6 sleeps until Christmas.  This usually means one of 2 things for me…

1) I still have presents to buy for family and friends, or:

2) I have completed all of my shopping.

This year, I am happy to say that I have completed all of my shopping.  Which means that I will be able to avoid the hectic shopping malls during the home stretch of the Christmas shopping season.

This was a busy week for First Rental Property. Video content was re-introduced to the blog.

Monday

What Everybody Ought To Know About The World’s Richest Man

Making money is not important to the world’s richest man.  The most important thing to him is his family.  There are some great lessons that aspiring real estate investors can learn from this remarkable man.

Read the full post here

Wednesday

How To Find Tenants That Pay You On Time

If you have been in the real estate investing game long enough, you will have tenants that won’t pay you.  This is a reality of the life as a real estate investor.  You can however minimize the chances of non payment of rent.  It takes a little bit of planning, but it CAN be done…

Read the full post here

Thursday

How I Became A Successful Real Estate Investor

I became a successful real estate investor because I refused to think like everybody else.  Aspiring real estate investors can become successful as well.  It takes a disciplined approach.  Find out exactly what you need to do to become successful by reading this post.

Read the full post here

Friday

Who Else Wants Birthday Cake?

First Rental Property celebrated it’s first birthday this past Friday. There are going to be some big changes for the blog during  it’s second year.  Read this article to find out what is in store for the blog in the coming year.

Read the full post here

This week’s cool links:

Donald Trump’s Top Three Tips For Dominating Your Niche: Donald Trump is in a league of his own. He is a real estate developer extraordinaire. He has specific strategies that he executes with great precision. These strategies have helped to make him a real estate giant.

Best Regards,

Neil Uttamsingh

PS: If you like First Rental Property, don’t keep it a secret!  Tweet this article or share it on Facebook.

PPS: Subscribe to First Rental Property and sign up for The First Rental Property Newsletter.

“Happy Birthday to you.  Happy Birthday to you.  Happy Birthday Dear First Rental Propertyyyyyyy.  Happy Birthday to you!”

Guess how old First Rental Property is?

One year old, as of today.

The first article that I posted to First Rental Property was on December 17th 2009.

The blog has come a long way thanks to all of it’s great readers!

The next year for First Rental Property is going to be very exciting.

Check out my video in order to find out what is in store for First Rental Property in it’s second year.

Best Regards,

Neil Uttamsingh

ps:  You will also want to check out the first five blog posts ever written for First Rental Property.  Here they are:

How To Find The Money To Buy A Rental Property

4 Crucial Tips When Selecting A Mortgage Broker

How To Become A Better Real Estate Investor

Real Estate Investors Are Liars

What Is A Transitional Area?

pps: Be a part of the excitement of First Rental Property during it’s second year.  Don’t miss out! Subscribe to the blog today!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9WNBTfuUl0[/youtube]

The automatic doors jolted open and a frigid wind blew into the train and right onto my face.  Gasping for air I stepped off the train and lost balance on the ice.  I almost went down like a sac of potatoes, ready to be trampled on by aggressive commuters coming at me from all directions.

This happened to me this morning.

It has been almost 5 years since I have made the commute downtown.  I simply had forgotten how intense it was.

In fact the commute seemed increasingly intense.  A lot more intense than I had remembered it 5 years ago.

Or, maybe it’s no more intense that it used to be.  Maybe I am that one that has changed, and now see things differently

Yeah…

I like this theory better.  I am the one that has changed.  Not the intense commute.  The commute has remained the same.  Intense.

After my narrowly averted tragic demise this morning, I found myself navigating my way through downtown Toronto’s Underground Walkway.  More affectionately known to Torontonians as The PATH. Check out the Muddy York Blog for a great explanation of the Toronto PATH.

My journey became more complicated in The PATH.

It seemed that somebody, somewhere opened up the flood gates, and in came all of the marching commuters, flowing in from all of the doorways and hallways in sight.

Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right-Left-Right.

