Linda's (from Indiana) Journal

thank you, my dear friend. i think i could start venting again. having to face facts about my financial situation and i just faced that big fear and dealt with it. now i need to find some deals and move forward. the visit to the rehab house went well, although my realtor buddy really offended Chuck. i think it's just that a lot of realtors don't think in terms of investing, so they are what i call a "straight-line" realtor. but, he did have some good information and helped us to know that we would have to drop the price of the house $10,000 just because it's on a busy street. i don't think it's as big a deal as he made it out to be because there are plenty of filled houses on that side of the street, but it might help with our offer package to the bank. he has helped me with the comps, called and mentioned something else to run on the comps and he will help me put the offer together. he can seem a little arrogant, but i don't think he means to be. either way, i need his help and so i will get his help. men can be funny about that stuff sometimes. as for the L/O's, i'm still getting people on social security, disability, etc. and they want a nice 4/2 with 2-car garage and finished basement. i am having to help them face reality and that doesn't go over so well. i try to be tactful about it, but people don't like to face the truth. sometimes i don't either.

Linda,

Most people who wantto own homes have an idea of what they can and cannot afford. Sometimes they want to be given a gem in terms of being told they actually can and a way to afford it. The best way to tell them they can't is to give them an alternative that can quickly be provided to erase their initial disappointment.

"I did some comps and unfortunately those homes are a little out of your qualification range, but I did more research and I found XYZ. Its not exactly what you were looking for, but think of this as a starter home, give it some time to build equity and when your situation gets better, you can upgrade to what you truly want...."

Between your investment buddy and broker, you may have to be the buffer if their methods clash; two alpha's it seems don't mix and you being in the middle by proxy might not help because each might think your 'theirs' in a sense.

I would speak good of each to the other and how all three of you can help each other to smoothe things over.

You'll see as this goes on that your persuasive and diplomatic skills have to be sharp to prevent childish ego driven matters

thanks some more. your experience shows.

well, i overdid it yesterday and i am feeling it today. i will probably be fine tomorrow, but it does get frustrating when you have to stop and rest. i could be very whiny today. working on not being. i studied another lesson with the Academy and am waiting for the Lease/Option link. i am definitely going to have to change my ads. i am still getting responses from my ad i ran Tuesday, which is amazing. i haven't had any results like that before. i'm a little frustrated because i don't have any houses right now and the people responding have no down payment and don't make much money. i still want to help them so i need to find a solution. i will call the helpline Monday about ways to change my ads so i am attracting people with some down payment money and better income. in the meantime, i can see what i can find for these people on my list right now. the client i asked to call my mortgage broker never got back with me, so i emailed her this morning. she said she can't get a loan and that was it. i emailed her back and reminded her that is why we would do a lease/option for now. i'm trying not to want to pull anybody's hair out!! i also asked her if she wants to move forward. people are "funny" sometimes. also got a new email this morning and the possible client wants to meet me at my office. well, my office is in my home and so i will have to meet her elsewhere. i'm thinking i might be able to meet her at my realty office. her attitude in the email seemed kind of rude. may just be me today. on a better note - my daughter, Danelle, works from home thanks to her generous oil and gas company. she stops in now and then and did that today. things are going to be changed for her and she got a chance to talk to her boss today and they are both in agreement about how to handle that. i know that was a load off her mind. my daughter, Desiree, is being wined and dined by her new bank and they are so excited to have her starting work Monday. as for my son, Jared, well he loves the Army and he loves being a part of EOD (bomb squad). if God can take care of them, He can take care of their Momma (the term of endearment my kids use at special times). i guess this is the dark before the dawn (come on dawn!).

Things seem to be going well. Vent all you need to, get it out of your head in a safe environment.
I enjoy hearing your dedication to the investment club and your studies. I'm so glad the Greg is helping you with your flyers and ads. He seems like a great man.

