Maybe the wealthy are frequently so successful because they've learned not to neglect the basics. Many people who see real estate investing, for instance, might harbor the misconception that successful real estate investors are simply incredibly fortunate or that they've been born with some intrinsic knowledge about investing.

That just isn't true.

What the wealthy do differently from other people, and, indeed, what all successful property investors do, is prepare. Good investors do their homework.

“The ABCs of Property Investing” author Ken McElroy tells the story of a client of his that became a client of his only after turning his investment property into an utter mess. McElroy and his company manage properties for investors. In the best case scenario, a property owner hires a property management firm immediately, rather than taking a stab at managing his property from a distance. That is what this guy did. He soon found out that the time required to do such a thing was too much for him to handle.

This was not this investor's sole error. In addition, he had neglected to even visit his investment property prior to purchasing it, so he hadn't the faintest idea it was filled with criminals. He had neglected to engage a team of real estate experts who would have gladly told him not to invest in that area, which was also filled with criminals. It was a bad place, and he should've known to stay away from it. He could, however, have avoided it easily if he had only done his homework.

It is easy to imagine the prodigious amount of money he put into the rehabilitation of the building—an expense he could've spared himself just by budgeting for the experts he needed. There was not any way to fix the neighborhood in which the building was located, therefore the building would never pull in top-dollar rent.

In nearly every case, the savvy investor cannot afford not to hire the experts.

Wealthy investors are also possessed of a staggering degree of focus. That's why they're rich. They choose a target and hone in on it until they are looking at one property. They already know what kind of investment property they want. As a matter of fact, they may make a specialty of apartment buildings or hotels or another sort of property. They always keep in mind what neighborhoods they are interested in and the age range of buildings they are willing to consider.

In the event that their preferred neighborhood does not yield any interesting leads, they move on to the next best, and onwards. But they always keep in mind what is and isn't acceptable to them.

One lesson being rich teaches people is that money opens many doors. Savvy real estate investors know you don't need to wait until a For Sale sign goes up in order to make a purchase. If a potential buyer surprises the owner of a piece of property with an offer, it's often possible to get a great price on a property that is not up for sale. Best of all, there are not any other potential buyers to drive up the price.

The rich do indeed appear to inhabit another world. For them, resources are always plentiful. They won't worry if a deal goes awry, since they are confident there will always be others. Someone who is hoping to improve his life significantly through investing might worry that he let one get away.

Ken McElroy says the best approach is to remain aloof, and to assume every negotiation will end with the potential investor leaving the table. Most supposed deals simply are not deals, McElroy said. The savvy investor understands that it's essential to become attached to closing the deal.

Successful investors know all of this, not because they were born with this knowledge, but because they've been taught, or else they've made the effort to learn. Anyone can potentially invest like the rich. It just requires research and practice.