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Converting Investors’ Rentals to Owner Finance Was the Best Decision Ever

Before the market crash, two of our biggest investors owned more than 100 rental properties. Like many investors, they once thought that owning rental properties was the only way to make money in real estate investing.

What they found was that they were often dealing with repair problems.  It didn’t matter that they had property managers. When you own 100 houses, you always have to deal with a repair, a late bill, a vacancy, paperwork and so on.

They also found it was hard to know what their cash flow on each house was each month. Writing checks for new water heaters and fridges gets old fast!

It was around 2009 that one of our investors’ mentors talked to them about switching to owner finance so they could retire with millions in real estate. That mentor only did owner finance homes.

Rather than being a landlord responsible for property upkeep and repairs, there are more efficient ways to generate monthly cash flow.

Be the Bank!

Think about your own house. Each month you send an electronic payment (or check) to your mortgage company or bank. Your bank doesn’t have to maintain the property – you do. Since you are buying the property from the bank on terms, it is natural to your benefit to maintain the property. The bank knows that statistically, homeowners are much more likely to keep their houses in good repair than renters. That’s what makes holding mortgage notes so attractive.

Our mentor taught our investors they could be the bank for people who do not have the credit history to qualify for a regular mortgage loan. The investor carries the loan on the distressed property for 30 years just like the bank, and the new owner of the house simply pays a mortgage payment each month that includes taxes and insurance.

The mentor said to our investors –  why should you spend $10s of thousands on rehabbing a property when you can have the end buyer do most of it? Owner finance investment property is smart.

The end buyer usually has a vested interest in maintaining their property, as they own it.

How a Typical Owner Finance Property Deal Looks:

$62,000 cash purchase, $10,000 rehab, 50 DOM, sold for $89,900 owner finance, $937 per month, 12.3% ROI.

This 3 BR 1.5 bath property investment with positive cash flow north of downtown San Antonio TX is in a heavily revitalizing area. It was bought by the investor for $62,000.

The under-market value property only needed approximately $10,000 of rehab, including new flooring, paint in and out, and minor foundation work.

The total project cost to the investor for this under-market value property was $72,000.

Within 50 days of the completion of rehab, it was sold with owner financing with the following terms:

  • $5000 down
  • $89,900 final price
  • 10% interest
  • 30 year note
  • $937/month PITI positive cash flow
  • Cap rate 12.3%

After our investors converted most of their under-market value properties to owner finance, most of of their worries about properties disappeared. The owner maintains it and the investors simply enjoy the monthly cash flow from each property into their bank accounts.

Most people don’t seem to ever consider owner financing their property investment, probably because they don’t know about it.

The keys to success in owner finance property are simple:

  • Carefully documenting the income of the potential buyer and verifying their work history
  • Follow the Dodd Frank law, which mandates that you must collect proof of their income and document their work history.
  • You can have a Texas licensed loan originator do this for you for a $750 or so fee (we have one on staff).

The bottom line on owner finance investment property is you enjoy cash flow without maintenance and the buyer enjoys buying their own home at last – a true win-win for everyone.

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How Pulling Cash Out of Investment Properties Can Increase Your Portfolio

If you are like many San Antoni real estate investors, you only have so much cash to invest in your buy and hold properties.

When many of our investors started out, they only had 10k or 20k or their own money.  When you have limited investment capital like that, you have a few options before you:

  • Buy under market value properties and flip them for a profit
  • Buy and hold rental properties in cash and save the cash flow to buy more
  • Buy and hold rental properties with mortgages and buy more with cash flow

Both of those options for investing in properties can work well, and I have done both. Naturally, both of those strategies have downsides:

  • Flipping properties can be challenging to do profitably in some markets. For example, in 2016, flipping affordable homes in San Antonio for significant profit is more difficult as prices have risen the last two years, and construction costs have increased with the stronger economy. Finding under-market value properties that allow a flip profit have been hard as well. That’s why some flippers i know have been doing few deals lately.
  • I believe in buying and holding properties as rentals or with owner financing for cash flow. But it obviously takes a long time to save up cash flow to buy more properties. I prefer to buy my homes with all cash and it will take a long time to save up the capital for more, but you also can buy them with 3.5% or 5% down if you can qualify for the mortgages. That way you can buy more homes faster.

