All Forum Posts by: Tim LaBorde

Hi Demos, I work by Baybrook mall and my wife and I have been investing for several years.  I'd be happy to meet you for coffee and talk about real estate with you any time.

Devan and Mike, I think those are both very valid points.  You might also concede though that there are plenty of customers out there that don't think a real estate agent brings any value to the table whatsoever with the mountains of free data available on the internet.  I see this as being more of a gray area where there are clients out there that would install the carpet themselves if they could just to save a few bucks.  To your point, that may not be the best use of an investor's time but that will be the client's personal preference and depend on their own circumstances.  Their argument would be "Why would I go pay an agent $10k to do a couple of open houses?"  Why are wives the world over asking their husbands why they didn't go hire a plumber instead of trying to fix the sink themselves?  Why do I need to change a tire myself or wash dishes or mow the lawn?  Almost everything can be outsourced at this point.  That doesn't mean that I want to.  There are pros and cons to outsourcing anything, and to me, it's valuable to know that there are other options out there besides getting an agent and I can make the decision on my own terms.  To your point, when your time is so valuable that you're better off hunting for deals versus going to an open house, then by all means spend your time where it's going to make you the most money.

On average, most consumers only move once about every 7 years or so and for the typical consumer, a good real estate agent can be worth her weight in gold as far as the negotiation skills and technical experience brought to the table. However, if you are a professional real estate investor selling properties every month, you need lower cost options that will not eat into your profit margins. Many companies offer a flat-fee listing service that will substantially reduce the cost of marketing a property on the MLS which can add up to tens of thousands of dollars saved if you're flipping houses. As a business owner, your number one priority is to keep your eye on the bottom line. As Ben Franklin said, "A penny saved is a penny earned." In this case we are talking about a whole lot of pennies! If you can show up on time, dress professionally, and communicate well, you should list your property with a flat-fee listing service and pocket the commissions you'll save. With all that extra change in your pocket, you can invite me to lunch. Win-win!

http://www.thestreet.com/story/13319909/1/will-real-estate-agents-become-obsolete.html

@Ankith Chandra Hi and welcome to our Houston family!  Let me know if I can help you connect to any local professionals around here as I network constantly and am always happy to shake a new hand.

@Thomas Williams, Hi! If you're looking to get started in Houston, I'd be happy to refer some colleagues to you that provide a lot of free resources.  Feel free to send me a message.

@Georgina Baba Hi and welcome!  If you get a deal I'm interested - we buy all the time.  Also, I have access to hard money and I can virtually guarantee that we have some of the best rates in Houston.  Feel free to contact me directly if I can help you.

Well I know you rich baller types don't have time for little fish like me bro :)  We'll do it soon.  I'll send you an invite.

Are you buying the first round?  Bud Light please :)

Hi Stanley, I'm not affiliated with them but I would take a look at Quest in Katy.  I like them a lot and have several clients that use them.  They let their clients pool their money out of different retirement accounts to take on projects.  They have monthly/biweekly meetings to network for that.  Also, if you take a look at Rich Club and Wealth Club, etc., you can probably find other like-minded people that would be interested in that idea.

@Stacy Thomas I recommend all of my clients check out BP. It's simply the best free resource I know of out there. As far as cash/assets go, if you're a working professional in Houston, odds are you have a retirement account. Check out Quest in Katy for information on how to leverage those funds in your favor via a self directed IRA.