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REISkills.com Welcome Real Estate Investment Training Report
Introduction
Welcome to the REISkills.com Real Estate Investment Training Program!
This comprehensive guide is designed to equip aspiring investors with the knowledge, strategies, and practical steps needed to succeed in real estate investing.
The program draws directly from the proven methods and insights championed by Brian Gibbons and REISkills.Academy.
The core philosophy emphasizes a mentorship-driven approach, focusing on non-traditional acquisition methods, strategic funding, and long-term wealth building through cash flow.
Table of Contents
The training materials are structured into the following components:
| Section |
| Introduction: Welcome to REISkills.com |
| Chapter 1: The REISkills.com Approach to Real Estate Investing |
| Chapter 2: Building Your Foundation: Before You Market |
| Chapter 3: Finding and Negotiating with Motivated Sellers |
| Chapter 4: Funding Your Deals: Private Lenders and Joint Ventures |
| Chapter 5: Disposition Strategies: Aiming for Long-Term Cash Flow |
| Chapter 6: The Invaluable Role of Coaching and Mentorship |
| Chapter 7: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them |
| Chapter 8: The Importance of Consistent Effort |
| Glossary of Key Terms by Category |
| Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) |
| Your Real Estate Investor To-Do List |
| Knowledge Check Quiz |
| Conclusion |
Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1: The REISkills.com Approach to Real Estate Investing
The training synthesizes insights to provide practical strategies for investors. The core focus involves equipping investors with non-traditional acquisition methods such as purchase options. The program also emphasizes the importance of securing private funding, prioritizing long-term cash flow through creative financing solutions, and recognizing the critical role of mentorship. Other central themes include team building, understanding legal and financial aspects, and actively avoiding common pitfalls for beginners.
Chapter 2: Building Your Foundation: Before You Market
Prematurely jumping into marketing efforts without adequate preparation is one of the biggest mistakes new investors make. To build a strong foundation first, REISkills.com guides investors to:
- Determine Financial Goals: Work backward from your desired income; a practical approach is setting a target to match or exceed your previous year’s gross income.
- Establish Business Structure: Start an LLC (Limited Liability Company) right away for liability protection, separating personal assets from business debts and lawsuits.
- Financial Diligence: Begin diligent expense tracking early, as owning a business allows for various deductible expenses.
- Assemble Your Team: Form a reliable team of professionals, including title, legal (attorney), and tax advisors, before engaging with sellers.
- Acquire Essential Knowledge: Learn effective communication strategies with sellers, understand necessary forms and legal documents, and grasp basic negotiation techniques.
Chapter 3: Finding and Negotiating with Motivated Sellers
Finding and marketing to motivated sellers is consistently identified as the biggest initial challenge for new real estate investors.
- Understanding Motivated Sellers: These homeowners face circumstances like financial distress, divorce, job relocation, or inheritance, necessitating a quick sale. They are often receptive to “terms deals” or creative financing options beyond a traditional cash offer.
- Negotiating “Cash or Terms”: This strategy focuses on creative financing solutions that appeal to sellers who may prioritize convenience or specific payment structures.
- Purchase Option Investing: This core strategy involves securing the right, but not the obligation, to purchase a property at a predetermined price within a specific timeframe, often focusing on “pretty houses”.
Chapter 4: Funding Your Deals: Private Lenders and Joint Ventures
Access to private lender money is critically important because it enables investors to seize opportunities quickly. Investors should “line it up” proactively rather than waiting until funds are needed. Private funds are required for unexpected repairs, down payments, or securing a deal before another investor does.
- Private Lenders: REISkills.Academy teaches how to find private lenders and negotiate “win-win contracts” with them, including utilizing self-directed IRAs as a potential funding source.
- Joint Ventures (JVs): JVs are primarily used for larger projects where a “Silent Partner” funds the deal (covering cash and renovation costs) while the active investor handles the “legwork” (finding the property, managing renovations, and selling).
- Track Record Requirement: REISkills.Academy strongly advises against pursuing joint venture deals without a proven track record, recommending that an investor approach “Silent Partners” only after completing around 5 to 10 successful real estate deals.
Chapter 5: Disposition Strategies: Aiming for Long-Term Cash Flow
The preferred disposition strategy is “long-term cash flow,” which is favored over quick reselling.
- Tax Optimization: Focusing on long-term cash flow provides ** significant tax benefits**. The strategy minimizes capital gains tax by advising investors to hold properties for “a year and a day” to qualify profits as lower-taxed long-term capital gains.
- Key Strategies:
◦ Seller Financing: The seller provides a loan directly to the buyer, often with more flexible terms than a traditional mortgage, ensuring regular payments back to the investor over time.
◦ Lease with Option Agreements: These grant the tenant the right (but not the obligation) to purchase the property at a predetermined price within a specific timeframe, allowing the investor to receive ongoing lease payments.
- Advantages: These methods provide a consistent income stream over an extended period and offer a flexible sale structure that can make deals more accessible to a wider range of buyers.
Chapter 6: The Invaluable Role of Coaching and Mentorship
Mentorship is a core offering of REISkills.Academy and plays a crucial and invaluable role, particularly for new investors.
- Hands-On Guidance: The “1 on 1 professional coaching” is designed to “handhold you through a few deals,” serving as an essential “apprentice period”.
- Avoiding Costly Mistakes: An experienced mentor helps avoid pitfalls like premature marketing, not knowing how to communicate with sellers, or lacking proper forms and a reliable team.
- Gaining Credibility: When asked about experience, the new investor can leverage their mentor’s expertise by stating, “I have a senior partner that has had over 35 years experience, and I’m fairly new but I’m learning every day”. This enhances perceived credibility during negotiations.
