Offlinewell here i am--sticking my feet into the water known as REI!! to say that i am scared would be considered an understatement at best--i am terrified!! but i also know that i will never get anywhere unless i just get out there and get things underway.
just a brief refresher on me: i am 46, single mother of 5 (and grandmother of 5), now unemployed for a little over six months, i have a very disfunctional relationship with my boyfriend (i love him but i hate some of his negative mindset), and I am determined to prove him wrong. He does not know that I am doing this and I know if I say anything he will have something to say that is not only negative but will attempt to cut me to the quick.
i am re-reading the Profit from Real Estate book again (just started) and am waiting to see if any of Dean's other books will be on sale this coming Friday--but i have been drawn to abandoned houses or houses that apparently need a lot of work done to them in one way or another. I also would like to be able to pick up at least 1 (possibly 2) HUD houses with at least one of them for me to live in.
Well this is day 1 of my journal--I can't do much on weekends (at the boyfriend's house) but I am looking forward to hearing from everyone on here. I know I have been a member here for awhile and have not done much but I feel that I really need to get out there and make my presence known.
So...here I am!!!
Morning everyone!! Today is already shaping up to be a great one for me--I just got off the phone with a realtor who is sounding like he could be "THE ONE"...now I realize that I DID get a hit on the 1st phone call and that he sounded like he was willing to work with me and all but I am not kidding myself either as I know that things will NEVER come to me that easily!!
Last night I stayed up a bit late watching some shows that I have recorded (I love watching "Holmes on Homes" on DIY) but when I was finished and went to turn the TV off, I saw a DG infomercial touting an upcoming event here locally!! I had already signed up to attend it but I am hoping that I might be able to "hook up" with some fellow DG'ers that may be attending. I am not going to kid myself that Dean himself would be there--the odds of that happening are about as good as me being able to attend a concert of my fave band (which is Toto, and they aren't touring anymore so there goes that fantasy)!! I guess if you attend and stay for the entire presentation, you can possibly win a house!! That would be nice, considering I missed out on the iPad giveaway. A house beats a iPad hands down!!
I know that my entries are a bit boring and that I do not sound like I am really attempting to DO anything but I am sure that the top tier of Dean's students probably felt the same way when they started out in the beginning--I am more than certain that people like Matt Larson and Carol Stinson had to endure the "butterflies in the stomach" phase when they began so long ago (and who is to say that they don't still do?). So I'd like to apologize if I seem long winded and rather boring. I wasn't so boring back in HS and if you were to meet me in person, you'd come away with a complete 180 as to how I really am.
I noticed an entry about "coffee shop" DG meetings or something to that effect: I would love the opportunity to interact with someone from here that is in PA--however, the majority of people on the site that are from PA are near Philadelphia or Lancaster and I am in the middle of the Tri-State area (Erie is 90 minutes from Cleveland or Buffalo and 2 1/2 hours from Pittsburgh) and no one that I have seen is close to me. There was one person who said he was in the Buffalo area but I don't know if he's still active on the site or not. Funny thing is when I was still in Montgomery, I was in the middle of a tri-state area as well (Atlanta, Birmingham, and Jackson, MS--Mobile is I believe a 2 1/2-3 hour drive)!! Go figure!!
Well, I gotta get some stuff done to prepare for my interview tomorrow afternoon with my prospective realtor--this "power team" stuff is hard work!! But the rewards will be well worth the effort!!
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HE that loved us..."Romans 8:37
"You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you will find success. On the far side". - Thomas Watson, Sr.
thank you for the well wishes and stopping by to show some support. I know that the journey is not going to be an easy one and that things WILL be difficult but as we all know, "weeping may endure for a moment but JOY cometh in the morning!"
thanks again and God Bless you and yours...
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HE that loved us..."Romans 8:37
"You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you will find success. On the far side". - Thomas Watson, Sr.
