Assessing Motivation—Four Reasons Sellers Sell

By Steve Steadele

As a real estate investor focusing almost exclusively on apartment buildings throughout the country, people often ask me what it takes to find motivated sellers. All buyers want to make intelligent investment decisions, and to do so investors must understand seller motivation—thus the question.

One of the most important principles for negotiating the purchase of a lifetime (over and over again) is to learn and understand seller motivation. They generally fall into one of four categories:

1. They need to solve a problem. (Management headaches, divorce, bankruptcy, death, illness, lawsuit, needs cash, dispute with partner)


2. Their circumstances are changing. (Retirement, moving, job transfer, increase in taxes)


3. They have other opportunities. (1031 tax-deferred exchange, business, stock)


4. They’re price motivated. (If they get their price, they’ll sell. If not, they won’t.)

If you buy an apartment building and hope to make a lot of money, you’ll need to convert current and/or future cash flow into value. Price is undoubtedly a major factor in your decision making process. If you negotiate with sellers who are price motivated, you’re less likely to get what you want and you’ll probably make a poor investment. It’s your job to figure out what’s driving the selling decision and then focus on solving whatever issue your counterpart is facing, but you don’t want to solve it by paying too much for the property. So how do you do it?

Assessing motivation is easy to do when you’re buying from homeowners. Most of them haven’t learned the same skills and strategies and they don’t know why or how to ask certain types of questions. For example, almost all investors ask the seller why they’re selling, and they should. If you ask Joe Homeowner that question, he’ll likely spill his guts and tell you that he’s moving out of town, going through a divorce, or is about to lose the home. He’ll openly give you all the information you need. It can be a bit more challenging when working with investors.

But that doesn’t mean the motivation is different, it just means the answers are not as clear. One of the biggest negotiating mistakes investors make is to assume they know what the other side wants. We’re all different. We all want different things for different reasons. Although a large percentage of sellers sell because of price, there are still plenty who are not price motivated. Even so, most apartment building owners will answer the “Why are you selling?” question with, “We’re doing an exchange.”

An IRS 1031 tax-deferred exchange falls under the “opportunity” category. Maybe they really do want to exchange out of one property into another because they can make more money. However, “We’re doing an exchange,” is usually just their way of telling you: “I’m not motivated so don’t try to steal my property.” They know what you’re doing and why you’re asking the question. This answer is especially popular with real estate agents—because they know negotiations will be difficult if you suspect you can buy the property for less. The point is there’s almost always something else behind the decision. Maybe they’re exchanging and maybe they’re not—it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the reason they’re selling the property.

The best way to get to the bottom of it is to ask a lot of well thought out, pre-planned questions. Think of assessing motivation as a fact-finding investigation. Have you ever asked the same question in a different way and received a completely different answer? We all have. It happens all the time. Do your homework and ask several good, pointed questions. Here are a few examples:

• What do you like most about the property? What’s the one thing you would change if you could?


• Why did you buy this property versus anything else on the market?


• When was the last time you sold a property like this?


• How did you arrive at the asking price?


• How many other properties do you own? Why did you elect to sell this one?


• What steps did you take to prepare the property for the market?

When new investors decide to buy apartment buildings, one of the first things I do is help them build a plan based on their objectives. For example, two questions I ask repeatedly are, “Why?” and “When?” Everyone wants to make money in real estate. Is that the goal? No! It’s not. The goal is the reason behind it. Why do you want to make money and when do you want it? What’s driving the decision?

For some it boils down to putting their kids through college. For others it’s all about setting aside a financial nest egg for retirement. Everyone has a reason and that’s what we’re trying to uncover when we ask sellers questions. We’re trying to get to the heart of the matter because they’re unlikely to tell us on their own. If you want to accelerate your net worth and buy properties that will make you richer, faster than you ever thought possible, master the art of assessing motivation.

Everyone has a reason. It’s up to you to find out what it is.

Steve Steadele is the author of the book Multifamily Millionaire, a Real Estate Investor, Broker, and Teacher. Visit him on the Web at http://www.stevesteadele.com/

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Puddle Jumpers: Investors Discover Leap to Apartments Not so Difficult

By Steve Steadele

“Come look at this, Adam,” the boy’s father said as the six-year-old jumped from one puddle to the next. The boy continued to splash and play, ignoring his father and those around him.

“Adam, come here. You have to see this.” The boy was too excited to listen. Surely these puddles had to be more fun than anything Dad had in mind. Little Adam was determined to splatter water as far as he could and became energized when he did. Eventually, after continuous prodding, the boy’s father picked him up and pointed toward one of the world’s most fantastic natural phenomenon’s:

Niagara Falls.

Adams eyes bulged and his face lit up. With one gasp he yelled, “Wow!”

