Posted by pedro on February 25, 2005 at 08:11:04:
In Reply to: Which is the best course/book/program out there posted by Thomas on February 03, 2005 at 17:04:17:
If you're looking for a real classroom setting, most are going to be the REALTOR's licensing class. They run about $200-$500 from 5 to 12 weeks depending on what part of the country you live in. You can find these at your local community college or at RE Brokerage offices.
These classes will teach you about basic terminology of real estate SALES and what you need to be a REALTOR. It will cover finance, legal terms and different parts of a basic real estate contract.
All this information is helpful...
HOWEVER,
Creative real estate investing is a different animal. There are MANY different ways to CREATIVELY invest in real estate. It all depends on you. Those classes will help you in the long run but won't make you immediate cash if you're looking for that.
If you need cash NOW, you'll have to FOCUS on one strategy that works. If you have access to a bunch of money, get into buying fixer uppers. It's really simple and donesn't take much learning.
If you have more time than cash, learn about owner financing. If you weren't good at math in high school (as most of us were), this may take some time. But the return on this is FANTASTIC!
Finally, if you are short on cash, and have time to learn, get into lease options.
These basic creative techniques aren't taught in even Real Estate Investment Clubs, though more savvy members may be familiar with them.
You'll definitely need a good course to bring you up to speed and get into doing deals. A good course is the SHORT CUT to becoming proficient at creative real estate. I've found many good used courses online.
Pete