...at 12:30 in the morning. I am soooo tired and my feet feel like cement blocks! But I went to my interview with the realtor and...came away from it more confused than when I started out! Maybe it's a "ME" thing but at times he really seemed like he wanted to work with me and was willing to really put his neck out to help me achieve my goals but then he asked me these weird questions wanting to know more about me and what I was really trying to achieve. I can sorta understand his questioning, what with the popularity of shows about flipping homes on TV right now--he probably just is trying to insure that he is working with someone who is serious and not doing this to make a quick buck (I am trying to make a buck, but I am a realist at the same time) and he isn't just wasting his time.
If this is an indication of how ALL the realtors are going to react when I talk to them, then I am going to be in WAY OVER my head here!! I am not scared and I am defintely not giving up! I have had one or two people who I know that have asked me about buying houses (due to me going to the judicial tax sales the last couple of years) that I truly would like to help but I really am just not sure if my experience today is going to sour me or if this was just a "hiccup".
He DID give me some useful contact numbers for three local banks and who I would need to speak to, so that is some good news for me--however, my credit is shaky (OK, my credit is BAD--no sense in lying to myself,
) so I really don't know if I am ready for the calling the banks phase or not. So on a scale of 1 to 10, I would have to give my interview with the realtor a...6.
In personal news: my daughter finally moved out today...she left at around 12:15 this afternoon after being stranded here for three or four days. She was supposed to have left on Saturday but due to financial shortfalls, she had to wait until today to leave. So now I am here alone--I can pretty much come and go as I would like without her dipping her nose in my bizness (sometimes I really didn't mind while other times it irked me to no end). I still have three other children to contend with, including my oldest child that I am caring for due to illness. Tomorrow I have to take her a leg brace that she needs in order to strengthen her legs so she can stop using a wheelchair and walk on her own. I would have taken it to her after my interview was finished but like I said I was pooped!
And I am still tired so I will now do some light reading and then go back to sleep--nighty night...
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HE that loved us..."Romans 8:37
"You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you will find success. On the far side". - Thomas Watson, Sr.
Good morning DG family!! I have been AWOL for about a week now (mostly due to being unable to get on the site for a few days--a glitch I hope) but now I can get caught up on my journal entries and trying to find another realtor to work with. This morning I will be attending the live DG event (it's scheduled for 11:30AM) and the confirmation call I received on Tuesday night I think they stated that there were going to be 10 people in attendance!! I chose the morning session because if I had signed up for the evening session I would be running the risk of being late for work and I cannot afford that just yet!! Maybe later on when things are going well but defintely NOT in the early stages!!
Currently it is 4:45AM, I am excited about attending this event this morning, but the weather outside is FRIGHTFUL!! It started snowing early Monday morning and it has not let up until late Tuesday/early Wednesday morning!! UGH! Me and cold weather just do not play well together!! I prefer to stay indoors with some hot chocolate but I have work to do!! I had planned on asking my cousin to attend the confrence with me but I didn't get a chance to ask him in advance so instead I will attempt to get my boyfriend to go with me (the contractor--this should be interesting
).
I sure hope the snow isn't TOO DEEP!! I hope the other nine folks are DG family--be nice to meet some of the people behind the entries!! Talk to you all later!
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HE that loved us..."Romans 8:37
"You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you will find success. On the far side". - Thomas Watson, Sr.
Well hello everyone! I need to 1st of all apologize (again) to the DG family for not being online thse past few months. It has not been an easy past few months for me. For starters, my PC now has a issue with running slow AND having lots of pop-up ads, so that has become a huge issue for me. Secondly, my daughter's diabetes has become a major part of my time. I have also now the additional burden of trying to get her to eat since she now has no appetite at all. She also fell in the shower and broke her leg so I have to lift her in and out of the bed and that has been a huge stumbling block for me.
Nevertheless, I am determined to keep fighting the good fight! I just have to change up my methods a little bit but at long as the results are the same...WHOO HOO!!
See you soon my friends!!
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HE that loved us..."Romans 8:37
"You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you will find success. On the far side". - Thomas Watson, Sr.
