tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7279608840707607242011-06-29T14:33:54.385-04:00The Lemonaide Stand"Aid"ing Others to Turn Life's Lemons into Lemonade!
My guests and I share the overlooked truths (mine and others) to living an abundant life and attaining financial independence.Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-87689815982967138822011-06-29T14:33:00.000-04:002011-06-29T14:33:54.394-04:002011-06-29T14:33:54.394-04:00Welcome to the Lemonaide StandIf we let it, life tends to move us toward where we need to be. I realized many years ago that my greatest satisfaction in life comes from helping others to succeed.<br />
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When I started this blog, it was with the purpose of drawing attention to and promoting my real estate investing efforts with the intention of helping others to succeed along with me. Along the way, I have realized that for others to enjoy the success I have experienced, they need information that focuses on more than just real estate.<br />
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To this end, I will soon release my first book, "Get Promoted to the Life You Want: A No BS Guide to Help You Get and Keep the Job You Want." Why this book?<br />
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Because I realize that many people are suffering the effects of unemployment or underemployment, and their career paths are not getting them the rewards they hope for. In 30+ years in the work force, my career has had its share of ups and downs. But for the last 20+ it has been a steady climb into six-figure salaries.<br />
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During those 20+ years, I did not have a single day of unemployment, even though I was laid off, merged, acquired, divested, down-sized, etc.<br />
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Looking back, I realized I had learned and used some valuable skills that I can pass on to help others navigate the winds of workplace change. I learned how to change potential disasters into stepping stones to greater prosperity.<br />
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But success is not just about getting and keeping the job you want. It is also about having the kind of relationships you want, the health you want, and the financial strength you want.<br />
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This column will bring you a variety of topics all aimed at one goal. Helping all of us to turn potential disasters in our lives into stepping stones to greater happiness and prosperity.<br />
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Along the way, you will find that I frequently recommend some helpful book I have been reading. Here is the most recent I have found to help us parents to do a better job than we would if just left to our own wisdom.<br />
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My wife just finished reading this book and highly recommends it. I will be reading it soon. From what she told me, I wish I had been able to read it many years ago. My children might have had it a bit better if I had known this then.<br />
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I hope you enjoy this book and find it as helpful as my wife and I.<br />
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<i>Tom Sheppard has been successfully investing in real estate since 2001 while working part time. In 2008 he left a six-figure job as an enterprise project manager with a major national bank to manage his real estate business full-time. His goal is to help 100,000 people find peace of mind by finding quality, affordable homes. Why pay retail when you can buy a home at below market prices? www.buybelowmarket.com. He is currently looking to expand his network of funding partners who are helping him achieve this goal. If you would like to know more about how you can do well by doing good, contact Tom at TSheppard@ADBProperties.com</i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-8768981598296713882?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-17457129921987138952011-02-27T12:27:00.003-05:002011-02-27T12:30:35.528-05:002011-02-27T12:30:35.528-05:00New Name Coming - Making Lemons into LemonaideI have been publishing this blog for some time now under the current title of Easy Money in Real Estate: Telling You How Real Estate is Really Done. I have decided that a makeover is in order.<br />
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I am going to rename this blog to be "The Lemonaide Stand" and integrate it with my electronic newsletter (coming soon). Yes, I am aware that I am using an old way of spelling lemonade, since in current dictionaries he "i" after the "a" has been dropped. I am spelling it this way deliberately to emphasize the "aid" nature of this endeavor.<br />
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When, I first started this column is was with the intention of actually dispelling the myth that it is easy to make big money in real estate. I have listened to many "experts" sell their solutions on how to make lots of money really fast in real estate. They are still selling that line to those who will listen. I know that making big money in real estate is very possible. It is even very simple at times, but it is never easy. No one should ever confuse simple and easy. That is a very dangerous and costly confusion to deal with.<br />
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So, I am emphasizing the aid element in my new endeavor. It is based on the aphorism that when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, or lemonaide.<br />
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There are lots of lemons being handed out in today's economy; unemployment and foreclosures to name two of the biggest that many people face. My desire with "The Lemonaide Stand" is to provide a forum where people of ordinary means can find ways to turn the lemons life is handing them into something good, lemons into lemonaide.<br />
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Shakespeare asked, "What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." No disrespect to the Bard, but a name means a lot. In the past this column was focused pretty narrowly on real estate, and although there will be a real estate related thread in the newsletter (and hence this column) there is more to the Lemonaide stand than real estate.<br />
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Imagine for a moment that you are living the life you want. How does it feel inside you when you imagine that? Can you actually feel the easing of tension in your chest, neck and back? Do you feel the warm rush of well-being suffuse your body as the endorphins (or as I jokingly call them n-dolphins) swim through your blood stream at the speed of thought? I do. I am going to help you to Get and Keep the Life You Want (tm).<br />
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We will deal with Work, Relationships, Wealth, and Health. You will learn to:<br />
<ul><li> Get and Keep the Job You Want (tm)</li>
<li>Get and Keep the Relationships You Want (tm)</li>
<li>Get and Keep the Wealth You Want (tm)</li>
<li>Get and Keep the Health You Want (tm)</li>
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I am in a fairly unusual position. I know quite a few people who are living the life they want. I will bring to you their stories. I will help you to apply their lessons to your life so that you can Get and Keep the Life You Want(tm).<br />
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Aside from knowing some very successful, fulfilled people, "what qualifies Tom to do this?" you ask. Well, I am pretty much living the life I want, and have for several years. So, learning from others and knowing a few things for myself, having done some things that very few people around me have, and having the desire to help, qualifies me for the job. <br />
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So, I hope you will subscribe (click on the "Follow" button) and follow this newsletter, not just tune in once in a while. I hope you will read it and challenge what I say. But most of all, I hope you will decide to do what you need to do to Get and Keep the Life You Want(tm).<br />
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<i>Tom Sheppard has been successfully investing in real estate since 2001 while working part time. In 2008 he left a six-figure job as an enterprise project manager with a major national bank to manage his real estate business full-time. His goal is to help 100,000 people find peace of mind by finding quality, affordable homes. Why pay retail when you can buy a home at below market prices? www.buybelowmarket.com. He is currently looking to expand his network of funding partners who are helping him achieve this goal. If you would like to know more about how you can do well by doing good, contact Tom at TSheppard@ADBProperties.com</i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-1745712992198713895?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-15152074140965540802011-02-14T21:07:00.000-05:002011-02-14T21:07:47.216-05:002011-02-14T21:07:47.216-05:00What Gene Simmons of KISS Taught Me About Business<b>You might be surprised at what you can learn about business from a guy who wore more makeup and bigger high heels than his mommy. </b><br />
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Pictured below, left to right, are JT Foxx, Gene Simmons and Thomas K Sheppard. This picture was taken February 12, 2011 at Mega Partnering 2011 in Los Angeles, California.<br />
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June 10 through 13 of February 2011 I attended the JT Foxx Mega Partnering event in Los Angeles. If you have ever attended a celebrity business event, they are typified by headline speakers punctuated by 90 minutes pitches for programs that promise you wealth and happiness, each easier than the programs touted before. That is NOT what happens at these JT Foxx events, especially the Mega Partnering brand he has built. In these events you get a collection of powerful, unarguably successful speakers who teach you their secrets to living the life they want. They don't pitch you on products to make you happy, healthy, and wealthy.<br />
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The event this February (JT holds two of these each year), featured Gene Simmons, the legendary rock star from KISS and the star of Family Jewels (yes his wife Shannon Tweed of Playboy fame did make an appearance).<br />
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I openly confess here that when JT told me he was going to get Gene to headline this event, I asked him why? I really couldn't imagine what I could learn from a guy who made himself famous wearing more makeup and taller heels than his mother while puking up blood and sticking out his tongue. In case you don't release it, most rock stars end up broke and destroyed almost as soon as the passion of their fans for their music fades away. So, when JT told me that Gene Simmons has a worth in excess of $700 million and is considered a branding genius and a formidable businessman, I was intrigued.<br />
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I was not disappointed.<br />
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Gene Simmons is more than just a guy with a long tongue. Although I cannot tell you all that he taught us over the course of about two hours, because I would probably get a call from his lawyers, I can share a couple of nuggets that I took away from his conversation with us. Yes, it was a conversation. He came down off the stage, mic in hand and walked up and down through the audience asking pointed questions and challenging our thinking. He pulled up several different members of the audience and on the spot taught them how to brand themselves and their businesses - a quick consultation that would have cost them at least $100,000 if they had approached Gene and asked for a consultation.<br />
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In case you didn't realize it, Gene is an immigrant to America. His mother was Hungarian, a holocaust survivor and he was born in Israel. Did you know that immigrants to the US are 4 times more likely to become millionaires than native born Americans?<br />
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Here are some nuggets he shared:<br />
<ul><li>You cannot fail in this country. You can rack it up and then go broke, declare bankruptcy and then start all over.</li>
<li>Don't rely on just one business for your money, build several.</li>
<li>Learn to speak English with a mid-Atlantic American accent - that is what you hear from the new folks on TV and the most successful people in the world. American English is the speaking pattern and accent of success in the US. English is the language of money. Although learning Mandarin (not Cantonese) is a pretty good idea right now.</li>
<li>Use trademark laws to protect your brands and use lawyers to enforce your trademark rights, or you will lose them both - by law.</li>
<li>Operate your business like a Navy Seal. Come in below the RADAR. Minimize your exposure by having a lean and mean operation.</li>
<li>Educate yourself, don't rely on the drivel that passes for education in our schools. Go to the library and take advantage of the best free education in the world, reading library books. And now we can get a lot of that over the internet too.</li>
<li>Be nice to rich people because a poor person never gives you a job.</li>
<li>Be a rock stat - walk into the room and own it.</li>
</ul>Although I could go on with what he taught and fill up several entries in this blog, I will leave it at this, feeling it is sufficient to illustrate my point. I am glad that JT Foxx had the good judgment to look beyond the comic book image of KISS to bring to his friends and students the knowledge and influence of a business and branding powerhouse like Gene Simmons.<br />
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Likewise, I am glad I had the good sense to trust JT and not turn up my nose at the prospect of expecting to learn some serious business from someone who wore bigger high heels and more makeup than his mommy.<br />
