MAREI Newsletter - January 2025 : simplebooklet.com

06 JAN: Carrot Monthly 30 Day Challenge Starts07 JAN: Deal Machine Cold Calling Challenge Starts11 JAN: How to Set Life Chaning Goals & Reach Them13 JAN: REI Blackbook Q & A Meeting14 JAN: MAREI Meeting - Take Back Your Life21 JAN: Express Success - Top Strategies for 202523 JAN: Lunch & Learn - Wholesalers Can’t Represent23 JAN: Alternative Housing Virtual Meet & Greet25 JAN: Fundamentals of Getting Seller Held Financing30 JAN: Lifeonaire 3 Day Get a Life Get Away - Virtual 08 FEB: How & Why to Flip Land Instead of Houses11 FEB: MAREI Meeting - How to Get Started in REI22 FEB: The Roadmap to TRUE Passive Income25 JAN: Connected Investor Q & AMember Hosted Events: 1st WED: Landlords of Johnson County2nd SAT: Northland Real Estate Investors3rd TUE: Cass County Landlords Association4th MON: Eastern KAREI4th TUE: Landlords Inc in Kansas City Missouri Weekly Member Hosted EventsTUE: Home Resource NetworkWED: WinVestors WeeklyTHU: RE PROPerty ShopGet more details and register for all of these events atMAREI.org/Full-Calendar/or call / text (913) 815-0111JAN / FEB 2025MAREI memberIS DIGITALA digital version of MAREI member isavailable online where you will find thatthe links are clickable in the onlineversion and you can download andprint only the pages you want.MAREI.org/Newsletter/Kim TuckerCo-Founder of MAREIW elcome to Mid-America Association of RealEstate Investors (MAREI). Since2004, we have been serving the realestate investment community acrossthe Kansas City Metro Area.Made up of real estate investors,rental property owners, creativebuyers, note buyers, wholesalers,apartment owners, syndicators,private lenders, and people whoprovide products and services tothese members.Since 2004, MAREI has providedsome of the most comprehensiveeducational events and networkingopportunities for our members andguests, providing them with theresources they need to invest inthemselves.Whether you are new to investing orwant to grow your business to thenext level, the community here atMAREI is ready to help you.2 MAREI member

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City CouncilBREAKING NEWS Adopted in September 2016 and implemented in June2017, the ‘Rental Ready’ program was designed to protectthe health, safety, and welfare of residents, maintainattractive and desirable neighborhoods, and enforceminimum standards for the interiors of residentialbuildings. The program’s development involved extensivemeetings, discussions, and testimony from housingproviders. The photo to the left captures one of the citycouncil meetings, where hundreds of concerned citizensgathered to speak and show their support for thosepresenting their views.For the past year the Independence City Council has been discussing changing both their BuildingCodes and their Rental Ready program. After we saw all the news storys about the IndependenceTowers in the News, they moved faster to make changes. Just before Christmas, they voted tochange the Building Codes.They discussed changing Rental Ready at several City Council and Listening Sessions in Decemberand it was on the agenda for January 6. Because of the weather this meeting was virtual and therewere only 4 speakers who voiced opinions - 2 housing providers and 1 tenant advocate all agreedthat the proposed changes needed more time, better working and input from the people who theyaffect the housing providers and the renters.You can visit the MAREI Blog to see all the documents we have on the Building Code changes andthe proposed Rental Ready Changes. Also many thanks to Matt Roberds, Brian & Michelle Winberryand Mark Yanda for all their efforts on this matter. If you see them be sure to thank them foradvocating on your behalf.www.MAREI.org/Blog**"Independence Missouri Building Codes & Rental Ready"** MAREI.org 3

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B U S I N E S S B U I L D I N Gserves your life rather than competeswith it.The acronym SEAD stands for StrategicElimination, Automation, andDelegation. The golden rule to SEADing your businessis something adapted from Tim Ferriss: Never delegate something you canautomate, and never automatesomething you can eliminate.In other words, what this means is thatyou eliminate first, then automate, thendelegate.Let’s dive in to understand each stepbetter:The first “S” in SEAD stands for Strategic. destined to eventually close your doorsbecause either you’re going to get burntout by never taking time off, or you’ll beunable to work.But before you give up and throw in thetowel, there’s a proven solution that canfix this issue!It’s a tried-and-tested process that willchange your business forever, and thatyou can benefit from starting RIGHTNOW. The solution is the SEAD processSEADing (pronounced seed-ing) yourbusiness is a simple, four-step processthat will be the best and most importantthing you’ll ever do to put your businesson autopilot and create something that If you were to look around at your fellowbusiness owners, you’d see that most workfar more than they want and make muchless than they deserve. This all-too-common situation is bothunfortunate and ironic, because the #1reason we go into business is so we canenjoy time and financial freedom in ourlives.So how do smart, hard-working, well-meaning business owners get stuck on thehamster wheel of work and business?It’s because most people haveaccidentally set up their businesseswrong, and in a way that depends onthem personally to run it.And when this is the case, it means you’re S I M P L I F Y - E L I M I N A T E - A U T O M A T E - D E L E G A T ETHE SEAD PROCESS IS A TRIED AND TESTED PROCESSTHAT WILL CHANGE YOUR BUSINESS FOREVER.FIX YOUR BUSINESSWITH SEAD4 MAREI member Learn More at the MeetingTuesday January 14th

