Linda's (from Indiana) Journal

here is the link to see photos of the contract house:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fortwaynerenttoownhomes/

i also started working on a flyer template, but i need to know how to change out the pictures. we'll see if my mortgage broker can help since she graciously sent me the template.

i created a new yahoo account so i can just get emails for L/O's in there. should be fun!

I hope things are going to get better for you soon. I will pray for you and your family.

God Bless

Steve.

Way to go !! congrats on your motivation and desire to keep moving forward !!!
through all of this journey ,look at all the lessons learned and all the confidence you are building !! now you are making it happen !! hope this is the first of many deals for you !!keep that focus and dont stop that determination !!
jay

Linda you are amazing....You are really like the energizer bunny....you just keep going and going and going. Don't stop because it is waiting for you....everything you are thinking and believing for.

OMG As I read your journal I have so many questions....I have then all written down for our next conversation.

Good job girl!

Your site with the uploaded/downloaded pics looks great!

Karen

thanks for the prayers. can always use that.

thanks! yes, i am learning lessons, you are right about that. i really believe it will just keep coming toward me as i keep after it.

you keep talking to me like that and i'm gonna get a fatter head than i all ready have. (reference to trying to buy glasses - in a much earlier post ) you know, no one has ever called me an energizer bunny, but i like that because i've really been working hard to accomplish what i want. thank you.

let me know when you want to talk. maybe we can set it up on Skype.

thank you. i am not very good with pictures and i think i need to change a few out now that i "accidentally" got them right side up.

it was so icy out today that they actually closed the main highway down until about 8am. i've never heard of that here before, but everything has been a sheet of ice all day. i was very careful when i went out to get the mail because it was so slick out and Chuck sure couldn't come out and rescue me. he is doing so much better today. he stayed home to gain his strength back. i got up late this morning because of being so exhausted, so i decided this would not be a hard working day. i still contacted 5 sellers and worked on my flyer, but i have just been slow today and doing some other things too. i hope to get back into the swing of things tomorrow; it's kind of hard when i have someone calling my name all day long. i got more replies back from sellers today - all no's but again, very nice about it. i am ready for a yes. i have one possibility i will check into tomorrow. i had to email my mortgage broker for help on my flyer and she did it so quick for me. she has a newer version of Word and could do things i can't do on the template. she's so good about helping me. the flyer actually looks really nice and i'm very pleased with it. i need to get it hung up at the grocery store and get one in the window at the house this weekend. i did ask the sellers to give the house and appliances a good cleaning and to remove the stuff in the garage. i haven't heard back from them, but i just told them that we want to make it as appealing as possible and a good cleaning would really help. i got part of my contracts back from them today, but the one listing their liens on it was only signed, but nothing listed. i requested that be done and the other 2 contracts that were missing. if they won't sign or fill out the requested information, then i am walking away from the deal. i won't be rude or nasty, but i'm not going to waste my time if the seller is not going to be cooperative. his wife will do whatever i ask. i think it's all about control and him wanting to control everything; i am not going to continually deal with that. so, along with that decision, i have also decided from now on that if there is any problem like i had Sunday, then i will tell Sellers that i cannot work with them. all he had to do was black out the parts he didn't want me to see and that would have taken care of the whole ordeal. if they don't want to cooperate, then i will have to find someone else to work with. Jay, as you mentioned above, i am learning. i also decided not to use the term "investor" anymore (i have to remember that) because it can have a negative connotation as does realtor for some people. i will now call myself a "rent to own provider/expert" and go from there. i think that is a friendlier, safer way to say what i do. i may have to fake it til i make it, but i will just have to live with that. tomorrow the REI club President is interviewing me about my first deal. i can't seem to make him understand i don't consider it a deal yet, but it's ok. he sent me 8 questions to look over so i can be prepared to answer them. shouldn't take long, but it is nice for me to get to do that. got to talk to Lea for a little while on the phone about REI. Jared has been on a mission or missions for days and out in the field. wish he could tell us more about these things, but he can't. he's keeping in touch through facebook mostly. at least we have that. i'm so thankful that we all can keep in touch so much; i know years ago it wasn't like that at all.

It was nice talking to you today. Glad to hear that Chuck is feeling better now. I love all the things happening in your REI world!

I'm happy to hear that you got to talk to Jared.

