Many of us have dreams of firing our bosses, ending the commute, and attaining financial independence. And real estate investing offers a path to achieve those dreams. But the sad reality is most people who think about real estate investing never do more than think about it.
Oh sure, they read all the books. They even fill out the workbook that accompanies the book. They take the surveys, attend the conferences, talk to the professionals. But when a co-worker walks into their office and says, “have you heard about this great property over on Orchard View?” they just can’t complete the deal. Many of them never even start.
You see, all the time these people are talking about achieving their dreams, they’re really thinking about all the ways to stay where they are. Because the fact is, they’re scared. No matter how much they might dislike their boss, hate their commute, and need financial security, change is scary. This life is secure, comfortable, and change is insecure and uncomfortable.
- It’s easy to dream about becoming rich.
- It’s a lot harder to make that dream a reality.
What are some of the fears that stop people from living their dream?
Fear # 1: I don’t know where to start.
Given the fact that you’re reading this article right now, it looks like you DO know where to start. Educate yourself. Learn about the field of real estate investing. And find someone with a proven track record of success who can guide you through the process.
Fear # 2: It sounds hard.
Real estate investing is just like any other skill. It requires hands-on experience, and it takes practice. But it’s not rocket science. And ordinary people just like yourself are doing it every single day.
Fear # 3: I don’t have enough money.
Do you need cash to get started in real estate? Yes. Do you need a lot of cash? No. Does it have to your cash? No. Do you need great credit to get the cash? No.
What you do need is knowledge. You see, there are ways to get money, fast, even with bad credit. But you need to know how, and where.
Fear #4: I don’t have enough time.
It is true that there are only 24 hours in a day, but can you honestly say that right now, all 24 hours are going towards improving your life? Most of us have some kind of down time. Maybe it’s during your commute, when you could be listening to audio instruction about real estate investing. Maybe it’s during your lunch break, when you could be making some phone calls, following up on leads, and creating contacts. Maybe it’s in the evening, when you decide to chill out in front of the television. Sure, we all need some downtime, but are those couple of hours really worth your financial independence?
The good news is that answer to each and every one of these problems is quite simple.
Number one—educate yourself. Read articles and books, talk to people in the business, and find someone with a proven track record of success to guide you through the process.
Number two—change your mindset. Yes, change is difficult. So take a good hard look at your life, and ask yourself, are you happy the way you live right now? If you are, then good for you.
But if there is anything about your life you would like to change, you must realize that change will not happen by itself. You need to make a conscious decision to make your dreams a reality, and real estate investing could very well be the way to make that happen.