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ON THE PERSONAL SIDE - Gene asked if anyone there spoke Spanish. I raised my hand and he asked me to translate how his Puerto Rican students greeted him each morning when he was a school teacher. Although I was able to translate it, I couldn't bring myself to translate that without being prepared to fight to the death. I later determined a tactful way to convey it which I include here and leave to you to struggle through my deliberate obfuscation to get to the reality of what they said. Here is my sanitized translation, "Hello my odoriferous Jewish friend who mates with boys. I want you to know that I really enjoyed getting to know your mother, in a very Biblical way." Yes, that IS cleaned up. Sorry Gene, I hope I didn't ruin the effect you were after.<br />
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<i>Tom Sheppard has been successfully investing in real estate since 2001 while working part time. In 2008 he left a six-figure job as an enterprise project manager with a major national bank to manage his real estate business full-time. His goal is to help 100,000 people find peace of mind by finding quality, affordable homes. Why pay retail when you can buy a home at below market prices? www.buybelowmarket.com. He is currently looking to expand his network of funding partners who are helping him achieve this goal. If you would like to know more about how you can do well by doing good, contact Tom at TSheppard@ADBProperties.com</i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-1515207414096554080?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-41349654379155983972010-12-11T08:57:00.000-05:002010-12-11T08:57:08.661-05:002010-12-11T08:57:08.661-05:00The Educated Real Estate BuyerI recently had the privilege of attending five days of training that were amazing and powerful. Portions of this training were available to the public at $5,000 per ticket. A select few of my friends were able to attend the public portion at a significant discount thanks to my relationship with the internationally syndicated radio talk show host, JT Foxx.<br />
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You may ask yourself why would a successful Real Estate Entreprenuer like Tom take five days away from business and family to attend training? I will tell you why, it is because knowledge is the most critical success factor in this or any business. <br />
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Although the fundamentals of business don't chang, market conditions do. The strategies that worked in the previous decade, year, six-months no longer work with today's market. Because of that, every successful business owner will regularly engage in Zero-Based Thinking.<br />
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In Zero-Based Thinking, you start by assuming that you are starting over, completely fresh. Instead of working from what you "know" about your market, your customers, and your business, you take a fresh look.<br />
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Once you have rebuilt your market view and your customer definition/view then you look at your business and ask, "Why? Why? Why?"<br />
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Yes, you actually ask it at least three times about everything you are doing in your business. "Why are we doing that?" "Why do we believe it is working?" "Why should we stop doing that?"<br />
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Asking lots of "dumb" questions will help you to uncover the false assumptions and changed foundations beneath your current business practices. Making that critical examination in the light of a new look at your market and customers can help you avoid going down the drain with your competition or getting run over by the new business on the block who approached it with a clean slate and is killing everyone else because of not being bound by outmoded practices or traditions.<br />
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Zero-Based Thinking is just one of the many things I learned in this five days of training. I have already used it to make my business better, and there are dozens of more things I learned that I will be using to make my business and my next six months more profitable than the six that went before.<br />
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<blockquote><strong>If you think it is costly to spend so much time and money on education as a business owner or individual, consider how much bad experience costs.</strong></blockquote>~ Tom S.<br />
<strong><span><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=httpwwwbuybel-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0977055523&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></span>PS:</strong> In case you were wondering, I spent a day and half with Raymond Aaron, a day and half with JT Foxx, and then two days with <a href="http://www.nidoqubein.com/">Nido Qubein</a>, <a href="http://www.jtfoxxshow.com/">JT Foxx</a>, <a href="http://aaron.com/">Raymond Aaron</a> and <a href="http://phillgroverevolution.com/livewebinar/">Phil Grove</a>. If you don't know who these people are, then follow the links associated with their names and be amazed at the caliber of people I am learning from.<br />
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<strong>PPS:</strong> In addition to the instruction from the folks I mentioned above, I was in the room with a couple of dozen successful business owners from all across the country. Many of these folks are worth millions and millions of dollars. I was able to network with them and learn from them too.<br />
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<i>Tom Sheppard has been successfully investing in real estate since 2001 while working part time. In 2008 he left a six-figure job as an enterprise project manager with a major national bank to manage his real estate business full-time. His goal is to help 100,000 people find peace of mind by finding quality, affordable homes. Why pay retail when you can buy a home at below market prices? www.buybelowmarket.com. He is currently looking to expand his network of funding partners who are helping him achieve this goal. If you would like to know more about how you can do well by doing good, contact Tom at TSheppard@ADBProperties.com</i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-4134965437915598397?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-90273333017338440352010-11-16T16:50:00.001-05:002010-11-17T15:20:33.039-05:002010-11-17T15:20:33.039-05:00Real Estate Investors Go On Offense<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wEpzJLDd5CU/TOL69GE39EI/AAAAAAAAABA/cUyETDTkPic/s1600/DSC_0050_004tsheppard2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_wEpzJLDd5CU/TOL69GE39EI/AAAAAAAAABA/cUyETDTkPic/s200/DSC_0050_004tsheppard2.jpg" width="142" /></a></div><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Investors Go On Offense</span></strong><br />
<blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><em>"The exclusive National Real Estate Investor/Marcus & Millichap Investor Sentiment Index shows that investor confidence has taken a major step forward in the past year. After bottoming out in 2009 with an index rating of 91, investor sentiment rose to 113 in the first quarter and 119 in the third quarter of this year." </em></strong></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.marcusmillichap.com/aboutus/viewNews.asp?FID=5182"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.marcusmillichap.com/aboutus/viewNews.asp?FID=5182</span></a></div> <br />
I read this headline from market experts Marcus and Millichap with great interest. For some time now, I and my associates have been telling our friends who are standing on the sidelines holding fearfully onto their money that this is the ideal time to invest in real estate. <strong>It seems the big money agrees with me and is moving ahead.</strong> <br />
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Meanwhile those who could be working with folks like me to buy some of the cheapest real estate deals they will see in their lifetime continue to wait until everyone acknowledges the trend and has jumped on the bandwagon, thereby assuring that they will be victims of the buy high and sell low phenomenon that always wipes out those who follow the crowd. <br />
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You can trust me on this; when everyone in the media starts talking about how great the real estate market is doing, I and my associates will be selling and maximizing our gains while getting ready for the next down cycle that will inevitably follow the craze. <br />
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Is it too late to get in now? No, but it will be soon if the gurus at Marcus and Millichap are right. By the middle of 2011 they predict investor confidence will be very strong and market activity will be significant. <br />
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There are still lots of deals out there to be had and even as little as $10,000 can be parlayed into significant returns for the savvy investor. <br />
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<em>Tom Sheppard has been successfully investing in real estate since 2001 while working part time. In 2008 he left a six-figure job as an enterprise project manager with a major national bank to manage his real estate business full-time. His goal is to help 100,000 people find peace of mind by finding quality, affordable homes. Why pay retail when you can buy a home at below market prices? <a href="http://www.buybelowmarket.com/">http://www.buybelowmarket.com/</a>. He is currently looking to expand his network of partners who are helping him achieve this goal. If you would like to know more about how you can help, contact Tom at <a href="mailto:TSheppard@ADBProperties.com">TSheppard@ADBProperties.com</a></em><br />
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I read this book. In fact I have it personally autographed by the author, George Ross who I had dinner with. It is a very interesting read and provides some significant insights that I am applying to my own business.<br />
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Tom S.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-9027333301733844035?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-49014863120463894352010-11-02T11:52:00.017-04:002010-11-17T15:27:10.812-05:002010-11-17T15:27:10.812-05:00360 Millionaire - Last Chance<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wEpzJLDd5CU/TNA5YZYyEDI/AAAAAAAAAA4/6NuQ6is8k-Y/s1600/TKSHAT1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5534987033332813874" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_wEpzJLDd5CU/TNA5YZYyEDI/AAAAAAAAAA4/6NuQ6is8k-Y/s200/TKSHAT1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 138px;" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Why you should be beating down the doors to attend the 360 Millionaire Class with JT Foxx and what you will learn there!</span></b></div><div><br />
</div>Because JT Foxx continually updates his materials to work in the current market, the exact details of what he teaches in one class are not the same in the next class. So even though I have attended his class before, the list of learnings I give here is partial, generally accurate, and probably won’t be covered in exactly the same way as it was when I heard him teach it before.<br />
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<div>Last year, JT called this class, “Partner Your Way to Millions” and it was a great class. Since then he has renamed it, retooled it, and completely updated it to be even more effective.</div><div><br />
<b>Why would anyone want to attend a class about millionaires?</b> Very simply because we all want to be financially independent. Some of us want to be stinking rich. </div><div><br />
Robert Kiyosaki (a friend of JT’s) in his book, “Rich Dad Poor Dad” teaches that financial independence is when you have income sources outside of your job that meet or exceed your ordinary expenses. For many of us financial independence is enough. Others want still more.<br />
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</div><div>Many of us who were raised working-class, like I was, have been taught to look down on people of wealth as some form of leech on society (some politicians try to manipulate us with this ploy today). This is a way for us to make our relative poverty into a virtue and their wealth into a vice that we aren’t afflicted with. This is really just a mental coping mechanism, an excuse to help us to avoid feeling bad that we haven’t been good enough with our talents to lift ourselves to that level. Jesus taught in his parable of the talents that we should be very aggressive in turning our 5 into 10 and our 10 into 100. And yet, we sneer at those who turn 10 into 100. My mother taught me that this is what is called, “reverse snobbery.” It is actually a form of pride and envy. Did you realize that even us poor folk can be guilty of the kind of pride and envy we imagine is in the heart of the wealthy.</div><div><br />
A wise man taught me that <b>being wealthy won’t make you a good person or bad, it will just make you more of what you already are</b>. If you are a jerk, you will be a bigger jerk. If you are nice, you will be even nicer to people. Wealthy people give more to charities that poor people, because they can and they want to. A little while ago I spent a weekend with a man who is worth $300 million. He doesn’t need to work another day in his life. He was paid to be there with a group of us and teach us his secrets of negotiating. Every dollar he received for being there was contributed to his favorite charity – a children’s hospital. How would you like to be able to give $30,000 to your favorite charity? You can’t when you need that money just to pay your bills. But if you are financially independent and wealthy you can do that, if you choose. Financial independence is about having the ability to choose what to do with your time and your money.<br />
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</div><div><b>Do you want to spend your whole life depending on how much your boss likes you so that you can improve your financial security?</b> Most of us dream of the day when we can sing along with Johnny Paycheck and say to our boss, “take this job and shove it. I ain’t workin’ here no more.”</div><div><br />
In our society today we equate the term millionaire with someone who doesn’t have to depend upon their job anymore. If you become a millionaire, you can join those who have gone before you to tell their boss to “take this job and shove it.”</div><div><br />
But are we willing to do anything to make that day happen? What is keeping you from making that happen? If you are like I used to be, there are several things (fears) holding you back. For years these prevented me from even trying to be too successful:</div><div><br />
