The Journal of the Daily Adventures of Indiana-Joe

Friday was off to an early start as I met with some other friends for breakfast and lunch. We had a great opportunity to talk and share some ideas about real estate. I found that I got even more good ideas and was so excited to get home and hit the ground running. I really enjoy learning and finding out as much infomation as possible. I appreciate people taking the time to answer questions and helping others by sharing their insight and wisdom.

I often wish I had a little more time to read more books because I often believe that if you get one additional good idea from a book it was well worth the read. Thus, a good idea would be to make the time to further your education in real estate. This can be done by more reading about the real estate market in daily newspaper articles or information on the DG website. If you learn a little each day it will add up to a lot before you know it! The education you build and develope each day will continue to enhance and strengthen your abilities!

I hope everyone will have a great weekend and find more great deals! Make sure you make a little time to enhance your real estate knowledge and find time to help others. No good deed is too small! A truly generous person is the person that finds time to help others! Good luck on your future deals! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Saturday was a fun and busy day. I had an opportunity to visit an Olympic training center and it was truly inspirational. The dedication and devotion displayed by these athletes is truly remarkable. I thought about the 1980 USA Hockey team and how inspirational it was as they pursued and won the gold medal by beating the Soviet Union in Lake Placid. I was very young but had a sense of pride when they won the gold! Olympic athletes have a never say never attitude and a persistent in life as they pursue that one goal.

Could you imagine preparing for investing in real estate and only have a chance once in every 4 years for a small window to make it happen? Thus, when you are focused, driven and determined nothing or no one will ever get in your way! When things get tough, think of these athletes or other brave and determined people such as the armed forces, doctors, nurses, police, fire fighters, teachers, volunteers, etc. These people are dedicated to being the best that they can be and let nothing stand in their way!

That small window to make it happen is now and that window may be the size of a semi truck in some areas. So today is the day! Make sure your get through that window of opportunity before it begins to close as the market may shift in the future. The window of opportunity is large enough to fit a semi through it, so be sure to walk, run or even drive through that window today!

I spent some time on the MLS as I narrow my radar list. There are so many new listing coming up and properties that I like that my radar screen has expanded! I now have a multi-color dot on my "deal tracking radar". The new listings that I just added on my radar are yellow, the ones heating up are orange and the "hot prospects" are red! I have to look at several properties on Sunday as well as several soon to be owned bank REOs. Thus, I have to get out a few more pencils as I run the numbers in search of the next deal! Good luck on finding those deals and have a terrific weekend! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Today started out sunny and warm and I had an extra kick in my step today. I had a great week and weekend and was looking forward to the week ahead. The Chicago Bears were playing the late afternoon game against the Steelers so I had some time to check-out the MLS this morning and get ready for the game later this afternoon. The rain showers hit later in the afternoon and these showers turned into a downpour of rain. At least my grass is still green in Septmeber but some of the trees leaves are starting to turn and change colors as the Fall season is almost upon us.

I wanted to check-out a few of the new listings I spotted on the MLS and do some preliminary drive bys. I had found several good leads including a home that was being sold with all contents and furnishings. This is uncommon for my area and I believe this home to be a "probate" sale. I am itching to see this one asap. It is already listed with a realtor. The all brick home is already priced $20,000 to $25,000 under the fair market value and is screaming "deal" to me!

This home has so many great features that I may have trouble sleeping tonight! From being all brick, to a new roof, central air unit, 2 car garage, fenced yard, great curb appeal and a concrete patio pad. This home would more than cash flow itself as a rental even with a full price cash offer. These are the types of homes that you want to jump on asap because there are so many things you could do with this type of home from flipping, assigning, or keep it as a buy and hold. As you search for deals these are the gems that can put you one step closer to leaving that day job!