You better keep pace and not slow down, otherwise you will be trampled from behind.  Don’t even dare cutting diagonally through the crowd, otherwise you may get pushed to the ground and stomped on for getting in someones way.  You don’t believe me?  Have you ever tried cutting diagonally?  Try it, and then tell me what your experience was…

I make it seem that I had a terrible time this morning.  However, in reality, I actually learn a great deal from experiences such as these.  Which brings me to my explanation of:

How I Became a Successful Real Estate Investor

I have always been a very self aware individual.  Some people are self aware and some people are not.  In order to find out how you can become more self aware, read the article 11 ways to be more self aware today at Mary Jaksch‘s blog Goodlife Zen.

Due to this high level of self awareness I have always known that people want to fit in and be accepted.  As a result, people will do things or say things to be accepted.  People will also be less likely to act up or say something that draws attention to them, at the risk of being labeled as someone that does not fit in.

This phenomenon can in someway be referred to as  Groupthink.

Irving Janis was a Research Psychologist at Yale University who defined “Groupthink” as:

“A mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members’ striving for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action.“

Here lies the secret as to how I became a successful real estate investor.

1. I have always been efficient at fighting off the effects of Groupthink.

2. Further, I never care what anyone else thinks about me.  I make my decisions independently of any body’s influence.

My secret sounds overly simple and to the point.  It is!

People become successful as real estate investors when they start to go against the norm and not follow everyone else.  Real estate investors don’t think like the majority of the population.

If you are a newbie just starting out as an investor, you have to understand this and embrace it.

Using the example of my eventful commute this morning,  I present you with the following analogy.

Wok with me here…

All of the commuters walking in the same direction in Toronto’s PATH represent the thought process of the majority of the population.

A real estate investor would be someone trying to cut diagonally through this group, or event better, walking in the opposite direction and into this sea of oncoming commuters.

The point that I am trying to make is that the thought process of the real estate investor differs.  It is not the same as everyone else.  You can’t fall victim to Groupthink.  Fight it.  Be unique.  Always.  That is how you will become successful.

Best Regards,

Neil Uttamsingh

ps: Don’t follow the crowd.  Be unique and become successful by subscribing to my blog!

pps: Here is an oldie but a goodie video that was recorded early in 2010.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lrxe-cR-LoI[/youtube]

You are defeated and wondering how this all happened to you.  Your tenants have not paid you for 2 months.  They are showing no signs that they will ever pay you again.  You are now out of pocket and paying the mortgage on your rental property from your personal savings.  You are wondering how long this can go on for.  Your ROI is diminishing and so are your spirits.  You are questioning why you ever became a real estate investor…

If this sounds familiar to you, you are not alone.  Any veteran real estate investor has more than likely experienced non payment of rent.  Non payment of rent, whether deliberate or accidental is a reality that real estate investors face.

You might be happy to hear that you can stack the odds in your favour and find tenants who are more likely to pay you on time.

This can be accomplished by following these simple rules:

1) Be strategic in WHERE you buy your first rental property

New real estate investors are guilty of ‘following the crowd’.  As a new real estate investor, you can learn a tremendous amount from experienced real estate investors who are members of real estate investment clubs.  The knowledge that you gain from them is invaluable.  However, do not confuse knowledge with awareness.  Let me explain…

Some real estate investors tend to buy properties located in specific towns, neighbourhoods, and even specific streets.  Areas become well known within real estate investor circles for having a ‘high density’ of rental properties.

Enter Mistake #1 made by new real estate investors

These areas may not have the tenant profile that you personally want to attract.  For instance, located in these areas could exist a transient tenant population that generally pays their rent, however is always late in doing so.  A questions you must ask yourself now is:  Were you aware of this before you invested in this area, or did you just simply follow the crowd because everyone was investing there?

2) Know what type of tenant profile you want to deal with before you buy your first rental property

Sounds simple, right?!  You would think so, but it is not common sense to new real estate investors.  Before you invest in real estate, you have to ask yourself what your comfort level is in dealing with people from different socio-economic backgrounds.  Are you comfortable in dealing with white collar workers, or do you feel more comfortable and relaxed when dealing with blue collar workers?

