The Journal of the Daily Adventures of Indiana-Joe

...Thank you for stopping by my Daily Advenutre Journal. Welcome to the DG website, it is packed with information and inspiration. Congratulations for taking action with Dean's books and the PMI program. The programs are packed with great content and information to get you on the fast track for success. As you accomplish a little each day you will continue to learn and propser. Keep up the good work. Good luck with real estate and on all your future real estate deals. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

just got caught up on your journal !! wanted to comment on a previous post about campaign signs.You are right about an opportunity for bandit signs as there r STILL many out there that was supposed to be picked up and never were in my area .i contacted a few people running for office and asked if i could pick up the signs they left and they said sure.these make perfect bandit signs and FREE .the signs y law i believe r supposed to be picked up right after elections so we r doing the sign slackers a favor !!
counting down the days for the trip and getting super excited.also cant wait for the edge 2011 and to have my boy experience it and meet you and stacey !!
love your journal and look forward to your tips and strategies !!
jay

It was real nice to have lunch with you and Veronica today talking about Indiana Da Bears Chicago and REI.

For the ones that have not meet Joe he is a good man to visit with. Just as nice in person as on line.

Thanks to Stacey for letting Joe come out to California.

Thanks Joe for you time visiting with us today.

Steve and Veronica.

...Thanks for stopping by my daily adventure journal. I am glad you found the tip on election signs helpful. We are really do a great service to help recycle these signs and put them to use. The more the better each sign can be cash in your pocket for more investing activities. We hope you have a great time on your trip and look forward to catching up more at the EDGE event. We wish you continued success in all you do. Keep us posted on your deals and we still have to discuss doing a few deals together in the Midwest! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

...It was a pleasure meeting you yesterday for lunch. Enjoyed talking about the Bears, Lunch, real estate, and the Midwest. I always enjoy taliking about sports and real estate. It is always fun to share strategies and ideas. We look forward to hearing about your progress and future deals. We look forward to working with you on some real estate deals in the Midwest. There are so many great opportunities for reasonable priced deals, it is amazing. Have a great week. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

.....The weather has turned as we have temperatures in the high 30's and low 40's. Most of the leaves are now off the trees so I have been trying to catch up with raking our leaves. I believe a little work I do now will pay off come Spring times which seems far far away. The one thing we all know is we can't slow time.

I contacted a few buyers to inquire about their FSBO properties. It is always good to talk with sellers and inquire about their proeprties. Some sellers may want too much and others are in the ballpark. The key to remember is time always motivates a seller. So be sure to stay in contact with proeprties that meet close to your criteria.

I am looking forward to visiting some DG members. It is always great to see other markets and meet people from the DG website. It is fun to exchange ideas and discuss strategies for investing. I always enjoy hearing the details on other investor's real estate deals. I learn something new each day that better prepares me for tomorrow.

I hope everyone is having a great week and enjoy the daylight in your area. The days are getting shorter as the Winter season approaches and thanks to Daylight Savings Time. It is hard to believe it is night time already by 4:30 PM. So make the most of your day. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Quote of the Day:
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” - John Quincy Adams

.....Wednesday is here as we are quickly appraoching the Thanksgivign holiday. Are you getting ready for the holiday to spend time with family and friends and give thanks for things that are special in our lives. Make this year the year that you will reflect on next year, Thanksgiving 2011, you will have even more things to be thankful for.

No matter the challenges to see the brighter side to things and have a fresh outlook for your future. It doesn't matter where you are starting from, if you know where you are going and know how to get their with real estate the deals will happen. Do you have your plan? If not take the time to write out what you need to do next week, month and during 2011. Write the plan and work the plan. This can be the difference between success and failure.

I hope everyone is having a great week. As you get up each day and head into work, think about what yopur day will be like if you were free from the day job. How would your life be different? If real estate is hard for you now can you imagine what it might feel like to be free from the day job? It is worth the effort. You can do it! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Quote of the Day:
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” — William Arthur Ward

....The day started out early as I spent some time going through the local homes magazine. These books contain a great variety of information and contacts for any local market. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to have lunch with Steve and Veronica, other DG members. It is always a great time to discuss real estate and get to meet some of the DG members in person.