I must have drove by about 12 other properties today in 3 different towns and I was impressed by more than half of them. I felt they were all good deals where they were priced and I found myself trying to pick the best of the best today. These potential deals make real estate investing exciting and fun. I know if I make about 10 offers this week, chances are I should get at least one offer accepted. I really enjoy when an abundance of homes hit the market in my target market area because there is more of an opportunity to get a deal because there are plenty for all buyers. As I move more properties onto my radar, I hope to "land" a few of these deals really soon!

I also need to follow up with the bank on the REOs. They have several REOs and some additional short sales they will be taking back. I can't wait to get the list to check-out the numbers and the information on these other homes. I also took it a step farther and did some research on these short sale homes that the bank was discussing with me. I realized that most of these homes were short sales that were owned by the same owner. Thus, there may be an opportunity for other properties the owner may own. It is so important to try to find out the story behind the property. Could these homes be part of an estate? What is the story behind the sale? Once I find this out it could lead to more opportunities. Thus, real estate investing is often like being a great sleuth or detective at times and whether you are Sherlock Holmes, Five-O, Magnum P.I. or Columbo, a little investigating can go a long way!

I hope everyone has a great week. Make sure you take action this week and achieve some of those goals on your action plan. A little effort can go a long way! You are doing great because you are a part of something big, something important and something that will change your life...the DG website. Good luck with investing and finding that next gem of a deal! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

I just finished watching the video with you and your wife and I have to say...you guys are great motivators : )

It's also neat to get to put a face with the name and I love your message. I feel like I'm on the cusp and very nervous about making the actual leap, but every time I read one of your upbeat posts, it reminds me that I can.

I'm not sure if you could answer this for me but do you know the difference between an REO and a HUD property? I'm thinking they're the same, but not 100% sure. Reason I ask is because there's a HUD house that a realtor clued me in about on Friday and it's listed at $48K...needs about $12K in repairs and local comps are around $95K. It potentially seems like a good deal but I was told that the bidding will open up on 9/28. Maybe that's the key difference is that HUDs are bid on as opposed to bought? Anyway, thought you might have an answer...

Thanks for your daily journal updates...I try and read them every day and look forward to reading your continued success...

Have a great week!
Suzi

Thanks for the nice comments, we really appreciate it. Dean's books, the Live EDGE event, Dean's other programs and the DG website have done so much for us we are so happy to share our story with others and hope others will be able to be inspired and have success with real estate investing.

A REO is short for "Real Estate Owned" and this is a property that a bank forecloses on and takes back. The REO is now owned by the bank. The bank's terminology for the property they have taken back is "REO". Banks want to sell their REOs and usually list their REOs with real estate brokers or real estate agents to sell. The Bank owns the property and is just like any other seller of a property.

"HUD" is an abbreviation for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. A HUD property can be usually a single family home or upto a 4 unit multi-family property that is backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Once, a property that is backed by the Federal Housing Administration goes into foreclosure, it is deeded back to HUD by the lending mortgage company. HUD has a bidding process for their properties. HUD also has a priority bidding order such as owner occupants or Not-for-profits can bid first. If they do not get bids they may open it up to "all bidders." More information can be found at the HUD website, including properties for sale by state and the link is below for your reference:

http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/reo/reobuyfaq.cfm

I hope this helps and makes sense. Good luck with the potential property you are considering. Even if you do not buy the property, the information you learn and discover will probably assist you for even more future real estate deals. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

The rain was coming down last night in buckets! I could not believe how heavy the rain was hitting the windows. It made for a long night and by morning it was warm and muggy outside. I drove to work as the sky looked very overcast. It may have been a better day just staying home, but I had to get the work week started. Mondays are always hard, but especially after you have a great week and weekend, it makes it twice as bad to get back into the daily grind.

The day went by rather fast. I sent an email to a bank I have been working with regarding their portfolio of REOs. I hope to find out some additional information in the next few days. There seems to be some real potential here. I also called about 2 different listings I drove by on Sunday. I wanted to view the homes before I make an offer. They were on the way home so I set one up at 7:00 PM and the other at 7:30 PM.

