What is a mentor? A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person.[1] Having a mentor is very important when you are serious about real estate investing, or about learning any topic. You have to be careful though, and make sure that you get advice from a real mentor.

My husband and I know the value of a good mentor.  We attend seminars conducted by experts who are well-respected in the real estate field and related fields in order to “sharpen our saws” since we are really serious in our real education. We also read a lot of books on real estate which we get from Booksale, Fully Booked, Powerbooks, and of course National Bookstore. This way, we are also being mentored, in a way, by experts from other countries. We even have our own Cashflow 101 and Cashflow for Kids boardgames, and almost all of the Rich Dad books! Yes, we are very nerdy! (Anybody else here who gets a high whenever they learn something new?).

My point is, investing in your education is investing in yourself, and nobody can take that away from you.  It is up to you to apply what you have learned in real life.

A REAL real estate mentor

Our real estate mentor is Engr. Enrico Cruz.  For those who don’t know, Engr. Cruz is a respected real estate educator with over 35 years of working experience in the Philippines, in the field of engineering, construction, real estate, and education.

He was the topnotcher of the 1994 Real Estate Appraiser Examination, and 8^th placer in the 1988 Real Estate Broker’s Examination. He is also one of the few licensed Real Estate Consultants and Real Estate Fellows in the Philippines.  He is also the President and CEO of Urban Institute of Real Estate and Construction, a respected provider of real estate education in the Philippines.

Real Estate Investing Lecture Series

Knowing how important mentoring is to the beginning real estate investor, we are glad to inform you that Engr. Enrico Cruz will be conducting an 8-day Real Estate Investing Lecture Series on October 3, 5, 10, 11, 17, 19, 24, 26, 2011 from 1:30 to 6:00 pm.  The topics are as follows:

Each session is stand-alone, and you may choose which topics you want to attend. The learning investment for each session is only P1,500.00 (basically only P375/hour). I remember that motivational speaker T. Harv Eker suggests that a person set aside 10% of his income for education, as part of his plan for financial freedom, and for me this fits the bill.

5 reasons to attend the lecture series

1. You get to interact with a real, live speaker and you can ask him questions!  Sometimes, if the speaker can answer even only one question which has a direct relation to your source of income, the P1,500.00 learning investment is already worth it!
2. You have handouts which you can study over and over again.
3. You get to have Engr. Cruz as your mentor (to me, this is priceless).
4. You get to network with new, like-minded friends! You can give away your calling cards! I have met a lot of connections through Urban Institute lectures, which opened doors to business opportunities.

And, last but definitely not least:

5. ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TO THE HOSPICIO DE SAN JOSE ORPHANAGE!

Isn’t it fantastic? You get to learn about real estate and give at the same time! It’s up to you if you would like to treat the seminar fee as a tithe. I’ll tell you this, if you want to succeed in anything you do, give to God what is His and He will not be outdone!  In Malachi 3:10, the Bible says:

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

The above passage is absolutely true. Incidentally, if you would like to get “mindsetting seminars” for free, we recommend that you attend the Feast led by the Light of Jesus and Bo Sanchez.  The schedules are in the right side of this page: http://kerygmafamily.com

To learn about the details of the topics, discounts for groups of 3, discounts for those attending 4 days or more, freebies for those who will register on or before September 20, 2011 (Tuesday next, next week), among others, click on the thumbnail below.

Urban Institute Real Estate Investing Lecture Series

Seminar fees will be treated as donations to the Hospicio de San Jose, who will issue the Official Receipt to recognize the donation. You will notice that the seminar fees shall be deposited directly to the account of the Hospicio de San Jose, and you can even register directly with the Hospicio.

After the lecture series, Engr. Cruz plans to bring the students to the Hospicio so they can see for themselves the orphans there. It’s good to put real estate investing in the proper perspective – it’s not just about making money! For more information, please visit: http://www.urban-institute.com