<ul><li><b>I am afraid that I will have to give up what is most important to me in order to attain financial independence.</b> The stories of wrecked lives on the path to wealth are many and legendary. It is true that the enemy of our happiness wants us to give up the sources of true happiness in exchange for worldly wealth or fame. But, that is a false bargain. There is no reason you cannot be financially independent while not sacrificing the most important things in life.</li>
</ul></div><div>The trap of trading what is important for the mundane is even more prevalent when you are depending upon the pleasure of your boss for your financial well being. How many opportunities to do what you know is important have you missed because you couldn’t afford to take time off from work?</div><div><br />
Many years ago I realized the danger of the lure of corporate success. I decided then that I wasn’t going to accept the notion that others pushed at me that the only way I could succeed in the company was to give my life to the company while sacrificing everything else that was important to me. I decided that when I retired from a successful corporate career, I wanted to go home to my first wife and children, not to an empty home or one filled with reminders of failed relationships that had been destroyed in my quest for financial success in my career.<br />
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In 2008 I retired from a job paying me six figures per year. I went home to my first wife and children. My successful career did not cost me my marriage and my family. If I had learned many years ago what JT Foxx teaches today, I could have succeeded in my career much quicker and I could have retired to become my own boss much sooner, all without sacrificing the most important things in life.</div><div><br />
<ul><li><b>I don’t know what I need to do to become financially independent.</b> Some once told me, “if you think education is expensive, try ignorance and experience and see how much more expensive they are.” That is really true. I have paid the price in ignorance and experience on some things and paid for education on others. I can authoritatively say that education, no matter the cost is much less expensive than the alternatives. Education gives us a chance to become wise by learning from the ignorance and experience of others.</li>
</ul></div><div><br />
Even when we really want to become financially independent, most of us have no idea how to make that come to pass. I did it in 2008. I met JT after then and he taught me things that have helped further my dream. If I had known years ago what he is teaching today, I could have made my exit from being under someone else’s thumb years ago.</div><div><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What You Will Learn from the 360 Millionaire?</span></b></div><div><br />
The truth is that what you learn is a function of what you are open to learn and what is taught. Because I don’t know how open your mind is to receive the knowledge you need to change your life for the better, I cannot tell you what you will learn in this class with JT. But, I can tell you some of what he will teach if you are able to learn it.</div><div><br />
A fundamental truth that JT teaches in all his classes is that the key to building your net worth is your network. Building your business or advancing your career is tied to your ability to build and utilize a network of strong relationships with people who become willing to help you achieve your goals. Your network is equal to your net worth.</div><div><br />
Some of what you will learn in the 360 Millionaire Class with JT Foxx<br />
<ul><li>How to build your network</li>
</ul><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Effective ways to network<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How to find millionaires in your community<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How to build relationships with millionaires<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How to monetize your network<br />
<ul><li>The model JT used and still uses to get the funding he needed to start his business</li>
</ul><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Step by step how to apply this model to fund your own business<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Keys to maintaining this model indefinitely<br />
<ul><li>Secrets of branding</li>
</ul><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How to tell someone about your brand in under a minute<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How to get them to ask you for more information<br />
<ul><li>Secrets of marketing</li>
</ul><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How to get your brand in front of people<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How to bring people to your business<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How to monetize your marketing<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>How to become The Expert without being branded a “know-it-all”<br />
<ul><li>How to manage your image</li>
<li>Secrets of successful businesses</li>
</ul><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Key functions you need to create or have in place<br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Key information that will make or break your business<br />
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</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This short list just scratches the surface. There is a lot more he will teach in the two days of this class.</span></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">This Really Is Your Last Chance</span></b></div><div><br />
JT has announced that although the class will be held in 2011, he will no longer be personally teaching this class. Yes, you will still be able to get some wonderful instruction, but you won’t be getting it directly from someone who is widely recognized as a marketing genius.</div><div><br />
If you are a friend of mine and want to attend the class being held in Charlotte on this December 4th and 5th you need to get in contact with me right away. <br />
<br />
Tom ~</div><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Figottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com%2F&layout=standard&show_faces=true&width=450&action=like&font=arial&colorscheme=light&height=80" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:80px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe><div><br />
PS: You can enroll for the class by going to <a href="http://www.360millionaireclass.com/">www.360millionaireclass.com</a> If you are a friend of mine, send me an email letting me know you have enrolled in the class in Charlotte and I will give you a special promotion code that will give you a significant discount off the $5,000 fee that is regularly charged for this class. My email is at the bottom of this blog. But you must act fast, seating is filling up quickly and when the seats are gone the discount will be irrelevant.</div><div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>If you are sick and tired of seeing your investments go into retirement long before you do,</b></div><b></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>call us today for the cure.</b></span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><b>704-699-6080</b></span></b></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Or</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Leave a message for us 24 hours a day at 704-900-1488</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>We will call you back within one business day.</b></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Why Buy Retail?</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.buybelowmarket.com/">www.BuyBelowMarket.com</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">See my latest video about what we do at The Gold Seal Homes Group: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACJx3wpKezQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACJx3wpKezQ</a></div><div><br />
</div><br />
<b>About J.T. Foxx</b></div><div><i>J.T. Foxx started investing 6 years ago with nothing more than a rusted out Ford pick-up truck, $974 dollars and the clothes on his back. Now just four 6 years later, he has closed over $40 million in real estate deals, become an internationally recognized speaker and developed a multitude of successful business ventures - all by mastering the Art of partnering, branding & marketing.<br />
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J.T. is most recognized as a very successful real estate investor and entrepreneur but he is also a popular nationally syndicated weekend radio personality of the "J.T. Foxx Show" and the "Canadian Wealth Show". His radio program features such celebrity guests as Senator McCain, Secretary of State, William Cohen, Rev Jesse Jackson, Trump, and George Ross (Donald Trump's right hand man), and celebrated authors like Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Bob Proctor, from The Secret and Mark Victor Hanson from the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.<br />
<br />
Even though his recognition and success in business and radio continues to rise, J.T.'s true passion is teaching and reaching out to those who dream of achieving their goals by creating differentiation and thinking differently. J.T. teaches the same practical applications he utilizes daily and that actually get results in today's rapidly changing marketplace, bottom line his techniques work.<br />
<br />
J.T. is beloved by his audiences for his results oriented, no-nonsense approach to business and to life - but most importantly because he gives them the tools not only to make more money, but to thrive and make a powerful impact for the better.</i></div><div><i><br />
Tel: 1-877-272-3031<br />
events@jtfoxxorg.com<br />
<a href="http://www.askjtfoxx.com/">http://www.askjtfoxx.com</a></i><br />
<br />
<b>About Thomas K Sheppard</b><br />
<i>Tom started investing about nine years ago with no money and no credit. Learning avidly from established experts, following their instructions and working part-time he was soon able to build a real estate business with more than a $1 million in assets.</i></div><div><i><br />
Two years ago Tom retired from a six-figure salary with a major national bank to work at his real estate business full time (www.adbproperties.com). Since then he has founded The Gold Seal Homes Group which has the goal of helping 100,000 people attain peace of mind by finding quality, affordable homes. In the current market, the primary thrust of the Group is to help people buy homes at below market prices(<a href="http://buybelowmarket.com/">www.buybelowmarket.com</a>). </i></div><div><i><br />
Tom can be reached at: 704-699-6080 or <a href="mailto:tsheppard@adbproperties.com">tsheppard@adbproperties.com</a></i> <br />
<i><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=httpwwwbuybel-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=3442217784&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></i></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-4901486312046389435?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-62584366491833137162010-10-25T14:58:00.022-04:002010-11-17T15:28:46.823-05:002010-11-17T15:28:46.823-05:00You Can't Make Money in Real Estate in THIS Market... WHATEVER!<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mBYFbkGuI0A/TMXN8MPXloI/AAAAAAAAAAM/Az-d3soK47U/s1600/DSC_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" nx="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mBYFbkGuI0A/TMXN8MPXloI/AAAAAAAAAAM/Az-d3soK47U/s320/DSC_0006.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">Here is the true story of how one of my partners and I recently made more than $23,000 in just 10 weeks.</span> And, how one fortunate home buyer was able to buy a home at 30% below market.<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">My partner put up the money and I did all the work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then we shared a 77% (annualized) return.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"></div><div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;">My partner and I bought this home in a good neighborhood in South Charlotte in late July for $140,000. Just ten weeks later we sold this same house for $181,497.<br />
<br />
In the interim, we put on a new roof, cleaned the place up, made a few repairs, and got bids for upgrading the kitchen. After spending about $5,000, we sold the property for $181,497.<br />
<br />
My partner didn’t have to attend any of the closings. I was there when we bought it on July 28, 2010, he was in California. I was at the closing on October 15, 2010 when we sold it. He was back in California after just returning from Australia and New Zealand.<br />
<br />
He didn’t have to pound any nails or take time off from his busy schedule to manage the property or the work. I made all the arrangements and wired him the funds at closing.<br />
<br />
After taking out all our costs (including real estate agent commissions) we had just over $23,000 to split between us. That was a 16% cash-on-cash return in just 10 weeks. If you annualize that it is an annual return rate of 77.22%.</div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><strong><span style="color: red; font-size: 130%;">How would you like to earn 77% a year on your money?</span></strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">I meet people every day who, when I tell them that I buy and sell real estate, they tell me that, “You cannot make money in today’s market buying and selling real estate.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tell them, “Don’t tell that to the guy who partnered with me on this house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He will call you a liar.”</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">Many people believe that if you make money it is because someone else got ripped off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t work that way, but how about if I give you the facts and let you decide.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
<span lang="en-US" style="color: #da1f28; font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">How did we get such a great deal when we bought the house? </span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">I won’t kid you, finding really great deals in this market is not easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are a lot of houses offered for sale, but not many that are really on sale.</span><br />
