By now many of you have heard of the fast-growing real estate investment college named Nouveau Riche University.  NRU is a wealth building school that focuses on real estate investing strategies, tax & legal strategies, and overall financial empowerment. 

Here are some of the current real estate investing strategies and classes that they teach:

Nouveau Riche Real Estate Investing College Classes & Strategies

Fix & Flip	Purchasing property, putting in sweat equity, and quickly turning the property over for a profit.
Course Level Instructor Days NRU Hrs
Real Estate 101 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Establishing Your Business Vision 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Building Your Team 100 Darryl Wortham 0.5 3
Understanding Mortgages 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Creative Financing 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Legal Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Tax Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Market Analysis 200 Kyle Cross 1 6
Negotiations for Real Estate 200 Bob Snyder 1 6
Fix & Flip 201 Chris Wilson 1 6
Lease Options 301 Chris Wilson 0.5 3
Total: 10 60
Foreclosures	Investing in properties that have undergone a legal proceeding where the Mortgagor’s interest in the property was terminated to satisfy the unpaid debt owed to the Lender.
Course Level Instructor Days NRU Hrs
Real Estate 101 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Establishing Your Business Vision 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Understanding Mortgages 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Creative Financing 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Legal Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Tax Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Market Analysis 200 Kyle Cross 1 6
Negotiations for Real Estate 200 Bob Snyder 1 6
Foreclosures 200 Rick Rickert 1 6
Total: 9 54
Joint Ventures	An arrangement where two or more individuals or entities join together as partners.
Course Level Instructor Days NRU Hrs
Real Estate 101 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Establishing Your Business Vision 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Building Your Team 100 Darryl Wortham 0.5 3
Understanding Mortgages 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Creative Financing 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Legal Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Tax Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Negotiations for Real Estate 200 Bob Snyder 1 6
Business Financial Management I 200 Jim Allfrey 0.5 3
Joint Ventures 200 TBD 0.5 3
Total: 8.5 51
Lease Options	A method by which the tenant is able to choose to purchase leased premises from the landlord/owner at a later date.
Course Level Instructor Days NRU Hrs
Real Estate 101 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Establishing Your Business Vision 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Understanding Mortgages 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Creative Financing 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Legal Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Tax Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Creative Acquisition Strategies 200 Chris Albin 1 6
Buy & Hold I (Offers/Deal Structuring) 101 Kyle Cross 0.5 3
Buy & Hold II/Landlording 201 Chris Wilson 1 6
Managing Property Managers 201 Chris Wilson 0.5 3
Lease Options 301 Chris Wilson 0.5 3
Total: 9.5 57
Mechanic's Liens/Bankruptcy	Investing focused on securing interests in (a) liens created on work performed by contractors but not paid and (b) opportunities created by property owners who are seeking protection from creditors.
Course Level Instructor Days NRU Hrs
Real Estate 101 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Establishing Your Business Vision 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Understanding Mortgages 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Creative Financing 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Legal Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Tax Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Negotiations for Real Estate 200 Bob Snyder 1 6
Mechanic's Liens & Bankruptcies 200 TBD 1 6
Total: 8 48
Pre-Foreclosures	Investing in properties that are undergoing a legal proceeding where the Mortgagor’s interest in the property may be terminated to satisfy debts owed to the Lender.
Course Level Instructor Days NRU Hrs
Real Estate 101 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Establishing Your Business Vision 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Understanding Mortgages 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Creative Financing 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Legal Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Tax Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Market Analysis 200 Kyle Cross 1 6
Negotiations for Real Estate 200 Bob Snyder 1 6
Pre-Foreclosures 200 Rick Rickert 0.5 3
Total: 8.5 51
Probate Purchases	A method of discovering through public records real property that may be for sale by motivated sellers prior to the property’s exposure to the general market.
Course Level Instructor Days NRU Hrs
Real Estate 101 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Establishing Your Business Vision 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Legal Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Tax Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Negotiations for Real Estate 200 Bob Snyder 1 6
Fix & Flip 201 Chris Wilson 1 6
Probate Purchases 300 Chris Albin 0.5 3
Wholesaling 301 Chris Wilson 1 6
Total: 7.5 45
Rehabbing	Purchasing and rehabilitating properties.
Course Level Instructor Days NRU Hrs
Real Estate 101 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Establishing Your Business Vision 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Understanding Mortgages 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Creative Financing 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Legal Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Tax Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Market Analysis 200 Kyle Cross 1 6
Negotiations for Real Estate 200 Bob Snyder 1 6
Creative Acquisition Strategies 200 Chris Albin 1 6
Buy & Hold I (Offers/Deal Structuring) 101 Kyle Cross 0.5 3
Fix & Flip 201 Chris Wilson 1 6
Buy & Hold II/Landlording 201 Chris Wilson 1 6
Managing Property Managers 201 Chris Wilson 0.5 3
Lease Options 301 Chris Wilson 0.5 3
Wholesaling 301 Chris Wilson 1 6
Rehabbing 401 Lance Dehning 1 6
Total: 14.5 87
Short Sales	Investing in distressed properties where the Lender agrees to accept a discount on what is owed to allow the sale of the property prior to a foreclosure auction.
Course Level Instructor Days NRU Hrs
Real Estate 101 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Establishing Your Business Vision 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Understanding Mortgages 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Creative Financing 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Legal Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Tax Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Market Analysis 200 Kyle Cross 1 6
Negotiations for Real Estate 200 Bob Snyder 1 6
Creative Acquisition Strategies 200 Chris Albin 1 6
Buy & Hold I (Offers/Deal Structuring) 101 Kyle Cross 0.5 3
Fix & Flip 201 Chris Wilson 1 6
Mechanic's Liens & Bankruptcies 200 TBD 1 6
Foreclosures 200 Rick Rickert 1 6
Lease Options 301 Chris Wilson 0.5 3
Wholesaling 301 Chris Wilson 1 6
Rehabbing 401 Lance Dehning 1 6
Short Sales (Day 1 of 2) 400 McCaleb/Litster 1 12
Short Sales (Day 2 of 2) 400 McCaleb/Litster 1 0
Total: 17 102
Wholesaling	Purchasing property at a discounted price and selling it at a low price.
Course Level Instructor Days NRU Hrs
Real Estate 101 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Establishing Your Business Vision 100 Nancy Dana 1 6
Building Your Team 100 Darryl Wortham 0.5 3
Understanding Mortgages 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Creative Financing 200 Craig Cottrell 1 6
Legal Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Tax Strategies 200 Mark Kohler 1 6
Market Analysis 200 Kyle Cross 1 6
Negotiations for Real Estate 200 Bob Snyder 1 6
Creative Acquisition Strategies 200 Chris Albin 1 6
Buy & Hold I (Offers/Deal Structuring) 101 Kyle Cross 0.5 3
Wholesaling 301 Chris Wilson 1 6
Total: 11 66
Grand Total: 103.5 621

