July 28, 2004
Who Wants To Be a Real Estate Millionaire?
Don't Kick Yourself Later, Invest Today
5 Simple Keys to Successful Landlording
Don't Hire a Property Manager or Buy Insurance Until You've Read This
Quick Tip: Never Rush
This Month's Survey
Welcome to the Nation, Your Source for Essential Know-How
Chart your own course. It's our corporate mission, and we're empowering others to do the same.

We're Socrates, the trusted resource for the growing number of you who seek your own solutions to everyday challenges and opportunities in business, personal and real estate matters. And now our Socrates Nation newsletter will deliver to you the timely how-to information you need to save time and money by taking matters into your own hands.

This month we explore why investing in property—whether buying your first home or becoming a landlord—is the key to a brighter future. We hope you enjoy this first issue and the many more to come.

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Who Wants To Be a Real Estate Millionaire?

Fred Sinclair* is a bright man and a former teacher. He has a lovely wife, a nice family and a good job at a publishing company.

But every day, twice a day, Fred kicks himself, hard. Why? Three words: real estate investment.

Fred missed out on an opportunity to make, literally, a million dollars because he waived a white flag and surrendered to his fear. But read on, learn from his mistakes, and discover how, with a little guts of your own, you can stash some serious cash in the bank by buying property. Don't wait, find out how now.

*Fred's name has been changed to protect his now-fragile ego from any more embarrassing blows.
Don't Kick Yourself Later, Invest Today

With home prices on the rise and interest rates bouncing up and down, hindsight may be telling you that 2003 should have been your year to invest in real estate. But don't look back, peer instead into the future. After all, the National Association of Realtors(R) expects the median existing-home price to rise 6.7 percent this year, and it says the median new-home price may hit $209,600, that's up 7.9 percent from 2003. Arm yourself with the right information so when the time is right for you to buy, you can act quickly.
Don't fall prey to a seller or agent's intimidation—"Make an offer now! There are 10 other interested buyers! The area is hot!"—and end up agreeing to someone else's timetable. No deal is that perfect.
5 Simple Keys to Successful Landlording
Achieving success as a landlord boils down to a handful of key ideas. Follow these five essential tips and you'll have good, qualified and happy tenants, which in turn means a healthy stream of income for building up your nest egg. Save time, avoid headaches, read on!
Don't Hire a Property Manager or Buy Insurance Until You've Read This

Learn the eight questions you must ask potential management companies before signing a contract and read up on the fundamentals of insuring rental properties. We cover both in two quick tutorials you don't want to miss: 8 Indispensible Questions to Ask Property Managers and Insurance 101 for Landlords.
Agreement to Sell Real Estate
Whether you're selling a home or purchasing investment property, execute the transaction safely and easily. The customizable Agreement to Sell Real Estate allows you to protect yourself.


Residential Lease
Protect yourself and satisfy your tenants: Socrates' Residential Lease form provides an up-to-date, customizable agreement that lays out rental terms and conditions-from payments to pets to parking- in clear, concise language.


This Month's Survey
True or False? I've considered investing in real estate, but the thought of being a landlord intimidates me.

Sorry. This survey has ended. Please see our August issue for the results.