...i just came home from working roughly an hour or so ago and i am going to take an nap until noon (i work 3rd shift AGAIN), then my afternoon will consist of reading a bit, working on some small goals and larger ones (which i will share with you all on here), cleaning up my daughter's room (my room will be tackled tomorrow--getting the house cleaned up before the new year arrives) and cooking dinner for myself. But guess what? I HAVE MY 1ST BUYER AND MY 1ST HOUSE (possibly)!!
One of my co-workers is trying to find a larger house for his family (wife & three small children) and I guess he had some issues with the bank giving him a loan. So I am now on the lookout for a place for him. If I can find him a good one in a decent neighborhood, this could be just the step up for me that I have been sweating, laboring, and praying for!! So please everyone keep those fingers crossed!! I will know more about the house issue after I make my calls tomorrow!
I am going into 2014 with FULL SPEED MOMENTUM!! YAHOO!!!
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HE that loved us..."Romans 8:37
"You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you will find success. On the far side". - Thomas Watson, Sr
1st of all, I need to say this: BABY, IT IS COLD OUTSIDE!!! BRR!! I don't like cold weather to begin with and for it to be -10 out makes me like it even less!! I KNEW there was a reason I liked being in Alabama!!
Ok, I got that out of the way so now on to bigger (and better) circumstances: (1) watched WW#270 and "found myself" in that video (so to speak), which means that my gray matter defintely needs an overhaul! If you are confused by what I am referring to, then watch the video and read my comments for further clarification.
(2) I joined IE and have been getting into the site and all the cool things there that will help me to make this a better year and make me a better "me"!!
(3) I talked further to my co-worker about the house that I found and while the neighborhood wasn't ideal for him, he WAS amazed at my ability to not only know what to look for but also helping him to get everything in order (finacially) for that next "big deal". And just on that alone I respectfully must tip my hat to my DG family since I KNOW that I could not have even given him a fraction of that advice two years ago!!
(4) I will be contacting both the city about houses that are still on the repository list and also a house that I came across in my travels that is being sold by owner BUT was on the auction list this past year.
Today is January 8th and I am slowly and steadily making my strides to insure that this will be a fantastic year for me!! Question: does anyone wanna make the journey with me? Anyone??
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HE that loved us..."Romans 8:37
"You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you will find success. On the far side". - Thomas Watson, Sr
First off, I congratulate you on taking your life back. There's nothing more rewarding than knowing you are doing something to take the reigns back. We've all been there. And at some point we have to say, "enough is enough". And you've done that. So I commend you for persevering. Secondly, congrats on joining IE. There is such a wealth of information on there that will help you in your pursuit of your goals and dreams. Utilize everything you can on there. You'll love it. Lastly, I will stand with you on this journey. I know what it's like to have life suck you back into a J.O.B.(Just Over Broke). We all want something different or else we wouldn't be on this site. But we can't do it alone. We need one another in this journey. So I will take that journey with you. We will make this one of the best years in long time.
hello everyone!! I usually work on Sunday nights but my hours got changed around so for the next two weeks i will be off for four (4) days instead of my normal three. Bad for my short term finances but absolutely great for my long term REI career!!
I am not going to whine about this detour since it helps me to get to where I want to go a whole lot sooner!!
I have a lot of calls and papers that I need to take care of in the morning (I've been putting things off this past week--shame on me
) but I need to find a REAL real estate realtor since the one I contacted previously seemed to leave a bad taste in my mouth! I know that finding the right realtor can be a extended and involved process so I figure the next two or three days will consist of calls after calls. Hope the battery to my phone holds up!!
Tomorrow I will reveal my long and short term goals here--still finalizing that area. So many things to do and not enough candles to burn to get it all done properly!! But...I WILL GET IT DONE!! I MUST BE FREE!! I WILL SUCCEED!! God is NO RESPECTER of persons--the success that others have had here WILL BE MY SUCCESS!!
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HE that loved us..."Romans 8:37
"You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you will find success. On the far side". - Thomas Watson, Sr.
...to my bed!! Today was a bit of a small victory for me!! First of all, I attended my very 1st webcast as an IE member!!
