S.E.C. Real Estate Observer

I have been to many self-help and time-management seminars over the years. Some are useful and some less so. One concept that sticks out in my mind was told to us by a former upper- middle manager who stated that he had so much paperwork hit his desk that he was completely overwhelmed. He advocated [...]

I believe that every President of the S.E.C. has been asked, “What is the Society of Exchange Counselors?” “What makes S.E.C. different from other marketing groups?” “Why is the S.E.C. still around after almost 50 years when so many of the other marketing groups have disappeared?”
In preparation to write this column, my first thought was [...]

PHOTO: TREE members and guests in Dallas in December (from left to right): Don Tardy, Lance Warner, Bill Richert, Chuck Sutherland, Mark Johnson, Dick Janson, Betty Beachum, Derwood Dingler, Jack Harper, Vicki Yeomans Klein, Dick Klein, Caroline Du, Art Ramseur, Hand Haden, Jon Spelman, Bill Stonaker, Wes Dingler, John Brennan, Steve Eustis.
The members of the [...]

Happy Partners
Our number one goal of a real estate investment with outside investors is LIABILITY - to make certain that the partners are not in trouble because of the deal. All of our investors go into the deal knowing that we could lose some or all of our equity. But what they do not want [...]

Show Me the Money
WHERE WILL YOU GET THE MONEY FOR YOUR IDEA?
Generally speaking, there are two kinds of funds for the equity portion of your deal, partnership interests and loans. Obviously, a partner is someone that will provide cash or a balance sheet for a piece of the deal. Partners come in many “colors,” those [...]

The Business Plan
WHAT IS A BUSINESS PLAN FOR LAND DEVELOPMENT?
It is the business plan that makes the difference in dirt development. Unlike projecting rents and expenses on improved properties, land development must take into consideration many additional factors, especially the costs to get to the income. The end result is the same, income in and [...]

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of articles on land development that we hope readers of the S.E.C Observer will enjoy and be able to use in their business practices and investment activities.
WHY INVEST IN LAND?
Some of my fellow S.E.C.’s and other investors have asked me “Why land? It doesn’t have any [...]

As real estate professionals, if we do not bring value to a transaction, we will not be in this business very long. The days of order takers are over! Now buyers, sellers, potential tenants and landlords can access so much information on the different web sites that they can actually cut us out of the [...]

Editor’s note: This column is an ongoing series of vignettes recalling the sage counsel and advice received by SEC members and candidates from their mentors that have made a difference in the way they do business. Please feel free to jump in and tell us how your mentor changed your business life. Send your insights [...]

Editors note: This column is an ongoing series of vignettes recalling the sage counsel and advice received by SEC members and candidates from their mentors that have made a difference in the way they do business. Please feel free to jump in and tell us how your mentor changed your business life. Send your insights [...]