedro

Welcome back,

I have a problem. Lately I’ve been addicted to traveling.

Seeing new sights. Eating with different cultures. Meeting new friends. Making unforgettable memories. Being unsure of what you’ll see and learn is all so thrilling. I can’t say I always felt this way about traveling, but since a year ago I have been bit hard by the travel-bug. These days I would rather spend my time and income investing in passive cash-flow investments and traveling the world.

Whether foreign or domestic there is something so liberating about being on the road. With that said this would not be possible without the passive cash-flow from my mobile home portfolio.

Colorado Or Bust:

With short notice my friend Jaime and I decided to drive overnight and wake-up in Colorado. I had slept-in-late the morning prior so I was able to easily drive through the night and let Jaime sleep for most of the ride from Austin, TX to Colorado. How many energy drink is too many?

Over the past few months I have taken 3 trips to brand new states I have never stayed in before. I made these trips in order to inspect 3 large mobile home parks I was negotiating to purchase at the time. These states are Illinois, Alabama, and Tennessee. All beautiful states that deserve time and attention when driving through. I was blown away at the amounts of recorded history and local-pride both large and small cities have for their home in these areas, likely all areas. These trips will be discussed in a future article. Now back to the CO mini-vacation.

Colorado Springs:

The drive always goes by fast and we arrive by 8am in Colorado Springs. The weather is cool and sunny in mid-August compared to the ridiculous Texas heat. We roll into Colorado Springs first and right before I exit the highway I snap a picture of the Welcome to Colorado Spring sign.

colorado springs john fedro jamie colorado trip

 

We check into our hotel and we’re off to enjoy some micro-breweries, local food, and of course the nature. After asking the locals what to do we set our sights on a place called the Garden of the Gods. While I was there I couldn’t stop thinking of the hundreds of generations of people that have used this location as a home. Here we are in the present century walking around these ancient people’s home.

gardn of the gods john fedro

 

Travel tip: Always do a little bit of research on a place that you’re going for history info, tourist reviews, and tour guide reasons. It is nice to be surprised when you get to your destination however without some preparation you may find yourself confused and/or not maximizing your fun. Example: When I knew we were going to the Garden of the Gods I immediately searched the nature park on Tripadvisor.com to read reviews. What I discovered was to arrive early in the morning to avoid the heave traffic of the afternoon.

colorado john fedro dive

Denver:

After a 2 days in Colorado Springs enjoying nature we decided to head north to Denver and then on to Fort Collins.

Driving up to Denver was short and beautiful to see, the Rocky Mountains to my left, flat lands to my right, and the big city right in front of me. Three years ago I spoke on stage in front of a packed-room filled with real estate investors listening to me discuss mobile home investments.

After hiking and biking in Colorado Springs I was looking for some much wanted relaxation and chill-out time. With that said everyday was a minor workday; I of course needed to make sure all emails to people are answered, I respond to sellers and buyers that have called, set appointments for next week when I arrive back in Austin, and continue building my mobile home investing machine. After the morning hours of dedicated work and setting appointments for the coming week I wanted to enjoy nature again. However this time we decided to play some disc-golf in Denver.

disc golf john fedro voodoo donuts john fedro

This is a shot of me right before losing my driver-disc on the second to last hole. I didn’t bring a spare driver so we packed our things and headed back to the condo we were renting. After losing my favorite disc I decided we should get some Voodoo donuts. I remembers seeing this donut company featured on the show No reservations with Anthony Bourdain and since then always wanted to go. The dounuts and service were amazing! I highly recommend this spot. My favorite was the maple and bacon donut.

Travel tip: In addition to staying in motels and hotels I highly recommend airbnb.com and homeaway.com for reasonable condos and houses to rent for a short-time while traveling.

jaime playing on haunted pub crawl

Jaime booked us for a haunted ghost tour-pub-crawl in downtown Denver. Here’s Jamie playing around in a “haunted” furnace. By this time we had visited 3-4 pubs already. Glad we were in walking distance of our condo.

Travel tip: Doing things doesn’t have to be expensive. Check out Groupon.com in your “destination city” to look for discounted events and random activities to try in your local town or during a vacation. Without Groupon we would have never known about the very fun and educational ghost/pub-crawl tour. 🙂

Fort Collins:

Did you know Fort Collins does not have an active military base there? Well, I certainly didn’t.