Another way to build up your portfolio of under market value San Antonio fixer upper properties is this:

  • Buy your first San Antonio investment property with all cash.
  • Rent it out after you fix it, and wait a year.
  • With property values rising, you should be able to do a cash out refinance of that property and get enough cash to at least do a down payment on another property.

Note that you will need to have considerable equity in the rental property; many lenders want 80% or lower loan to value to do a refinance.

Or, consider pulling equity out of your personal residence and buying rental properties, or owner financing them. If you are getting 3-4% interest and you put that money into a property that makes you 12% or 14% per year, you really cannot go wrong. You will need to work with an expert investor to show you how to do it, and you also need to buy the right property, but this is very doable in San Antonio right now, as prices on affordable homes are often under $50,000.

Here is a nice San Antonio investment property I have right now that will return 12-14% per year:

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  • Address: 127 Hopkins St. San Antonio, TX 78221
  • Year Built: 1972
  • Description:  Location Location! Very popular neighborhood with extra-large back yard south of downtown. This is a high ROI, under market value San Antonio investment property ! – 3 beds 1 bath, 850 sqft, built: 1972, Lot Size: .16 acres, Yearly taxes: $1,052.00, Estimated yearly insurance $600.00, Estimated repairs: 5K, landscape tree removal, trash removal interior/exterior. ARV: 69.9K
  • Cash Price on San Antonio Fixer Upper:  $39,900
  • Exit Strategy: Owner Finance this San Antonio investment property with 5K in clean up: 5k down, $695.00 monthly P/I, 30 year amortization, 10% interest, Price: 69.9K.
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Positives and Negatives of Section 8 Real Estate Investments in San Antonio

Section 8 rental property in San Antonio is a controversial topic in some quarters. Section 8 housing came to be during the Great Depression, when the federal government wanted to provide public housing for lower income people. Today, the purpose of section 8 is to offer subsidized housing to certain lower income citizens.

But is San Antonio section 8 property a good real estate investment? Generally, I say yes; I like to deal with the San Antonio Housing Authority and section 8 renters. That said, it depends on the property and a few other things. Let’s look at section 8 rental property pluses and minuses:

Pluses

  • Your income is stable and guaranteed each month. You receive your payment each month electronically. After a person applies and passes the background check and other screening, the section 8 voucher gives them up to 100% assistance for their rent.
  • Higher rent. You can reassess the rent you charge each year and increase it by up to 8%. So, if you rent your San Antonio investment property for $800 monthly, you could raise it to $1175 in five years.
  • Incentive to keep up the San Antonio rental property: There is an annual inspection, so if the renter trashes the house, they can lose their voucher. Note: I do serious rehab on the San Antonio fixer upper before I rent it, and pictures are taken. So if there is a lot of wear and tear, I can show the tenant did it.
  • Large number of possible tenants: The GoSection8.com website has thousands of prospective San Antonio renters and it is quite easy to get a house rented.
  • Long term rent: I find that most section 8 renters rent for many years, so you will have fewer vacancies with your San Antonio rental property.

Minuses

  • Government bureaucrats: You have to deal with the red tape of the Section 8 bureaucracy and this can cause some delays. However, I find that the San Antonio Housing Authority is pretty good to work with.
  • Slow payments: It can take longer than I like to get a renter in my San Antonio buy and hold property due to delays with the government. But, once the tenant is in, the rent comes in every 30 days on time.
  • Inspections: Section 8 has fairly strict inspections, but I do complete rehabs and I know what Section 8 looks for, so I do not have major problems here.
  • More repairs: The renter does not own the San Antonio property so it is possible that more wear can happen.
  • Late payments: I have had a few tenants over the years pay late, and reporting them can take some time.

Generally, I find section 8 rental property in San Antonio to be a good bet. I am able to get good renters into my investment properties by carefully screening potential renters.

Here is a good potential San Antonio section 8 rental property:

Front

Address: 4907 Waycross Ln., San Antonio, Texas 78220-1840
Year Built: 1971
Description: Under market value fixer upper 4 beds 2 bath, 1078 sqft,  lot size: .13 acres, yearly taxes: $1,200.00, estimated insurance: $750.00, estimated repairs: 30K; central hvac, flooring, update kitchen/bath, roof, interior/exterior finish.
Price: $49,000 Cash
ARV: 109-115K
Exit Strategy:

  • Owner Finance with 30K repairs: 5k down, $1,095.00 monthly P/I, 30 year amortization, 10% interest, Price: 109k
  • Rent with 30K in repairs: $1,095.00 with section 8, no need to chase the monthly payment, San Antonio Housing Authority pays direct deposit to your account.
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Do You Have a $200,000 Salary and Hate Your Life? Buy Under Market Value Properties

I can’t tell you how many people I run into in my under market value  properties career who have good jobs and hate their lives.