Let’s share our blessings while learning about real estate investing!

~~~

To our success and financial freedom!

Cherry Vi M. Saldua-Castillo

Real Estate Broker, Lawyer, and CPA
PRC Real Estate Broker License No. 3187
PRC CPA License No. 0102054
Roll of Attorneys No. 55239
Websites:

• http://www.smgreenresidences.com
• http://www.smblueresidences.com

Text by Jay Castillo and Cherry Castillo. Copyright © 2011 All rights reserved.

Full disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Are you looking for a REAL real estate mentor? is a post from: Foreclosure Investing Philippines

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You are all invited to the next Think Rich Pinoy wealth seminar this Saturday, August 27, 2011, 8am to 6pm, at the L/G Skyland Plaza Bldg. Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City. The venue is very near the Makati Post Office.

If you want to learn from Larry Gamboa and the Think Rich Pinoy Team who have been investing in foreclosed properties for years in the Philippines, then this seminar just might be what you’ve been looking for.

I attended the same seminar last August 18, 2007 (yes, that was more than 4 years ago!) and here’s your chance to attend what I often refer to as a “life changing” seminar.

What to expect

Here’s a preview of what’s in store for you in the Think Rich Pinoy Seminar on August 27, 2011…

If you have ever inspected a foreclosed property, you know that most of them need a lot of repairs...

Here’s more:

• Discover how Pinoy Investors are applying Robert Kiyosaki‘s Rich Dad Principles for Investing in Real Estate
• Find out how to become part of an exclusive Buyer’s List for hot real estate prospects
• Learn the best techniques for raising capital today
• Unlock the secret of how to analyze the numbers to ensure maximum returns w/ minimum risk
• Get In Touch With The Only Group In The Philippines Franchising People To Real Estate Success
• Learn how to overcome your biggest investing challenge in 2011

I will be one of the facilitators during the Cashflow 101 game in the afternoon. As someone who has actually invested in foreclosed properties, I would be more than happy to share my own experiences and answer your questions in relation to the Cashflow 101 game and how you can do it in real life.

Yes, it can really be done, and it really is possible to do it all in an ethical, morally upright, and legal way!

I hope to see you at the seminar!

Click here learn more about the Think Rich Pinoy seminar on August 27, 2011

Happy learning!

~~~

To our success and financial freedom!

Jay Castillo

Real Estate Investor
PRC Real Estate Broker Registration No. 3194
Blog: http://www.foreclosurephilippines.com
Follow me in Twitter: http://twitter.com/jay_castillo
Find us in Facebook: Foreclosure Investing Philippines Facebook Page

Text by Jay Castillo and Cherry Castillo. Copyright © 2011 All rights reserved.

Full disclosure: I am an affiliate of the Think Rich Pinoy Seminar on August 27, 2011 and may earn affiliate commissions.

You are invited to the Think Rich Pinoy Seminar this Saturday, August 27, 2011! is a post from: Foreclosure Investing Philippines

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This is a guest post by Ronald Cagape of Living Cashflow 101.

Negotiating with banks for their foreclosed assets can be scary and intimidating when you haven’t done it.

We always have this image in our mind that bankers are snobbish people who look at you from head to toe and make a quick evaluation if you have money or not. That image may have been true in the past but competition has driven banks to become better at customer service and thus be nicer to prospective customers.

Since you are a prospective buyer of real estate, they will also be nicer to you.

Here are some tips when negotiating with banks especially if you feel that you have zero negotiating skills.

1. Start with the smaller banks. It can really be intimidating to negotiate with the big banks like Metrobank or BDO but the smaller ones are manageable. Usually, you will talk with account officers first. You don’t need to make an offer right away. Establish rapport first with the officer. Get to know their inventory and their processes.
2. Learn how to write an offer. An offer is not just a document where you put your price and terms. Make a cover letter for the offer that explains the rationale for your price. When we bought from a bank, we wrote in our cover letter that the property needed massive repairs and the location was not desirable because of squatters in the area. That set them up for the low-ball offer that we were about to give. When you make the offer, it should be something that they will refuse. That’s right, they are supposed to reject your first offer. If they accept it right away, then your offer was too high.
3. If you don’t want to negotiate in person because you are too afraid then use a fax machine. Fax your offer then follow-up on the phone. Let your offer do the talking. Make sure to appear though when the bank accepts your offer.
4. Make a lot of offers. When they reject your first offer, ask for a counter-offer. If they move in price then you know that they are willing to negotiate. If not, fax the offer next month or 3 months from now if the property is still for sale.

Negotiating with banks need not be a terrifying experience. Get over the fear and start faxing your offers.

Photo credits: LuMaxArt

About The Author: Ronald Cagape is a real estate broker and investor. He teaches investing through the Cashflow 101 Game.

4 tips when negotiating with banks is a post from: Foreclosure Investing Philippines

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This is a guest post by Angie Espiritu of Filben Realty

The term “real estate bubble” sends shivers to many spines because of the fairly recent sub-prime bubble that happened in the United States. Stripping the word of all its technicalities, a real estate bubble is simply about spiraling prices and disappearing buyers, leaving some people holding a bunch of flaming balls with nobody to pass them on to. The flaming balls burn their cash.

