Well, this is said and emphasized for a very important reason. These short term and long term goals help define how you will run your business, how much time you will need to spend, and what you expect to accomplish. They are the cornerstone of running your business.
In the world of investments, treading into the unknown can be a very hazardous journey. While the majority of investors opt for companies traded on the large stock exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ and AMEX, there are thousands, if not millions of people who choose to roll the dice with companies traded on the OTC Bulletin Board, or even more risky, the Pink Sheets.
Step 1 is always to determine the fair market value(FMV). As a real estate investor, you can always buy properties at the FMV. My question is why would anybody want to do that? Through careful selection, you can always find properties that are priced below FMV, regardless if they are existing or if they are a preconstruction project. The best way to determine FMV is to work with someone already familiar with the area or determine yourself through local websites showing recent sales histories.