Nouveau Riche University Independent Student Advisors hold weekly overview briefings where people can learn more about the opportunity and the college classes.  If you are used to attending real estate investing workshops, clubs, groups, seminars, bootcamps, gurus, or any other form of education out there, then be ready to be blown away.  You will learn why Nouveau Riche University is the new rising star in the field of Real Estate Investment Education.  Here are some of the Northern California cities that hold weekly events that you can attend for free:

If you would like to attend one of the following events, simply email NRUcalifornia (at) gmail.com and request more information about the event you would like to attend.

Bakersfield Real Estate Investment Club
Wednesday Nights 7:30pm-9:00pm
Bakersfield, CA 93309

Dublin Real Estate Investment Club
Thursday Nights 7:00pm-9:00pm
Dublin, CA 94568

Fresno Investor Group
Tuesday Nights 7:00pm-9:00pm
Fresno, CA 93720

Glendale Real Estate Investment Luncheon
Wednesdays at Noon
Glendale, CA 91362

Glendale Real Estate Investor Club
Wednesday Nights 7:30pm-9:00pm
Glendale, CA 91362

Irvine Real Estate Investor Luncheon
Wednesdays at Noon
Irvine, CA 92618

Marin Real Estate Investment Club
Wednesday Nights 7:00pm-9:00pm
Mill Valley, CA 94941

