How to Take Action From the Start as a Real Estate Investor with Victor Bell
Taking action is crucial to getting started in any profession, and this is especially true in the world of real estate. With an abundance of available information, it's easy to fall into the trap of analysis paralysis, where too much research and analysis can hinder progress. This theme is a recurring topic on the podcast, and many investors have found that having the courage to take the leap and learn from experience jumpstarted their careers. Though learning through mistakes is often challenging, the lessons from those mistakes can shape the rest of an investor's career.
In the latest episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Victor Bell, founder and CEO of Bell Capital, shares his story with Jonathan. He explains how he discovered real estate investing and why a traditional career path never fit him. A real estate investor since the mid-90s, it all started with a job he hated and a trip to a bookstore. Victor's journey highlights how taking action and turning your life in a different direction can create a successful career in real estate investing.
Here are some great takeaways from Jonathan’s conversation with Victor:
If you purchase real estate, hold it. Victor should have refinanced his properties when he needed money and used that money to make down payments on new properties. Instead, he sold them and lost out on further growth opportunities.
Decide what types of properties you like and stick with them. When Victor first began investing, he purchased a single-family home. He quickly discovered that he didn’t like fixer-uppers from that experience. Instead, Victor investigated multi-family properties, which usually already had tenants and were making money. He decided he liked that concept and began putting his money into those kinds of properties.
Relationships--especially capital relationships--are just as crucial as buying investment properties. Relationships create access to more money, which allows you to invest more and continue to build your business. Victor’s mindset toward earning money and ignoring relationships caused him to miss out on thousands of capital relationships over the years.
Becoming a successful real estate investor doesn’t mean you have to reinvent the wheel, and Victor Bell’s success story is an excellent example of tenacity and hard work.
If you want to learn more about Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing Podcast, check out http://www.trustgreene.com/podcast/zen/039