Real Estate Networking | Boston AREIA

Is Flip (Flipping) a 4 letter word that starts with F?

May 20, 2014 by bostonareia 2 Comments

So, I was talking to my friend, business partner and seasoned investor Ken Olson the other day. He said that he had a bone to pick with me. He noticed that I use the words “flip” and “flipping” when talking about rehabbing and reselling properties in our adventures in real estate investing.

He said, “Give me a minute to explain, I know “flip” or “flipping” is nomenclature and widely accepted, but, trust me, any seasoned seller (Banker, REO Broker, Auctioneer) won’t listen to someone using that language and will not take them serious – it is too cavalier and wreaks of inexperience – if you want your investors that you are teaching to separate themselves, they will figure out a way to take “flip” or “flipping” out of their vocabulary.”

OK, point taken…, “But, Ken, Do you know that FLIP and FLIPPING are among the HIGHEST ranking words on google for real estate investing? More people search the term fix and flip or flipping real estate than invest in properties. Since the “flip this house” phenomenon, it’s much more accepted…and does amazing things for my SEO and google rankings…. :-)”

To which Ken replied, “Flip and flipping is a widely accepted nomenclature and so is “doing it” – both have cavalier attachments and in “my opinion” are unprofessional and wreak of inexperience.”

“Ok, Ken, we are NOT going to present using the word “FLIP” or “FLIPPING” to any banks. However, you and I can have this conversation 30 times and I will still market using the words FLIP or FLIPPING because new investors and folks looking for places to network type in “flipping houses” “flip houses in Boston”, etc…about 20 plus times more than they look for rehabbing and reselling.

It is what it is and the use of the word means different things dependent on the application. In marketing it is a golden word that can help rank a webpage high in SEO. It will, however, be a great lesson to the group – DON’T use the words FLIP or FLIPPING when talking to banks, brokers and others because it’s pretty much a “dirty” word and shows inexperience. However, when it comes to SEO please continue to use it in marketing. :-)”

See you at our upcoming meeting on Thursday 6/19/2014

DESIRE. COMMIT. SUCCEED!

Bernadette Trafton, Boston AREIA Chief Connector

Are you able to leverage your credit or is it holding you back?

May 8, 2014 by bostonareia Leave a Comment

WHEN: Thu 5/15, 2014

WHERE: Hyatt Place, 116 Riverside Ave, Medford, MA

Thursday 5/15; 5pm – 5:30 pm for Members of Boston AREIA ONLY before the May monthly meeting!

Members join us for a special coaching session focused on Credit! Are you able to leverage your credit or is it holding you back? Veteran Mortgage Pro Ric Beaudoin of Sage Mortgage. This is not a Credit Repair session, however, Ric will cover:

• The basic facts of credit reports
• What is and is not included in the credit report or credit score
• Why use credit scores
• Components of a credit score
• Statistical weights
• Consumer rights
• Correcting and improving credit scores

Followed by OPEN NETWORKING from 5:30pm – 6:30pm, the energy has been building every month! Make sure you bring tons off business cards and save some for the forced networking section!

Thursday’s topic is all about exit strategies…you’ve got the property under contract, NOW WHAT???

Click here for all of the meeting details!

How does "forced networking" help you flip properties

April 26, 2014 by bostonareia Leave a Comment

I have people ask me all the time, “What is ‘forced’ networking and how exactly does it help me flip properties in the Boston area?”

