Linda's (from Indiana) Journal

it has been beautiful here for days and days, with low humidity. i had to babysit my granddaughter, Kadi, today and she did really well. then i dyed her mom's hair and hopefully it will look nice. she has so much hair we had to use 2 boxes of dye. we were laughing and had it all over her face and my arms. good times with my kids. i talked to Jared twice today and that feels good. he doesn't expect to be home for Christmas, but i'm not giving up. i am just about to study some REI stuff and keep thinking it would be great to involve my daughter, Desiree. she is so good at research and loves working on the computer. i don't know if she could fit it in or not because she works part-time, Kadi is her energetic daughter and she is taking a computer class. once i get things going, i may see what she can do. she also does alot on ebay. i plan to call the corporate office for my apartment complex tomorrow. they have done some very unprofessional things that i won't go into, but i am not pleased and i want someone other than the property manager to know about it. i feel that i have to go above her position because she has not done right by me. what i found out is that putting new carpet and flooring in the apartments cuts into her bonuses, so i have been left with nasty carpet, flooring and the paint job peeling off the tub. other things as well. anyway, we'll see what i can get resolved. i would hope that i learn from this experience and never base bonuses for someone on not doing right by tenants. i do like the area and the complex seems to be fairly quiet and house decent people. that is a big plus. i just hope they are receptive and fair with me.

i definitely am staying busy. got 5 boxes in my office unpacked and i have real hopes that i can get this pretty well done this week. i can be very goal-oriented at times; i just wish it was all the time. at least i kind of have a strategy. got an email from a guy i had spoken to months before. he answered an old ad from craigslist. the area he has a property in is definitely a war zone and it needs lots of work. i told him i didn't work that area as an investor (i still have my IN license) and gave him some suggestions. he was kind enough to thank me. i called the home office about the condition of my apartment and the woman i spoke to was very gracious and was passing the information along to the supervisor, but she told me to call her if i had any more concerns. we'll see how it all turns out. i've been working on REI studies and doing as much as i can each day. i'm excited to get things set up and going here. in a couple weeks i'll be attending my REIA group and that should be exciting. it will be interesting to see how many people i still know and how many i don't. the group in IN had a very high turnover rate, and mostly new people attended. life is exciting!

it really cooled down last night and it's gotten even cooler today. tomorrow should be even cooler. i like that because working on my office makes me really hot. got more boxes/totes unpacked today and i've really made a lot of headway. unpacked and put away a lot of REI courses, so now i can find some of them if i need/want to. i am listening to a short webinar on mobile homes and i listened to one earlier on tax sale stuff. tonight is one on business and corporate credit. i'm not sure if i will stay on that one; we will see who the speaker is. i also found some empty notepads because i take a lot of notes on these webinars. i'll be gone most of tomorrow, so at least i can leave having made good progress.

it was rainy and cool today, but i've been so hot you would think i was in the Sahara Desert! i was gone all day. i had to run a few errands and then spent the day at my daughter's doing laundry. it's kind of inconvenient to have to go somewhere to do laundry, but it seems best for me right now. my laundry room is full without a washer/dryer and Danelle has the really nice washer/dryer that i will have when i move from this place, if not before. anyway, while doing the laundry i used my laptop to listen to a training concerning RE and managed to get through the entire thing. Danelle works from home, so she worked and i worked. this morning i was sent a nice-looking property in a nice area in IN. the asking price is $25,000 and i think it's worth more if the pictures are accurate at all. it is a new listing, so i don't know that the bank would come down just yet. at that price it might go pretty fast. i have decided to send another offer to the bank on that property i never heard back on. the listing has expired 3 times in 5 months. not sure what's up with that, but i might as well be persistent. you just never know......i'm also trying to decide whether or not to go inactive yet as a realtor. my MLS dues are due Monday and will be good through January 31st, but i would have to pay my membership fees by December 15th to keep my license in tact and if i didn't, i would lose 1.5 months of using the MLS. i'm not sure what to do yet and i hate to waste the money, but i really like having access to the MLS. agents don't want to share their information and i need access to agent information. so, i guess i will make a decision in the next day or so on that. i also want to take some time and just drive around a little here to see what i can find REI-wise. i'm sure it will be very interesting.