Knowing what type of tenant profile you prefer dealing with helps.  However, what is most important is to understand the financial stability of that tenant profile before you buy your first rental property is essential.

For example, the first rental property that I bought is located in a middle class area of town in a suburb of Toronto.  In the neighbourhood there lives middle to high income earners.  As such, the renters in this area for the most part are all middle to high income earners. In over 5 years, I have not had any issue with non payment of rent at this property.

For my first rental property, I knew that I wanted to attract a higher income earning tenant profile.  As a result, I bought my property in a nice area, that was experiencing population growth, and where higher income earners were living and wanted to move to…

Finding tenants that pay you on time may seem easier said than done.  However, if you are a self aware individual you will know that the location where you buy your rental property and the tenant profile that you are attracting will determine whether or not you get paid on time consistently or not.

Best Regards,

Neil Uttamsingh

PS:  Do you want your rent paid on time?  Stack the odds in your favour.  Subscribe to my blog today!

This week it got COLD in Toronto, especially today.  I guess I should not complain as some parts of South Western Ontario got upwards of 90 centimeters of snow in less than a week.  For my American friends, 90 centimeters is approximately 35 inches!

Instead of heading out today and braving the cold, I am hiding out in the warm indoors and writing the First Rental Property’s Weekly Wrap.

Contrary to popular belief, it does not snow all year round in Canada.  We actually DO have a summer.

There’s nothing like Toronto smog on a humid August afternoon!

Monday:

Who else Wants Their Rent Paid on Time?

If all landlords followed the advice in this article, they would save themselves a lot of pain and agony.  Unfortunately, some people like to suffer, and chose not to be proactive.  Landlords included.  Join the increasing number of landlords that are dropping the gloves when their rent is not paid on time.

Read the full post here

Tuesday:

Who else Wants Multiple Streams of Income?

Modern day real estate investors are making money in so many different ways.  Gone are the days of relying just on cash flow generated from rental properties.  Real estate investors are collecting multiple streams of income through Internet marketing.  Want to learn how you can do this yourself?  Read this post…

Read the full post here

This week’s cool links:

Diva Money Club: If you want to learn how you can take real estate investing to the next level, you need to check out this link.  Some of my fellow real estate bloggers share their secrets as to how they generated multiple streams of income through their real estate business.

The Secrets of a Baseball Ironman: Cal Ripken Jr. – Every veteran real estate investor knows “The Secret”.  The “secret” to surviving as a real estate investor over the long term is perseverance.  No one knows perseverance better than the baseball great, Cal Ripken Jr.  This is a great article written by The Karadza Brothers.  You need to check this one out.

Best Regards,

Neil Uttamsingh

PS: If you liked this blog post, or any of the links contained in it, please do the following:

1) Share this post via Facebook or Twitter.

2) Subscribe to my blog.

The world’s richest man doesn’t care about making money.  He thinks it’s crazy if you keep on buying things.

Carlos Slim is a telecommunications tycoon that was ranked by Forbes as the world’s richest man in 2010.

He firmly believes that electronic communications is now the nervous system of society.

In an interview with CNN‘s Larry King, Carlos opened up about money, life, business and family.

Carlos shared some incredible insights.  These great insights should be studied carefully by new real estate investors.

Here is what you ought to know about The World’s Riches Man

1. Family is the most important thing to him.
2. His happiness does not come from buying things.
3. He thinks that someone is “crazy” and that they “have a problem” if they “keep on buying things.”
4. The more that you buy, the more that you will want.  Materials things don’t matter.
5. Family should not be looked at as an obstacle.  Rather, you should turn to family for support.

Understanding Carlos’ point of view is very important for new real estate investors.  If you completely understand and practice what Carlos preaches, you will have a much more fulfilling real estate investing career.  Buying rental property should never be about making money hand over fist…which leads me to my next point…

1) Never buy rental properties solely for monetary gain

Your long term happiness as a real estate investor has more to do with than just making money.  Don’t get me wrong…  There is absolutely nothing wrong with monetary gain.  However,  you have to have other, more dominant motivations, fueling your desire to invest.  If you just invest to make money, you probably will not fully enjoy the experience of being a real estate investor.  Any super successful real estate investor, like Donald Trump will be the first to tell you that you have to do what you love.