That is, they make $200,000 or more per year and yet, they work 60 hours per week, sit in dull cubicles for years and years, and wish they had the time to do what they want to do.

The truth is, most of us have been conned into thinking that the ONLY way to live in America is to trade time for money.

Passive income is the way to go – with under market value properties – at least 20% below market value. Who wants to sit bored in a cubicle or office for most of their working life? It’s a form of slavery, even if you are well paid.

stop

 

But a guy or gal like you…..you make $200,000 per year or more out there in California or Washington….you most likely have some capital stored up so that you can buy under market value investment properties, and STOP trading your time for money. This type of out of state investment property is perfect for you. Passive income fast.

Here is a quick plan to stop trading your time for money TODAY. I am going to assume you have some capital to work with (if you don’t, go find some private investors to borrow money from.

If you live in a high cost area, strongly consider buying an out of state investment property.

This under market value investment property is one that I have scouted out carefully in a very hot part of 78201, which is north of down town San Antonio. It is seeing a lot of young professionals moving in and property values are shooting up. There is a good chance you could get a young professional buying this under market value property from you, or a hardworking blue collar family:

edison front

 

  • Address: 2229 W Hermosa Dr. San Antonio, TX 78201
  • Year Built: 1948
  • Description: Distressed property sale, 2 beds 1 bath, 769 sqft, lot size: .14 acres yearly taxes: estimated repairs: 35K (convert to 3 BR).
  • Max After Repair Value: $129,000.00.
  • Cash Price: $69,900 firm.
  • Exit Strategy: Owner finance 10% interest rate, $5000 down, 30 year note, $1100 per month PITI. Plenty of positive cash flow.
  • 10% ROI no maintenance.

Here’s how you can retire early in one of the best cities to invest in real estate – Buy under market value properties just like these with cash or with borrowed cash. I do $35,000 in rehab. Then resell the house with owner financing to a qualified buyer. Simple! 

The above out of state investment property will make you $1000-1100 per month, assuming you fund the deal with cash from your $200,000 or whatever job. In time you will be able to financially retire.

That’s it. Buy, rehab, resell, and collect the cash flow. It IS that simple. Lather, rinse and repeat. 

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Should I Become a Real Estate Agent as an Investor?

Investing in under market value properties in San Antonio, Texas has provided me with a fantastic, long term passive income. Before the real estate downturn of 2007-9, I was not a real estate agent, and I relied on several investor friendly agents to show me potential under market value distressed properties in San Antonio TX.

After the crash, many real estate agents got out of the real estate business . I discovered that finding a good, long term real estate agent was harder than before to buy below market value property.

It was in 2010 that I made a fateful decision: I became a real estate agent and investor myself, and it has been a great decision for me. It has made it easier for me to buy under market value properties in San Antonio TX.

Being a licensed Texas real estate agent can help you to build property cash flow over time. Currently I own more than 50 owner financed investment properties in San Antonio TX. On most, I am making at least 10% return, which means I have cash flow of $500 to $800 per property. Most of them I own in cash.

Whenever I buy another distressed real estate property for buy and hold, I am able to save at least $1000 on real estate commissions. If I buy 40 houses a year, that’s more than $40,000! What a deal!

If you are buying more than 1-2 below market value properties per year, I think it is a good idea to go ahead and get your real estate license. If you do absolutely nothing else with it, your real estate license will save you majorly on commissions.

On many of my deals, I as the real estate investor agent buy the under market value property, fix it, and then resell it with owner financing. I am able to save TWO real estate commissions on these deals, which in some cases saves me $5000 or more!

Advantages of Being a Texas Real Estate Investor and Real Estate Agent

  • A real estate investor agent can save on real estate commissions for below market value properties, as I illustrated above.
  • You have access to your area’s MLS and can do your own due diligence on potential investment properties. Having MLS access saves you time, and allows you to get offers in before other investors.
  • As a real estate agent investor, you will be able to network with other agents, who certainly know people who want to invest, or may be investors themselves. I often buy unlisted properties because of my contacts with other agents in San Antonio TX.
  • You can do your own BPOs or Broker Price Opinions. This is a 1-3 page report that a licensed real estate agent can do, for a payment of $50-100. This is a great way to earn extra cash flow as you are getting started in real estate investing.
  • You also can sell retail properties to supplement your income, which has really come in handy for me several times each year as a real estate agent investor. Nothing like earning another $20,000 per year!