Newport Beach Real Estate Investing Meeting
Tuesday Nights 7:00pm-9:00pm
Newport Beach, CA 92660

Oakland Real Estate Investment Club
Wednesday Nights 7:00pm-9:00pm
Emeryville, CA 94508

Oxnard Real Estate Investment Club
Wednesday Nights 7:30pm-9:00pm
Oxnard, CA 93036

Palmdale Real Estate Investment Club
Tuesday Nights 7:30pm-9:00pm
Palmdale, CA 93550

Roseville Real Estate Club
Tuesday Nights 7:00pm-9:00pm
Roseville, CA 95678

Sacramento Real Estate Investment Group
Thursday Nights 7:00pm-9:00pm
Sacramento, CA 95841

San Jose Real Estate Investment Club
Wednesday Nights 7:00pm-9:00pm
San Jose-Milpitas, CA 95035

Torrance Real Estate Investment Club
Thursday Nights 7:30pm-9:00pm
Torrance, CA 90503

Torrance Real Estate Investing Briefing
Saturday Mornings 10:00am-11:30am
Torrance, CA 90503

Vacaville Investor Club Meeting
Wednesday Nights 7:00pm-9:00pm
Vacaville, CA 95688

Victorville Real Estate Investment Club
Wednesday Nights 7:00pm-9:00pm
Victorville, CA 92329

Walnut Creek Real Estate Investment Club
Tuesday Nights 7:00pm-9:00pm
Concord, CA 94520

West Covina Investing Group
Thursday Nights 7:00pm-8:30pm
West Covina, CA 91791

Woodland Hills Real Estate Investment Club
Tuesday Nights 7:30pm-9:15pm
Woodland Hills, CA 91367

For more information about Nouveau Riche University, visit their corporate website and definitely take advantage of this awesome education!

Forbes.com uncovers the 30 priciest properties in Asia, Africa,
Australia, Europe and North and South America.

Click the link below to read the full story:
http://www.forbes.com/2005/07/29/expensivehomes-world-realestate-cx_sc_0729home_ls.html

This amazing Bel-Air home made it to #5 on the list.  Read below for more information:

Price: $53 million
Location: Bel-Air, Calif.

As one might expect with a tremendous home in one of California's priciest neighborhoods, no expense was spared with this Mediterranean-style villa. Totaling more than 34,000 square feet, the lavish home has nine bedrooms and 20 baths spread over four floors. The impressive entryway is lit by a 9-foot-tall French crystal chandelier. The formal living room is capped by a 20-foot domed ceiling painted with sky scenes that can be lit eight different ways. The huge entertainment area includes a bowling alley, game room, screening room, racquetball court, fitness room and sauna. And the acre-plus of land is landscaped with lawns, a rose garden and fruit trees. It is listed with Jade Mills at Coldwell Banker.

California Real Estate News

The Santa Cruz Sentinel reports on the all-time lows that Santa Cruz County is facing for home sales this season.  Yet on the same note, real estate agents are flooding the market trying to divide up pieces of a smaller pie.  And even though home sales are at all-time lows, the value of properties in the area is skyrocketing! 

"There’s a huge impact," said Dan Sedenquist, president of the Santa Cruz County Association of Realtors... "We’re at our all-time high as far as membership now. It’s a smallish pie that’s being very finely divided. There are certainly more people chasing (sales) than I’ve ever seen."   more »

California Real Estate Market News

Check out this home!  As if it wasn't enough that Atherton had the most expensive zip code to live in, now Belvedere is making way with the most expensive residence!

Belvedere California in the San Francisco Bay is home to the most expensive residence on the market in California, and one of the priciest in the country. Locksley Hall, a 10,000-square-foot house that sits at the tip of Belvedere Island, can be yours for $65 million.

The entrance to his property is guarded by gates designed by Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan. The porte-cochere, with 15-foot-high ceilings, opens into a foyer with a bronze-balustraded staircase. The dining room has mahogany wainscoting and hand-glazed walls, as do many of the main rooms.

On the lower level, the great room features herringbone floors, alabaster pendant lamps and coffered ceilings. Upstairs, the master suite has a spa tub. There are mahogany doors and marble baths throughout, and an elevator serves each floor.