2)  Your family can help you become a better real estate investor

View your family in a positive light.  Gain strength from them. Work as a team, not against each other.  Look to them for support during tough times.  This is what Carlos believed, and continues to believe today.  Many real estate investors, including myself got to where they are today because of the support of their family.

Best Regards,

Neil Uttamsingh

PS: Learn from the most successful people in the world, and learn how to become a real estate investor simply by subscribing to my blog.    

Cash flow from real estate is only the beginning when creating multiple streams of income.   We now live in an age in which multiple streams of income can be derived through methods such as monetization and affiliate marketing programs. If you are a new or aspiring real estate investor, it is never too early for you to start learning about how to generate multiple streams of income.

The truth of the matter is that the new age real estate investor generates cash flow not only from their real estate holdings, however, also from a variety of different forms.   

I myself am a student of creating multiple streams of income, and this is something that I am continually working towards achieving with my real estate business. 

For over a year now, I have been fortunate to follow and watch the best practices of fellow real estate entrepreneurs, Julie Broad, Shae Bynes and Steph Davis.

I became familiar with Julie, Shae, and Steph via the BiggerPockets Real Estate Blog. As fellow real estate bloggers, we all would frequent this site and leave comments on articles.  A common marketing strategy used by bloggers. 

Julie, Shae and Steph write blog articles for BiggerPockets.  One of my goals is to become a contributor to this real estate blog created by Josh Dorkin.

On the topic of multiple streams of income and the business of real estate, I was very happy to learn of a new initiative that Julie, Shae, and Steph are working on.

These ladies are disclosing for the first time publicly the steps that they all took in creating their multiple streams of income as it relates to the business of real estate. 

They are all full time real estate investors, and have named this new initiative The Diva Money Club. 

As the 3 ladies mention, this program was created for the ladies. However, there is a great deal that they guys can learn by following the methods that they each have taken.

I personally am going to be following their Diva Money Club and learning about the different paths that they took.

If you are a new or aspiring real estate investor, you must check this out as well. 

Creating multiple streams of income is what the business of real estate investing is all about.

Check out the Diva Money Club now.

Best Regards,

Neil Uttamsingh

ps: To learn more about earning multiple streams of income through real estate, subscribe to my blog.

The most unsettling feeling you will have as a landlord is the first time you find out that your tenant is not going to pay you rent.  I have been there before, and I would compare this feeling to an adrenaline rush.  You become really fired up, and ready to take action.  I had to calm myself down the first time this happened to me, as I could feel my heart beating faster the moment I discovered that they were not going to pay their rent. 

I once heard an experienced real estate investor say, “If you have never had a tenant not pay you rent, you have not been investing in real estate long enough.” 

These words are very true.  The longer you spend as a real estate investor, and the more properties you potentially acquire results in your odds increasing that a tenant will be late with rent, or that a tenant will decide not to pay you at all.  Fellow REIN member and real estate investor, Chris Davies knows all about kicking out dead beat tenants. 

Tenants not paying rent is by far one of the biggest fears that newbie real estate investors have.  I would have to say that this fear ranks number 1, second to the fear of property management.

As a new or aspiring real estate investor, there is one thing that you need to understand very clearly.  If a tenant is not paying you rent, you have to be ready to kick some ass. 

This may seem like a harsh statement.  I don’t mean to come off as an aggressive or mean person, clearly I am not.  However, there is one thing that I do understand, and I understand this very well, and that is, no one is going to take v9 rolex day date m118348 0090 mens rolex calibre 2836 champagne jubilee dial gold tone advantage of me and compromise my real estate business.

As real estate investors, you have a lot on the line.  You have invested your money and time in order to buy real estate.  You have hundreds of thousands of dollars on the line.  Your rental properties are assets that you have to take care of.  If you don’t take care of them, no one else will.

So what do you do if a you are a new real estate investor and your tenant decides not to pay you?

