Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa July 2014 | Page 20

COVER STORY
you will do well to do your research and learn the rules
of the property investment game.
Read books, research strategies online, attend
conferences and seminars – learn from the greatest
players their secrets and attitudes - and distil from
these resources classic investment principles.
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance,
learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what
you are doing or learning to do” - PELE
However, don’t simply passively absorb information.
You have to apply these principles to each unique
situation, and that means thinking for yourself. Once
you understand the rules of property investment, you
can play the game intelligently, and then you can start
discovering ways to play better than anyone else.

“the most valuable piece of real
estate you will ever own is the
six inches between your ears”
Some say that soccer is The Beautiful Game because
it is the only sport with no fixed method of achieving
the goal. It is exactly the endless possibilities to create
opportunities, innovate and achieve ever greater feats
– to discover how far you can take your level of skill
- that are so enthralling about soccer. In other sports,
some players may be better than others, but they all play
in exactly the same way. In soccer, every player brings
their own unique style onto the pitch.
Similarly, in property investment, you can – and
should - bring your own unique approach to the
game. As Dolf de Roos reminds us, the most valuable
piece of real estate you will ever own is the six inches
between your ears. This is where out-of-the-box
thinking occurs and real opportunities are identified.
Property investment is a great game: it is exactly the
endless possibilities to create, innovate and achieve
ever greater feats that are so enthralling about property
investment. Property investment offers endless scope
to challenge yourself and find out how far you can take
it. It is an infinite canvass for applying knowledge,
trying new things, coming up with smart ideas, and
finding new ways to do it bigger, better, faster and more
cost-effectively.
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July 2014 SA Real Estate Investor

“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then
you have to play better than anyone else.” - ALBERT
EINSTEIN

Lesson 3 - Have a game plan, but be flexible
A “game plan” is a strategy – an action plan - for
attaining a goal, based on an objective assessment of
strengths and weaknesses and a thorough knowledge
of the playing field.
Soccer teams don’t simply run out on the field, kick
the ball aro [