Forced networking is for everyone. Originally we started doing it at Boston AREIA for the wall flowers of the group. You know the people who are uncomfortable walking up to someone and saying, “Hi, my name is ……………….. and I’m a new investor and I want to meet…” I wanted to give those folks a way to get business cards from people so they could call them up later and meet with them. But, it’s turned out to be one of the favorite sections of our meetings. For the wall flowers and everyone else as well! During our forced networking section, we bring different groups of people to the front of the room…for example, “Can all the wholesalers come up to the front of the room…now, everyone who wants someone else to find them deals, come up and exchange business cards, don’t talk for 5 minutes, exchange business cards and move to the next person…” This is the fastest form of speed networking that you will find. We don’t give you 5 minutes, we give you 5 seconds to exchange business cards so that you can connect with the people you want to after the meeting in a one on one setting. Wholesalers love it because they are able to increase their buyers list quickly. Rehabbers/Flippers love it because they get a whole new group of people looking for properties for them. Realtors and lenders love it because they get a whole new group of people that they can connect with where real estate is concerned. And, you know what happens when you connect an entire group of people focused on flipping properties in some form or another? Deals get done! So, forced networking most definitely helps you to flip properties. Check out some of our pictures from our last meeting…we began with a coaching session, then went to regular networking, then forced networking, then speakers for education. If used properly, your Boston AREIA meetings will help you build your power team and help you make connections, business partners and friends that you will work with the rest of your life!

Yours in success, Bernadette Trafton, Boston AREIA Chief Connector

Are you an amateur or a Pro?

April 9, 2014 by bostonareia 1 Comment

Are you networking your way to success? We all go to networking meetings, collect business cards, shake hands and network with people. MOST people go home, put the stack of business cards on a shelf and don’t really do anything with them. However, what we do afterwards is what truly determines if we are amateurs or pros and ultimately this dictates our success. On Thursday, April 17th at 5pm, we are doing a special coaching session from 5pm – 5:30 pm for members of Boston AREIA only. We will cover how you can go from being an amateur who just spends your time going to meetings to a pro.

Learn to:

Develops your connections
Provides value
Become a person of influence.

Members must RSVP for this coaching session by Tue 4/15 via email at dette101@gmail.com.

See you on April 17th!

Happy Investing,

Bernadette Trafton, Boston AREIA Chief Connector

Benefits for Boston Flippers and more

March 28, 2014 by bostonareia Leave a Comment

Did you know as a member of Boston AREIA you have access to a number of discounts to help you as you flip properties in Boston! Oh…and remember, be sure to check out our How To’s Tips and Tricks for Real Estate Investing!

1. You have access to discounts on materials, tool rentals, appliances, tenant screening, insurance, signage, office supplies, car rental, airfare and much more. Check it out:

AAPL
ADP
Build-A-Sign
Community Investor
CheapOair
ClearNow
CreditSense
FedEx
Headsets.com
Hertz
Investor Protector Plan
Junk-King
Kwikset
Lowe’s ProServices
Mr. Landlord
National Vendor Management Services
NREIG
OdorXit
OfficeDepotMax
Performance Settlement
RentFax
Rent Fast
Rent Manager Software
Sears Commercial
Sherwin Williams
SimpliSafe
Sunbelt Rentals
Tattle Tale
Tenant Credit Checks
Titan Environmental
US Credit Repair Center
US Legal Forms
4Imprint

– See more at: http://www.communitybuyinggroup.com/suppliers.html#sthash.LdOociKW.dpuf

2. You will have access to our Community Investor magazine 3. You gain visibility for your business and find trusted industry related contractors in your community To see all of the information about this program, visit www.communitybuyinggroup.com If you are a member of Boston AREIA, you will have received a member packet with the group code. If you don’t have your packet any longer, please email me at dette101@gmail.com to request the code. If you are not a member, but, and want to take advantage of the member benefits, become a member today! Make sure that you stay tuned for our upcoming blog post Diary of a Newbie Real Estate Investor with our new mentee Mike Fitzpatrick! And, see you at our June 19th meeting focused on 1031 Exchanges and much more! As always, feel free to reach out in between meetings, we are here to help you get your deals done!

What to expect on March 20th at Boston AREIA

March 19, 2014 by bostonareia Leave a Comment

We are having a blast mentoring Mike Fitzpatrick. He’s working with his partner Jacqui Pietrzak, look for their next blog post. They’ve been driving for dollars, working on their website, putting together their first direct mail marketing campaign and presenting potential deals to Peg and I. Super proud of them! I’m watching a power couple develop! WOHOO!

