As we look more towards showing our readers how to profit in real estate by either real estate investing or by conventional brokerage representation means, contributing author Steven van Yoder presents an article about writing a book.

If you think writing a blog gives you authority, wait till you see the reaction from your clients when you give them a copy of your new book!

One morning, you open your inbox and find several e-mails that will boost your business. There is an invitation to speak at a local group comprised of your best prospects. Several emails have arrived from people who’ve “heard of you” and inquire about your services.

There is a message from a potential joint venture partner who has invited you to be a guest on a teleconference that will reach 500 people, all of them prospects. Later that day, a journalist calls. She wants to write a story about your business, which she heard about on a radio interview you gave weeks earlier.

Is this a fantasy? No. This could be a typical day in your life as a published author.

More and more business people are realizing the power of writing a book to catapult their businesses to a higher level. Speakers, consultants, coaches, therapists and other small business owners are learning that publishing a book is one of the most powerful marketing strategies available.

Published authors report that their lives change, often dramatically, when their books reach the marketplace. When you become an author, you become known as the expert. When you are known as an expert in your field, whatever your field, you will find that the world will beat a path to your door.

A Book Generates Visibility and Attracts Clients

Of all the information products you can create, a book has the greatest potential to open doors. A book can give you more recognition and professional credibility than audiotapes, CDs, videos, seminars, workshops and public speaking.

Since my book Get Slightly Famous (2nd edition) was published, I have been amazed at how it has transformed my business.

Publishing my book was a newsworthy event that resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in new business, high-profile media coverage, speaking engagements, radio interviews, partnership opportunities, and too many other benefits to mention.

Prospective clients now hear about me from all over the world. The media regularly call me, and I appear in newspaper articles and radio interviews.

Get Slightly Famous is not just my most effective marketing tool. It has become the core of my brand identity. My book provides a marketing platform for my business that gives all my marketing efforts a natural, sharp focus.

Best of all, marketing is not such a struggle anymore.

As a successful author you will find the stress of constantly seeking new clients can largely become a thing of the past. Clients will seek you out, ready to pay good money for your services, because you are seen as a leader in your field. You become their first choice.

It’s Not Just a Book — It’s a Business!

Your book is the seed from which you can grow a multi-faceted “empire’ of related products and services, including seminars, teleclasses, reports, consulting packages, audiotapes, and other profitable information products.

Imagine selling thousands of books to trade associations as premiums for their members. Or how about creating a $49-a-month newsletter, a $995 home-study course, a $499 a year membership web site? Could you use your book as the basis for a year-long mentorship program for which individuals or groups that pay thousands of dollars a piece to participate?

The idea is to see your book as a launching pad for new business opportunities.

Barbara Hemphill used her book Taming The Paper Tiger to develop a multi-pronged branding strategy. Hemphill offers organizing skills services designed to reduce stress and increase productivity. Her business is based almost entirely on her book.

Barbara has used her book to develop Taming the Paper Tiger software, gain an endorsement by Pendaflex, and found the Hemphill Productivity Institute. Her company now employs more than 70 Paper Tiger authorized consultants across the U.S. and Canada.

You can write a book!

Me, publish a book, you ask? Yes, you. It is easier than you might think, and you don’t need to be a seasoned writer to become a published author.

Writing a successful book is not the easiest thing in the world, but it is entirely possible. The talents and expertise you bring to your clients can form the basis of a successful book. If you know your subject area, and can communicate your ideas in a clear, compelling, organized manner, becoming a published author is within your reach.

A strategy that works for many is to break the process into smaller steps by writing a series of articles. They then become the basis for a book. Or, you can work with a talented freelance writer to help you express your ideas clearly and with conviction.

The most traditional route is to find a publisher who will handle the production, marketing, promotion and distribution. This involves up front work (you write a detailed proposal, a table of contents, sample chapters and a market overview). Then you shop the proposal around to potential publishers, either on your own or with the help of a commissioned agent.

Self-publishing has many advantages over traditional publishing, the most compelling being greater financial returns for the author. “When you self-publish, you keep all the profits,” says Dan Poynter, author of The Self-Publishing Manual. “Additionally, you get into print quickly, own the copyright, and take all applicable tax breaks.”

On the downside, self-publishing can be expensive. You pay up front for all the production and distribution costs, and if your book does not sell, you will be stuck with the leftover inventory. However, if your book is successful, you will not only have the satisfaction and advantages of being a published author, you will make more money.

Whatever publishing route you choose, the Internet provides a global marketplace for your book. Never before has it been so easy to market a book if you are willing to invest the time and energy to write one.

Although I am a Fort Lauderdale real estate agent, real estate law, or maybe perhaps real estate folklore, says that agents can not give legal advice as this may be seen as being guilty of practicing law without a license. If that’s the case if someone asks me about their cough and I tell them that my opinion is that they need to take some Robitussin have I just practiced medicine without a license?

I recently had a client walk away from a deal because of issues he had with a contract. We submitted an offer, it was supposedly accepted and then there was an Addendum / Counter-Offer returned to us indicating that the deal was not really accepted.