The six-bedroom house has 360-degree views that encompass San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Angel Island and the Bay. The view is framed by a wraparound veranda adorned with Corinthian columns, teak decking and bronze sconces.

Learn more about this stunning property by reading this Forbes.com article which offers a more in-depth look.

The National Real Estate Investor has an article discussing whether the recent Base Closures are creating a Real Estate Boom or Bust.  We discussed the exact issue in an article about the possible Ventura County Base Closure. 

Here is an excerpt from the NREI article:

With the Department of Defense shutting down military bases across the nation, commercial real estate developers are investigating potential redevelopment sites. As many as 33 major bases will be closed while another 29 bases will be “realigned,” which in military shorthand means they will absorb more staff. Meanwhile, the shuttered bases should save the government a whopping $50 billion over the next 20 years.

To read the full article, click here.

California Real Estate Market News

Laguna Beach is one of the most beautiful spots in all of California to own a home if you love ocean views and fine lifestyle options.  Laguna Beach is also home to stars of the entertainment and business worlds including Bette Midler, Heather Locklear and Diane Keaton.

Warren Buffett, the second-wealthiest man in the world according to Forbes' 2005 list of the world's richest people, recently sold his two-bedroom house in Emerald Bay for $3.5 million. But he kept his other property, which is worth slightly more.

Prices have soared in Laguna, as in California as a whole. In March, Laguna Beach had one of the highest median home sale prices in the state, at $1.35 million. (Laguna Beach ranked 34th on the Forbes.com list of the Most Expensive ZIP Codes in the U.S.)

Forbes.com has recently written an article about a California Riviera Mansion which is currently on the market for almost $34 million.

"Perched above the ocean on Riviera Drive, Casa de Concha ("House of the Shell") is a Spanish Colonial-style house with five bedrooms and nine baths. Designed in a heavy, dramatic style, it features arched doorways and beamed ceilings throughout. The living salon has a double-height fireplace and adjoining oceanfront loggia. The bathrooms are clad in marble, travertine and tile, and the master bath has a view of the ocean from the tub."

Read the entire article and view pictures of the mansion by clicking here.

The median price of single-family houses sold in the nine Bay Area counties rose to a record $622,000 in April, up nearly 20 percent from a year earlier.

The Santa Clara County figure for last month was also a new peak, at $681,500. That's up almost 19 percent from the median price in April 2004, and 2.5 percent higher than the March 2005 number.

Sales volume, on the other hand, fell compared to last year in all Bay Area counties except San Mateo and Napa. A total of 7,592 houses changed hands in the region last month, about 12 percent fewer than during April 2004.

California Real Estate News

On Friday, May 13th, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is expected to announce the bases that will be closing.  Among the list of potential closings is the Naval Base in Ventura County - the Navy's only deep-water port between San Diego and Washington state.

The down side would be the thousands of lost jobs as the Naval Base is Ventura's largest employer.  On a positive note, many real estate professionals are seeing this as a potential opening of new land that could become prime real estate if used wisely.

L.A. Daily News reports on this subject:

"We can definitely use additional land area and even wharves wherever we can come up with them," said Oxnard Harbor District Executive Director William Buenger. "We have never advocated the closing of the Navy base. In fact, it's very advantageous having the Navy sharing the harbor with us."

Mark Schniepp, director of the Santa Barbara-based California Economic Forecast, said even complete closure would not be an economic disaster for Ventura County because the base sits on prime real estate that could bring in more money, jobs and taxes if it were quickly developed in other ways.

"It's prime California real estate. That kind of land is extremely rare and in high demand," he said.

"The big 'if' is how quickly can we develop a plan to reuse that land," he said. "If the base closes and we sit around for 10 years and lose 10 years of economic activity, we could never recoup that."

So for now we will wait to see if the base is closed and what the county decides to do with the land...

Related Sites:

http://www.nbvc.navy.mil/

http://www.dailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,200~20954~2864672,00.html

California Real Estate News

Forbes.com has a list of the top 10 best places to be rich in the United States.  Among the list were the popular California cities; San Francisco(3), Santa Barbara(4), San Jose(7) & San Diego(9).