To see if this will happen to the Philippines, let’s dissect the bubble.

Photo: marcusrg via flickr

The flaming ball allegory

Going back to the simple description above, there would have been no flaming ball if everyone was paying for real estate in cash. Like, one lifts Php4 Million from his pocket and buys a house from a convenience store, then sells that house a year later to a second owner who dips his fingers into his pocket, lifts Php6 million cash, and pays the first owner.

When a third owner buys it in cash for Php10 million and can’t sell it for any price higher than Php8 million, he’s the only one having a problem. The rest of the world goes on. The third guy can choose to hold the property until prices swing back up again. No big deal.

The flaming ball allegory happens when someone borrows money to acquire the property. Say, the third buyer above acquires the property for Php10 million through financing. He pays the bank Php100,000 monthly. Next thing he knows, prices have gone down and his property is now worth only Php7 million in the market. A friend who has bought a similar property at that price is paying the bank only Php70,000 a month.

The bubble bursts…

The third owner either keeps the flaming ball and waits it out til prices get better, or he cuts his losses by selling the house for Php7 million immediately and repays the bank for the balance some other way. This is when we say that the bubble bursts…

Or … he stops paying the bank and lets the bank take the overpriced property back! Imagine a million borrowers doing that. Cash flow stops and financing companies close down…or rescued. This is when we say there is a crisis.

Will that kind of thing happen in the Philippines?

Not likely. Here’s why.

1. We’ve been there. Banks won’t allow it the second time around.

In 1997, the scenario described happened. Banks learned from the lesson. The government learned a lesson too.

To rescue the banks, Congress passed The Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) Act of 2002 or Republic Act 9182 (RA 9182 has been amended by RA 9343) to help banks get rid of non-performing assets and clean up their balance sheets. That helped substantially.

In turn, the banks made sure that they checked home mortgage loan applications more closely. They don’t want non-performing assets as much as restaurant kitchens hate rats, get the picture?

So, they made sure that a buyer made more than enough money to pay for the amortization of the loan, or they disapprove the application. Processes were (and are) strict, and this prudence paid off big time in succeeding crises that rocked the world.

2. Most of our buyers are end users of the properties, not speculators.

The likelihood that people buy a property with the intention of reselling it at a higher price is nil. Therefore the bubble is likewise nil.

(Jay Castillo: I believe true real estate investors are different from speculators as real estate investors buy properties that are below market value. Speculators on the other hand buy at market value and speculate property appreciation)

Most people in the market today buy a property for keeps. That’s a good thing. Even those who are paying Php15,000 or more a month have no qualms about renting their places out for less than that. “With money from the rent, I only need to raise Php ____ to pay the amortization,” you’d hear them say. That’s not the mindset of people who can cause a bubble.

In short, Philippine banks are effectively weeding out speculators with not enough capital to pay for the loans, while those who are able to secure the loans are not likely to resell them. Why would they? It’s their home!

Where can the bubble come from in this case? If you find it, tell me.

Have a great day!

Angelina B. Espiritu

Angie Espiritu is the owner of Filben Realty – Your partner for optimal real estate investments. She is a PRC registered licensed real estate broker and an MBA graduate of De La Salle University.

Will there be a Real Estate Bubble in the Philippines? is a post from: Foreclosure Investing Philippines

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This is a guest post by Ronald Cagape of LivingCasflow101.com

The RESA law is a comprehensive law intended to professionalize the ranks of real estate service providers – brokers, agents, appraisers, assessors and consultants.

However, this law has cast some doubt on the practice of buying and selling real estate. Let me share with you some reasons why you should go ahead and continue being a real estate investor.

1. Owners are still allowed to sell their property.

So, be the owner. Learn how to find good deals, raise capital and buy properties cash. Then sell the property as the owner.

2. If you can’t see yourself as an Owner then think of yourself as a Dealer.

Dealers are still allowed to sell property. RESA does not cover the business of being a real estate dealer. It really is a mindset.

You are not a broker or an agent and should not represent yourself as one if you are not. You are a Dealer. Therefore, buy then sell real estate. Use an Option-To-Purchase or a Contract-To-Sell to buy real estate and make sure you can Assign the contract.

Tell everyone that you buy and sell real estate. You’re not a marketer, you’re a dealer. In fact, while attending a review class for the Broker’s licensing exam of a well-known broker, I announced that I buy and sell real estate in front of the class. Even the broker wanted to hear about good deals!