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This is the most important of all the stepsbecause it’s the one that influences whatall the others will look like. Being strategic simply means that you useyour personal Lifeonaire Vision as a guide todetermine what you want your business tolook like.What is a Lifeonaire Vision? It’s the detailed blueprint for your ideal life inevery area. Think of it as a combination of your goals,aspirations, dreams, identity, purpose,passions, and schedule…all rolled into onemagical, powerful document. (Don’t have one? We show people how tocreate a crystal-clear vision at the LifeonaireGet-A-Life Getaway.)MAREI Member’s get to attend this eventonce for FREEIt’s critically important to have a vision ifyou’re going to achieve lasting businesssuccess, because you need to know exactlywhat you want your life to look like if you’regoing to design a business to serve that life.Remember…the biggest purpose of yourbusiness is to give you the life you want!Want to travel the world six months peryear? Only work 4 hours per day?Run your business location-independent?You need to know all that stuff upfrontbecause it’s going to impact how youorganize, structure and run your business.Makes sense right?It’s only once you have your vision that you’llalso know other important things like howmuch time you can spend working, howmuch money you need to fully live yourvision, and what your ideal day and schedule will look like.The next step is to look at what you caneliminate from your business.I sometimes get asked the question why wedo this before automation and delegation.The answer is because if you can get rid ofsomething and it enhances your business,there’s no need to systemize or hand it off tosomeone else. It would be a waste of timeand resources.Elimination has a huge impact on simplifyingyour business and is essentially the“decluttering” and streamlining of yourbusiness. Think of it as cleaning out your garage orcloset.How do you choose what to eliminate? Here’s a few suggestions to get you started:It no longer serves you, the mission,direction or vision of the businessIt’s not as profitable as you want orproducing the results you desire It’s draining resources that could be usedbetter elsewhere with better resultsIt’s a distraction / shiny objectSimply asking yourself: “Is this productiveand in alignment with my vision or is it justkeeping me busy and active?” will help infiguring out whether you should eliminate itor not.What are some things that you caneliminate? It could be any of the following:Product or Service OfferingBranch, Division, or Section of theCompanyTask or ResponsibilityProcess or SystemSoftware or ToolsInitiative or ProjectPosition or RoleNow, it can be emotionally challenging toeliminate things, especially if you’ve beendoing them/using them for a long time. Youmay be vested and have spent a lot of timeand energy getting it set up. Let me encourage you to let it go. You’ll beglad you did.A is for Automation, which refers to the useof technology, tools, or software to get thingsdone instead of a human. We use automation prior to delegationbecause it’s easier and cheaper, and if doneright, adds structure, consistency, andorganization to your business. I personally love automation because itguarantees that the task(s) will get doneexactly the same every time and I can sleepat night knowing the business is still runningwithout me.Think of your automation software as yourstar employee who works 24-7 and doesn’tcomplain that the office thermostat is set toocold. What should be automated? Very simply, anything you (or your staff) findyourself doing repeatedly the same way,over and over again. There are dozens anddozens of potential things that could beautomated and the only limit is yourimagination.Critics of automation often will say it feelsimpersonal or robotic, especially when it’soutward (customer or prospect) facing, butthat’s only the case if it’s not set up correctly. When done correctly, automation will feelmore personal and it will enhance thebusiness and customer experience. Not theother way around.D is for Delegate. Many business ownershave a hangup with employees. They’ll saythings like: MAREI.org 5

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And whether that’s $100/hr or $1,000 dollarper hour wage activities, anything below thatamount should be hired out. I see it all the time: the business owner trying to keep their own books instead ofhiring a bookkeeper for $30 per hour,unclogging toilets at their properties, orswinging a hammer in their rehab becausethey’re trying to save a couple bucks.What they don’t realize is that this is costingthem HUGE amounts of money.Let me give you an example to drive thishome. Follow me on the math here, anddon’t fall asleep on me. This is important.Say you spend 20 hours per week doing$30/hr work. (Work you could hire someonefor $30/hr to do for you.)You just saved your business $500 that weekby doing it yourself, right? (20 hours x $30/hr= $500) Wrong. What actually happened is you cost your business a ton of money. You should have been working on things at the $100/hr, $250/hr, \or even $500+/hr level. If we go with the low end – $100/hr activities – thosesame 20 hours would have generated $2,000of value for your business.This means you didn’t “save” $500 that week. You just LOST $1,500. ($2,000 – $500 = $1,500)That’s $75,000 per year erased from your business profit, right off the bat. Ouch. “No one wants to work anymore.”“You can’t trust people.”“It’s quicker for me to do it myself.”The list could be a mile long and I’ve heard(and personally used) all of them, believeme.But here’s what I’ll tell you… If you’re goingto have a real business, this is a requiredstep. And if you had a bad experience in the past,there’s a good chance it’s your fault. Now, before you decide you want to punchme and we’re not friends anymore, allow meto explain. What I mean is this…Just because you’re good at what you do,it doesn’t mean you’ve developed theother skills necessary in successfuldelegation (and there’s a lot!).To be successful here, there’s a lot of skillsthat are required: finding the right person,screening them, onboarding them, trainingthem, managing them, and growing them totheir potential.Taking the time to develop these skills will bewell worth your time. What should you delegate? Here’s a fewideas to get you started:Anything you don’t enjoyAnything you’re not good atAnything below your target “wage” Let’s address that last one for a second –target wage. This is what you should be worth to yourbusiness. See, as the business owner, you need tofocus most on the highest-income generatingactivities in your company. Fix this one thing and you’ll make a hugeshift in your business.SummaryAlright…now you’re ready to rock withcreating a business that doesn’t require youto wear all the hats and that can give you thetime and financial freedom you’re lookingfor. And it’s way closer than you think.Take this process, apply it, and see theresults in your life and business, guaranteed. Want some help? Then Join me at MAREI in January on the14th, we will be digging deep into what mostpeople do wrong and what they need to doto fix it. Then access all our benefits that youreceive as a MAREI member.Start at MAREI.org/GetLifeonaireMAREI.org/GetLifeonaire6 MAREI member EXCLUSIVE MAREI MEMBER BENEFIT

