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Getting Started in Commercial Real Estate on Your Own And Without the Sales Pitch
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Greetings! My blog just got hijacked. I wonder how that happens…..well….I guess the bright side is that the “blog terrorist” felt this blog was getting enough traffic to hijack. Well….for those of you that had to endure the nonsense….I apologize. I wish I could tell you it would never happen again…but then…I am not sure how it happened in the first place.
Anyways….
One of the biggest lessons I have learned in my limited time in real estate investing is that the people to learn from are those with real experience. As with many of you, I started with books and “boot camps”….and in some cases that works well with residential investing. But with commercial real estate, the stakes are much bigger and the learning curve is much steeper. But the “gurus” don’t tell you that.
My biggest mistake was I did not research the people I was learning from. Learning how to invest from a “guru” that had limited experience with commercial real estate was a big mistake. Even more of a mistake was learning from gurus who were using other people’s experiences and successes as their own to sell their program. Yes…this happens a lot more than we think.
Luckily, I was so hardheaded and ignorant, that I took the information with confidence and pushed through. Sometimes you can push so hard that you take down a wall. Fortunately, at the time, it was the right wall. But, with that said, there were a lot of mistakes that only guidance from experience professionals could have helped me avoid.
Now…what I am NOT saying is…”it takes years of experience to start investing in commercial real estate.” That is not what I am saying at all. But….what it does take is the correct education and guidance. Honestly….this is the best way and your success can be realized much faster than you think or what others tell you.
So…you are probably expecting a sales pitch here….but on the contrary, here are some tips on how to get started on your own….that is right…. how to get started without a flashy package and a smooth talking guru….
Rob’s thoughts are ideas on getting started in commercial real estate:
1) Keep your money for now. Thinking about spending 2K, 5K, 10K on a good looking”how to invest in ……” package where the marketing says “20K in value…but for a limited time….only $4,999.00 you can have the plan to wealth…and my personal phone number.” When you hear that….tighten up…have a cup of joe….and remember my words here…KEEP YOUR MONEY.
2) Buy a good book on commercial real estate. Don’t buy a book from a “guru” where all the information in the book is to push you to a boot camp. Now…there are good books out there that are trying to sell you something, but they give you a lot of value too. One of my favorites is Investing in Commercial Real Estate for Dummies by Harris and Conti. A great book in explaining the basics. Another of my favorites but will bore you to tears is The Handbook of Commercial Real Estate Investing by John McHan. The importance of reading up on commercial real estate is to see if you even have a true interest. If the books above get you excited, you may have commercial real estate in your blood.
3) Take a Real Estate Licensing class. I recommend Kaplan based on my experience. The licensing class does not mean you have to get a license. It is a good course to get you familiar with the laws, codes, etc., in your area for not only real estate but property management as well. I learned a lot in my licensing class. More than I thought I would. But I also learned that one of my instructors had no clue about commercial real estate….just residential 
4) Take the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) courses. This is the boot camp you want to attend. Yes…it is somewhat expensive and time consuming. There are four classes and each class lasts five days. But, if commercial investing is where you want to be, this is the course you want to take. This will help you analyze projects at depths you had no idea existed. You will also learn how to do demographic studies, leases, etc. Plus the networking at these courses are invaluable. When you finish all the courses, you will have an opportunity to get certifed but you will have to meet some strict and demanding guidelines just to qualify to take the final test. But…I digress.
5) Find a friend, make a friend. Find someone in your local area that is successful at doing what you want to be doing and follow their lead (also known as modeling). This is by far the best advice I can give you. If you have a great interest in commercial real estate, finding someone who is a success at it is the best thing you can do for yourself. This may take some time and it is uncomfortable at first….but well worth it. Chances are this person/mentor will be a real estate agent/broker/CCIM investor.
If you do all the above and still want to go to a smooth talking guru…..by all means….but I definitely went full circle starting out with gurus and ending up with the “right way.” Real experience from real investor is by far the best way to find success in commercial real estate.
Until next time…..rob
Wrap Mortgage ( A.k.a. Wrap-Around Mortgage): What is It?
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Jefferson Memorial was purchased on a Wrap.....okay okay...that is not true
Greetings from Washington D.C. (actually…not anymore…but when I wrote this…that’s where I was…as if you cared). Still my favorite metropolis (other than Cedar Crest, NM…of course).
Anyway….
With all that is happening with our economy, specifically, lenders not lending. Creative financing (owner financing) is showing up a lot more. Great for us…the investors.
In most cases, many of the “owner financing” deals have an existing mortgage in place. So…for a seller to sell his/her asset with seller financing, the seller may choose to sell via a Wrap Mortgage. What in the world is a Wrap Mortgage, a.k.a, a Wrap-Around Mortgage?
I have seen many definitions for a “Wrap Mortgage.” But for us, the investors, a “wrap” is basically taking the existing asset’s mortgage and wrapping it (hence the word “wrap”) with a brand new mortgage. In other words, a new legal document is created that refers to the existing mortgage (first position) but with the wrap mortgage now making the new owner liable. The beauty here is, the new owner is only liable to the seller. The “Seller” is still liable to the original lender.
****Note….A “true” Wrap is NOT an assumption….at least what I am defining here as a Wrap.
There is a lot more to this but the above is the general idea.
Many investors and sellers get a little jumpy when they find out there is a “Due on Sale” clause in the original mortgage when selling an asset creatively. A “Due On Sale Clause” is simply where the lender can call a loan due if certain points of the mortgage are compromised i.e., a “wrap mortgage.”
Have I ever experienced a lender initiate a “Due On Sale” clause? No. Have I heard of other investors have to deal with a lender exercising the “Due On Sale” clause? Yes…but only in a residential investment he or she bought on a wrap. But….that was the only one. Even in that instance, the lender worked with the investor on refinancing the asset. Go figure!
I have yet to experience or hear of it on a commercial deal specifically due to a “wrap mortgage” transaction. That is not to say that it does not happen. But my question is, will a lender excercise the Due on Sale clause on a performing note? I doubt it….but none-the-less it is a possible downside.
Just a few more thoughts regarding a Wrap:
1) the terms of first-position mortgage may or may not be reflected in the Wrap. Usually, the terms are negotiable with the first-position mortgage being the base line.
2) Legal instruments are used to put the Wrap in place, i.e., REC (Real Estate Contract). Usually, in a commercial transaction, the documents are a little more sophisticated (uhh…hmm…more complicated since attorneys are involved).
3) In some cases, an escrow company or attorney is used for the ongoing management of the transaction. In other words, a third party is usually used to make sure payments are collected from the new owner and payments are made to the first-position lender. This protects both parties.
Of course, there is a lot more detail involved but overall….I love buying assets with owner financing and a Wrap is a great tool.
Until next time…..rob