I’ve got some pretty good company when it comes to my blogging competition (friendly of course). There are some really great blogs out there that you all should read if you’re as much into investing as I am. This is not an exhaustive source, but these are my go to real estate investing Blogs of late.

FlipThisWholesaler.net – Steph Davis is a friend. She’s come so far in her investing endeavors since we first met, and I’m proud of her. Her focus is on wholesaling – and she’s damn good at it.

Subject2.com – Nick Johnson just flat out loves to write. His posts can get a little long, but damn are they information packed. You’ll usually see a new post from Nick on a daily basis. I love to catch up with his posts over my morning coffee.

StrugglingInvestor.com – Scott Costello seems like a really good and humble guy. I don’t know how hard he’s struggling at this point, but I do know he’s working pretty hard. He always has good content. Check it out!

BiggerPockets.com I don’t know a whole ton about this site, but I do know that everytime I check it out, it seems chock-full-o-content.  Check it out, you’ll agree that there are a lot of smart people contributing to this site.

Ingrid Armstrong’s Blog – Scott Costello turned me on to Ingrid’s blog. Are you working a 9-to-5? Are you a mother or dad trying to keep it all together while also trying to make a better life for you and your family? If so, you’ll really identify with Ingrid. She’s a stay-at-home Mom who blogs about her path to becomming a real estate investor. Very insightful.

Square Feet Blog – Ok, like every residential investor, I too think about flipping and/or owning deals with more zeros. This is a pretty cool blog that deals with commercial real estate topics.

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Well, it’s finally done, and here it is. I know I say this about all my deals, but Hamilton Ave is truly my greatest rehab yet. Some lucky homeowner is going to get a great home when they buy this Craig-Fuhr-rehab (I promise, that’s the last time I’ll ever write in 3rd person). The place is spacious, and luxurious. Its quaint and opulent all at the same time. The home has it all. Lots of space, super open and airy layout, high-end finish, tons of storage, a kid’s dream for a back yard, -- and it absolutely perfect for entertaining.

This house, more than any I have ever done, presented so many challenges in terms of its original layout. As we know, challenges are simply opportunities in hiding.

I think we did a pretty good job uncovering the opportunities. Check out the before and after video of this great rehab. I’d be happy to hear your comments.

How about a whole crap-pile of pictures for ya?

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Hey wholesalers in PG County….are ya listening? Stop working so hard trying to figure it all out. Let me make your life easy, just email me first when you get a deal. I need houses in PG, and I’m willing to pay huge wholesale fees.

So if you come across a smokin’ hot deal in Lanham, New Carrollton, District Heights, Landover, Landover Heights and even parts of Capital Heights -- you would be a fool if you didn’t go straight to CraigFuhr.com to shoot me an email in the little box on my home page (pictured to the left).

If you’re a wholesaler, the first thing you want to know when you sign that contract is that you’ve already got that contract sold. If you know me, and you know where I’m buying -- you can sleep all cozy at night knowing that you’ve got quick money coming once you sign your contract with the Seller.

Watch the video, find a deal -- then email me. How simple can I make it for you?

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Here it is. The beast, the nemesis, the magic mansion that will soon turn into dollars falling from the sky -- God willing. This, my investing pals & pallettes, is Diller, and like the comedian of the same name -- in its heart, Diller thinks she’s beautiful, but she needs some serious cosmetic surgery to bring her back to life.

Even though its been vacant for some time, the house is in remarkable good shape. The problem is, she was broken into a few apartments, and the layout is beyond horrible. We won’t have to do a full gut, but because of the house’s sheer size, the rehab budget for this one is $70,000.00.

We’ll bust it up and make a gorgeous modern layout, add 3 full baths, and 2 1/2 baths. We’ll gut the kitchen, transform the attic into an fabulous owner’s suite, make the front porch into a all-season oasis, add some stone to the facade, replace all the windows…. You, know, we’ll do what we do!!!

Here’s the kinda lame before video. Stay tuned for more.

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Well, there doing it again in Baltimore. Thank you; oh ever miopic, ultra-liberal Baltimore politicians. Folks, if you own rental houses in Baltimore, you better read the email I received this morning – and YOU BETTER ACT. C’mon, let’s start our own tea-party. Get active! Attention landlords in Baltimore City – if they pass this lead law in Baltimore County, you can believe it will be coming to the city.

Baltimore is already a terrible city in which to be a landlord, but just when I start to think they can’t get any worse, they’re now looking to make the lead laws in Baltimore even more stringent. Read below:

Our lobbyist Bob Enten has asked our help in defeating Senate Bill 504, scheduled for a hearing on Thursday March 4 at 1:00 p.m. in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.