I had so much fun interacting with other members and getting input as to my next move towards my 1st deal!! Not to mention the information I got from Dean and Matt Larsen!! Like I said in chat afterwards, "it sure beats reality TV"!! 
Also I have another interview scheduled with a different realtor this coming Thursday morning at 11AM! I am hoping to get somewhere with this realtor as opposed to the last one I had contacted. He said that he was currently working with three other REI clients (I wonder if either of them are part of DG.com
)
I guess I will find out then huh?
My netbook battery is going to be dying soon (less than 1 hour from now) so I am going to do some reading and call it a night. I remember reading somewhere that if you read 15-20 minutes a night (even if you fall asleep while reading) you will attain your goals. So rather than sleep with the TV on, think I will sleep with a book on my chest!!
See you all at the top!!
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HE that loved us..."Romans 8:37
"You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you will find success. On the far side". - Thomas Watson, Sr.
...well, actually it's 3:49AM and I am WIDE EYED and bushy-tailed awake!! Getting myself ready to meet with the realtor this morning at 11AM, and then on to getting things in place for myself before going back to work tonight.
Found something while reading my journal just now that I feel compelled to share:
"I have never been much of a "goal oriented" person in the past and I have never been much good with setting goals or even getting excited about having a dream. It is really a foreign concept to me--I can fantasize about things but I can't dream about stuff. It's just SO difficult for me..."
I found that while I was going thru my entries--I have grown a lil bit over the years but at the same time I am still having adjustment issues. I wish I could figure out why but I can't seem to. I bring this up because Dean has stated that as part of the IE membership, you have access to life coaches, who can help you with everything from goal setting to deeper issues that may be derailing any efforts to get started. So later today when I get back from the realtor's office, I think I will look into it. God knows I have more than my fair share of skeletons that could be hurting my progress--if nothing else maybe they can help me with goal setting.
I also noticed that exactly one year ago was when I had my appointment with the 1st realtor!! In a way it's kinda funny but at the same time it is very sad since it means that in a year's time I have allowed "LIFE" to get in my way--but not THIS TIME!! I have a feeling that this time things WILL be different and this time the outcome is gonna be for the better and NOT for the worse!! Besides, you can't get rid of me THAT easily--I'm like gum on the bottom of your shoe: I will stick around awhile!!
I will let everyone know how the meeting goes later--right now it's a quick nap then its "up and at 'em"!! See you at the top!!
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HE that loved us..."Romans 8:37
"You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you will find success. On the far side". - Thomas Watson, Sr.
...one of the shortest (yet SWEETEST) entries that I have ever done in my journal. I had my meeting with the 2nd realtor and...HE'S THE ONE!!
I am SO GLAD that part of the process is over--now I can FINALLY move to the next stage in my REI career!! WHOO HOO!! He is a property manager, he also has access to not only a real estate atorney but also all of the other pieces that I would be needing at some point!! SWEET!!
I will be contacting him tomorrow to go into the next phase of the process but boy I am glad that we will not need to do any more searching (for the time being anyways)!!
Naptime--back to work tonight
!! More info this weekend...
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HE that loved us..."Romans 8:37
"You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you will find success. On the far side". - Thomas Watson, Sr.
Well i am now inside of 5 days for the month of March and I feel like a completely deflated balloon (or is that baboon? I don't know). I have endured something that I hope I do not ever go thru anytime soon.
On January 25th, 2014 my oldest daughter Angela passed away after struggling with diabetes, kidney disease, and heart problems. She was only 32.
So the majority of February was spent dealing with my emotions in losing her and now struggling to find a place to live. And now that I have a roof over my head once more, it is now in danger of being taken away from me. The house I moved to is being sold for $16,000 which if I had known that fact up front I could've negotiated something. Now I have to try to backpedal and figure something out.
One good thing is the realtor that I found seems to be willing to work with me and has given.me time to work thru my grief. This will be a short entry as I am working off my phone and I am caring for my grandson at the moment...
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HE that loved us..."Romans 8:37
"You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you will find success. On the far side". - Thomas Watson, Sr.