I had an opportunity to meet some additional investors as I began to learn about another new market. It is always interesting to find a good real estate agent that is familiar with their real estate market. A good agent is one of the keys to having an effective power team. Be sure to find a real estate that is working with you to accomplish what you wnat to accomplish.

I hope everyone is having a great week. There is still plenty of time to get your weekend plans in order. Be sure to have an agressive weeken d of activities because Thanksgiving is right around the corner and you can relax around the holiday. The time is now, keep moving forward. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Quote of the day:
“Dreams are like stars...you may never touch them, but if you follow them they will lead you to your destiny.” - Unknown

.......I had an opportunity to meet a new real estate agent and review several new real estate markets. The realtor was very prepared as he forward to us some very good REO listings that had potential. We spent the better part of the afternoon looking at some potential deals. Each potential deal had a few thigns to consider but if you get the deal at the right price, you can make up for things that you may not have budgetd for.

Be sure to utilize your realtor to provide you with key listings for potentially motivated sellers. The more motivated sellers you make an offer to the greater the chance at locking up more deals. Your realtor can provide days on market and offer other insight to markest you may not even be aware of.

I hope everyone had a great week as the weekend is upon us. This is the weekend to get your grocery shopping completed before the mad dash on Wednesday night. Be sure to pick up a few of those free home books on your way out of the grocery store. Did you post a flier on the community board at the grocery? if not be sure to get one posted because the traffic through these stores will be huge this week! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Quote of the Day:
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

....Saturday is here and so is the rain. It started out a little brisk with a cool wind and light rain. As we loaded up some friends in the caravan to head to a real estate auction we had to get there early because the first home was going to be auctioned off by 8:00 AM. We pulled up at 7:55 AM as nearly 20 investors poured out of a caravan of 3 vehicles. There was a certain level of excitement in the air that is hard to describe.

The other real estate investors that were already there with their bidding cards, looked confused, some astonished while others seemed perplexed. There were others that had a look on their face that these acutions were about to become a little more competitive. The majority fo the investors were observing as a hand full of investors jumped in and began the bidding process.

If you have not attended an auction, try to find the time to see the action first hand. while you are there you can add buyers to your buyer's list. You get a first hand comp as to what is selling and for how much. Plus the chance to network can be priceless. So what auctions are coming to your area? Time to check and mark your calendar. have a great weekend. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Quote of the Day:
“Never, never, never, never give up.” - Winston Churchill

Joe I hope you enjoyed your trip to California. We sure enjoyed getting together with you. There are good deals all over this great country we just have to go out and make them happen.

We hope to work with you soon on a deal Joe. We hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving.

Steve and Veronica.

....It was a pleasure meeting with you for lunch in California this past week. I look forward to hearing about the continued progress of your current real estate project. Next time I visit California, hopefully I may have more time to meet and discuss real estate. I'll keep you posted on the future potential deals. We wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving holiday. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

...The weekend just fly by as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches. As I was leaving California I bumped into another DG Member at the local airport. I really enjoy speaking with him whenever I get the chance because he is a great person and always offers a wealth of information. It is so fun to discuss real estate with others that have the same passion as you do.

The airport was a little crowded with holiday travelers. Each day is an opportunity to find deals or build your buyer's list. On my plane ride back to Chicago I heard the people behind me discussing real estate. They all had different backgrounds but were discussing how they recently began investing in real estate.

As I pulled my Homes and Land Magazine from my carry-on bag they inquired if I was involved in real estate. We struck up a convesation and exchnaged email addresses. We may nver do a deal but you never know where a good contact may lead. So remember to carry your business cards with you at all times and network, network, network!

I hope everyone has a great week as we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday. This is a great time to give thanks have plenty of time for fellowship with family, friends, fun, food and football. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Quote of the Day:
“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” - Gail Devers

So when are you flying to the East Coast?