His father smiled and said: “Now that’s a puddle, isn’t it?”

Sometimes that’s exactly how investors react once they get involved with apartment buildings. For some, it’s just easier to play in other real estate puddles. That’s not to say other types of “puddles” can’t be lucrative, they can be. But for the few who take the time and energy to understand the business, apartments provide everything they’d ever hoped for, and more.

I find that investors hesitate to buy apartment buildings for a couple reasons: First, they believe apartments require a lot of money. For some people that might be defined as the down payment required to buy the property. For others, the total purchase price can be difficult to grasp. Both concerns, at first glance, are valid. But both are easy to overcome.

Apartment buildings usually do cost more than single family homes located in the same area—at least in terms of total purchase price. There’s nothing you can do about that. But for some people higher purchase price spells greater risk. Many investors look at an apartment building selling for $1,000,000 and quickly dismiss the thought because they live in a $200,000 home. The numbers are too big and they struggle to wrap their minds around the figure. And then there’s the loan. Some believe higher debt equates to greater risk. All investors should at least pay attention to debt, but that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s greater risk. Those who understand apartment investing realize that their risk is dramatically reduced, not increased, when they purchase apartment buildings versus other real estate investments.

Then there’s the down payment. This is the biggest reason investors think they need to start with single family homes and “work their way up.” Most investors believe it’s easier to buy houses with little or no money down, but you can do the same thing with apartments—if you know what to do. Numerous strategies exist to give buyers the ability to leverage into large apartment buildings that produce mountains of cash flow with little or no money out of pocket. If that’s true, why are there so few investors chasing these incredible properties?

That question leads us to the second reason investors hesitate to buy apartment buildings: they don’t know what to do or where to start. Most people are hesitant to embark upon something they know little about, and from a certain point of view that makes sense. Just as it would be foolish to dive into a swimming pool before filling it with water, buying any type of real estate before educating yourself is a recipe for disaster.

Flipping houses and buying foreclosures is very popular today. Why? Because they’re easy to understand and anyone with a hint of common sense and a little know how can make a fair amount of money. But is that the way to go?

Here’s the challenge. An investor can buy a house and if everything goes as planned they might earn a quick $20,000-$50,000. However, they might break even or—worse yet—lose their shirt. Most investors start out with the same vision you and I have. They want financial security so they can do whatever they want when they want. But then they combine their long-term vision with short-term expectations. Most Americans want what they want and they want it right now. They don’t want it tomorrow. They don’t want it next week—they want it now.

Short-term solutions rarely carry the same long-term benefits. Most people don’t think five years down the road, let alone 20 years. In 1901 the average American life span was less than 50 years. Today, the average life span is nearly 80 and many people are living well into their 80’s, 90’s and even over 100 years. You can’t lose sight of your long-term objective.

I had a conversation with an investor who told me about a $50,000 “profit” he made on a recent flip. “That’s good, Mark,” I said. “There’s nothing wrong with that. How much do you plan on keeping?”

“What do you mean?” he replied.

“Well, obviously we all have to pay our taxes. And because you sold it in less than a year your profit qualifies as ordinary income.” I grabbed my calculator. “I’ll assume you’re in the 28% tax bracket, which leaves you about $35,000. You worked on the property for what, 40 hours a week for 8 weeks?”

“Something like that,” Mark said with a sigh.

“That’s 320 hours of work at $50 an hour which equates to $16,000. I imagine you’ll need to take that to pay yourself since you don’t have time to work another job. So now you have $19,000 left. Now what?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “I guess I’ll sit on it and do it again. I’ll eventually get it to the point where I’m doing 15-20 properties per month and I won’t be doing any of the work.”

“So instead of doing the work yourself, you’ll run around town looking for other properties to buy and follow up on contractors—you’re basically a project manager, right?”

“That’s the idea,” Mark said.

“It still sounds like a lot of work to me. You can make a lot of money doing it, but what happens when you stop?”

“Why would I stop?”

“Well,” I continued, “Nobody wants to work forever. The fastest way to wealth is tax-deferred accumulation of capital. You’re giving Uncle Sam 28% of your profit. Isn’t the goal to create a high income so you can do what you want when you want?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, what if you could do that without recreating work over and over again and decrease the risk?” That’s when we started to talk about apartments.

Mark purchased the home for $200,000, put $25,000 into it (not including his time) and sold it for $300,000. When it was all said and done, he had about $35,000 left and he still hadn’t paid himself. And I’m not saying that’s a bad profit, because it’s not. But what if you could make that much, or more, doing nothing?