Perhaps one of the few areas in Colorado where I saw a great deal of new home construction was Fort Collins. A few things that struck me as wonderful and unorthodox were the public pianos scattered around downtown, the love-of-bicycles the city seems to have, and the friendliness of the community. Additionally, the real estate investor inside of me noticed that there were almost no “We Buy Houses” bandit-signs hanging on power-poles or in the ground. This typically translates to this city being a very clean and strict-code-enforcement type of city. Does this make sense?

fort collins pianorocky mountain oysters john fedro

Have you ever had a Rocky Mountain Oysters? They may be called different names around the world however if you’ve had them you would likely remember. These slightly-gamey and chewy fried strips (next to the onion rings) are actually the sliced testicles of bull. I think of myself as an adventurous eater so after some internal pep-talking I dived right in and had some. 🙂

In total the trip took 6 days and less than $2,000 total. If you are able to make these trips I would encourage you and your significant other or a friend to travel somewhere you have always wanted to go. If taking spontaneous trips like this is something that you would like to start doing but do not have the financial means to right now, I encourage you to stay dedicated to your side business and continued daily effort to make a better life for your family’s future. The difference between the doers and non-doers is clarity and action.

If there is anything I can do to help provide you with clarity please don’t hesitate to ask.

Love what you do daily,
John Fedro
John@johnfedro.com

Do you ever take mini-vacations? I highly recommend them for hard working and productive investors. I say hard working and productive as mini-vacations are a great way to reward yourself. Tim Ferris writes about these small getaways and other life-changing concepts in his past book The 4 Hour Work Week. Enjoy the free digital copy.

Related videos:

I Heart California… And Tombstone, And Roadtripping

Posted on by John Fedro

Welcome back,

We’re back home!

Over 2,000 miles over the past 3+ weeks, so many delicious foods tried, many new fiends met, and hundreds of memories created. This trip has reminded me that “things” are just things, what matters in life are the memories we create and the people who we create them with.

Joshua tree

After leaving the Grand Canyon and almost not finding an open gas station in time we were on our way. 🙂

On the way to California and the Sequoia National Park we passed through the Mojave Desert. I pulled over and took a close up picture of this Joshua Tree. These spiky plants are some of the oldest living organisms on Earth. Many Joshua trees living to be hundreds of years old and some living for thousands of years.

sequoia park 1sequoia park 2

After 8 hours of driving past beautiful landscapes, huge wind-generators, wineries, and desert we made it to the “Land of Giants”. The first day we arrived at the Sequoia National Park we only saw average sized trees, this was due to our lower elevation. We spent the first night exploring within the first 20 miles of the entrance to the park. We later learned the great sequoia trees did not appear until some miles up the road.

When we finally reached the actual sequoia trees they did not appear here and there, they stood in a line like an army. It looked as if someone planted a giant brown living wall of trees. From this “wall of tree” line forward we were surrounded by immediate shade, quietness, and calm giant tree trunks. It was incredible and undescribable to feel that tiny.

Lombard Street7-29-2014 1-06-27 PM

After spending a night at the Sequoia Forrest we headed for San Francisco. The drive went by faster than expected as me and my partner-in-crime took random pit stops trying local foods and snacks we found along the way. After arriving in town I was immediately greeted with the famous SF Bay traffic. After an hour and twenty minutes in traffic I was greatly surprised to see we had made it atop of Lombard street. This street is known for its twists and turns in just one small section.

Pier 39 1Pier 39 2

Some standard sightseeing at the famous Pier 39. These seals would not stop barking and showing off for people. I couldn’t help but be amused and laughing right along side everyone else.

This is what working for yourself can mean. There is likely no good reason you can not be doing the same in 2 years or less; unless you’re dead or in jail you have the ability to make your business a reality. Ok, now off my soapbox and back to the sightseeing.

Tea Garden 1Tea Garden 2

San Francisco is amazing. Such rich and sorted history packed in such a small city. All the locals we met were amazing and super helpful to tourists. A couple whom we asked directions from walked us 2 miles down the street to lead us to the Japanese Tea Garden and Rose garden. We ended up all going in together and having a Japanese snack.