<span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">We bought the house from an estate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The heirs had left the house sitting for months and they didn’t want it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were happy to get an ALL CASH offer that didn’t depend on a bank loan (which is pretty hard to get on a house that needs repairs).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we closed, they took their money and ran away, happy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">When they left, the house was filled with stuff that we had to remove before we could go forward. </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">Also, the roof was in danger of collapsing, so we had to get a crew in there fast to fix the roof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of just slapping on a few shingles, we took it down to the wood, replaced several sheets of plywood and then put on 30 year architectural shingles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boy, were the neighbors happy to see that!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="color: red; font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">Did the Buyer get ripped off when they bought the house?</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">We don’t work that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We sell houses at below market prices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are the facts, you decide.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mBYFbkGuI0A/TMXPMnZYWUI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/-tknlD4TdcI/s1600/DSC_0077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" nx="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_mBYFbkGuI0A/TMXPMnZYWUI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/-tknlD4TdcI/s200/DSC_0077.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><img border="0" height="132" nx="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mBYFbkGuI0A/TMXPe9EhCxI/AAAAAAAAAAU/QWQCgJNfSyU/s200/DSC_0104.JPG" width="200" /><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">We removed all the trash from the house, and there was a house full of it. Then we pulled up the carpets and revealed beautiful hardwood floors that had been covered up since the late 60’s and were in fantastic condition. We went out and got bids on upgrading the house to current standards. We negotiated those bids down from $60,000 to $42,000 and then passed those on to the new buyer at closing. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></span></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><img border="0" height="200" nx="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_mBYFbkGuI0A/TMXP8RqPT0I/AAAAAAAAAAY/MOs_oL9sdY0/s200/Upstairs+Bedroom+2.jpg" width="149" /></div><br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">If they do the upgrades, the house will be worth about $260,000 right away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, do the math.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They paid $181k to buy the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they pay $42K for the upgrades, the property will be worth $260K. They will have $223K into a house that is now worth $260K.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is more than $37,000 in owners equity, beyond what they paid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, after everything they will have bought the house for 14% below market value.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="color: red;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">Why pay retail when you can buy below market?</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">These buyers bought this house for </span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">30% below market value</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">!</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none; text-align: center;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">When<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>they complete the upgrades they will still have bought the home for </span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><span style="color: red;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">14% below market value</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">!</span></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
<span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">Why pay retail when you can buy below market?</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">Are you tired of seeing your 401K turn into a 101K?</span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">You need to learn how to get your money working for you!</span><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="color: red; font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">Are you tired of seeing your IRA acting like it has retired before you have, in spite of the money you keep putting into it?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><br />
<span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad has correctly taught people that financial independence is when your investments earn enough to pay all your bills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then you are no longer dependent on your job and your boss. </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">You need to make investments that consistently earn money for you at double digit rates!</span><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: 180%;"><span style="color: red;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">Real estate is the thing that has made more millionaires than any other business </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">in history.</span></span></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">Any investment advisor will agree that you should always </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US;">buy low and sell high in order to make money</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">.</span><br />
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</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">Right now real estate prices are the lowest they have been in decades!</span></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="color: red; font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">This is the time to buy real estate.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">But, if you don’t know real estate and local markets </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">you could still end up losing money by making bad buys</span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For your money to make money for you in real estate, </span><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">you need to partner with a seasoned real estate investor </span><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">who knows the local markets and knows how to make money in real estate no matter what the market is doing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;"></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">Our company has been actively investing in real estate in the Charlotte market since 2001.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We didn’t get hurt by this big market downturn because we always buy our real estate the right way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our systems, processes, and expertise allow us to find the really great deals and make money on them.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">We are actively seeking to expand our network of investors and potential partners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want to take advantage of the BEST REAL ESTATE MARKET IN DECADES, but are afraid you don’t know enough or you don’t have enough time to learn what you need to know, don’t worry, just contact us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will help you get started making your money make money for you.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">No one cares more about your money than you do!</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">We are more conservative with our partners’ money than we are with our own.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">If you are sick and tired of seeing your investments go into retirement long before you do, </span></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">call us today for the cure.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">704-699-6080</span></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">Or </span></div><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">Leave a message for us 24 hours a day at 704-900-1488</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold; language: en-US;">We will call you back within one business day.</span><span lang="en-US" style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-pagination: none;"></div><div align="left">Tom ~ </div><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Figottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com%2F&layout=standard&show_faces=true&width=450&action=like&font=arial&colorscheme=light&height=80" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:80px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe><br />
<div align="center"><br />
Why Pay Retail for a Home or Investment Property?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.buybelowmarket.com/">http://www.buybelowmarket.com/</a> </div><div align="center"><br />
See my latest video about what we do at The Gold Seal Homes Group: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACJx3wpKezQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACJx3wpKezQ</a></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><em>Thomas K Sheppard has been successfully investing in real estate since 2001. A veteran of the US Marine Corps and more than 17 years in the banking industry, he is focused on helping 100,000 families to find quality, affordable homes. He buys, sells, and rents homes in the Charlotte, NC metropolitan area, including Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Rowan, Union, and Gaston counties. If you are looking to buy, rent, or sell a home, condo, or apartment in those areas, or would like to learn about how you can help 100,000 families find quality, affordable homes, contact him at <a href="mailto:tsheppard@adbproperties.com">tsheppard@adbproperties.com</a> or visit his website <a href="http://www.buybelowmarket.com/">http://www.buybelowmarket.com/</a>. </em></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-6258436649183313716?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-11293925601703761572010-09-28T05:54:00.009-04:002010-11-17T15:28:09.145-05:002010-11-17T15:28:09.145-05:00Wall Street Woes Mean Main Street Opportunities<div align="left">A hedge fund manager, Andy Kessler, recently opined in The Wall Street Journal that, "Wall Street firms are actually down close to 15% for the year" and "Wall Street faces headwinds that will force its hand. We are at the bitter end of a 30-year interest rate cycle. Declining interest rates are the ideal environment for economic growth." <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704082104575515853029748826.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_opinion">[What's The Matter With Wall Street?]</a><br />
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So, how are declining interest rates and a declining Wall Street turning into "Main Street Opportunities?" When the stock market has to rein in its wild claims of gains, ordinary investors do better. When the stock market is riding high, many people (and their money) are lured into investing in stocks by the promise of large gains, especially fast ones. Of course the reality is that the only people making large gains are those who bought the stocks before the big run up and are now selling them to the average investor and pocketing wads of cash.<br />
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If the market has to dial back its expectations, investors are more likely to turn away from the siren song that wrecks them and pay attention to investments that seem a lot less sexy, but which actually are consistently producing better returns for investors. I am talking here about private mortgages and private lending.<br />
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<strong>What Happens to Your Money in the Stock Market?</strong> About ten years ago if you had put $10,000 into a stock fund that mirrored the Dow Jones Industrial Average, ten years later, you would have about $9,540 in your account. Zero growth in ten years. How is that possible? Because ten years ago the Dow was at 10,000. After that it went down and stayed down. Only recently did it climb back up to 10,000 again. Which means you would have had a decade with negative or no earnings.<br />
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<strong>What Happens to Your Money With Private Lending?</strong> In contrast, if ten years ago you had put $10,000 with a real estate <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">entrepreneur</span> as a private mortgage at just a 7% interest rate, ten years later you would have about $18,385. That is 80% more than than you would have in your stock market account. Which would you rather have, a $460 loss after ten years or an $8k gain over ten years? Why the huge difference?<br />
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Investing in dull and boring real estate private lending actually harnesses what <strong>Albert Einstein</strong> called "<strong>the most powerful force in the universe</strong>," compound interest.<br />
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<strong>Keep It Simple Silly - </strong>most real estate <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">entrepreneurs</span> prefer to keep things simple. They like simple interest and they like interest only. That means when you lend $10,000 to a real estate <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">entrepreneur</span>, most of them prefer that the loan is interest only and better yet, interest is paid annually instead of compounding. It makes it easier for them to keep track of costs of funds and it lowers their outgo slightly. For you it means you have a simple interest income calculation on your taxes. Then when the loan is paid off, you can clearly see the gains and the return of principal. Then you can do it all again.<br />