The law is meant to prevent the practice of “colorum” agents and brokers. It’s not meant to discourage dealers. When you get to your 6th deal, just make sure to register your business as a real estate dealer with the HLURB and BIR. The game changes tax-wise on your 6th deal. But worry about your first 5 first.

3. Setup a Corporation and hire a licensed Broker

If you still insist on just selling real estate then setup a Corporation and hire a licensed Broker to represent the company. Your company will now be allowed to practice brokerage as if You were the broker. Your corporation, which is a legal entity of its own, is treated as if it’s a licensed broker as long as you have a licensed broker in your payroll.

4. Get a Broker to accredit you as a Real Estate Salesperson

The broker gets the authority to sell, you get a share of the commission.

As you can see, you don’t need to be a broker to sell real estate. But you do need to recognize the solutions. Have a mindset shift. You are a dealer not a broker/agent.

Why I took the real estate brokers  licensure exam

By the way, you might be wondering why I took the real estate brokers  licensure exam myself if there’s nothing to fear about the RESA. Here are my three reasons:

Ronald Cagape is a real estate investor and president of Cashflow Realty, a real estate brokerage company specializing in office space for sale or rent in Ortigas Center, Pasig.

4 perfectly legal ways to be a real estate investor with the RESA Law is a post from: Foreclosure Investing Philippines

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I first learned about the “Matthew Effect” when I read the book “Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell. In his book, Gladwell cited stories of successful people ranging from professional hockey players in Canada, to the likes of Bill Gates, and The Beatles,  as examples of how “accumulated advantage” played a big part in the success of these people. I believe the same applies to real estate investing.

“For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” ~ Matthew 25:29, New Revised Standard Version

In the first chapter of Outliers, the bible verse above was the very first thing that I heard (I was listening to an audio book version of Outliers), and as I listened further, it all made more sense to me.

In Outliers, Gladwell tries to convince readers that successful people neither achieved success only through sheer hard work, nor did they achieve it all by themselves, but rather with the help of advantages and opportunities from “where they came from”. Successful people used these opportunities to their advantage. In turn, these produced even more advantages and opportunities.

In essence, to those who have (made the most of advantages and opportunities that came their way), more (advantages and opportunities) will be given, thus the term “Matthew effect” in reference to the passage quoted above.

In other words, success leads to more success, and failure (or the lack of success), can sometimes lead to even more failures or continued lack of success.

Obviously, I was convinced by what Gladwell proposed in his book, which in turn has led me to believe that this also applies to real estate investing.

How the “Matthew Effect” applies to real estate investing

Have you ever wondered why some people who venture into real estate investing seem to have more success or were able to achieve it faster than others? Sometimes I also find myself asking the same question. I now have a more concrete answer, thanks to Outliers. Let me offer the following examples on how I got started with my own real estate investing career.

The “opportunity” to learn and be financially literate

What if an aspiring real estate investor just happened to learn about the importance of being financially literate and took concrete steps to manage his money properly?

I believe that pretty soon, he will have a little bit of extra money, which can eventually grow big enough for him to actually acquire his first real estate deal.

His advantage is his growing financial literacy.

His opportunity that led to this advantage is the opportunity to learn about the importance of managing money and his personal finances.

That could have come from a book, a seminar, or even from a friend, as the case may be.

In contrast, someone who wants to be financially free, but falters in managing his personal finances, may find it very hard to move forward. He never gets past the question:

”Where do I get money to invest in real estate, I can barely manage to get through a month and I’m living paycheck to paycheck?!”

This question lingers in his mind even though he is moving up the corporate ladder.

His disadvantage is he does not know that more money is not the solution, managing money properly is.

Actually, the person I described above was me. The opportunity that I was missing then was the chance to learn about financial literacy, and the proper way to manage money.

I had nothing (in terms of financial literacy), and even what I had (my monthly paycheck in this example) was taken away, or it was mostly gone before the next payday.

I’m just glad the opportunity to learn about financial literacy eventually came through a friend, who introduced me to the book “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki.

After I read the book, I was hooked, and I looked for more knowledge about financial literacy. This gave a jump-start for my quest for financial freedom.

I truly believe that financial literacy is a big advantage when you want to go into real estate investing.

In fact, I also believe that it is required!

How would one be able to manage the financial aspect of having investment properties, if one cannot even manage his own finances?!

The opportunity to be financially literate is available for everyone, but I guess very few people actually take time to learn about it, and apply it in real life.

The “opportunity” to learn how real estate investing can be done in the Philippine setting

This time around, the “opportunity” began with an “incident” that happened last December 31, 2006.

