REI WEALTH MONTHLY Issue 36 (The Best of REI Wealth Monthly) | Page 26

Portfolio of rentals
READY, SET, GO ­ START INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE JIM INGERSOLL

Ready, Set, Go- Start Investing In Real Estate

By Jim Ingersoll

W hy is it so hard to start investing in real estate? Maybe it is the flood of information coming from so­called guru ' s who make it sound so much harder then it really is. They tell you to jump into buying short sales, foreclosures, lease options, forward flips, back flips and so on. Real estate investing can be simple. Before starting you need to determine if you are able to invest for long­term wealth and cash flow, or do you need to create income streams right away.

If you can invest for the long­term then you can buy and hold real estate assets and build a portfolio of rentals. If you need to generate cash right away you can start with flipping houses.

Portfolio of rentals

The good news is that we have a fantastic market to buy and hold real estate assets. Rental demand is the highest it has been in several years and although prices are inching upward, there are still great deals for diligent investors who know how to buy houses at discounts. The key is to focus your investment criteria, buy real estate without banks and attract great tenants.