Here are some suggestions:

1) Leverage on your property manager

Despite what some people might tell you, I believe that having a good property manager is very important.  Your property manager should know the ins and outs of the rules of your local Real Estate and Tenant Board.  When the you know what hits the fan and your tenants decide not to pay you, your property manger can step in and issue all of the appropriate forms and documents to the tenant pertaining to their non-payment of rent.  The property manager is your ally.  Leverage on them.  They are experts in dealing with this type of situation.

2) Don’t be a wimp

I have heard so many stories from real estate investors who didn’t have the heart to evict their tenants because it was the winter.  I have heard of a couple of occasions in which Små Vapes real estate investors did not evict their tenants because they “did not have another place to live”. 

Plain and simple, you can’t be a wimp.  If you do, you will get eaten alive.  You are running a business.  You are not running a charity.  If tenants have not payed you, it is costing you money out of your pocket, and they are living for free in your rental property.  When the time comes, in which you are legally able to evict them, do it.  It doesn’t matter what the time of the year is and it doesn’t matter what excuse they have given you.  If they have not paid you, you get them out of there!

Real estate investors run into big problems when they lose sight that they are running a business. 

It is fine to be a nice person, but business is business.  Don’t get being nice confused with being a smart business operator.

Best Regards,

Neil Uttamsingh

PS: If you want to learn about other challenges that new and aspiring real estate investors face, subscribe to my blog.

First Rental Property just keeps on getting better and better. I am happy to share with you First Rental Property’s first Weekly Wrap. In the Weekly Wrap, the previous week’s articles on First Rental Property will be highlighted. I will also be sharing some cool links from the past week. Without further adieu, here is First Rental Property’s Weekly Wrap:

Monday

Two of The Most Important Blogs for Real Estate Entrepreneurs

This was a post dedicated to both the new and experienced real estate investors.  With vast amounts of information available online regarding real estate investing, it is important to know what sources to trust and what sources to ignore.  Want to know more about 2 websites I trust, and I think you should as well?  Check them out here:

Read the full post here.

Tuesday

Is Your Team Holding You Down?

In order to become good at what you do, you have to surround yourself with others that are great.  As an aspiring real estate investor it is important to learn from real estate investors that know more than you.  It is imperative that the people that you associate with share similar values.  Why is this the case?

Read the full post here.

Wednesday

Why the Media Loves Don R. Campbell

Don R. Campbell is a man that is always being interviewed by the media, and for good reason.  He is an authority on the real estate investing landscape.  What groundbreaking news did Don R. Campbell have to share with the media this time?

Real the full post here.

Saturday

Why Real Estate Investors Fail

Real Estate Investors that fail often have no support.  It is easy to make it in the real estate investing game…all you need is support.  What’s that you’re saying?  You don’t have any support currently?  Not to worry.  Find out how you can establish a supportive network by reading this article.

Read the full post here.

This week’s cool links:

Canadian Real Estate Blog Carnival: Read some great articles on real estate investing submitted by some of Canada’s top real estate bloggers in the 4th Canadian Real Estate Blog Carnival.  Be sure to check out my article here as well!

Hamilton Housing Outlook for 2011: I have been following Erwin Szeto’s Hamilton Ontario investment blog and I find that he is providing a lot of value for his readers with his extremely educational posts.  Keep it up Erwin!

Canadian Personal Finance and Investing Carnival: Check out here some of the best Canadian themed personal, financial, and investing articles of the past few weeks.  This carnival was hosted by Arjun Rudra Arjun is the creator of Investing Thesis.

Best Regards,

Neil Uttamsingh

PS: If you liked this blog post or any of the links contained in it, please do the following:

1)  Tell a friend about my blog.

2)  Subscribe.

…I told him that I knew a number of property managers that would be able to help him.  As  result of my brief 10 minute conversation with him, he is now considering taking on a property manager.  He was formerly considering selling his rental property and paying a mortgage penalty of over $15,000.  By taking on a property manager, he will not have to sell his property, and as a result pay this mortgage penalty.  I was able to save him $15,000 instantly, just because I knew somebody that he did not know…

As a new real estate investor looking to buy your first rental property, you may be hearing experienced real estate investors tell you that you need to have a strong network around you in order to succeed.