I was in a drugstore and I was about to pay for my medicines when my wife called me on my cellphone because I had to move my car. I hurriedly went back to the car and as I sat on the driver’s seat, a soft cracking sound came from my pant’s rear pocket.

Apparently, I had put my cellphone there instead of my wallet. I had just destroyed my phone’s LCD.

Anyway, because of that incident, I decided to go to Nokia Care at Greenbelt 1 to have my phone fixed. After I got a quotation and a referral to another Nokia authorized service center who might have parts readily available, we went to National Bookstore which was nearby.

As I entered, the first book that got my attention was “Think Rich Pinoy” by Larry Gamboa.

Larry’s book was an eye opener, it showed how real estate investing can be done in the Philippine setting. I believe this was a big advantage and opportunity.

Reading the book eventually led to my attending Bo Sanchez‘ “How to be Truly Rich seminar“, from where I learned that Larry also had Think Rich Pinoy Seminars which I also attended.

This also made me look for more seminars about real estate and I found Urban Institute’s Comprehensive Real Estate Seminar And Review (CRESAR) for the November 2007 Real Estate Brokers licensure exam which I also attended.

Although I attended primarily to learn more about real estate in the Philippines, I also took and passed the licensure exam and became a licensed real estate broker.

I also became a member of REBAP Marikina and through another member, I learned about an auction during the first Philippine Real Estate Festival way back in 2008. I participated in that auction and it was the first time I made a winning bid for a foreclosed property. As they say, the rest is history.

I would like to believe what happened to me was a series of “opportunities” which I grabbed, that helped me get started with real estate investing.

To have more and be given more, or have the little I had be taken away

I started with virtually nothing in terms of any know-how when it comes to investing in real estate, and instead of thinking that it was too hard and cannot be done, I decided to look the other way and move forward.

When I decided to become a real estate investor and began to have more knowledge about real estate investing, I was presented with more  opportunities, not just to learn, but to actually have the means to do it.

In contrast, if I went the other way, the little that I had would have been taken away, not by anyone else, but by myself. I would have taken these away, had I decided to give up.

Up next in Part 2 of this series

In the next part of this series, I’ll share more examples of opportunities that anyone can grab that can help get them started with real estate investing, and how this continues and becomes a series of opportunities that become “accumulated advantages”.

To our success and financial freedom!

Jay Castillo
Real Estate Investor
Real Estate Broker License #: 20056
Blog: http://www.foreclosurephilippines.com
Follow me in Twitter: http://twitter.com/jay_castillo
Find us in Facebook: Foreclosure Investing Philippines facebook page

Text by Jay Castillo and Cherry Castillo. Copyright © 2010 All rights reserved.

PS. New visitor? Click here to get started with learning more about foreclosure investing in the Philippines.

PPS. Don’t be the last to know, subscribe to e-mail alerts and get notified of new listings of bank foreclosed properties, public auction schedules, and real estate investing tips. Mailbox getting full? Subscribe through my RSS Feed instead!

The “Matthew Effect” and how it applies to real estate investing (Part 1) is a post from: Foreclosure Investing Philippines

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UnionBank will be having their 161st special public auction of foreclosed properties on November 27, 2010, at Conference Room No. 3, 28th floor, UnionBank Plaza, Meralco Avenue corner Onyx Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, Philippines.

*Updated November 17, 2010 –  Click here for pictures of the UnionBank foreclosed properties for sale.

As usual with UnionBank auctions, only 10% downpayment is required and buyers can avail of payment terms of up to 15 years to pay. The ad also says “NO CREDIT CHECKING”!

To get more details, refer to the complete auction announcement below.

Download the list of UnionBank foreclosed properties

Click here to download the complete list of UnionBank foreclosed properties for sale through public bidding on November 27, 2010 in PDF format or just click on the image below to download a copy in JPG format,

Source: Lance Yadao – UnionBank Asset Recovery Officer

Happy hunting!

To our success and financial freedom!

Jay Castillo
Real Estate Investor
Real Estate Broker License #: 20056
Blog: http://www.foreclosurephilippines.com
Follow me in Twitter:http://twitter.com/jay_castillo
Find us in Facebook:Foreclosure Philippines facebook page

Text by Jay Castillo and Cherry Castillo. Copyright © 2010 All rights reserved.

PS. In order to help improve foreclosurephilippines.com, I would appreciate your feedback through this survey, which should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. Please click on this link to answer the survey: http://bit.ly/fipsurvey

PPS. For those who purchased their TRQ 2.0 tickets using my affiliate links, I will be sending you your free copy of the detailed case study of one of my real estate deals latest on the second week of November 2010. It is taking longer than expected to complete. Thanks again for helping make TRQ 2.0 a huge success!

