August 2011

Investment Exchange

An educational real estate newsletter

LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY

Technology is a beautiful thing.

It can also be stressful and confusing, if you're a little late to the game and unsure of where to start.

This month, we want to focus on technology and how to put it to use in your distressed property investment business.

We'll show you the most innovative and intuitive technological tools that will make finding, purchasing and profiting from distressed properties easier than ever before.

You'll learn which technological gadgets are worth the effort of getting to know and how to put them to work so you can save time and make money faster.

We're also very excited to tell you about a 100 percent free opportunity to learn all about integrating technology into your investment strategies quickly and easily. It's a crash course in the essential technological tools that, when used correctly, promise to make a real difference in your bottom line.

What are you waiting for? A simpler, streamlined, more profitable real estate investment future is on the horizon. Get started now!

Site feature spotlight

WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER

Right now, Foreclosure.com is offering a free educational opportunity that you can't afford to miss.

Please check out our upcoming webinar, "How to Use Technology to Search, Sell and Buy Foreclosure Homes for the Right Price," which is scheduled for Sept. 15, 2011, at 4 p.m. ET.

That's right, this exciting webinar, which is available to anyone interested on a "first come, first-served" basis, is all about technology and how to put it to work for you.

In today's era of apps, Google's new +1 project, Facebook, Twitter, smart phones and beyond, it's absolutely necessary that you are able to use technology to your advantage.

In our webinar, you'll learn about all the reasons you need to embrace the technological changes that have transformed the face of real estate investment. You'll learn to cut through the technological "noise" and zero in on the trends that can really make a positive difference in your business.

During the webinar, you will develop real expertise on:

• Which real estate apps are worth your time
• How to put Foreclosure.com to work for you
• The benefits of Twitter, Facebook, +1 and more
• How to transform your time online into money in the bank

This information-rich webinar is hosted by Linda Yates, the Director of Education here at Foreclosure.com. In addition to spearheading Foreclosure.com's educational division, Linda Yates is also a nationally recognized public speaker and an expert in the arena of distressed real estate investment.

"How to Use Technology to Search, Sell and Buy Foreclosure Homes for the Right Price" is available at absolutely no cost to you, so you have no excuse for missing out on this tremendous opportunity.

Register for the webinar right here, right now. Hurry ... spots are limited!

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WEBSITE SEARCH TIPS

FORECLOSURE.COM IS MOBILE

Now you can take Foreclosure.com with you when you're on the go.

Our mobile site is the perfect way to check out the distressed property listings you're interested in, whenever and wherever you are.

Let's say you're driving through a neighborhood and are wondering what distressed properties are available in the area. Simply pull over, point your cell phone's browser to Foreclosure.com, and input the zip code. You'll instantly be taken to a list of the distressed properties nearest you.

If you're already a Foreclosure.com member, you can use our mobile site just as you use Foreclosure.com on your computer.

If you haven't yet joined the number one distressed property website in the country, you can do so by signing up for our Free 7-Day Trial. You'll get full access to everything both our mobile and original sites have to offer at absolutely no cost.

The best part about having mobile access to Foreclosure.com is the leg up it gives you on the competition. Investing in distressed properties is all about timing. When something great hits the market, you want to make a move as quickly as possible so you can get your hands on that property before someone else does.

The Foreclosure.com mobile site gives you that advantage and so much more. Not only will you be among the first to find out about the greatest new listings, but you'll also receive more comprehensive information than your competitors. Foreclosure.com provides you with property photos, complete addresses, contact information and more.

With all of those details, you'll be able to take action right from where you are. It is simply the easiest and most effective way to seal those deals before someone else does.

You can sign up for the Foreclosure.com trial membership from your mobile phone or from your computer. Signing up is fast, convenient and best of all, free!

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Hot off the press

GOOGLE+ FOR YOUR REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT CAREER

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard about Google+ (or Google Plus).

Google+ is the newest social media to hit the web and it's taking the online world by storm.

If you're already sighing in distress over learning yet another form of social media, don't panic. Google+ is not only easy to use, but it has its own unique twist that might prove extremely useful to distressed property investors.

The biggest difference with Google+ is something called "Circles." Google+ Circles are a super easy way to classify your contacts as friends, colleagues, soccer buddies, people you met while traveling in Europe... whatever you desire.

Because the Circles tool is a graphical interface, it's extremely easy to use. The best part about it is that you can classify your contacts using your Circles, so when you want to share something, you can choose to share with whichever Circles you want and avoid sharing with the Circles you don't want.

Categorizing your contacts is a fantastic way to streamline your communications and develop more meaningful interactions with people you meet related to your real estate investment pursuits. By keeping connected to those people, you'll be able to network with them more efficiently and exchange information with them more quickly than ever before.

Start by creating a Circle for your real estate investment contacts. Include agents, brokers, contractors, colleagues and whoever else is related to your business. Then, start sharing. When you come across something online you'd like to pass on to your investment Circle, you can do so easily. Encourage your contacts to do the same.

