Linda's (from Indiana) Journal

What a hassle with the hospital messing up with the blood thinner! Once again, nothing seems to be easy...

Sounds like you thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie of your family though. How wonderful!

We're thinking of you.

Karen

thanks for the prayers and for stopping by. just have to keep moving forward in everything. how are things with the duplex? i'm ready to have that 10th deal!!

thanks for stopping in and your support. yeah, we always have a fun time and get everyone laughing. even one of my dad's crabby roommates couldn't help but get involved.

now to get myself back in the swing of things here at home.

because i really think i lost it somewhere between here and AR. it's been so hard to get back into the groove and i'm being a bit resistant, although it's hard for me to sit still. weird, i know. yesterday i reminded my sellers that i needed 3 more documents signed and sent to me. this morning the wife emailed and said she couldn't find the email with the attachments, so i sent them again. i also listed the property on sellpoint, which was rather fun. the tricky part was when i changed my email address to coincide with my new website because then i couldn't sign into sellpoint at all. i was so upset and frantic (bad girl!) because i'm thinking "what is the deal?" duh! when i changed my email it no longer recognized the old one. while i was away from it for a while, i started thinking that maybe the new email would work with my old password. well, i tried it and it worked! thank goodness! we will see if i get any response from that. then i went to check my new email and i thought it wasn't working, so i created another new one with just a minor change, then figured out the old new one was working. i'm beginning to feel slightly challenged here. so, anyway, i think i'm fixed up for now. i got the T/B questionnaire back from a lady that lives about an hour north of here. she appears to be the only wage earner in a family of 5, wants rent to be $400-500/month and doesn't make enough to cover that. she also has 2 rottweilers and 2 cats. oh, fun. i emailed her back to see if there was any other money coming into the household and asked if she could borrow money for a down payment because she only has $2000. i told her it usually requires around 5% down. i tried to be as tactful as possible, but that low payment and low down is very hard to work with. we'll just have to see. plus, 2 dogs and 2 cats can be a toughy too. i got an email back from a seller saying they might be interested in doing a L/O. sounds like 2 men are custom builders and have a new house they want to sell. one of them told me this after i bravely emailed him information about what i do, so i was very shocked on that one. i really didn't expect a positive response. he wants to know if i have a buyer. i will try to explain how this works to him. i've had so many no's on doing L/O's, but i will check back if i see any of those houses continue to be on the market month after month. it's all about the right timing. i'm way behind on contacting sellers this week, but i will have to work that out. it is snowing and beautiful outside. unfortunately i have to be out in it tomorrow, but i think i can handle it. although the way i've been the last couple days, i better make sure i'm prayed up.

WOw Linda, you have so many smiley icons on that post that i considered printing it and shooting dart at the smiley faces lol. Sounds like your moving along, stay positive and confident when you talk. You know what your doing so just find a way around the obsticals you encounter, thats the difference between success and failure.
Keep up the good work!!
Never EVER give up!!!

RICHIE

P.S. J/K about the icons

at least you said you were gonna throw darts at the smiley faces and not my face. thanks for the encouragement. i'm hoping i get back in the real swing of things by Monday, but things are still happening and that is a good thing.

i think i overdosed on smiley icons on yesterday's post. sometimes they just fit my mood. i haven't accomplished a lot today because of other distractions, but things are still happening. i went to hang a flyer for the house under contract and saw that all the tear strips for my "stop renting" flyer were gone and just the top half of the flyer was there. i haven't had calls or emails off it, so not sure what that is all about. i brought it home and will replace it with a new one. i tore off one strip like Chris Brindamour reminded in one of his posts, so others tore off the other strips. my seller flyer has not fared so well, but for a long time it was behind a magazine rack. i moved it but not seeing much with it right now. i went to the cell phone place to see about changing phones, getting rid of the internet on my cell and the best plan to choose. google voice helps so much that i can reduce my minutes and be comfortable doing that. internet access is just mainly a nuisance to me and it's not worth the $30/month i was forced to pay to have this phone. my sister offered to put me on the family plan she has, but it's not worth it. it would cost just about the same and i could lose some of the benefits i have right now. so, i think i will go with being on my own plan and go from there. i'm kind of excited. i forgot to ask about seeing if i can transfer it to my business name. that might be more expensive and i'm not willing to pay more, but it would be nice to have it in the business name. we'll see what they say when i go do it. i have not received those documents from the sellers yet, but they have through today, then we'll see where i think i need to go with it. from now on i won't do much advertising on the house until i have all documents back in my possession. another lesson learned. i have not heard back from the T/B i mentioned yesterday. i tried to be diplomatic, but they have to have enough money to put down. talked to Lea this morning and we had a nice conversation, then her phone cut us off. we know that is our signal to get back to work, so we have a good laugh about it and one of us emails the other real quick so we each know we didn't hang up on each other. i have to say my work brain is really out of whack and i may have to whack it back into shape. where's that rubber mallet???