Lea

Chuck finally went to work at 11:35am. i was on the phone doing that interview and had to just wave goodbye. i'm excited that things are starting to happen for you too!

i haven't really talked to Jared except through facebook. just saw a picture of him in a chopper with his rifle. at least i know he's doing well.

more snow today and it's coming down pretty good right now, although it looks really wet. Chuck went to work very late this morning, but he made a lot of phone calls before he left. i don't want him to overdo it. he seems to recover pretty quick and i'm thankful for that. i did my interview this morning with my club President and it was really nice. that is the first time he and i have really had a real conversation per se, and it was good. he's very knowledgeable. the interview lasted quite a while and it was about getting your first deal and how i got to that point. i also mentioned the "incident" on Sunday with the seller husband and the president told me what just happened to his wife (they invest together and separately). she was at the closing table with seller and buyer, and all of a sudden the seller says he doesn't like the deal. she just gathered up everything and was going to leave, but the seller decided to go ahead and close. i want to have that kind of confidence in myself and the deal and be able to walk away if necessary. i was told that i don't need to sell myself; i have something i am offering that will help, and if they don't want it, there are plenty of people out there that do. i have not been very happy with my T/B responses to the ad for the house i have under contract. not much has come in and i wasn't getting any information back once i sent it to the T/B. this morning i did get an email back from one guy that inquired. he needs a bigger house, but said he is sending the information back tomorrow. then i got an email from a seller yesterday that said he wasn't interested in a L/O, but now was a good time to buy and "if i could get financing".....so i decided to email him back and just tell him what i was looking for and what i'm doing (not trying to do, but doing). i got a nice, long email from him that i need to go through again. he doesn't need to sell so he can wait it out, but he has a family that might be interested in being T/B's. i'm not exactly sure if he is wanting to work with me and send me their info, or if he is trying to do it himself. but, we'll see what happens there. i also got an email back that one seller might be willing to consider it. again, we'll see what happens. i like to take a little time and consider how to address each individual situaton. my first inclination is to respond immediately, but i need to take a little time and decide how i want to approach things. i want it to be personal and not like i'm just "selling" what i have to offer. there's a very fine line there for me. i did contact 10 sellers today because i am going to try to take tomorrow "off". i know that won't happen completely, but i just wanted to take a day to regroup since everything has been a little off this week with a sicko, not psycho, home. he's supposed to see about a sign for me to put in the yard of the house under contract; i've made it generic so i can use it again and again. he didn't want me to just get a posterboard and do a sign like a bandit sign, so we'll see what he comes up with. i'm thinking maybe this is his way of showing me he's proud of me getting my first house under contract. the president of my club did suggest that if i am not able to get a T/B for the contract house, then i could suggest listing the house as a short sale since they have considered walking away from the house. that was a good suggestion, although i believe i have a T/B for it. now for us to find each other!!! Jared just got back from a 5-day mission. he said he hadn't showered in 5 days and that really grosses me out. i don't think i could do that. on his facebook page he has a picture of him in a chopper with his rifle. i know he loves what he is doing, and he has been really busy since he got there. i hope someday to get more details from him about what he did and how he handled things, not necessarily about the mission itself. he finally sent me his address too. i know that Danelle is sending him a bunch of necessities and other stuff because there is no PX there. i'm not sure he even knows i got a house under contract. i guess i'll go tell him on facebook.

How about Lease Option Specialist? Or Lease Option Expert? When I first got into coaching one of my coaching mentors told me that you should always refer to yourself as an expert. People LOVE that and always want to work with or seek advice from an expert.

I finally got two ads up on CL for sellers. I reworded the one you sent me and in it I say Lease Options are my specialty!
I'll PM you a copy. Here's hoping I get something from that.

Karen

it all sounds good. right now i'm calling myself an expert; hope no one proves me wrong. got your ad. can't wait to hear how it works.

well, so much for staying home until May. can't even make it through January. my dad has to have a pacemaker put in so my sister, Michele, and i are heading to AR tomorrow morning. we'll be gone through Monday at least. they are going to transfer him from Fayetteville to Little Rock so we are playing things by ear until we know when it's all going to happen. Desiree is planning to meet us down there, so that will be nice. talk about "need to know" basis...yuk!

I'll keep your Dad in my prayers. Have a safe trip to AR.

