All Forum Posts by: Scott Graham

We are currently in a bull market and it is only a matter of time before we enter another bear market. As history tells us, the seasoned investors are the ones who survive. New investors disappear and never return. How are you GOING TO PREPARE FOR THE NEXT MARKET CYCLE??

Working as a successful Real Estate Investor heavily relies on networking with people of all trades and disciplines. Constantly we are meeting new people, building rapport, and forming long last relationships. 

In the beginning, I started out focusing on my local REIA meetings but soon realized if I am going to grow, I will need to be apart of a much larger discussion. A friend of mine from my local REIA meeting invited me to her Business Networking International (BNI) event in Manchester, NH. I had never heard of the organization before and was eager to learn about the opportunities they had to offer. There I was able to meet ~40 small business owners. 

They ranged from: General Contractors, Roofers, Plumbers, HVAC Contractors, Divorce Lawyers, CPA's & Accountants, Human Resource Specialists, Home Stagers and more! 

The goal of "BNI is to help members increase their business through a structured, positive and professional referral marketing program that enables them to develop meaningful, long-term relationships with quality business professionals" (www.BNI.com). 

Imagine being in an environment where motivated and focused individuals are growing their businesses together through the process of referring work to others? It is an outstanding resource for start-ups and real estate investors!

PLEASE SHARE YOUR FAVORITE NETWORKING EVENT THAT YOU HAVE ATTENDED OTHER THAN YOUR LOCAL REIA! There are numerous organizations out there and it is important to be aware of all those around you!

All the best,

Scott

@Ryan Detig Those are some phenomenal results! Did you find family members to be extremely hesitant at first? What time of materials/documents did you put together and present to them?

A topic I constantly hear being debated about is syndicating through family members. What is a smarter business decision? Seeking hard money lenders for your first deal or asking friends and family to financially back you? What if your aunt/uncle is an venture capitalist who invests in anything but real estate? LETS HEAR SOME SUCCESS AND FAILURE STORIES ABOUT SYNDICATING WITH FAMILY MEMBERS!

@David Ferrette I am sure you do not miss the all nighters in studio! And working until midnight multiple nights a week drafting away in Revit!

@Brian Murray Well said! I do recall you saying that 'thats like getting a PhD in real estate investing' on BP Podcast #212. At that moment it made me realize how much I have learned over the past 6 months. As I am drafting ever day at work, I listen to the Podcasts and try to collect 'nuggets' of information to help me launch my REI Career. Now I am going back through and listening to the podcasts for a second time. I am finding that this process is very similar to reading a book for the second time; I am picking up information that I missed during the first pass.

Is there a certain degree that you wish you earned? Or a life experience that may have catapulted your career in the beginning? Personally, I wish I knew more about accounting, taxes and finances!

Hi BP! My name is Scott and I am just starting out my real estate investing venture this year. I find it to be imperative for all investors to look back on their past and understand how their formal educations have helped launched their real estate investing careers. PLEASE JOIN IN AND SHARE HOW YOUR COLLEGE DEGREE HELPED LAUNCHED YOUR REI CAREER!! I was trained to be an architect at Wentworth Institute of Technology. There I earned my Bachelors of Science in Architecture and Masters of Architecture in 2015. On top of that I earned the title of Valedictorian and an AIA National Award for Emerging Professionals. Upon graduating I had numerous offers from several prestigious design firms throughout Boston and greater New England. In my past two years I have found that working as a Young Architect provides too much stability and consistency. Personally, I enjoy the adrenaline rush of controlling my own future and destiny. Also, I love being on site studying and analyzing properties, design layouts, and creating ways to add value to homes. When people ask me "Why are you getting into real estate? I thought you are an architect?" - little do they realize that my I am using my strong understanding of design and construction and applying it to a more exciting career!

One thing we can all take away from Daray Olaleye is his persistence attitude and mindset allowed him to overcome multiple obstacles. Five years from now, you will look back on this day and realize all the lessons learned from this experience. I wish you the best of luck on your future endeavors. All the best, Scott

You can always use the website www.findtheseller.com and run a skip trace on the property. It costs $10 to run the trace but it will pull all the records on a property. It will also give you the current owners names, phone numbers and addresses. Good luck!