The Journal of the Daily Adventures of Indiana-Joe

We want to wish all DG Members a very joyous holiday season. The new year is almost here and it will be a fresh start filled with plentiful opportunity for all! Remember with the holidays...... all your troubles will be far away! I know we can and will make a difference in 2013!

Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Properous New Year!

Believe and Achieve! - Joe & Stacey

We want to wish all DG Members a very joyous holiday season. The new year is almost here and it will be a fresh start filled with plentiful opportunity for all! Remember with the holidays...... all your troubles will be far away! I know we can and will make a difference in 2013!

Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy and Properous New Year!

Believe and Achieve! - Joe & Stacey

Joe & Stacey,

I really enjoyed working with you guys in Austin at the BOG event. I love spending time with other instructors and learn from their experiences and knowledge. Even though I have been investing for a while, I'm always learning new things.

One big thing that helped me when were you talking about rental properties. I have been a landlord for a while, but when you said renters are not your friends, that hit me; it hit me hard. I reflected on the past couple of years and i have been really soft on my rentals and seller finance notes I have. You said they will walk over you if you give them an inch, and I can see that clearly some of them have been. I just recently send out a letter that I will be enforcing the full late penalty so that will hopefully motivate them to pay me first instead of what is left over for the month.

You guys are awesome and are a great asset for dean and his teaching program. I look forward to meeting up with you guys again.

Mikessler

It was a pleasure to work with you at The Boots on the Ground Event in Austin, Texas. Good luck with your real estate investing in 2013. Through your effort, you will continue to create your opportunities and make it happen. We wish continued success at PMI and on all your future deals. Believe and Achieve! - Joe and Stacey

We had a great live chat on the DG Insider Elite website last night. many great tips on finding distressed properties. I have been meeting students all over the country and I want to wish all of them great success. It has been a productive and busy month. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Hey Joe and Stacey,
I had a quick question if you would be so kind to answer...I just got through reading through all of your posts...starting with you back in 2009...LOL read through all of them in two days/nights. Ok I'm a bit crazy.
Anyway...somewhere in the late 2009 postings you made a comment about keeping properties on watch...or letting them go...and you posted something about your screen was getting filled up with yellow and red marks ( I think it was yellow and red)
Anyway...to the point...do you use a software to track houses that come on the listings...ones that go off then return? ones that you want to keep your eye on...what are you using to do that? I just noticed lots of notes about "I'm watching that one" or " I saw a couple new listings that are interesting but I'll wait and see if they have a price reduction before I make an offer" or " I noticed this listing had gone to contract but then returned"
How are you tracking that info?
Sorry for the long post...you are amazing people...I can sense the integrity and honesty in everything you post...and all your videos and it's inspiring.
Thanks for all your time.
Mike

If you have one home that you very like and your Realtor able to keep eye one it or auto respond to your email if anything change on this home. or if it close by your home just stop by to see what's going. That's all I know, let's wait for Joe's answer. Yay

I use to use a regular spiral notebook and they decided to create an excel spreadsheet to follow and track properties that I like. I usually will go onto www.realtor.com every day to see what new properties are out there, what old, and what went under contract. I keep several on my watch list fo any changes that could indicate the seller is more motivated such as price reductions or deals that fall through and then come back onto the market. Good luck. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Your posts are great an I am reading through them now. Don't know why I haven't before, duh. I love the videos and learn so much. Your an inspiration and hope to learn a lot more reading through your journal. Tammy

Thank you for stopping by my journal and your kind words. I appreciate and I enjoy when people provide feedback on the information I try to share. Everyday can be an adventur with real estate and it is always nice to share what we learn with others. These lessons will help others benefit from the things we do right and also learn from things we did wrong. Have a great day. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Thanks Joe.
I thought it might be Excel or something similar...but if there was a software out there that got the job done...I figured I would give it a shot.
I'm still using a notebook as well...for now. HA
have a great week.
Mike

Hi Indiana Joe!
Your postings and journal really inpsires me to keep going with this. I thank you for that. I am a "newbie" and am extremely passionate in succeeding in real estate investing. Since I am starting out, I'm most interested in wholesaling. I have thoroughly researched my hometown and some properties...now....I am waiting patiently for an investor. There is SO much information to sort through!!! I feel like I just dove into the deep end of the pool and am dog paddling. How to I really, truly, absolutely find investors?! I think I've found some good properties, but how do I "tell the world" about the them?? I did go ahead and posted 3 properties in the "classified ad" section. I feel like screaming on the top of my lungs, "Look over here. I've got something for you!" Any suggestions?!?

