Val's Journal

so much going on... I don't have time for my JOB anymore-lol

So much to learn... gotta make the time to learn it!!!

Wishing everyone success!

Doing out of state buy and holds, I am very impressed. Seems like you will have no problem making your deals for your SA refund.

Way to Go Valerie

Judi

thank you for your kind words! You know it... I'm after the five deals! running out of time though... so going full throttle!

Whatever you set out to do, you have to do it! It is hard work, but it is so worth it!

wishing you success,

Valerie

I'm still waiting for the bank to sign the documents so we can close on 2nd property; my handyman and property manager are doing a walkthrough tomorrow to give me a list of things (and estimate) that are needed to get it rent ready...

1st property still being rehabbed, waiting for update from handyman...

My Texas property: my tenant left last Friday; when she first gave me her notice, I was not too happy-I thought she was the best tenant, and that I wouldn't find anyone as good as her, etc; but it is amazing how things work out!
It turns out that my sister accepted a teacher job in a town 10min away from my house, but it's over an hour away from her house, so she rented out two rooms in her house for over $650, and she is moving into my house and paying me $100 more than what I was renting my house for, plus, I could not get a better person to rent my place!

Everything moving along...

Valerie; Good morning, Since I live apox. 90 miles from you, I thought I would ask you if any strategy's of Dean's have worked for you in the Bay area? I am starting to read your journal little by little.

Thanks

Andrew S.

Hi Neighbor!

hmmmm, does DG's strategy work in the bay area? I would say yes, but you have to search hard to find a great deal!
Right now, I'm focusing on out of state buy and hold, because it's a lot cheaper to do so; but the disadvantage of buying out of state is that you can't physically check out everything for yourself, so you have to rely on your team.
Eventually I will try to get some deals here, but first I need to build up my capital.

You can accomplish anything you set your mind to do- believe in it and it will happen!

Wishing you success,

Valerie

Such nice little icons and your title is so much nicer than "enthusiast" or "member" or "senior member" -

I am so proud of you, onward and upward.

judi

Great job, onto deal #3!!! WOW! Woo HOO! I think my next deal is going to be in WI. I'm all over the place too. Deals here have nice spreads when you can find them, but they are hard to get! You are doing incredible! Keep it up!

It is CERTAIN we will SUCCEED!!!

I had not seen the SuperStar status change! Congratulations! You deserve it. You have been plugging away like some crazy person!

I am thrilled for you. Way to go, Girlfriend!

Never fear! You will be there before you know it, too. Just keep hanging with us and hanging in. You already have, what? Five deals under your belt? You are already a Superstar.

see?? banks are crazy!!! I have no idea what they want! you bid the asking price, they don't accept! you bid the highest price, they don't accept! you walk away, then they come back and ask you if you want the property!!!

thanks for your advice-wouldn't hve been able to accomplish any deals without it!

Learning and progressing every day,
Val

Thanks for noticing and letting me know!! yeah, I'd rather be a superstar than a senior any day!
although, I must admit, I am far from being a real superstar-still have so much to learn and many more deals to accomplish, but still working hard at it every day!

Val

almost deal #3... still have to close; working on the details...

WI, huh?? are you trying to get a property in every state?

I hear you about being all over the place... so many opportunities out there, how can you not??

I have to check out your journal to read all about your upcoming deal!

Val

I had not noticed until Judi told me-lol

We are all working hard to succeed! What's great is to have my friends here to support me along the way-there is no way I could do any of this without it!

We are on our way to success!

Learning and progressing every day,
Val

I wasn't going to write in my journal until I had some deal to report, but since I had some visitors here and today is my sister's birthday, and also it's my niece's baptism (her name is Valeria ) I thought it would be a nice post to look back at some day.

Well, today I spoke with handyman in OH- his estimate for new property will be ready Monday, but the biggest expense is expected to be a new furnace and installation, and paint throughout inside, oh yes, and the sealer for the walls in the basement-you get the idea!

Short sale in Cali (argh!) I met with agent (or as he calls himself, 'negotiator'??) last evening; we're signing new contract, but I have decided that I will stick to my original offer and prepare a list of rehab items w/cost to submit to the bank with contract. If they don't accept, I will have to walk away... it's hard to do when you get emotionally attached to the property, so I'm trying not to! I keep looking at the numbers... back and forth, making sure there is enough profit for me to move forward with this deal...

Tomorrow I'm driving out to the 'country', about an hour away, to check out a little house on the water that's a FSBO; apparently seller is looking for a buyer to take over his payments, so we'll see... even if it doesn't turn out to be a deal, not only will I spend a nice afternoon out with my husband, but I will also have a chance to check out the area over there!

Wishing everyone a successful weekend,

Valerie

Stick to your numbers Valerie. I hope it all works out for you

Keb,

very funny! but you are absolutely right! there are so many houses that it is hard to choose from! I just need to get me a PML!
I also want to find some multi properties; I will keep you posted!

thanks, and btw, you are the superstar!!!

Val

I appreciate your wise words and encouragement! Having friends by my side makes real estate investing so much more fun!

Learning and progressing every day,

Val

for this wonderful journal. Just followed the entire year plus of action. I am impressed with your attitude, and activity. Good luck to you. I am sure there is big success ahead for you.

for reading my journal; I hope it will inspire you to start your own journal as well; it has helped me stay motivated and accountable!