Sometimes bosses never know what kinda of assest they have with a good worker, or they get so comfortable with a good worker that they take out pressure on them and give them more stress then is necessary. I hope Chuck is ok and the stress is limited to only what he can handle.

things are moving forward even when it seems so slow, or rather when I'M so slow. sometimes i just get kind of overwhelmed with everything, but it's because i'm getting closer every day to my first deal and it's all new territory. i CAN do this!

Chuck is doing fine, but i think he is very stressed. i would just like to prove this REI stuff really works. then maybe he'll sit up and take notice.

as hard as i am working, that first deal has to be right around the corner! i didn't do much real estate stuff this weekend because i'm getting things ready for my kids to come for Memorial Day. Danelle and Grayson (my 1 1/2 year old grandson) will be here Thursday and Jared will be here that night or Friday morning. Unfortunately Desiree won't be coming because she starts her new job today and she is so excited. the bank she is working for wants to put her face on a billboard. she said she isn't sure about driving by her face everyday. anyway, yesterday we did go look at an auction house, but the foundation was in very bad shape, so no go on that one. i have so much going on today that i'm posting early since i didn't post for 2 days. this morning i set up an appointment with a real estate broker who runs a very small brokerage and might be willing to hold my license. i talked with a well-known lease/option guru on Friday (had purchased her courses, etc. before i got involved with Dean). she has been a broker for 25+ years and she told me that she thinks i might be with the wrong brokerage for me. she is with a very investor-friendly brokerage, but they are not in my area. so....before i spend any more money to be with the company i am right now, i need to start checking things out. i shouldn't have waited this long. if i am going to change brokerages, then i will wait to submit my offer package until the change takes place, most likely. i just got off the phone with the Success Academy helpline (first time i have actually called it). i talked with Diane and she is such a sweetie. kind of reminds me of my friend in Tulsa. anyway, she helped me with a new lease/option ad and gave me some resources to check out. i'm just getting all these people who have no down payment and are on disability and social security. i would like to help them too, but they still need a reasonable nonrefundable option consideration (down payment). i have to stop by the realty office this afternoon and pick up a key to the office so i can have meetings there with clients and then i'm meeting with a friend from my real estate investing club. i think she is looking at buying notes, but she isn't active in our club anymore. not sure what is up with that. i'm waiting on confirmation to look at a house in the same neighborhood as the rehab house, but at the other end of the neighborhood. it is fun to be able to set up showings myself for myself! this particular house we are looking at is a possible short sale, but i'm thinking i could do like Greg Murphy and make up the back payments and get a tenant/buyer in there. we'll see...at least i'm thinking like an investor!

work with the brokerage that sees your vision. Nothing is holding you to stay

Have you been looking into ways to incorporate your license to increase your leads because I can be reading it wrong it seems like you're doing both separately; being a licensed agent and investor.

Perhaps be a licensed agent who uses their license to invest and looks for investors with your license. Understand??? I hope so because i'm kind of confused myself.

Let all the brokers you speak with know you were an investor before you became an agent and want to use some of those methods to bring in new biz. They'll either be for or against and if they're not for, move on.

Shouldn't be hard to find someone who thinks like you do

You are getting so much closer to your first deal. I wish you the best in your search for a broker. Glad to hear that you can use the realty office for meetings You made that work out well.

I'm sure it comes in handy that you can set up showings for yourself.

Have fun with your family on Memorial Day

Lea
SPR Property Solutions, LLC

okay, i'm not sure anyone could possibly think like i do. and i am very confused. i think i am not working with a brokerage that thinks like i do, but they are trying. i really think their fees are too high for what i want to do. we'll see what this guy tomorrow says and go from there. basically i am an investor who has a real estate license. thanks for the input.

thanks, as always. i can almost taste my first deal. just gotta be ready. at least i am thinking more like an investor. i love setting up showings. crazy, but i do. it's almost like when my sister got a second job years ago as a cashier at a grocery store because she loves to push the buttons. her little girl has a cash register and my sister and i said we would fight over who gets to use it at garage sales. we will have fun with the kids, thank you. hope you have a great holiday weekend too.

