THE REAL ESTATE MARKET CONTINUES to experience skyrocketing prices and lower-than-normal inventory, leaving a general state of frustration and confusion in its wake.
But despite these unsettling times, real estate as an investment remains a good option, even for people who aren’t flush with cash, says Toby Mathis, a tax attorney and ForbesBooks author of “Infinity Investing: How the Rich Get Richer And How You Can Do The Same.”
“There are ways to get involved in real estate without having a nickel to your name,” says Mr. Mathis, who owns several hundred pieces of real estate throughout the United States. “You could jump in and start doing this right away just by creating the relationships, finding the need, and helping put deals together.”
Mr. Mathis says a few ways to make money off real estate — with or without an upfront investment — include:
¦ Bringing buyers and sellers together. Play the role of the middle man, helping investors find the properties they seek. Mr. Mathis likens this to someone giving you a grocery list. Investors specify what kind of property they are looking for and in what area, then you act as a wholesaler, making connections to track down properties that
CLICK ON IMAGE ABOVE TO READ FULL STORY
fit their requirements. “There are people with massive appetites to acquire properties, and they need people who can go door to door, who know the area, who have the expertise to go out and do that,” he says. This role is both simple and difficult, Mr. Mathis says. “It’s simple because you know exactly who you’re buying for and you know what to look for,” he says. “But it’s difficult because you have to do the research and put in the labor.” Mr. Mathis says he buys many of his properties from such wholesalers. “Just recently,” he says, “they brought me a great warehouse, something I was looking for, at the right price.”