Coy PondRose garden

Did you know each rose has a unique smell? I never even thought of that question before today. Literally stopping to smell the roses was one of my favorite memories of this day.

Challenge: Take some time this week to stop and smell local flowers. If your area in currently cold or flowerless then do the next best thing, head to a grocery store and start smelling the fresh produce. It may sound odd or silly but if you can’t remember how a fresh plum or walnut smells like you should wake up your smell receptors and start exercising them today.

LA viewLa hills view

Can you believe this view we got when we arrived in Los Angels? Thanks to Airbnb.com and local owners Nate and Ben we were able to reserve and stay at a beautiful bungalow looking over the LA hills. We spent 2 nights at this amazing house enjoying the private pool and hot tub as much as possible. Classic sightseeing and nightly celebrating ensued. 🙂

Tombstone 1 Tombstone 2

On the way back home we made a pit stop in Tombstone, AZ. The weather was hot, the streets were dusty, and it was everything I loved from the movie. Not much of its rough past, this tourist town now seems to cater to families and kids of all ages. After having lunch and seeing a gun fight at the O.K. Coral we were off. Our final destination on this road trip was home, Austin Texas.

Conclusion: An amazing time well spent with amazing friends. Everyday I was able to work a bit online helping folks nationwide invest in mobile homesand build wealth for themselves. With regards to my personal portfolio of properties everyone was still paying and happy when I returned. What a great business real estate investing can be that we may leave for 3 weeks and come back to a smoothly operating cash-flow business.

Love what you do daily,

John Fedro

How My Digital Nonfiction Book Hit #1 In Less Than 30 Days… And How Yours Can Too.

Posted on by John Fedro

Welcome back,

First a little on “the book”. As some of you know my real estate investing book was recently added to Amazon’s digital online book store. This investing book does not revolve around the how-to steps or real estate theory. Instead this new book looks at people finding and maintaining happiness while investing in real estate.

Over the past 3 years I have been researching what other active and successful investors “do” to:

  • Build a thriving real estate business.
  • Remain happy throughout their days.
  • Enjoy a closer relationship with their loved ones.

After receiving hundreds of responses, some of them repeating over and over, I decided to research them all (research included in the book) and try them out myself. Over the past 12 months I have been searching my heart, monitoring my happiness levels and my levels of productivity simultaneously. This research has greatly influenced 50 Simple Secrets To Be A Happy Real Estate Investor.

The project has been a labor of love that should be free for everyone to learn and grow from.

It is my personal belief that most real estate investors are too focused on making money and creating a profit. Profit only comes from creating value for our sellers and buyers. The more value we create and the more we help others, the more income we can expect to create for ourselves.

To gain clarity let us first understand that your successful and profitable real estate investing business is going to (and likely already does) require hard work, dedication, persistence, daily action, and education.

With that said it is vital to understand that “a Happy investor is a productive and motivated investor”.

The tips and secrets included in 50 Simple Secrets To Be A Happy Real Estate Investor are only the most powerful and most popular secrets of happiness I have collected. Our real estate investing community is a small family; we should strive to help one another to learn and grow our businesses together. Although we all have separate businesses we are not in this journey alone.

I have made this book free in its digital format. Please:

Enjoy the book.

Share the link with your friends

& Leave a great review on Amazon if the book has helped you. (These reviews help others know this book has been helpful and valuable.)

Click. Download. Read. Implement. Take Action. Be Happy. Get Results.

If you have any additional secrets for happiness as a real estate investor please comment your thoughts and ideas below.

how it got to number 1

First, I think it is very important to remember that this book was a labor of love for me. At the time I started writing and researching this material I was unhappy and depressed. Although my investing business was very successful I was unhappy with in general. Depression does not run in my family so I was unclear at the root cause. My goal was to understand why and how other happy and successful investors lived and worked.

Next, I thought about the simplest way to present these secrets. I concluded that I would list all 50 secrets, with these secrets I would like to include scientific research backing up the secret and also include a challenge for the reader to take pertaining directly to this secret.

number one in less than one month

Some of the major steps and milestones I made before publishing this book.