...Congratulations on reaching your 5th deal. That is great news. I will be visiting the East Coast area within the next several weeks. However, I will be closer to DC and the Baltimore areas. In the future, if I make another trip closer to Rhode Island, it would be great to visit with you and see your local area. Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving holiday. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

WOW! You are quite the traveling man these days If you are ever in our neck of the woods (SE FL) give me a shout. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Lea

....I am enjoying traveling seeing other parts of the country, meeting new real estate investors and seeing other real estate markets. I hope to make it to Florida for baseball spring training in March. However, I may be visiting central Florida (Disney World) as well. If so, it would be nice to meet to see your local market on the SE Coast. I have several friends on the Florida West Coast and would also like to spend some time on the East coast too. Wishing you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving holiday. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

It sounds like you are having fun meeting other DG family members and checking out RE in other parts of the country. If you do make it to the SE coast to check out REI we'd love to meet you. If you ever want to catch a Met's game we're in Port St. Lucie. We lived on the W. Coast for a while in New Port Richie.

Thanks again for the reminder of the cool whip for the pumpkin pie I've decided to be ambitious in the kitchen and make home made whipped cream.

Lea

...Thanks for the invitation. I always enjoy watching baseball and may take you up on the game. It would be fun to talk real estate over baseball. The pumpkin pie and home-made whipped toppoing sounds very good. I am sure your family and firends will enjoy all the goodies. We wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving holiday. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

...The weather in the Midwest was remarkable on Monday. The day started out with temperatures in the low 60's but we had some heavy rains as the temperature dropepd like a rock to the 40's by night fall. Each day without snow can be a great thing especially when there is so much to do and so little time.

I reviewed several emails that were sent to meby various emails. I made a few offers sight unseen and will see if any of the offers get accepted. If they do I can then go take a look to see if the properties meet the criteria of what we are looking for.

I hope everyone is having a great weeknd as we look forward to the Thanksgiving holiday. Be sure to make your grocery store visit early to beat the crowds. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Quote of the Day:
"I love shopping, especially food shopping." - Emma Bunton

.....The day started out with cold weatehr and light rain as I made my way int othe downtown area. I had to run soem errands today and I wanted to beat the holiday traffic. I know the expressways get really crowded this time of year and before you know it you may feel like you enetred a parking lot. Therefore, timing is everything when navigating around the city.

I picked up some last minute Thanksgiving items and I stopped off at Fannie Mae Candies. These candies are well known in Chicago and very similar to Sees Candies from out west. You can never go wrong by bringing chocolate to a holiday party!

I hope everyone is havign a great week. Can you believe how fast the year has been going. It just seems like last year I was getting ready for the holidays. The older we get the faster the year goes by. Be sure to make the most out of your holiday week. It is a great time to recharge the battery and visit with family and friends. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Quote of the Day:
“Defer no time, delays have dangerous ends.” - William Shakespeare

...Attention holiday shoppers! Christmas Eve is now only a month away. Ar you going to be going to the Big sales this Friday? Are yo ugoing to fight the crowds at Wal-mart, target and your local mall or will you be looking for deals wit hthe help of a realtor from Keller Williams, Remax, Coldwell Banker, Prudential, Century 21, etc?

It is the most wonderful time of year....at your Realtors office. No crowds but plenty of deals! Be sure to review many deals and make even more offers this holiday season. You may fill your stiocking with holiday deals such as SFHs and duplexes. It just depends on where you go shopping.

Now is the time to lock up some great deals and have extra holiday cash. If you did not get involved with Craigslist/Ebay to turn clutter in cash then make some offers on real estate to get that holiday cash! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Quote of the Day:
Lucy Van Pelt: "I know how you feel about all this Christmas business, getting depressed and all that. It happens to me every year. I never get what I really want. I always get a lot of stupid toys or a bicycle or clothes or something like that."

Charlie Brown: "What is it you want?"

Lucy Van Pelt: "Real Estate!"

...I hope everyone had a very Happy Thanksgiving holiday. What a great time of year to give thanks and reflect on our past and look forward to our future. If your year was a difficult one, there is still time to change your path. It all begins with starting with that next new day.

