What is the Most Important Part of the Multifamily Acquisition Process?

If you are just starting your investing career and you are focused on achieving your goal of owning apartments or even if you are a seasoned investor who has purchased apartments in the past and always felt like the other parties controlled the process – this training is for you.

As an attorney specializing in working with multifamily investors, I have been involved in many deals and I have seen the new investors make mistakes that they just did not need to had they just understood how to remain in control of the acquisition process.

During the on-line training, you will learn how to draft Letters of Intent that sale through the closing process, you will learn what every paragraph in the Purchase and Sale Agreement means and how it impacts the process. Then you will learn what to do to uncover hidden "bombs and minefields" that the Seller and brokers put out for you so that, in the end, you own a great multifamily property

During the eight hours of training, we will take you through the entire process. It’s all about the Flow of the Transaction and you will learn how to “Control the Flow Like a Pro”.

You have probably heard that there are three phases of Due Diligence in any multifamily deal, Legal, Physical and Financial. But how do these three phases come together to help you determine whether you have a great deal or not?

Instead of reading a textbook about how these three phases operate, we are going to teach you the ‘FLOW’ of the transaction – how each aspect ties together, how to get off the roller coaster without losing your short and how to get to the closing table in charge of the deal.

During the training you will learn:

• How to get all the information from the Seller before you ever write an earnest money check . . .

• Why you should never ask for a repair allowance in the Letter of Intent . . .

• How to analyze a multifamily property the moment you drive up to it (and even if you are still down the street) . . .

• How to direct and CONTROL all the professionals throughout the process – the lawyers, the bankers, the title company (you be the boss) . . .

• How to understand the title insurance process – THIS IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS WALKING EVERY UNIT! . .

• How to kill the deal . . then resurrect it . . . better than before!

• How to get every unit inspected by a property inspection professional FOR FREE!!!

and much, much more!

EIGHT HOURS OF INTENSIVE TRAINING - NOT A 'SALES-A-THON'

Who should attend this event? Anyone who . . . .

• wants to learn what comes after the Letter of Intent gets accepted

• wants to learn how to be in total control of the multifamily acquisition process

• is a new investor ready to bust it open . . . you just need a boost of confidence that comes with increased competence

• is a seasoned investor that needs to learn those few steps that will help you get more AND BETTER deals under your belt

• wants to build a portfolio of great properties that do not have any SURPRISES waiting for you after the closing

I will teach you how to "be the boss" in the transaction. Remember, there is only one person showing up to the closing table with a checkbook - everyone should be treating you like royalty.

GET THE FOLLOWING TEMPLATE DOCUMENTS AND LEARN HOW TO USE THEM

The Dobens Law Due Diligence Forms and Contracts file contains thousands of dollars worth of documents that my law firm and property management company uses everyday. Here is a sample of what you will get:

• Letters of Intent (four types depending upon what the deal calls for)

• Purchase and Sale Agreements

• Multifamily Acquisition Process Step-by-Step Checklist

• Multifamily Deal Review Form

• Due Diligence Step-by-Step Checklist

• How to Conduct a Lease Audit Step-by-Step Checklist

• Unit Condition and Inspection Form

• Critical Dates Timeline Template

• Multifamily Market Data Template

• Utility Tracker Spreadsheet

• Termination of Purchase and Sale Agreement Template Document

• And many, many more

Here's What People Are Saying about the MFIA Due Diligence Seminar Training

"I just finished up with the weekend workshop that Mr. Dobens held in Charleston, S.C.

"First, a little background about me so you can kind of get a feeling of my understanding of what I learned and how I found the information to be correct and useful.

"Started in Multifamily in 1998 as a leasing agent in Denver Co. with Simpson Property Group (388 units) and worked my way up to an assistant manager. After getting to that level, I was privy to the numbers that were happening on the community and realized what kind of NOI was being realized and I had my first “light bulb turn on” moment if you know what I am saying.

"I moved to Charleston S.C. in 2001 and stayed in multifamily and went through a lease up and then a condo conversion on the same property. When I saw what the return was (this was in 2005 by the way) on this “A” property, I knew then that I needed to get it figured out as to how I could own, manage and exit a multifamily property and make some great profits while moving onward and upward. So, that is kind of my “how I get started” story.

"I live by a mantra, “I don’t know what I don’t know” and am always looking for information, classes, people and networking opportunities to increase my knowledge base and of course “people base” to get me further in my investing business. That is exactly how Mr. Dobens approaches his training…..what we are doing is a business and the business should be managed with out emotion and “gut feelings.” His approach is real data / numbers based and he clearly has high level business knowledge. Frankly, I would have paid $5000 for the weekend. There is real value in the information that is shared / taught.