So we reviewed the document and fortunately my client is very well versed in real estate contracts and legalese. He reviewed every clause, every paragraph and circled the many issues he had with the document. One of the clauses even called for there to be a background check on the buyer to make sure he wasn’t a terrorist!

We began wondering if this bank really wanted to sell this property or not. We addressed all of the concerns with the listing agent. Much to my surprise the listing agent simply said, “don’t worry about it, just sign it…nothing will happen, it’s just a formality, it doesn’t matter“.

These were the words of a real estate professional here in Fort Lauderdale telling me and my client that the words on a contract were irrelevant. When pressed he said it did not matter because he wasn’t about to be seen as practicing law without a license. How utterly convenient.

We withdrew our offer and could not believe that an agent was telling us to just sign it. It made me wonder how many times that phrase was uttered over the last couple of years to unsuspecting consumers. Have we come to a point where the lure of the commission has caused such impropriety?

This malaise goes even further. We as real estate agents are seeing the credibility and integrity of our profession downgraded daily. We are constantly embarrassed by the head honchos at the National Association of Realtors who make idiotic self-serving statements that the media and consumer ridicule.

Now I find we have to contend with agents not even understanding the documents that they put in front of clients and worse yet, absolving themselves of all liability by saying “you should have asked your own attorney”. Is that the image you want in a increasingly transparent real estate business environment?

If the commission that is supposedly “earned” on a transaction is to be representative of our skills, shouldn’t we actually have some and be prepared to perform for our money?

Here’s the rub. Consumers are doing a lot of the leg work that agents used to be responsible for. They are searching for their own properties. They are doing the due diligence on the neighborhood and the local job market and school systems. They are reading our blogs for local information. The “need” for a real estate agent has been greatly reduced.

Many, if not most, who desire to use the services of a real estate agent are now doing so as a matter of convenience, not need. Knowing this, is it not vital to the survival of the real estate business model to adapt and respond to what the consumer wants?

Here in the Fort Lauderdale real estate market we have developed the team approach. To combat the perception of inadequacy of real estate agents, we have created a “360 Degree Immersion” approach to serving the consumer. We know that the consumer wants to see effort, information, prowess and competence throughout the real estate transaction, not just someone who can fill in the blanks on a boilerplate form to collect 6%.

We utilize a very comprehensive team approach for servicing our clients. Our tours are always a two-person job as much as for safety reasons as well as to serve the client should there inevitably be any questions about the property. Don’t you hate it as a consumer when you ask simple questions like “when’s the last time the roof was updated “and the agent says..”I don’t know”?

I am not a contractor so I bring along one of the members of my team who has building experience to answer questions regarding the structure and any improvements that exist or that the buyer may want to make.

Recently I had a client that needed information on a specific type of roof. If he was not there, I may have lost the deal.

It the agent’s job to know the answers to these types of questions or at a minimum be able to find out very quickly! It’s absurd for real estate agents to expect to be paid tens of thousands of dollars and to not have any direct knowledge of the market, the home and yes, the legal ramifications of the document you are asking the client to sign.

Next, we afford all of our clients with legal consultation by an attorney we have been partnering with. He will review the contract, address any issues they may have, and oversee the closing once it gets to that point. We also have a virtual assistant assigned to every deal who facilitates the closing and handles all matters associated with any title issues. She also manages all deadlines.

If the client is in foreclosure or in need of a short sale, we have a loss mitigation specialist standing by to handle those matters as well. This expansion of duties and services that we perform is mandated by the consumer’s increasing awareness of the real estate transaction.

No longer are real estate agents the keepers of the vault of information. If you want a commission, you have to actually get out and “earn” a commission. I am not sure why so many real estate agents are afraid to negotiate down what they feel is a sacrosanct real estate commission when dealing with buyers and sellers. It’s not.

In our business we choose to work with sellers and buyers that desire our assistance. We make sure that we have a team of professionals available to handle those matters that may arise and in doing so, we believe we instill value…and if there is still some doubt we are willing to go the extra mile and allow sellers to terminate our listings at their discretion and we afford buyers a rebate on all commissions.

And never, will we tell a client in regards to any question about any contract or document “don’t worry about it, just sign it…nothing will happen, it’s just a formality, it doesn’t matter”.Our clients deserve better and they expect us to protect them, not hide behind some curtain of ineptitude.

I and the rest of my Fort Lauderdale Real Estate team never have to worry about practicing law without a license. It’s our job to know the answers to the consumer’s questions about the documents that we present and if there is something beyond the scope of what we feel comfortable advising, we have an attorney available to provide the relevant answers to our clients regarding any specific legal ramifications that may arise from the execution of said documents. We encourage such due diligence from our clients and it is abhorrent that too many real estate agents seemingly put their commission BEFORE the interests of the client.

No wonder the image of a real estate agent is so low!

Author Note: Robin Sing-Cunningham is a Realtor in the South Florida marketplace and is a valued contributor to Real Estate Radio USA.

George Sinacori is a real estate broker in South Florida and he penned this post as a guest author of Real Estate Radio USA. He brings decades of experience and knowledge to his real estate writings.

