Linda's (from Indiana) Journal

well, things are done here. sad to say, but the truth is the truth. as i posted to Dino above, i am packing up and moving back to OK as soon as possible. i can't stay here any longer and it's time to move forward into a brighter future. i'm not sure how often i will be able to post, but then again, you know me - i'm always posting if i can. real estate will have to be put on hold for a while so i can move and get settled, but i may still try to get in 2 offers before i leave. just for the heck of it, if nothing else. my kids are ready for me to come back and they are working to help me out as much as they can long-distance. they know this is the best thing for me too. you can bet i will be joining the Tulsa REIA just as soon as i can get there and attend a meeting. most likely it will be in November because i don't think i can make it to the October meeting; they meet early in the month. i'm kind of excited, despite the unknown. i hope to be able to do a L/O for myself in about a year or so, but for now, i can handle apartment living. well, i guess i better get back to work so i can start living that new life before too long.

see what i told you about me posting? shameful! my "partner" bought something that gives him tons of PML's and that may work out real well for him. in fact, he might be willing to share it since we're working on a few deals together. even though i'm packing to leave by the end of next week (fingers crossed), i'm still working on 2 deals and a third one might be a possibility. i'm actually ready to send one offer off to the lender because the listing expired and i thought i would try to sneak that one in. it's been on the market 6 months so maybe....the other one is that FSBO and i was ready to leave it alone for a couple weeks, but you know me....can't quite do that. waiting to see if my partner can go do a quick inspection. we have an offer in mind, but it might be offensive to the seller. although, he said he just wants an offer. i may take some time and just write one up real quick. apparently other wholesalers have contacted him but nothing has happened so far. i got an email yesterday from the same wholesaling ad on CL, but i think this guy would do better with a L/O. i sent him an answer on that. he has renters, so i asked when the lease would be up and if the renter would be interested in buying the property on a L/O. i almost told him i was moving to OK, but i thought i would play it out a little. it might not come to that because it might just be someone kind of "fishing". we'll see what happens. i did apply for one job that my daughter sent me and i have 3 more to go. that is my last resort, but if i have to work a job for a time, then that's what i will do. i also contacted the head of substitute teachers at Broken Arrow Public Schools about subbing again. i did it some years ago, i really enjoyed it and was requested a lot. hopefully i can still do that, although it used to be you could only sub 70 days/semester if you weren't licensed or weren't in school to get your teaching degree. my daughter may have also found me an apartment nearby. it's the one i've had on my mind for months, the location is great and the price and layout are good. lots happening; i just pray i can keep up. i need to be able to sleep too.

ok, i know i must be crazy trying to do all this stuff at one time, but i am determined. i got an offer ready to send to the lender on the one property. i emailed it to my partner to look over, then i plan to send it tomorrow. i'm still thinking about sending the FSBO seller an offer, but one thing at a time. i have done 3 applications for jobs now and my daughter put a deposit down on an apartment for me today. it's right where i want to be and it's an updated apartment. it must be nice because my daughters are very picky. can't say that about my son considering the life he lives, but my girls are! i plan to make my real estate license inactive, and one of my brokers is thinking i can leave it like that forever. that way, if i ever decided i wanted to become active again and get my broker's license, even while i'm in OK, i should still be able to do that. i picked up change-of-address cards today at UPS while i was there picking up business mail. i asked if i could just do a change-of-address card for my UPS box, but she said if i did all 166 boxes of mail would go to me from then on. i guess i won't do that then. i will have to send each company that mails me there a card of their own. as if i don't have enough to do all ready. i need to do a lot more packing too. yikes!

I'm sorry to see you go, now that I found someone close to me. I am only 90 minutes away from you in IN! I am just a week into this learning curve and am excited! I'd love to network with you , but wish you were staying in this area! Thanks for your posting and letting us see into your life. It gives me hope that I can make it. I have 2 toddlers and it is a challenge to get my action items done, but I know that no matter what I do it will be a challenge so I will persevere and press on. Getting a 'real job' is not really worth it when I have to pay a sitter! It's nice to 'meet' you!