This type of social networking is a simple way to keep the channels of communication open, which can help expedite your deals, make you aware of new properties and developments as they arise and put money in your pocket more quickly.

Our success stories

ANDREW BARBAR ON TECHNOLOGY

With more than 25 successful years in the South Florida real estate market, Andrew Barbar has seen it all. And thanks to technology, he's seen some of the biggest changes yet.

"Technology has increased the speed of real estate transactions," Andrew told us, "especially when it comes to investing. It's no longer about finding the right property; it's about moving fast to secure it."

Andrew emphasized that transactions move so quickly now that many savvy investors don't even go see a property before they make an offer. Technology is used to skip seeing a property in person in favor of sealing the deal before someone else does.

"For example," said Andrew, "if I have an investor looking at an apartment-style condo in a complex we've been to before, well, all the condos are similar. He knows what they look like, what the floor plan is. The investor knows the worst-case scenario is an apartment that will need a gut reno and the best case is it's in pristine condition."

"So, when a unit in that building comes up, we don't even go look at it. We know what the complex is like and how it's run, we know we can buy it for x and rent it for y. That means we can literally draft a contract and submit an offer within an hour of it coming on the market. We don't worry about unforeseen issues with the interior because that's what the inspection is for."

Technology is indeed revolutionizing the real estate investment game. Information is now available and transmittable in real time. Contracts can be drafted online, signed with electronic signatures and sent to the necessary parties. It's easy, it's fast and it's the best way to keep ahead of your competition.

To learn more about leveraging technology in your distressed property investment career, please check out our free upcoming educational webinar in this month's Site Feature Spotlight.

Real estate tips

TECH TOOLS YOU NEED IN YOUR CORNER

Don't relegate yourself to the dark ages. We're in an era of mass technology and if you want to succeed in the distressed real estate game, you'd better get on board.

It used to be that to find distressed property listings, you had to pore over newspapers or visit the local courthouse and scan through its myriad of outdated documents.

Not anymore.

Thanks to Foreclosure.com, you have convenient online access to the most current and complete distressed real estate information for virtually every foreclosure, preforeclosure and bankruptcy in the country.

But there's so much more technology to take advantage of than just our website.

Here are a few tech tools every investor should be using:

• Smart phone and/or tablet — On-the-go access to distressed real estate data is more essential than ever before. Having mobile access to the Internet is the best way to ensure you can perform research and get the information you need at the exact moment you need it.
• GPS — These handy little systems have quickly replaced traditional paper maps. When scouring your neighborhood for distressed properties, it is so much more efficient (not to mention safer) to simply plug addresses into your GPS and then follow the directions.
• Real estate apps — The best real estate apps out there combine GPS technology with timely distressed property data, meaning that simply by loading the app, you will be told not only where you are, but also which distressed properties are in the area. There are also extremely useful apps that reveal community information and much more.

To learn more about the most useful apps and other important technology you should be putting to work for you, remember to check out our upcoming free webinar, How to Use Technology to Search, Sell and Buy Foreclosure Homes for the Right Price.

This webinar is scheduled to air LIVE on Sept. 15, 2011, at 4 p.m. ET. Don't miss it!

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Deals of the Month

HOT FORECLOSURE DEALS!

Tampa, FL
$87,900
3 beds/2.5 bath
1,815 sq. ft.

Savannah, TX
$99,655
3 beds/2 baths
1,402 sq. ft.

Louisville, KY
$154,500
3 beds/2 baths
1,953 sq. ft.

Linda's Learning Lane

A LOVE/HATE AFFAIR WITH TECHNOLOGY

It started at the tender age of 10 in my small hometown in Idaho when I'd talk on the phone with girlfriends and my parents would warn me not to call long distance.

As I started in the work force, I learned four different word processing programs in two years time. As I learned each new program I felt like I was set and marketable for the next opportunity only to learn shortly thereafter that newer technology was just introduced.

Early in my career I developed the business process of technology tools, which was painful in the beginning, but at the end of the day our processes became streamlined and productivity increased. Technology can be an accelerator! It can be carried in our hand, connection made in an instant and information available to us 24/7, 365.

Determining the right technology choices for us can be daunting. There is so much that is developing and being released in a year that once you select a technological choice it can quickly become replaced. The secret to being successful with technology is to stay alert to what becomes available and the consumer reviews.

To make intelligent decisions, you need to have a clear focus of what you are trying to achieve. Toys could just be that toy. Tools, on the other hand, when utilized correctly, can launch you quickly to complete your goals.

Whether it's looking for investment opportunities, marketing your property or shopping for new deals, the ability to move quickly is enhanced with the right technology. Learning to give up an old technology can also be useful.

Sometimes patterns or habits are hard to break. If we are constantly evaluating, whether it is taking us where we want to go or if it is distracting us from achieving what we desire, we will be able to quickly ascertain whether we should be keep it or move on to the next tool.

We are committed to helping you navigate the waters of finding the best deals possible with tools such as this newsletter, our blog, live and On Demand webinars and audio coursework. We want you to achieve your goals and desires and believe that we have the right technology for you.