Check out the DG students that are MAKING IT HAPPEN! Ask questions get answers

I would like to start by saying how much I appreciate all the help that I was giving when I first came to Deans site. I knew really nothing about Real Estate.I did know I was so hungry for something different. I had a Cleaning Business for about 4 yrs, it was still better then working a JOB, but I still just wasnt happy. So I recently , over about a year let alot of my clients go ,so I could do this full time. Other then about 2 hrs out of a day, this is what I do.
I should be farther ahead then where I am at, but like most I was scared I was going to mess something up, and not be able to get out of it. But like they say , if you dont take action, I promise you nothing will change. So advice I would give anyone new is take action, do something everyday in Real Estate and it will add up, and the most important , DONT QUIT !!! I came very close a few times, but I knew nothing could be as good as being a Real Estate Investor.
I would like to thank Dean, Matt, Carol, Randy, Jay, Jen ,Lane ,Chip and Andrea,Rina, Michael M , AND all of the Facebook crew , there are so many, I apologize if I didnt mention your names, but I am very grateful to all of you.
I like to do multiple niches with Real Estate, it is mainly wholesaling, I like to find a buyer that needs a house, but has bad credit and not alot of money, find what they want , then I go find a house For Rent (usually) and talk with that seller, to see if he would sell, if he would and then sell with Terms.So get a contract with him (Owner Finance) then assign that contract to my buyer for my fee, so I am still wholesaling ,just different niches to it.

Thanks again to Carol for starting this thread :

Curtis Fillers
(Charlotte,NC)
ps Jan and Jeremy were a big inspiration to me also.

3/8/2012

This comment is for anyone but I am directing it to Carol Stinson. I am new and have not done my first deal yet. I have contacted several people. One of the agents, is very open to what I am trying to do. We seem to hit it off really well. She has sent a listing of about 13 properties, "as is" deals. They all seem like good deals. She told me this is a hot area for investors. I spoke with an investor on yesterday, who feels like I need more experience. Should I reel him in on the deals and proceed? Once I get an investor, I can look at closing my first, second, third or even fourth deal. Feeling a little apprehensive. Advice please!

You need to buy the book "30 days to real estate cash".

You first step needs to be building your buyers list.

Wholesaling is my specialty for sure but let me ask you...

Can wholesaling be done in any market?

Have you wholesaled any properties?

It will work in any market, you have to find who is buying with cash.

My town has 4000 people, there are people flipping houses here

The other area I wholesale in has 300,000+ people and there is 1 major buyer I wholesale to in both markets and he wants 500+ properties in 2012!

Can you tell us the details of the 5 properties that you have wholesaled?

How easy/difficult was it to make money on those deals?

Hi Carol,

Ali here, thanks for the postings, My niche is like Rina's. Doing multiple strategies that I have learned from Dean, in multiple markets. From Single Families to Mulch-Families, From wholesaling to buy and hold. Although I am still behind my goals but we had good amount of closings since the year has started.

To our success,

Ali

Ali, When did you start and how many deals have you done?

Deal 1: $140k 3/2 Ranch home.
Locked up for $70k
$30k repairs needed
Assigned in less than 5 minutes for $2k

Deal 2: $75k 3/1 2 story home.
Locked up for $22,500k
$20k in repair needed
Assigned in less that 5 minutes for $5k

Deal 3: $75k 3/1 2 story home
Locked up for $25k
$20k repair needed
Assigned in less than 5 minutes for $5k

Deal 4: $40k 2/1 2 story home
Locked up for $10k
$15k repair needed
Assigned in less than 5 minutes for $1k

Deal 5:$70k 3/1 2 story home
Locked up for $44k
$5k repair needed.
Assigned in less than 5 minutes for $1,500

Nice to see you back

Mike I have always been hear... I visit frequently. I just don't post as frequent as I should. But I am about to change that

We would be glad to help out any DG student who has questions on FSBO's, buy and holds which is our niche here in NY state or any other question students might have. Since becoming part of the DG family 4 yrs ago, our lives have changed in such a dramatic sense, it is hard for me to explain the multiple upward levels we have gone through. 4 years ago people laughed and ignored us. Now they call us for advice, help, and deals. I don't have all the answers because every day is a new learning day, but I can help them avoid some of the failures and there were many that we encountered along the way...Jan

That is awesome Lane!!!!! You put your knowledge into action and made money!!! So many people gain the knowledge and then fear steps in and they never take the steps needed to make it happen. Like so many of us did in the beginning didn't you have some fears when you started making calls on properties? How did you overcome that?

I am just curious... How long did it take you after you started to make the $14,500 that you made with these deals?

Glad to see you back!

It took me well over a year to do these deals.

BECAUSE: I did not do what I was told, I didn't stay focused.

Now I'm driven and focused and blowing through my roadblocks!