The first home looked great from the outside and was sitting on a double lot or at least 1.5 lots. The home was located on a busy street which is good for attracting renters because all the traffic. The yard was fenced and the home had okay curb appeal. The home was on the market for more than one year and this usually screams "motivated seller". Since the home was vacant and out dated I inquired if it was an estate sale and sure enough it was. I did a little research on this home and saw the current owner lived 300 miles away in southern Indiana. Thus, I suspected a relocation or an estate sale. (Once again, Columbo would be proud). I liked that the home was on a double lot, had a fenced yard, on a highly visible street, had 100 amp circuit breaker electrical service and had a brand new boiler, however the home was very small. The first bedroom was so small that if I fell in any direction, I would hit a wall. I joked a little with the realtor and stated that I hope this was just a "walk-in closet". The home had 2 small bedrooms, a living room, a dining room and a good size kitchen. The home was very out dated. However, I always try to see beyond the apparent and see things that others usually don't see. However, this home was a slight challenge. The only way this could work is if I got the home for under $25k. They are asking $55k for the home. Thus, I will do a little more number crunching and see if I want to throw out at offer around $20k to see what type of reaction I get from the current owner.

The second home I went to look at was the one I had a real interest in. I discussed this home yesterday as those deals that you want to jump on. The home is already listed at under $25k of the fair market value and it is another estate sale. I have to get it in gear with these probate sales, because the key is to find them before they are listed with the Realtor. I have all the information, I just need to perfect my probate system. I just need a few more hours in the day to squeeze this in.

In any event, I looked at the inside of this home and it was completely furnished with all appliances, furniture, pictures, etc. I could not believe it but the home was turn key, so to speak. This gave me another idea because sometimes there are people that relocate to the area for school or work and may have an interest in a furnished unit. This had even more possibilities because a furnished unit could rent for possibily even more pr month. As a Plan B, if I did not want to rent it furnished I could host a garage sale and probably make several hundred dollars and then donate the rest of the furniture to a charity. Thus, this deal could be an all around win-win! I walked through the home and it "screamed deal" to me. It needed paint, potentially carpet, and some updated light fixtures but other than that was good to go. It had all the things renters look for: appliances, fenced yard, 3 bedrooms, central air, 2 car garage, drive pad in yard for an additional vehicle or cookout area. I also like the new roof, updated windows and newer central air unit. The only things to budget for in the future is a furnace and a hot water heater. These items had some age. We made an offer tonight and I gave them 24 hours to accept it. I hope they do because I am ready for another deal. I will keep everyone updated.

Isn't real estate investing great! Each day is a new adventure and a new potential deal. It is so much fun to look at these deals, run the numbers, determine exit strategies, make offers and close deals! I think back to how great the board game Monopoly was when I was young and now we are playing the game for real! Good luck on all those deals and be sure to pass "go" every opportunity you get! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

The day started out warm and a little foggy. The weather is usually a little unpredictable in the month of September and the temperature can change 15 degrees without warning. Thus, you always have to carry a light jacket for the unexpected change. The day cleared as it moved to early afternoon. I drove into the city for work and traffic was a little heavy as is the norm. The day was rather busy but I did find time to make some calls around lunch time.

I decided to contact a few more banks to inquire about their REOs. The bankers I spoke to were very eager to talk with me and I received a positive response from the 2 new banks I contacted. They shared their list with me and I need to review the homes in the next few days. I contacted one bank and the REO Manager indicated that they only had a 500 acre parcel and a Senior VP was handling it. I requested the Senior VP's phone nbumber and called him. He was very pleasant to speak to and informed me he would forward some information to me on the parcel in the next few days. The Senior VP even thanked me for contacting him! He sounded very motivated. I am not sure what I would do with a 500 acre land parcel but I always believe you should look at each and every opportunity because you never know where it may lead!

I heard back for the Realtor where I placed an offer on the probate home on Monday evening. My offer was an all cash offer and the realtor stated we now have "another" offer. Therefore, we want to have all interested parties "submit their best and highest offer" by Friday. I was a little disappointed they were taking this approach because I believe they were trying to shop offers. Thus, I informed him I would not submit another offer, my offer was good until 7:00 PM and if the seller did not accept it, then I would just have to move on.