Lori
LT Properties

thank you for stopping by and checking out my crazy journal. it's nice to "meet" you too. how i wish we'd met sooner. i will be 12 hours away shortly, but i'm always up for networking. i've made some really nice friends on this website from FL to CA. you might want to check out Tammy's journal (Zion Properties). she has 4 kids and home schools, yet she is going great guns with REI. one of my daughters has 2 little ones and she works from home for an oil and gas company. you can do it! i hope to hear from you soon.

an Amish girl came over and helped me pack today. we got a lot done, but there is still a lot to do. i would say we're at lease half-way there, if not a little more. i have to pack up all my courses and office stuff, and that is very scary! some things i have to wait until the last minute. i still don't have a move date; that is in someone else's hands. i hope i find out soon though. late yesterday afternoon i sent in my application for the apartment my daughter found and we're just waiting to hear back. i have the offer on that REO ready to mail tomorrow morning. i figure i'll keep an eye on it and see what happens with it if i can. i'll be going inactive as an agent at the end of October. i figure i can send the same offer or a lower one every week or so and see what happens. i'm really just kind of playing with this because i wanted to take some action and i have. nothing may come of it, but at least i will have made the effort and have moved forward on something in REI. now to decide on the other property, the FSBO. these offers are low because that is our market here. the REO offer is $6257 and that might be too high, but if i send in more offers on it i will probably go a little lower each time. i also have "and/or assigns" on it. i can play with that, but i thought "what the heck". we'll try it and see what happens. again, it's all about taking action.

well, i mailed that offer today. will we hear anything? i have no idea, but at least i bit the bullet and did it. did more packing today, but i'm beginning to think all my stuff is multiplying like rabbits! no matter how much headway i make, there is still so much more. i go into a room and can't believe what's in there. i think that is an example of blatant excess and i do need to remedy that situation once i get settled. i have thrown out a lot of stuff, but i'm sure i can throw out a lot more. again, once i get settled i need to make that a goal, even if i only work on it 15-30 minutes a day several times a week. it can be done. hope everyone is having a great weekend. we are getting a little bit of stormy weather right now.

Oh my! You have Amish girls helping you? Lol! I'm from the Amish, lol! For some reason that absolutely cracks me up?!

Sounds like you've got some deals in the works. I'm working on my buyers list, which scares me to death for some reason. *sigh* I will persevere and get moving. I have some auctions I want to go to next week, pretty excited about that!

So- how long have you been doing this? I suppose I need to go back to your starting date and look at that, huh? It's great to see you succeeding when so many people tell me it can't be done because no one is buying. Haha, I just have to laugh because I know it's all in the way Dean teaches.

Wishing you the best!
Lori

yes, an Amish girl, although she is married and has 2 little ones. she's a very hard worker and has been really helpful.

i understand the fear about talking to buyers. for me it's the rejection issue, but i'm working on that. for right now, i don't have to deal with it since i am moving. but, i will once i get settled. with my daughters helping me, i should be able to unpack the necessities pretty quick. going to auctions would be harder for me. i know that once i start talking, i sound like i know what i'm talking about. i've always been pretty good BSing my way through things. i think one of the biggest things i have going for me is i can usually build rapport with other people pretty fast. that really works in my favor.

i've been involved with REI for over 11 years. when i was married, i wasn't allowed to invest so i got real involved in 2 REIA's and i loved it. i have always studied it, even in my car. i'm known for being well-educated in REI. and now i'm heading back to those old clubs. i have done some stuff with it, but not much has panned out. earlier this year i had 3 properties under contract, 2 for L/O's, but they didn't work out. i really feel that is for the best because i was deathly ill from April to June and couldn't have done what i needed to do for the sellers. now that i have someone helping me here, i can still work on a few deals and see what happens.

i know a lot of successful investors. anyone can do it. i find that usually the people who really succeed are simple people who don't question; they just do it. i am not that kind of person and have had a lot of fear and lack of support to deal with, but i will make it! i am determined one way or the other. i can see that you are too!

not much to report today. i decided to take the day off from packing. i still have about 1/3 or a little less to do, but i need a break! no move date yet, but hoping to nail that down tomorrow. i have read through all the journals i was following. had a lot of catching up to do. hopefully i can do better from now on. i just read Bill O'Rafferty's post that October and November this year are the times to buy REO's, so i hope that is true. maybe something will happen with that offer i sent in. wouldn't that be something? then i'd be like "what do i do now?" and i just had an idea hit me on what i might think about doing. why couldn't i list the property on CL, www.backpage.com, etc., and offer L/O with the option fee being the purchase price i'm paying, plus closing costs. that is if i wanted to sell to an end buyer, let them fix up the place and own it eventually. i wouldn't want to do a land contract necessarily, but a L/O might be the way to go. Tammy (Zion Properties) did a L/P, which binds the buyer into selling, so that is a thought as well. hmmmm, i think i was actually thinking creatively about REI. imagine that. i guess it could also be an investor doing a rehab and renting, but i would still do this type of deal. not sure it would work, but it's a thought.