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In many cases, real estate <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">entrepreneurs</span> are looking to use your money for a year or less. Some may put it to work for longer periods. You decide if you want to keep getting it back and putting it back in, or if you like having it sit there and earn steady money for you. Either way, you can be in control.<br />
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<strong>What <u>Real</u> Security Looks Like</strong> One of the best aspects of this kind of private lending is the security you get compared to stocks. When you buy a stock, the value can fall to zero. Just ask those who held GM stock when it went bankrupt and was bought by the government. In contrast, when you invest in real estate you get a mortgage or a deed of trust on a real house. And the house is insured with you as a named beneficiary. This means that if the borrower stops paying you back, you can take the house. You can live in it or sell it, as you choose. If the house is destroyed, the insurance will pay you back what you are owed. Either way, you have significant and real protection against loss and your investment is unlikely to become worthless. You have no such protection with stocks.<br />
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<strong>Banks Are Doing it With Your Money Right Now</strong> If you are putting your money into certificates of deposit (<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">CDs</span>) or other savings accounts at banks, the reality is that you are already taking all the risks of lending to real estate entrepreneurs and getting none of the returns. Lending to real estate <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">entrepreneurs</span> for centuries has been the lifeblood of the banking industry. They take your deposits, pay you a few pennies of interest, and lend them out to real estate <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">entrepreneurs</span> and make dollars of interest - for them, not you. In recent years bankers too were lured into wild and risky investing schemes using derivatives and other arcane and complex calculations. Soon they will return to their roots, robbing you of your earnings by lending your money out to others. I suggest you rob them instead.<br />
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Cut them out of the lending game and take the gains for yourself. Become a private lender today and turn Wall Street Woes into Main Street Opportunities. For some free info on how private lending works go to <a href="http://www.robthebanklegally.com/">http://www.robthebanklegally.com/</a>. But, before you do that, go back to the paragraphs above on "What Happens to Your Money..." and add a zero to the end of each number. Then you will see just how powerful this private lending can be.<br />
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Tom ~<br />
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</div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Why Buy Retail?<br />
</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/">http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/</a><br />
<br />
See my latest blog about what we do at The Gold Seal Homes Group: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACJx3wpKezQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACJx3wpKezQ</a><br />
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</div><em></em><div align="left"><em>Thomas K Sheppard has been successfully investing in real estate since 2001. A veteran of the US Marine Corps and more than 17 years in the banking industry, he is focused on <strong>helping 100,000 families to find quality, affordable homes</strong>. He buys, sells, and rents homes in the Charlotte, NC metropolitan area, including <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-error">Mecklenburg</span>, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-error">Cabarrus</span>, Rowan, Union, and Gaston counties. If you are looking to buy, rent, or sell a home, condo, or apartment in those areas, or would like to learn about how you can <strong>help 100,000 families find quality, affordable homes</strong>, contact him at <a href="mailto:tsheppard@adbproperties.com">tsheppard@adbproperties.com</a> or visit his website <a href="http://www.buybelowmarket.com/">http://www.buybelowmarket.com/</a>. </em></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-1129392560170376157?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-4147600584565662762010-09-23T07:41:00.007-04:002010-09-23T08:23:14.222-04:002010-09-23T08:23:14.222-04:00Meeting With Millionaires and Making Money With FriendsOn September 11 and 12 I spent the weekend in Chicago meeting with millionaires. Really, lil ole me!<br /><br />I went to an event called Mega Partnering hosted by JT Foxx. Several millionaires stood up on the stage over those two days and each shared the secrets of how they got where they are. In contrast with most celebrity-filled events, they didn't try to sell us anything. With very few exceptions, there weren't any books or tapes available for sale at the back of the room.<br /><br />In addition to the millionaires up on the stage, there were many sitting in the audience. JT taught us how to network with them and then gave us the chance to do just that.<br /><br />I met one guy who represents a hedge fund that invests in real estate. I met another who has created a deal exchange where deals and money come together. Some of these folks are looking for deals that start at $2 million and go to $200 million. Others are more in my zone, looking to fund purchases of single family homes.<br /><br />Some of these are just money lenders. Others are looking to partner with quality people in select markets so that they can work together to make a lot of money in this crazy market.<br /><br />Why would an experienced real estate investor like me be interested in working with these folks? The reality is that there are many more opportunities in the market right now than I can make happen. So, I need lots of money to be able to buy lots of homes at prices significantly below market so that I can sell them at a discount to people looking to buy a home for themselves but don't want to pay retail.<br /><br />Why go to a private money source instead of the bank? There are several reasons why a private money source often works much better for buying real estate instead of using a bank.<br /><ol><li>Right now banks aren't lending. I know the newspapers, the ads, and the TV commentators talk about how much the banks are lending. It is largely a lie. The number of loans that banks reject these days is at an all-time high. This means that more people than ever before are jumping through all the hoops the bank puts up only to find in the end that the bank has found some reason not to do the deal. I don't need that kind of frustration only to lose the deal in the end.</li><li>Banks limit the number of loans they will make to one person, and sometimes they limit the number of loans the person can have regardless of where they got them. As a real estate investor, I have many loans. Don't get me wrong. I understand why banks don't want to make too many loans to one person. It is good risk management on their part. Still, it acts to limit the size and profitability of my business. I am not keen on having someone else tell me that I cannot earn more than a certain amount! I don't like the notion that someone else can tell me I cannot buy more houses than they think I should.</li><li>Banks are restricted by government regulation. They have to jump through many hoops to lend me money, and in turn they make me jump through many hoops.</li><li>Private lending sources don't have the limits I mention above. They look less at me and more at the deal. They aren't afraid for me to fail, that will just be an opportunity for them. Because of that, they will fund deals that the banks won't.</li><li>Private lending sources use common sense - bank employees use policies and procedures.</li></ol>I could probably go on about the benefit of using private lending sources for pages and pages. Let me leave you with one more reason to use private lenders.<br /><br />Not all private lenders are millionaires. Most of them are ordinary people with a few thousand dollars in an IRA, a CD, or a 401K with a former employer. Working with these kind of folks, I am usually able to give them a return that is much better than what they are getting from their current investments. I like helping other people to succeed. When I can succeed with them, that is the best.<br /><br />I have many friends who have let me use their money to buy real estate in my business. They have made tens of thousands of dollars in interest while sitting at the beach, letting me do the work. Private lending is a powerful tool to turn ordinary folks like you and me into millionaires like I met with in Chicago.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><p>Tom ~ </p><p align="center">Why Buy Retail?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/">http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/</a><br /><br /><br /></p><p align="left">See my latest blog about what we do at The Gold Seal Homes Group: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACJx3wpKezQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACJx3wpKezQ <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACJx3wpKezQ"></a></p><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thomas K Sheppard has been successfully investing in real estate since 2001. A veteran of the US Marine Corps and more than 17 years in the banking industry, he is focused on helping 100,000 families to find quality, affordable homes. He buys, sells, and rents homes in the Charlotte, NC metropolitan area, including Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Rowan, Union, and Gaston counties. If you are looking to buy, rent, or sell a home, condo, or apartment in those areas, or would like to learn about how you can help 100,000 families find quality, affordable homes, contact him at tsheppard@adbproperties.com or visit his website <a href="http://www.buybelowmarket.com">www.buybelowmarket.com</a>. </span><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-414760058456566276?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-75305026295943016882010-08-19T14:14:00.010-04:002010-08-19T14:48:26.187-04:002010-08-19T14:48:26.187-04:00Buying a House for Pennies on the DollarCan you really buy a house for Pennies on the Dollar?<br /><br />Yes, you really can, and I have. And yes, there is a catch!<br /><br />Recently a partner and I purchased a home that is worth about $300,000 for just $140,000. In case you don't have a calculator handy, that is 46 cents on the dollar.<br /><br />This is a nice house in a nice neighborhood. So, what is the catch? Well, actually there is more than one.<br /><br /><strong>Catch #1)</strong> ALL CASH and QUICK CLOSING<br /><br />When you find a house that you can buy at a price significantly below the market value you must have access to a large sum of money that is available immediately. We had to close in less than three weeks from the time we found this deal.<br /><br />Three weeks isn't enough time for traditional lenders to even finish determining if they think you will pay them back. Then they need to spend several more weeks scheduling and evaluating the house you want to buy. The bottom line is, a fast close for a traditional lender is six weeks and most won't get done in less than twelve weeks.<br /><br />So, if you cannot get the money fast, then the deal will get away from you.<br /><br /><strong>Catch #2)</strong> Lenders Will Only Consider the Purchase Price<br /><br />When you find a deal like ours, most lenders will look at the contract price of the property and will only lend a portion of that value. This will still leave you with the need to come up with anywhere from 5% to 20% of the contract price in order to make the deal happen.<br /><br /><strong>Catch #3)</strong> Lenders Will Decrease the Loan Based on the Property Condition<br /><br />When you find a house at a great price, in most cases it is going to require some repairs. If the repairs are too significant, the bank won't lend you anything, regardless of how low the purchase price is. They don't want to end up owning it in case you walk away with their money. If the repairs are within reason, they will decrease the stated value of the home by the amount of the repairs and lend you a portion of the decreased value.<br /><br /><strong>Catch #4)</strong> Fixing the Property Requires More Cash<br /><br />With very few exceptions any house you can buy for 46 cents on the dollar is going to need some repairs and some updating. To do the repairs and updating will require more money.<br /><br />Our deal was no exception. We had to put on a new roof within days of closing to make sure we didn't have the inside get damaged from rain that would have come through the old roof. Then we had to clean out the house and make several other repairs. Lastly, we had to update the tiny kitchen by expanding it and improving it.<br /><br />All of this requires a lot more cash, in addition to what we paid for the house at closing.<br /><br /><strong>Catch #5)</strong> You Have to Pay While You Wait<br /><br />When you get a loan to buy and fix a house, you have to keep making payments on the loan even though you aren't living in the house. If you get a loan that doesn't require payments, then you are just deferring payments while the interest is piling up. That is what is known as the cost of capital.<br /><br /><strong>Catch #6)</strong> If the Repairs Aren't Done Right It is Still Your Problem<br /><br />When you are doing it yourself or even having others do it for you, if the repair or upgrade is messed up, you are still on the hook. You will suffer more for it than anyone else in terms of money, time, and frustration.<br /><br /><strong>Conclusion</strong><br /><br />Every week my team and I find and buy homes for pennies on the dollar. We work with a group of investors who make money with us by lending us the money to buy and fix these homes. We pay cash and close quickly. Then we fix up these homes and make sure they are done up right. When we are done, we want to sell them fast, so we put them on the market at a discount price. That way you save m0ney even while we make money.