As foreclosures soar to record numbers, Realtors®, Brokers and Agents have come to acknowledge the need for short sales. With tens of thousands of homeowners owing more than their home is worth, many are finding themselves caught between losing their home to foreclosure and being unable to sell, it. The solution lies in a complex negotiation called a short sale. That’s where Gary Norris and Ron Rhead or ShortSalesClosed.com can help.  

Our guest speakers shared how ShortSales.com can stop foreclosures and thereby save the homeowner from the negative consequences of foreclosure including deep plunges in their credit scores. Norris and Rhead presented an overview of the short sales process at this meeting, and they will also conveyed how they buy a home threatened by foreclosure with private investor funds and pay a full commission! 

Both Norris and Rhead are real estate investors and actively involved in the real estate business in Idaho. Norris also has experience in discount note buying, "subject to" purchases, lease options, contract negotiations, short sales, as well as the purchase and sale of numerous residential properties. Rhead is a specialist in using self-directed retirement funds to purchase real estate and has grown his Roth IRA from $2,300 to over $500,000 in 18 months. 

For more information please visit www.ShortSalesClosed.com

Foreclosures are taking place in a record number and you don’t have to go outside Montana to witness the heartache. With an increasing number of home foreclosures occurring every day right here in the Flathead Valley, homeowners are may find relief by modifying their loan. Too often however, they miss the timing for doing so and don’t know the process. That’s when it’s helpful to seek professional help with a loan modification specialist.

Peggy Gascon of Choice Loan Consulting, LLC offers hope for homeowners who can’t make their payments but have not yet entered into foreclosure. Gascon assists in getting a loan modification and new terms with their lender. Timing is critical in such instances.

Gascon is a Montana native with 33 years in the real estate profession. She also has worked in the Arizona real estate market for 21 years. She received her loan modification training from Choice Loan Consulting, an Arizona-based corporation with a national presence. For more information visit www.choiceloanmodification.com 

It is time for real estate investors to think outside of the box.  According to Jim Sappington,  investors must still weigh their methods for effectiveness and for reality, and then progress towards their  predetermined goal. “Most people think, 'I give you cash and in exchange, you give me the property and that’s how you buy real estate’,but there are other ways to get there,” said Sappington. He offers an alternate strategy in these uncertain times when cash is less available and loans are hard to procure. He refers to this other method as “Exchanging” and will shed light on its effectiveness and how to implement it in a real estate proposal.

Sappington is the President of BREM Holding, Inc. which provides educational forums and consulting on business and real estate issues.  BREM also provides real estate valuations, business and equipment appraisals and markets business assets. Sappington has been a real estate broker for over thirty years and has achieved designations as an Accredited Land Consultant, Investment Specialist, Certified Business Intermediary, Senior Business Analyst and Certified Machinery Equipment Appraiser. He also is adept at providing expert witness analysis.

Investors are all too familiar with what it takes to rent and maintain investment property.  That’s what brings them to Jennifer Volkert of Glacier Management, LLC,  a full-service property management firm. “We take the headache out of owning rental property,” says Volkert, who has been serving Flathead Valley property owners for the last five years.  Volkert  provides  peace of mind with her level-headed and professional approach. As a licensed property manager, she understands the rental market and the Landlord /Tenant Law. Her business practices include all the lease agreements, accounting, and notices required by law. Furthermore, she and her team can customize their services and adjust their fees accordingly. Headquartered in her main Street office in Kalispell, Montana, Volkert has expanded her hours to meet the needs of the business community.

Are you a real estate investor? As you probably know, not all buyers are investors. An investment purchase serves specific investment goals and is structured to meet those goals. Jim Sappington of BREM Holding, Inc. defines who is an investor, what constitutes a lucrative investment and which financial analysis tools are best to use to calculate your return. He also teaches about using the capitalization rate effectively and avoiding pitfalls in its misuse.

Sappington is the President of BREM Holding, Inc. which provides educational forums and consulting on business and real estate issues.  BREM also provides real estate valuations, business and equipment appraisals and markets business assets. Sappington has been a real estate broker for over thirty years and has achieved designations as an Accredited Land Consultant, Investment Specialist, Certified Business Intermediary, Senior Business Analyst and Certified Machinery Equipment Appraiser. He also is adept at providing expert witness analysis.

Invest with Knowledge & Secure Data Before You Leap!

The place to invest in real estate isn’t necessarily in one’s own back yard. In some markets it’s best to look elsewhere. Kevin Peay and his associates at RealSource offer market research and analysis to help you make sound investments based on actual data in diverse areas. They also help you understand national real estate market cycles, selection and timing of your investments, the benefits of investing in multi-family housing, the advantages of triple net leases, participating in Tenants in Common, using your IRA or 401K to self direct funds into real estate and much more. If you want to do more than just be a real estate “collector” and create real cash flow, you may benefit from the resources offered by RealSource.

