For those of us thinking towards retirement planning, there are a lot of options put in front of us. While historically, many have relied on career retirement plans—do they really cut it anymore?

Those who are serious about having a solid retirement fund will want to look into investment options well before their golden years. Some might just settle for IRAs, stocks, and bonds, while others will look into more ambitious options. And those options can be hit-or-miss!

There are bad investment options out there. You know the ones. Gold. Gemstones. Tax shelters. Collectibles. Even stocks, except for the most experienced and savvy investors. For the average American, you’re going to want an investment that really pays off. Not one that you spend time hoping and praying works out.

One of the unique features of the Memphis Invest story, is the transition from a transaction based company focused on selling houses, to a customer service based company focused on providing an experience.

Friday October 7th 6:00PM to 7:30PM ~ Memphis Invest offices, Grapevine, TX.
Saturday October 8th 8:30AM to 12:30PM ~ The Palace Theater, Grapevine, TX.
Saturday October 8th 12:30PM to 2:30 PM ~ Lunch at Memphis Invest offices, Grapevine, TX.

As with just about everyone, real estate investors can fall prey to hype. While the tried-and-true ways to invest still reign supreme, there are new trends constantly popping up—flavors of the week that don’t last and rarely deliver on their promises.

In real estate investment, hype can look like a lot of different things...

Many of us are guilty of focusing a little too much on income. Granted, income is important. We have to have money to cover bills, needs and desires and offer life security for ourselves and families. No one is denying that security is very important to our overall wellbeing.

Its never too early to start planning for taxes!  It may be tax day 2016, but we have a fantastic webinar with Amanda Holbrook, formerly with Memphis Invest and currently a superstar at Specialized IRA services, to help you get planning for next year!

If you invest in real estate, there is a trend that you need to know about.  For real estate investors, and real estate professionals in general, big data is slowly transforming how we do real estate, especially when it comes to the buying and selling process. But it goes deeper than that, too.

Big data, more than anything, is making things more accessible, more transparent, and less risky for real estate investors. But how, exactly? What does it mean for investors?

Defining Big Data

Forbes has one of the best definitions of big data we’ve seen:

"Big data is a collection of data from traditional and digital sources inside and outside your company that represents a source for ongoing discovery and analysis."

This data can be high-volume or high-velocity to be “big,” and it’s only worth anything to you if it’s accurate. After all, making decisions based on bad data will wind you up in a world of trouble.

As human beings, we’re all prone to making  excuses for ourselves. Everyone deals with insecurities and fears—it’s natural. For anyone looking to have a successful business of any kind, getting past the excuses born out of these fears and negative thoughts is a crucial first step.

Getting into the business of real estate is an infinitely rewarding journey. Investing now means building up a solid financial future: something you, your family, and future generations can depend on and enjoy.

Investing in real estate, however, isn’t as simple as just starting. It’s a business that demands a lot of education and time to be done right and profitably, and, really: the stakes can get high. Should that deter you from starting? Absolutely not! The reward is worth the work it takes, and many times over.

Investing in real estate just isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme, and if that’s what people are expecting, they’re in the wrong place!

Beyond getting started, there are questions you as an investor have to answer for yourself: what kind of investor do you want to be? There are endless opportunities out there to fit the particular style that captivates and excites you.

Investing in real estate is a long-term commitment—at least, to achieve the kind of success we read about so often on books and blogs. Sure, some investors hit it big or have a lot of resources to leverage from the very beginning. But for most of us, it’s years of hard work on a solid buy-and-hold strategy that guides our investments.

Over time, our passive income adds up to something big—something that fuels retirements, futures, and lifelong passions.

The dream is great. The reality is hard.