This bill would require owners to perform BOTH the 10-step risk reduction standard AND clearance lead dust tests in order to get a Full Risk Reduction Certificate from MDE. This would cost millions of dollars and would not result in the decrease of incidents of lead poisonings. MDE statistics show that over half the poisonings in 2008 occurred in the dwellings other than pre-1950 rental properties. In addition, the statistical trend – in reducing incidents of lead poisoning – has been steadily downward over the 14 years that the law has required us to perform either the 10-steps or lead dust clearance testing. MDE needs to concentrate efforts on enforcement of the existing law, not on making the law more difficult and costly for those who already comply.

There are two important swing votes in the JPR Committee:

1. Senator James Brochin of Baltimore County District 42 (telephone 410-841-3648; email jim.brochin@senate.state.md.us) – His District includes Towson, east to Harford Road,

and

2. Senator Norman Stone of Baltimore County District 6 (telephone 410-841-3587; email norman.stone@senate.state.md.us) – His District includes Dundalk.

This week, we need to send many emails and phone calls to both Sen. Brochin and Sen. Stone from property owners in their respective districts – asking them to vote against Senate Bill 504.

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I’ve had better weeks, but I’ve certainly had worse. This post and video was prompted as a result of a text message I received from my new buddy, Mike Henninger. Like me, Mike had a rough week. We commiserated a bit, delighted in each others’ trials, and decided to get back to work.

This can be a lonely business, folks. I think all entrepreneurs feel like its them against the world, but there’s something about real estate investing that really makes you feel like you’re on a never ending roller-coaster. Those of us who ride the coaster well will be the most successful —- but, if you let the coaster ride you, you’ll never make it in this business.

Work through the peaks and the valleys. Don’t allow yourself to get too high nor too low. Master your roller-coaster and you will succeed as a real estate investor.

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Damn -- ugh! Its every year at about this time that I quite simply shut down. I get the winter blues. Like a delicate flower, I need sun, sand, water and a little fertilization (in the form of alcohol). I need a vacation. So when you watch this video, just know that I wished I was somewhere else while I was shooting it.

Anywho, we’ve made some serious progress on this place in just a few short weeks. We’re essentially ready for sheetrock. Check it out now, ’cause the next time you’ll see it, it will be a whole different place.

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There’s something about Mary…Avenue. We’ve been working on this monstrosity for about two weeks. Once complete, this will be my second greatest “real estate” accomplishment -- that is because I’m about to get started on what will be my greatest. Stand by for that update.

Anyway, we picked up El-Crappo from a bank, of course. The original buyer flaked (he did not close) after he bid $10,000 over asking price. What an ass-hat! I wound up getting the house for $7,000.00 UNDER asking price. Hey, Ass-Hat -- I win. You lose. Game over!

Oh, did I mention the 15″ of water in the basement we found 1 day before settlement? Another great day!

Set up as multi-unit with a horrible layout, we will transform Mary from a 3/1 to a 4/2 with a killer modern, opulent and exquisite layout. Wait until you see the master-suite. It’s a room that just keeps giving. Long and short….my wife is pissed that I keep making houses nicer than the one we live in.

Check the video of all the before shots. Update 2 is already in the can, and will be coming soon.

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Are you standing at the threshold of a career in investing. Are you just beginning but you don’t know how? Most wannabe investors have passion and desire, but no money. That’s OK, you’re closer than you think. Once you get a smoking hot deal, you need to answer two very important questions.

I shot a quick video with a brief story on how I got started with no money. I hope this helps you do the same.

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This is my little giant. Such a small looking house from the outside, but on the inside it just keeps giving. Kipling has been an enjoyable little retail flip that has really kept me up at night. The layout of this house was nothing short of disastrous, so when I got in there to do my thing -- it really took a great deal of planning to bring the layout up to the 21st century.

I talked about this in previous posts -- when you walk in a house before and just after demo, you need to stop and ask yourself, “Does it work? Does it give the buyer what buyers want in today’s market?”  If it doesn’t, take the time to make sure it does. Do not just trudge on with ordinary. Really pause to think of how you can make the house work better. That’s our job, right?

This house had a smallish kitchen that was completely separated from the rest of the house. It had no flow, no open-airy feeling. The sun room was anything but sunny, the basement was cold and dank, and the upstairs dormer bedrooms were, well, they were dormer bedrooms.

We made the sunroom area the kitchen, the kitchen a bedroom, and one of the dormers became the master. The basement is finished, and the place has a whole new feel. It been transformed from a 3 br / 1.5 ba sleeper to a 4 br / 3 full bath modern marvel

We’re almost done, but check out the progress video below:

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