The Journal of the Daily Adventures of Indiana-Joe

thanks buddy

You want to look for a hungry realtor that is willing to work with you. I believe they should be available on weekends and nights because it is a 24/7 type of business. However, not all Realtors are cut from the same cloth. Some only work bankers hours. Try to find a realtor that wants to make money and is willing to work with your schedule. There are so many out there, you should be able to find a few. Good luck, my friend and we look forward to hearing more of your success. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Thanks for the additional thoughts and perspective. Have a great day. Believe and Achieve! - Joe and Stacey

I do not write as much as I use to on DG.com. I guess it because I am mentoring and helping others in real estate. But today is the day that I turn 21,000 points on DG.com (well 21,002 to be precise). I wonder why they do not list the top contributors on the site anymore. In any event I guess I can relish in the fact I reached 21,000. That is a lot of posts! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

That is a lot of post and we thank you for them, congrats Joe

Aaron

i appreciate your reply. wow 21002 man i joined a month and a week ahead of you and WOW you ran off and left me hahah !! have a good day joe thx again

WALT

It is a busy month already with so much going on and so little time. I am making and networking with more friends across the USA. I am looking forward to the EDGE in May 2015 to see and catch up with so many friends. I hope everyone's year is going well and remember there is plenty of time in 2015 to get that first deal or 100th deal so keep on doing all the right things. make every day count! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

We all have a dream in life! I sometimes hear people even say they would do anything to reach that dream. Do most people do whatever it takes to reach their dreams? What about their dreams in real estate? What about dreams in life? Some single people want to find that special someone. Some of us want to be thinner and healthier, while others think about doing things like travel or buying materials things (not more real estate). Real estate is usually a wise choice even an excellent buy Do your dreams lead to you taking action?

Some of us tend to have bigger dreams than others. Some of us often daydream what it might be like if we were able to reach our dream. Anything is possible if you put forth the time, energy and effort. You may ask can anyone reach their dreams? You already know the answer, but it is YES! Why not make today the day you become the person you want to be? The person you hope to become. The person that you know is there but you just need to get out of maybe that daily rut.

You can do it! If you do not do anything today, than your dream could become a nightmare tomorrow. Sometimes the biggest person that can hold us back in life is ourselves. Are you afraid of success more than failure? Do you really want to succeed? Are you willing to make a commitment and do whatever it takes to get where you want to be? Ask yourself - Why not you! Why not right now! Start be seeing yourself as you want others to see you. Confidence is something that can not be taught but learned through experience. Just do it!

As they say, it is ok to fake it until you make it. As you move forward try to be the most confident you can be. Start with your situation and then work you plan forward. Show confidence and some people may even view you differently. If you have confidence in yourself others will too. People want to be around confident people. You become like a bright beacon of light in the dark of night and soon you will begin to draw others to you. Maybe even like a strong magnet.

Write down the person you wish you could be and work on at least one thing each day to get you there. Make every day count be doing at least one thing today to build your real estate business. See and become that Real estate Investor you know is deep inside of you. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

that was really timely I was feeling down bc i lost a deal just nnow but i am picking myself up & carrying on! I learned sooo much from this deal like not having hm's that are occupied when I want to wholessale them, too much risk for my buyers & also being quicker with the deal.

I am stronger & more confident & I am changing my life in 2015! I have 2 deals so far & going to get more! Can't wait to see you at the Edge Joe, I have my tix. God bless.

this journal is awesome and full of Fantastic Wisdom !!!!

Can I 2nd that?!

This is what I need today...

Thanks

meant to say 2 deals for the yr now 3 though 14k total profits I have replaced social security income for the yr up until now & this latest deal was the one I thought I had lost but instead told my buyer i was backing out & he said he would give me 7k which he did!!

It aint over unless you allow it to be over & I don't allow it

Joe love the inspiration.

Joe once again thank you for sharing your knowledge ans motivation! I'll see your soon

Thanks for stopping by the daily adventure journal. I am glad you enjoy it. I always like hearing from the DG family. Have a great day! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

It is so great to hear about your deals and I know your effort is paying off for you my friend. Keep up the good work and I look for to my next trip to Cali. We can get a great pizza and catch up with all the deal details. Keep up the good work, you are inspiring so many others. Keep making it happen. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Looking forward to seeing you at this year's Edge event and catching up. Keep doing what your doing and the deals will continue. Have a great day. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

TIME. Think about what time means to you. I heard a rap song the other day while I was driving and the scanner was scanning the radio. Part of the song stated that any day above ground is a good day and worth really living. So true isn't it?