Clearly, the advantages of being a real estate agent investor are many for getting texas cash flow. I believe becoming an agent is really worth it if you buy several under market value investment properties annually. I also have found that being a real estate agent investor makes it easier to work with investors looking for a good out of state investment property.

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What Is the Worst Mistake in Buying Investment Properties?

I buy under market value properties in San Antonio TX. As the real estate market continues to heat up in San Antonio, more people are jumping into the real estate investment business.

Many people who start to invest in under market value investment property in San Antonio end up never making money or losing a lot of money. That goes the same for people looking for out of state investment property.

Most often, people run into real estate investment problems because they are impatient or do not have a good, long term plan for good cash flow on below market value property.

I have been successful with my San Antonio investment properties (I financially retired at 28) because I have a very simple plan that I always stick to:

I buy distressed San Antonio homes for 20% or more under market value, and resell them with owner or seller financing to make a 20% return long term. The vast majority of my portfolio is long term buy and hold in the best San Antonio investment property.

Of course, buying good distressed properties under market value in San Antonio is not easy. If it were, everyone would be buying them and retiring early!

Here is the most common mistake I see by far in people who buy distressed real estate properties and out of state investment property: They pay too much for the house and have very little cash flow!

They buy the house often at the top of the market, and the only way they make cash flow each month is if the property is always occupied, and there are no maintenance issues.

As soon as something goes amiss, they end up losing money each month and have no cash flow in their under market value San Antonio investment properties.

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to always pay as little as possible for the investment property in the best cities to invest in real estate. If you are not skilled in negotiation or are just a beginner, you need to work with a skilled investor who can help you to get a low price on that below market value house.

If you have questions about investing for cash flow in under market value San Antonio houses, please contact me! I always can use cash partners and both of us will make a good profit in the best San Antonio investment property.

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Turn 3 Properties Into 6 or More in 5 Years With Your IRA

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I am a strong believer of investing in under market value real estate property with all cash and owner financing them. When you buy distressed properties with all cash and finance them to qualified buyers, there is one overwhelming advantage with these below market value investments:

  • You have no mortgage on your property investment, so if the property is ever vacant for any reason, you do not have overwhelming financial pressure bearing on you. Over leveraged real estate investors were a major factor in the real estate meltdown five years ago.

Of course, on the other side of the ledger, you cannot purchase as many distressed sale properties as you could if you leveraged your capital and use 20% down conventional financing. This is always a valid concern for people with limited capital to invest in the best San Antonio investment property.

Still I would like to illustrate how the smart and patient investor can take three fixer upper homes and turn it into 6 and possibly more in 5 years, assuming you have no additional cash to invest after the initial investments. The illustration below assumes you owner finance the houses, so you do not have any maintenance costs. This is our tried and true positive cash flow model!

That $275,000 in Your IRA

I run across many aspiring investors that have savings and IRA assets of $275,000 or so. In current market conditions in San Antonio TX, that $275,000 can fund approximately three solid distressed sale properties in cash. Let’s illustrate with three houses we have right now:

  • Property 1 – 262 Bogle St., 78207: $50,000 + $30,000 rehab = $84,500 investment + $2500 closing costs, $2000 commissions = $89,000 total investment.

Total Owner Finance Cash Flow Per Year: $8940 ($745 per month after tax/ins.)

  • Property 2 – 109 Llano, 78223: $29,900 + $40,000 rehab = $69,900 investment + $2100 closing costs, $2000 commissions = $74,000 total investment.

Total Owner Finance Cash Flow Per Year: $9,000 ($750 per month after tax/ins.)

  • Property 3 – 1027 Sams Dr., 78221: $59,900 + $40,000 rehab = $109,000 investment + $3000 closing costs, $3000 commissions = $115,000 total investment.

Total Owner Finance Cash Flow Per Year: $12,000 ($1095 per month after tax/ins.)

Total Income from 3 Properties Per Year: $29,940

The next step would be to bank that positive cash flow from your three properties for up to five years. At the five year mark, you will have approximately $149,700 in your tax deferred IRA.