PPPS. Don’t be the last to know, subscribe to e-mail alerts and get notified of new listings of bank foreclosed properties, public auction schedules, and real estate investing tips. Mailbox getting full? Subscribe through my RSS Feed instead!

UnionBank foreclosed real estate special public auction slated on November 27, 2010 is a post from: Foreclosure Investing Philippines

I would like to share this update dated June 2, 2011 – After much thought, I have decided to leave Trace Trajano‘s local coaching program and my role as one of the local coaches. I would also like to inform everyone that I am not part of Trace’s other programs.

For those who don’t know, I was once a student of Trace, and I was also part of the team that won his first apprentice challenge, although I decided to leave the RYP team last September 2010. I became one of the local coaches as part of the now defunct Terrific Trio University. I also helped promote his seminars in the past including TRQ 1.0, TRQ 2.0, TRQ Cebu, his quick cash seminars, and the last one was TRQ 3.0.

It has also come to my attention that some materials that Trace used in marketing some of his seminars might make it appear that I am one of his partners. I would like to make it clear that I am not a business partner of Trace Trajano.

Things did not turn out as planned, but lessons have been learned, and I feel it is time for me to move on.  ~ end of update ~

Jane may sound like your typical secretary… well, not really! She earns half the salary of a call center agent (her salary as a secretary is less than USD100.00 per month, no kidding!). She used to work for a call center but she took a pay-cut to be a secretary (more on this later). But would you believe someone like Jane was able to acquire her first real estate deal, with only a Php2,000 earnest money deposit?

This also got my attention which is why I also want to listen to Jane as she explains how she was able to acquire her first deal. If you want to listen in as well, join the webinar below.

Here’s the webinar invitation:

My Secretary Invests in Real Estate and How You Can Do the Same

Thursday, September 23, 2010 8:00 PM – 9:00 PM SGT

Most people don’t invest in real estate because they think they need to have a lot of money to start. NOT true. Jane (based in the Philippines) used to work as a call center agent. I convinced her to work for me for HALF the salary she used to get as a call center agent and in exchange for the lower pay, I taught her how to invest in real estate. In just 3 weeks, she acquired her very first real estate deal.

In this online seminar, I will interview Jane and she will reveal how she acquired her very first real estate deal step-by-step-by-step. She will reveal how…with only a P2,000 earnest deposit she was able to control P2.4 Million worth of real estate. Together, she and I will show you how anyone can invest in real estate. At the end of the call…you will learn how anyone can invest in real estate with…

1. no money
2. no credit (i.e., you don’t need to borrow money from banks)
3. no real estate license; and
4. no prior experience

In this webinar, you will also hear from other people who have succeeded in real estate investing just like Jane.

The webinar is September 23, Thursday, 8:00 PM Singapore/Manila time (that’s September 23, 8:00 AM eastern time). If you are sick and tired of trying to acquire your first deal after several months or several years of trying without any results, you need to attend this online seminar. The inspiration and education you’ll get from this webinar might be all you need to finally break through and finally make money from your first real estate deal!

Trace Trajano

Register for the webinar here:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/687387690

I’ve  already met Jane in person so I know she is for real. I have also exchanged e-mails with her regarding some potential deals and I was quite impressed with her knowledge in real estate investing, but I had no idea she got her first deal like this!

Trace Trajano will be the one to interview Jane and Trace is actually Jane’s boss, at least for now. I remember Trace mentioned in one of his status updates in facebook that pretty soon Jane might no longer be his secretary, and that sometimes, teaching people how to invest in real estate has some downsides.

I look forward to learning more how Jane did her first deal which is why I also want to attend the webinar later tonight. Don’t forget to register if you also want to join the webinar.

>>>Click here to register for the webinar now!

Update: A replay of the webinar is now avail here!

To our success and financial freedom!

Jay Castillo
Real Estate Investor
Real Estate Broker License #: 20056
Blog: http://www.foreclosurephilippines.com
Follow me in Twitter:http://twitter.com/jay_castillo
Find us in Facebook:Foreclosure Philippines facebook page

Text by Jay Castillo and Cherry Castillo. Copyright © 2010 All rights reserved.

PS. Are you a new visitor? Click here NOW to start learning more about foreclosure investing in the Philippines

PPS. Don’t be the last to know, subscribe to e-mail alerts and get notified of new listings of bank foreclosed properties, public auction schedules, and real estate investing tips. Inbox getting full? Subscribe through my RSS Feed instead!

