MONEY & BUSINESS
REAL ESTATE INVESTING STILL MAY BE GOOD BET
Couple Finds Nontraditional Ways to Prosper in Troubled Times
I The Woodleys at the beach, enjoying the success real-estate investing has brought them.
n challenging economic times like these, people are looking for creative ways to earn a living. For those who are invested in real estate, portfolios have taken a real beating. Residential mortgages are upside down, and banks continue to restrict the issuance of credit. Freddie and Sucre Woodley, a couple who live in suburban Houston, Texas, have found a way to turn real-estate lemons into lemonade, as detailed in their new book IT WORKS!!!: Achieving Real Estate Prosperity in a Troubled Economy. Freddie, a contractor and real estate investor, says the current abundance of foreclosed houses has created a gold mine of opportunity for investors who are willing to employ unique strategies to buy and sell homes. “Due to a slow economic recovery, high unemployment and falling home values, there is an abundance of foreclosed homes in all price ranges on the market,” said Freddie. “My wife and I achieved investment success, buying
multiple homes at a low price and using a simplistic, owner-financing model to sell the houses at a rate people could afford.” The Woodleys say their goal was to create homeowners and revitalize Detroit’s economically devastated neighborhoods. They created a model to help people make their dreams of homeownership come true, without needing a bank loan. IT WORKS!!! is a real estate-investing guide that includes a comprehensive appendix of ready-to-use marketing and property-management tools. The book details the Woodleys’ strategies for success, including how to: • find low-cost investment properties • find motivated buyers • self-finance the sale • renovate properties using your buyer’s money • earn a profit in 24 months According to Sucre, who in her old job was a healthcare marketing executive, creative thinking is essential to success in today’s troubled economy. “We utilized effective marketing strategies that tapped into people’s desires to be homeowners. You have to find a niche and work it,” she said. Noting the current economic conditions in the United States, the couple did something most business owners don’t do— give away some of their secrets for free. For a limited time, an electronic version of their book is available, free of charge, at www.myitsworking.com. H
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28 THE SPHINX H Winter/Spring 2012
FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact Freddie and Sucre Woodley at info@myitsworking.com.