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G E T T I N G S T A R T E Dby Kim Tucker & Brendon PishnyAt MAREI’s Speed Networking event inDecember, a LOT of people shared that theywere just getting started and weren’t sureexactly what they needed to do. Theyexpressed a desire for all the help theycould getWe get that question a lot: Where do I start?The answer can be approached in severalways:What strategies should I consider as anew investor?What do I need to know/learn as a newinvestor?What should I do first?T A P I N T O Y O U R C O M M U N I T YSO YOU WANT TOBE AN INVESTOR? MAREI.org 7Strategies for New InvestorsNew investors often start in onf of six ways:1. Private PartnerSome investors have the money to do deals.They’ve built a successful business or nestegg and want to put their money to workwithout doing the heavy lifting. Theseinvestors lend money or partner on deals,earning interest, a portion of profits, orequity to benefit from tax advantages.Yes, these folks are in the room, you have totalk to people to find them.2. RentalsOther investors have some savings—not ahuge amount, but enough for overhead,down payments, and repairs. They’relooking for cash flow and tax benefits, so they invest in rental properties. Thisstrategy offers cash flow, debt paydown,appreciation, depreciation, and other perks.This was a super hot strategy in the days ofsuper low interest rates . . a new term waseven coined . . the BRRRR method. Look itup, it still works, but its a lot tougher withinterest rates above 4 percetn.3. House HackingYou might have house-hacked without evenrealizing it. If you bought a house for yourkids at college and rented out extra roomsto their friends, that’s house hacking. Or ifyou bought a fourplex, lived in one unit,and rented out the others—same thing.This is a great way to start real estateinvesting, allowing you to acquireproperties with lower down payments andinterest rates while building equity.4. FlippingThere are many ways to flip properties. Youcould buy a house and resell it immediatelywithout listing it, which is an old-school Learn More at the MAREI MeetingTuesday February 11th

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8 MAREI member wholesale flip. Clean it up, trim the yard,and sell it retail on the MLS—that’s a fliptoo. Major renovations followed by a retailsale? Also a flip.But keep in mind you stop flipping, you stopearning. And flip profits have the highesttax rate and no tax benefits.5. Live-In FlipsThis strategy works well for those who liketo take their time. Buy a fixer-upper, movein, renovate one room at a time, and sellafter at least two years to gain tax-freeprofits and appreciation.6. WholesalingWholesaling has evolved over time. It usedto mean buying a house at a low price andselling it at a slightly higher price. Today,some wholesalers’ practices have drawncriticism, and regulations are tightening.However, wholesaling can still be a viablestrategy if done ethically and legally.But with all the calling mills that don’t careabout rules or pestering people withincessant calls and texts, that work on thelaw of average, it’s a really competitivemarket. And the state of KS along withmany states has been seeking to add laws.Choosing Your StrategyThe best strategy depends on yoursituation, resources, and goals. You aregoing to have to take a self assessment andsee what you have to devote in time,knowledge, funds, and credit. What we do know is that wholesaling andflipping are very labor intensive but turnout some really great profits wheneverything goes according to plan. Butmany are finding out right now that as themarket starts to shift, those high dollarretail flips are not selling and so theseinvestors are not buying up the wholesalersinventory. So a lot of wholesalers andflippers are asking for help right about now.House hacking and rentals always seem towork as long as everything goes to plan andyou don’t have a sudden reason to sell . . .and while you don’t make killer right nowreturns with cash flow . . don’t forget youtypically have a rent increase every year. The rent coming in pays the mortgage soyou build equity. The property generallyappreciates. You have standarddepreciation. There are a few other ways todepreciate more faster. And when it comestime to sell, you can 1031 your equity intothe next property. Think about this deal - duplex by KU Med. bought in 2015, that cash flowed at the$650 rents. It has cash flowed every yearsince, with rent increases. It rents now for$1600 a side (extra $2000 a month) Yesthere’s been money spent on updates, butalso depreciation. And now the value ofthat duplex has basically doubled in 9 yearsOr it could have been wholesaled for a $10to $20,000 profit, no depeciation, highesttax rates and no 1031. The deal you want will depend on what youhave an what you need. Then again youmight be the silent money guy who partnerswith the flipper or the renter investor for apiece of the pie.What Do You Need to Know?I literally wrote a book covering all thebasics—strategies, formulas, finding deals,funding deals, and more. You can downloadThe Beginner’s Guide for free atMAREI.org/real-estate-investor-education.What Should You Do First?Here are 10 steps I recommend to everynew investor:Read and Listen: Dive into reputableresources. Avoid taking advice solelyfrom random YouTubers.1.Join Your Local REIA: Membershipcosts are worth it for the connectionsand education.2.Use Your REIA’s Library: Many REIAsoffer hours of training and past eventrecordings.3.Attend Events: Participate inmeetings, workshops, and pop-ups.4.Take Notes & Ask Questions: Learn,ask, and get answers at meetings oronline forums.5.Talk to Lenders: Learn the formulashard money lenders use and howregular lenders operate.6.Look at Houses: Study propertiesonline, in person, and with contractorsor inspectors.7.Learn What a Good Deal Is:Understand property values and profitpotential.8.Plan Your Niche: Figure out yourstrategy, funding sources, and backupplans.9.Do a Deal: Once complete, analyzewhat went well and what didn’t. Then,do another deal.10.In the next 45 days:Download and read my book and VenaJones-Cox’s book.Attend the February 11th MAREIMeeting with Brendon Pishny onGetting Started.Join MAREI if you haven’t already anddig in.Check out Saturday Master Classes,even if they don’t all apply to you rightnow.Explore Express Success: Gain access tohundreds of hours of training, Saturdayclasses, and one-on-one emailcoaching.Take Brendon Pishny’s 6 week Landloing101 Class . . . if buy and hold is yourstrategy of choice . . it starts MondayFebruary 17th.