<br /><br />While it is true that you can find and buy houses for pennies on the dollar, there are a lot of hidden downsides to doing this for yourself. We know and understand the problems with doing this. We do it every week.<br /><br />If you buy a home from us, you will save yourself the time and frustration of trying to find one of these deals and you will save yourself the aggravation and disappointment of trying to buy and fix up one of these homes.<br /><br />Why bother when instead you can let us to all the dirty work and you still get a discount on a beautiful home?<br /><br /><br /></li><ol></ol><p>Tom ~ </p><p align="center">Why Buy Retail?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/">http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/</a><br /><br /><br /></p><p align="left">See my latest blog about what we do at The Gold Seal Homes Group: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACJx3wpKezQ">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACJx3wpKezQ</a> </p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-7530502629594301688?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-455645397656657272010-07-16T12:07:00.026-04:002010-07-21T12:09:59.828-04:002010-07-21T12:09:59.828-04:00JT Foxx's First Million in Real Estate<p align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">How to Become Wealthy</span></strong></p><br /><p>A very wealthy octeganarian recently told me the secret to his amazing wealth. We were chatting at a social event and after we had been talking for some time he leaned toward me and asked, "Do you want to know the secret to how to become wealthy?" When I nodded in anticipation, he told me, "Watch what wealthy people do, learn what they do, and do it."</p><p>On July 11 and 12 I spent two days with JT Foxx learning how he did over 500 real estate deals and how he does his deals <strong>today</strong>. Because JT is an active real estate investor when he teaches he is sharing methods that work today. Unfortunately a lot of real estate investment courses are taught by folks who made a killing in real estate a few years ago and they are teaching what worked for them back in the day. And, although that "day" may return, the real estate market continues to change and anyone investing using yesterday's tactics is likely to find themselves in legal trouble, financial trouble, or both.<br /><br />In the interests of full disclosure, I have to tell you that I am a mentoring student of JT Foxx. That being said, you need to understand this: I have been investing in real estate for many years now and I have attended hundreds of hours of training from dozens of different companies and investor/instructors. Of them all, I have found JT's instruction and materials and support programs to be the most comprehensive and practical when it comes to investing in single family homes.<br /><br />I will also disclose that I did not always want to do business with JT. When we first met, a couple of years ago, I found him to be abrasive in a number of ways. Since I don't have to do business with people I don't like, I took a couple of classes from him and then I went on my way.<br /><br />Early this year JT called me up and invited me to attend his Mega-Partnering event in Los Angeles. Yes, he called me personally - this was not a voice-blast, teleconference, or webinar. I decided to check it out and I am glad I did for two reasons: </p><ol><li><span style="color:#000000;">JT is a true student. He practices what he preaches. He teaches that we all need to keep educating ourselves and getting the coaching we need to improve and lift our game to new levels. The coaching he received since the last time I had seen him had really taken hold and he is a much better man now than he was then. His integrity is as intact as always, but he isn't the abrasive guy he used to be. <em><strong>This is someone I can do business with</strong>.</em></span></li><br /><br /><li><span style="color:#000000;">His Mega-Partnering event was <strong>phenomenal</strong>. I don't want to take up space here talking about it, but if you get a chance to attend one, you should make the time and go. You will meet more people who can help you in your real estate investing business in two days than you could in two years. The next one will be held in Chicago in September 11 and 12</span> (<a href="http://www.megapartnering.com/">http://www.megapartnering.com/</a>).</li></ol><br /><p>So, about the course in LA I just came back from... and why it would benefit every investor I know.<br /><br />Some of what JT taught is what he has done right. He also taught what he has done wrong, which can often be even more valuable. If we can learn from our own experience that is good. If we can learn from others' experience, that is best.<br /><br />One of the things he taught is the importance of approaching our real estate investing like a business. This includes understanding the need and uses of bookkeeping, accounting, and management reporting. I have to confess that this is something that I wish I had heard and done years ago. Nearly every investor I know tends to approach real estate more like a hobby than like a real business.<br /><br />A real business knows every month how much money was made or lost. </p><ul><li><span style="color:#000000;">Bookkeeping is entering the data and </span></li><br /><li><span style="color:#000000;">Accounting is making sense of the data.</span></li><br /><li><span style="color:#000000;">Reporting is making sure you can see what is going on in your business. There is an old axiom in business, "what gets reported get improved."</span><br /></li></ul><p>I had several other "ahaa" moments during the two days. I would love to tell you more about what he taught, but that would be giving away his content. So, I will have to leave it at this.<br /><br />If you have a chance to attend one of his classes, I encourage you to do it. If you are serious about investing in real estate I encourage you to get involved in his coaching and/or mentoring programs.<br /><br />On this last point, I have met most of his coaches. Like JT they are active real estate investors and are living by what they are teaching. As a point of reference, many coaching programs are focused just on helping you overcome the attitudinal and behavioral roadblocks that are preventing your success. While that is worthwhile, it does not give you practical knowledge of how to conduct your real estate investing business and how to buy, manage, and sell your real estate. In fact, many of the coaching providers are coaching companies, subcontracted out by the big-name instructor and they are contractually prohibited from helping you or giving you concrete instruction regarding real estate investing. JT's coaches and mentors are not subcontracted out and they deal with the motivational roadblocks and with the practical instruction in real estate investing as well.<br /><br />If you would like more information on: </p><ol><li><span style="color:#000000;">How to be a private lender see the Investors page of</span> <a href="http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/">http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/</a> </li><br /><li><span style="color:#000000;">How to become an equity partner, contact me directly at</span> <a href="mailto:tsheppard@adbproperties.com">tsheppard@adbproperties.com</a> </li><br /><li><span style="color:#000000;">How to become a successful real estate investor, keep reading these blogs or contact me directly at</span> <a href="mailto:tsheppard@adbproperties.com">tsheppard@adbproperties.com</a><br /></li></ol><p>Tom ~ </p><p align="center">Why Buy Retail?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/">http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-45564539765665727?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-82279959853010106482009-11-30T08:57:00.024-05:002010-01-13T23:26:20.570-05:002010-01-13T23:26:20.570-05:004 Things to Determine Market Value of a Home<p><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>DI<span style="font-size:78%;">SCLAIMER:</span></strong></span><span style="font-size:78%;"> <em>The author does not intend to offer any form of legal or financial advice. All real estate sales involve substantial risk. Consultation with a qualified attorney is recommended. Also, there may be significant tax consequences. Consultation with a qualified tax professional is recommended.</em> </span><br /><br />It may sound pretty basic, but before you try to buy a house at below market prices, you need to actually know what the market price is. To understand the market value of homes you have to look at several factors. </span><br /><br /></p><ol><li><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>What is happening in the broader market?</strong> All of these factors will have an effect on how much a home is actually worth.<br /><br />a. Are home prices in your area going up, down, or sideways?<br /><br />b. Is unemployment going up or down, or have there been any recent announcements of layoffs or hiring?<br /><br />c. How many houses are available all over the area?<br /><br /></span></li><br /><br /><li><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>What is happening in the local market?<br /></strong><br />a. Is the neighborhood going up down or sideways?<br /><br />i. Do you see vacant houses?<br /><br />ii. Do you see unmowed lawns and signs of repairs that haven’t been made?<br /><br />iii. Are there any developments happening near or in the neighborhood?<br /><br />iv. Is there easy access to commuting, shopping and schools?<br /><br />b. How many houses are available in your neighborhood and in adjoining neighborhoods?<br /><br />i. Do you see lots of “for sale” signs?<br /><br />ii. How many “for rent” signs are there?<br /><br /></span></li><br /><br /><li><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>What is the condition of the house you want to buy and the homes immediately surrounding it?</strong> How much will it cost to buy the property, repair it, and pay for it while making the repairs (taxes, insurance, mortgage payments, HOA dues, etc.). If you fix the house up to make it your dream home, or just habitable, will it outclass the rest of the neighborhood? If the answer is yes, then you probably shouldn't buy this house. Even though you may plan to live here for the next 30 years, things happen and you could need to sell right away. If your house looks like a jewel in a pig's nose of a neighborhood, you won't get full value for the house because of the neighborhood.<br /><br /></span></li><br /><br /><li><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>How much are comparable houses selling for?</strong><br /><br />a. To be sure a recent sale is truly comparable to the house you are looking at,<br /><br />i. Make sure you look at three to six home sales within ½ mile, within the last six months.<br /><br />ii. Take note, foreclosure sales are almost always well below market value, but they pull down the resale value for all houses in an area. This is usually a false deflation because they usually need lots of repairs before they are ready for occupancy. Unfortunately the cost of repairs doesn’t show up in the sale records.<br /><br />iii. After you know the values and compute the value of the house you are looking at, drive by the comparable houses to make sure they actually are comparable in size, finish, features, and neighborhood with the home you are looking at.<br /><br /></span></li></ol><br /><br /><p><span style="color:#000000;">Using all the information you have gathered above, figure out what is the going price for houses in the area where you want to buy. Now, you can begin to look for a house you want to buy. At the Gold Seal Homes Group, <strong>our team of experts examines all the factors above for every home we buy and sell.</strong> We do this for two reasons:<br /><br />1. We don’t want to pay more for a home than we should, and<br /><br />2. <span style="color:#cc0000;">We want to be sure when we sell you a home, it is already priced below market.<br /></span><br />You can spend a lot of time studying the market, studying the neighborhood, finding comparables, looking at comparables, driving neighborhoods looking for a home and then trying to buy it. Or, you can come to the Gold Seal Homes Group, tell us what you are looking for and where, and then sit back while we do all the hard work and bring a home to you for you to buy.<br /><br />When we find a home, in addition to all the hard work above, then we check out the home itself to determine the quality of the home. Because we actually buy these homes and resell them to you, we are taking on the risk of buying, just like you. We don’t want to own a house that isn’t a quality home anymore than you do. That is why you can be assured when you buy a home from the Gold Seal Homes Group it is a quality home at an affordable price, below market. That gives you peace of mind.<br /><br />Whether you are looking for your first home, another home, or you are looking for real estate investment properties, we can find what you are looking for and sell it to you at a price which is below market and affordable.</span><br /><br />Contact us today at <a href="mailto:igottasellmyhousetoday@gmail.com">igottasellmyhousetoday@gmail.com</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Tom ~<br /><br /><br /><br /></p><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Why Pay Retail?</span></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.buybelowmarket.com/">http://www.buybelowmarket.com/</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-8227995985301010648?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-32568929352628818402009-11-13T20:59:00.037-05:002009-11-29T16:24:09.411-05:002009-11-29T16:24:09.411-05:00Easy Money: Becoming a Landlord<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">1-2-3’s of Becoming a Landlord<br /></span></strong></div><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Okay, so you have decided you want to rent out your house. Welcome to the world of the land lord. Allow me to help you avoid a couple of the most common pitfalls. </div><ul><br /><li><div align="left"><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Don’t rent at a negative cashflow.</strong></span> This may sound like one of those “well duh!” statements, but do you really know how much rent you need to have a positive cashflow? If you said, enough to pay the mortgage – Congratulations you just flunked the exam.