YouTube Video Previewer for Detroit Investors shakes things up

As part of a 5 part series on Detroit Real Estate Professional

Shea Woods is the unofficial out-of-state investors OO7. He is licensed to thrill and sometimes kills a deal with his video camera and with the aid of his trusty sidekick- “Dave the Camera man” they venture from location to location seeking out solid properties on behalf of their investors.

Shea offers an informative video preview service for out of town investors before they buy and also supplies insights to the neighborhoods.

His service is featured on YouTube under the Shea Show and Cheap Detroit Property channel. We caught up with Shea and asked him about the investors he is working for and why he is the man to get the job done.
Watch the conversation and interview here.

Investor from Japan Loves Detroit Real Estate Prospects

 In July of 2009, Yasu Miyamoto got on a plane and flew straight to Detroit, after reading about my exploits in Detroit’s hot real estate market.

THe Detroit Investors- Shea, Yasu, Volonte Williams

 

Upon reading a few articles and watching my video’s explaining the investment opportunities in the Detroit metro area, Yasu knew he wanted “in.” Now was the time to purchase and purchase he did. Not only did he buy one property, he actually bought (3) within days of meeting up with me. All were turnkey and rehabbed and all of them were purchased from stock of properties within my portfolio.

“This guy was cleaning me out!”

 Yasu, a Japanese citizen, Harvard Graduate, and Senior Analyst for a major investment house based in Boston, is seeking a good place to harvest returns based on cash investments.

He may or may not be a wealthy man, but one thing I can say for sure is he is taking the calculated risk that most mavericks take -and that is to be a trail blazer in a down turn housing market (that will eventually rebound) and is making bets that his money will earn much more than his financial institution will just sitting there in a CD or money market account.

It is safe to say that Yasu is a smart man and makes informed decisions based on many factors including; data backed and formulaic analytically supported  information (as well as basic economic  dollar and sense math).

And that is what the market is in Detroit…. dollars and sense math.

There are over 1,027,974  people living in Detroit and over 40 percent are renters (600,000). Hud has 9,200 pre-approved people on the Sec 8 waiting list and more to come. This is fact!

 Did you know that homes can be bought for 20 cents on the dollar and sometime less but the only people who can afford to buy are actually people with cash?  By this I mean if you have the means you can capitalize on the opportunity as it stands today but will morph into a higher price point later as the cycle changes and the old supply and demand adage hits hyper-drive.

If Detroit’s foreclosure investment market where a car that went up to 100 per hour we would be driving at around 45 mph right now. And, as Yasu and many other investors start to rev up their financial enginuity, this blog writer, full time investor and  part time classic car enthusiast continues to delve deeper into the market place of one of the most exciting places to park cash and buy property in the USA…just ask Yasu, he’ll back me up.

 Written by Volonte Williams, July 31st, 2009

Digging for Gold in Detroit’s Housing market?

Yes, the media says it’s going under but I have proof that it’s going over the top-and it is landing in the lap of savvy investors from as far away as California, and all the way to Japan and Australia.

While making a splash with the now famous “100 dollar home” video, as previewed by YouTube celeb Shea Woods for  his Detroit Cheap Property channel- it suddenly dawned on me that Detroit has the dubious distinction of being the worst and best real estate market in the country.

Where else can you buy a house for 100 bucks and sell the very same property for many times over the purchase price? That would be Detroit silly, the Mecca of opportunity and misunderstood economy. It is this variance that is causing a distinct window of opportunity that I personally give a 12-18 month life span.

(Rock bottom pricing has this mysterious way of disappearing once the trampling begins and the doors fling wide open.)

What is the temperature in the water?

Well, investors seeking solid monthly cash flow and 20-35 percent ROI (return on investments) are acting like sharks in the water. They smell blood and are giddy over the opportunity to dine like lions of the Safari.

And in the time since I started my investment ventures in the city of misunderstood economy, I too have seen incredible deals, bought and sold- and as I watch as the competition is getting tough (as seemingly the 2nd wave of what I call the 3 wave markets kicks in) the Detroit goldmine is shining so bright that mom and pops are getting in the game too.

 Just recently, I was contacted by a construction worker from Manhattan. He saw my article written by Anne Kadet for SmartMoney magazine’s June 2009 issue entitled- “The new Prospectors of the Downturn Real Estate Market.”

I received emails from a Sacramento, California investor named Helen who needed to find homes in Detroit to flip and rent for cash flow.  Then there is Yasu Miyamoto from Japan, who indeed purchased not one, but three of my turnkey income properties.

As Yasu’s colleagues put it “are these prices a mistake or a typo?” You see, from the outsiders looking in- Detroit represents a glimmer of sunshine towards their otherwise dismal returns and floundering portfolios.

In Australia, the paltry returns on real estate investments are more negative than positive.The entry point on such properties require at least $20,000 down at a medium price of $416,000  Australian dollars.

So conversely, Detroit with its low entry point and high yields look like “Disneyland” in the middle of Beirut -even amidst the supposed crime and decay, gold can be found in them darn hills (and homes).

Don’t believe me? Check this video of Jason an Australian investor who came into town looking for deals.

http://www.youtube.com/user/volontewilliams#play/uploads/4/x_Mqrip5YOk

 Written by Volonte Williams, July 28^th, 2009