Home Based Real Estate Investing

So you want to work from your home, invest in real estate, and make a fortune...
Well, there are not too many more excuses that can be made in this day and age concerning working from home...
With so many multiple listing services constantly uploading fresh data to the web and the the niche sites for foreclosure data, the tools are quite readily available to begin a career in real estate right from your own home.
Now, the big million dollar question, are you motivated and focused to do so? This is really where the truth seems to hurt most.
I have personally been involved with an Online Foreclosure Multiple Listing Service [http://www.foreclosurestore.com/index.php?p=zine] for the past 6 years, and let me tell you, I have heard every excuse there pretty much is as to why people fail with the tools provided to them.
The biggest problem I find with people investing in real estate for the first time is a lack of patience. Things do not always happen instantly. The more anyone progresses in any business, they quicken their success by understanding their own mistakes, and hopefully from the mistakes of others. Whether you are a first time investor or seasoned pro, taking the time to understand each potential real estate deal is key. This is an example, I received a call from a lady who was unhappy with the listings that she was looking at. She starts the call off with me very upset and quite frantic. I punch up the zipcode that she was searching in and quite a few properties come up from the query. I then ask the woman why would she be upset when there are so many properties to possibly get involved with, she replies "I don't have the time to pursue so many listings", so now I think to myself, at one moment in the not so distant past this lady has come up with the bright idea of owning a home for whatever reason, she purchases a membership to a service that allows her the luxury of reviewing homes from the comfort of her own home, yet she has no time? Well, now I have to ask why she has no time, meanwhile in my head I'm trying to give her the benefit of the doubt with rationals like, she's probably working fulltime, is a single mom, etc. etc...This is not the case...her husband works fulltime, she stays at home, no kids, and is trying to undertake a career in real estate...WOW!, no time, eh? I decided to basically dismiss this person after that comment and realized that her membership to our listing service would soon collect dust just like any exercise equipment she may have invested in.
This brings me to the real meat of what I have to say here. Whatever it takes for you as an individual to become self motivated and organized is truly up to you! It really starts and ends with YOU! Of course understanding and learning are quite key to any endeavor, but the motivation and focus needs to start with you. Think about it, you can review and inquire on properties right from your home, you can find free credit reports pretty much anywhere online, you can apply for loans online to fund your ventures, and you can even buy how-to materials or even get a personal real estate coach these days...no excuse in the tool department...also a bit of advice, if you find after reading this article that you have had a few moments in your life with past attempts at anything like exercise equipment, courses on anything, dieting, saving money, or whatever, go and dig them out of your closet and make the most out of them as possible...how could you repeatedly make the largest purchase any American will make(buying a home) if you are carrying the weight of failing yourself or letting yourself down...you owe it to your self to do what you say you are going to do for yourself. This is how a network of real estate contacts starts, this is how a portfolio of real estate investments gets built, this is how balance and happiness is brought to your life.
Always take notes!
Best wishes on your endeavors...and remember to do what you say you are going to do for yourself!