  1. Research the topics and organize my thoughts. This process took me 2+ years to research and write. In theory you could create a book in a weekend if properly researched.
  2. Understand my outcome. I wanted to create an easy to read, very helpful, guide that would challenge it’s readers to achieve more.
  3. Rough draft edited. Used fiverr.com. Paid $40.00 due to book being 13,000 words.
  4. Changes made. This took less than a few hours of time.
  5. Second draft edited.
  6. Title brainstormed created. Title based on Keyword popularity and related number of searches. Found using Google’s keyword-finder tool.
  7. Book front-cover and back-cover outsourced to artists. Fiverr.com used. Went through 5 designs before deciding. Asked friends and local investors their opinions. Decided to use the most popularly voted cover.
  8. Keywords for advertising on Amazon researched and decided. Using Amazon’s search bar. Taught in book below.
  9. Amazon formatting outsourced. Taught step-by-step in the book below.
  10. Book uploaded and book details created.

In the beginning of my journey to write this book I was very unclear at the path ahead of me. I chose to learn from someone who has already been on this journey before me and succeeded. I learned all the steps above (and much more) in the book How To make A Killing On Kindle. I highly recommend this book to you as well if you are unsure about how to proceed forward. This book is well worth the small investment.

Love what you do daily,
John Fedro

What Type Of Real Estate Investor Should I be? (Answer)

Posted on by John Fedro

Welcome back,

Let me first start off answering this reader question by disagreeing with it. The question, “What type of real estate investor should I be?” insinuates that you can and will be investing in only 1 type of property forever.

There are hundreds of ways to make money with real estate. Some of these methods involve a good deal of time while some real estate investing strategies require capital to get started. Likewise, some methods require both time and capital. All of the methods I can think of require education and training.

If you are over 30 years old than it is safe to say you may have changed your career a few times since leaving high school. You may have wanted to be a doctor, then changed to a law degree, then changed to a business education. If you too, are a serial career hopper than please realize that you only had enough insights and experience to change careers once you were exposed to one in detail.

Personal example: I was pursuing my medical degree when I had the overwhelming urge that I did not want to deal with sick people or a boss every day for the rest of my life.

Real estate investing in no different. Only after having a clear picture and path to take in real estate can you decide that this “is” or “is not” the right choice for you.

Personal example: When I got started I was competing against countless other investors in my market looking for traditional house behind on payments or in foreclosure. The high degree of needed capital and the stiff competition drove me to pursue other niches. That is when I fell into mobile home investing; the passive cash-flow, low competition, low barrier of entry, and high ROI fit my goals perfectly.

How to proceed forward when you are unsure how or what properties to invest in for profit?

Step 1. Make a list of all the types of real estate investing niches that you have heard of. Here is a small list you may use; single family homes, raw land, duplexes, triplexes, small apartments, large apartments, REITs, commercial properties, mobile homes tax liens, wholesaling, retailing, lease options, property management, hard money lending, being a Realtor, foreclosures, mortgage assignments, rentals, and many more strategies and niches not listed here.

Step 2. Know your goals. Fast cash, Big pay-days, and/or long-term passive cash flow.

Step 3. Learn more about the methods that interest you the most. Understand a clear path moving forward. Talk to a seasoned investor specializing in your desired niche and gain clarity from them. Ask these knowledgeable and experienced investors to outline a typical path they could describe leading you from your current position [in life] to your first deal in this niche. Gain clarity on the skills needed and steps-of-the-path on each niche that interests you. Tip: If a mentor or local investor cannot tell you the steps needed to get to your next deal look for someone more experienced.

Step 4. Take action with one or two niches at a time. Eliminate the ones you don’t like or that are not producing results in your area. Understand why some methods work for you and why some niches do not work for you. Remember that if anyone else has had success in this field then there is no reason why you cannot either.

Step 5. Continually be looking for motivated sellers or all types of properties. When you find a seller and property you are unfamiliar with I encourage you to partner with someone local and experienced to help the seller and complete the deal.

Step 6. Be aware of the happiness and success you are having. If something is not working don’t take this as fact. Keep trying new things and asking for help until you are happy in a real estate investing niche (or two) you love and are successful with.

To gain an understanding of the steps needed as a mobile home investor seeking cash-flow click here.