Yes there are many software packjages out there to use and you might want to ask some other investors at your local real estate investment clubs as to what they use. Often I find evryone might have a difference preference so start with a list of what aspects you would like the software to have and they see if you can find one that meets your needs. You can also google it to see what is out there and read the feedback about each one from the people that might use it. Good luck. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Congratulations on starting your real estate adventure. I know it can seem overwhelming in the beginning. I often compared it to getting a drink out of a fire hydrant. So much is coming at you so fast. The best way to find investors is to create bandit signs and put the deals out in your local area. Advertise it such as Must sell 3/2 Cash Only $89k and your phone number. You want your signs to generate calls. Also go to a local real estate investment club meeting and network. You can find clubs by going to the following websites:

www.reiclub.com
www.reiclubdirectory.com
www.creonline.com
www.meetup.com - type in your city, state and Real estate for topic

Go to these real estate clubs and be sure to pass out your business cards and network, network, network. Good luck. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

I am getting ready to head to sunny Florida. The temperatures are a little better in Florida than in the Midwest. Have a great week. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success." - Napoleon Hill

I hope everyone is having a great Thursday. The time is now to buy, buy, buy! How many offers did you make this week? Looking forward to hearing from the DG family. Be sure to drop by and make a post on this daily adventure. There is plenty of room on this adventure. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." - Henry David Thoreau

Ahhhhh, it is Friday and the end of the work week. I really use to enjoy Friday and when it cam e around. If it was pay day it was a double bonus being Friday and being payday. The weekend is almost here and are you ready to look at some properties this weekend? Have you made plans to put out bandit signs this week? What are you doing this weekend to get you one step closer to maybe leaving your job? This might be the weekend you find a great deal. Good luck. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Hey Joe,

I used to live in Austin, as a matter of fact, I have family in Austin... what do you think? what's the market like? You know Austin is unlike the rest of Texas, right?

As always, you're energy and positive attitude is contagious!

Val

Yes, I was in Austin at the end of 2012. I think it is a good market. There was plenty of property in various price points. From a wholesale point of view we located many buyers advertising to buy homes. It appeared that rentals were in demand in several areas. I also enjoyed the city, culture and entertainment. Have a great day. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

January is flying by! Looking at the calendar its hard to believe that Janaury has almost slipped away. Christmas is less than 11 months away, so start that shopping early. Today was a good day to look at real estate. I was able to look at several homes and enjoyed the afternoon. Hope your having a great weekend. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

HI Joe, I only made 4 offers, we saved 1 deal Yea! and WE have 3 scheduled to close one this wee and 2 in February,We have an agent on board. We plan on make 1 offer a day

Thanks for all you do

Congrats on all your deals. Keep up the good work. Each day can be a good day to make an offer. Results will ontinue to come your way as you continue to put forth the good effort by making offers and taking action. Good luck. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Hi Joe, I put in my first offer Thursday and here's what happend. It's now Saturday and I'm talking to my coach Sherry you probably know her. So I ask her when will I hear back and she tells me I should have heard back the same day. So I gave him a call and left a message asking if he got my offer? His respones is he think the property has been sold. Which I don't care because I'm trying to put in more offers. And this is in the same email he ask who is my inspector. This is why he asked. In my offer I stated. I will have earnest money 3 days upon offer accepted with a 15 day home inspection contingency clause and can you send me a list of more SFR starter homes in my area that meets my criteria. This is his total respones: I got your offer but I think the house been sold but as soon as I find out I will send you a new list and who is your inspector? WHAT? I need a list now. I'm trying to get to the point where I can make one offer a day. And Joe you know I don't have an inspector I just need time to do a double close. Tell me what you think should I train him moer or look for a new agent?

Steve

Thanks for stopping by the daily adventure. Yes, I do know Coach Sherry and you are in excellent hands. When you make offers you are always in control of the time your offer is valid or another way of saying it is how much time you are giving the seller to make a decision. I always like to give the seller as little time as possible so they do not try to shop my offer to get more offers and then come back and ask for everyone's best and highest offers.

As you deal with real estate agents like you mention above. Take their question and turn it around. When they ask who your home inspector is, then ask then if they could give you a couple of referrals. In the beginning, the less you tell a realtor about your team the better. Try to get information from them that can build your team. You always want an agent that you will learn from, not an agent that always wants to learn from you.

If an agent does not believe in your strategy, it is time to find a new agent. If you find a listing yourself and you want to make an offer, then maybe call the listing agent. This will help you find more agents. Another tip is to go to open houses each week. These agents that host open houses are usually a little more hungry for business. Good luck. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Good advice I will use it. As for Sherry I do belive I'm in good hands. Sooooo since you know her maybe when I get a deal under contract I can PM the info to you and we can make a win-win out it. LOL!

Thanks

I am sure you are close to that next deal and will have buyrs jumoing at the chance to make a win-win deal. Have a great week. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

The weather is heating up as we hit 60 degrees today in Chicago. I can't believe it feels like spring and the calendar says we are still in January. It must be the hot real estate market heating up the weather. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

The weather has turned form a nice spring like feel of 60 degrees to windy cold and under 20 degrees ouch. Seeking the warm temps of Florida and Arizona. Today was a good real estate day. Tomorrow will be better. Hope your day and week is on the fast track to success. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

As always glad to see you here helping the masses. I hope to see you at the edge again this year on stage. I have a new video up for the send me away contest and if it helps someone to start their new life in real estate then I have done my job. Now go get some

Hey Joe how is it going. I have not stoped by here in a while. We just got our plane tickits for the EDGE event coming up. I sure hope to see you and your family in AZ this year.

Lets hope the Bears have as good a season this year as you do with REI.

Take care Joe
Steve and Veronica.