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do: for the “return on investment”.In other words, I thought that theywere doing math in their heads thatwent something like:“If I sell this house for $100,000, I’llput that money in a savings accountand earn 2% interest. If I let hermake payments on the $100,000purchase price at 6% for 20 years,that’s a much better investment. Infact, even if I let the interestpayments from the bankcompound, I’ll only earn $48,000from those, but I’ll get $71,943 ininterest from her, and if I putTHOSE payments in the bank at 2%as they come in, I’ll end up with$86,501.23 in total profits just fromthe interest earned!”C R E A T I V E D E A L M A K I N Gby Vena Jones-CoxI’ll admit, I had an advantageover many of you when I gotstarted in real estate:I had no money and no way toget any.I was just out of college,effectively self-employed, had amountain of debt weighing medown, and had no assets that Icould borrow against. Let’s justsay that the nice bankers I metwith were anxious to work withme…in a couple of years.Learn More at the Master ClassSaturday January 22nd How is any of that a good thing?Well, it meant that it was“Creative finance or die” inVenaworld. I had no choice butto offer to assume loans, or buyon land contract, or ask forseller carrybacks, or somecombination of those things, if Iwanted to buy and hold aproperty.But for many years, I had alimiting belief about sellerfinancing: that the sellers whodid it did it for the same reasonsthat banks and private lenders S E L L E R F I N A N C I N GTHAT MEANT IT WAS “CREATIVE FINANCE OR DIE” INVENA WORLD . . IF I WANTED TO BUY AND HOLD APROPERTY.NO MONEY ANDNO WAY TO GET IT MAREI.org 9

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C L A S SYep. I thought sellers were doingalgebra and deciding whether ornot to take my offer based onthe results. Silly me.Silly, silly me—because thatbelief led me to pay a lot ofinterest to a lot of sellers that, asit turns out, I didn’t need to.It turns out that most sellersdon’t agree to carry financingwhen they sell their propertiesbecause they look at thatfinancing as in investment.Sellers do not, after all, ‘makeyou a loan’ to buy their house.Instead, they trade you theirhouse (or condo or mobilehome or apartment building) fora promise: the promise thatyou’ll make monthly paymentson it.And the reason they do that isn’tthat they love the interest rateyou’ve offered; it’s because theproperty is a problem tothem, and because you’veoffered a solution to whateverthat problem is.I started to ‘get’ this lesson whenI noticed that every time Ioffered a seller payments to buyhis property, that seller had only2 questions: How much payment?1. For how long?2.Notice the missing question? Ittook me a while, but I finally did.It’s, “What’s the interest rate?”I was never asked that question(unless the seller was an enderwho was intentionallyconverting his real estate to got out of my own head and startedtalking to seller about what theywanted, instead of what I thought theywanted. And maybe you should, too. I did have another advantage when Istarted negotiating 0% sellercarrybacks: I already knew how toidentify the sellers who were mostlikely to do it, and how to evaluate thedeals themselves to determine whatpayment they could ‘afford’, and howto write up the offers and themortgages and the notes and closethese deals right.Want to get a sneak peak into VenaWorld . . then check out the MAREICalendar . . . she is teaching a MasterClass on the the fundamentals ofSeller Held Financing on January 25th .. . you can reserve your seat now as amember of MAREI for just $47. Pricedoes go up as we get closer to theclass.notes, or, occasionally, by sellerswho were also CPAs ormortgage brokers or similarlyfinance-centric professionals).I, in fact, was always the oneproposing the interest rate,because in MY head—not theseller’s—that was an importantfactor in his decision to acceptterms. And as a result, I wasalways proposing higher-than-market interest rates because, Imean, OBVIOUSLY, that wouldbe a huge motivator for theseller, right?As it turns out, wrong. I wasmaking a key mistake that we allmake at one time or another:thinking for sellers. Trying to getthem what we think they shouldwant, instead of what they dowant.So I stopped, cold turkey. Istopped talking to sellers aboutinterest rates and simply toldthem about the higher price Icould pay if they’d considertaking x payments of $y insteadof cash.I told them about how, if we didthis, I’d be taking on ALL theexpenses, including the taxesand insurance and maintenanceand rehab, starting as soon aswe closed.I told them about how, if we didit this way, we could close in amatter of days, and they couldstop thinking about theheadache this property wasgiving them.And they said yes, just as often.I’ve done lots of 0% interestseller financing since the day I 10 MAREI member S E L L E RF I N A N C I N GM A S T E RS A T U R D A Y 2 5 J A N U A R YZ O O ML E A R N W H I C H S E L L E R S A R EO P E N T O C A R R Y I N G A N O T E ,H O W T O E V A L U A T E W H A T T OP A Y , H O W T O N E G O T I A T ET H E D E A L Y O U W A N T , A N DW H A T P A P E R W O R K Y O U ’ L LN E E D .M A R E I . O R G / C A L E N D A R

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One fascinating point Joe made isthat landowners are typically moremotivated to sell than homeowners.Often, they’ve inherited theproperty or bought it years agowithout any plans to use it. They’redetached from the land and willingto sell for as low as 25% to 35% ofmarket value just to be rid of it. Thisopens the door to incredible dealsfor savvy investors. We talked aboutthis at a class last fall . . which reallyintrigued me.Plus little to NO COMPETITIONLow Cost - High ProfitsJoe also highlighted how land isinexpensive to hold. Property taxesare minimal, there’s no mortgage, A L T E R N A T I V E I N V E S T M E N TJoe McCall will be teaching aMaster Class in February onflipping land. We had talked abit about flipping land last fall,but as I didn’t know much aboutit, I though you might not either. So I looked up Joe on YouTubeand watched a video or two.This stuff is COOL!If you don’t know Joe McCall, heis a real estate investor from StLouis. He spoke a LONG timeago at MAREI on Lease Options. And we thought it was kind ofinteresting that he is one of thevery first Lifeonaires, and hasbuilt his business aroundworking remotely, whichbrought him to land.Learn More at the Master ClassSaturday February, 8thLand or Dirt is Very SimpleWith land deals, there’s no needto worry about mortgagepayments, utility bills, propertymanagement. And low taxes andinsurance. Plus it can’t getbroken, stolen, or destroyed. It’struly a hands-off investmentthat offers incredible returns. Infact, Joe shared examples ofstudents buying lots for $10,000to $20,000 and flipping them for$30,000 to $50,000. Even better?They’re making $200 to $400 amonth in passive income fromthese deals—all without theheadaches that often come withtraditional real estate.Motivated SellersL A N D D E A L SWHY FLIPPING DIRT ISBETTER THAN HOUSES MAREI.org 11

