Welcome to “Tarl's Weekly Insights," my take on real estate today. 

In these newsletters, we'll dive deep into the real estate world, share valuable investment strategies, and explore the craziness that life has thrown my way. Whether it’s my struggle and journey of overcoming flipping, deciphering the insanity of the market, successful strategies being used in REI, or just me making fun of social media real estate investors...

I can't wait to share it all with you.

The rates are not going back to what they were over the last few years any time soon...deal with what is, not with what isn't.

At this point, the only people optimistic about rates dropping soon are multi-family syndicators with bridge debt or investors with deals they bought in early 2022 and can't get out of them...oh yeah, and mortgage brokers are optimistic too.

The Fed has been very transparent that they will not be dropping the rates, yet many people out there still hope and pray that they will. Sure, there will be some fluctuations in the rate, but there will not be significant drops in the near future.

It is my belief, once you accept this, you can start dealing with what is and adjusting your investment strategy accordingly. "Waiting" until the rates drop again means you are going to be waiting a long time, and you will be missing a lot of opportunities along the way.

Keep in mind when DEALS ARE PREVALENT, FINANCING IS ALWAYS HARD TO GET, and when DEALS ARE SCARCE, FINANCING IS EASY TO GET. But wait!? Deals are hard to find right now AND financing is hard to get...I know...crazy, right? You can wait a bit longer, and in my opinion, deals will start popping up, but you don't have to wait. There are always deals to be found, and we sometimes have to change our strategy to find them.

Here is what I am doing today:

• I am buying in NEW markets. Looking for opportunities. Remember, in real estate you can invest anywhere if you have the proper systems in place.
• I am buying in markets that I believe have long term stability and growth, and can weather economic storms.
• I am thinking long term for the first time in my investment career. Crazy. What is 2 years of turmoil in real estate, when you are in this business for the next 20 years? Different perspectives.

Could I be wrong? OF COURSE! Yet investing is all about making educated guesses, and this is mine. Either way, I am not sitting on the sidelines anymore.

What are all the Realtors and Mortgage Brokers doing for work out there?

We all know someone who went full-time into the real estate industry over the last few years, but what are they up to now? I think I saw a mortgage broker the other day holding a sign on a street that said "will give proof of funds for food," or something like that.

With the refi boom done with, what are the mortgage brokers up to? I can tell you with certainty that many of them are out of work, and offices are shutting down throughout the country.

Realtors are also facing the same circumstances as well, and some are starting to realize "real estate is hard..."

I am not knocking on these professions, I rely on realtors and amazing mortgage brokers all the time. The point of this is that A LOT of these professionals, their staff, supporting companies (like appraisers/title/escrow, etc) are all going to be out of work or are already out of work. This is a large number of people. Additionally...commercial properties are already in trouble, yet many of the small office spaces out there were occupied by Lending businesses and real estate agencies...yet they are closing up shop and creating additional pressure on the commercial industry. The trickle-down effect of all of this is yet to be seen.

So...if you are a struggling realtor/lender, look around your office for the veteran who has been doing this for 20 years, who has seen markets come and go, seen agents come and go, yet they are still here. How did they adjust? What did the agents of 2009 do? There are always opportunities, and there are always people thriving in every market...make some changes right now.

Limitless Expo 2024 dates are officially announced! 

Pre-sale SUPER early bird tickets are on sale now. We sell out each year. Join Ken McElroy and I in August 2024 and get your tickets at the CHEAPEST they will ever be. Go to LimitlessExpo.com now.

Admitting you have a problem is always the first step to overcoming any addiction. You would think that most of us are aware that we have an issue...it's totally obvious to us when our friends or family have an issue, yet we cannot see our own problems. For me, I should have known right away that I had a problem when my CPA laughed at me many years ago when I asked, "hey how do I reduce my tax bill? This is a TON of taxes!" He not only laughed at me, he then said "that's what happens when you make so much active income and have nothing to offset it." It wasn't for many more years before I even understood what he meant.

Flipping houses has made me a ton of income, and it has allowed me to do so much in my life. It has also caused me to age faster, drink more than I should at times, keep me up late at night, and become condescending to newer investors when they complain about a project over budget.

Today, I am aware of my problem. I know I am a flipping addict and that is something I have to live with. I also know there are others like me out there, which is why I am creating Flippers Anonymous. A safe place for investors like you and I. Together, we are stronger.

Let's stay connected! Find me on social media at @tarlyarber and stay updated with additional videos and content.

That's it for this edition of Tarl's Weekly Insights! Stay tuned for more each week!

Talk Soon,

Tarl Yarber