not much real estate going on today for me. i had a doctor appointment this morning and i am hopeful we are on the right track. he is creating a special compound for my thyroid medicine and said we are calling it "Linda's magic pill". i pray it is so! he's also putting me on a very low dose beta blocker because my blood pressure has been very high and i've always had low blood pressure. it's only until we get my thyroid stuff figured out, then i will go off it. he rarely writes prescriptions because he prefers natural if at all possible. yes, he is an MD. i picked up my realtor signs and they are beautiful. then i had some other running to do and got home at 1:30pm. i am so exhausted that i tried to rest and couldn't, so off to the store, etc. i had sent some properties over to one of my investors just to look at and let him know i didn't forget him. he emailed me this afternoon and said he would like to look at some properties together when he gets back from Florida in June. it was a very nice email and this would be a good way for him to show me what he's looking for. the realtor for the house we looked at last night is the daughter of the owner. Chuck talked to her Dad last night. she wants feedback from me and i need to contact her and tell her i want to sit down and talk about it. it was a decent property that her Dad used for a rental and got $700/month for 3 years. it's vacant now, he is moving and it is a possible short sale. still thinking in terms of a lease/option, so we will see what i can work out. it's just that i have meetings tomorrow and Thursday, then my kids are here until next Wednesday, so it's when to meet with her. oh, well, i'll figure something out. i don't think it's too overpriced but would have to run some comps on it for sure. i need the practice anyway.

Linda I hope your meetings went well. You sure staying busy and positive. I'm happy things are moving forward. Tammy

And I know you have been here since March, apparently, but this has been since I fell off the site for a little while...loving your journal and have more to catch up with, but WOW...you're on page 6 of journaling at only 2 months online. You ARE working hard!

Great to be in touch with you. Thanks for your encouraging words, and I will return here when I have some more time to delve into your journey!!
Louisa

Your deal is coming

First get your rest and recharge your batteries

Linda you come off as very charismatic and personable; once people are comfortable and they know you know what you're doing, its like "butta baby"

As far as your broker goes, talk to them outside the office over coffee or lunch and explain to them what you want to do and how it can benefit the both of you; let him know these methods may seem unorthodox, but it the norm.

Give them a step by step process, the pros and cons, because in his mind it can't be perfect but its an option and as many options at their disposal can only help the company. Always reference 'US' and 'YOU' to let them know they are the boss to stroke the ego. Before you bounce, or if you do, give it one more shot. Ask him to come with you on a run with a client so he sees how well you interaction with the client. And if the client is an investor does assignments, have them sit in on the meeting(s) and listen so they can see firsthand how things work.

You're an agent, but now you're also a politician. So go out there and kiss babies and sell some homes.

thank you for stopping by my journal. i tend to be quite a journaler, so i do my best to make it a habit to post every day or close to it. with my kids being here for Memorial Day, i might not be as faithful. i love your journal and what you are doing, so i'm glad that you are now a part of mine.

thanks for stopping by. my meetings are keeping me busy and i hope leading me toward my first deal. the one this morning was a bit different and i'm not exactly pleased, but he was honest and straight forward and i do appreciate that.

surely you are not telling me to relax!? i'm the woman who can't even fully relax for a massage. and when i get excited, look out! the broker i am with understands what i'm doing and doesn't seem to have an issue with that. i'm not happy with all the fees and large amounts of commission i have to pay him and the agency. the agency is large and growing and they charge fees for everything! more than any other agency i know of. in talking with a different broker this morning, he felt their fees were out of line, which i agree with. he calls himself an investor as well as a broker, but again, he is basically a realtor who does a few deals for himself. once i mentioned lease/option, he got scared. nice guy but afraid of anything creative. he did tell me to call a friend of his and see what we could work out, and he is calling an attorney to see what his liability would be where i'm concerned. he doesn't want to be involved in a lease/option deal at all, even as just the broker holding my license. he has done land contracts and is okay with them and i told him i could probably make that work, but he is not open to being creative and really doesn't know that much about investing. oh, well. if i have to stay where i'm at, i'll make it work then get my broker's license next year and venture out on my own. i just prefer to have things a little different. did you say relax???