Love what you do daily,

John Fedro

Road Trip Part 2: Grand Canyon, Mules, and Cliff Hanging

Posted on by John Fedro

Welcome back,

Road trips are one of my favorite activities! Spending time with people you care about, talking and listening for hours on end, getting back to nature, listening to self-help programs on Mp3, and seeing new places are just a few of the obvious benefits to taking some time off, packing up the car, and heading out on the open road.

After leaving our new coach surfing friend and the beautiful city of Albuquerque, NM we started our 7 hour drive west.

john fedro eating on road trip

Stopping to grab some delicious lunch at an all-natural road side whole-foods restaurant was a great decision to fuel up prior to making the last leg of our journey from sea level to the 7,000 foot elevation of the Grand Canyon National Village.

After eating, working to close a real estate deal, and answering some detailed emails from Mobile Home Formula members we were off.

We made it to the Grand Canyon

Day 1: The air at 7,000 feet feels and smells so much cleaner than the desert air we had just driven through to get here. The temperature was also 20 degrees cooler which was a nice shock. Deer, eagles, and other wildlife roamed and lived right around us as we walked nature trails and enjoyed the natural beauty of the park. For the 3 nights here we would be camping in an over-sized tent fitted with power and running water nearby – my style of camping.

grand canyon john fedro  canyon john fedro

Day 2: We arose to the sunrise waking us up. Last night we sat around the campfire telling stories, having drinks, and falling asleep under the millions of tiny twinkling stars that lit up the night’s sky. Just before falling asleep I had the fleeting thought that in all my years alive I have never seen so many stars light up the sky as I did in that moment right before my eyes closed that night.

star filled sky john fedro

After a breakfast at the local restaurant we loaded up our mules for a ride around the park and just below the rim of the canyon. The ride was peaceful and almost on autopilot as I was told these mules walked this path for years. Our jobs were just to hold on to them and enjoy the ride.

That night we spent on the edge of the canyon. Dangling our feet over the edge of the canyon and watching the sun set on a beautiful day with a great friend.

grand canyon john fedro 1 grand canyon john john fedro

Day 3: We spent day 3 seeing all the local shops and eateries that we had missed the 2 days prior. Each time we set our eyes on the canyon there were new things to see. I distinctly remember my mouth dropping in amazement over a dozen times since we arrived just 2 days prior. These 2 days went by so quickly. That night we made a fire and talked about the coming travel plans and reflected on what we had seen in the past 72 hours since arriving.

The next morning we left before the sun came up. Our next destination was the Sequoia nation forest in California to sleep under the giant sequoia trees. Before we left we drove to the edge of the Canyon and stood by the railing. At this moment I was oddly overcome with fear. Looking back it was fear of the unknown, I knew in front of me was a cliff and canyon nearly 5,000 feet down, I knew this but could see nothing but black. The moon gave no reflection and kept hidden the natural beauty of the canyon. This was a great memory to leave on, and so we were off.

Sequoia Nation Forrest here we come.

Love what you do daily,

John Fedro

Three Week SXSW Road Trip and National Speaking Event

Posted on by John Fedro

Welcome back,

This website is a side project that shines a light on some of the fun, food, friends, and traveling that a portfolio of real estate property can afford you. Whether you are currently self-employed or work a 9-5, a goal in this life is to be happy, healthy, and successful by any standards we hold for ourselves.

Come with me over the next few posts as we travel around the Southwestern states of the USA and see some amazing sites, meet new friends, and learn new things. Some cities we go big and lavish, and other cities we make friends by couch-surfing or camping. The memories are unforgettable and the experience is  something that can only be lived personally.

With that said get excited and know these types of trips and vacations are waiting for you.  

john fedro sxsw road trip

Outline of our trip:

  1. Austin, TX (Start)
  2. Albuquerque, NM
  3. Grand Canyon, AZ
  4. Sequoya National Forest, CA
  5. San Francisco, CA
  6. Los Angeles, CA
  7. Las Vegas, NV
  8. Tombstone, AZ
  9. Austin, TX (Finish)

This trip starts out with the idea that me and close friend are going to see some amazing sites along our journey to Las Vegas. Las Vegas was the only real destination we had to make on this trip. 16 days after starting our journey I was set to speak in front of a national stage of guests that all wished to learn  about investing in real estate and in manufactured homes as a source of additional income.