The realtor was suprised by my comments. I then went on to tell him that the seller may be taking a chance if they do have another offer and it falls through. By not accepting an offer they could lose all offers and it sounded like a gamble. The realtor went on to tell me how he has "been in the business for more than 25 years....etc." I thanked him for his time and ended the call with, please let your seller know my offer expires at 7:00 PM. I will probably not get this home, but I believe you have to hold your gorund on offers because there are too mnay other great deals out there.

I am working on some other potential deals now. I wish I had a few more hours in the day because my nights go by so fast when I am looking at real estate or running the numbers. I hope everyone is having a great week and finding a deal or two. Good luck with your search and keep moving forward! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Joe, I'm exhausted just reading your journal and catching up with you since I was online last! You amaze and inspire me and its reading journals like yours that keeps me motivated that all the hours I put in to RE each day will eventually bring in the killer deals I keep reading about. Keep up all your excellent adventures and thanks for sharing them.

Thanks for checking in and all the nice comments we really appreciate it. The great thing about real estate is it is so much fun. We really enjoy looking and assessing real estate deals. It is great to find a great deal and even better once you figure out a way to make it work. I am always going back to reference Dean's books to get more tidbits and ideas for the next deal. We really enjoy that everyday we are learning something new to help us on future deals. The education from assessing deals and being on the DG website has helped us to continue to move forward. Thanks again for your encouragement and we wish you continued success in all you do. The deals are out there, so keep the exploration adventure going and your next treasure is within reach. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

The drive into work today was a little slow. The docked boats in the harbors are slowing disappearing with Fall right around the corner. There are some boaters that will keep their boats in the water up to the very last day. It is tough to see when all the boats have gone in for the winter because you know snow and cold weather is on the way.

I made a few more calls today at lunch to inquire about a few properties. I spoke to my realtor and he told me about a 2 unit that will be on the market in the next few days but needs work. He gave me the address to see if I had any interest. If is always good to get these ips on the new listings because if they are good you can get an offer in asap. Thus, afte work I drove by the property and immediately saw a need for a roof, windows and maybe even siding. Thus, I want to see what the starting price is and if its too high I will not even check out the inside untile the price drops.

Once again the another key to investing is establising relationships with your real estate team. Some of the best leads can come from other people you encounter each and every day. So be sure to constantly remind others you are in the real estate business, pretty soon potential deals may be in your email's in-box just waiting for your review!

In the late afternoon, I recived an email from an REO asset Manager that I had spoken to several weeks prior. He had sent me several of their commericla listings including several vacant land parcels, a bed and breakfast type of business and a former restaurant. It was very interesting to see what was coming on the REO market. I realize that banks are going to have even more REOs during the next year and it will be interestign to see how motivated they become.

I spent some time in the evening looking at real estate on-line. I plan to have a busy weekend and I am looking forward to visiting with a friend on Friday. I enjoy talking real estate with others that have the same passion. I hope everyone is having a great week and looking for so finding some super deals on Saturday and Sunday! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Today was a warm day for late in September. I can't believe how fast the year is flying by. I just want to remind everyone that Christamas Eve is 90 days away! So help boost the economy today and start your holiday shopping before your left with last minute items as gift ideas. The 24 hour convenience stores do not have much of a selection.

My realtor called me about a duplex that was listed today. I thought I would take a ride by because it was priced right under $50k. I went to look and I knew why it was priced so cheap. It needed so much work, I just kept on going. I found in today's market you may want to try to find deals that do not need as much work. It will be less time, money and effort. This will allow you more time for other deals.