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and often no utility bills. Toolslike Google Earth and GoogleMaps make it possible toresearch and evaluateproperties without ever visitingthem. Local realtors orphotographers can handle sitevisits for just a couple hundredbucks, making the process bothcost-effective and efficient.And if you’re thinking aboutdiversification, land is a fantasticaddition to your portfolio. Youcan fund deals with cash, creditcards, or even self-directed IRAs,giving you flexibility to scaleyour investments.The Cash Flow AdvantageJoe’s passion for land flipping isclear when he talks about cashflow. Selling land with ownerfinancing allows you to createstreams of passive income. Forexample, he shared deals wherestudents are earning $200 to$300 a month on rural lots.Because when you add up themonthly seller finance paymentcomping in less expenses, youronly real expense would be theprivate lender or credit card ifyou had to borrow, very littletaxes or insurance, no repairs,no vacancy, no reserves needed.And if you paid cash, you couldbe making almost 100% purecash flow. Imagine building upto $10,000 a month in passiveincome in just over a year—that’s financial freedom! (Besure to check out the sampledeal in the middle of the videoto see a 63.2% cash on cashreturn with a total ROI of 138.7%– Killer Right! Plus you have allyour money back in less than 3years.)MAREI blog and look for the orignalvideo for you to watch.Then click over to the MAREI Calendarof events and look for the February8th event. It’s a half a day on zoomwhich gives him time to dig into thingslike: Market Research: How to find thebest areas for land deals.1.Motivated Seller Lists: Pulling theright lists to find eager sellers.2.Direct Mail Campaigns: Craftingpostcards and letters that getresults.3.Offer Strategies: Making offers at25% to 40% of market value.4.Due Diligence: Ensuring yourdeals are solid.5.Selling Strategies: Whetherflipping for cash or creatingstreams of passive income.6.Joe will also address commonchallenges, like choosing the rightmarkets, setting up systems, andfinding funding for deals. He’ll sharereal-world examples from his businessand his students, offering actionablestrategies you can implement rightaway.This class is available right now forMAREI members at $47. NonMembers have a $97 price and whenwe get past Feb 6th, the price goes up.And I personally have heard ofothers who bought some plot ofland for a few hundred that hadtrees, or a creek or somethingthat might make it attractive topeople who want to hunt, fish,cut their own wood, just gocamping and have a dream ofbuilding their little place of theirown some day. They will oftenbuy this land for $5,000, $10,000or more . . if you just offerfinancing. Heck, my father in lawowned a plot of land he hadpurchased so he could cut hisown wood. When he got tired ofcutting the wood, that land hehad acquire for a few $1000 wassold for, I beleive $10,000 but hetook payments until he was paidoff – so he got his wood in hislumber jack years and a niceprofit when he retired his ax.Joe’s Family Does it TooWhat really stood out to me washow Joe has turned land flippinginto a family affair. He’s involvedhis kids in the process, teachingthem valuable skills on how tomarket, answer voice mails,analyzing deals, and sendingoffers and they never talked toANYONE until after the offer hasbeen sent. His kids are around14 and doing this after schooland on the weekend. Then theyhire a Realtor to sell it for them.This isn’t just a business; it’s alegacy he’s passing down. Andhe can do this from an RV orwhen he takes his family to livein another country for 6 monthsat a time.If this sounds like something youneed to learn more about andteach your kids . . . go to the

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MASTER CLASSESThe Knowledge You NeedJust getting started, or adding new knowledge, or just refiningyour skills, these are what’s working now in real estate. MAREI.org 13When & WhereHeld generally on the2nd & 4th Saturdays ofthe Month on Zoomfrom 8 am to 2 pm.Replay & handoutsprovided after.CostPrices vary dependingon the topic. Most arebetween $47 and $97for MAREII Membersand $97 and $127 forNon-Members whenyou register early.To RegisterVisit the MAREICalendar of Events tosign up. Not a member,we have a $25 a monthoption to test it out.DiscountWant to save a fewdollars, use tbhediscount code MCsave to take 25% offthe listed classesJanuary 14thSetting Life Changing GoalsSick of ending every year disappointedbecause you ddin’t reach your goals?Start this one with a workshop whereyou’ll learn how to set the RIGHTgoals, and how to actually make themhappen.Robert Mohon & Tim SchofieldJanuary 25thFundamentals of GettingSeller-Held FinancingSujbect to might be all the rage, butseller held notes are often moreflexible and profitable. Learn whichsellers are open to this, how toevaluate what to pay, and how tonegotiate & write it all up.Vena Jones CoxFebruary 8thHow and Why to Flip LandInstead of HousesLooking for a quick-cash strategy thatyou can literally do with just acomputer & a printer, you need tolearn about flipping land. It’s just asprofitable as flipping houses, but fareasier to do and systematize.Joe McCallFebruary 22ndFundamentals of GettingSeller-Held FinancingLearn the steps to get from activeinvesting (flips, BRRRR, and rentals)to true passive investments(syndications) in the quickest possibletime. Then have the financial and timefreedom you want. Build your planMarc HalpernMarch 8thHow to Find, Hire, &Manage ContractorsThe hardest (and riskiest) part of flipsand turnovers is finding the rightcontractors…and keeping them ontime and on budget, and knowing howand when to pay them. Learn theprocess & avoid the pitfalls.Ray Sasser March 22ndHow to Invest In Mortgage NotesLooking for an easy-to-understandexplanation of how to invest in—or flip—notes, that also comes with a $397home study course about exactly howto evaluate them? Get educated onhow this all works.Tracy Z & Fred Reway

