From This Day Forward-Kareng's Journal

I have read through your journal and memebers commemts. Your postive attitude and onward/upward claerly displays a person who follows her dreams and understnds the value of planning, pursing and achiving goals. Don't stop dreaming and keep on driving toward your goals.
2010 is almost over 2011 is rapidly moving toward us; Blessing and Prosperity are here. My theme for 2011 is: I am a sucess, therfore I bless.

Ask and you shall receive, Seek and you shall find, Knock and will be opened

Be Blessed and Prosper
BBG Greenman

Thanks very much for stopping in and taking time to read my journal.

Welcome to the site. If you use it you will find that is has great value. There is a lot of knowledge shared here and we are an amazing support system for one another-which is invaluable since you will also experience much frustration in this business.

I don't know how experienced you are in RE, but no matter how much experience you have, you can always learn something else.

Stop in anytime, you are always welcome!

Karen

Got a great letter formulated to send out to realtors to entice them to work with me on L/O by bringing potential sellers and tenant/buyers.

Redesigned my business cards and got them ordered. The other ones just looked too dinky. They didn't print my name and my business name large enough... I do NOT want to be embarrassed handing them out.

Tomorrow I am moving my storage unit. Big undertaking. I am not looking forward to it. I have hired two guys to do the heavy lifting. I am so excited that I will have more room in my apt to set up my office, since I am getting some of this junk out of here!

Karen

I guess we'll both be doing something similar tomorrow . Hope your evening with the family went well .

Hi Karen,
Thanks for responding to my PM and I will put it here so others can add their opinion. And my question was whether to use my personal cell phone or use the 800# phone system. I try to cut corners whenever I can, so thank you for confirming my thoughts of using my cell phone. More and more people that I know are disconnecting their land lines and strictly using their cell. A blue tooth also frees up the use of your hands to write down important information, I don't know how I lived without one for so long. .
I'm a beginner also, and my goal is to do a deal, possibly a lease/option or assignment during the month of January. Wish me luck and keep up your journal, I enjoyed reading it.
David

Hello Karen

How are you doing today? staying out of trouble I hope. Well not much to say so I guess If I don't see you threw the week I'll see you threw the window.HA HA

Dream Angel Karen . Hope you achieved the goal of moving the stuff without over doing it . Did you get a chance to try out that new letter ? Be interested to know if it worked . Your inspiration was missed last night .

Karen,
I just remembered today when a friend of mine told me that she is going to get a P.O. Box. The US Post Office offers P.O. Boxes for $40.00 a year, where smaller sub station like mailing centers or UPS rent them by the month, but are quite expensive.
Hope all is well.
David

Got my storage unit moved yesterday and I was EXHAUSTED!!!

I have been so sedentary for the last few months healing my knee. Even though I had "hired muscle" for the moving, I walked back and forth from the unit to the truck every time to put in access codes, etc., so I was on my feet for hours! Needless to say, my knee was quite swollen by the end of the day. I will recover.

Daughter #2s boyfriend flew in last night from NY to meet us for the 1st time. We all went to lunch down at the beach today. It was FREEZING (55 degrees) and windy but SO beautiful and clear today. The BF is a cutie and really a nice guy! He even works for Make A Wish Foundation (the one that makes wishes come true for kids with cancer)! How NICE is HE? Lacey is the same way though, so they are a very good match.

Didn't get much done w/RE today. One of the tenant/buyers on my list called yesterday in the middle of my move to see if I had found her a house yet. Gotta get busy on finding sellers now.

Karen.

Haven't had a chance to send out my realtor letter yet, but I am hoping I may have time to zip a few out tomorrow. Hope I can find some email addresses.

Karen

Thanks for the note about the PO boxes. You know, I had one at the PO once before. I'll have to ck that out. DUH!

Sometimes I'm just not connecting on all my circuits.

Karen

unfortunately it happens to all of us . not fun .
good deal the move is done . bad for the knee .
best wishes on the L/O so you don't lose it .

I think the use of 800 numbers stop people in their tracks on calling. A lot of people think it must be a scam or you are a big conglomerate. I use a different cell phone with the specific area code for any area I am selling.But anyway, I vote for the cell phone not the 800 number.

Thanks for that tip Bill . Hey Karen a ways back you kind of were curious about that too weren't you ?