I am going to be busy this weekend. I have several other properties to look at and I have to do an abundance of yard work that I have been putting off. Thus, there will be no time like the present. I hope everyone has a great Friday and weekend. Good luck finding those deals! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Friday is here and yet it is the last weekend of September. I can not believe that next weekend will be October already! Wow, Halloween is right around the corner. Make sure you make a trip to Wal-mart or your local store to get a good selection of candy. There is nothing worse then being a kid and investing all the time and effort into a great halloween costume and then you trick or treat to get the handful of unwrapped candy corn or the orange and black wrapped hard candy.

Last night we were watching television and I was flipping through the channels. There seemed to be nothing on tv even though we probably have 200 channels. I remember being really young and having a black and white television and back then it was limited to about 4 choices: ABC, NBC, CBS and WGN (Chicago 9). I saw Dean's program again and got excited about the weekend coming up and the search for the next deal.

Today was a great day and I had an opportunity to visit with some friends. It is always a good time to see friends and catch up on whats been going on. It was a great morning, a little overcast but the rain held off until later in the day. Then the downpour came. I decided to get a sausage pizza tonight, watch a little tv, cruise through the MLS listings on-line and spend time on my favorite website, DG.com.

I am seeing more listings come on the market. I am excited about all the opportunities for October through January. This weekend I am going to have some fun but also search for the next good deal. I hope everyone has a nice weekend. Good luck with all yoru real estate deals! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Everybody is working for the weekend and Saturday is here! I had time this morning to run a few errands. I went to Home Depot and Lowe's to look at paneling. A few deals that I am working on would need to be spruce up and paneling would be the fastest way to do it, based on the current condition of the walls. Thus, I wanted to stop at these home improvement centers and look at the styles and choices available. I found a few nice designs on sale.

My realtor called me about another duplex that just came on the market. It is a bank owned foreclosure and requires a major amount of work. My idea and his idea a major work could differ so I went to look at it. The wrok did not scare me, but the price, time and options for my exit startegy would be limited. I would liek to buy, rehab and then hold the property, but the rentals would not support the price and rehab of the building. Thus, it was time to move on to other potential deals.

This evening I spent some time looking at the new listings. Tomorrow I will probably go to a few open houses. I hope everyone has a great and relaxing weekend. Good luck with real estate investing. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

hi Joe, when you talk about an exit strategy, what is that. while i'm writting, can you tell me if manufactured homes in pards are good or not. i've come accross some that i would like to see, but even if i get them at 50% off asking price, is the park (space) rent too high tho rent out home?

An exit strategy is what you plan on doing with a property if you are able to get the property under contract. For example, you may want to get a property under contract and assign the deal, or buy the property and hold it as a rental, or buy th property fix it and then flip it. It is important to know your exit strategy before you acquire the property becasue you can then better understand what yo umay want to offer based on all the other potential expenses or time involved.

In regards to the manufactured homes, you may want to ensure that the home park will allow for rentals. Some of the home parks may not allow rentals. Also, it is usually a little harder to get conventional financing but you can often find owner financing on these types of properties. Also, if you can rent, make sure you verify all the fees for park rental, etc.

I know a few other investors that like the manufactured home parks because of the postive cash flow and the amount of cash usually needed is less to get a property. The key is determine what the monthly rent can be less all the expenses and see what type of cash flow you can generate. I believe this could be a creative way to get started and make a nice cash flow if everything checks out and comes together. Good luck with these potential deals. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Hi Joe, just dropping in to say hello. I see you are still going, going, going. Thanks for sharing your deals with us. God Bless.

Sandra

Thanks for dropping by and saying hello. I hope all is going well for you and you had a great weekend. The Fall season is in the air so the prices may start falling like the leaves off a tree. We need to get out there with a big bag and start raking in the deals. If it takes too long to gather the deals and the months pass by, a (snow) shovel can work just as good! Continued success on all your deals. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Today was a great day weather wise. It was in the low 70's all day and sunny. The rains came late in the day but that was ok considering all the daily activities were completed. I went for lunch at a local texas style roadhouse that has great hot rolls and peanuts in the shells. It is a fun place with great steaks and burgers.