I never left, I am here at least everyday, unless there are property rehabs to do.

I Started since 2006, with my Uncle were buying lot's of deals through Tax-foreclosure auctions in Pensacola, FL market. Rehabbing it and putting the tenants in. But we were chief cook and bottle washer. In 2007 I saw dean with Robert Kiyosaki, and saw his book "Be a Real Estate Millionaire", I also posted that picture on Ca$hFlow Investment Club, Read all his book, it was worth more then spending thousands and thousands of dollars to other boot camps. Also became part of his success academy. From then on we became more intelligent, and have never looked back since. On average we have been doing 20 deals a year, and now number has increased by building teams. And hiring interns.

To our success,

Ali

Is to do it scared, come here, ask questions from people who were once in your shoes and DO EXACTLY WHAT YOUR TOLD!

My first suggestion would be to build your buyers list a bit more. If your going to put in multiple offers you will need an exit strategy in case a few get accepted. Have you read any of Dean's books yet? My suggestion would be to read " 30 Days to Real Estate Cash" as it will help you build your buyers list. This has to be the first step before you go any further.

I hope this helps and I am glad you are here on DG
Keep on

You are an inspiration to so many of us here on DG

I know you guys are doing allot of holding in the NY market. Any advice for the new members looking to make money with buy and holds?

Carol I have come a long way since we first met and I hadn't done a deal yet. I believe that was back in January of 2010 when we first started talking. After pushing hard and learning a lot I was able to complete my first deal in Sept of 2010 Earning an $11k check that I split with my partner at the time. Since then I have been able to do over 30 wholesale deals worth over $200,000 and I almost have all of my debt paid down (I know it was a lot)! I have also done a few short sales that I made around $15k on and a couple sandwich lease options that provided some good cash flow too. I have brought home some checks that were more money than some people make in a year that I was able to make in a few weeks!

Real estate wholesaling has now been my full time job for the last year and a half and I have set up a team to basically run my business on auto-pilot here in my own market. We have increased our marketing budget to $3,000/mo and that has allowed us to consistently close 5-10 deals every month. I could possibly be looking at another $50k month in March, but the beauty of it is with the team I have in place now that volume should be repeating itself every month thereafter consistently.

I am also now partnering and training other DG students around the country in different markets helping them to get their first deals done and achieve the same success I have. I'm also working on an e-book and putting together a mastermind program as well.

I have done tons of different education, but I owe it all to Dean, because he laid the groundwork for me and showed me what is possible and then I just took it from there!

My best advice for everyone is that in order to achieve the success that the DG superstars have amounted to you need to come out of your comfort zone and change your mindset. There is a painful cross to bare and you have to pay your dues if you want to be successful at this. Real Estate wholesaling/investing is simple but it is not easy! Be willing to sacrifice all the pleasures you have in life and when you want to be successful in real estate as much as you want to be breathing.. than you will achieve all your goals! As Eric Thomas said.. Imagine someone is holding you under water and you are drowning and you are fighting and kicking and trying everything you can to break free and get that gasp of air. When you want to succeed as bad as you would want to that gasp of air, you will be successful!

To Our Success,

Larry F
The Flip Kid

Rock and Roll Baby! Lets Take everyone to the NEXT LEVEL!

Where I was...
Like other DG.com members and my new group (Thanks Carol for starting this thread), I too was in the midst of a financial crossroads when I started here. Thankfully, my phone wasn't ringing and the bill collectors weren't knocking on my doors because I made sure I ALWAYS sent in a payment and did it on time. What that meant for me was giving up a life outside of my business and moving to a smaller house in an area that was affordable and accepting that if my business was what I wanted to do, this was how I was going to have to live until I made my fortune and could change my lifestyle. So here I was... divorced, my family and friends no closer than 200 miles from me, out in the middle of nowhere so my concentration could be focused on work, with no distractions. I'm on my way!!! Right? Wrong!!!!! Unfortunately, things didn't work out the way I wanted them to. All the excuses I'd used in the past as to why my business wasn't growing all came down to me. I wasn't willing to do what it took for it to grow. (Let that be a lesson all you newbies ) Now I'm working harder and harder to keep alive a business that only covers most of the monthly bills only if I put in an ungodly amount of hours and give up my last luxury...sleep. So the question was, Do I stay with a business I have owned and sweated blood for for the past 20+ years or do I try something new at my age? Also, the economy tanked and jobs where I live are few and far between. The reality of my conclusions made me realize one thing about my current situation. It sucks!! Thankfully, I reached out to an alternative just as you other DGers have. Real Estate and DG.com

Where I am now...
As you can read in my profile page, I come from a Real Estate family but never did investing. It is so different than what I was raised with that my Mother (a former agent) still doesn't understand how we make money without, agents, mls service, brokers,etc. But we CAN, if we do it right.
I chose the success academy, Dean's books and programs, and have spent hours upon hours here on this site reading and absorbing info, asking questions and LEARNING what to do. The results of all that is that I finally did my first wholesale deal roughly 2 years after I started. That's how long it took for me to create my networks, do my learning and try things to know if they worked. Today, I have multiple deals going on and networks looking for things for me and I'm looking for them. The potential to make a lot of money is there because I paid some dues. You might be lucky enough to not have to pay big dues but if you do, don't sweat it. It will happen if you make it happen. Don't ever quit on yourself. You are the reason it happens for you or why it doesn't happen for you. There is an alternative for just about everything that doesn't work. Just keep at it.