"So, here is the run down:

"First, I did pay to be a member of the “Multi-family investor Academy” as a online student and attended 2 conference calls and went into the web site and downloaded materials and read as much information that I had time to. It was clear to me that the ROI just to be a member of the site and attending the conference calls was well worth the money paid. This is not a “RA-RA lets go out and make money by taking out a cash advance on your credit card and flip a property” type deal. It is a straight up business / strategy based program with facts and data and / or real life examples to drive home the concepts to make you understand the reality of what to do or NOT DO. That to me is the best benefit. Leaning what NOT to do or to put something into place to protect your deal.

"The weekend class started right on time and we got right into it. Again, there is no, “welcome to the first day of the rest of your business life, we are going to be rich” RA-RA, BS. We went around the room and each person did a little intro / bio and I would like to speak to that really quick. I became aware that I was in the right place when I saw the people that I was surrounded by. To my left (and I am not making this up), was a 34 year old guy who started his business at age 26 I think it was and now owns/manages over 2200 units and talked about deals that he was doing that were out of this world interesting. To my right, a multifamily housing broker who has sold over 500 deals throughout his career. You ever hear the saying, “you are influenced and are like the people you surround yourself with?” Well, those were the 2 guys that I was surrounded by, so that validated the class pretty much right off the rip for me.

"In my other “work life,” I am a part time Paramedic and I am a big fan of “order of operations” when it comes to anything related to learning and execution of a new concept. Charles presented all the information in the correct way in order to build on concepts initially presented. We started with letters of intent and moved onto the offer and then into due diligence. Now, if you have made many offers on a lot of properties in your career, then you may of course know what you need to know. Something that may sound as simple as a drafting a letter of intent and then writing up an offer to purchase probably sounds mundane and maybe you may think you have been there and done that. I assure you, the guys to my right and left were taking notes and of course all of us were learning. The dialogue that is created by the discussion of these concepts is beyond valuable. I was taking notes, on the notes I was taking, if you get my drift. Please understand the class went into may other subjects, just giving an idea of the start and flow of things.

"The most valuable part of the class for me was the forensic accounting part of the due diligence process. It gives you the information and tools to dissect a deal even before you go walk on a property. There is good and bad income that comes into a property and line items in a historical budget statement can tell you a lot about a property and how it has been run and what may be inside the numbers that a current owner and/or broker may be trying to hide from a prospective buyer. The forensic accounting process discussion was of course much more in depth that what I am saying here, but I am just trying to give you a quick overview. That Sunday night (last night of class) I dissected my own books on a 12 unit deal I have and, well, made some changes as to how I was running things to be honest with you. I pretended I was going to put the units up for sale and wanted to see how I would do up against what I learned.

"I could easily continue to write a few more pages to continue to get my point across, but the bottom line is yes, it is well worth the time and investment to become a member of MIFA and yes, you MUST go to the next weekend class that is held. You will not be disappointed. This is not guru, this is not hype. In my humble opinion, it is high level and a person should come into this training with some sort of property investment experience and maybe even owned and / or managed something over 10 units as what is taught / discussed is, well, multifamily driven and hopefully that made sense.

"I don’t mean to come off like I know it all or someone who is just starting out would not benefit, but having a little experience will help you get more out of the class as you can apply concepts learned immediately to your day to day operations.Hence, the example of applying the information I learned to my existing business. If you are the type of person that reviews what you have learned immediately and then maybe go back to that information once a week while your getting initial experience, then you would benefit even if you were new to multifamily.

"I hope this helps. I hope that I did not come across cocky or a know it all as I can assure you I DO NOT know IT ALL. I walked out of the weekend VERY aware I do not know it all, but I gained serious knowledge and increased confidence and that my friend in my humble opinion, is what is is all about."

Steve P., Charleston

HERE'S HOW THE CLASSES ARE STRUCTURED

DUE DILIGENCE PART I - CONTRACTS

When does the Due Diligence process begin? The correct answer is that it begins when you submit your
Letter of Intent. And that's where we begin the weekend . . .

• Understanding the different types of Letters of Intent and which one to use when

• Understanding the provisions of a Purchase and Sale Agreement and how they can work for or against you

You will finish this section completing understanding the contracting process of acquiring multifamily property

DUE DILIGENCE PART II - LEGAL INSPECTION

Probably the most important part of the process but the least understood, we will walk you through the
entire legal inspection process to prepare you for what lies ahead. This includes . . . .

• Understanding the title insurance process from P&S contract to solving title issues

• Understanding environmental issues, title issues and how to resolve them or walk away

• Knowing all the documents that you as an investor must understand and much more

DUE DILIGENCE PART III - FINANCIAL INSPECTION

This session is spent learning all the ways that brokers and owners hide financial information from you and how you can protect yourself from these tricks and use it to your advantage

• What should you be looking for in a lease to prevent against 'Phantom Leases'?