Wow! That surprises me since they don't generally work outside the home after getting married and having kids. She must think outside the box more than most Amish, lol. That's a good thing!

So you must have lots of connections in RE?! Wow! Wish I was ahead like that, lol! Is there anyone you know of or could recommend in Goshen or Elkhart? I have yet to make connections around here. I have a fear of them not taking me serious, but in the morning I'm just going to bite the bullet and ignore my fears and make some phone calls. Determination! Mind over matter and I know I can do it, I've done it plenty of times before! Grrr!! Bring it on!

Best of luck to you! I know what it is to do things on my own, but God is always there! Remember, He loves you!

yes, she is married. around here it's not unusual for them to make extra money working for people they know. a friend of mine is well-acquainted with the Amish community here and they trust him. i'm going to the Amish home restaurant right near her house on Friday night. i've never done that before and i'm so excited.

i don't know anyone offhand in your area, but there should be an REI club up there. you can search on this website and you can go to www.creonline.com too. you might also do a google search for one. that would be the best way to start networking. when i joined my first club in Tulsa years ago, that is what really got me to come out of my shell. i loved it and now i get to go back.

thanks for the reminder. if it weren't for God, i probably wouldn't make it, but He's always right here with me and i'm hanging on for dear life! He has been working things out for me in amazing ways.

the apartment is a go and i will get my new address tomorrow. a guy from Kraft Movers is coming out today at 4pm to look at all my stuff and give us a firm price and move date. they said they can move me next week and that would be great. my ideal is for them to load up the truck on Friday. they can get there whenever. then i would like to leave Saturday morning. but, i'm flexible and will do whatever i need to do. it would also be nice if my stuff was the only stuff on the truck. i ask for alot, i know. got an email from a guy headed to foreclosure and he needs to sell ASAP. he doesn't realize that he's in a rental area and lower part of town and they are not paying what he wants. he wants his loan paid off ($15,000) and then $15,000-25,000 on top of that. i had to get real honest with him about it. those houses are selling for less than $10,000 often. i suggested a short sale (he's 4 months behind on his payments) and explained it wouldn't pay off the loan and he wouldn't walk away with any cash. we'll see if he emails me back or not. funny how that ad is over a week old and as i'm trying to move, i'm getting responses. i love it!

not an easy thing to do, but i have to just go with the flow. we have spoken to 2 movers so far and have 2 more to go. not sure what is going to happen, but i've decided i need to just relax and go with the flow. somehow it will all work out and i don't need to worry about it. it's been rainy all week so maybe when i do load up and move, it will be beautiful outside. Chuck and i went for foot massages today for a special treat before i leave and he really needed it. i think i was there for moral support too. anyway, here is what happened and i hope you get a good laugh out of it. just got back from our foot massages at the place i went to yesterday. OMG, what a hoot. they worked us over pretty good: head, neck, shoulders, back, arms, hands and feet. lots of reflexology work, which can be very painful if you have issues. i'm sitting there in horrible pain, ready to jump out of my chair and i hear this weird noise. then i realize it's Chuck snoring! i got to giggling and couldn't stop; had to put my hand over my mouth. then we each get on tables in separate rooms and i hear Chuck going "ooooo" and he said it was so painful and he was groaning, but the guy working on his shoulders must have thought he liked it and kept doing it. he said he wasn't crazy about a man working on him, but he loved how he felt when we walked out (he said it helped that the guy didn't speak English). it was $25pp, but it was worth at least $50pp. we needed some fun. not much on the investing front today; too much else going on.

