Steve and Veronica's Journal

I just did not what to make our first post to long.

Today I was watching the VIP video from the Edge 2010. Matt was saying we need to remove things from are life that slow us down like watching TV or some hobies.

One of the things Veronica and I have done is sold our Bass boat. By selling the boat we have removed $310.00 a month debt. That will help with our debt to income level.

Trying to get our real estate investing going I was not fishing as much, so it only made since to sell the boat.

One other thing we have done was using the infomation from Indiana Joe's book on Graigs list and E-bay to sell off a lot of clutter from our home. It as helped us to buy things like the Set For Life program.

Steve and Veronica

....Thanks for sharing your updated story. It is always great to learn where people have come from, challenges you run into and the persistence to succeed. Each potential deal can be a good learning experience. It can be frustrating wwhen deals don't go through however we can learn form each potentiaql deal. Always remember to look ahead and don't look behind. The new deal opportunties will come. Keep up the good work. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Glad to see your post and wish you the best of luck.

Randy

Thanks for the motivation. We hope to see you at the top.

Steve and Veronica

Thanks Randy for stopping by. Thanks for the luck and we hope to see you up at the top.

Steve and Veronica.

so nice to see your journal. i know things will work out for you and as Joe said, each experience is a new way to learn. keep up the great work and you will achieve your dreams!

I really enjoyed reading your post about your past experiences. You two sound very knowledgeable and very motivated. It's very nice to see someone that is familiar with IL real estate. We hope to stop in and say hi to your brother soon as well! Good luck with your real estate investing!

Thank you for the encouraging words.

Steve and Veronica.

Thanks for stoping by to our post. I hope it was not too hard to read. Veronica is a better writer than me but I wanted to get a post started. Veronica may want to edit the post.

I do hope you get to meet my brother. I would like to get him and his family into REI.

Steve and Veronica.

Today started off with running some comps for a friend of mine at work who is buying a home from his in-laws. They want 250k for a home that comps out at 218k. We can only give him the information on the home. We don't want to get in the way of a family deal we know the mother in-law also.

Veronica and I went for a drive to look at some homes were I saw a FSBO sign. We stoped by the home and the phone # was warn off the sign. A man came out of the home to see what we were doing in the drive way. The man spoke spanish and lucky for us Veronica speaks spanish. The man was the renter for the home and was telling us every thing about the home and property. This home sits on 1 acre. The renter said the owner has a boot store just up the road. We went to talk to the owner and asked him how much he wanted for his home. The owner said I will take 350k for the property. Now the home is only a 2/1 and a little worn. I did not use my best negotiating skills and said you know it is not worth that. We left information so if his price comes down we can talk. The property may be worth 120k.

We also found a REO in the neighbering town that we are going to call on Sunday. We ran out of time do to the fact I work on Saturday afternoon.

That all for Todays REI.

Steve

I just read your journal and I am impressed with your persistence. I don't know how you survived all the moves because I have moved only 7 times after getting married. Especially moving across the country. My last move was to Florida where I live today. I am encouraged by the description of your efforts too. I don't mind the long first post. It brought all of us up to speed on where you came from and all the things you two have been doing. Keep up the good work and keep moving forward. I intend to keep tuned into your journal now.

Tim

Thanks Tim for stopping by our journal.

God bless you and your real estate investing.

Steve

Today started off watching Edge event DVDs. It is nice to put the faces to the names. I have seen Randy428 and a lot more other students that are here on DG a long with the student speakers. All the student speakers have done a real good job explaining what they do to get a deal done. I feel that the Edge DVDs to me are worth the price of the SFL program. I still want to use the online part but I am very happy with the Edge DVDs so far.

I also watched a PMI on demand class from the academy today. I want to get as much of an education as I can on every part of REI. Not only has it helped us but it lets us help others with real estate issues.

I talked with a bank today on refinancing our Illinois home. The rate we have now is 6.25% and we can get 4.875 with Wells Fargo. We still want to try a small bank in Illinois before we lock in.

Steve.

Today started off with putting a bid in on a HUD home in Indiana. We hope to get this one. We know there will be some work needed on this home but it should cash flow + $300.00 a month. We have to wait till 09/07/10 to see if they take our bid.

I called the Coaching line and spoke with Coach Eric about HUD homes. The Coaching staff is the best part of the academy.

I watched the webinar today for the Set For Life. A lot of good information in the webinars.

When Veronica got home from work We started disk 3 of the Edge event. We have realy enjoyed the Edge DVDs. All the information coming at us is like drinking water from a fire hose. If you did not get the Edge DVDs for 2010 you need to get them.

Steve.

i am waiting on closing for a HUD deal i did as a realtor for investors. i love the online bidding part. just be real patient because working with HUD is very different and very slow compared to anyone else. but, it will be worth it in the long run. have fun with it.