Another investor, Susan, purchased an apartment building for $600,000 using none of her own money. The property has a positive cash flow of a few hundred dollars per month and she does nothing. She also increased the rent and made minor improvements. Less than a year later, it’s worth $675,000. She hasn’t paid any capital gains tax, still owns the property, and will benefit from the cash flow and appreciation for years to come. She still has her 320 hours to spend finding another property to do the same thing. The growth compounds itself and eventually she can lay on the beach drinking a Mai Tai while the cash flow supports her love for traveling.

In most cases, Mark’s $35,000 is gone. Most people will spend the money on things they want right now. They’ll buy a new car, go on vacation, and build a deck. There are a million different ways people choose to spend their profits. And even if he reinvested the money in another property, he’ll still need to spend his time and effort working on the project—one way or another—again.

The reasons for investing in apartment buildings are plentiful. If your goal is to produce an income so you can do what you want when you want, give apartment investing a serious look. Don’t let money or the fear of the unknown get in your way. It’s a simple business. Much like the natural flow of the water of Niagara Falls, the information and the money is readily available. Anyone can do it. You can too.

Steve Steadele is the author of the book Multifamily Millionaire, a Real Estate Investor, Broker, and Teacher. Visit him on the Web at http://www.stevesteadele.com/

Mama Always Said, “Read the Fine Print.”

By Steve Steadele

“Looks like we found the right property,” a real estate agent said after he and his client viewed a 32-unit apartment building. “You like the property, don’t you?”

The buyer nodded her head in agreement.

The agent reached into his briefcase and pulled out the paperwork. “I’ve got the Purchase and Sale Agreement all done. All I need you to do is initial a few spots and sign the back page.”

The buyer did, and in less than five minutes, the offer was signed.

That’s usually how a Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA) begins. You write an offer, the seller accepts or counters and eventually, hopefully, you have mutual acceptance. But signing the agreement prematurely is all too common.

At first glance the offer means little because if the seller has even a hint of common sense and negotiating skills, they’ll counter it anyway. But what if they don’t? What if they accept the offer as it’s written? What if there’s something about it that the seller or agent didn’t want you to know? This is one of the most important documents you’ll ever sign, yet most investors have no idea what it says or means.

Remember the good old days when a man’s word was his bond? Remember when you could shake hands and know—that when it was all said and done—everyone would be happy? You probably don’t and I don’t either.

It just doesn’t work like that anymore. The good old days are gone. Sad, but true. Times have changed. People have changed. And so has the law. That’s why mama always said, “Read the fine print.” You must take the time and energy to read and understand the PSA. If not, it could cost you tens, even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Let’s start with the most basic legal requirements that a PSA must have to be valid. They are:

• Mutual acceptance


• Written agreement


• Names and signatures of the parties


• Purchase price


• Consideration


• Property identification and/or legal description

Of course the agreement is likely to include many other clauses such as due diligence, financing, earnest money deposit, title and the like. What happens if you or the seller fails to perform as outlined in the agreement? Who is entitled to what? Who bears the expense? What if the building catches fire or floods? What personal property is included in the sale? These questions and a whole lot more should be answered in the PSA.

Savvy investors know how to position the negotiation by using other clauses in the agreement. I have five or six additional clauses I like to add to my offer. For example, my violation clause states that if I find and notify the seller of a property defect, which is regulated by a government agency or code, the seller must correct the issue prior to closing. I include utility company requirements as well. Most PSAs do not have a violation clause. In fact, many agents don’t even know what it is. Most of them have never heard of it, especially commercial agents. A violation clause can save you an incredible amount of money, but if you’re the seller and you don’t read the agreement, you won’t even know it’s there.

In summary, you need to know what each paragraphs means. Take the time and effort to read it. Hire an attorney to review it if that makes you more comfortable. Whatever you do, heed mama’s advice and read the fine print.

Steve Steadele is the author of the book Multifamily Millionaire, a Real Estate Investor, Broker, and Teacher. Visit him on the Web at http://www.SteveSteadele.com

Due Diligence—An Essential Component of Your Management Plan

By Steve Steadele


“Get in,” I said to my younger brother Kevin (who was just 5 or 6 years old at the time) after we pulled his red wagon to the top of a long, steep road that ended in front of our house. “Use the handle to steer. Jason and I will push you down the hill until we can’t keep up. Just stay in the middle of the road and don’t hit the sidewalk.”

It seemed like a good idea at the time. But I didn’t think about how to stop. I didn’t check the wheels to make sure they were secure. Nobody looked at the handle or the bolts that fastened the axle to the frame. I didn’t think about cars, rocks, or the trouble I’d be in after he crashed either. I didn’t have a plan. Instead, like any other kid, I focused on the initial activity to accomplish our goal: to have fun.

