All Forum Posts by: Michael Carbonare

@Ken M.  I forgot about Robert Allen. . .Sheets, Vu, and Allen, the Three Wise Men.  LOL

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗶𝘀

You're deep in spreadsheets, scrolling through endless listings, and absorbing every podcast and blog post imaginable. You're analyzing every possible scenario, every potential risk, and every projected return. You're doing your due diligence, and that's commendable. But you're stuck. 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻; 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆.

Paralysis of Analysis is a very real hurdle for many new investors. The fear of making a mistake, the uncertainty of the market, and the sheer volume of information can be overwhelming. But here's the truth: perfect deals don't exist.

Waiting for the "perfect" moment will keep you on the sidelines forever. Real estate investing, like any venture, involves calculated risks. The key is to:

𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮: Define your investment goals, risk tolerance, and target market. This will help you filter out noise and focus on relevant opportunities.

𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀: Don't wait for a home run. Focus on getting a single, solid base hit. Even a small, manageable deal can provide invaluable experience and momentum.

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴: Real-world experience is far more valuable than theoretical knowledge. I'll say it again: Book smarts make dinner conversation; street smarts make money. Start small, learn from your mistakes, and adapt as you go.

𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸: Connect with experienced investors, mentors, and professionals. An investment in education is an investment in yourself. Their insights and guidance can help you navigate the complexities of the market.

𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Understand that you will make mistakes. The goal is to learn from them and refine your strategy.

𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀: Understand basic calculations like cap rates, cash flow, and return on investment. This helps to simplify the analysis.

𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Give yourself a timeframe to make a decision. This will force you to move forward and prevent endless analysis.

Don't let fear hold you back from achieving your real estate investment goals.

What's one action you're going to take today to break free from Paralysis of Analysis? Share in the comments!

Ready to dive into real estate with a lease option deal? Here are five steps to get you started:
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲: Understand the basics of lease options—how they work, key terms, and benefits for both parties. You must present to the homeowner the advantages of your offer, clearly and concisely. If not, well, a confused homeowner always says "No".
𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀: Look for property owners with a problem, in markets that favor buyers: increasing inventory, declining sales, price reductions, long days on the market.
𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘀: Decide the 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦 of lease option you are offering and craft the terms accordingly, agreeing on option to purchase price, lease duration, and monthly rent.
𝗡𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Ensure your agreements are clear, legal, and protects all sides.
𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗲: Depending upon the type of lease option and your objective, either assign the option to a buyer for a fee, or exercise it yourself when the time’s right.
Lease options are a low-risk, low cost entry into real estate investing—start small, take action, then grow.

One of the biggest myths new real estate investors believe? You need a pile of cash to get started. Having a pile of cash is never a bad thing, but the reality is the reason we want to start investing in real estate in the first place is to strengthen our financial position. So, what’s a cash poor but aspiring investor to do? Get creative! Strategies like lease options let you control a property for as little as a few hundred bucks upfront. Better still, using the 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 strategy, one of several types of lease options, you can do deals that are risk free and don’t require any cash out of pocket. 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘪𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘳. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲!
What’s stopping you from investing in real estate today?

Good morning, Nikol.  We're neighbors, sort of.  I'm down in Broward.  I've been investing in real estate for 30 years.  Started with rent-to-own/lease options and I still invest with this strategy today.  Although these days my preference is the Cooperative Assignment.  A short term lease option that is quickly assigned/flipped for cash.
Feel free to contact me with any questions.  Always happy to talk real estate.  Best wishes!

One of the biggest hurdles for new investors? Not enough capital to start. You want to build a long-term portfolio, but traditional financing seems out of reach. Instead of waiting years to save, you can use a short-term strategy to generate cash flow quickly and reinvest those profits into long-term wealth-building deals. For many, wholesaling is the first strategy that comes to mind—but here’s the truth: Wholesaling is tough. You need to constantly hunt for deeply discounted properties, compete with experienced investors, and deal with unpredictable sellers and cash buyers. If you don’t have a strong marketing system, it’s a grind. That’s why I recommend an easier, more predictable way to generate cash: Lease Options and the 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆. Instead of chasing distressed sellers who must sell at a deep discount, why not work 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 motivated sellers who simply want debt relief or a solution to their situation?

