Bill Vaughn - Real Estate Investor, Author, Mentor

[A real estate investor since 1969, Bill has a Masters Degree in Business Administration, a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and an Associates Degree in Theology. He has written 32 books on a wide variety of subjects, operates five blogs on various topics and is deeply involved in community affairs. For 6 years he volunteered as manager of New Hampshire's largest homeless shelter, New Horizons. Bill has loaned some of his properties to be used as free housing to families in need.]

The Father of Modern Investing

Bill Vaughn is a noted real estate investor, author, and a mentor to thousands of people throughout North America and 19 countries. Having personally mentored over 14,000 students over the last 18 years, it would be difficult to find any community in America where Bill has not taught real estate investing to someone. Bill's most significant real estate achievements include developing the art of modern "flipping", beginning in 1972, originally by perfecting the now-famous Double Escrow, then in 1985 he created the first Reverse Mortgage, which has since been adopted by HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) and many banks. And in 1989 he created the most popular real estate investing course entitled "A Simple Man's Guide to Real Estate"^®.

Bill has been a pioneer in this area of modern real estate investing, being the first to develop and use the double escrow in a way that requires no cash or credit. Since then, he has developed a variety of methods of flipping and non-flipping strategies, and has become a recognized authority on all legitimate methods of real estate investing. Chances are that anyone who "flips" real estate today either learned from Bill, or learned from someone Bill instructed.

Bill began investing in 1969. Before him, his father had been a real estate investor, starting in 1917. So there is nearly a century of successful real estate investing history in Bill's family.

The Birth of "Flipping"

Bill's father taught him all the "traditional" investing methods. Then in 1970, Bill met a gentleman named Forrest who took Bill under his wing and taught him about foreclosures, tax sales, and other strategies. Within two years, Bill was flying high on real estate profits. Not one to leave well enough alone, Bill took night classes in business and real estate at the local university. It was here that he eventually earned his degree, but more importantly, his study of Real Estate law provided him with ideas for new ways to invest in real estate, resulting in the birth of "flipping".

Bill then had his own real estate attorney design special purchase agreements (included in his program). These agreements are a most important factor - they are worded specifically with the investor in mind, and are buyer-oriented. That is why Bill includes his patented agreement-maker software with his program.

And "flipping", in its modern state, was born. Bill put the entire program together, both "flip" and "non-flip" methods, complete with the specially designed contracts, making it possible for anyone to do this, quickly and easily. At the time, the famous "infomercial guru" Carleton Sheets was still an industrial salesman, and no one had yet heard of Robert Allen, John Beck or Russ Whitney. Bill has since expanded "The Simple Man's Guide to Real Estate" to include the widest variety of legitimate investing techniques, including foreclosures, tax liens, lease options, contract for deed and much, much more. He has even arranged for all his students to have access to free coaching by investors who volunteer their services.

The Big Test - Could ANYONE do this?

In the community of Wilmington, Massachusetts, Bill stumbled upon a homeless fellow living in a broken down van. Always seeking a challenge, Bill wondered if he could show his method to the poor fellow, mentor him, and see if this indigent man with no money, job or credit could actually pull off a double escrow, and pocket some cash.

And that is exactly what transpired. The fellow bought and resold, all on the same day and at the same closing, a piece of land for a profit of nearly $16,900 cash, as shown in these courthouse documents. No cash or credit was used, or needed.

Bill knew he was onto something big. He immediately set pen to paper and began writing all of his tried and true methods down. What evolved from those writings was the now-famous "Simple Man's Guide to Real Estate".

From 1989 to 1993, Bill only offered his program via word-of-mouth. First, among his investor friends and associates, who told their friends, who told their friends...by 1993, Bill was selling so many programs he had to start a Christian non-profit publishing house (IntelliBiz) to deal with production and shipping. Bill and his team of investors update it continuously.

Besides his best-selling "Simple Man's Guide to Real Estate", Bill has authored over 30 other popular books, including the free eBooks, "Wealth From Thin Air" and "The Credit Restoration Manual". In addition, Bill writes and publishes 5 blogs on various topics.

Although Bill is now semi-retired (since 1998), he still dabbles in real estate and volunteers as one of the coaches that are provided free to all clients. He currently resides on a peaceful, 13.5 acre farm in Maine, with his devoted wife, Robin, and his youngest daughter, Christi. A woodworker by hobby, most of his spare time is devoted to building wooden toys to give away at Christmas to the less fortunate, as well as treasure hunting, canoeing, and his passion - building show cars (see what real estate investing can do for a person - his cars & garage featured here on HotKarz.com. What hobby would you pursue?)