We wanted to take a ride out to another area where I found several properties that I like. Two of the homes were in a resort type of town. The prices are high but I believe they will come down in the Fall season. I was considering if I could get one at a really (great) low price, maybe I could flip it in the Spring season. Believe it or not, I found a foreclosure on a lake and it was listed around $2 million dollars (ouch!). I do not know how motivated the bank is, but I am curious to see what happens with this one.

I also went to take a ride to look at a few commercial REOs that a local banker informed me about. One of the commerical properties is a multi-parcel that the bank wants $1.1 million for. It comes with a commercial building, 2 parking lots and a home in a resort area. I wonderd if you were able to purchase a large property like this, could you split it up and sell it off in piece by piece? This is something to consider and further explore.

The other commerical properties were fairly close to each other but it all comes down to how flexible and motvated the bank becomes. Sometimes I enjoy analyzing these deals because it forces you to be more creative and think outside the box more than you normally may do. If the deal is good and you have a good exit strategy it is worth running the numbers and keeping it on your radar.

The last property I looked at was a diamond in the rough. It just hit the market and it is a multi unit apartment complex made up of several building. The complex looked great and even at its current market price, it should cash flow based on a prelimiary overview. I contacted the listing gent to get more hard numbers and I should have a better handle later this week. This is one that may make sense to consider a partner on, based on the size and price. Thus, I will explore the numbers and then explore the options.

I hope everyone has a great week and you enjoy the last few days of September. Good luck finding your next deal! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

I have been having so much fun and can't believe it has only been 5 months, today, since joining the DG website family. I have had the priviledge of meeting and talking with so many great DG members, it has been a real adventure. Anytime your out exploring new ventures it is such a great benefit to have a team right there with you around every curve.

The weather had changed in an evening in the midwest. It was 70's and sunny all day yesterday, then cam in the storms and high winds. Today everyone was running to start their furnace for the year and get their coats out of the closet. At least the rain cleared up in the afternoon and the sun came out and gave you the impression of a nice sunny afternoon.

I followed up with several realtors asking for more information on properties. On the multi-unit I looked at yesterday, I found one of the draw backs is the owner furnishes all the utilities. In the winter the heat can be a very costly expense for the landlord. Thus, I really have to crunch the numbers tight for this potential deal to see if the numbers will work.

I have to call back a few realtors this afternoon and I hope to gather additional data on a few other properties. I hope everyone has a great Monday as I run out for lunch and continue to keep the search going for the next deal. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

The chill was in the air this morning as 50 degree temperatures returned to the Midwest! The jackets were coming out of the closet and it seemed like Summer went by even faster than when you were a kid and out of school for break.

This week has been a little busy checking out all the new listings. Part of the fun is some of the due diligence you must complete. I received some additional information on the multi-unit property from the listing agent. On the surface, it felt like the numbers were not coming together. The complex is on several acres and has more than 12 separate buildings. The realtor informed me that a number of the tenants rents are subsidized by a governmental program.

I felt the figures for the rents were not coming together. Thus, whenever the numbers do not make sense request more information. Thus, I requested a "rent roll" by unit. I requested that each unit also note if the subsidized rent was 100% paid by the government agency or if it was an allocated amount betwen the tenant and agency. I found that it was allocated and a portion of the rent was being paid by both the tenant and the agency. This can make the collection effort a little more involved and increase you risk of uncollectible accounts.

Thus, I decided to go back and request even more information. The listings realtor informed me the partnership had an independent audit completed on the property in 2008. Thus, I have to sign a confidentiality release, but I want to go through the report to see if there is anything helpful. This is a great example for utilizing the members of your real estate power team. If you wanted a professional opinion on this audit, you could turn to your CPA to review the audit and offer their observations.

I hope everyone has a great week and the weather for October is just as nice as early September. Good luck on all your current and future deals! Go get those deals! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Fall is here. The weather is now kind of chilly in the morning with high temperatures in the upper 40's. Pretty soon there will be frost on the car windows, so I guess it is time for me to get my snow brush and window scraper back into my car. I enjoy taking this items out of my car in the Spring, but they always makes their return in October!