Hello to all my DG family--it has been a terrible 2014 for me, beginning with losing my daughter at the end of January. Couple that with everything from housing issues to job challenges AND more family dramatics and my life has become a real life soap opera (I don't watch them but that isn't important at the moment). However...I managed (accidentally) to back into my 1st deal!! That is, IF I can find the necessary funds to secure it.
The story goes: I lost my home back in July after struggling to stay afloat and work out the funding to buy the home for $16,000. My youngest daughter moved me in temporarily until I could find a new apartment BUT my heart was set on a house of my own. My brother said there was a place that qualified for redevelopment monies and that I should take a look at it. Well, the house that he told me about was a bit questionable BUT there was a house in the next block that was being sold on land contract!! I contacted the owner (I thought), only to find that the actual owner lives in Florida (the number I called was a NC number) and after playing phone tag and some back and forth paperwork, I now need roughly $1000 to secure the house & be able to move in! The problem is: I do not have it.
All the money I shelled out between moving, the storage costs for my belongings, court costs and repayment of what I owe, plus paying my daughter for staying with her has made my money practically non-existent. My immediate family has no money to lend to me and I really don't know who I can talk to that could help me temporarily.
Personally, I will be SOOO glad when 2014 is over and gone long gone--I have not had a good or happy moment (outside of finding this house) at all. But if I manage to swing getting this house, that will change up everything (anyone wanna help me out, please PM me)!!
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HE that loved us..."Romans 8:37
"You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you will find success. On the far side". - Thomas Watson, Sr.
Good afternoon to everyone here (members & guests). Just taking a moment to unwind and refocus my thoughts and feelings before beginning another week in the trenches. I briefly read Teresa Jo's journal and (being inspired by her introduction) decided to be a bit more transparent regarding myself and my reasons for wanting to do REI.
I turned the "big 5-0" in June of this year, a year that has been challenging and difficult for me. January found me burying my oldest child after years of watching her struggle with diabetes, partial blindness, a stroke, kidney failure, and issues with sleep loss. She couldn't be left alone for extended periods of time--someone had to be with her at all times and most of the time that was me. Her sisters and brothers helped as much as they could but it was mostly me for the better part of two years.
I have been a single parent for years, attempting to raise five children alone. I am the youngest of five children myself and the only product of a marriage. My dad was a truck driver and my mother was a stay at home housewife, who made sure we got our schoolwork done. Still, my life has been a difficult one. I managed to stay in school and graduate in 1982 (with a baby) and went on to college, even though I did not finish. I have worked many different jobs--from retail sales to food service to machine operator. I have always done my best for my children and stressed to them the importance of education and hard work in everything they set out to do.
Confession #1: my children were taken away from me in 1994 over a child abuse allegation that was not true. In an attempt to help out my older brother and his daughter, I let him move in with me which led to losing my apartment and (also) the destruction of my family. I have spent the last 20+ years doing "damage control" within the confines of my family.
My original reasons for wanting to be involved with REI were to erase all the memories of being homeless off and on since 1994 & to give my kids all the things I originally wanted to have them experience but had those opportunities stolen away for me. At best now, I now have grandchildren who look at me as the best grandmom ever--and I want to fulfill that expectation in their eyes.
This is just the first part of my journey, and there is more to come...
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HE that loved us..."Romans 8:37
"You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you will find success. On the far side". - Thomas Watson, Sr.
Hello DG family--its me again, still chipping away at the REI and like a bulldog with a good bone, not giving up or letting go. In my latest installation, I am no longer in Pennsylvania--I am now in Memphis, Tennessee! I considered going back to Montgomery but I decided to see what I could shake out of the trees here. Besides, from what I can gather on here, no one on here is working any deals in Memphis so maybe I will get something going!! I have seen a lot of nice houses that are empty or boarded up so all I need is maybe four or five of them (for starters)...
Short entry due to going to work at night--will be more detailed in my next entry. Have a good weekend and I'll talk to you all soon...
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"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through HE that loved us..."Romans 8:37
"You can be discouraged by failure - or you can learn from it. So go ahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember that's where you will find success. On the far side". - Thomas Watson, Sr.