Hello Everyone, please forgive me if you have already seen this post as I originally had this posted in the Rina's "...New Journals Read this first..." section like so many other Newbies (A rite of passage perhaps). Well here goes and may I be able to teach as much as I have already learned and more to others here on at DG.com.
Happy Investing to you All.
Hello Everyone, Prince Adhola here. First I would like to thank Rina for being inspired to have a space for the Newbies like myself to spread their wings along side all the experienced hands. Thanks Dean for having more Faith in us than we had in ourselves and thanks DG Family for all the Love, support, and knowledge sharing on these Forums. I have been a silent reader of the various forums particularly the 30 Days to Cash forum, occasionally commenting but have decided to finally step forward and tick off another task assignment -- done!! I pray my entries will be as inspiring to others as others on DG have been to me.
My Journey began just over three weeks ago and it has been a steep learning curve with loads of info to read, absorb, and regurgitate. But as Dean said in one of the many training video's posted on totalviewrealestate.com,and I am paraphrasing -- "so you take a wrong turn, who cares, nobody will yell at you, shoot you and you won't loose any money..." How true and yet paralysis by analysis has been the limiting factor for the better part of the last couple of years since the recession hit and the RE market tanked!! And yet somehow through the gloom and doom of the recession I managed to hear the faint voice of reason in Dean Graziosi. It resonated with me because deep down I knew what Dean was saying to be true. As the saying goes, "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear..." And so it was that Dean did that fateful day and the rest as they say is history. Thank you Dean again.
The difference for me as I am sure it was for many a DG'er besides the rock bottom (pardon the pun) reached in terms of zero savings & finances, messed up credit, foreclosures, repo's, etc was, Deans offer of the 7 Levels Deep Analysis exercise which really forced me to succinctly crystallize into words what had been mere thoughts for months/heck years! The exercise was a tough Love exercise in a pleasantly rewarding way as it forced me to think -- I mean r e a l l y think about what I said my goals were! In the end I arrived at a simple statement of purpose -- My Why. This has fueled me like a nuclear fission reaction for the past three weeks.
I am just about to go out tonight, Friday evening to post my very first batch of Bandit signs around Walmart and the surrounds, like Robin Hood in the Nottingham forest to help the needy and afflicted!I have already received my business cards, mailed out about 30 letters to my 90 days cash buyers, and even dared to tackle the probate lists at the local county office. I am emboldened, I stand taller and walk stronger in the knowledge that I am in control and nobody can take this knowledge away from me even if they do take everything else away. I am now assembling all the requisite tools for a lifetime of success and I have you Dean and the fellow DG'ers to thank.
I will post more updates as I progress but suffice to say that the RBBP program and the 30 Days to Real Estate Cash book, (if you don't already have a copy) are must haves for any budding RE Investor. They are the 1,2,3's the A,B,C's on how to get from zero to Hero in a very short space of time if you adhere to the program and remain honest to your goals and the work plan laid out.
I must leave you now as my next homework assignment beckons in page 4 of the RBBP. Best wishes to you all and thanks so much for the support.
Newbie PrinceAdhola.
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"There is nothing to fear but fear itself..."
Who is Dean Graziosi?
Are People Actually Successful?
Does Dean Practice What He Preaches?
What Deals Are The Students Doing Right Now?
Journey of a Prince: From Rags to the Real DG Estate Vol.1, #2
Setting My Rags on Fire.
So this week I became a legend in my own mind because I think I have gotten over several significant hurdles in my RBBP Journey from Rags to the Real DG Estate.
As they say when it rains it pours, or put another way, good things happen in threes. So after two months of not really being able to (or maybe it was just fearing to fail) nail down a solid committed relationship with an agent (sounds like we are dating), I met with three separate agents this week and I hit the jackpot!! My first was with an agent from a neighboring county who I met because I called his CL ad that was looking to lease option a beautifully finished 3/2 he had just finished fixing. As it turns out he is a seasoned investor himself with almost 2 decades experience who buys, fixes and sells; and only became an agent because he was paying out so much in commissions and he preferred to keep some of that cash himself to invest. Well after a very productive meeting we agreed to partner up.
The second meeting was with an agent in town who I met at a property I wanted to look at. A 2/1 listed for 45K recently reduced. (To be honest I didn’t think a 2/1 would work for me until I read about Ken’s success flipping a 2/1 and netting $5.7K profit on his first deal after a $2K mistake – wohoo!!) Well, jackpot again because the agent was also the owner who had a falling out with a business partner and so was a motivated seller. After another hour of “listening” I learned that the agent also specializes in short sales (and even mentioned a past life in mobile homes – more on that later – must stay focused!!) of which there are plenty around from the calls I have been getting from my bandit signs BUT I didn’t think I could do much for these distressed owners many of whom were upside down or there was little or no equity!! Well now, (after quickly placing a call to the DG advisers hotline for advice), I will be able to refer these homeowners to an agent who can help them get through the SS process while I get a crash course first hand on SS and as a bonus now have a front row seat to watch so that as the SS process unfolds and listing price comes down to a number that works for me I could then put in an offer with the same agent.
The third meeting was with a more formal old school agent who was very knowledgeable and has several investor clients. I shared with him my strategy and he wanted to know what my price was? I gave him my criteria: starter homes, as is, vacant, price reduced, as well as REO/foreclosures and by the time I got home after 30 mins I had a list of 45 listings that fit my criteria in my email inbox. So I will be spending the weekend building my cash buyer list, calling back my bandit sign callers I originally could not help, evaluating my MLS criteria properties and looking at the numbers to determine which ones I will put in offers.
On another note my car broke down last Sunday so I was unable to pick up my bandit signs Sunday night. I ended up losing about 20 of 25 to the city and the balance are untouched at a couple of walmarts (my highest hit bandits anyways!!) Now the down sideto this is I have lost about $50 bucks worth of signs, but the upside is I now know that the way to go is “Bandits down Friday evening and Bandits up Sunday night.”
So until next time folks, I will leave you to go place another 25 “I buy Houses” bandit signs guerilla style. I got about 15 calls this week off my bandits even as they were being whittled away by the cities grass cutting crews!!
Thanks for Reading, Good Luck Everybody and “Never Say Die Until a Dead Horse Kicks ya!”
Prince Adhola