It’s the LAST day to get eligible for this month’s workshop at 5pm. I will be downloading real estate leads from a few lead sources and giving them to the folks who come to the session. I need to know now who is coming at 5pm. If you don’t qualify by midnight tonight, you won’t be able to join us at 5pm before the monthly meeting! Find out if you are eligible!

_____________________________________________________________

Most of you have said that you are interested in saving money on your electric bill and going green. Some of you have switched to Viridian, many of you have not. All of you raise your hand when I ask if you recycle, most of you agree if you had the ability to make 10 times the carbon impact without it costing you, you would. I know time gets away from you and you forget. I get it. We have invited Reps to help you with the 3 minute process it takes to make the switch on Thursday night – BRING YOUR N-Star or National Grid bills with you. It costs you nothing, takes 3 minutes, can save you money over time and you choose green. All who take action will get a special opportunity during our “forced networking” segment.

____________________________________________________________

Thursday, March 20, 2014 – Is fear of making an offer holding you back?

***Special opportuniy to for MEMBERS of Boston AREIA, we are shaking up our forced networking section…those who get there early will be rewarded!

Monthly Meeting – The question I get most from investors is, “Ok…so, I find a property…how do I make sure all the bases are covering when making an offer and putting together a P&S?” Well this meeting will dispel the fears that are holding you back from making offers! For all details visit – http://bostonareia.com/resources/upcoming-events/

Become a member today – http://bostonareia.com/about-us/membership-plans/

JEM Property hosts open house Sat, March 1st from 12-2 for Boston AREIA Members

February 24, 2014 by bostonareia Leave a Comment

JEM Property Group is hosting an open house at 16 Appletree, Walpole, MA for the members of Boston AREIA!

You got to see the property during the rehab process and now it’s time to see the finished product and ask questions about the rehab!

WHEN: Saturday, March 1, 2014 from 12pm – 2pm

RSVP: Please RSVP with Peg by Friday 2/28/2014: Peg@JEMPropertyGroup.com

How to get the most out of your real estate investment club

June 5, 2013 by Bernadette Trafton 1 Comment

Like us on Facebook to be entered for a contest to win real estate education and more…

I know that sometimes coming to a real estate investment club can be intimidating. Who are these people? How can they help me? Who do they know? Do I just go up and say hello? I don’t want to sound stupid…

Life is short…don’t sweat the small stuff! And, remember, you are the one in control!

I’m a big WHY? person. I feel like to get the most out of any real estate investors club, heck ANYTHING, you have to know why you are going to begin with. What is it that you want to get out of the group? Write a list for yourself:

Networking
Education
Motivation
Deal sharing/partnering with other investors
Increase profits
Building Power Team
Access to group buying discounts
Build Buyers List
Build Wholesalers list
Build Rehabbers list
Opportunities to speak in front of room
Opportunities to share what you’ve learned
Opportunities to present deals in front of the room
Online access to other members
Deals email sent
Access to service providers who help organize my business, increase my online presence and increase my lead generation
and more…

Now that you know why you are attending and joining the group, you can develop a plan for the meeting. Now, at Boston AREIA, we hold open networking from 5:30pm – 6:30pm. Members and attendees are encouraged to get there early. If you get to the meeting early, you get the lay of the land. You have time to come up and introduce yourself to the Club leader. In the case of Boston AREIA, that’s me! 🙂 . You are going to want to have a good handle on who you want to be connected with because the Club leader will know who would be the best connection for you. The best way to get the most from the club is to get to know the person running the meetings. They are the person in the position to help you the most.

Get there early and network with the vendors. DON’T BE A WALL FLOWER! Find your seat, then walk around and talk to everyone. Make it a goal to solidly connect with at least 5 people at each meeting. Get everyone else’s card, so you can set up followup meetings. But, AT the meeting, connect solidly with 5 investors. If you focus on 5, then you can begin to develop a relationship with people. Take the hour for networking and use it for networking. When the meeting starts, if there is forced networking (you’ll have to come to Boston AREIA to learn what that is), take part!