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Scary isn’t it? I personally, don’twant to turn on the news.Market Shifts: Stories from theTrenchesI have seen a lot of social media ofhouses on the market that have a“Price Improvement” on houses forsale. I’ve seen this a lot, some priceimprovements of $40,000, $60,000with incentives. I just heard a friendsay she had dropped her price by$100,000 and still nothing. Just lastweek I saw a house for rent from amajor player, they were offeringfree rent with a signed lease.Then we have our rehabbers . . .some major, super successfulrehabbers. I have had 4 or 5different people call me with asimilar request . . . who lends in 2ndposition. They all have severalhouses going andI ran out of money on the rehabbecause the house that was W H A T S W O R K I N G N O Wby Kim TuckerIf you don’t know that the KansasCity Metro real estate market hasalready shifted (toward moreinventory, longer days on themarket, stagnant rents, and highercosts for taxes and insurance), it’stime you found out. This newmarket is nothing to fear; in fact, it’sfull of opportunities that weren’tavailable a year ago. All you need todo is get up to date on the beststrategies to implement NOW, and2025 could be your most profitableyear yet. Market Stats We are Seeing InKansas CityAccording to According to KCRAR,key indicators reflect this shift:Supply: Housing supplyincreased from 1.6 months inDecember 2023 to 1.8 monthsin 2024, a 12.5% rise.Inventory: Listings grew from4,264 to 4,910—a 15.2%increase.Days on Market: Homesaveraged 39 days on the marketin 2024 compared to 32 in 2023,a 21.9% jump.Meanwhile, Zillow reports medianKC metro rents rose from $1,310 inJanuary 2024 to $1,395 in January2025. Real estate taxes are climbingacross the metro, and insurancepremiums are spiking due tonatural disasters nationwide.Beyond local trends, nationalfinancial pressures are mounting.Credit card balances hit a record$1.14 trillion, up 48% since 2021,while mortgage delinquencies rosefor six consecutive months in 2024.Over 2 million properties are 30+days past due, and 512,000 areseriously delinquent. Despite this,foreclosure activity remainssubdued.W H A T H A P P E N E D T H E NTHE BESTREALESTATESTRATEGIESFOR 202514 MAREI member

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supposed to sell to cover it is still in escrow or still waiting for a buyer.I have one under contractand when it closes, I willhave the money I need, but Ineed a bridge loan for$30,000 for the next 3 or 4months.I have a rehabbed house, it'sdone and listed. But it’s notselling. I need to cut my priceto get it sold, but with pointsand 6 months of interest, Inow owe more on the housethan I can sell it for afterpaying the realtors and theclosing costs.Then I’ve had people who areout making offers with pre-approval letters from hardmoney lenders that were writtenseveral months ago. But thelenders have tightened theirbelts and want moreconservative after-repair values,a bit higher rehab cost and thepercentage that they lend basedon the Maximum AllowableOffer has changed.Sound familiar . . . I was at ameeting with association leadersfrom all over the country andthey are reporting all the sameissues I am sharing here.Lessons from the LastEconomic ShiftWhile I don’t think we have agiant crash coming any timesoon, the experts have beenpredicting one for the past 8 or9 years, and based on the aboveexperience, something is goingon. All my leader friends agreeand are super pumped, they aregetting ready to do a lot moredeals because they have already.As we enter into this new phase, if youare a new investor or you have onlybeen investing for a few years, thereare a few things you need to do.Know Your Numbers: Relearnwhat makes a deal work. Getcrystal clear on the MaximumAllowable Offer formula and all ofits components.1.Get Some Creative Deal MakingTools: We have held severalclasses over the past year oncreative deal making, we see morecoming.2.Explore New Niches: Consideralternatives like land deals,alternative housing options, orback to basics with rental property(All on the calendar in the next 45days at MAREI)3.Leverage Community: MAREImembers have a wealth ofknowledge and experience. Tapinto this network to solveproblems and discoveropportunities.4.Stay Educated: Attend events, askquestions, and adapt. All of theseniches I’ve talked about have beenon the MAREI calendar in the past3 or 4 months or are coming up inthe next 6.5.A Bright Future Amid UncertaintyWhile the economic road ahead mayfeel rocky, it’s also paved withopportunity. Many fortunes weremade in the last downturn, and manymore will be made in the years tocome. Whether the predicteddownturn happens next year or ineight years, staying informed andconnected will position you forsuccess.Stick around, explore the possibilities,and let’s navigate this journeytogether.been through one or two majorshifts in the economy in theirreal estate careers.So what happened in 2008 andwhat might we expect in thenext 12 to 24 to 36 months? (Iwish I knew the exact timing, butI don't)Traditional Financing Halted:Banks largely stopped lending toinvestors. Deals requiredcreative financing, privatemoney, or cash.Seller Financing and Subject-To Deals: Many sellers whowant to sell either bought theirhouses in the past few yearswith CASH (really) and are in agood position to seller financeyou, are baby boomers withpaid-off houses who are also ina good position to seller financeyou, or they have a 2% or 3%loan that you may be able totake over subject to. (We arelearning seller financing onJanuary, 25)Private Lending: Many turnedto private lenders, offeringinterest, points, or equity. Jointventures became common. Ipersonally used all of these,we’ve had several recent classesand I am going to boot camp tolearn more from John Burley inMarch . . wanna come with?Foreclosures and Short Sales:While we’ll likely never see thesame volume, short sales aremaking a comeback. Remembera few months ago, DavidRandolph shared that he and hisstudents are making $50,000 to$100,000 per deal.Preparing for the Road Ahead MAREI.org 15

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Getting Started Resources: With resources on how to make the most of your MAREImembership as well as resources on how to get started as a brand new investor.Books to Read: A curated list of must-read titles to inspire and guide your investmentjourney. We add to this from time to time, so send us your suggestions.Laws, Rules & Regulations: Stay compliant with key landlord-tenant laws, lead-basedpaint regulations, and more.Forms & Documents: Access sample real estate contracts and discover additionalresources from local MAREI-affiliated attorneys.Spreadsheets & Deal Evaluations: Learn to assess your next deal like a pro withpractical tools and templates. Training Courses: From foundational topics like wholesaling and rental propertymanagement to in-depth programs like the Lifeonaire 3-Day Business Builder MBA, ourcourses empower you to take your investing to the next level.MAREI Meeting Replays: Enjoy over 100 hours of valuable insights from pastmeetings, accessible anytime.Access Today at MAREI.org/LibraryGovernmentAffairsbenefitsNEW & NOTEWORTHYMillennialSpecialtyInsuranceFor Real EstateRenters ContentsLiability InsuranceInvestor ProgramRental PropertyVacant PropertyMAREIMember.com/MemberBenefitsAdvocacySee the latest issue, callto action or change inrules and regulations.MAREI.org/AdvocacyMAREI LibraryMAREI BlogGet updates onstrategies, data, currentaffairs and memberbenefits.MAREI.org/blog16 MAREI member with multiple productsdesigned specifically forinvestors & renters.