Time is the most valuable commodity we have. As they say you never have enough and always wanting more. When we are young we want to be older and when we are older we sometimes wish we were younger. Time is consistent. Time will always pass. Time is our history but never our destiny. We have the ability to change time to even challenge time. We can not go back into time but we can change the time of our futures.

Do you want to have more time? Is what you are doing going to help you get there? I often reflect back and think about the daily grind in corporate America. Yes, sometimes it is a nightmare disguised as a job, but not our future. There are so many people trying to work harder and compete for a better position. As they say you need to work the corporate ladder. Yes I did, in the glorious world of Accounting. I did it, I got to the top, but often it is not what you really expected. Or even really wanted as a matter of fact.

Work those early morning!
Work those late nights!
Work those holidays!
Work those weekends!

You may ask yourself later in life - for what? What does it often get you? A better position? More money? A that a boy! or maybe even nothing at all? Was it worth it? Really, was it really worth it? What did you have to give up? What did you have to sacrifice. Was it your time? Your kids events? Did you even see your children go from a baby to toddler to child to teenager to adult? Will it flash before your eyes? Or, maybe, your spouse waiting for you to come home? Was it worth it? Do you value your time?

Sure the calendar can go fast and even days weeks and months get away from us. Look at your next week. if money was not an issue how would you spend your time? Can real estate investing change your life? It can and it will if you take the TIME to do it. I mean really do it! Are you taking the time in real estate to change your destiny? Are you looking for what you really need? It is Deals? Is it Buyers? How much effort are you putting into it? If you find really great deals buyers will be there. If you are in a very challenging market, find cash buyers than find killer deals!

Take the time and make the time to change your life. Is it worth it? The work in real estate? That decision is up to you. Come on into this game of monopoly! You played it as a child now let us play it for real!!!!! Make every day count by doing at least one thing each and every day to build your real estate business. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Joe,

Thank you for expressing how precious our time is. Corporate America really is not worth it. I want out - fast! Real Estate Investing is my ticket. I believe, and I will achieve. Thanks again!

Sometimes no matter how hard we work in corporate America we can not change our situation. In real estate we can control our own destiny. You can do it. Each day do at least one thing to help your real estate business. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Comfort. Ahhh, it may be your favorite chair or your favorite couch but we all want comfort in life. It is hard to try to do things out of our comfort zone. We fall into habits and are comfortable only doing certain things. Do to this comfort zone we may not want to switch jobs because we are comfortable. We may to do real estate but we are busy with life and we are comfortable. Do you want a change? Do you really want to change your life? Than it may be time to come out of your comfort zone!

In life we do what is comfortable. We drive the same routes back and forth to work and we often will shop at the same stores. I think about grocery shopping and there are 3 stores in my local area but I am a creature of habit and I go to the same one each and every time.

Even if I am on the other side of town, I will drive that extra mile to go to the one I know. Why? Because I feel a comfortable in the store. I know where I like to park in the parking lot, I usually see some of the same smiling cashiers, baggers or the manager at the front that welcomes me. If I need a bag of pretzels, I know that in Isle 7, if I want a case of Diet Raspberry Snapple I know it is on the bottom shelf in Isle 4. Thus, I feel comfortable and can navigate my way easily through the store.

We all are creatures of habit whether it is a favorite store restaurant, school or church. We get into the habit of sitting in the same places each time we visit these establishments. Often we ask why is that other person sitting in my seat or my booth. They should know that is where I always sit.

Thus, to get out of your comfort zone you need to do new things, go to new places and do things that may not make you comfortable. Is it a little hard? Yes. Can it be frustrating? Yes. But you never know until you try. By trying new things you are opening up your sphere of influence. You meet new people, you see different things and you may even discover new opportunities. Sometimes change can be good.

It is like going out of town even for a day. To be in a new place even it is only a few hours from your home can take you a million miles away. You get a new sense of energy, passion and desire. You may even think about things you have not thought about in some time.

If you take the time to change your surroundings you may find yourself finding new opportunities. Go make it a great day. Believe and Achieve! - Joe and Stacey

Its very easy to BELIEVE when you can see it in your mind where you want to be in the coming years... Keep it up and ill keep working at mine even through the rough patches that I stumble into...