i emailed the woman at the MLS desk and she answered me back early this morning. i went ahead and paid $99 and if i want to stay on, then i will have to pay the remaining $44 plus the annual membership dues to be a realtor. i was hoping for around $72, but i will take it. i didn't think they could really do anything at all, but they did, so i took it. then i emailed my broker, after i paid the fee, and asked if it was ok for me to stay on a while. he said no problem. so, at least i can continue to access the MLS for a while longer and see if i can get any deals going. it would be nice to make enough to pay the dues in December and then i would just continue on. i met my friend, Cynde, for lunch. we talked a little REI and caught up on things. i really need to call Lea; she called me a while back but i've been so busy i haven't had much time to talk. i was gone most of today so i need to get that offer ready. it's not like there's really any hurry, but i do need to go ahead and get that done.

it has been so beautiful. the high was around 70 degrees, sunshine and just really nice out. Desiree and i did some shopping today and had some nice success. we had a wonderful lunch we shared at The Cheesecake Factory; yum. i am working on my office, mostly cleaning off my messy desk. it is looking much better; just a little more to do. emptied one box and will work on another one or so before ending my work in the office for the day. i have a webinar to listen to and then i intend to relax the rest of the day/evening. how can it get better than this?

I hope you are liking OK. I also hope you can stay active in REI there. I know can and will.

Linda I hope your REI journey is only going to get better.

Take care.

Steve From Illinois, Indiana, California, Indiana back to California.
I know what it is like to move around.

thanks for stopping by. it's been a crazy whirlwind, but i'm getting there. i will stay active in REI. just have to relearn about this area some since i've been gone almost 7 years. i'm close to having the office ready to go and that will be a huge help. i know you two are going full force ahead with REI. congratulations!

i sure hope things settle down a little here before long. it's been challenging to keep up. today i finished up a series of trainings on some tax sale stuff and am ready to get moving on that. i will be doing some work in my office on organizing and unpacking a box of office stuff from the closet. at least the majority of boxes are hidden now. i would like to get a real routine down, but haven't been able to do that just yet. i will work harder on that.

i love that this is Friday, but i'm not really sure why. silly, i guess. i managed to unpack 2 big boxes of courses/files this morning. i'm still missing stuff and i hope i find it soon. i just finished composing a letter to the home office of my apartment complex. i have tried to do it over the phone, but apparently that isn't working. so, i am sending a letter to the President's attention in AL. we'll see if anything happens, if i'm ignored or put on the "bad girls list". my apartment is being entered for the 4th/5th times in less than a month. that is only one issue i have. i am finding more and more of my REI stuff, which is a very good thing. i think i have most of what i would want available to me out and put away. if i'm not mistaken, my REI club meeting should be next Thursday, which i'm really looking forward to. i want to get back into the mix here and see where it takes me. hope everyone has a great weekend!

looks like you've gotten all your rei books dusted and ready to put into action! Can't wait to hear about what you got going from your new home... I know it must be challenging, but I know that you have the will to make it happen!

Wishing you success,
Valerie

thanks for stopping by. yes, i'm ready to get going and i want to get started on Monday. you are doing some great things and you're awesome!

well, i had a new experience today. i wasn't able to sleep, finally went to sleep after 1am. i woke up at 2:15am when my bed started shaking, then i noticed that the whole apartment was shaking. it only lasted about 5 minutes, if that long. i knew right away what was happening because Chuck had told me about it months ago. apparently OK can get aftershocks from earthquakes in other states. in all the years i lived here before, i never experienced such a thing. nothing was damaged, broken, fallen, but i don't really care to experience it again. it was definitely weird. i went to my granddaughter's soccer game and it was cold and windy. Desiree and i shared a blanket and i kept trying to steal her part. i was glad to get to my car. i spent the afternoon at Danelle's doing my laundry, then came home to rest a little. tomorrow i'm going to listen to a webinar or two and do some other things. this morning i unpacked several boxes, including more REI courses. i still have more courses to unpack. hopefully i'll get them all unpacked and put away, available for my use when i need them.

