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Back in the 1980s, if you were going to go on a diet, popular periodicals would tell you to “think thin.” The magazine articles were reluctant to explain what that meant, but everyone knew that that was what they should do. Internalize the mindset of the thin person, whatever that was supposed to be. A logical extension of this concept would be that in order to become rich, you would be able to accomplish that goal by adopting the mindset of the wealthy, right? Actually, this does work. More specifically, you ought to internalize the attitude of the accomplished real estate investor.

Accomplished real estate investors see the world through an opportunistic lens. They always have their antennae up and ready. They place themselves in the center of the flow of information. They “walk the walk” of the real estate investor, so to speak. Because of this behavior, they take notice of things.

Ken McElroy, writer of “The ABCs of Real Estate Investing,” part of the Rich Dad, Poor Dad book series, says it's all about seeing patterns. If you look at enough pieces of property, explore enough areas, talk to enough people, he said, you will begin noticing these patterns. Then things will begin to happen. You may start to feel luckier. And, McElroy says, this may be luck, however it is a sort of luck that comes from being prepared.

Remember: fortune favors the prepared mind. Opportunity is all around us, but if we do not stay alert, these opportunities may as well not exist. The prepared mind recognizes opportunity.

McElroy emphasizes repeatedly the fact that being successful in real estate is a process. It is not an event that occurs overnight. It's something that you do every day. Eventually things will start happening for you.

A successful property investor concentrates on doing things step by step, on learning one subject or another, or closing this particular deal. It is a “walk before you can crawl” process.

For instance, McElroy says that if you have found a good deal, you will be able to get the necessary funds because others will inevitably want their own piece of the action. It isn't about negotiation skills necessarily, McElroy said. Of course, those skills can net you an even more advantageous deal at times, however you don't need to worry about whether or not you can hold your own at the negotiation table. Just look for good deals.

Though they are constantly considering risk, constantly aware of it, successful investors are not scared away by it. They decide whether a risk appears reasonable. If the numbers add up, says McElroy, then it is a good deal. If it's a good deal, the savvy real estate investor goes ahead with it.

Simple.

Those who do not know how to properly evaluate risk may think every deal is too risky. They make the assumption, for instance, that a larger deal may be too risky for a novice to handle. They make that assumption because they think the investor is investing a prodigious amount of his own cash into the deal when, in reality, a larger deal has the potential to make a larger sum for those involved. For this reason, you may be able to find backing for a deal like that. In the end, not have to put up as much of your own money as you would have on a smaller transaction.

Property investment is just like anything else you might want to learn. For one thing, you first have to learn the ropes. And you learn by doing it. Go out and look at pieces of property. Take trips to cities as though you had the intention to buy. Go online and read about areas. Check out what others have said about the real estate in an area. Introduce yourself to people. In no time at all, you'll know enough to begin thinking about actually making a deal. You don't need to have a stack of cash in your hand before you start playing the game. Just get out there and enjoy yourself. Everything else will come eventually.