I drove into the city for work today. Everything is going well with work, but I am excited over some other projects I have a chance to work on. It is fun when you enjoy what you do because then it is not like work. Time goes by fast but you really enjoy what you are doing. It is nice to know you can help someone and it may benefit countless others from your efforts.

I have been running the numbers on a few properties and will probably submit an offer or 2 by the end of this week. A few more properties that I had on my radar when contingent so they are almost moved off the radar. It can be a real opportunity when a property goes contingent but maybe falls through because of financing. The seller may become a little more motivated when it returns back on the market.

I hope everyone is finding those deals. Keep the search going, keep passing out those business cards, keep putting up those bandit signs, keep doing all the right things and you will discover a gem of a deal or two in the near future. Good luck with real estate investing. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Joe,

with your permission may I ask, How do we team up with a Real Estate Agent, what do we tell them and why would they team up with you.

I started my real estate journey about a week ago and I have so far as done drive bys and also stopped by to closely look at few houses. And Constanlty researching websites, Deans site, journals etc.

I read your journal and thanks for sharing your experiences. They are very inspiring and educational just like Deans book.

I have made it a a point to read your journal everyday as I think there are always ideas lurking in what you write.

Last night I had self doubt and asked my wife 'Will I be able to make it like others have ?'. She said 'Sure' and 'God Bless You' to me.

Please accept my apologies if this was not the right place to ask a question.

Regards,
Bimal

I just love reading your journal, can't believe it's only been 5 months for you! What happened with the estate prop? Did I miss it? You sound like a pro!

Winter is on it's way, I am soooooo NOT ready for that! When we get rich we'll have to move somewhere warm for the winter! Take care!

Dawn

Thanks for the comments and questions. Please feel free to write me here at my journal anytime. Yes, you can do it! First you need to believe in yourself as others do. Once you believe it you will have confidence and begin to see things you may have not seen before. Dean's books are packed with tips, information, techniques and strategies. Reread them often and even tab the pages with specific notes on the tabs. That way you can use the books for future reference as you have questions or need that daily boost of inspiration.

As you put together your real estate team, you need to ensure the people on your team are knowledge about their areas of expertise and you work well together. As you meet real estate agents, try to determine if they would be good to work with. It is like an interview process because you have the time to meet and ask questions. You can meet in person at properties or open houses or refine your search on-line by viewing local realtors websites.

Then you can read about their areas of expertise and experience. You then can email the realtor to see if you believe they may be the right person to work with. Do not be too concerned with saying the wrong thing to a real estate agent becasue with each email or call you make, you will gain more experience and confidence. As you gain this experience and confidence, this is a plateau of knowledge success that you obtained. As Dean always says, be happy as you reach these plateaues and continue moving forward with your new found knowledge and action plan.

In the mean time, as you see other potential real estate deals such as short sales or REO foreclosures, it is okay to contact the listing agent to inquire about the property. As you progress, you may make different contacts in different areas you want to invest in. The key is to network, network, network with others. I hope this helps. Good luck with real estate inevsting. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Thanks for the comments. It is so true that time flies when your having fun. I often look back and remember the day my books arrived. My wife and I ripped open the box like two young kids on Christmas morning. We held Dean's books and felt this was our treasure map and we just needed to figure out how to read it! We then digested every detail and tidbit that we could. I almost feel I need to buy 2 new books because our current copies are so well read they have tabbed pages and some of the pages are worn out from bends or referencing the sections as we had questions or wanted some inspiration.

Then we made one of the best decision of our life by attending Dean's live Edge event in April 2009. The event changed our lives and motivated us into high gear! We then discovered the DG website and the website and the DG members our truly another treasure of a find and inspiration. It is so great to have so many others that enjoy real estate and we can share ideas.