Who else wants to learn how a secretary can invest in real estate with only Php2,000? is a post from: Foreclosure Investing Philippines

If yes, then this seminar might be for you. My friend Tyrone of MillionaireActs.com sent me details of this seminar of his officemate Ray Alejandrino and thought of sharing it here for those who might be interested.

One thing I like about this seminar is it includes investing in a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) as one investment option in the topics to be discussed as seen in the seminar outline below. I just wish it will be discussed thoroughly.

Secondly, readers of foreclosurephilippines.com can avail of the special discounted seminar fee of only Php3,500.00 per person (Regular seminar fee is Php5,000).

Seminar details

Date: October 2, 2010

Venue: The Shang Grand Tower

Address: Perea cor. Dela Rosa St., Legaspi Village, Makati City

Time: 9:30am to 5pm, whole day

Seminar Fee: P5,000 (inclusive of buffet lunch, snacks, and reading materials)

Special Discounted Fee: P3,500 for readers and and subscribers of ForeclosurePhilippines.com (just tell Ray Alejandrino that you found the details of the seminar here)

For inquiries, please contact Ray Alejandrino at ray_alejandrino@yahoo.com or call 0917-811-7292.

Seminar outline

“Strategic Investing and Practical Fundamental Analysis”

by Roy Alejandrino

I. Examining the current state of the global economy

a. Why invest in the emerging markets particularly in the Philippines?
b. Philippine Economic update: a closer look on our country’s performance
c. What global and local economic indicators you should be watching out for?

II. Investment Options

a. Equities
b. Bonds (Government and Corporate)
c. Mutual Funds and UITFs
d. Others (Personal Equity Retirement Account Act, Real Estate Investment Trust, etc.)

III. Industry Research

a. Growing and Mature industries
b. The emergence of technology and product innovations
c. Going green

IV. Fundamental Analysis

a. Equities

i. Choosing the right and applicable tool for you and for the stock

1. Financial Ratios

2. Valuation Methods

ii. Picking the essential elements from quarterly and annual reports

iii. How to effectively use research reports from online, local and foreign brokers

iv. How to properly interpret company news and disclosures

v. Dividend play

b. Bonds

i. Basic review of the US and ASEAN bond market

ii. Update on government and corporate notes issuance

V. Case Study

a. Telecom – PLDT or Power – AP or Real Estate – ALI

i. A closer look at the company’s business

ii. Status and Future prospects for the industry

VI. Money management

a. The importance of diversification
b. Sample portfolio

VII. Final Words

a. Lessons from the crisis and how to be prepared for the next one
b. Outlook for the PSEi and selected industries

About the Speaker

Ray Alejandrino holds a bachelor’s degree from the Ateneo de Manila University, Major in Management Economics and Minor in International Business (2007). He specializes in Industry and Opportunity Analysis for the Real Estate, Technology, and Power sectors. He previously worked as an Import-Export Executive for one of the largest conglomerates in Thailand, the Siam Cement Group. He also served as an associate in Corporate Planning and Investor Relations for one of the largest home developers in the Philippines, Vista Land and Lifescapes, Inc. He is currently a Financial and Market Analyst for IBM and is also a Part-Time Power Sector Analyst for the University of Asia and the Pacific.

Seminar location map

(Click to enlarge)

I’ll be attending this one and I hope to see you there!

Happy learning!

To our success and financial freedom!

Jay Castillo
Real Estate Investor
Real Estate Broker License #: 20056
Blog: http://www.foreclosurephilippines.com
Follow me in Twitter:http://twitter.com/jay_castillo
Find us in Facebook:Foreclosure Philippines facebook page

Text by Jay Castillo and Cherry Castillo. Copyright © 2010 All rights reserved.

PS. Are you a new visitor? Click here NOW to start learning more about foreclosure investing in the Philippines

PPS. Don’t be the last to know, subscribe to e-mail alerts and get notified of new listings of bank foreclosed properties, public auction schedules, and real estate investing tips. Inbox getting full? Subscribe through my RSS Feed instead!

Are you into strategic investing and practical fundamental analysis? is a post from: Foreclosure Investing Philippines

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In a recent post where I tackled the frequently asked question: “Are foreclosed properties good deals?”, I mentioned that financial literacy is a prerequisite to real estate investing, and with good reason. I believe that the lack of financial literacy will certainly lead to financial failure! Sometimes we need to fail but not like this!