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LEARN CONNECT DO!MEETINGSHeld on the 2nd Tuesday ofevery month since 2004, ourmonthly meetings have been amainstay in Kansas City. Withour trade show & networkingcombined with an informativespeaker you can aquire theknowledge you need and theconnections to put thatknowledge to use.MAREI.org/Meetings/MASTER CLASSESWhile we have offered severalSaturday workshops for the past20 years, this past October wehave partnered with REIA groupsacross the nation to be able tobring you on average 2 weekendMaster Classes every month. Mostly taught online, this givesyou the ability to attend fromanywhere. MAREI.org/Master-Class/EXPRESS SUCCESSIt’s crucial to have knowledgeabout the particular real estatepath you choose, the ability toapply that knowledge effectively,and to build relationships in yourreal estate investing community.We have partnered with VenaJones-Cox & Express Successhelps you put all the piecestogether.AS A VALUED CHAPTER OFNATIONAL REIA, MAREI ISDEDICATED TO PROVIDINGEXCELLENT EDUCATIONAL &CONNECTING OPPORTUNITIES.OUR EVENTS CATER TOINVESTORS OF ALL LEVELS –WHETHER YOU'RE A BEGINNERSEEKING TO LEARN THE ROPES,AN INTERMEDIATE INVESTORLOOKING TO IMPROVE YOURBUSINESS, OR AN ADVANCEDINVESTOR WANTING TO GROWAND GIVE BACK TO THECOMMUNITY.18 MAREI member MAREI.org/Express-Success

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MAREI.org 19AFTER HOURSLots of relationship buildinghappens at the meeting after themeeting. We lost this informaltime with friends during COVID.They are back and better thanever at our new meeting locationat the Double Tree. After themonthly meeting connect withfriends over food and beverageswith no agenda.Where Deals Get Done!MEMBER EVENTSOur members are looking toconnect with you and help yousucceed. From local LandlordGroups, Regional Networking,Master Minds and a few online,you are sure to find a few moretimes a month to makeconnections. We have all theseevents posted for yourconvenience on our calendarMAREI.org/Full-CalendarFACEBOOK FORUMThe MAREI Facebook Groupstarted as a way for a few membersto chat online about who to call forproducts and services. We startedsharing deals with local and out ofarea investors. And today we alsoask for how to help and discuss theissues. Won’t you join us onlineand talk real estate and to conductbusiness.MAREI.org/FacebookMEMBERSThese are the people who youare going to be doing businesswith. Where you will find deals,money, services, and help.Nothing helps put your mind atease more than having anexperienced pro give you expertadivce, show you little knowntechniques and powerfulsolutions to keep you movingforward or to help you out whenthings don’t go quite they waythey should.VENDORSThese are the people who youare going to be doing businesswith. Where you will find deals,money, services, and help.Nothing helps put your mind atease more than having anexperienced pro give you expertadivce, show you little knowntechniques and powerfulsolutions to keep you movingforward or to help you out whenthings don’t go quite they waythey should.VOLUNTEERSThe members who give of theirtime to help us pull off a rehabhouse tour, a monthly meeting orraise 60,000 meals for Harvestersare committed to helping yousucceed. While they may or maynot have all the answers, theycan point you to the people whodo. And when we ask for help,they are always there with asmile on their face and a get ‘erdone attitude.

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AttorneyAnderson & AssociatesLandlord Tenant & Real Estate LawJulie Anderson MOKSLaw.com(816) 931-2207See site for Free FormsAttorney Spence StoverBusiness & Real Estate LawStoverLawFirm.com(816) 778-2992Stockton & Kandt, LLCElder & Business LawCarrie Stracy & Blake Cauble-JohnsonStocktonLaw.com(913) 856-2828B uilding SupplierDeMayo EnterprisesWholesale CabinetsMark YandaDeMayoEnterprises.net(913) 980-426020 MAREI member Better Service, Inc.HVAC, Plumbing, ElectiralSean MaddenBetterServiceIncKC.com(816) 756 - 4244Olson Foundation RepairJohn Murphy(913) 592.3300OlsonFoundationRepair.com/RT ConstructionMatt MaconRoof4KC.com(816) 337-7037Home Depot2% Rebate for Members20% off PaintHomeDeopt.comCleaning & Trash OutCleaning Maids In & OutVeronica Bolton(816) 659-2929CleaningMaidsInandOut.comContractorAll Pro AC & HeatingMike StewartAllProACandHeatingLLC.com(816) 210-0809businessdirectoryFind the directoryonline 24-7 at MAREI.org/Business-Directory

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InspectionsKC Property ExpertsAdam Pointer(913) 709-3199KCPropertyExperts.comInsurance Capitol AgencyBrian RauberCapitolAgencyIns.com (816) 436-1016Forsythe AgencyFarmer‘s InsuranceChris ForsytheForsytheAgency.com(417)321-5079Millenial Specialty InsuranceLandlords, Builder’s Risk, MoreNREIA.ArcanaInuranceHub.com(844) 898-8110IRA Self Directed CNB CustodyJenny HeimanCNBCustody.com(800) 680-0340Mainstar TrustMainstarTrust.comJordan Scafe1-800-521-9897Lending Crossroads Investment LendingHard MoneyBritton AsbellKCLend.com(913) 766-2900Finish Line FundingShort Term FundingBruce BelangerFinishLineFunds.com(913) 346-8090Flat Branch Home LoansSenior Mortgage BankerBeth LangstonApplyWithBeth.com(816) 679-4000Longhorn InvestmentsHard MoneyKeith GriffinLonghornInvestments.com(816) 207-3380Merchants MortgageMushy MoneySusan AubinMerchantsMtg.com(913) 522-2650North Oak InvestmentBernie Richter(816) 249-1001 x 402NorthOakInvestment.comCPA - BookkeepingESSISTANT KCBookkeeping & Payroll & MoreAngie MartinEssistantKC.com (816) 287-1818ExchangeHeartland 1031 Solutions1031 Exchange, DSTTodd WelhoelterHeartland1031Solutions.com(816) 365-8010Insight Investment Advisers1031 Exchange, DSTJoshua Wright & Julia FritzlenInvestWithInsight.com(913) 800-0954 Joshua(816) 589-1509 JuliaFinancial PlanningUnbridled WealthJason K Powers1024Wealth.com/NREIA(720) 458-6900Fractional InvestmentGroundfloorInvest in part of a Short Term HighInterest Rate Real Estate LoanMAREI.org/GroundfloorHome BuyerHouse MaxHerb Brown(913) 999-9200HouseMax.com MAREI.org 21MAREI Trade ShowJoin us at the Main Meeting from 6 to 7pmEvery Month to Learn What Many of Our Business Associates Have to Offer

