Today I am going to talk about Ray Alcorn.
Specifically, I will be talking about:
- Ray Alcorn Deal Maker’s Guide
- The Real Estate Investment Business
- Ray Alcorn’s books
- Multifamily product
- and anything else I can get my hands on.
Maybe you’re tired of the big FAT RAT RACE and you’re looking to get into real estate investing in order to quit your 9-5.
Or maybe you I found yourself stuck in real estate investing and realize that there has to be more core skills that you need in order to be successful.
Above all else you may be wondering what the risk/reward ratio is when it comes to real estate investing and you’re trying to figure out how long it’ll take for you to get on your feet.
First I got to tell you a real estate investing is a respectable career choice. But I think it is often play down as to how difficult it can be.
I am not here to be a buzz kill, I will simply share with you my story and let you decide for yourself what your best career passes.
Before I get into Ray Alcorn’s Review, let me tell you a little bit about me.
First it’s important for you to understand that as much as I do research on the gurus and I am trying to find out who has the best offering in terms of real estate investing….
-and who can help you make the most amount of money, I have to let you know I decided for myself to drop out of the real estate game at least as far as it being my main vehicle to success.
Why?
I lost my shirt, and my trousers in real estate investing.
Once I met James, I tapped out. It was time for me to take my skills and move onto something less risky but with an equal or higher reward.
The following video explains everything.
This may be one of the most important videos you’ll ever see.
(Make sure to mute all distractions for the next 3 minutes and 02 seconds.)
Learn more about James here.
Now, please enjoy the review!
Ray Alcorn Guru Bio and Background
As the president of park commercial real estate, Ray Alcorn has been an income producing property specialists contributing to the development and Control of $250 million worth of properties.
He truly is a real estate guru with extensive experience in commercial, multi family, Mobile homes, Hotels and restaurants.
His projects that covered construction, rezoning and many more of the more complicated Real estate investing strategies.
Educated at Northwood University, Dallas, Texas he fell short of earning a degree. That has not stopped him in his real estate investing career. Still claims to be committed to education, learning and enjoys expanding his cerebral horizons by learning from others.
He is been part of many unique affiliations such as her junior citizens planning Association, and the new River Valley home builders Association.
With a background in retail planning and community development, he has published many articles that have appeared in publications such as:
- New York Times
- The Roanoke Times
- and Apartment Owner Association magazine (to name a few)
He publishes a commercial real estate forecast each year and has been a speaker to large audiences.
As an author and well-known speaker, can he help you?
I think he has a substantial pedigree.
Let’s look further.
PRODUCTS & RESOURCES
Alcorn says on his website, DealMaker’sGuide.com, that he is not into the guru scene. He doesn’t do boot camps or seminars, and he doesn’t launch products or offer coaching or mentorships. He wants to focus on his own business and personal life, he says.
Still, in response to demand for something that investors can use privately, Alcorn has three products available: the DealMaker’s Guide to Commercial Real Estate; the DealMaker’s Guide Video Seminar DVD: Getting Started in Commercial Real Estate; and DealMaker’s Guide to Mobile Home Parks: How to Buy and Profit From Mobile Home Parks.
The DealMaker’s Guide to Commercial Real Estate costs $599 (at DealMaker’sGuide.com) and is a 532-page book plus a CD. It contains information on how to make money in commercial real estate, covering many subjects, including the following:
- How to get your financial house in order (a personal financial statement template)
- How to raise cash for your deals
- Market analysis: How to find hot spots and sleeper opportunities
- How to analyze all types of commercial property
- How to find deals at auctions
- How to perform due diligence on commercial properties
- How to structure deals and make offers that are too good to be turned down
- Where to find financing sources
- What types of loans are available and how to get them
- How to develop a strategic plan to pyramid wealth
A Forms CD accompanies the book. This contains forms, contracts, and checklists.
The Video Seminar DVD is a two-hour DVD and a forms CD. The cost is $299. The seminar covers, among other topics:
- Ray Alcorn’s 5-step plan for success in commercial real estate
- How to understand and analyze demographic trends, plus four specific resources Ray uses for market research
- How to “normalize” the seller’s operating statement and arrive at the true Net Operating Income
- Three ways to buy “upside” properties and specifically what to look for
- How to explode your wealth with 1031 exchange
Alcorn’s Mobile Home Park product costs $249. It comes with a 108-page book and a Forms CD. It covers the ins and outs of purchasing and profiting from a mobile home park.
Alcorn has received fairly glowing reviews on his products.
The following three comments were posted on BiggerPockets.com, a social network for real estate investors, in 2015, regarding Alcorn’s book, Dealmaker’s Guide to Commercial Real Estate.
I have been reading Ray Alcon’s articles online and they are amazing. His book Dealmakers Guide to Commercial Real Estate also has great reviews, which does not surprise me based on his articles. Does anyone has a used copy of his book that he/she will consider to sell? –Ronen S, Pikesville, MD (2015)
First anyone who knows me or reads my post knows I am not much of a guru fan. I consider Ray to be an exceptional person with great material. . . . If you want to learn commercial RE then Ray is the best in my opinion and I have no affiliation. –Jeremy T, Ft. Wayne, IN (Feb, 2015)
I found the read to be pretty good. Some of it the information was written in a different real estate cycle so not all of it applies today but that is with any book as it is written at a specific period in time. –Joel O, Canton, GA (Feb. 2015)
Ray Alcorn | YouTube
Alcorn has virtually no presence on YouTube, but I did find some podcasts, like a one-hour interview on podbay.fm. It’s titled: Ray Alcorn shared the lessons he has learned from his 35+ years as a CRE investor with more than $250 million of transactions under his belt.
Additional podcasts can be found at Stitcher.com, podcastchart.com, kevinbupp.com, and podcasts.com/realestate.
In terms of other free resources, Alcorn has a bunch of blogs, which he lumps under the title, Dirt Merchant Digest, on his site. The most recent was posted in 2012. He also has about 25 articles posted on his site.
Books
Ray Alcorn books don’t really exist on Amazon. There’s a listing but as of this writing, no books are available.
Alcorn is a quirky guy who is just what-you-see-is-what-you-get. He’s not into the super commercialized approach to real estate education. In fact, he seems to run from it. Still, he acknowledges that he has knowledge and information to contribute, and understands that investors out there genuinely desire to get that from him.
So he’s got his courses, as I’ve described above. And then he has somewhat reluctantly added a few other services: deal reviews, brain picking, transaction engineering, portfolio review, and strategic planning. He’s basically available in limited time slots to consult with investors. He does a short initial call for free and then sets up an arrangements for future calls.
He says the consultation is available through his Products page, but there’s no link there, so probably the contact page is the best one to use.
I couldn’t find any complaints on watchdog sites such as the Better Business Bureau or RipOffReport.com.
SUMMARY and bottom line!
Alcorn seems to be the real deal. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience gained over his 35+ years in real estate, investing, and entrepreneurial pursuits. Independent reviews are positive. The only thing that gives me pause is the age of his products. As one of the BiggerPockets guys said, his material was written in a different real estate cycle than today’s, so some of it doesn’t apply.
Still, the bulk of it sounds like it’s timeless and worthwhile. While I can’t promise that his offering will make you successful, if you have your heart set on real estate investing as your career of choice than his courses can’t hurt.
Beyond that…. take a look at this case study.