Be sure to look at a few properties this weekend. Make some offers and lock-up some super deals. Be sure to pack your cooler for the road trip! I had turkey and all the trimmings today so I guess I can have some turkey sandwiches as I drive the local area the next few days.

Did you have a chance at the wishbone this year? If you did what did you wish for? What it success in real estate? Whatever the wish, make your dreams come true by taking action. Is 2011 the year you will succeed and reach new heights with real estate investing? It's up to you. Good luck finding that next deal. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Quote of the Day:
"Thanksgiving Day is a jewel, to set in the hearts of honest men; but be careful that you do not take the day, and leave out the gratitude." ~ E.P. Powell

I went to all the Friday door buster sales. The parking lots were full and I did park at the end of each parking lot with the "We Buy and Sell Homes" magnets on the car. Your billboard in motion (the car with magnets) did get immediate results as a few shoppers asked about a business card. Each day the adventure continues....Carpe Diem! :0) - Stacey

.....Glad to hear you found some deals on Friday. The key is to look each and everyday because you never know what you may find. Keep up the good work. Berlieve and Achieve! - Joe

....It is officially less than 30 days until Christmas. Have you started your shopping yet? There were so many sales and so many crowded shopping centers. What better day to put out soem bandit signs. Were you shopping for retail deals or real estate? If not, the latter, there is always next year!

It is always nice to have a long weekend. What better way to rest and relax and get ready for the weeks ahead. I called on a few additional listings and gathered some information. Even though it is the holidays be syure to stay on track with you goals and what you want to accomplish.

I hope everyone had a great weekend. This could be the weekend you find that great deal you have been working on. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Quote of the Day:
"We are seeing pioneers moving out to the Internet, banks that are taking transactions, retail shopping on the Internet, and although it's going to take most of a decade before most adults are turning to the Internet for a high percentage of their act”. - Bill Gates

...Saturday seemed to get here so fast. Did yo uevr notice a holiday weekend can seem to go by just as fast or even faster than a regular weekend? All the preparation and in the blink of an eye it is just a memory. Well, this is the time to make memories and reflect back on prior years and traditions.

I was surprised to see a few open houses in my area today. I stopped at 2 took a look through the proeprty and had a good conversation with the realtors hosting the open houses. They were not crowded so I found it to be a good opportunity to ask the realtor as many questions about the proeprty and the market in general.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. Make them most of your weekend. Keep on driving your local area for dollars. The cdeals on out there in every neighborhood. Do you currently have any on your radar? Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Quote of the Day:
"Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do." ~ Jason Love

....Sunday surely arrived in a hurry as I could not believe the month of November has been in over drive to reach December. Each year we imagine how this new year will be different than the last. We all star tthe year with goals, resolutions and even some new and updated dreams. Each month should be a scorecard to let us know what progress we are making. You still have a full month left, so be sure to turn it up a notch to end the year on a high note. Each day can put you a step closer to where you want to be.

As I catch up on some of my postings, I just noticed that this will be my 5,000 post on DG.com. It is amazing to think how fast the time has went. Each day I would read many of the posts and offer a few of my thoughts. Most people have inquired about how to learn about real estate investing. I often think back to all the great information in Dean's books, programs and rioght here on DG.com. As I had many questions, I would just read and read on the DG.com website.

The key is make the most out of each opportunity that comes your way. Often, it can be difficult to realize the opportunity, but understand even if you have not done any deals, or even a deal in a while, each day you are preparing for when the time comes. So keep pressing forward becuase that time is near! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Quote of the Day:
"Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments." ~ Rose Kennedy

5,000 post Joe you are the Man. We hope you had a great Thanksgiving with the family. We are thankful for Da Bears great win over the Eagels.

Keep up the good work Joe you have helped so many investors.

Thank You

Steve and Veronica.

Joe...

You just make my day with your uplifting and motivating posts. Thanks to you,I have made my daily, weekly and monthly goals. I look at them every morning and what does not get done goes to the top of my list for tomorrow.

Marnels (Marilyn Nelson)