<br /><br />To get a positive cash flow, you have to add up your expenses and your debt payments and the amount you need to set aside for reserves and get more than all that in rent. </div></li></ul><p align="left"><strong>Expenses:</strong> These are the ordinary costs you have as a landlord such as marketing, insurance, taxes, utility bills, pest control, landscaping, postage, travel, and repairs. These happen on a monthly basis.<br /></p><br /><p align="left"><strong>Debt Payments:</strong> This is the payments you make on the mortgage, principal and interest payments to the lender. </p><p align="left"><strong>Reserves:</strong> This is the money you need to set aside to cover unexpected repairs and other expenses that won’t be covered when the property is not rented out (vacancy expenses). These include mortgage payments (when there is no rental income), costs to paint and put in new carpet or vinyl, a new roof, or a new heater or air conditioner, a broken toilet, or to repair termite damage. </p><p align="left">Reserves are the first place most people go wrong when renting out a house; they don’t think about reserves. </p><div align="left">If you can add up the rent, subtract expenses, reserves, and debt payments and still have money left over, that is positive cash flow. If you subtract out all those numbers and you end up with a negative result, you have negative cash flow. Negative cash flow is not what you want with rental property.<br /></div><ul><li><div align="left"><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Always, always, always, do a background check and financially qualify your prospective tenants.</strong></span> If you rent long enough, it is inevitable that you will eventually have a bad tenant. You can put that off a long time by having good management practices such as background checks, a tight lease, and qualifying your tenants financially.<br /></div></li></ul><div align="left">I always check to make sure my tenants don’t have a history of drug crimes, sex crimes or violent crimes. I make sure tenants have a gross household income that is at least three times more than the monthly rent. All prospective tenants have to complete a rental application with a non-refundable application fee. If they won’t pay the fee, they aren’t going to pay the rent. </div><div align="left"></div><br /><p align="left">You can do a lot more in a background check if you want, looking at credit scores, evictions, etc. I don’t, because it isn’t worth all the extra trouble to avoid the few deadbeats that I might eliminate.<br /><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong></strong></span></p><ul><li><div align="left"><span style="color:#cc0000;"><strong>Know your rights and know the tenant’s rights.</strong></span> Make sure your lease is very tight and grants you all the rights you have under the law. On top of that, study the rental laws so that you don’t accidentally violate tenant rights and get yourself on the wrong side of a lawsuit. Your tenants will sue you if they think they can win, and there are a lot of ways you can violate their rights without meaning to. Knowing the law on these points will also allow you to set up systems to quickly and effectively deal with tenants who fail to pay their rent.<br /></div></li></ul><p align="left">I know this post seems a bit negative about renting. There are many downsides of being a landlord. You will get late night calls and weekend calls. You will make appointments to show your place and have the confirmed appointment fail to show up. You will have tenants tear up your unit, forcing you make costly repairs. </p><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div></li><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">However, you will also get some great tax breaks and can even get a tax loss while enjoying a positive cash flow (thanks to the magic of depreciation). You can also have the satisfaction of providing people with a decent home at an affordable price and helping them along their way to economic freedom. </div><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div></li><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left">The beauty of having a residual cash flow from a rental property, having someone else pay down your mortgage for you, and having tax write offs that decrease your taxable income are wonderful things. To enjoy them, you must be willing to pay the price. </div><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div></li><div align="left"></div><div align="left">I don’t mind the troubles of being a landlord. I find the rewards are sufficient to offset the risks. But, think about both before you take the plunge. </div><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div></li><div align="left">Tom ~ </div><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Why Pay Retail?</span></div><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.buybelowmarket.com/">http://www.buybelowmarket.com/</a> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-3256892935262881840?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-56950849295444647812009-11-07T22:11:00.006-05:002009-11-20T13:10:46.267-05:002009-11-20T13:10:46.267-05:00Easy Money: Why Buy Real Estate?<div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Real Estate is the Best Investment</span></div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>Real estate has been the basis for the wealth of more millionaires than any other form of investment. This is true because real estate is probably the best of all possible investments.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><strong>You can make money and have a tax loss, legally with real estate.</strong> If your annual depreciation amount exceeds the amount of income you have from the property, it will result in a reduction of your taxable income, even though you actually made money.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><strong>Banks will lend you money to buy real estate</strong>, sometimes more than 100% of the present value of the real estate. See how many bankers will lend you $100,000 to buy $100,000 worth of stocks.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><strong>A good real estate investment will give you dividends and appreciation</strong> (growth), not just one or the other as most stock brokers will try to convince you to settle for when buying stocks. Rent payments can be the equivalent of dividends for the smart investor and in spite of the recent downturn in real estate values, the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">historical</span> average appreciation of real estate exceeds the historical average gains in the stock market.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div><strong>The value of real estate does not disappear</strong> overnight like it can with stocks and bonds. At worst case, if you own it, you can always go live in it. Try that with a stock certificate!</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>Like they say in buying stocks, <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">the secret to making money is to buy low and sell high.</span> In real estate, we say that money is made in real estate when it is bought, not when it is sold. If you buy low and ensure you have a positive cash flow, it is pretty hard to miss in real estate.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>It is a simple formula, but a challenging one to execute. Most professional real estate investors spend <u>a lot</u> of time understanding their markets. They see a lot of houses for sale that they won't make offers on. They know how to tell the winning deal from a loser, because of their experience and training.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>Unfortunately, <em>the amateur investor often gets taken in real estate, just as they do in the stock market.</em> <strong>Anyone who hopes to consistently make money in real estate investing has to be prepared</strong> to pay their dues by getting the right <strong>education</strong>, getting a good <strong>mentor</strong>, and then following directions to do deals the right way instead of trying to make it all up on their own, or improvise their own approach to the market.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>Because real estate is a capital intensive field, it is easy to loose a lot of money investing foolishly. There are three ways people can <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">profitably</span> get involved in and benefit from real estate investing.</div><br /><div> </div><br /><div>1) <strong>Become a private lender.</strong> <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">Find an experienced, successful and reputable real estate investor</span> in your area and ask him if he could use a private lender. Use your IRA, move the money in your old 401K into an IRA, or use excess cash you have parked in <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">CDs</span> or less profitable investments. Make it available to this investor to use. Don't try to tell him or her how to find houses or which houses to buy, but require that you get four things every time your money is used:</div><br /><ul><br /><li>A promissory note for the amount loaned, personally guaranteed by the investor</li><br /><li>A deed of trust on the property with your loan in the first lien position</li><br /><li>Lenders title insurance with you (0r your IRA) as the named beneficiary</li><br /><li>Hazard insurance with you (or your IRA) as a named beneficiary/lender</li></ul><br /><p>As I mentioned, don't try to tell the investor where or what to buy. But, do feel free to ask why she or he bought the house they did. Learn all you can from the investor and don't begrudge her or him their profits. You are getting paid to learn from them by getting a nice interest rate return on your money.</p><br /><p>2) <strong>Become an equity partner with an experienced, successful real estate investor.</strong> Seek out this investor and tell him or her that you have a sizable chunk of money (this better be at least $500K) and you want to get into the real estate investing business. You commit to providing the capital in exchange for a 50% share of the profits on each deal you do with them.</p><br /><p>Again, be sure to pick the brain of the investor as you do each deal so that you can learn how the investor picks the winners, how s/he acquires the property and profits from the deal. Once again you are getting paid to learn.</p><br /><p>3) <strong>Become a professional (part-time or full-time) real estate investor.</strong> First, you will need to set aside about $30K to $50K and invest it wisely in the best real estate investing training you can find (if you ask me, I will provide a confidential list of the best I have seen and some to avoid). As soon as you complete the very first course, apply it, apply it, and then apply it some more - before you attend or sign up for any additional training. Do not sign up for any additional training until after you have worked solid for six months trying to do everything the first course taught you to do. I will make an exception for a coaching program and a mentoring program that can help you apply what you have learned. You probably should sign up for those right away and work them for everything they will give you during that six month <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">startup</span> period.</p><br /><p>After you have successfully used your training to buy and profit from three to six deals, then it is safe to go back in the water to sign up for additional courses.</p><br /><p>In another post I will discuss the perils of real estate training and how it can distract you from making money.</p><br /><p>Of the three ways I mention above to make money in real estate investing, the first two require the least amount of time and effort. The third, even if you do it only part-time, requires a tremendous amount of work, dedication, persistence and applied knowledge. The rewards are greater and so are the risks. Decide for yourself which approach suits you.</p><br /><p>If you would like more information on:</p><br /><ol><br /><li>How to be a private lender see the Investors page of <a href="http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/">www.BuyAHouseBelowMarket.com</a>.</li><br /><li>How to become an equity partner, contact me directly at <a href="mailto:tsheppard@adbproperties.com">tsheppard@adbproperties.com</a></li><br /><li>How to become a successful real estate investor, keep reading these blogs or contact me directly at <a href="mailto:tsheppard@adbproperties.com">tsheppard@adbproperties.com</a></li></ol><br /><p>Tom ~</p><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Why Buy Retail?</span></p><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/">www.BuyAHouseBelowMarket.com</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-5695084929544464781?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-84685597743064177702009-11-05T10:18:00.010-05:002009-11-13T20:59:01.038-05:002009-11-13T20:59:01.038-05:00Easy Money: Investors Buy Right<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;">Four Universal Keys (plus one) for Investors to Buy a House Right</span></strong></div><br /><br />In my last post, I discussed four universal keys to buying real estate right. In that post I addressed those who are buying a house to live in. Today, I will address those who are looking to buy a house as an investment. I will show you how those same four keys apply, but in a slightly different manner.<br /><br />Why do I give different advice to investors than for homebuyers? Because there are different tradeoffs each faces. For the investor this is business (or it should be) while for the homeowner pleasure plays a big role.<br /><br />As you will see from my discussion, savvy investors must always consider cash flow on a property. Homebuyers should consider affordability, but also consider the pleasure they get from living in the home. Since the investor rarely lives in a home they buy, the cash flow has to be enough pleasure.<br /><br /><strong>So, lets get to the discussion.</strong><br /><br />To recap, there are four universal keys in buying a house right. The first is to avoid falling in love with the house. The second is to not overpay for the house. The third is to avoid overborrowing (overleveraging). The fourth is to not overpay for the loan. And for investors there is a fifth, critical key, never buy for appreciation.<br /><br /><strong>I. Don't fall in love with the house.</strong> If the numbers don't work, then don't work the numbers, just move on. This is business, not pleasure. This house is not your one, true love. There will be other houses. It is an investment and one day you will sell it.