Unfortunately, more often than not, this is true for real estate investors as well. Although we may define it differently, our goal is to still “have fun.” We’re all pursuing financial independence, working to acquire greater wealth for ourselves and our families. As investors, the plan is not as simple as checking the handlebar and wheels on a wagon. There are many moving pieces to consider.

Effective Due Diligence

Jim Rohn said, “We can no more afford to spend major time on minor things than we can to spend minor time on major things.” Many real estate investors enjoy the thrill of hunting down and negotiating their next investment. I’m one of them. At least to me, that’s the most exciting part of investing.

Good negotiations require thorough due diligence. Most investors do very little due diligence. Many simply verify the rent roll, do a physical inspection, make a few adjustments to an operating report and call it good. Then they close on the property and wonder why they struggle with it for the first six months.

Due diligence is so much more than that. Investors who understand it are the envy of those who don’t. If you do an effective due diligence before you buy you’ll make better investment decisions. Makes sense, right? And, if you do an effective due diligence before you sell, you’ll sell at a higher price too. If that’s true, why do so many investors struggle with due diligence today?

There are two main reasons. First, nobody showed them what to look for. Nobody gave them a list of questions. Nobody explained why to ask questions. Due diligence is not all that difficult if you have a plan covering “all” aspects of investing. (No single checklist covers everything.) However, due diligence should cover these nine specific categories:

1. Books and records
2. Financials
3. Physical inspection
4. Marketing
5. Management team
6. Operations and system management
7. Competition
8. Residents
9. Legal issues

The second reason many investors struggle with due diligence is time. It can be difficult to cover these issues when the seller or their agent pushes you to make a decision in seven to fourteen days on smaller properties and 30 days on larger acquisitions. Let’s be honest, that’s not a lot of time. Why do they do that?

It’s simple: time kills transactions. Nobody wants to wait for you to make your decision. That means they’ll press you to make it sooner than you probably should. Sellers and agents know that without a sense of urgency, your depleted desire to own the property will show in the price. They know that our excitement and enthusiasm for an investment is at its highest level early in the game. That emotion can spell disaster for investors, usually to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars or more. Can it be done in seven days? Sometimes, if you have all your ducks in a row and you spend the time necessary to get the answers you need. But more often than not, investors make premature decisions that result in more operational issues than they care to deal with when they finally close and take over the property.

The Management Plan

Like a business plan, the management plan is your roadmap to get you where you want to go. Due diligence is a necessary component of your overall management plan. Remember, you can’t spend minor time on major things. Owning a real estate investment, especially rental property, is no minor thing.

Some investors rely on a management company to build and carry out a management plan. They think that’s what they’re paying the management company to do. That’s just not the case. Although most can and will prepare what they believe to be an ideal budget, I haven’t found a management company anywhere in the country that cares as much about the property and its operations as the owner.

Whether you hire a management company or onsite manager to help you with the day-to-day operations of the investment or you do it yourself, the management plan falls squarely on your shoulders. Isn’t that exciting? One more thing for you to do! Owning property is just like any other business. Set expectations and follow-up. If you manage the property yourself, you’ll find it much easier to carry out the activities outlined in your plan to help you accomplish your dreams and goals. Here are just a few things to consider:

• Role, responsibilities and authority of the management company


• Personnel policy and staffing structure


• Marketing plans and procedures


• Leasing, rent collection, and occupancy standards


• Lease termination and eviction process


• Operating budget and forecast


• Income analysis


• Physical appearance analysis


• Expense analysis


• Accounting and reporting procedures/expectations


• Management training programs


• Management compensation

The management plan could encompass much more depending on how detailed you want to get. But it doesn’t need to be overly difficult; it just needs to clearly define the expectations and activities necessary to get you where you want to go.

The nice thing about money is that it’s indifferent. It doesn’t care who holds it. If you’re not where you want to be; if you don’t have what you want or think you need to live the life you want to live at this very moment, I have really good news. You’re not a tree. That means you’re not stuck where you are. That is good news, isn’t it? You really can have it all.

There’s nothing magical about investing in real estate. There’s no mysterious, closely held secret that will make you millions more than the investor sitting next to you. Successful investors consistently apply basic real estate fundamentals over and over again. They can all be learned. If you have the desire, commitment, and discipline to carry out the techniques investors have used for many years you’ll accomplish your goals faster than you ever thought possible. That’s what we all want. Anyone can do it, and you can too. Most investors are looking for specific strategies to help them maximize returns and the good news is those strategies exist. Taking the time to plan and strategize can save you thousands and make you millions. You don’t want to end up racing down a steep hill in a little red wagon—just ask my little brother.


Steve Steadele is the author of the book Multifamily Millionaire, a Real Estate Investor, Broker, and Teacher. Visit him on the Web at http://www.stevesteadele.com/