I also wish you great success on your rei journey...

Valerie

Judi I hope you realize that you also have a deal out of state, since the fact that you partnered with me. And that deal will be listed for sale by Sept9, so you will have another one closed in your file. BTW didn't you already flip a coupje of houses how come you don't have a diamond?????

Hi Jim and Val
I know I should get my own journal instead of posting my stuff in everyone else's. Yes, I have four houses that I bought, rehabbed and sold retail. Just closing Friday on the little old ugly house on one acre.

I am hoping my staff and I can go back to work soon, work is shut down and some of my staff evacuated from their housing due to the fire burning outside the park.

Val
Are you going to get your fifth deal in time?

Judi

Well Judi I see someone saw my message since I see you have a diamond now.Not bad for a couple of hours ago it wasn't there.

Judy, congratulations on your diamond!!! looks good on you!!!

it's so nice of you to stop by and have a little chat with Jim... he's always looking after us!

although I still have a few more weeks before my year is up, I don't think I will make it... I was pushing really hard to make it happen, and wasn't doing my due dilligence, so after I had put in an offer on a HUD property, I had a more detailed estimate done for the rehab, and it was over my budget, so I had to withdraw my offer and let it go ;(

Jim,
just give me some time and hopefully I will make some deals with you too!

Learning and progressing every day,
Val

I'll post my comment here too, to your response about my comment on Bills' topic if you don't mind. Thought you might see it here first. Added some to it here.

I just said that they>> COULD<< do it that way using that system because it is computerized. If they dumped the stupidity. Sign up, pay up, computerized processing of the deed. Done.
But it is government so they won't. They got to have their nose up your ... and poke around and make everything impossible.
Yes, I tried for one of those $1.00 houses. Gave up. To much B.S. Yaah I saw one like your talking about. The guy striped the place including the windows so he could build another place without so much cost. But for $1.00 and misc. costs, so what, was my opinion. I might be able to afford that. I have the skills to rebuild it. It would have given me a start. That place was only about 5 years old and not rotted away.

Other than being total idiots. Do you see a reason they couldn't make it that simple?

wow, I cannot believe it's been a year since I started this journal! I am so glad I did, because it has helped me to stay focused and even when I don't write anything here, it is constantly in my mind that I have to get a deal done to write about it in my journal!

So, I'm thinking, what have I accomplished in this last year? Well, I bought a property out of state (OH) which is currently being rehabbed-taking longer than what I hoped, but that's one of the things you have to deal with when you're not close-by to check on things! Plan to hold and rent, and refinance.

I currently have another offer on another property in OH-should hear back tomorrow...
I've had several offers rejected; I also cancelled an accepted offer after I found out that the listed 'move-in condition' property was anything but that! hard lesson!

I also have an offer submitted for a short sale here in Cali, will advertise to buyers now...
I did a lease option on a property in TX...

I'm now starting to do some wholesaling here in Cali too-building my buyers list. Got an awesome real estate agent that I met through work!

Although I haven't made many deals (yet), my confidence has quadrupled! I recall when I first started listening to Dean's blogs (they used to be called blogs!), he said that the more you listen to and read and talk about rei, the more comfortable you become using the rei lingo; if you do it every day, it becomes second nature- and it is so true!! A year ago I did not know the difference between wholesaling, birddogging, fix and flip, buy and hold. I did not know what transactional funding was, or double closing. I have learned so much, and it has not been through books as I was conditioned to do... it is mostly through taking action, talking to other investors! oh yes, and posting here-my 'superstar' label is not for watching tv

I have met so many incredible investors on this site whom I am so honored to have become friends with- it is amazing to have friends that think like you and have goals like you! I feel like I've known them all my life!

And amazingly, I now have new DG members contact me asking me questions-what a humbling experience, to be able to pass on knowledge that I feel was loaned to me by a predecessor investor.

Thank you Dean for making this educational environment available to all of us! You are awesome!

Learning and progressing every day,
Valerie

I feel the EXACT same way! I believe He is using real estate as an avenue to bless his people during hard economic times. Especially because when it's done right it helps a lot of people. Dean is a great example of what happens when you help enough other people. So I am really excited at the opportunity to bless others at the same time as my family.

Happy Anniversary! Today is also my one year anniversary. Seems like we have been much longer than that.

You are so right about the knowledge we have gained and the wonderful friends we have made.

Hugs! And cheers!

Karen

I know- it does seem like we've been here longer! all those long nights, hanging out at 5th St... and all the things we have accomplished this far!

Hope our next year will be even more successful!

Val

My offer got accepted today! yeah!
It's another property in Ohio; I submitted three offers, two got rejected, but this afternoon I checked the bank's website and noticed that the property was no longer available, so I knew it would be one of three things: 1)somebody else made a higher offer and got the property, 2)the bank decided to remove the property from the market (yes, they do that), or 3)they had accepted my offer!!!

My realtor immediately emailed me the contract; I signed it, and sent it back to her with the EM via Fedex overnight- I have 48 hrs from offer acceptancee to submit documents. Whew!

My handyman also informed me that my other property will be ready by end of next week, so hopefully I'll be able to get it rented and refinanced within the next couple of weeks, and then start rehabbing new property!

Learning and progressing every day,
Val