where do i start? my meeting with a different broker did not go as expected. he is very honest and straight forward, but also gun shy. he is small-time and wants it to stay that way, which is fine with me. but he is very afraid of anything creative. he has done land contracts and had success with them, but when i mentioned lease/options, he got scared immediately. he said that i may very well make a million dollars doing lease/options, but he didn't want to be involved. he did give me the name of a friend of his that is a realtor, but mainly an investor, who works for a broker who is mainly an appraiser. he thought they might be willing to take me on. sometimes i feel like a yo-yo (in more ways than one) . i may have to stay where i am, and if so, i will make the best of it. i think i could do better elsewhere for what i want to do, but i could be wrong. a funny little note concerning my present broker's assistant: i got an email that gave a link for viagra. i knew she didn't send that on purpose and emailed back that it went to a viagra ad and i didn't need any. i guess everyone emailed her about it and somehow it was not sent by her. i think she was very embarrassed because she tries to do a good job. i had an appointment this afternoon to meet with the realtor on a possible short sale house she is selling for her dad. she called earlier and we changed it to next week because someone with the bank or whatever is calling her Friday about whether or not it qualifies for a short sale. i think she wants to have enough information and i'm willing to work with that. Danelle and Grayson will leave Tulsa around 3am tomorrow morning and should be here about 3pm in the afternoon. Jared has been "out in the field" this week and isn't sure what his schedule will be tomorrow. they have been out until very late. he may leave Friday morning. Chuck's nephew, who just graduated from Basic and is in AIT training in Arizona, will be home too, so we may go to his parents' for a party and let the soldiers meet for the first time. am i excited for them to come? you bet. we've never gotten to see Jared like this so it's really nice. might figure out a way to work a little real estate investing stuff in while they are here.

For your male investors, a gift certificate from Home Depot and 5 free tablets of viagara

Be creative Linda lol

I would contact the brokers you soke with and thank them for their time and ask what properties they have and to keep you in mind when they get something.

Add to the networking list

Sounds like you are making good contacts and a network of people that are leading you to the next investor or brokers. Just keep looking until you get the right fit. I do enjoy your journal. Hope you and your family had a great Memorial Day. Tammy

thanks so much. hope you had a great holiday too. i am moving forward every day, no matter how small, and that keeps me going. so does this journaling. i love to do it.

it seems like forever since i posted. i can't believe how long it's been. my son was here Friday through Monday morning; my daugher and grandson Thursday through 1am this morning. i hated to see them go, but time to get back to my real life. we did have a wonderful time together. my favorite part was going to the pool and watching my 1 1/2-year old grandson, Grayson, love the water. Jared and Danelle would take turns swimming him around and then letting him step off the edge of the pool into their arms. he thought he was such big stuff! i did not do any real estate activities until yesterday, just talked about it and kept my mind on it. i talked with my coach yesterday and she was typing fast. we kept things to a minimum since Danelle and Grayson were still here. now i have to work on everything i told her i was going to work on. she was so encouraging. this morning i met with a realtor who is selling her father's rental property. i'm going to post it in a new forum to see what kind of help i can get with it here on the sight. it's a tough one, for me anyway, but if i can work a deal, i'd like to. i got a referral through facebook for a short sale guy that is very successful here in Fort Wayne. i emailed him this morning and am waiting to hear back. he might be able to help me with this deal. i worked on my schedule for tomorrow because i'm so far behind, but i can only do so much in one day. we are supposed to work on the numbers for the rehab house tonight and the rest of this week. they just dropped the price $30,000 and it's still way too high. maybe this means they want it off their books; i sure hope so. i also hope we are the ones to help them with that. i talked with my mortgage broker (i just love her!) and she had another possible referral for me. we think this referral is in southern Indiana so i'm not sure if i can help her or not. she needs a place to live and Sue will run her credit and see what we're looking at. if i cannot actually help her, i will probably see if someone on here can. i think that is all for today. things seem to be happening, even if it is a little slow. wouldn't want to overwhelm me!

