Profit from Real Estate Investing

In today's volatile investing climate, more and more people are turning to the relative stability and tremendous income potential of real estate as a safe haven for their money. For those interested in learning the essentials of investing in real estate, a new online course entitled "Real Estate Investing" might prove to be of interest. The course includes weekly lectures and hands-on exercises, online discussion areas, and access to specially designed worksheets for analyzing potential transactions. The course is designed to be fun and highly interactive, with plenty of opportunities students to tailor the techniques explored in the course to their own personality and financial goals.

January 12, 2005 -- In today's volatile and increasingly perilous investing climate, more and more people are turning to the relative stability and tremendous income potential of real estate as a safe haven for their money. With interest rates still near record lows and home sales at all time highs, many financial analysts have cited real estate as the solid, stable rock in today's roller coaster economy.

For those interested in learning the essentials of investing in real estate, a new online course entitled "Real Estate Investing" might prove to be of interest. The six-week course teaches participants the essential steps to investing in single-family homes. Beginners will learn how to start buying and selling properties to create streams of income, even on a part-time basis. Experienced investors will add tools to their toolbox to diversify their real estate interests and broaden their investing knowledge. Topics covered include how to find and analyze great deals, how to get financing, and techniques for negotiating.

The class also explores the technical aspects of acquiring and profiting from property, including how to find, finance, and negotiate a deal, and how to invest in lease options, foreclosures, quick flips, rehabs, and mobile homes. There is also a special section on the effects of higher interest rates and alternative strategies for investing in a changing market. The course includes weekly lectures and hands-on exercises, online discussion areas, and access to specially designed worksheets for analyzing potential transactions. The course is designed to be fun and highly interactive, with plenty of opportunities students to tailor the techniques explored in the course to their own personality and financial goals.

Josh Fuhrer, a private investor and property manager, teaches the course. "Investing in real estate for the first time can be very intimidating," says Fuhrer. "There's a lot of money involved, a lot of details to keep track of, and you're always wondering in the back of your mind if you got a good deal. With so much at stake, you'd better be sure about what you're doing."

A former college instructor turned real estate investor, Fuhrer notes that instructor-student and student-student interaction is vital to helping students learn investing concepts and gain confidence in their investing abilities.

"Amazingly, even though money matters play a significant role in most people's lives, many schools just don't offer this kind of financial education," Fuhrer says. For most people, the only option is to buy a book or expensive set of tapes and try to fill in the gaps themselves, without any interaction with an instructor or other students. Or worse, he says, "they might buy a property and try fixing it up to sell for a profit. But they often end up wasting their time and losing thousands of dollars because they aren't well versed in investing basics." In most cases, these approaches are far from adequate in terms of giving students the tools they need to be successful. "This course will help change that," adds Fuhrer.

"Real Estate Investing" can be taken entirely over the Internet, from the convenience of your home or office, and at any time of the day or night. For more information about this course--part of a growing catalog of more than 200 other instructor-facilitated online courses at www.ed2go.com/svcdc -contact the Southwest Vermont Career Development Center Adult Education Office at 802-447-3596.

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