Kevin Paey is the Associate Director of Marketing for RealSource. He describes himself as a “base-roots” guy with a background in real estate investing and business. He invested in real estate in Las Vegas in 90’s and knows firsthand how markets can change. His presentation was especially valuable considering the current slowdown in the real esate market and the downturn in the stock market. For more information please visit www.RealSource.net. 

Become and Educated Real Estate Investor

Noveau Riche graduate DeLynn Nedrow shared his success story on October 29th from 7:00pm – 8:30pm.  In a little more than one year with Nouveau Riche Nedrow achieved his “dream” of retirement at age 57. This was a free event that the Flathead Investment Club sponsored. Nedrow informed us on the ways to become financially independent through this real estate education program. 

Flathead Investment Club founder, Michael Blend, and member, David Hart are available to share more about the Nouveau Riche's educational opportunities.  For more information Michael can be reached at 406-257-0541 or through his office at BridgeSource Capital at 406-752-5250.  David can be reached at 406-261-5231.

Real Estate Investment Strategies for the Current Market

Is there a silver lining for investors in the "mortgage meltdown"  Investors appreciated learning how to create opportunities in these times of turmoil. Michael Blend, founder of the Flathead Investment Club, presented his strategies for real estate investing in the present market downturn. He discussed how to find the best investments and where the financing might come from. He also shared his insight on how to structure creative real estate deals that apply a win-win approach for both the seller and the investor.

Blend got his start in Montana in 1995 when he purchased a fixer-upper for himself in Columbia Falls. He has since bought and sold dozens of properties in the Flathead Valley, including various types of residential and commercial properties. He has also been a general contractor as owner of Blend Design & Build, a construction business. For the last three years he has focused his business on building income property for various partnerships that he has assembled. Blend has developed residential and commercial subdivisions and specializes in difficult-to-develop properties.

This FREE WORKSHOP focused on using your IRA funds to invest in residential and commercial  real estate.

Why Real Estate is the Preferred Investment Vehicle.

• The basic building blocks of a successful Real Estate Investment portfolio.

• How to direct your tax deferred IRA dollars to purchase residential and commercial real estate.

• How to gain personal control of your financial future and reach your retirement date sooner.

While real estate in the Flathead is still an excellent investment, it should be part of a four-asset class diversification strategy.  Certified   public accountant Bruce Haswell of Wells Fargo knows how stocks, bonds, and alternative assets can compliment a real estate investor’s portfolio. We learned all about Wells Fargo Private Bank’s perspective on the economy, the financial markets, and the bank’s twelve wealth management issues.

Haswell joined Wells Fargo in 1998 as a relationship manager in the bank’s “Institutional Trust & Retirement Plan Services” and worked as a trust specialist.  With a team of Wells Fargo specialists, Haswell now helps clients build comprehensive wealth plans.  He also advises high net-worth clients within Wells Fargo’s Wealth Management Group. Since he graduated from Carroll College in1995, Haswell has also earned his CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation.

When it comes to gaining knowledge as real estate investors, it is important to have options. This month Loy Roberts, a local expert in the real estate mortgage field, will present investment opportunities to make high returns during tough economic times!  Learn from the expert how to lend money on real estate and assemble win-win transactions.

Our guest speaker Loy Roberts has 30 years experience in the mortgage industry since 1979. He started buying and selling deeds of trust while in college and then worked for a traditional mortgage company. He quickly moved up the ladder from loan officer to a management position. He liked the business so much, he started his own mortgage company in Arizona in 1983 and has since moved to the Flathead Valley. Roberts now lends money on non-traditional property and to non-traditional borrowers. 

The real estate market seems to stump us all in one way or another. Few people realize that they can use their individual retirement account (IRA) to invest in real estate. But Corey Salois, a broker for Dean and Leininger Real Estate in Kalispell, knows of the “hands-off” approach to buy and sell real estate within an IRA. This involves an “arms-length” process conducted through a holding company which Salois explained during her June 5^th presentation. 

Over the last five years, Salois has seen the ups and downs in the market while working at Dean and Leininger offices in Kalispell and Bigfork. Known as a “go-getter,” Salois stays up on the latest technology. She aptly applies the best marketing strategies while approaching each deal with enthusiasm. Not only is she an astute broker with in-depth knowledge of Flathead Valley’s real estate opportunities, but she also offers Dean and Leininger’s full range of property management services. Salois currently volunteers as a paramedic with Bigfork Ambulance and serves as their vice president. 

Look no further! Janet Beumer of First Class Environmental Coatings offers a wide range of expertise on mold. Beumer can readily identify the common varieties of mold found in Northwestern Montana, and knows what causes mold, how it impacts health, how to test for it, and remedy any contamination. As a Certified Mold Remediator and Inspector, Beumer is dedicated to the protection of human health and environments. For more information visit her website at www.envirocoats.com.

Now working within the private sector, Morrison offers a common sense approach combined with solid planning tools. Morrison has contributed to the success of premier projects such as Quail Ridge Subdivision, a 69 Lot Residential “Cluster,” and Lakeside Shores, a condominium development. She is also a member of the Montana Association of Planners and the American Planning Association.com