Linda you are doing a great job and making some great moves in the right direction. I love reading your post and I love when you respond on mine. You have helped me in a lot of ways.

I have really been focusing on reading until I'm able to start the coaching program. I want to read all 3 of his books I just got the last one and I can not wait to get started.

Good luck and much success

i have a house i'm looking at in Fort Wayne, IN that is a possible short sale. the house is 52 years old in a solid neighborhood in a good area. i grew up there. the seller bought it in 2004 and still owes $67,000-68,000 on it. the BPO came in at $50,000, which it is now listed at, down from $59,000. the payment is just under $700/month at 7.25% interest. the seller has it listed with his daughter, who is a new realtor. she said the comps are $59,000 and $54,000 for 2 houses just like this. 3 bedrooms, 1 bath; very basic rehab. no air - tenants have put in a window air conditioning unit in the kitchen, then take when they leave. it has been vacant since February, when the wife lost her job. those tenants had lived there 3-4 years. the house rents for $600/month. the seller was asking $700/month, but did not get any takers. this neighborhood will not support $700/month for 925 sq. ft. no basement. assn. monthly dues are $15.00. as of May 19th, the seller is behind $3000 PLUS attorney fees. foreclosure is set for September 12th. only one mortgage on the property. should i just let this go, or is there a way to work a deal on this property and help the seller out? i do not have money myself to make the purchase and cannot get a loan since i have been (happily) unemployed for 2 1/2 years. thanks for your help!

i also posted this as a new forum topic; here is the link:

http://www.deangraziosi.com/real-estate-forums/buying-foreclosures-reos-...

my dear DG sister, you are still moving forward and that is what counts. i know you are really busy, but you can still keep things moving toward that first investment. we just had a disappointment because one deal we were looking at won't work, but i just say NEXT! it's out there; we just have to find it. i know yours is too. i truly believe OKC is a great place to invest as well as Tulsa. once i get things going here, i will be looking to invest in that area since my girls are there. will have to figure out how i can bring them into the "family business". if you need me, PM me and we'll get together through email or by phone. you just let me know. i'm here for you. by the way, is there any military stuff by you? i know Randy in TN does subject to's with military families. just a thought....

you are doing so well, remember that taking time for yourself and family is part of why you are doing this. So don't add pressure to your day by thinking you are not working on it hard enough, if you take time to enjoy life. Breathe, breathe when you feel overwhelmed the most important thing to remember is to breathe. I sometimes feel I'm so far behind because I am not in the academy or moving on to my next deal. but my hubby reminds me to slow down breathe we will get there before to long. I look at the many boxes and items still needing unpacked and want to walk away but I have to open the next one and try to find it's place in the house. Make small goals that will lead to the end big goal. Remember how to eat an elephant... one bite at a time. Keep the faith and the motivation and you will make it sooner than you think. Tammy

you are doing so well, remember that taking time for yourself and family is part of why you are doing this. So don't add pressure to your day by thinking you are not working on it hard enough, if you take time to enjoy life. Breathe, breathe when you feel overwhelmed the most important thing to remember is to breathe. I sometimes feel I'm so far behind because I am not in the academy or moving on to my next deal. but my hubby reminds me to slow down breathe we will get there before to long. I look at the many boxes and items still needing unpacked and want to walk away but I have to open the next one and try to find it's place in the house. Make small goals that will lead to the end big goal. Remember how to eat an elephant... one bite at a time. Keep the faith and the motivation and you will make it sooner than you think. Tammy

sorry about the multiple post, it happens sometimes.

no problem on the multiples. i do it too. thank you for the continual encouragement. i think we all are harder on ourselves than others.