Each month, Lindy Lear shares a fundamental tip or two to help budding investors build the best property portfolio they can.
It will be my pleasure to write this column each month to help investors with their property journey. I have big shoes to fill after Ian Hosking Richards has been writing his column since issue No 24 in July 2009, almost three years ago. His advice has been so well received that readers voted him Real Estate Agent of the Year for three years in a row. On behalf of all readers I would like to say a big thank you to Ian for all his words of wisdom. He has the ability to break everything down to the basics and make it easy to understand and apply, and I know he has inspired many, many investors, including myself, to their own success.
So what can I bring to the table? My number one credential is that I have gained a vast amount of experience by learning from Ian over the last five years since I first met him. There I was, a novice investor, sitting in the audience at a property seminar having “light bulb moments” listening to Ian’s strategies for making investing easy. Why don’t they teach this in schools, I asked myself, as this information is invaluable for anyone wanting to learn how to successfully invest in property.
My second credential is that I followed Ian’s most important piece of advice – I took action straight away. Within a week I had a finance assessment done, received the green light to go ahead, and I bought my first investment property with Ian’s help and guidance. I have repeated the process many times since that first meeting, and have grown my investment portfolio to eight properties.
My third credential is that I have gained some credentials. As I am passionate about helping other investors towards their success, I have acquired the necessary training in real estate, financial planning, mortgage broking and property advice. What a great journey I have had over the last five years, and now I am sitting on the other side of the table helping others do what I have done.
I speak to potential investors everyday by phone, by email or in person and the one thing I have found is that everyone wants some help in this property game. Property is a great topic and everyone has an opinion. I have found that what investors want most is support, guidance, and education. They want to know how to invest, where to invest, what to buy and what strategy to use. They want someone to help them unravel the vast amounts of information out there and give them guidance on how it will work for them in their circumstances. They want someone they can trust.
Those who have a great deal of knowledge about property often become confused and get stuck in “property procrastination” that Ian wrote about last month in his column. I now see property investing as a process that can be made much easier when someone more experienced can guide you at each step. You will be more confident to move forward investing in property with guidance and help rather than advice and opinion.
So my top tips for this article, if you want to be a successful property investor, are:
• follow someone successful (someone who has walked the walk and talked the talk with property)
• find someone who has the ability to help you (has your interests in mind when offering to help you, not just giving opinions)
• take action with someone you trust to guide you and get on the property ladder as soon as you can
It certainly makes the whole process easier, less stressful and more enjoyable.
I plan to carry on in Ian’s tradition of educating investors on the basics of how to be a successful property investor. Next month I will tackle “property cash flow for dummies”. I remember the days when the words positive and negative gearing caused my eyes to glaze over. I remember what it was like to be a property dummy. I can help you unravel the mystery so you know how to do a weekly holdings cashflow estimator on any property. If you have a general question on property investing that you would like answered just email me at lindy@rocketpropertygroup.com.au
Lindy Lear is a successful property investor who had a late start into investing, yet has grown her portfolio to eight properties in three years. She is a qualified property advisor and general manager of Rocket Property Group, and she won the Reader’s Choice Award in 2009 & 2012 for Property Investment Advisor of the Year. Lindy is passionate about helping others realise their goals through investing in property, and can be contacted at 02 8012 9669 or visit www.rocketpropertygroup.com.au
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Disclaimer: while due care is taken, the viewpoints expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Your Investment Property