well, these tremors are not aftershocks. they are the real thing. this is a first for us. it happened again at 10:55pm last night. my high school graduation picture fell on the floor this time. i take that personally, but at least it wasn't face down on the floor when i found it. have had enough of this to last me a lifetime. i spent today resting, gearing up for a big week starting tomorrow. i hope everyone had a great weekend doing what you wanted to.

well, no quakes so far. thank goodness! i unpacked 3 boxes and 2 totes this morning. i'm ready to get it done and over with. i started on some REI stuff this morning and hope to get back to it this afternoon. my club meeting is Thursday night. i've gotten out of the habit of evening meetings. i really prefer Saturday morning meetings, but i will just have to adapt. seems like membership in the club has some nice benefits. i'll check more into it. one thing i did notice is that membership in the REI club gives you membership in the OK landlord club and i like the sound of that. the dues are a tad high compared to what i'm used to, but there just might be a payoff for that. i found another tote full of courses; i sure hope i can fit them into my armoire for storage. i could use another bookcase and i may get one, but if i can do without it, i'm going to. i have a tote or two to go through because they hold all kinds of stuff i've had stored for 7 years. i need to sit down at night, when it's ugly outside, and go through all that stuff and pitch what i can. i'm not very happy with the life of excess i've been living and maybe this is getting my attention concerning that. i have been invited back to Fort Wayne by friends because it's "safer" there, but i'm here for now. it's nice to be wanted though.

i was doing my best to get things finished up and get my last 6 pictures hung. well, i dropped one and broke the beautiful frame, so i decided to stop for the day. my morning was a little challenging with a couple bills i was trying to pay online. the main issue i had was trying to pay my electric bill online and now i will have to pay by mail because they charge you to pay online, etc. i made a note on my calendar for next month so i will be sure to mail it. on top of trying to deal with these things on the phone, i get a knock at my door. the contractors were here to fix their mistakes, so i had 3 guys running through the apartment. then one of them tried to "steal" my step stool because someone gave it to him and he thought it was theirs. thank goodness i caught it. so, after all this, i figured it's time to sit down and do things that i can't damage or hopefully have issues with. i was even thinking it might be best to go to bed, cover up my head and wait until tomorrow to get up again. i will be gone a good portion of tomorrow and i need to buy a couple frames now. best i leave REI alone until tomorrow too and maybe it will all go a lot better then.

i went to Kadi's soccer game and it was so windy. the temperature wasn't bad, but the wind made it biting. one more game to go. Thursday night i went to my REIA club meeting and it was fun. i didn't really know any of the current members, so the President was the only person i knew. we talked for quite a while before the meeting. the speaker actually lives in Tulsa now and he has been investing since 1990. he started out as a broke college student in a small MO town. he invested in college rentals and even owned a fraternity. he really had a good set-up and is very successful, of course. he had a lot of good things to say and was funny too, so it was very enjoyable. he said no matter what, get out and drive neighborhoods. everyone does everything on the internet and that can be good, but it shouldn't be all you're doing. i kind of feel the same way. so, i hope to get in the groove this coming week and get some kind of schedule set up again to work on REI. i will also be driving some neighborhoods to see what's out there and what i can go after. it sure can't hurt and there are plenty of places to drive. so, we'll see what happens. at the club, i did have one lady i was talking to tell me i looked way too young to be a grandmother and i think it was kind of bothering her. how can it get any better than that???

i picked up a newspaper at the convenience store across the street, but i couldn't find a penny saver or thrifty nickel anywhere. i drove several miles to try and find them. i did find www.americanclassifieds.com, which is thrifty nickel online, so that might be enough. i didn't find any interesting properties but i will look now and then to see what might become available. i've heard of several people finding really good deals in those little free papers. i checked the MLS for the property that i had under contract and then the cousin talked them into listing it with him. he no longer has the listing and it is pending as a short sale, but for $30,000 less than the last i heard in the summer. i have tried to contact the seller a couple times, but i never heard back from her. i also checked on the property i made the offer on directly to the bank. the listing has expired 3-4 times since June and they have raised the price, but it is still on the market. it's been on the market almost 8 months and i haven't seen any interest in it. i'm tempted to go ahead and make an offer to the listing agent and see what happens. i need to check and see if the taxes are behind and how far. it's a decent property and i'm surprised no one has bought it, but the price is too high, obviously. the listing price is $25,000 and it needs work, plus is not in the best area, so that price is not sensible. of course, since when have banks been sensible?