- Practical Application: Mentors ensure investors apply the learned material, making sure they “understand that particular deal” so they can apply that knowledge independently.
Chapter 7: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
New investors can build a more successful career by actively avoiding costly pitfalls.
| Common Mistake | Avoidance Strategy | Source |
| Jumping into marketing prematurely. | Focus on building your foundation first (goals, LLC, team, knowledge). | |
| Not knowing effective communication or which forms to use. | Engage in comprehensive education and hands-on mentorship; learn effective negotiation tactics and necessary documentation. | |
| Not having a reliable team of professionals (legal, tax, title). | Assemble your team early in your investing journey. | |
| Lacking understanding of business fundamentals (liability, expense tracking). | Start an LLC right away and track expenses diligently. |
Chapter 8: The Importance of Consistent Effort
While REISkills.Academy provides comprehensive “lessons on how to do deals” covering marketing, negotiation, contracts, and business promotion, a fundamental principle remains:
“But you have to do the work!”.
Success hinges on the active and consistent application of the learned material and strategies.
Quotations by Famous Real Estate Investors
https://reiskills.com/category/resources/
Glossary of Key Terms by Category
| Category | Term | Definition | Source |
| Investment Strategies | Disposition | The process of selling or otherwise disposing of a real estate asset. | |
| Investment Strategies | Lease with Option | A lease agreement that gives the tenant the right to purchase the property at a predetermined price within a certain period. | |
| Investment Strategies | Purchase Option Investing | A strategy where an investor secures the right (but not the obligation) to purchase a property at a predetermined price within a specific timeframe. | |
| Investment Strategies | Seller Financing | A financing arrangement where the seller of a property provides a loan to the buyer, often with more flexible terms than a traditional mortgage. | |
| Investment Strategies | Wholesaling | A short-term investment strategy where an investor gets a property under contract and then assigns the contract to another buyer, profiting from the difference in price. | |
| People/Roles | Joint Venture Partner | A partnership between two or more parties who pool their resources and expertise to undertake a real estate project, sharing profits and losses. | |
| People/Roles | Motivated Seller | A homeowner who needs to sell their property quickly due to circumstances like financial distress, divorce, job relocation, or inheritance. | |
| People/Roles | New/Aspiring Real Estate Investor | An individual new to real estate investing, often without prior business experience, seeking guidance and practical strategies to enter the market. | |
| People/Roles | Private Lender | An individual or company that lends money for real estate investments, often at higher interest rates than banks but with more flexible terms. | |
| People/Roles | REI Mentor (from REISkills.Academy) | An experienced real estate investor with over 35 years of experience who provides 1 on 1 professional coaching and guidance to new investors. | |
| People/Roles | Silent Partner | A joint venture partner who provides capital for a project but does not actively participate in its management. | |
| Financial/Legal Concepts | Capital Gains | The profit realized from the sale of a capital asset, such as real estate. Long-term capital gains (from assets held over a year) are taxed at a lower rate than short-term gains. | |
| Financial/Legal Concepts | LLC (Limited Liability Company) | A business structure that provides personal liability protection for the owners, separating their personal assets from business debts and lawsuits. | |
| Support/Guidance | 1 on 1 Coaching/Mentoring | Personalized guidance and support from an experienced real estate investor, helping new investors learn the ropes and navigate the industry. |
Your Real Estate Investor To-Do List
This actionable checklist outlines key steps to take on your real estate investing journey, guided by REISkills.Academy principles:
| Action Item | Status | Date Completed | Notes |
| Foundation Building | |||
| Determine your financial goals (work backward from income). | ☐ | Set a clear target for your real estate income. | |
| Establish an LLC for liability protection. | ☐ | Do this early in your business setup. | |
| Begin diligent expense tracking. | ☐ | Crucial for understanding business deductions and tax implications. | |
| Assemble your reliable team (title, legal, tax advisors). | ☐ | Get these professionals in place before engaging with sellers. | |
| Learn effective communication and negotiation strategies with sellers. | ☐ | Practice what to say beyond just cash offers. | |
| Understand necessary forms and legal documents. | ☐ | Be familiar with all paperwork required for deals. | |
| Funding & Partnerships | |||
| Proactively “line up” private lender money. | ☐ | Don’t wait until funds are needed; establish relationships now. | |
| Learn how to negotiate “win-win contracts” with private lenders. | ☐ | Understand the terms and benefits for both parties. | |
| Mentorship & Learning by Doing | |||
| Engage in 1 on 1 professional coaching/mentorship. | ☐ | Allow your mentor to “handhold you through a few deals”. | |
| Practice leveraging your mentor’s experience to build credibility. | ☐ | Learn how to present yourself as supported by seasoned expertise. | |
| Focus on completing 5-10 initial deals. | ☐ | Build a proven track record through hands-on experience. | |
| Disposition & Growth | |||
| Aim for long-term cash flow as your preferred disposition strategy. | ☐ | Prioritize consistent income over quick resales. | |
| Consider holding properties for “a year and a day” for tax benefits. | ☐ | Optimize for lower long-term capital gains tax rates. | |
| Learn and utilize seller financing and lease with option strategies. | ☐ | Key methods for achieving long-term cash flow. | |
| (After 5-10 deals) Consider joint venture partnerships for larger projects. | ☐ | Only pursue after establishing your track record. | |
| Ongoing Effort | |||
| Consistently “do the work!” | ☐ | Active application of learned strategies is essential for success. |
Links/URLs to Resources
https://reiskills.com/category/resources/
REISkills.com and REISkills.Academy.