It is so true. See yourself of where you want to be ad consistency and hard work will get you there. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

The number one thing that can trip up anyone in a business is not knowing the numbers. As a CPA, I often had an opportunity to work with business owners and they did not know the numbers and often made decisions on not knowing what things were really impacting their business.

In the wild world of real estate investing you have to know your numbers. I often may joke with students and ask are you working at this business as a not-for-profit or a for profit business. Most people laugh and say I want to be a for profit business. The number one area that most people trip up when it comes to real estate investing is not knowing how to calculate repairs. This is the number one thing that can a good deal a great deal. You never want to pay too much for a property.

If your repairs are too high your offer will be too low. Inversely if your repair figure is too low, your offer will be too high. You never want to over pay for a property because like the old cliche states you make money when you buy real estate not when you sell. What does this mean? You have to buy right, or buy cheap enough, so when you sell it you have more flexibility in what you can sell it for.

REPAIRS: When you are a wholesaler you do not have to pick up a hammer or a paint brush. YOU ARE NOT DOING ANY OF THE WORK! However, you have to become a good estimator to know what the work may cost to do. Now you do not have to become a certified appraiser, however you have to try to determine repairs and be in the ballpark with the estimate. If your repair estimate is way off when your cash buyer comes out to look at the property, they will be less likely to be interested in the deal. If this happens more than once, your cash buyer will probably stop taking your calls or not return your voice messages or texts. So remember you just need to be in the ballpark when it comes to estimates.

WHAT IS TOO MUCH? LIGHT vs. MEDIUM vs. HEAVY REHABS
You want to know your buyer and know how much work they want to tackle with a property. Every buyer is different when it comes to the amount of repairs they want to do. Some buyers want very little in repairs such as a lite rehab while others will do it all and do not mind the heavy rehabs. If you know how much your buyer really wants to tackle you will be better prepared in knowing what types of deals they want to do. Let us take a look at the types of rehabs:

Light Rehab Project: this type of rehab project is primary a splash and a dash they are in and out in a hurry. It usually involves paint, flooring and fixtures. These are quick to do and are common for buyers that want rental units. The typical cost for a light rehab is usually under $10 per square foot based on the size of the home. This will vary by location. Labor rates can impact total rehab cost based on the city you live in.

Medium Rehab Project: this type of project is a light rehab plus a major item such as a new kitchen or a new kitchen and a bath. It is a little more involved, it is more costly and it will take the buyer more time to complete. The typical cost for a medium rehab is usually under $20 per square foot based on the size of the home. This will vary by location. Labor rates can impact total rehab cost based on the city you live in.

Heavy Rehab Project: this type of project is a medium rehab plus additional major items such as a roof, electrical or plumbing. This is an extensive rehab that is primarily done by more seasoned investors. These types of rehabs can take the most time but usually can be the most profitable. The typical cost for a heavy rehab is usually $30 or more per square foot based on the size of the home. This will vary by location. Labor rates can impact total rehab cost based on the city you live in.

If you are just starting out as a wholesaler, focus on light rehabs first. They will be the easiest for you to calculate repairs and not give you as much heartache or indigestion as a medium or heavy. Once you feel you mastered the art of estimating a light rehab then move on to the medium and the ultimate heavy rehab.

With each home you go through you will become more knowledgeable and more confident in your numbers. Start with light rehabs and work you way up from there; you need to crawl before you walk and walk before you run! Do one thing each day to make every day count! Believe and Achieve! - Joe and Stacey

Go make it a great day be doing a deal today. You can do it. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Make it a GREAT DAY indeed... just wish some idiots got back with me! lol

It is Sunday so go to some open houses and find some deals. Also, do a little driving for dollars today and see what you can find. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

I have Uber drivers looking for me I give them my card & ask them to be my eyes & one just sent ma a prop going to check it out-I told them I would give them 2k if I buy the hm's they send me.

thanks Joe, Good message. We must always be looking

Great idea to keep those deals rolling everyone ants to know what is in it for them. I should be coming to San Diego in September or October to meet with Thom. Maybe we all can get together for another pizza! Have a great week. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Hope all is going well and you had a fantastic Summer. The year is flying by for us. Have a great week. Believe and Achieve! - Joe