 Jay P. DeCimaArticle previews.Jay P. DeCima,‘Fixer Jay', of Redding, California, has specialized in fixing up ugly houses and small apartment buildings since 1977. Jay’s latest book, "Investing in Fixer Uppers", McGraw Hill, NY, was voted No 1 on Chicago Tribune’s Top 10 Real Estate Books list. Jay also writes the informative monthly newsletter, "Trade Secrets". New! - To ask this author a question, click on any of the articles below and use the "Questions and Comments" form. Show: Articles (34) | Videos (3) Problem Solving Creates the Biggest Paydays Free Preview! August 2009 | By Jay P. DeCima People constantly ask me, “What kind of investing do you recommend for ordinary working folks with only a few dollars to invest and a limited amount of time to do it?” I have no trouble... (0 Comments) Tenant Urgency is Not the Same as My Urgency Free Preview! July 2009 | By Jay P. DeCima One of the biggest problems for new and even part-time landlords is preparing themselves mentally for the task. Simply because you own rental properties doesn’t automatically make you a quali... (0 Comments) Finding Diamonds in the Rough Free Preview! June 2009 | By Jay P. DeCima How do you find these properties? That’s the question I’m asked constantly. Diamonds in the rough some call them. The most common alibi I hear is, “There’s no property in my... (0 Comments) Fast-Track Investing Free Preview! June 2009 | By Jay P. DeCima It is my firm belief that do-it-yourself investors should learn everything they can about the many different ways to make profits with real estate. I don’t believe you can reach your maximum ... (0 Comments) Work for Others, or for Yourself? Free Preview! June 2009 | By Jay P. DeCima Have you ever wondered what it might be like if you didn’t have a regular job? I don’t mean you wouldn’t go to work anymore. What I’m talking about is working for yourself i... (0 Comments) Buying is Easy - Making Profits Takes a Plan Free Preview! May 2009 | By Jay P. DeCima Every time I start talking about making profits at my seminars, someone always reminds me that all one needs to do is buy properties wholesale and sell them at retail! You can’t help but admi... (0 Comments) Investors and Agents Need Each Other Free Preview! April 2009 | By Jay P. DeCima Why? 1. Your agent has immediate “pipe-line” knowledge about when a bargain property is listed for sale. How? Either as a member of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) or by networking t... (0 Comments) The Agent, Your Detective Free Preview! March 2009 | By Jay P. DeCima Negotiating to purchase real estate can be a downright intimidating experience for the weak-hearted. Worse yet, the results can end up a total disaster with both parties wondering exactly what went... (0 Comments) Agents – the Eyes and Ears of Real Estate Investors Free Preview! February 2009 | By Jay P. DeCima Real Estate agents account for 95 percent of all real estate sales. Anyone who thinks going around, or bypassing agents is good business, needs to re-think the issue. In my own case, I would have n... (0 Comments) How to Get Started Doing Fix-up Free Preview! January 2009 | By Jay P. DeCima No one should be allowed the status of full-fledged real estate investor – without having first completed an understudy assignment of doing “fix-up”. That’s my story and I&r... (0 Comments) Handyman College Free Preview! November 2008 | By Jay P. DeCima A friend of mine, Bob, who is about a whisper away from being a total klutz, recently rewired two add-on rooms in his house with just a little help from the clerk who sold him materials. The very ... (0 Comments) Big Problems Can Mean Big Profits Free Preview! October 2008 | By Jay P. DeCima No one should be allowed the status of full-fledged real estate investor - without having first completed an understudy assignment of doing "fix-up". That is my long-held belief. (0 Comments) Landlording — We Do It for the Money Free Preview! September 2008 | By Jay P. DeCima Besides making money, landlording provides many personal benefits. You can provide an excellent quality of life for yourself and your family. You can live anywhere you choose and set your own work ... (0 Comments) Working for Yourself Free Preview! August 2008 | By Jay P. DeCima When I buy an income property for $40,000 less than its true market value using my investment knowledge, how much tax do you suppose I’ll have to pay on the $40,000 I’ve just earned usi... (0 Comments) Motivation Needed for Best Deal Free Preview! July 2008 | By Jay P. DeCima The most difficult part of buying property wisely has nothing to do with contracts, paperwork, escrow instructions or presenting offers, but rather finding sellers who truly desire to sell their pr... (0 Comments) Turn Your Skills Into Big Paydays Free Preview! June 2008 | By Jay P. DeCima Millions of folks just like me spend countless hours and huge sums of money shopping in big box home improvement stores. Unlike me, however, most shoppers are looking for new ideas and products they... (0 Comments) Seller Problems Create Opportunity Free Preview! May 2008 | By Jay P. DeCima