One of the biggest joys that comes from providing seminars is meeting folks who share the same interest in real estate investing that I have.  What is even more heartwarming to me is seeing the increasing numbers of family investors who pitch-in and work together as a: team on their income properties.  Dad will often negotiate the deals, while Mom is charged with the bookkeeping, records and accounting.  Teenagers must cut the grass, mend the fences and keep the family investment in good operating condition to make sure the income keeps rolling in every month.

One question that always arises — Can small-time operators actually earn enough money in real estate to make investing worthwhile? Many critics will claim that when you do something on a part-time basis, it generally ends up a lot more like a hobby instead of a profit-making venture!  Amateur investors can’t possibly expect to compete with the many thousands of real estate professionals, they reason.

THE HORTON FAMILY INVESTMENT TEAM

My good friends and long-time subscribers to my newsletter are perfect examples of what family investors can achieve working together as a team.  I first met Craig and Jane some years ago at a Southern Oregon rental housing convention.  Both were very much involved with their local housing association, which was hosting the event.  I mention  this because the Horton family are doers!  They don’t stand around on the sidelines,  waiting for things to happen.  The Horton’s make things happen, and obviously that’s why they’re successful family investors today.

Larry was just a teenager when we met and he was busy winning all kinds of awards at, the local St. Mary’s High School track team.  While Larry was running and jumping at the track, Mom and Dad were busy running around town looking at fixer-upper houses and foreclosed properties owned by the local bank.  Knowing Mama and Papa Horton like I do, I’d be willing to bet that no matter how many trophies,  Larry won for his prowess on the track, he still never ran fast enough to out-run clean-up chores at the family rental properties.  I’d also be willing to make a small wager that some of the rental income from the Horton properties found its way out to the University of Missouri, where young Larry received his higher education.

WATCHING THE HORTONS IS A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

I began observing the Horton family investment team shortly after they attended my seminar in Sacramento, California many years ago — And I must tell you, they haven’t stood in one place very long!  The Horton’s are either buying more properties or learning better ways to do it.  In just a single year, they acquired seven properties, which included several HUD repos.  I’m also aware that they’ve continuously attended educational seminars.  And if that’s not enough, they still find time to take family vacations too!  Although I can’t prove it, I don’t believe the Horton’s ever sleep!

It wasn’t too long after I met the Horton family that it became obvious to me that nothing short of lightening striking them down would ever stop them from achieving the goals they had set for themselves. For one thing, AND HOW VERY IMPORTANT IT IS, they both had very positive attitudes!  Attitude controls everything we do. Most folks must train themselves to stay positive, but the good news is — Almost anyone who wants to, can do it! You can always pick out the winners by how well they handle their daily problems.  Problems, big and small, are reduced to nothing more than routine stuff when you keep your attitude in a positive mode.

The Horton family are do’ers, not just talkers and procrastinators!  Nothing in the world makes better fertilizer for growing a money tree than the owner’s shadow!  Even though Craig and Jane continue to attend seminars to improve themselves, they don’t believe in just sitting around waiting till they know everything.  The truth is, a good part of an investor’s education can best be acquired while working in the trenches,