i am finally back on a schedule of sorts. tomorrow i'll be off it again because i have to be gone for a while, but Wednesday i'll be back at it. it feels good to be able to get some things done and not be going around in circles like a chicken with its head cut off. i'm back to studying how to build business credit because i could sure use it. you can do deals with no money, but it's a lot easier with money. also thinking about how to acquire some private money, although that is a huge step for me. the speaker Thursday night at my REIA club gave us a simple ad to run that doesn't violate SEC rules and can help bring in some PML's. i'm all about easy, simple and not breaking the law. i'm always moving forward, even if it is at a snail's pace. i will get there!!!

well, i thought i had everything figured out and now a ringer was just thrown into the mix. i was going through the motions of looking for a job, mostly to please everyone around me. so much for that idea. in IN i was told by a staffing company that i'm unhireable because i haven't worked for the last few years and all the employers are looking for currently-employed people. now how does that make any sense? anyway, i get here and am told the same thing by another staffing company. but, the staffing company my daughter's boss said to get in touch with just found me a job. we've been talking about a particular job for a couple weeks, but it took that long to get in for an interview. when i first met the staffing lady, i noticed she was more interested in me and not so much about how long i had worked places, my last jobs, etc. she wanted to know about me and what i can do. and she was nice enough to meet me near where i live. then last week i ran over to her office to meet with another guy there that knew this company she wanted me to interview with. so i talked to him, met the owner of the staffing company and was very impressed. this morning i go for my interview and i was impressed by the guy who would be my boss and the VP of Operations guy and all this, but i really had no intention of taking the job because of the hours and stress level. so much for that idea because now i have the job, a few hours after my interview, and i didn't even get a chance to turn it down. i start at 7am tomorrow morning and that is a shocker too because usually you have a week or two before they want you to start. anyway, i'm sure it's a blessing, but part of me is rebelling because i never wanted another job in my life. i know God has a plan, even if i'm not too crazy about it. it's the way it has to be right now. i just pray for stamina and energy to do this and see it through, plus do REI on top of it. somehow i can do this!!! i ask for your support and prayers because this is huge for me. somehow it will all work out and i will be happy and self-supporting. that is huge!!!

well, as much as i hate the thought of having a job, i have made 3 days of pay. that is a good feeling. i could feel alot better but not having much sleep and some other things going on has worn me out and i'm dealing with some not-so-nice symptoms. hopefully i will feel better tomorrow, but at least i made it through 3 full days of 9 hours each. Jen Gray (bamagirl) reminded me of a much better description of a job - "the means to an end" and that is exactly right. now to have the physical and mental strength to do REI on the side for now. i can do this!

well, i just saw where that property i made the offer on to the bank shows the listing expired again. i can't quite figure out what is happening. i think i will go into the MLS and email the listing agent to see what is going on. i've never seen anything like it before. i was hoping to send in an offer to the listing agent, but this has happened several times since June. i have been under the weather since Friday, but thankfully have been able to keep going. i think i got really run down moving, trying to get settled in and then i have to get up at 4am for this new job. every day i remind myself how much money i am making so i can invest. it keeps me going. this week i will work 4 days and bring home more money than last week. next week i will work my first full week and since it's a 45-hour week, i'll be making even more money. yippee. things are strange at this job, but money is the motivator for me. hopefully, once i'm back at 100%, i can get more things done in regards to REI than i am right now. i hope to get some studying in yet today. i only have about 3 hours at home after work, so i don't get much done in the evenings right now. that may seem like a lot, but it's really not and i have to have sleep; i'm not able to go without it very well. i hope to have some kind of schedule set up within the next week or so to help me get a little done each evening. there's that schedule word again; it's becoming a 4-letter word. i'm trying to get a refund on some REI stuff i ordered and don't care for. we'll see how that turns out and i will let you all know if i encounter a problem. it wasn't through Dean and he's always been very reputable; not sure right now about this other guy. well, i better go check out that MLS property before i forget. it's been really easy to get side-tracked lately. oh, one other thing. if you think about it, please pray for Chuck's best friend, Jim. he and his wife were in a bad car accident while Chuck and i were talking on the phone last night. his pelvis is shattered; his wife is fine except for bruises. thanks for those prayers and i hope you all are doing well investing!