At this point, how many property investments you can buy depends upon the state of the San Antonio real estate market. Right now, the prices are higher because unemployment is lower, and more rehab is necessary to sell the houses. However, there is a high probability that in the next five years, there will be a substantial downturn in real estate prices.

In the last crash from 2008-11, the price of my distressed houses dropped from $50,000 median to $30,000 median. I was able to purchase many more homes during the downturn.

If the prices go down to approximately $35,000 per property plus $10,000 in rehab (possible in a slower economy given people simply want any house to live in), you could buy at least 3 more houses, and possibly 4. With three more houses, you would have approximately $45,000 in total cash flow from your grand total of six houses!

If the prices stay the same five years from now (which in my 15 year experience is very unlikely), you could purchase at worst two more properties, with a total cash flow from your five properties of $40,000 or so.

In either case, that cash can be banked in your IRA to buy more of the best San Antonio investment property whenever market conditions warrant buying more.

I am waiting until the next downturn to take my banked cash flow from my current portfolio to buy at least another 20 houses. You can and should do the same thing!

 

 

 

 

 

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2513 W Poplar St, San Antonio, Texas 78207

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  • Address: 2513 W Poplar St, San Antonio, Texas 78207
  • Description: Fixer upper home, great opportunity to own cash flow property, Booming Texas Market, 3 beds, 1 bath, 1000 sqft.
  • Estimated Repairs on Distressed Property Sale:10K, includes interior texture/paint, new HVAC, minor flooring, minor foundation, plumbing/electrical up to code. Max ARV 79K with owner financing, Price: 45K cash.
    Exit Strategy: Owner Finance for positive cash flow with 10K repairs: 5k down, $800 monthly P/I, 30 year amortization, 10% interest, Price: 79K, can sell note after 1 year.
  • Positive Cash Flow: $700 per month with no maintenance. Consider this investment in property!
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Why You Should Ignore Popular Advice About Real Estate Investing

This article now appears on Inman News.

  Key Takeaways

  • Ignore what your eyes tell you about property’s appearance: study the numbers, cost of repairs and the area.
  • Pay 20 percent to 30 percent under market value or move on to another deal.
  • Buying in poorer areas means less competition for the deal, and it could make you 12 percent ROI or better.

There are so many myths out there about purchasing distressed properties in what people often call “problem” neighborhoods. Raise your hand if you ever heard this before: “Don’t ever buy a real estate investment in a bad neighborhood.”

ignore

I hear it all the time. It’s baloney. Many of the best San Antonio investment properties are in so-so areaa.

If you just trust your eyes and only buy in nice areas, your chances for making money are slim. For instance, a major real estate investing company is a perfectly good organization that focuses on selling rental properties and related training.

In a recent blog, however, the company said this: “The whole idea of buying property for investment is to buy in hot or an up-and-coming neighborhood. Don’t waste your time or money investing in a property located in a poor or declining area.”

It is correct in the sense that you should definitely buy in an up-and-coming neighborhood. I do that all the time when I buy under-market value houses in San Antonio.

I study the market and find the neighborhood near a hot area that I think is going to get hot next, and I snatch up $40,000 houses for cash before they go up to $80,000. I make 10 percent to 15 percent a year on most of these best San Antonio investment properties.

However, the rest of the quote is questionable: “The whole idea of buying property for investment is to buy in hot or an up-and-coming neighborhood.” If this means paying anywhere near market value, I don’t agree at all. That’s how investors end up making zero cash flow.

I will buy a 20 percent to 30 percent under-market-value house in a hot, affordable neighborhood (under $80,000 wholesale is my strategy). That makes a lot of sense. That type of deal will produce excellent, positive cash flow if you don’t over rehab.

For example, a California investor bought this three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bathroom house in a rising area north of downtown San Antonio:

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The investor bought it from me for $62,000 — approximately 30 percent under market value — and did $10,000 in repairs. He resold it with seller financing with $5,000 down, $89,900 price, $937 per month property, taxes and insurance (PITI). That’s 12 percent ROI.

This company might consider this a poor neighborhood, but my investor doesn’t have to repair the house, and he makes 12 percent on his money. What a great out of state real estate investment.

“Don’t waste your time or money investing in a property located in a poor or declining area.” I don’t buy in declining areas, but what defines a poor area?

