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EDGE 2012

May 2nd, 2012 | posted by Michele Stevens

Wow, I'm glad we put the money on our credit card to attend the EDGE this year. Great to meet so many of the DG family, both new and veterans. Thanks to all of you for your encouragement.
I am new to the DG family, but have a little experience in RE deals. My problem isn't lack of knowledge, or lack of belief in myself, because every time I have moved forward in RE, we have done well. My problem is being too comfortable, too complacent. We have been "comfortable" financially, moving up the property ladder in 5 year intervals, without increasing our income. A couple of flips helped with lump sums that we always put toward a down payment and improvements on the next house. This past year has been a great motivator. As a self employed painter, with a split personality when it comes to how I see myself, the jobs have been drying up. When your focus is divided, with neither side attracting 100% focus, neither will succeed. I actually learned that years ago, while working for a horse vet. He used to play motivation tapes in the truck as we drove from farm to farm. This lesson was in one of the tapes, but still, he decided to start "horse trading", trying to send quarter horses to Europe. The more he focused on, and talked about the horse trading, the slower his vet business got, until he finally had to lay me off. And so, my focus needs to become real estate. If I have to do a little painting to get me through the next month, I will, but my focus is now real estate, because "I AM A REAL ESTATE INVESTOR!"

On 17:16pm, May 8th, 2012 Michele Stevens said:

HUM DRUM

Well as I expected, the "old life" will drag you down. I know that excitement and motivation decrease the longer you are home from a great seminar, but then throw in the necessities of the old life, the responsibilities still to be cleaned up, and woompf, what a drain. Still, I am trying to move forward.
Yesterday we put in an offer, one of the close to 25 we will have done through this agent, but the first since learning the 25:1 ratio and criteria. Will know by tonight.

Today I heard back from an agent who had read my KIJIJI ad (like craigs list) He is an investor himself and wants to work in a non-traditional way. I've given him our criteria and am waiting to hear back.

Another aspect of investing which will not be in everyone's bag of tricks, is my relationship with God. I know as an investor, you aren't supposed to get emotionally involved, but as a Christian, you have the added bonus of prayer, and trusting that God will have his hand in your investing. If you get it, you get it, if you don't, it wasn't meant for you. You can trust that he will move you to the right deals, and protect you from the bad ones. That's not to say that you don't have to use the information you've been taught to invest wisely, but you have the added bonus of prayer, and trust, that if a deal goes "bad", there is a lesson in it, that there are other things that will happen, that you will meet other people, that there will be opportunity in it, all things that will make you grow. Of course, all of that depends on your attitude, and how you see things. Is it a problem, an impassable mountain, or is it an opportunity??

Good Investing everyone...keep moving forward.