In order to acquire properties at bargain prices, or at prices that will allow you to make a reasonable profit, you must first determine if the property can actually be purchased for a reasonable pr... (0 Comments) Collecting the Money Free Preview! March 2008 | By Jay P. DeCima One of the biggest problems for new landlords and part-timers is preparing themselves for the task. Simply because you own rental properties doesn’t automatically make you a qualified landlord. ... (0 Comments) Fixing for Dollars Free Preview! February 2008 | By Jay P. DeCima The very wise man, Thomas Wolfe, once said: “If a man has a talent but he does not use it, he has failed. If he has a talent but uses only half of it, he has partly failed. But, if he has a tale... (0 Comments) Specialize to Earn Cash Flow Free Preview! January 2008 | By Jay P. DeCima Baseball Legend, Yogi Berra, used to say, “Baseball is 90 percent physical and the other half is mental.” Real estate investing is something like that. Buying an income property for the ri... (0 Comments) Negotiating Skills Learned by Listening Free Preview! December 2007 | By Jay P. DeCima I’m frequently asked, “How can I purchase properties from experienced owners and negotiate a good deal for myself when I’m only a beginner? I feel intimidated when the property owner... (0 Comments) Seller Financing: A Golden Term Free Preview! November 2007 | By Jay P. DeCima Seller carryback financing is sometimes confusing to investors. First you need to understand that seller financing is not really like bank financing or a regular mortgage, even though it’s often... (0 Comments) How to Profit with Negative Air Free Preview! December 2006 | By Jay P. DeCima Attending my local apartment owner meetings for the past year or so has not been an uplifting experience. Lately most meetings start right out with “doom and gloom” and by the end of our t... (0 Comments) Down Payment Not Related to Benefits Free Preview! January 2007 | By Jay P. DeCima People who seek advice and training are generally folks who don’t have a pot of money saved up to invest in real estate. Some are in the same group that high-powered infomercial marketers a... (0 Comments) 60/40 Rule Will Make You Rich Free Preview! February 2007 | By Jay P. DeCima Most beginners don’t fully understand the true dollar value of learning to be a good landlord. It’s a very serious business. Not only does it involve the daily management of your tena... (0 Comments) Setting Up Your Sunset Years Free Preview! March 2007 | By Jay P. DeCima One of the most rewarding parts of investing in income-producing real estate comes when you sell the property and finance the sale yourself. This is called seller financing or taking back a mortgage a... (0 Comments) Tenant Skills Pay Big Bucks Free Preview! April 2007 | By Jay P. DeCima Operating rental properties and dealing with your tenants are not separate jobs. They are inseparable parts of landlording. I owe a great deal of my real estate success to my landlording abilities. So... (0 Comments) Buying Back Your Debt Free Preview! May 2007 | By Jay P. DeCima Many years ago when I started investing in rental properties, I fully expected that my houses would increase my monthly income from rent collections. I also knew that if I fixed them up and made them ... (0 Comments) Changing Careers - Keeping the Money Free Preview! June 2007 | By Jay P. DeCima Think about this for a moment! When I buy an income property for $40,000 less than its true market value using my investment knowledge, how much tax do you suppose I’ll have to pay on the $40,00... (0 Comments) Agents: The Eyes and Ears of Real Estate Free Preview! July 2007 | By Jay P. DeCima Real Estate agents account for 95 percent of all the real estate sales; therefore, anyone who thinks going around or by-passing agents is good business needs to re-think the issue. I would h... (0 Comments) Education Not Money Free Preview! October 2007 | By Jay P. DeCima Do-it-yourself investors should learn everything they can about many different ways to make profits with real estate. I don’t believe you can reach your maximum potential as an investor unt... (0 Comments) What Our Experts Say Free Preview! October 2007 | By William Bronchick, Scott Britton, Elayne Wolf, Rick Tobin, Marshall Reddick, JD Kessler, Jay P. DeCima, Bruce Norris, Sherry Renz Creative Real Estate editors have asked the following question of our leading experts: What are the current market conditions and what are the best ways to capitalize on them? ... (0 Comments) Sticking to Basics Is Sound Advice Free Preview! September 2007 | By Jay P. DeCima Often when I counsel students I ask, “Why did you choose to invest to real estate?”, the most common answer is: “To make more money and build personal wealth.” Next I&r... (0 Comments) Looking for Bargains Others Don't See Free Preview! August 2007 | By Jay P. DeCima Many people are too short-sighted to be good investors. They lack a fundamental requirement, which I call “Long-Term-Thinking”. Folks without long-term-thinking are not really inve... (0 Comments) |
Featured Friends