I was honored to be asked to speak at this nationally recognized event. 

Our trip starts out with leaving my home town of Austin, TX and traveling by car to Albuquerque, NM. Not knowing anyone and wanting to get a first class tour we made plans to couch surf with a local friend (Alex) in his spare bedroom. If you have never used the website couchsurfing.com it is a must have for all travelers out there. Some of the nicest and most genuine people I have met have been from couch surfing. Disclaimer: I have only couch surfed 6 times, however it is amazing every time.

john fedro mexican food

john fedro hot air balloon

While in Albuquerque we were able to have some of the most amazingly simple Mexican food of my life. The simplicity of the food and few ingredients really highlighted the flavor and smell in every bite. In the morning we were greeted by the largest hot air balloon festival in the south.

The roar of the balloon filling up, the coolness of the morning air, the friendly faces everywhere, and exciting prospect that tonight (day 2) we would be sleeping in the Grand Canyon made this morning a memory I won’t soon forget.

hot air ballooning john fedro investing

We said goodbye to our host Alex and we’re off to our next adventure “The Grand Canyon”.

In my next post we’ll be mule riding, cliff hanging, and having camping adventures. Thanks for coming along.

Love what you do daily,

John Fedro

John@JohnFedro.com

Thank you for the ability to help others and watch so many grow their real estate businesses.

Posted on by John Fedro

Welcome back,

Some people may same I am blessed to be in my position, others have told me I am simply lucky. Either way it was a hell of a lot of work.

Over a decade ago I picked up a real estate investing course that changed my life forever. On second thought let me write that the course did not change my life directly but indirectly. This real estate influx of knowledge, just the mere fact that investing in real estate could be accomplished, put me on the path that would completely change my life and make me into a mobile home investor mentor for so many that desire help.

Over the next few years I spent most of my time learning all that I could about real estate investments, tax law, corporate structures and the like. I became a licensed Realtor, registered Notary, Hvac certified, Section 8 compliant, and a licensed Mortgage Broker all in the name of being a real estate information sponge. If you want to do something do it.

During the last 13 years as a real estate investor I have made countless errors and shared in countless victories – one would not be possible without the other. In a very short period of time I had become more active than most around me and was making huge gains in my understanding of this particular sect of real estate investing.

It was in the light of all these real estate “trial and error” mistakes and misses that I offered myself, my assistance, and my time to anyone that needed real estate help with a deal. At first I was only helping people through a Real Estate Investor’s club in my hometown of Tampa Bay. I was happy to help others and see them excited to create profit and value through mobile home investing.

Related: Read about how I made my first dollar in real estate investments.

If you are thinking that I was breeding competition for myself you are wrong. Only the motivated investors survive and continue to invest. I was happy to help breed others that possessed drive and light inside them. Many of these investors I have partnered with on multiple occasions. It can be wise to surround yourself with friends that are business like-minded and have ambition.

You are the sum of your 5 closest friends

Fast forward to the present and now I am able to affect the investing lives and businesses of investors that wish to learn how to successfully invest in mobile homes and create income for themselves and their family. I take this as no light responsibility. It is an honor that I intend to continue for as long as ready-to-go investors place their trust with me as a mentor.

Due to the fact that most of who I teach are located throughout the United States I rarely get to meet my member’s face to face unless I am speaking on a national stage or via Skype. Last night I was able to meet 5 of the members I am training. This was humbling and I was honored to be having dinner with some of the most motivated, hard-working, honest, investors I have ever known.

Related: Recent case study from John H.

Over the 2 hours we spent at dinner we shared stories, laughs, drinks, and congratulations for each others’ victories. All of us communicate regularly on a private member’s only Facebook group but have never met each other in the flesh before until yesterday. Truly friendships can be built online.

This is a picture the waiter snapped over drinks…

mobile home investor mastermind

This article is to give gratitude for all those that have helped me directly and indirectly to become the man I am today.

If there is something that you want take action and get it. Success is not handed to you, you must take it. When you build your business around helping others; sellers, investors, society, buyers, the general public, and your family, you will have the greatest push of all to be successful for a very long time.

If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask them below or email them to me directly.

Love what you do daily,

John Fedro