just had the last mover leave and he couldn't work with us. he was a great guy and very honest and straight-forward. can't beat that. the price was the same but he couldn't meet my dates. hoping to get this settled and signed today. gotta get more boxes too, but movers usually can supply those so it's all about waiting to see who to go with. we are going out for an Amish meal tonight and i'm so excited. you eat in a barn and i'm praying this nasty wind stops because it's really cold with that wind blowing like it is. i got an email from sellers wanting to sell their mobile home. i advised them i am moving and my partner will consider it. i also emailed them several questions for more information. it sounds like it's vacant because they are winterizing it but they want $15,000. we'll see if i hear back from them.

i didn't realize i haven't posted on here for so long. moving has been keeping me really busy. we finally got all the dates and everything nailed down, except for delivery. the movers will pick up my stuff this Friday. i am leaving this Saturday and will be in Tulsa on Sunday. i pick up the key to my apartment on Monday. hopefully the driver will give me the exact date for delivery of all my stuff and that will be sometime next week. i haven't heard anything from the lender on the one property. i emailed that FSBO seller and he never answered me back. i will be listening to REI CD's on my trip to OK. i've been packing and working on my change of address stuff. i also have been trying to say goodbye to friends. Monday was a long lunch with a friend from high school. tonight i'm having dinner with some REI friends. tomorrow i plan on going to meet with several high school friends. lots to do in a very short amount of time. i have to keep these next 2 visits short because there is so much left to do before Friday, but at least i will get to see them and say goodbye in person. i'm so ready to go and it's almost here. been emailing back and forth with the President of Tulsa REIA so i can join in November. new life, here i come!

just got word that the movers will be here tomorrow morning between 8am and 10am. i'm so ready to get things going. i have to finish up the packing today and pack up my desktop computer. i have been paying bills and got them paid through the 20th, as well as changing my address and phone numbers. i will have to change them again when i get a home phone #. i am so ready to start my new life! i ate dinner with my REI friends last night and got to say goodbye. i haven't been able to do much REI stuff but hopefully that will change in the next couple weeks. i hope everyone is getting the deals they want!

it is so nice Linda that stay so positive. Just recently moving myself, I am sure you will feel better once things are a little more normal. Get some rest.

Well, it looks like you almost have it done. By now the movers have taken all your stuff away. Tomorrow, you go...

Good luck, my friend! We will be thinking of you and look forward to hearing about your new exciting life!

Karen

what a nice surprise! i like the new picture. i'm not sure i know what normal is anymore, but i hope to find out soon. i am in St. Louis right now at a nice hotel and i'm just doing my own thing and having some relax time. once i get to Tulsa, lots will be happening. the kids have all ready made plans to take the grandkids to the Pumpkin Patch tomorrow after i get there. should be fun. hope you are doing well.

how are you girlfriend? i am exhausted but looking and moving forward. the movers took over 7 hours to load yesterday and then i headed out this morning. i'm in St. Louis having a nice relaxing afternoon and evening. gotta change my watch and car clock. i love Central Time

i am sitting in my suite as i type this. i got a great deal on www.priceline.com for a wonderful room in the St. Louis area. i got here at 3pm CT and i'm so exhausted. this was a rough week getting everything packed up and ready to go. the movers were 3 1/2 hours late yesterday. it took them over 7 hours and they left at 8pm. i barely slept last night and had to keep telling myself to stay awake while driving today. in fact, once i did start to doze off. i still say i do my best driving asleep! there was so much construction today that it took a bit longer than usual, but i have the hardest part of the trip over. i'm just a short distance from 44W and once i get to OK i can kick it up to 75mph, which i love. then i get on that Creek Turnpike and go for it. after i get to Danelle's house, we all are going to the Pumpkin Patch for the grandkids. Monday i pick up my apartment key and try to figure out how i'm going to fit my furniture in (huge wooden stuff!). the movers are planning to deliver on Tuesday, which is ideal. i pray it's so!!! all the way here i listened to CDs on private lending and i have a bunch to go. i won't get them all done tomorrow, but they are very interesting. i hope to get back to really working on REI within the next week or so. just really depends on when my stuff is delivered and when i can get settled in. i need to decide about internet service and get that set up, but again, it depends on delivery of my stuff. i'm so ready to get settled in and enjoy this new life. i'm open to opportunities and good things happening. yippee!