Here's the biggest tip I can give someone: You won't know what doesn't work until you try it and fail! That's reality. What works in some areas may not work exactly the same in others so you have to try it to know. There's no shame in failure. The shame comes from not progressing. Failing is part of progressing. Think of the first time you took a step as a baby. I guarantee nobody walked perfectly when they took their very first steps. But look at you now. You don't fall down and you place your one foot in front of the other and you walk and get to where you want to go. Some of you may have held on to the couch or furniture or reached out your hands to have your parent(s) help you in the beginning. You looked to them for guidance. That's what we are here for now. Dean, his staff, his proteges, his students, this website... is all here to help guide you so that you can succeed. Use it to your advantage. Choose to succeed!

Andy Sager
Dg's AndyS
CFIC member

I guess my first bit of advice is to always be humble and let the seller do the talking. I always start my conversations with Mr or Mrs ..... You have got a beautiful house here and I imagine it holds alot of fond memories for you. This is not a BS line, it is my first ice-breaker to let the seller feel comfortable with me. As we tour the house I just let the seller do all the talking and I make coments on pictures or anything else I see that will make them at ease.
Point #2 Always turn your cell phone off.(Trust me, it can make a seller feel like they are not important enough to you, especially if you answer it and ignore the seller)

Point#3 Never ever make the seller think that you are a Donald Trump. DEAL KILLER here.

Point#4 After the walk thru and you have taken your notes, you might ask something like, How quickly would you like to sell your house? The answer is important because if they have $$$$ problems your chance of a seller finance has just shrunk.

Point#5 At this point I NEVER, NEVER, offer a price or talk about seller financing. I just let them know in a joking manor that I have to talk with Jeremy and ask them if I can get back to them in a day or two. If they like what they see, 9 out of 10 times I will get a call the next day.

Point#6 If the house is bought and paid for............Stay tuned, it only gets better....Jan

Well lets see I joined DG.com when it opened in Feb 2008. I had been wanting and dreaming of REI for ever, I had bought fixed and sold my primary residence, but never did an investment deal. After I joined DG in Feb, it took me 10 months to close my first deal. Closed on 12-31-08. It was a short sale that took about 4 months to close. I rehabbed it and rented it out. I still have my first rental deal, it brings me in some decent cash flow every month. In '09' I was not that active in REI other than managing my rental. In '10' I bought another rental, rehabbed, rented it out. In '11' I bought another rental, rehabbed it, rented it out. In mid Nov '11' I locked up my first assignment, which closed on the 31st.

So today I still have the 3 rentals that I manage myself, and the one assignment. I have been ramping up marketing and hope to get more assignments deals done.

I have also partnered up with a fellow dg'er to help us both out in my main market.

Also I have started training a young investor in Oklahoma. Marketing has just begun there, so hopefully I can get some deals done in O.K, too.

So for all you first timers, don't worry about how long it takes you to do your first, second or even third deal... just start, and don't quit!

Look at all of you!!! How AWESOME to see all the lives transformed through REI! Thank you DG family for posting your success and wisdom here for the entire DG family to see!

If this is not a testimony that DEAN GRAZIOSI'S training works and that his REI knowledge is top notch I don't know what is.

These are real people, with real life changing stories of success!!!

For all of you just starting out feel free to post your questions for any of us here. We are here to help you make it

I'm in a quandary and have given the whole thing over to the Lord. It is all much bigger than I and will take the hand of God to set things right. I am on site daily and only spend what time I can here. Each day I am educating myself in half a dozen necessary areas and learning and growing. I know in my heart that everything is going to work out the way it is suppose to. I have trust issues and find it difficult to get straight answers at times.

Just trust me when I say I am determined and at the present moment I am not in a good spot. I do trust God and that is what will save me.

I will continue to monitor this post as I see a lot of insightful and helpful info. For now I am off to a few hours of work.

Thanks Carol for starting this thread (aka one stop shop for a heavy dose of awesomeness!! - lol)

Ha! "Where I started?" Broke and plain sick-n-tired of being sick-n-tired! I was running from something almost as much as I was running to something.

