I wrote this in May of 2007

I just found this on my old laptop, and found it both amusing and prophetic.

I'll let you decide how "on the money" I was!

"All Real Estate is an Investment.

People buy and sell Real Estate for any number of reasons. However, the deciding factor is always the financial commitment that property represents.

The nicest home in the world won’t sell if no one is willing to pay the asking price.

If the price is right, someone will buy the most run down of properties.

Why? Because that decision is based on the future perceived value of the property.

However, Real Estate Investment can be a risky venture without a strategy geared towards the current market conditions.

I specialize in helping people develop, and implement, wealth accumulation strategies based on Residential Real Estate properties in the Phoenix Arizona area.

The Phoenix Investment Property market is a dynamic one. Last year's strategy of “fix and flip” will not work in today’s market. Today the focus needs to be “buy and hold”.
Which means finding Renters for your Investment Property, and making it an Income Property.

Today’s market is perfectly suited for this strategy.

Let’s look at some facts:

During the housing boom in 2005, many people purchased properties at highly inflated prices. They financed these homes with risky, Adjustable Rate Mortgages, or Interest Only financing. There is nothing inherently wrong with either of those financing options, in some cases, they are the best option. However, they are both based on the premise that the market will continue to appreciate. It did not. The majority of these loans had two year caps that are now about to expire. Home owners are now looking at drastic monthly mortgage payment increases. Because of the drastic drop in home values, these owners cannot refinance to get out of their current mortgages. This is creating a situation where Properties are being sold in “Short Sales” at lowered prices to avoid foreclosure.

Anyone with good credit, and cash reserves, can take advantage of these circumstances to build an impressive real estate portfolio.

I specialize in finding these properties, and work with a team of financial experts to arrange the safest, most advantageous terms possible. XXXXXXXXXX (Former company) is also one of the largest property management firms in the West Valley.

Let me help you become wealthy."


Obviously, having written that 2 1/2 years ago, some things have changed. Everything I wrote in this piece still applies, but the window of opportunity has begun to close. Granted, it's closing very slowly, but according to a report by ASU's W.P. Carey School of Business, the market here bottomed out in May of this year. And since, we've seen reductions in the number of days a property is on the market, and a rise (small, admittedly) in home prices.

Also, I not only can help you find Income Properties, but I can do the management of them myself!

Interested in putting together a Real Estate Portfolio? Give me a call!

Erin Goldbach
Designated Broker
Vanguard Platinum Realty
602 524 0186