Writing out your goals and setting an action plan are critical steps if you want to succeed on the path to financial freedom.  It’s not enough to think to yourself that you’d like to do 5 deals this year.  That’s not a goal, it’s a dream.  You need to write it down and then break it into the necessary steps to achieve it - that makes it a goal. 

It’s been proven time and again that people who have written goals and review them regularly are far more successful than those who don’t. 

For more information on getting started with an action plan see chapter 18 of my book, Investing in Real Estate with Lease Options and Subject-To Deals.

Here is a sample ad: 

Gorgeous, smaller 1 bedroom apartment, in hip neighborhood, perfect for young couple without children. $900/month…

Sounds pretty benign doesn’t it?  This is based off an actual case in which the owner was sued and found guilty of violating Fair Housing Law.  Stating that the apartment was perfect for a young couple without children discriminates based on familial status and age.  The owner maintained that he wasn’t trying to discriminate.  He argued that he was pointing out to potentially interested parties that because the apartment was small it would be too crowded for a family, not that he wouldn’t have allowed a family to live there.  Nevertheless, he was found guilty.

Fair Housing Law is enforced VERY strictly and the reality is that it’s quite easy to stay in compliance.  Just make sure that you do stay in compliance because the penalties are stiff. 

For more information on fair housing law see chapter 12 of my book Investing in Real Estate with Lease Options and Subject-To Deals.