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Office SupplyODP SolutionsODPBusiness.com Log into MAREIMember.com for discount informationProperty ManagerDan Reedy Inc.Dan ReedyMOREKC.com(816) 564-5265Home Rental ServicesPaul BrantonHome4Rent.com(913) 627-9543M & M Property ProsMichael & Michele BelmanMMPropertyPros.com(816) 490-6745Mark etingCarrotHigh converting websites MAREI.org/CarrotWebMAREI.org/CarrotMktWsConnected InvestorData, Skip Trace & ContractsMAREI.org/ConnectedInvestorDeal MachineData, Lists, Unlimited Contact InfoFree Trial + 50 Free PostcardsMAREI.org/DealMachineTrialMAREI.org/DealMachineChallengePropStreamLists, Research, MailingMAREI.org/PropStreamREI BlackBookTotal Marketing PackageWebsite, CRM, Tracking, MoreMAREI.org/REIBBsee in action MAREI.org/BBdemoPURE Property ManagementMary Beth RetkeKS.Purepm.com785-806-3305 Ext. 5613Resource KCAngie Austin Gaskill1ResourceKC.com(816) 200-0232Trailhead Property ManagementJenny ShipmanTrailheadPM.com(816) 791-7077(913) 406-0701Property Management SoftwareBuildium14 Day FREE Trial of PropertyManagement SoftwareMAREI.org/Buildium22 MAREI member Join the Conversationtake part in MAREI’sFacebook GroupFacebook.com/Groups/KCREIpost questions, share thoughts, get referrals.

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Title CompanyAccurate Title CompanyDave GreenAccurateTitleCo.com(913) 338-0100Overland Park & KC & Gladstone Advantage Title LLCBud Whisler(816) 279-8484AdvantageTitleLLC.comSt Joseph & Blue SpringsRD Title + ExchangeRick Davisrdtitle.com(913) 777-4RDT (4738)Free Real Estate FormsReal Estate ServicesExecutive Asset RealtyJim GodwinTheJimGodwinTeam.com(860) 805-9156iFinder OffersiBuyer NetworkiFinderOffers.comAnne Lakusta(214) 502-7395Realty ResourceScott TuckerRealtyResourceKC.com(913) 406-0701ScreeningRent PerfectTenant Screening PlusRentPerfect.com(877) 922-2547Log into MAREIMember.com fordiscount informationMid-America Association of real estateinvestors (MAREI) does not exist to renter anddnoes not provide legal, tax, economic orinvestment advice and dislcaims all liability forthe actions or inaction taken or not taken as aresult of communictions from or to its members,officers, directors, employees, contractors, andguests. Each individual should consult theirown professional adviro.MAREI provides general real estateeducational information to help further your fullor part time real estate career. Our goal is toeducate the investor based on informationedicted from material contributed by leaders inthe real estate investing, legal, accounting,property management, financial, legislative andother related professions.MAREI makes every effort to produce andpublish the most current and accurateinformation possible. Moreover, because of theever-changing laws relating to landlord-tenantrelationships and other aspects of real estate,specific application of any of our material to amember’s individual situation should be madeonly with the advice of local legal counsel. Nowarranties, expressed or implied, are providedfor the data we publish, its use or itsinterpretation.MAREI, its officers and the contributingmembers specifically disclaim any liability forloss or risk, personal or otherwise, which maybe incurred as a consequence, directly orindirectly, of the use or application of any of theideas, concepts, techniques, forms, documentsor contents presented or implied at meetings orother educational forums presented by thisassociation.By attending any of the activities provided bythis association, the member hereby releases,discharges and agrees to indemnify MAREI, itsrespective officers, directors, members,employees and/or contractors, past or present,from any and all liabilities associated with ourorganization.The viewpoints expressed and methodspromoted by speakers at MAREI events are notnecessarily those of the board, staff, or leadersof the association.Contact Us 105 East Street, #29125Parkville, MO 64152 (mail only)www.MAREI.orgwww.MAREIMember.cominfo@MAREI.org913-815-0111 MAREI.org 23

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There are a lot of different benefits of being a member ofMAREI. We offer three options to become a part of MAREI. There is the FREE option that gives you no benefits otherthan access to our free public social media groups, anemail subscription, and pay as you go at the meetings. Our Investor member that comes with all benefitsincluded. Our Business members that get all benefits for 2people, plus advertising opportunities. Compare below.PICK YOUR MAREI MEMBERSHIPBENEFITSAttend Monthly Meetingv i s i t w w w . M A R E I . o r g / M e m b e r s h i p t o f i n d o u t m o r ePublic Facebook / LinkedInMember Digital LibraryAdd Additional up to 2Discounts on WorkshopsJoin Express Success (fee)Investor Website (Basic)Properties MarketedMember DirectoryFREEINVESTORBUSINESSA$35 Fee$50 Each$50 EachOn Business DirectoriesHome Depot DiscountHost Vendor Table for FeeAnnual Auto Renwal PriceFREE$149 $699Monthly Option for 1 Person - $25 / MonthQuarterly Option is$249 / Quarter