You can read my profile too so I'll start at the point I joined the Success Academy. Because truly everything before that didn't add up to much anyway. I joined in February 2010. It took me til November 3, 2010 to CLOSE a deal. I had some fall out prior to that, I had some growing and changing to do, a lot of 'junk' to get through and found myself stuck on the learning wheel more so than action being taken. LOL I can still remember being so scared to make a call (picture this) me sitting in my car (I had pulled over to 'get some work done' HA!) literally working myself up so much over the dang call, I'd open my door throw up then call. Kid you not! I use to put out signs then when my phone rang was to scared to answer. LOL.
Long journey short on 11/3/2010 I left close with a check from a wholesale for $1,750 (fee was $1,800 put in contract EM due at close because WHEN I closed on this property I had $13 in my account). $1,750 was AIR! $1,750 became my crack!

I did not close the 5 in one year as need for refund from SA. But it did make me feel like a loser, so angry with myself for another unkept promise to myself, that coupled with I would cry almost every single day to go into the job I had. I hated what I was doing and hated where I worked at. In addition to the failure to get it done and get to last years Edge. It all combined was the swift kick I needed. I said NO more! I drew a line in the sand. If it is to be, it is up to me! I made some drastic changes, cuts, sacrifices! OH btw: I quit my job 12/16/11. REI can do that for you if you're willing to DO it!

From 11/3/2010 to 03/08/2012 I have closed 39 deals. (40 was signed last night, is a wholesale we close on 23rd)
23 have been wholesales. 3 flips, I am holding 13 (14 units, 1 is duplex). 12 of the holds are on creative terms (owner financing/wraps). I did pay cash for the duplex and rehab on the 2nd unit was finished when I got back from the cruise. I'm in under $9k and gross rents are $1,225 mo Of the other 12 on creative terms I rehabbed/repaired 7 of them.

39 is just the front side of the transaction. If count the backend/exit : 39 + 3 retails sales + 12 buyers assistance programs to my tenant buyers = 54 transactions yeah!! I was cutting my self short I guess!

WOW, God is good! How far we have come! But in my mind those few isn't anything, I look back over the last year and allowed myself to be distracted, to scattered. No worries I made course corrections! The #'s will be A LOT different this year!

My advice: TAKE ACTION! Never stop learning, but you HAVE to take action! Start moving and scoop up what knowledge you need as you go. Don't get stuck in setting up LLC's (think about it, if you have nothing what the heck you protecting - lol) forget websites, forget having all T's crossed and I's dotted. I did not have an attorney UNTIL the day I had a signed contract from buyer. He told me to handle close (was a CA buyer oh btw: is NOW one of my most sold PML too), so I get out the phone book and start calling title co that lead to the attorney I used to close. IT WILL COME, IT WILL FALL INTO PLACE! Focus on getting buyers and getting deals! Buyer + deal = check to Jen.....that simple! You aren't going to bandit sign jail, you aren't going to have to sacrifice your first born if you use the wrong contract. Let the professionals do what they do. AGAIN get buyer, get seller, get paid!

Thank you Dean, Thank you Matt! You guys have no idea how much you've impacted/changed one girls life!

God bless,
Jen

Hi Everyone

My name is Mike aka "Cuban ninja" LOL.. I enrolled in DG on 10/2008 and did absolutely nothing with the program, Life and the wrong mentality got the best of me for 2 years. On 10/27/2010 I decided to start the DG program again, I had to enroll all over again. I kept it real simple, I wanted to make fast cash so I learned only about wholeselling. I started putting out bandit signs all over my area looking for buyers ( the one thing that the DG program drilled into my head was to build a buyers list, build build build ). Now at the time I was working monday - friday from 8 - 5, im also a single dad and have twin girls that were 4 year old at the time, so the only time I had to make this work was when my girls will go to sleep at 8:30. I would stay up till 1 or 2 a.m. learning the program, reading the books and going out putting bandit signs. To my surprise I landed my first deal in 29 days from my bandit signs, and sold the house in a heartbeat to one of my buyers from my bandit signs. here is the break down

got the house under contract for 155k and sold it for 182k

That one and first deal has boosted my confidence to a entire level. I do deals now every single month. I retired from my 8 - 5 job in 3 month. I succeeded cause I did not have a option but to succeed, I did not have a plan B. It was full throtle or crash and burn

deal 2 I got for 32k sold for 50k
deal 3 got for 20k and sold for 49k
and so on and on

Thank you Dean and the coaches on the advise line. With out them I probably would have crashed and burn lol

Now that is one heck of a success story! I love how you say you did nothing for 2 years with the program but knew you had to get back to it and try again. You got back on the horse and now are riding into the sunset.... BRAVO NINJA!!!!

Where do you think your life would be if you did not try again after giving up?