Let me give you four reasons why I believe we need to be financially literate real estate investors.

Reason #1: You will eventually be able to save enough money to finance your own deals

As I have said in my series on managing finances, you need to learn how to manage your finances to get ready for your first real estate deal, and you do this by taking care of your finances by becoming your own Chief Financial Officer, who is always on top of one’s cashflow by properly tracking income and expenses and proper money management.

Still have nothing to invest? Buried in credit card debt? Living paycheck to paycheck?

As Rich Dad would say, “It’s not how much money you make, it’s how much you keep.”

Why not take a deep hard look at how you manage your money and take the next step?

Reason # 2: You will become trustworthy when it comes to money

Think about it, would you do business with someone who is not trustworthy?

This not only applies if you do decide to get other people’s money or OPM to finance your deals, you also need to be able to trust yourself. If you trust yourself, I’m assuming you really are trustworthy and you act in a trustworthy manner.

As they say, “If you want people to trust you, be trustworthy.”, and you start by being trustworthy with your own money, not with OPM.

If you can’t even trust yourself to handle your own money well, don’t even try to get into real estate investing.

Reason # 3: When you get your own deals, you will be on top of your finances with regard to your investment properties

So you got a deal, finally! But how do you know that you are doing good? You’re an investor and you need to know if you really are making money!

If you are financially literate and manage your finances the way you should, you will know at any given time if you are really making money or losing money, you will be on top of your cashflow.

What if you eventually got your very first real estate deal but never really learned how to manage your money? You might lose track of your expenses and then you end up wondering what’s happening to your cash, or even worse, you might even lose track of important payments like monthly amortizations  or you simply have no money left to settle your obligations and end up facing foreclosure.

On the other end, you might lose track of your receivables and end up NOT getting the money that is rightfully yours, some if which are meant for mortgage payments, maintenance, etc.

Things get even more complicated once you acquire more and more deals, so without financial literacy, you might end up with nothing but a financial mess.

Reason # 4: When you do start earning money from your investments, you will certainly not end up like a lot of Lotto winners

In a recent talk during The Feast at the PICC, Bo Sanchez mentioned stories of Lotto winners who lost all of their money, get buried in debt, ended up with broken marriages, etc. (Actually Bo also wrote an article that mentioned this and you can read it here: How To Use Your Pain To Achieve Great Success). These are perfect examples of what can happen if one who is not yet financially literate gets a big amount of cash. Sad but true.

Earning money from real estate investing, though not as big as Lotto winnings(at least not at the start ), can still be considered as a big windfall of money, especially, if your real estate investing strategy is more focused on capital gains. If you are not financially literate, you might not be able to handle the sudden windfall, and you may end up just like those Lotto winners mentioned by Bo, where money became a curse.

On the other hand, imagine if you were financially literate, and you earned a lot from your real estate deals (or if you won the Lotto), you will be able to handle it well, you won’t go into a shopping spree, you won’t go for instant gratification, you won’t accumulate liabilities, you will focus on real income generating assets, you will be generous, you will spend wisely, you will be in control. You will be able to manage it well and put your new found wealth into good use, it will become a blessing.

There you have it folks…

1. You need to start by working on your financial literacy first, it cannot be just an afterthought.
2. To be someone who can be trusted, you need to become trustworthy, and that definitely applies to money and real estate investing.
3. Financial literacy will let you know if you are really making money with your deals, and help you run your business through proper cashflow management. Yes, real estate investing should be treated as a business. The importance of managing your finances well will get magnified as your business grows.
4. If you are financially literate, more money will be a blessing to you and the people around you, it won’t be a curse.

Remember we are just stewards of the wealth and abundance that come our way, and being financially literate helps ensure that we become worthy stewards.

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” – Luke 12:48

What do you think?

To our success and financial freedom!

Jay Castillo
Real Estate Investor
Real Estate Broker License #: 20056
Blog: http://www.foreclosurephilippines.com
Follow me in Twitter:http://twitter.com/jay_castilloFind us in Facebook:Foreclosure Philippines facebook page

Text by Jay Castillo and Cherry Castillo. Copyright © 2010 All rights reserved.

PS. Are you a new visitor? Click here NOW to start learning more about foreclosure investing in the Philippines

PPS. Don’t be the last to know, subscribe to e-mail alerts and get notified of new listings of bank foreclosed properties, public auction schedules, and real estate investing tips. Inbox getting full? Subscribe through my RSS Feed instead!

4 reasons why we need to be financially literate real estate investors is a post from: Foreclosure Investing Philippines

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