• How should you organize the seller's records so you do't miss a thing

• How to build a financial model of the property so that you can present it confidently to your investors and your lenders

If the property can not pass muster at this stage, there is no sense going to the final stage . . .

DUE DILIGENCE PART IV - PHYSICAL INSPECTION

Many new investors think that this is the most important part of due diligence, in my contrarian ways, I am here to tell you that this is the LEAST important part of the process. During this session, we will cover . . .

• How to conduct the physical inspection of the property and it not even cost you anything

• How to go back to the seller with your results and sweeten the deal

• How to terminate the contract the right way and make sure you get your funds back and leave the deal table with yoru head held high, ready t omove onto the next one.

If the deal 'pencils' out, then you have just completed all the steps necessary, THE RIGHT WAY, to go raise money from your friends and family

FROM ANOTHER  STUDENT THAT ATTENDED MY WEEKEND TRAINING ON MULTIFAMILY DUE DILIGENCE

"I just completed Charle’s Doben’s Due Diligence Seminar in Charleston, South Carolina with a group of about 13 of Charlie’s students, including him. Charlie redirected your inquiry to us and asked that we share our story with you.

"I am 59 years old and have been working almost 30 years as a family practice physician and am in my fourth burnout. Unlike you, I am not debt-free. What we do have in common is we are pointed in the right direction; apartment investing. It was from reading the book, “Rich Dad Poor Dad ”, that I changed  my paradigm about how I was going to prepare for and create my retirement and ultimately  manage the remainder of my life. I am currently on the left side of the quadrant and need to get on the right side.

"Twenty years ago I jumped on the bandwagon with 28 other doctors and invested in a limited partnership and got a $30,000 loan to buy one of the membership units in the purchase of a hospital. Unbeknownst to me, I violated the first rule of investing, “don’t invest in anything you don’t understand ”. The general partner got into a cocaine habit and drove the investment into bankruptcy. One of my doctor buddies sued the general partner and had a heart attack from the stress of the litigation and died. That experience dampened my hopes of ever getting out of the stress of m-y medical career which was changing constantly from the financial standpoint  due to managed-care, politics and the global marketplace changing everything.

"That is the extent of my real estate investing experience and my desire to invest finally resurfaced but with a commitment to understand the mechanics of the investing  process. After talking with many real estate investors I noticed a consensus among them that multifamily investing provided the most structured  and analytical predictability to of the different kinds of real estate investments. The lending industry supports this fact and their underwriting of a loan uses the same analysis of the multifamily financials that the investors use in order to determine if the investment makes rational business sense. This is what appealed to me.

"I have purchased many courses and attended about half a dozen different boot camps in multifamily investing. Yes, you’re absolutely correct; most gurus are making their living selling their course. It is much more profitable for them. One of the boot camps I went to resulted in that guru selling a bogus investment plan for $30,000 that many people bought which was bogus and  resulted in a prison conviction for that guru. You will get some very good information from every single course but ultimately you will need a mentor that is going to be able to give you accurate information for the millions of questions you will have during the process of building your knowledge base. My journey has been slow because of my current job and parenting responsibilities but along the way I slowly developed that feeling of comfort and confidence from “getting it” and the accepting there is stepwise process of analyzing the an investment offer. It is a slow but good feeling when that awareness begins to get stronger. The dishonest gurus oversimplify the entire process and hurry you along to get you into an apartment deal. The main reason they do it is that they are promoting the good old get-rich-quick greed attraction factor which is what drives up product sales. This hasty approach is a huge red flag. One of  Charlie’s comment he repeats that the gurus don’t dare say is , “If you screw up your first deal you will never invest in another apartment again”.

"Let me add by telling you a little bit about how Charlie’s course has impacted me. I joined his course early November of this year. I had seen his name on the internet for several years and discovered his short videos on YouTube. I devoured all of them. His approach was different in that it was not rushed and did not have any hype. What you need to understand about Charlie is that he’s held to a much higher standard than the other gurus, all because of his law license. It is the same in my world. For example, a regular guy on the street can sell multilevel marketing supplements, which I have, but because of my professional degree (medical)  I’m also held to a higher standard. If the customer (patient) has a bad outcome from using that product that I promoted  and sold him the accountability factor leans heavier on me. The marketer without medical training is given almost a free rein on selling hype and bogus info. Thus, when I used to talk to people about a product I made sure I had multiple studies to support the claims of the product and did not state any claims that could not be substantiated. There have been physicians that have been reprimanded by their state medical licensing boards for unethical medical conduct as a consequence of patient experiences with products that were unfavorable. I’m certain you understand the point I’m making.