This network should consist of a strong Realtor, property manager, mortgage broker, real estate accountant, and real estate lawyer just to name a few.

There is no question that a strong network will help you to succeed as a real estate investor.  The network will help you out at times when you feel like completely giving up.

How do you establish a network?

1)  You need to have people in your life that support you.

First, it is important to have a supportive network of people around you  that know nothing about real estate. This network of people serve more as your supporters, rather than real estate investment advisers.  They support you in everything that you do.  They do not judge you or hold you back.  You can have friends and or family members as your supporters.  It is important to note here, that you cannot survive just with a network of supporters that know nothing about real estate investing.  You will also need a network of people to support you that know a lot about real estate investing…

2) You need to join a Real Estate Investment Club

Real Estate Investors that fail, have no one to support them with their real estate business when the going gets tough.  I have met many landlords that get burnt out and sell their rental properties out of frustration.  If they had simply hired a quality property manager, this could have helped them out significantly, by taking a lot of stress ‘off of their plate’.  At a time in which they may have felt like throwing in the towel all together, the property manager would be able to provide a lot of support by dealing with a lot of the issues that would be stressful to the landlord.

You will also need a separate group of supporters in your life that have specialized real estate knowledge.  Many of these supports you can meet by attending real estate investment club meetings.  A great real estate investment club that I am a part of is The Real Estate Investment Network.  I have met many fellow real estate investors here that have become great supporters of mine.

3)  You cannot invest in a silo

Real estate investing is a team support.  Someone who gets started as an investor, and thinks that they can tackle everything on their own is in for a rude awakening.  You cannot do everything yourself.  I was speaking to someone this week that owned a rental property in Ontario, Canada  however, lives in Alberta, Canada.  For those of you not familiar with the geography of Canada, take a look to see how far apart these provinces are…

He currently has NO property management for his rental property, so he has to fly to Ontario to show his property to prospective tenants when it is vacant and to deal with any tenant issues.  He is currently dealing with some tenant issues now, and has to take some days off of work in order to handle this problem.  This can only go on for so long, until the stress takes him over completely.  I am getting him in touch with property management, that will be able to help him with the management of his property while he is in Alberta. 

Surviving as a real estate investor is simple.  The secret is that you need people to support you.

If it wasn’t for key members on my real estate team, I probably would have given up when the going got tough for me.  I would not have been able to make it this far without a supportive network.

What provided me with the strength to get through the tough times, and what will provide you with the strength to get through tough times will be your network of people.

So what do you do if you are a new real estate investor or an aspiring real estate investor, and you do not have a strong network of people around you?

1. The first thing I can suggest, is to post your comment at the bottom of this post, let us know where you are and what problem you are facing.  Are you looking for property management, are you looking for a Realtor that deals with real estate investors?  Do you need a real estate lawyer?  We have enough people following this blog that will be able to help you out.  So post your comment, and I will encourage others to chime in and help you out by providing a response.
2. If you do not feel comfortable posing your name, issue or problem in the comments section, feel free to e-mail me.  I know real estate investors primarily in North America and Europe.  As a result, if you are in a certain State in the US, and need a recommendation for a property manager, I am sure that we can get you in touch with someone that will be able to help you.  Also, depending upon which country you live in, in Europe, we may be able to help you as well.

One of the points I hope that I have expressed in this post is that real estate investors fail because they don’t have support.

If you don’t have it already, you will be amazed at what a little support can do for you and your real estate business.  Start surrounding yourself with supportive people.

Best Regards,

Neil Uttamsingh

PS: My blog is awesome!  Follow me by entering your e-mail address on the LEFT hand side of the blog.   To receive the famous First Rental Property Newsletter, enter your e-mail address on the RIGHT hand side of the blog. In The First Rental Property Newsletter, experienced real estate investors will share with you how they bought their first rental property.  They will also share with you some tips and tricks to help you get started.