San Francisco was rich in beauty, luxury goods, dining, pricey homes, charity & culture.

Those who occupy the lofty elevations of Russian Hill, Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights would surely agree that San Francisco should be high on the desirability list. The weather may be damp and fickle, but this West Coast city has far more than its fair share of good food, good shopping, culture and high society. Anyway, the days of this being a hipster heaven are long gone as today you need plenty of bucks to live here.

Santa Barbara was rich in food, service, charity & culture.

With a median home price of $960,000, it's no wonder Santa Barbara ranked 4th on our list. The posh coastal city also ranked in the top ten in the fine dining category. Even though there is no local Louis Vuitton store, it does boast a high percentage of personal chefs, butlers and, of course, celebrities neighbors like Oprah Winfrey. Oh yes, it's also really beautiful.

San Jose was rich in luxury goods, charity & culture.

If you live in Atherton or Palo Alto, you know why San Jose made it onto our list. Ranking high in luxury goods, charity and culture measures, this California city attracts the wealthy and has the services to keep them happy.

San Diego was rich in beauty & pricey homes.

Though it didn't score particularly well in the culture or charity departments, San Diego doesn't weigh in too far from the top when it comes to pricey homes. It's tough, after all, not to be swayed by a year round average temperature of 70 degrees--not to mention La Jolla's stunning coastal views.

Click here to view the slide show from Forbes.com on the 10 Best Places To Be Rich.

California Real Estate News

The Muslim religion prohibits earning or paying interest on borrowed money.  So what do Muslim's do when they want to take out a mortgage and purchase their own home?

The answer?

Most don't.  Their religion prohibits it.

The San Diego Union-Tribune has a story of a Muslim in this exact situation.

When he bought his car two years ago, Javed Ahmed saved up enough money so he could pay for it with cash.

And every month, the senior analyst at Voyager Capital, a venture firm in Seattle, pays off his credit-card balance so he doesn't have to pay interest.

Now, at 29, Ahmed wants to buy his first home.

But as a Muslim, he faces a dilemma common to observant followers of the nation's fastest-growing religion: Can he buy a home without angering God?

So what are Muslim's to do?  Save up enough cash to pay for their home outright?  Well, with home prices skyrocketing the way that they are, and in states like California where the median home is priced at $488,600, this would be considered impossible for the vast majority.   more »

California Real Estate News

Rush Limbaugh talks to his listeners about why California housing prices are skyrocketing and mentions a few of his opinions as to exactly why this is happening.  If you wish to re-listen to this broadcast, you can do so here. 

There is also a transcript online covering this segment.  Here is an excerpt:

Now, what do you think   more »

Real Estate News

The California Association of Realtors releases a quarterly analysis of the difference between the median household income in California and the qualifying income needed to purchase a median-priced, single-family home for the state and for select regions within the state.

This is called the Homebuyer Income Gap Index™ (HIGI).

Last year, in the first quarter of 2004, California households with a median household income of $52,320 fell $41,360 short of the $93,680 qualifying income needed to purchase a median-priced home at $406,390.

This year, in the first quarter of 2005, California households earning the median annual income of $53,540 are $60,380 short of the $113,920 annual income needed to qualify for a loan for a median-priced home in the state, priced at $488,600

So as we look at these numbers, we see that the median annual income has risen $1220 while the qualifying income needed to purchase a median-priced home has risen a staggering $20,240   more »

California Real Estate News

The Sacramento Bee has a follow up to the El Dorado asbesto issue that is being widely discussed recently.

On Monday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that people, and especially kids, can greatly increase their exposure to this asbestos by playing at a popular park in El Dorado Hills.

Two weeks earlier, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry recommended doctors be notified by people who were likely to have been exposed, such as coaches and student athletes who use the open tracks and fields at Oak Ridge High School.

Click here to read the full story.

Naturally occurring asbestos poses some legitimate questions. To date, most studies on asbestos have involved occupational exposure. Less is known about the threat to people who breathe these fibers periodically.

All the more reason to be prudent and proactive. Some fresh dirt on a ball field and other common sense measures are a small price to pay to prevent an outbreak of mesothelioma 30 years from now.

Click here to read our previous article on this subject.