<br /><br /><strong>II. Don't overpay for the house.</strong> Never pay retail. When you buy a house for investment, your calculus is different. You must start with the retail value of the home and work backward to figure out what is the most you should pay. Here is the calculation if you plan to sell the house:<br /><ul><br /><li>Retail Value - Seller Discount - Cost of Repairs - Carrying Costs - Desired Profit = Maximum Offer</li></ul>Here are the calculations if you want to hold it and rent it out:<br /><ul><br /><li>(Annual Rent - Operating Costs) / Purchase Price = Return on Investment (aka ROI)</li></ul>but this isn't all:<br /><ul><br /><li>Annual Rent - Operating Costs - Debt Payments - Reserves = Net Income Before Taxes (aka annual cash flow).</li><br /><li>Net Income Before Taxes - Depreciation Deduction = Net Taxable Income (in this case a negative number is not a bad thing)</li></ul>The variables in these formulae are driven by a variety of factors. It would take too much space to explain here, so I will explain how to get those in another post. Still, you can see that investing in real estate requires a basic understanding of the math of investing.<br /><br /><strong>III. Don't overborrow.</strong> Many real estate investment course tout buying property with no money down. That can be done, I have done it. But, it is often a dangerous game and can lead to financial disaster for the unwary. When you buy a property and you owe 100% of what it is worth, you have no room for error. Also, if you look at the formulae above you will note that debt payments play a role in determining your net income. If you cannot earn $1.20 in net income for every dollar in debt payments you are making, you should probably not make the investment. If you borrow so much that every dime of net income has to go to pay your debt, you don't have any income to make your life better. <strong><span style="color:#cc0000;">You can be a real estate millionaire and not have two nickels to rub together - </span><span style="color:#cc0000;">You are four tires away from bankruptcy</span></strong>.<br /><br /><strong>IV. Don't overpay for the loan.</strong> Borrowing to purchase investment property is a different animal from borrowing to buy your own home. Rates are higher, payment terms are often shorter, and the demand for a down payment is much stronger. The best way to keep your lending costs low is to borrow private money. It is good for you and it is good for the lender. The only loser in this scenario is the bank, because they don't get to turn your money and the lender's money into their money. There is a lot of great win-win opportunities with private lending. I will discuss it in another post or you can go to the "Investors" tab at <a href="http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/">http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/</a> and request an information packet.<br /><br /><strong>V. Never buy for appreciation.</strong> This is the single biggest cause of failure for real new estate investors. If you buy a property and are figuring that you will make all your money on the deal when it goes up in value and you sell it, you are not investing, you are simply gambling. I know of people who bought a duplex that they could not rent for enough money to cover the mortgage payments. "It's OK!" they said, "with the market in this area, we will sell it in six months and make back all our money and still get a huge payday." The market collapsed and they lost the duplex, their savings, their credit rating, and much more.<br /><br />I started actively investing in real estate in 2001. I weathered this market downturn without a problem because of this one simple rule. I never buy a property that does not have a reasonable expectation of giving me a positive cash flow.<br /><br />At <a href="http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/">http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/</a> we sell beautiful homes to home buyers. We also sell package deals to investors - a beautiful home with a tenant already in it at a price that will cash flow.<br /><br />Tom ~<br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Why Pay Retail?</span></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/">http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-8468559774306417770?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-91847883288669402302009-11-05T09:19:00.009-05:002009-11-13T09:23:01.845-05:002009-11-13T09:23:01.845-05:00Easy Money: The 10 Second Formula to Get Rich<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">The Simple 10 Second Formula to Get Rich</span></strong></div><br /><br /><br />Last time, I promised to provide you a simple 10-second formula for getting rich, and here it is (drum roll please)...<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-size:180%;color:#cc0000;">Buy low and sell high.</span></strong></div><br /><br />Honestly it really is just that simple. Unfortunately although it is simple, it is not easy. If it were easy, everyone would be filthy rich.<br /><br /><br />Whether you are dealing in real estate, cars, services, stocks, or what ever, the formula for wealth is the same. Buy it at a low price and sell it at a higher price. It is because of this simple truth that many say that money is made in real estate when it is bought.<br /><br /><br />If you buy real estate the right way, you will make money on it if the values go up, down, or sideways. If you are buying a home to live in, the calculation is a little different, but it still holds true.<br /><br /><br />There are four universal keys to buying right that apply to home buyers and investors. They have slightly different applications for each, but the keys are the same. The first universal key is to avoid falling in love with the home before you buy. The second is to avoid paying too much, always buy below market value. The third universal key is to avoid overleveraging (don't borrow too much). The fourth is to avoid paying too much for your loan.<br /><br /><br />In this post, I will break this down for those who are buying a home where they want to live. In another post I will do this for investors.<br /><br /><br /><strong>I. Don't fall in love with the house.</strong> When buying a home, don't get your heart set on just one house. Pick out two or three that would all be great for you. Then, if you cannot get one, you have two fall back positions. This is one secret why investors get great deals and retail buyers often don't. Investors don't fall in love with the house. They have three more just like it waiting in the wings.<br /><br /><br /><strong>II. Don't overpay for the house.</strong> Never offer retail value. Never make an offer that is more than 91% of the retail value of the home (savvy investors offer much less). Even if the market is hot. If you buy the home at retail value you stand an 80% chance that two years later the home will not be worth what you paid for it. This is one of the problems plagueing the housing market today. Many folks bought high and are having to sell low.<br /><br /><br /><strong>III. Don't over borrow.</strong> I cannot count the times I have heard people talk about stretching to make a mortgage payment because it would pay off in the future. Many of those folks are facing foreclosure today. Never borrow more than 80% of the purchase price of your new home, including any fees financed. As soon as you pass the magic threshold of 80% your mortgage payment shoots up. This is because of private mortgage insurance (PMI) that is tacked on as well as a higher interest rate, it can also increase your insurance premiums in some cases. This double and triple witching occurs when you cross the 80% mark.<br /><br /><br /><strong>IV. Don't over pay for the loan.</strong> Make sure your all-in payments are never more than 30% of your gross monthly income. If it is more than that, you can be four car tires away from foreclosure. Pay attention to your credit score and learn how to keep it high. A good credit rating will get you lower interest rates that will make a huge difference in the monthly payments you make - and that high credit score may even help you get the job you want.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Summary for Home Buyers</strong><br /><br />The 20% safety cushion on your loan, added to the 10% discount on the price you pay gives you 30% of the home value to protect yourself against declining home values, or discounts you might have to take if you need to sell fast.<br /><br /><br />That same 30% cushion means that when you walk in the door of your new home you have 30% of its value in equity. With a $100,000 home, that means you just increased your net worth by $30,000 by buying right.<br /><br /><br />Now, if the housing market goes down or sideways, you can still do fine. And, if it goes up, you can make a killing when you sell high, because you bought low.<br /><br /><br />At <a href="http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/">http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/</a>, we sell beautiful homes at below market prices. These are not fixer-uppers (once in a while we have those, but we let you know that up front). We carefully examine the market and figure out what is the retail value of each home we sell. Then we deliberately discount the price at least 10% below retail, sometimes more.<br /><br /><br />Further, our team will teach you what you need to know to get the lowest loan rate and best terms you can so that you won't overborrow.<br /><br /><br />Tom ~<br /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-size:180%;">Why Pay Retail?</span></div><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/">http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-9184788328866940230?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-727960884070760724.post-77404124216293456432009-11-04T15:19:00.011-05:002009-11-05T10:17:04.832-05:002009-11-05T10:17:04.832-05:00Easy Money: Read This Before You Buy ANY Real Estate Course<div align="center"><strong>Before You Buy ANY Real Estate Course - Read This!</strong></div><p><br /><br />Have you ever heard one of those commercials/webinars/presentations for real estate that tell you how you can <span style="color:#cc0000;">become a real estate millionaire without money or credit?</span> Before you whip out your credit card to buy and start planning how to spend all that dough, consider this...<br /><br /><br />Switch gears for just a moment and try to stay with me. All food has three ingredients that give it flavor: fat, sugar, and salt. Diet foods that say "fat free" have compensated by adding sugar or salt. Those that say, "sodium (salt) free" have likewise compensated by adding sugar or fat. And, "sugar free" means they have put in extra fat or salt, or both. If you have food that is fat-free, sugar-free, and salt-free, it is also flavor-free.<br /><br /><br />Liken these three ingredients, fat, sugar, and salt to buying real estate. To buy real estate you need money, credit, and work. <span style="color:#cc0000;">If you don't have money or credit, then you better be prepared to compensate by doing a whole lot of work!</span> Oh, did I mention knowledge too? Because if you don't know what you are doing when buying real estate you will either <strong>lose a lot of money, go to jail, or both</strong>.<br /><br /><br />Lots of folks spend money every day buying get rich quick schemes. Most of these are either targeted at making money on the internet or in real estate.<br /><br /><br />As a guy who has made money and is working right now in the real estate industry, I am here to tell you that there is no such thing as easy money and getting rich quick is usually a prelude to getting poor fast, and maybe going to jail.<br /><br /><strong>The fastest and easiest way to make a lot of money really fast is by robbing people. You see my point?</strong><br /><br /><br />Over the past few years I have spent a lot of money on seminars and courses about how to buy and sell real estate. Nearly all of them were prefaced by a pitch that made it seem like it would be fast and easy to make money. Those parts of the program were lies.<br /><br /><br />Don't get me wrong. <strong>I have made money in real estate</strong>. I have successfully used much of what I learned in those seminars. However, making that money was <strong>neither fast nor easy</strong>.<br /><br /><br />Before you buy any real estate course you need to understand that no matter what the ad says, to make the program work you will need to dedicate a significant amount of time and energy over an extended period to make it work. In many cases, you also need to be prepared to pay out substantial sums to prime the pump. Your best bet is not to quit your day job just yet. If you cannot make enough money in real estate working at it part time, you won't do any better working at it full time, in fact you will do worse.<br /><br /><br />"But Tom," you exclaim, "they say I can make money selling real estate without money or credit. Are you saying they are lying?" No, they aren't lieing. But you aren't understanding the whole truth either.<br /><br /><br />I have made money in real estate without money (or without much) and without credit. I bought a $537,000 complex with no money down and only the lawyers and I got a check at closing. It can be done. But, it takes a lot of work and courage. It would have been a lot easier if I had money and credit.<br /><br /><br /><strong>So, here is the bottom line.</strong> Before you decide to try making money in real estate with no money and no credit, be prepared to work very, very hard. Be prepared to make a lot of offers that get rejected, and be prepared to invest time and energy to offset that lack of money and credit. </p><p>I did it and it works. But I still work hard at it.</p><p>Next time - <span style="color:#cc0000;">The 10 Second Formula for Getting Rich</span><br /><br />Tom ~<br /><br /></p><div align="center"><em>Buy a house now, to invest or to live in, either way don't pay RETAIL! </em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="center"><em><a href="http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/">http://www.buyahousebelowmarket.com/</a></em></div><div align="center"><em></em></div><div align="left"><em></em></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/727960884070760724-7740412421629345643?l=igottasellmyhousenow.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Tomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07640855853596297665tsheppard@adbproperties.com2