"Charlie does not make casual or uninformed statements and makes it very clear to the students if he  does not have the right answer to a legal question. He also makes it repeatedly clear that there does not exist an attorney-client relationship with his students. This shows his professionalism. I don’t know if you picked up on this in Charlie’s response to your email where he opened with a kind word and then followed  by asking for your permission to share your email with his students. This is a sample of both the professional and the personable Mr. Dobens.

"Relax and be patient. Go through the steps of learning like every single one of us is doing. There is a lot of free sampling available on YouTube that will allow you to compare  the mentors. This is important. Google “apartment mentors” or “multifamily mentors” and begin the process of finding out who is out there, then watch them on YouTube. While learning about the investing process you will also get a feel for the mentor’s style and if it is a fit for you.  I emphatically endorse Charlie and have given my reasons. I sampled a lot of other mentors and the plus to all that time and money I spent is that all those experiences have helped me to better know  and to better appreciate Charlie’s  real value."

Jose P., El Paso, TX

AND ANOTHER  STUDENT THAT ATTENDED MY WEEKEND TRAINING ON MULTIFAMILY DUE DILIGENCE

"I am one of Charlie Dobens’ clients and received an email from him about your dilemma.

"I’ve been there!

"10 years ago I bought my first residential ‘buy & hold’ and spent the next 8 years buying, wholesaling and flipping single family properties….to be honest, I was tired of all of the work!  A couple of years ago I went to an event and listened to George Ross (you know, Donald Trumps ‘right hand man’) and was smitten by multi family. I didn’t really get sucked in to any guru’s but do have to admit that I went to a couple of Dave Lindahl events (now they won’t leave me alone!). I even got a commercial investing business coach through JT Foxx (have you heard of him?), but after a year…to be honest…I was still lost.

"After failing at a few attempts of getting a MF under contract and then now knowing what to do next (in spite of all the reading I did on the subject!), I connected with Charlie through Linked In. I have to admit, I’m a skeptic (something I learned from my dad) and spend a lot of time doing my homework on people and Charlie was no different. I made an appointment to talk to him and we spent a while getting to know one another. I consider my self a good judge of character and as a woman I have great intuitive sense! Charlie and I ‘clicked’ – he was refreshing in his candor about this business and very approachable. With in a few weeks I sighed up to work with him. Since then, I’ve put 3 properties under contract and this last one we hope to close in a couple of months. The first two failed but learning from those failures is just as important as any success.

"I haven’t regretted my decision to work with Charlie and since then have encouraged a few other people to seek his services. I encourage you to try his Master Class. It’s a great way to get started with him. He doesn’t up sell and no pressure techniques…he really just wants to help you with your MF business. I have been to his Shark Tank training twice and just got back from his Due Dilligence seminar in Charleston. I brought a friend (who wants to start a MF business) and she was soooo happy I invited her. She couldn’t believe how much she learned. She also signed up for the Master Class.

"I could go on and on…but I don’t want you to think Charlie put me up to this!

Anca M. , VA

BRINGING IT IN FOR A LANDING - TIME TO MAKE OFFERS

So what are you waiting for? You just had the most intense training to give you the confidence necessary to make offers - NOW GO DO IT! Members of the Owners Forum are making offers every day! What are you waiting for?

CHARLES DOBENS, ESQ.,

Multifamily Investing Academy - Founder
Dobens Law, LLC - Principal Attorney

Dobens Law is a boutique law firm specializing in the representation of clients looking to acquire/own/operate multifamily property. We do one thing and we do it quite well; Multifamily Acquisition and Disposition.

We represent our clients through the entire acquisition and/or disposition process of a multifamily investment. We pride ourselves on providing exemplary service in our field, along with, when needed, recommendations to other firms for unique needs that our firm cannot provide. This means that our clients work only with the best counsel in the field that their investment requires.Either being retained to consult with an investor to identify an investment opportunity, assist in the drafting of offers and purchase and sale agreements, overseeing the due diligence process, assisting in the acquisition of debt financing or creating the transition to ownership team, Dobens Law will provide you with the personal attention and high quality legal work that all clients quite reasonably believe should due offered as a matter of course.

As a boutique law firm, we do not offer the full range of services that most clients need. Multifamily purchases and sales represent significant transactions whether you are the buyer or the seller. The advice and representation of an experienced law firm can help you protect your rights and interests throughout the process of acquisition or disposition.

Charles T. Dobens, Esq. is licensed to practice law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Clients outside of Massachusetts are represented on a counsulting basis and are not provided legal representation.