Lease Options let you control properties without owning them. You get the benefits of real estate without the headaches of mortgages, rehabs, or tenants.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 is a unique way to raise cash by helping sellers secure a tenant-buyer who wants to own the home in the near future. You assign the lease option agreement to a tenant-buyer and receive an assignment fee without needing to close on the property yourself. Why this approach works:

Less Competition – Most investors ignore lease options because they don’t understand them. That’s your advantage.

No Deep Discounts Needed – You’re not fighting over distressed properties; 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵, 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵, flexible sellers.

Wholesaling requires a ton of lead generation and negotiation. Cooperative Assignments offer a simpler, more efficient path to profits compared to traditional wholesaling, making them a great option for investors looking for a practical way to get started without risk and $0 cash upfront. This is one of the most effective strategies for starting out because it allows new investors to build confidence, raise capital, and transition into long term deals.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲

I talk about this strategy often. Why? Because it’s how I got started in real estate investing.

Like many new investors, I had little cash and no access to traditional lenders. The only person willing to lend me money was Paulie—a guy who charged a point a week and always had a baseball bat within arm’s reach. THAT was hard money.

“Try wholesaling,” they said. So, I did. And I failed. Spectacularly. Getting sellers to accept half-price offers wasn’t as easy as they say. A friend of mine is a successful wholesaler, so I asked him how he does it. His answer? 10,000 pieces of mail every month. . .ten thousand!  No, thank you.

Then, I met an investor who was already successful doing what I wanted to do. He introduced me to The Cooperative Assignment Strategy. It changed everything.

Why Cooperative Assignments?

✅ No risk, no cash out of pocket

✅ You work with, cooperate with, the homeowner instead of negotiating against them

✅ No tenants and toilets

✅ No maintenance or repairs

✅ Short-term deals with sizeable assignment fees

✅ Those fees can fund long-term strategies like buy-and-hold or fix-and-flip

If you’re an aspiring investor looking for a low-cash entry point into real estate, Cooperative Assignments are an effective strategy.  

Like all things, becoming a licensed Agent has its pros and cons. I've been investing in real estate for 30 years. I've never been licensed. Not anti-Realtor by any means. I just was never a good employee and needed to do my own thing. That said, everything I read and Realtor friends I speak with confirm that sales are far and few between in residential housing at the moment. Sales have plunged to 1995 levels according to one stat sheet I saw. Combined with the changing regulations following the NAR settlement, many real estate agents are leaving the industry.

I almost gave up on real estate investing before I even started.
When I first considered investing in real estate, I was drowning in paralysis of analysis. I spent months, no, years, reading books, buying No Money Down cassettes, (Carleton Sheets, anyone?), attending "free" nothing down seminars, (Tom Vu?? 😄), and second-guessing every potential deal. Sound familiar?
The truth is, most new, aspiring investors don’t fail because of a lack of information—they fail because they don’t take action. Your goal is to move from hesitation to execution faster than I did.
If you’ve been stuck on the sidelines, overanalyzing and waiting for the "perfect" deal, here’s my best advice:
✅ Stop chasing the perfect deal. There’s no such thing.
✅ Find a mentor or accountability partner. An investment in education is an investment in yourself. It will be the best investment you ever made. Guidance cuts your learning curve.
✅ Take one small action today. Whether it’s making an offer or calling a seller—momentum matters.
What’s holding you back from your first deal? Drop it in the comments.

To add to what has already been posted, wholesaling is hyper-competitive. I have an investor friend who is a very successful wholesaler in a market, (south FL), that is crawling with wholesalers. Over lunch, I asked him how he stands out in such a crowded field. He casually told me he sends out 10,000 pieces of mail every month. . .ten thousand! He has a staff of 3 or 4 assistants to handle the details, and his break even every month is $30K. Wholesaling is not the walk in the park that the IG and TikTok billionaires claim. Definitely not for the faint of heart. There are easier strategies to start your new venture.