Dean offers the DG website free to all of us and being a CPA I often analyze things like general overhead and operating costs in business. However, Dean is so generous to provide all of us with this tremendous website and all the information that is totally FREE to all of us even though it has to be rather expensive to operate. This proves that Dean is committed to our education and success! Thus, we are so thankful for Dean's books, the Edge event and the DG website for providing the education, inspiration and direction we so desperately wanted in life.

I can't believe how fast the Summer passed us by. It just seems like yesterday the heavy winter parka coats and the snow shovels with the 50 pound bags of ice melt salt were by our front doors. However, with all the fun holidays coming up, I just
hope the winter will not be too bad for us. I really like the idea of a warmer climate for a winter getaway. If we think big, Ka'anapali Beach on Maui, Hawaii would top our list. If I had to take it in steps, I would say Florida or Arizona would be another great choice. Continued success in all you do. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

hello, i am starting to get motivoted, other than just reading & the academy stuff, and need (want) to talk to some agents. what is the best way to get started dong this. i did talk to someone at the hotline, but not very helpful, i'll call back tomarrow and talk to another person that may explain it better. thaks for your help.

Congratulations on getting motivated, it is truly a great feeling that often propels you to action! Like with any success team, the right team members can make all the difference. I found the best approach to finding a real estate agent is to talk and interview them in regular conversation. In Dean's book "Profit from Real Estate Right Now!", on page 113 it provides a great list of questiosn to ask. I found that I also would do research on the internet and try to read about local agents in my area.

I was looking for agents that had experience, familiar with the area I wanted to invest in, familiar with investment property and sounded nice and open to creative offers. It can be a process but finding the right team member or "player" can make all the difference in the world!

Think back to the 1984 NBA Draft, when Michael Jordan was picked # 3 in the NBA draft. I bet the other teams wish they had a chance to pick over. Thus, sometimes a team member that you select for yourreal estate team could be a good pick or you may have to replace them in the future with a better team member. Good luck with finding that great real estate agent. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

I have to start out and wish Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida a Happy 38th birthday today. The Walt Disney World complex is truly a great place to visit and a great time to spend with your entire family. Unfortunately, Walt Disney never lived to see Disney World open, but his brother Roy completed the dream into a reality!

"Walt Disney World is tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney... and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney's dream come true. May Walt Disney World bring joy and inspiration and new knowledge to all who come to this happy place... a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn -- together."
- Roy O. Disney's Opening Day Speech for the Magic Kindom, given on October 1, 1971.

Sometimes in life, or in real estate, it starts with a dream and that dream must take action to become a reality. So make today the day. The conference call this evening was very inspirational and I hope people are pumped up and writing down their plan of action for the next 24 hours, the next week and the next month. Action can make it happen!

Today was a cloudy dreary day as I drove into work. The temperature started in the high 40'a and warmed to the mid 50's by mid afternoon. The rains came later in the evening and I knew I wanted to leave to make it home in time for the conference call tonight. Today was a great day because I was notified by a Bank Asset Manager that the bank was going to accept my offer on 2 different properties (Deal #9 and Deal #10). I will provide the exact details of our Deal #9 and Deal #10 in a my deals post but this was another one of those great days that I will remember for a long, long time! It was like that commerical about the gel inserts into your shoes. I was not only jelling, I was floating all afternoon and evening. I felt like an astronaut and nothing could hold me down! What a day, what an afternoon and what a night!

I know at times it can be hard. I often talk to other DG Members that meet that difficult real estate agent or that difficult real estate attorney. Just like Dean has said, "Don't let anyone steal your dreams and know your why for doing this". You can do it too! You need to believe in this and believe in yourself! The deals will come once you have the confidence and determination that nothing will stop you from achieveing your goals! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." - Walt Disney

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney

Congratulations on the accepted offers! Your success continues to be a model for us all!

Thanks you for the congratualtions, we really appreciate it. Each day we try to do the right things, try to find great properties, make offers and hope for a deal to materialize. It is so great when it happens because you realize with work and determination anything is possible as long as you stay the course and believe. Good luck and continued success to you. Believe and Achieve! - Joe