well, i got to Danelle's house before 2pm Central Time. i really didn' sleep last night, so i just got up at 6am and got ready to go. i did get to talk to Jared on Skype for a little while and that was nice. i hadn't talked to him most of the week. he's back to working on quitting smoking and so is his girlfriend. although, the guys he's with have started smoking cigars at night. ick! at least he's quitting that heavier habit of cigarettes. i tried 3 times to be a smoker, but it makes me a nervous wreck! i guess God knew i didn't need another habit to break! i am resting right now, then we are taking the grandkids to the Pumpkin Patch. i've never gotten to do these things with the kids before, so this will be so nice for me. the 2 littlest ones "helped" me unpack what i needed out of the car. listened to more of my REI CDs and tried to stay awake. it wasn't as hard today, but i'm glad i don't have any long-distance driving in my near future. i hope i'm tired enough i can sleep tonight! i sure could use it. hopefully i will be back at REI very soon; i'm ready to get going again.

i am getting ready to go to my 6-year old granddaughter, Kadi's, soccer game, but i wanted to quickly post a dream i had yesterday. i dreamt that i had won something from Dean and he had come to my house and was cooking a spaghetti dinner for Chuck and me at our house. it was really vivid. Dean was making the spaghetti sauce he gave us a few months back. not sure what brought that dream on, but it was a good one. i do have to say, in the dream, Dean had a weird hairdo, but other than that, he was himself. i am officially moving into my apartment today. should have TV, internet and phone set up this afternoon and i have gotten alot of stuff unpacked and put away. if i don't know what to do with it, i try not to unpack it yet. the next couple weeks will be very interesting on that front.

i am making headway, but it seems so slow. i am working on the kitchen, dining area and living room, but i also have to work on the office a little. it's so much and so little space! i just wanted to stop in and post real quick. i'm trying to get on some sort of schedule this week, but with this mess, it's a little more challenging. i did get my wireless printer hooked up and working yesterday on my PC and this morning on my laptop. i do need to try printing now. i hope to be on a webinar tomorrow and now i can listen to them any time i want. i like that! i hope everyone is doing well in life and REI. i will be going full force again as soon as i can.

Hi, i was reading all your journals I was new in real Estate...but I'm willing to learn everything...i have a question: is Deans' Successful Academy and PMI are the same school?! coz i want to enroll in the academy, but Im confused if PMI is the same with Mr.Dean's academy or the same coach with you thanks...and God Bless!!! -Farrah-

thanks for stopping by. yes, the SA and PMI are the same. have fun with REI!

I am glad you have arrived safely and are getting set up.

You are going to have such a good time with the grands!

Can't wait to hear how everything unfolds.

how are you? i am enjoying the grandkids. they are so funny. i'm going to Danelle's (my favorite middle daughter) for supper tonight. her little one-year old girl is such an eater! it is so funny when she is ready to eat. her brother will be 3 this week and the party is on Saturday. now i don't have to miss all that. i'm excited to hear how everything unfolds myself!

i didn't realize that it's been a week since i last posted. everything is out of whack right now, but it will get better. i finished up my kitchen and dining area, so Tuesday i will start on my office. i have to babysit my 6-year old granddaughter tomorrow and i won't get much done with her around. she has lots of energy and has to be busy all the time. once i get my office organized it will be so much easier to study and work. every now and then Danelle stops by and helps me organize and be creative, so i imagine it will be the same with my office. i just have to "think a little different" and i can do that. Danelle helps me do that. i can't wait to have a place for everything so i can easily find it, although sometimes i still can't find it. a lot of what i have to unpack is REI courses. i've thrown old ones away and found an old one on L/O's that i really wanted to find, but i'm not sure i have anything else i'm willing to get rid of. we finally heard from Jared yesterday; we hadn't heard from him in 6 days. he was out on a planned operation and of course, they can't have contact with anyone because some tell what they shouldn't. Jared is very confidential and keeps his mouth shut, but not everyone can do that. well, i'm headed to Danelle's for a bit, then home to study and do some reading. it's been a busy Sunday, but i'm glad i got done what i did. now on to the next project and fitting REI and other things in too. i plan to restrict the amount of time i work on the apartment so that i can fit everything else in. once i get started it can be hard to stop because i want it done, but it can't take over my life.