Yes, I considered the 800# too. I decided not to go with it for several reasons.

1) It is an expense I can forego right now
2) Like Bill says, I am personally turned off if something looks too "done"

For example: I have seen other people here in LA advertising L/O on CL but I never contacted them because they had all these "slick" ads with the website look, etc. On mine, I am very simple and post boldly "I AM NOT A REALTOR" so I think they feel more comfortable contacting me. It is not as intimidating.

I am sure the 800# works well for some people and in the future when I get extremely busy (fingers crossed) I may have to reconsider one. I think Dean gives us lots of different ideas to try, knowing everything doesn't work for everyone and in every location.

Karen

I think that you are probably in a tough area also. It looks like it is a small town, but when I googled it, it says there are 10 other small towns in a 15 mile radius. You have the opposite problem that I do. My area is so large it is sometimes overwhelming. And the prices definitely are. I just can't let that stop me.

You will just have to see which niche will work for you there. Just don't give up.

Karen

....In regards to your large area, look for the pockets of opprotunity. When contacting realtors inquire where other investors are buying right now. Once you find an area you like advertise, advertise, advertise for leads. Some of the best deals you might find do not even have a for sale sign in front of them.

I had the pleasure of visiting the southern California market a few times this past year. There are pockets of affordable deals, just cast your net a little wider. The key is knowing your exit strategy when making the offer. A buyer's list is key and network, network, network. Good luck and you can do it! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Well, it is the last day of 2010!

I spent many hours today and emailed my super duper L/O letter to 175 realtors!!!!

Can't wait to see what kind of response I receive!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!

Karen

Thanks very much for stopping in and posting in my journal. And for your words of wisdom.

Karen

Happy New Year's Day!

I already got one response back from my realtor email blast. She sent me a return email telling me to call her. Will probably do that tomorrow,

I am certainly hoping to hear from quite a few more. I am assuming that they don't ck their email until they get to work or actually take time off on holidays!

Keeping my fingers crossed.

Tomorrow is my baby's (daughter #3) 21st birthday. Wow! How did that happen already? My middle daughter extended her visit from NY so that she and her boyfriend will be here to celebrate with us. I am getting too old to party this many days in a row...

Karen

That is good news !! You composed a real attention getter . How is the knee ? Hope you have recovered from the day of moving your shed stuff .

Wow ! Multiple things to celebrate and caring family to do it with .

Karen good morning

Looks like you could be very busy if all 175 Realtors start calling back at the same time.

The knee is much better. Thanks for asking.

Yes, there is lots to celebrate. Life is good to us. Can always use more money, but hey, that's the American way, right? LOL!

Karen

Things could be worse!

Great job on taking action with your email blast. Many happen returns for a GREAT 2011!!

Hope you are enjoying the time with your kids. I know you cherish every moment.

on your Realtor project. I know it took a lot of work to get the stuff in alignment for the mailing; now you just have to wait for the results. Lastly, remember they work for you (not the other way around) and if they are going to get a commission from your efforts, make them be part of the team, or send them packing. Talk to them about hypothetical situations so you know their strengths and weaknesses AND you know up front what they are willing to do for you.

Best of luck; great way to start 2011!!

Thanks very much for stopping by and posting.

You're right, I really enjoy spending time with my girls.

I read your post about your daughter that you had not seen for quite a while coming for the holidays. I know that that was such a special time for you. I was very touched that you shared that joy with us.

2011 is going to be wonderful for all of us that choose to make it so.

Karen

Thanks for your input re my email blast. You're right, it was a lot of work, but it was very rewarding in the fact that I felt I was really accomplishing something. With the market as slow as it is, I cannot imagine that a number of them won't contact me just to see what I am offering and what they will need to do.

Of course, I will keep you all updated.

Karen

Yes ! Blink to hard & you'll miss them , except going south or southeast . I'm in the far northwest corner of that mailing route making the miles farther to the one major one . Guess I'll take the lessor of the 2 evils . Now if I could just fix the climate. Think we could average our situations out ? Thank you for taking the time to look it up! Niche , yes .
Where is my snowshoes !

Even though I don't always post; I usually stop by. You are so positive that I always feel better when I do. Thanks for the great attitude...it is contagious. And yes; I DO chose to make 2011 THE year I finally breakthrough!!!