p.s. dad had his surgery yesterday and it went well. they will probably transfer him back to the Fayetteville VA hospital today or tomorrow and then home in a few more days.

i cannot believe how fast the weekend went. i decided to just do my best to get away from REI for the weekend and it was really good that i did. we had a very nice weekend and ended it on a good note. we are taking care of my son's truck while he's in Afghanistan and we need to drive it now and then. we haven't driven it much because of the weather and it's not a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Chuck kept trying to nap yesterday but wasn't doing a very good job of it , so i suggested we take the truck out and go look at a rehab house and we did. this house was supposedly built in 1994, but it looks like a stick house (that's what i call it anyway) and looks older than that. it is on a very large lot with mobile homes and older homes nearby. the location is actually very good. it is realtor-owned and they are asking $24,999; it was just listed. the price is way too high in my humble opinion, but we may follow up on it. on the way back home we happened to see an 8-unit apartment complex for sale and talked to 2 women who said they love living there. it needs a lot of work and the bank owns it now, but they were very helpful. one woman used to be Chuck's brother's sister-in-law (confusing, i know) and she answered all our questions. we have the bank name and it's local, not far from us, along with the phone number, address and guy's name at the bank. it is listed with a commercial broker, but we are going to see if the bank will talk to us. commercial brokers play by a different set of rules and i would prefer not to deal with them. Chuck is very intrigued by the complex so we will see what happens. i emailed my sellers this morning because i still have not received the last 3 sets of paperwork. the wife emailed me back and said the husband wants to read through them all first. well, what the heck has he been doing all this time they had them??? i told her i need them asap because if we get the storm they are predicting tonight, he won't be driving to Cincinnati to work and won't be able to send me any paperwork. this has been drawn out way too long and has gotten to be ridiculous. they are predicting we will get up to 12" of snow in the next 3 days, so i had to run out and get emergency groceries and Chuck and i talked about the plan if we lost electricity. OK is also expecting to be hit hard and hopefully my daughters are getting their emergency groceries too. the stores were so busy and it was really hard to even find a parking spot at my second stop. so, again, my REI stuff was kind of put on hold, although tomorrow should fix that. i sure hope so! i got a new cell phone on Saturday and have spent about 6 hours getting the hang of it and having the employees of the cell phone company help me out. they had a time figuring it out as well, but i think we are on the right track for now. thankfully. i think i will really like the new phone once i get the hang of it. i got rid of the internet on it because i don't need it, it was kind of a nuisance and was costing $30/month. not a necessity and not even really a want for me. well, time to get back to things.

The apt complex sounds like it could be interesting.

Those sellers are really turning out to be a pain!

Hope you fare well with the storm. I need to check in on my parents since they are in KY and probably going to get it, too.

Any updates on your Dad?

Karen

thanks for stopping by. yes, the complex could be interesting, but i immediately went into a fog and was like "ok, what do i remember about apartments?" and i'm trying to remember everything i have studied. really had to clear my head.

i imagine KY will get it as bad as we do, if not worse. of course, the weather people could all be mistaken too. that's been known to happen here.

dad is doing fine. thanks for asking. he's a tough old bird. a few years back he had open heart surgery. a few days later he asked me to help him scoot up. he grabbed my arm and nearly threw me over the table and bed. i may have put that in my journal somewhere but i don't remember for sure.

I wish you the best with the apartment complex.

Glad you got to the store to stock up but hope the storm turns out to be a flurry instead.

That's great news that your Dad is on the mend

Lea

I am so glad to hear your Dad is doing better, and congrads on your new phone!!! Although you say you are taking a small break you still are working on REI all the time it is in your DNA.