Lea

thanks for your prayers. we are more than half way there. i believe everything will be fine, but we need to be there.

we are staying here tonight. right before we got to the hotel we saw a car accident and a dead body in a body bag near the coroner's wagon. not my idea of fun. to think that that person will never see their family and friends again and vice versa. okay, off that. they moved Dad from Fayetteville to Little Rock today and are running tests. i emailed several people before i left to let them know i'll be out of pocket until my return. i did bring my laptop so i might be able to work a little, but who knows for sure. Desiree and Danelle will meet us in Little Rock tomorrow and we'll have a great time. i know Dad will be so glad to see us all. tonight we are going to eat then let Evann, my 5-year old niece swim. she has been talking about it all day. while her mom was checking in here at the hotel, i told her we have to learn to speak "southron". that was hilarious. my dad is from Jackson, MS and alot of his relatives are still there so we have been around that awesome accent all our lives. i got a big kick out of Evann mimicking everything i said. she did real well but she couldn't quite get a handle on the word "pool". she and i were giggling and having fun. this hotel is in a very busy area and i like Bowling Green anyway. got gas right across from where i stayed the last time i came down to see Jared in Elizabethtown. not much REI today but maybe i needed a break all ready.

Thinking of you and your Dad.

I am sure things will work out, too but it is always difficult not to worry.

Hugs
Karen

thanks. yes, i'm sure things will be fine. good excuse to visit him again. he likes all the attention.

I'm glad your Dad is doing well and am sure he appreciates having the love and attention of his family

Lea

I am Praying for you Dad and your family. God is truly in control and He will come true.

Dad seems to be doing very well. we met one of his roommates. it's hard to get used to having 4 roommates all together. he's at the VA and he's been very pleased with the care and attention he is getting. that helps alot since he is up there alone except for us.

thanks for your prayers. i know He has a plan; i just wish He would fill us in on it too.

we finally got here. seemed like it took forever. i'm past exhaustion. my daughters are here and we went to supper, then up to see my dad. he is doing well despite his heart not working right. the plan right now is that they will put the pacemaker in on Monday. the doctor told my dad that he couldn't believe he is almost 80 years old. Dad asked him how old he looks and the doctor said in his 60's. my sister said we don't want to use that doctor because he doesn't have very good eyesight. during our drive we got to laughing so hard about silly stuff my dad has done that i was crying from laughing so hard. my dad is very intelligent, but he is hilarious. their pajamas at the VA hospital make the patients look like inmates. it's very weird. not sure i'll get much work done while i'm here, but i can always get back to work when i return.

Linda, One thing I have learned about God and His plan is that we don't have to understand it we just have to trust it.....He is God all by himself and He does not need or want our help. I had to learn it the hard way and still having to recall it everyday. We always want to put our 2 cent in and it is not needed.

Trust Him and walk it out in faith. God will do the rest.

this is a challenging subject for me, but thank you for your encouragement.

got home yesterday about 4pm. long drive and long trip in a short amount of time. it was kind of hard on me. Dad still has not had surgery because they keep messing things up. as i stated on facebook, getting care through the VA is much like socialized medicine, and it ain't fun, i can tell you that. the surgery was supposed to be done today and a nurse instructor came in with a student and gave me Dad a blood thinner. well, now he can't have surgery. so, we wait each day for news. i have taken my time today because the trip was so exhausting. i went through over 100 emails and some took time to get through. i am formulating a bit of a plan for tomorrow. i emailed my sellers for the rest of their paperwork to be returned to me and we'll see what happens with that. if i do not get it back and have more issues to deal with, then i will walk away from the deal. the president of my REI club told me he was pleased with my interview last week and that i appeared informative and approachable. that is a great compliment from him. i started a webinar on goal setting that is different from the usual, and i have to finish it today because it comes down this evening. i feel out of sorts, but i think it's just being tired. another good night of sleep and i should be good to go tomorrow. i talked to Jared a little yesterday and today. he is doing well and the weather is fairly decent right now. he is dealing with a little boredom, but he said it's not too bad. he is pleased i have a property under contract. now let's keep it that way and get it L/O'd!

Hey Linda, sorry to hear about your dad. But It sounds like he will get his pacemaker and recover. Cant believe they messed things up!! That scares me. I will keep him in my prayers. Good thing he has you to look over him and I am sure it made him feel good to see you there. I see you got your deal badge awsome job! keep moving and doing your thing and before you know it you will be saying 10th deal done.
best of luck
Richie