Any opportunity to get in front of the room- Buy/Sell, forced networking, etc…TAKE IT! Remember, everything you want is outside your comfort zone. Stay until the end after the speaker is done and then stay and network with everyone. Offer to buy a drink for a more seasoned investor in the bar and stick around and listen. You will learn the jargon and you will hear great stores and be presented with opportunities.

Those who stick and stay get paid. This means come to the club consistently, get to know, like and trust people and let them get to know like and trust you. You will form long-lasting, profitable partnerships and the road will bring you places you never knew existed. See you at the next meeting!

DESIRE. COMMIT. SUCCEED!

Bernadette Trafton, Boston AREIA Chief Connector, dette101@gmail.com

Join us on Facebook to win prizes

June 4, 2013 by Bernadette Trafton Leave a Comment

We are growing our Facebook Likes for Boston Areia – Real Estate Networking meetings – Everyone who goes to Boston AREIA and LIKES our page and likes the contest post will be entered into a drawing to win some prizes – You MUST like the page and like this post in order to be entered into the contest.

Prizes will include

1 – Review Tony Youngs course, partner with Bernadette and be Bernadette’s guest at Tony’s 3 day bootcamp July 13, 14, 15

2 – 4 hours of Marketing coaching with Bernadette.

3 – Foreclosure education – tapes and booklets and more…

The contest runs from June 4 – July 1st….Good luck everyone!

If you get a friend to LIKE the page and comment on the post that you sent them, you get extra entries to win the prizes!

DESIRE. COMMIT. SUCCEED!

Bernadette Trafton, Chief Connector, dette101@gmail.com

Did you know you can use Uncle Sam to help build your business?

June 3, 2013 by Bernadette Trafton Leave a Comment

Bernadette Trafton, Chief Connector

Good morning folks! So, I got an email from my favorite accountant, Joe Craft. He’s saved me a ton of money over the years in taxes. And, now he wants me to know how I can use Uncle Sam to build my network marketing business. Joe says that everyone would own a home-based business if they just knew Unlce Sam would pay for it! I love Joe Craft! He helps me with real estate, business, taxes and more and now he wants to give YOU a reason to join my network marketing business!

I’ve always let everyone know, though I do real estate, I’ve always done network marketing. The residual income is great, but, I started my home based business because the tax benefits you get far outweigh what you get by being a new real estate investor. I figured if the tax benefits can increase my cash flow more than the cost of the product or the service, why wouldn’t I do it? I had 2 conversations with Joe Craft after getting started and he helped me to increase my cash flow by $500. Do you know that $500 extra a month would prevent most foreclosures? Anyhow, I was pumped because before I had sponsored anyone or sold a service, I had more money staying in my bank account than the month before. I was pumped because, it’s not magic, just numbers. That’s what Joe wants to teach you!

And now, Joe has teamed up with Dr. Ron Mueller. Dr. Mueller is well known as the “plain-talking” (and entertaining) authority on special tax deductions approved by Congress specifically for small and home-based business owners. Dr. Mueller is conducting 2 special webinars that will show you how owning a home-based business will provide you with these special deductions and will give you a prime reason to join a network marketing company and give the people you know that same prime reason as well. In essence, he is teaching how you can GET Uncle Sam to PAY your PROSPECTS (and you!) CASH for starting and for running a home-based business. YOU CAN LEARN ALL OF THIS IN A 45-MIN LIVE WEB BRIEFING WHICH WILL BE REPEATED TWICE: Saturday, 6/8/2013 11am (EST) AND Sunday 8pm (EST) Registration is FREE, but REQUIRED (so you can receive your log-in and call-in info by email). REGISTER at http://HomeBusinessTaxSavings.com/UncleSam.html (note: web extension is case-sensitive). I encourage everyone to listen in to these webinars. This knowledge has helped me remain a single, stay at home mom for 8 years. It’s simple, it’s just numbers, just like real estate and the ROI is ROCKIN’! And, if you want to come check out what I’m doing on Tuesday night with this business, visit this Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/events/171044856392377/ DESIRE. COMMIT. SUCCEED!Bernadette Trafton, Boston AREIA Chief Connector, dette101@gmail.com