I am excited to hear about the Apartment complex that is my dream I have it on the list in the next 3 to 5 years. Keep us posted.

I really enjoyed brainstorming with you on Saturday. You just get my blood pumping.

we'll see if anything happens with the complex, but it's always good practice. i'm trying not to get my hopes up. i did stock up and we got 2-3" of snow. it's supposed to be worse tomorrow. dad is home and doing well.

i just haven't been in the REI mood since i returned from AR. can't figure that one out, but you are right, i never come to a complete stop.

we were not looking for this complex; we were just driving by it on the way home. i need to call the bank today and see what we can do. Chuck is especially interested in it and i'm still trying to remember everything i know about investing in apartments. of course, 2 days of no sleep can affect that.

loved talking to you too. it always keeps me going when i can talk REI.

thought i would share this with everyone for a good laugh.

i was making a nice dinner last night and blew up supper. i pulled the pan with the bratwurst in it out of a very hot oven to add some water and didn't even think about adding cool water to a scalding hot pan. the second i added the water, the pan exploded. when Chuck got home about 10 minutes later i thought he would be so mad. he was calm as could be and kept looking at me, saying how thankful he was that i wasn't hurt and that he couldn't believe i wasn't seriously injured. it took over an hour to clean all the glass and grease up and we both were exhausted. at one point he was cussing like crazy and i just went into the living room and tried not to bust out laughing. i asked if that helped him and he said yes. he said i wasn't allowed to blow anything up today. i asked if this would get me out of cooking forever and he said no. i asked what it would take.

Hi Linda, I have just completed reading your journal. Quite Interesting, enjoyed it. Glad to hear that you were not injured and Dad is out of the hospital and doing well. I wish you continued success in your real estate ventures. Will keep your Dad in my prayer.

God Bless
Sandra

what a nice surprise!!! i bet it took a while to read this journal, considering how often i post. thank you for your prayers.

how are things going for you?

okay, i'm getting my groove back a little. once i get going, i'm okay, but interrupt me and it can really throw me off. we got 2-3" of snow overnight, but my girls got 8-9" and it was still snowing and blowing there this morning. someone told me we are supposed to get 12-16" through tomorrow. now that is going a bit too far in my opinion. OK isn't used to that kind of weather at all and one son-in-law was sent home from work and the other couldn't get out of the neighborhood. i'm thankful i've been able to stay inside, except to get the mail and open the garage for a couple of people. it is bitter cold with that nasty wind and it is snowing again. i contacted the bank guy collecting the rent on the 8-unit complex. he didn't know much because the actual lender is out of Defiance, OH, but he told me what he knew. the owner still owns it, but there is a good change it will go into foreclosure or the owner can do a "deed in lieu of foreclosure", which i think is better. one unit has water damage and they are working on that right now. the units are townhomes, which the tenants seem to love. basically the owner understands that he will walk away with nothing, but he wants the loan balance paid off. the bank will not consider a short sale because the property is worth more than what is owed on it. i emailed a broker i know with the brokerage company representing it and hope to hear back from him in a day or so. i thought he was pretty down to earth and i would like to hear from him, so i hope i do shortly. i was talking to Chuck about him having me as the property manager (i guess he is buying it) and giving me a small percentage of ownership so i don't have to go through my broker, etc. he said i should blow up the kitchen again. very funny. for some reason he is really interested in this property. i also found a very nice 8-unit complex in a city about an hour from here on CL. i will see if he is interested. the units are in much better condition from the pics they had posted. Chuck wants me to also set up a time to see that house we were originally looking at on Sunday when we found the complex. i contacted 10 sellers today about L/O's and put 2 ads on CL. i checked on broker classes again and the only one i can find is with the guy i don't like and it starts March 14th. no more paperwork from my sellers yet today, but with this weather i have to wonder if he stayed home from work and may be home the rest of the week. at least i feel like i've accomplished something today and it didn't involve bombs or food.

Glad you are getting back into the groove of things

Honestly, some people will do anything to get out of cooking a meal LOL!

Lea

i was just waiting for you to make a comment about the cooking. i forgot to ask my daughters if they wanted me to rush right over and cook for them. Chuck is cooking tonight.