Thanks for the information. Go Hoosiers.

Steve and Veronica.

Watched the Edge DVD with Coach Drew. I called the Coaching line and talked to Coach Criag about who gets the tax credit on a lease option deal. The owner with the mortgage gets the tax credit.

Veronica and I are thinking about putting a bid in on one more HUD home.

That's it for now I am at work trying to write this post.

Steve.

Started the day off by calling a realtor in Indiana about a HUD home. The agent is going to put us on a list to call us if any homes that met what we want.

Watched the webinar on set for life today.

I called coach Greg H. today asked him a few questions.

Not much else going on today.

Steve

Started the day off on DG.com like mosts days. Then I watched Carol Stinson and her patner Lou's video on the edge DVDs. God bless her.

Also watched Bill Rafferty's vedio at the Edge Event. Man that was realy like trying to drinking water from a fire hose.( a lot of info real fast) Good stuff. Very happy with the 2010 Edge DVDs. If DEan puts them up for sale buy them if you don't have them.

I meet Veronica for lunch like we do on most Fridays before I go to work. We talked about properties we want to buy.

Here I am now at work.

Steve.

Veronica watched the Edge DVD on Bill O'rafferty.

Veronica and I ordered our business cards today so we can look more like pros.

Steve.

Sunday we went to church first thing this Sunday morning like we do most Sundays. For Veronica and I it is where we get our batteries recharged for the next week. If you are reading this and your not in a good Bible based church, you need to get in one. I can not tell you how much it has helped our life in every thing we do. If you are in the Sacramento area go to one of the Bayside Churches. You will be glad you did.

We meet with a couple today to go over thier wedding day plans that we are going to DJ for them. We found out that they may be looking to rent a home soon. We are always looking to help someone get in to a home they want to be in. I hope we can help them.

We watched the Edge DVD video on Indiana Joe and Stacey today. You can tell they have fun with REI. Joe and Stacey you are a very big inspiration to us. We know Joe and Stacey are set for life.

One of our goals is to be at the 2011 Edge event.

Steve.

I made some calls today. I talked to my agent in Indiana on the HUD home we put a bid in on. We should know someting on the 8th if we won the bid or not.

I also talked to a mortgage broker to set up a time to go over all of his difrerent types of loans.

I talked to Coach Nathen today about hard money and refi loan.

As always spend time here on DG.com and MLS sites looking for that next deal.

Steve.

Keep up the good work. It is great to see that you have done so much today. See another day down and so much accomplished.

I hope you get the property that you bid on, I am sure you are thinking, the 8th can't come quick enough. Good luck, can't wait to hear about that deal.

Happy Tuesday!

Carpe Diem :0) - stacey

For stoping by our journal. You are right about the 8th. We have had so many deals not make it due to geting out bid or banks not working with us at that time. But we will not give up. I just hope we can pass on some good news on the 8th.

Steve

Veronica and I just won a bid auction on a HUD home in a small Indiana town. I went to high school in this town Covington for my Sr. year after moving from the farm in Illinois.

This is all done from California.

The home is a 3/1 1020 sq ft with a basement. Our bid was $15,105.00 it will need some work but homes rent fast in this town. We will get $450.00 a month or more in rent and the homes av. sale for around 40k-50k for this size and age of home. We will still need to do our inspections but I have a Sister who lives 3 blocks from this house and she says it is worth every penny.

Now time to fix and rent.

Steve.

My agent in Indiana called today and confirmed our inspection date for the new Indiana property. I called my Dad to see if he can go stand by during the inspection. My Dad knows the inspector from working with him on the home we bought for my Mom and Dad to live in.

We hope to keep My family busy back in Illinois and Indiana. I have 3 brothers and two sisters living in ILL and IN.

Steve.

Today I was talking to my Daughter and she was telling me that one of her managers where she works was looking for a place to rent. She was telling her manager that my Mom and Dad buy houses to rent out. God bless her. Our Daughter is taking real estate classes in college to be an agent. She is always on the look out for homes for us.

Other than that just spend time looking on line for deals and DG.com.

Steve.

...Congratulations on your Indiana real estate deal. As they say, there is more than corn in Indiana. I am sure you will continue to find even more. Your family can be a real asset as you expand your efforts in Indiana and Illinois. Don't forget about Berrien County Michigan too. Keep up the good work and we look forwarding to hearing about your future deals. ( Go Bears!) Believe and Achieve! -Joe

First off I hope everyone is doing well that may have lost someone on 09/11/01 our prayers have been with you. If you have love ones serving our country our paryers are with you and the troops. Semper FI.

There is a air show going on just out side my yard today. I live on a closed Air Force base where they have a air show one weekend each year. I love to here the fighter jets.

Then off to work. Some days at work I can do resurch online and other days I can't. Today has been one of the days I can't spend much time online so I have to go for now.

Steve.