Within the Best Ever Show Community, real estate entrepreneurs gather together to add serious value to one another’s investment strategies. One example of this is our weekly question, to which everyone in the community is invited to respond. Recently, I posed a question regarding the first thing that piqued everyone’s interest in real estate investing. Read on for their common answers!
Mark Slasor became interested in real estate investing because of the various investment property tax benefits. More specifically, because of the tax write-offs allowed against his W2 income.
However, tax write-offs, also referred to as deductions, are just one of many tax benefits that come from investing in real estate. Brandon Turner over at BiggerPockets wrote an in-depth article on the tax benefits that come from investing in real estate, which include deductions but also long-term capital gains, depreciation, 1031 exchanges, no self-employment or FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) tax and “tax-free” refinances. For more details on these six tax benefits, you can read his post here.
When compared to other investment avenues, like a 401k, stocks, bonds, money market account, etc., investors have more control over real estate.
The investor decides which of the many strategies to pursue. They select the property. They pick the type of financing. They control the entire real estate investment business plan. Etc. Because of all of this control, the investor has the ability to directly influence the profitability of their investment project.
Jeremy Brown became interested in real estate because of this control factor. He realized the stock market was a lot like gambling. Generally, the value of the stock is tied to factors over which the individual investor as little to no control. Conversely, you have the ability to directly affect the returns of a real estate project.
Chris Mayes became interested in real estate for similar reasons. Not only did he love the thought of passive investment income and an early real estate retirement, but also his ability to be actively involved in the investment in order to directly impact the returns.
There are such a variety of opportunities, whether it’s different investment strategies, property types, real estate investment business plans, etc., that investors frequently suffer from shiny object syndrome. “I want to fix and flip houses. But, oh look, what if I kept the house as a rental? Or, I could just skip single-family investing in general and jump straight to apartments. Hmmm. Maybe I should just take my capital and privately invest in a syndication…WHAT SHOULD I DO?!”
For the past 50 or more years, investors have reached the highest levels of success using every real estate investment strategy and investing in every asset type, which far outweighs the drawbacks of shiny object syndrome
Stevie Bear became interested in real estate because of this abundance of opportunities. He was attracted to the innumerable potential avenues to pursue for profitability in nearly any market or economy.
Some investors were lucky enough to be born into the real estate investment business. Leilani Moore was a property manager for her family’s business, learning the value of real estate investing over the years. Similarly, Barbara Grassey’s father was a real estate investor, and she enjoyed hanging around the fix-and-flip properties he was renovating.
Another personal relationship that leads investors into real estate is friends. Harrison Liu became interested in real estate because of a close friend who had been investing for years. In fact, this friend helped Harrison find his first deal and he’s been investing ever since.
Theo Hicks also became interested in real estate through a friendship. One night, over pizza and videogames, two of his buddies mentioned the value of real estate investing. In particular, they said, “sometimes, I forget I even own the property until I receive a check at the end of the month.” He was intrigued and ended up putting his first property under contract in less than a week.
Infomercials may be a fading industry, but many active investors became interested in real estate from these flashy 30-second advertisements. Robert Lawry II is a perfect example. He saw expert Tom Vu’s infomercial when he was 14 years old. He learned that, once he bought his first investment, he could drive fancy cars, go on expensive boats and, most importantly, meet beautiful girls in bikinis! How do you say no to that?
Lastly, one of the main reasons why people are attracted to real estate is due to the prospect of financial independence. Purchase enough cash flowing real estate to replace your corporate income and you’re FREE. Stone Pinckney became an investor to pursue financial independence. Dave Van Horn wanted a way out of a dead-end job and a life of mediocrity. Eddie Noseworthy wanted the ability to create his own epic life and have more time to do the things he loves to do.
Whether you’re newly interested in the real estate investment business or you’ve been making deals for years, networking is clearly one of the most valuable aspects of a good investment strategy. Like some of those above, perhaps you have family and friends who are experienced in the biz. Maybe you’ve only read about this investment strategy and read a handful of real estate investment books. Either way, I’m here to help you take your deals to the next level!
Join me as a passive investor on my next big apartment syndication, or apply for my private program!
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as an offer to buy or sell any securities or to make or consider any investment or course of action.