Glad to see you back in stride again. Nothing like taking a break just to get your breath. You have had a lot on your plate since this summer.

Way to get back on it.

just can't seem to quite pull it all together, but with the weather and all, i am not surprised. when i get really focused i don't like to be sent off-track.

we got about 10-12" of snow and it just stopped snowing. we may be in for 2" more tonight, but i would say we've had enough. Chuck was home from work today as we were under a level one emergency status. it's now at level 2, but i did see a sheriff's van go by a little while ago; looked like he was driving through to make sure everything is okay here. i didn't do much work today since it's a snow day; just felt like playing today. i did get an email back from the broker on the complex and he sent a brochure. then i sent him 10 questions. the price is much lower than expected because most small complexes around here are very expensive. a 12-unit we looked at a few years ago was listed for $500,000 and the owners were not willing to negotiate. this seller has had health problems for 16 months, so he needs to get rid of the place. he may do owner financing, so if we are really interested after looking at it, we will have to dig deeper into that. since it has deferred maintenance and was built in the early 80's, we should be able to get some rent credits in there. just have to see what the bank and the owner are willing to work out. we would definitely want to close the first of the month so all collected rents would go to us. i got a few emails from sellers that sound like they might be willing to consider a L/O eventually. just the way they were worded sounds a little interesting. we'll see what happens with those. i baked a gluten-free coffee cake out of the cookbook that Desiree got me for Christmas. it turned out perfect, tastes good and i didn't blow anything up. i'm very proud of myself.....not that i need any coffee cake, but.....

My focus right now is a family home, that I am working towards. Believe me they do not come as cheap as those in other states, and of course, I have some loose ends to tie up. I will surely post when the process is over.

God Bless
Sandra

a family home is so important and i know God has the perfect one for you. i will agree with you in prayer for that. can't wait to hear all about it!

it is actually beautiful outside despite the bitter cold. nice to have a day of sunshine and no snow/ice. i got to talk to Jared today. i was messaging him through Skype and then he called a little later. they stay busy but not too much happening right now. he can say very little. just always good to hear his voice. i managed to contact 8 sellers today. a couple looked like possibles, but we'll see how that goes. one listing on www.forsalebyowner.com said they would sell/rent/lease, so that sounds interesting. another one said they might be willing to consider a land contract. hopefully i can convince them why it's better to do a L/O right now. i am very mopey again and it may have something to do with my thyroid meds, but i also think i'm overloading on sugar. not a smart idea, but at times, irresistable. i think my "get up and go" has "got up and gone", and i need to find it and get it back. no paperwork back from the sellers yet and the weather probably has something to do with it. if nothing Monday, then i will have to decide what to do. i have been dragging my feet on walking away because i can actually use the house for ads instead of running ghost ads. but, i haven't had much response either way, and again maybe that is due to the weather. we shall see as time goes on. nothing back on the questions i had on the complex, but it might take a little time for the broker to get back to me. Chuck asks me every day if i've heard anything yet.

I really hope you find your get up and go...it is no fun to be limited on your energy source.....the sugar I must agree is not the best.

Keep us posted.

Hello Linda, I cant keep up with you lol, every time i check in on you there are like 20 more posts ;o
You are always moving along and making great strides. I am hoping you get that 8 plex it sounds like it may turn into a great deal for you.
Keep us updated and congrats on your steps up the REI ladder that you take each day. keep getting it done!!
Richie.

I can't keep up! You are awesome and on a roll. Just the fact that you came back here to post says your "get up and go" is not gone! I know about those "down" days though when you just want it to come together because of your previous work. I had one of those days yesterday and today is a bit frustrating. AHHHHH....don't you look forward to the days when deals start finding you and come together quickly?! We just gotta keep plugging and motivating each other!

All the best on all these sellers you are contacting, the multi-unit, the deed in lieu of forclosure property, and the L/Os you are working. YOU HAVE A TON OF IRONS IN THE FIRE!!! I love it!!

Your action is out there for sure and great things are bound to happen. Keep us posted!

Cheers!
Louisa

well, at least a little bit of it showed up today. got a few things done and now i'm wrestling with yahoo email. i need to find something to take the place of sugar (and i don't mean sugar replacements). any suggestions?