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All Forum Posts by: Brian Volland

Brian Volland has started 32 posts and replied 114 times.

Post: Rich Dad Poor Dad: Did I Miss Something?

Brian VollandPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Peoria, Az
  • Posts 117
  • Votes 50

So I just finished reading "Rich Dad Poor Dad What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That The Poor And Middle Class Do Not" and I feel like I must have missed out on something given how often this book as cited as THE GO TO beginner book for real estate investment. I also just finished reading "The Book On Rental Property Investing". 

The latter book gave me approx. 3 pages of short notes and tips covering all of the page; information that I'll want to make sure I internalize and make sure I put to good use. The former book gave me three sentences and, I personally feel, could be summed up thusly: Make money work for you (not vice versa), Fear holds you back (learn to control it and act), Educate yourself continuously and find experts to learn from (failure is a form of learning).

As someone spending money on investment books and real estate, I feel like I must have missed the point of Rich Dad Poor Dad because it seems to me to have basically boiled down to a pre-game pep talk from coach letting you know that you can do it if you try. I know I need to make money work from me. I clearly chose to do this through investing because I'm reading a book on how to do it. I know I'm going to be scared of losing my money until I can control my risks. That's how we, humans, feel every time we ever try to do something for the first time. Educate yourself. Really? If that isn't the biggest "Duh" when trying to figure out how to do something new I'd love to hear what is. The reason I bought the book was that I was trying to educate myself and gain useful information that will help me succeed in this game. Information like, "Watching commercial building trends can direct you towards new growth areas." I was not looking for platitudes and pick me ups. I was hoping for tangible, usable information that I could apply to my business strategy and mitigate risk.

So did I miss something? Is the book supposed to be a pep talk? Or did I miss something major? I truly want to know if somebody got something more out of the book as I'm eager to learn and chewing through as many books as I can. 

Post: Looking To Learn

Brian VollandPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Peoria, Az
  • Posts 117
  • Votes 50
@Ben Vandorn:

I appreciate the info and the links. I'll def. try to make it to one of the meet ups! As far as specific questions, most of mine fall along the lines of "What would today's you tell past you to help your investment/management when you were just getting started?" and "How did you make the jump from your first property to your second?" That second question is the one that is getting to me. Finding, running the numbers, buying, and, to an extent, managing property I can grasp with little issue. Figuring out how folks are saving and buying second properties within 2 years based solely on the, in my book, slim margins most folks are okay with (from what I can see) is a mystery. 

Post: Looking To Learn

Brian VollandPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Peoria, Az
  • Posts 117
  • Votes 50

Hi y'all,

I've been looking to get in to REI for a little over a year now but I'm just starting to really dive in to books and forums to really try to get a handle on things before jumping in. I'm hoping that by Dec this year I'll be buying my first property.

So, what I'm asking is that if there are any experienced investors in the Eagle River/Anchorage area , especially ones with experience in small multi-family rental units, who would like to get some coffee on my dollar, I'd love to pick your brain for a bit. You pick where you'd like to get coffee and I'll meet you there.

Or, if anyone know of a REI/landlord meetup in the area, I'd love to hear about that as well. I'm trying to immerse myself in this as much as I can.

Thanks in advance.

Post: VA home loan a good start?

Brian VollandPosted
  • Property Manager
  • Peoria, Az
  • Posts 117
  • Votes 50

Could you clarify the source for the posted requirement for securing a VA loan? Is it bank-specific? I intend to use a VA loan as well to start investing, however, I have 0 experience. I'd like to know if this is going to be a roadblock or not. Thanks for any help.