Does that include households that make $2,500 or $3,000 per month? That’s 90 percent of the owner-finance buyers that helped me to financially retire before I was 30 on distressed sales.

The majority of the neighborhoods that I invest in are considered poor areas, but they are on the way up, as the city is pouring revitalization dollars into parks, green space, walking paths and more.

For instance, this three-bedroom, one-bathroom home west of downtown is in a so-so area:

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Sure, it’s not pretty, but smart investors ignore what their eyes tell them and study the numbers, the nature of the repairs and the area. The repairs on this house to resell it were minor, and the nearby area has seen millions and millions of dollars in new construction and city funding.

The investor purchased it from me for $29,900 — about 30 percent under market value. After $7,000 for paint inside and out, foundation repair and clean up, it sold with seller financing for $5,000 down, $55,000, $550 per month PITI. That’s 11 percent ROI.

And this is in an area that most investors would consider poor. It is, however, on the way up.

Of course, you cannot simply go into any poor area and start buying cheap, distressed sales with positive cash flow. That’s also a path to ruin. But if you only purchase investment properties in nicer areas, you will be fighting a lot of investors for any of the few deals that generate cash flow. That drives prices up to market value and beyond, and you can kiss your profits good bye.

Invest in distressed, fixer upper homes or under market-value properties for true positive cash flow, but be certain to:

  • Carefully study the market to learn which area is near a hot area and will likely go up in value in the next year.
  • Get the property for at least 20 percent under market value to leave room for a profit of at least 25 percent on a flip and 10 percent ROI on a buy-and-hold.
  • Buy out of state investment properties in areas that are less expensive, especially in B and C neighborhoods.
  • Owner finance the property to a qualified buyer — save yourself thousands in rehab costs. Do enough to sell the house and leave the rest to the new owner.

If you invest carefully in properties in poor or bad areas, you will end up with cash flow that all the poser investors simply dream of.

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Why I Love Down Real Estate Markets!

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I have invested in all kinds of real estate investment properties in Texas for 15 years. That means I have seen many ups and downs in the local and national real estate market.

It’s true that in the last real estate crash, I did lose some money. In fact I was sweating quite a bit in 2010! Still, I came out of the crash owning more than 100 MORE houses than I did before the crash! It turns out that the real estate crash was a blessing for me.

Here are three ways that I was able to get through the last downturn in terrific shape in my real estate investments, especially distressed sales.

#1 I Got The Heck Out of Expensive, Higher End Houses

The biggest problem I had in the latest downturn was that I had far too much money invested in expensive houses from $500,000 to $1 million in San Antonio TX. When the market was rolling in 2004 to 2006, buying these houses was great. I bought a house for $500,000, put $200,000 in and resold it for $1 million. I was making fantastic money, but the bubble was about to burst.

One day in 2007, I called the bank and they would no longer loan money to investors. My heart sank. That’s when I knew a down turn was coming. And it sure did.

I ended up getting stuck with several $1million houses that I could not sell for what I paid for them. I ended up losing several hundred thousand dollars.

That got me down, but it was a blessing: I learned to not invest in such high end real estate. While it can be good when times are good, those houses are the first to get hit in a downturn.

I learned to invest in real estate that ALWAYS in demand no matter what’s going on in the economy.

#2 I Started Investing Only in Under Market Value Affordable Homes

If you read this site at all, you know what I do: I invest in under market value real estate in San Antonio and distressed sales, which I then owner finance at 10% interest. This real estate product is always in demand in my affordable neighborhoods. I know that no matter how bad the economy gets, I can always sell these houses and make money.

The best part about distressed property sales: The demand for them increases in a downturn! People lose their jobs and houses, so need a small house, and I provide it.

As a matter of fact, I love real estate downturns. I actually make more money. In the last crash, I snatched up 100 more houses at $25,000 each. Now they are worth $50,000 or more.

I love real estate crashes.

#3 I Buy in Cash And Don’t Sell

As a distressed property expert,  I buy most of my houses in cash and for cash flow. So in a crash, the last thing I do is sell a house for a loss. I simply let the house produce cash flow. If I have to foreclose because someone loses a job, then I resell it for $5000 down again.

People tend to lose their shirts in crashes because they buy more expensive properties and are depending upon appreciation to make money. I never do that. I simply buy my little under market distressed houses or distressed sales for cash flow.

Always remember: The key to my success in real estate investing is I can make money in any market.