i'm having a hard time right now keeping up with everything. i did get my hours reduced to a regular 40-hour week, which is very helpful. hopefully i will be able to do a little more with REI now that i don't have to get up at 4am. that was tough. i returned a course today because i just felt i couldn't really use it and i hope to have my refund within the next week or so. i need to be much pickier about what i'm going to do. there is a house a few miles from me for rent that i want to check out for a possible L/O deal. i have some things i would like to accomplish with regards to tax sale properties and i am still looking for properties in Fort Wayne as well. i will have to make a decision about my real estate license from IN before December 15th. right now it looks like i will go inactive and keep it that way. i hope everyone is getting the deals they want.

Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving, and were able to get a bit of rest. Looks like you're making strides on your rei journey-good for you! We can all feel a bit overwhelmed with all the things going on in our lives, but keeping a journal helps to clear our minds so that we don't have to think about not forgetting things.

I will keep Jim in my prayers for a speedy recovery.

Wishing you blessings during this time and always,
Valerie

thanks so much for stopping by. it was nice to have Thanksgiving here with my kids for the first time in several years. hope yours was nice too. right now i don't have much time to keep up with everyone. Jim is doing well, thank you for the prayers. i see that you are doing very well with REI. way to go!

well, finally i have had time to do what i want to do and that includes a little REI stuff. i made a list of things to do today and have accomplished every single one of them. woo-hoo! that's big for me lately. just finished reading Jen's (bamagirl) journal and posting on leaving her job. her last day is December 16th and i'm so excited for her and "nicely" jealous. she has worked very hard and steady to get to this place and that tells me i can do it too. it's that faithfulness and consistency that gets you there. today i listened to the first in a series of modules to hopefully take me where i want to go fairly quickly. i think the process is pretty easy and as i'm hearing so much of lately, i just need to follow the directions and stay steady on the course. i also have some properties in IN to sift through and see if i want to make an offer on any of them. since this is the end of the year, i'm hearing more deals are being made on REO's and they're getting accepted quicker and easier. might have to see about that. also need to look for properties here in OK. life is exciting and challenging all at the same time. looks like a 39-year relationship is over and i've been dealing with the fall-out from that, but i'm getting through it and i'll be a better person for it. happy Sunday!

isn't that horrible? i have 2 days of work over and only 3 more to go this week. sounds like we won't get any weekdays off for Christmas and New Year's, which is not good in my book. i'm still looking for something else with better hours and convenience. sometimes i think i enjoy the hunt more than the actual job itself. listening and studying right now and trying to get things squared away. i think i need more hours in the day, but i will work with what i have and be thankful for it. off to eat and listen to some more training before i actually sit down and relax. happy "hunting"!

what is your new Job? And I am glad to see you in finished everyting on you list i hate not completing mine very frustrating. Also it sounds like you have a lot on your plate right now. Happy Hunting

i'm working at a trucking company in customer service. it's an interesting job, but i prefer working for myself. i do have a lot on my plate, but probably not as much as you and everyone else i know. i just like my time to be my own and work my own schedule. i like being a spoiled brat!!!

i'm listening to some REI training. it's interesting but there are so many things to do as well. i am multi-tasking. right now it's about negotiating with sellers and i need all the help i can get. trying to figure out how i can keep up with everything and still be able to rest at night. sometimes i wonder how everyone else does it, but i'm doing more than i ever have been able to before. we've had beautiful weather and will for the next day or so, then it's going to change. i have loved these beautiful days. i need to find some properties to make offers on and get busy. oh, my!!