At the end of the day there’s just not enough money! The cost of gas, food, everyday living expenses and the mortgage are beyond manageable. You just can’t keep up with the bills. Your always trying to play catch up, sometimes getting by with what seems like smoke and mirrors, until one day you receive the inevitable bad news. Your lender has filed a “Notice of Default” or “Lis Pendens”, initiating a foreclosure action against you.

Now the wheels start turning. What to do? How can I stop the foreclosure? How can I keep the house? How can I get relief?

Should you decide to file personal bankruptcy there are a couple of bankruptcy filings that you’ll become familiar with. Chapter 7 bankruptcy places an automatic stay on your creditors including your mortgage lender. The stay is temporary however and the lender can continue to solicit the court for relief from the stay. At anytime the court may grant that relief and the foreclosure than proceeds. At best a Chapter 7 may help buy time to sell or reestablish yourself with your creditors. It never stops a foreclosure.

Before filing for personal bankruptcy you will need to complete an approved credit counseling briefing. This can be purchased online at Start Fresh Today

For a Chapter 7 filing you’ll need to qualify through a Bankruptcy Means Test. Not to worry though, some statistics claim that 96% of all petitioners qualify. The means test is a 2 step process. Your monthly income is compared to the median income in your state for a family of your size. If your below the median you qualify. If not you go to step 2 , calculating disposable income over the next 5 years. If it’s less than $100 a month, you qualify.

In the unlikely event that you didn’t pass the Chapter 7 means test you may still be able to file for Chapter 13. Many people looking to avoid foreclosure choose Chapter 13. It can give you the breathing room you need to get back on track by combining the automatic stay with a payment plan over the next 3-5 years. Chapter 13 allows you to sit down with your creditors and arrange a payment plan. Once agreed and accepted your creditors, including your lender must abide by the plan. If all payments are made as scheduled, any unsecured debts may be discharged at the end of the plan. This type of filing is intended to help people keep their property while they catch up.

Of course there will be court and attorney fees that the homeowner will need to pay as well.

In order to qualify for Chapter 13 you must have a regular source of income and have enough disposable income to cover normal living expenses as well as pay the creditors. There are also preset limits for secured and unsecured debt which fluctuate periodically.  i.e. the limit for unsecured debt may be several hundred thousand dollars and secured debt limits may be over a million dollars.

In the end there is no one right solution when it comes to financial difficulties. Whether or not someone chooses personal bankruptcy over another viable alternative depends on that person and the circumstances surrounding them. Call it a workout plan or financial reorganization. Anyway you look at it, avoiding a foreclosure may be the most important thing that anyone can do to save their financial lives.

Jennifer Allan is an author and real estate agent trainer and she penned this post as a guest of Real Estate Radio USA. Her humor and insight are refreshingly to the point.

I’m so sick of hearing how real estate agents can’t afford to work with buyers anymore – UNLESS that buyer has signed a buyer agency agreement AND has an iron-clad loan commitment in hand – because of the high cost of gas. What a crock!

Okay, let’s do a little analysis.

Over the last several years, gas has hovered around the $3.00/gallon mark. Sometimes higher, sometimes lower, but I think that $3/gallon is a reasonable place to start.

In some parts of the country, gas is now around $4.00/gallon. That’s $1.00 per gallon difference.

If your car gets 20 mpg, you’re spending ONE EXTRA DOLLAR for every 20 miles you drive. If you take a buyer out and drive sixty miles with him or her, that’s three extra dollars you spent on him (over and above what you would have spent on him last year and the year before).

Are you really saying that you can’t afford to spend an additional $3.00 in exchange for a shot at a $7,500 commission ($250,000 x 3%)?

Tell ya’ what. I’ll be happy to take your Denver buyers for a ride, whether they’ve signed a Buyer Agency agreement or not. Whether they’re pre-qualified or not.

Because I know that being out in my market with a warm body in my car (and that warm body probably has lots of friends he can refer to me in the future) is a MUCH better use of my time than sitting back at the office congratulating myself on saving $3.00 in gas.

I’ll even pay you a referral fee. So, on top of the THREE BUCKS you saved, you’ll also get $1,875 just for giving me a call!

Mike Lefebvre is an “uncommon agent” with Hallmark Sotheby’s in the Boston area. He’s also a big Boston Red Sox fan which makes him alright as far as I’m concerned. He has the unique perspective of being both an appraiser and a Realtor. We’re happy to have him as our guest here on Real Estate Radio USA.

OK, let me start by saying “GOOD” appraisers will NOT be influenced by a listing agent. It’s merely a catchy post title to get you to read further. But there are some things listing agents can do to make the appraisal piece come together more smoothly for their properties.

We had two deals fall apart in my office last month because the appraisal came in lower than the agreed upon purchase price, and I feel, as both an appraiser and as a sales agent, that these crises could have potentially been avoided.

You list a property for sale, market the hell out of it, work your tail off to sell it to every living, breathing creature that shows even a remote interest in it and finally you find a buyer (or more likely one is handed to you). It’s all good.

Both parties (eventually) agree to pricing and terms. A contract is signed. The buyers go for financing. Your phone rings and it’s the bank’s appraiser. You set an appointment to meet them at the property to conduct an appraisal inspection.

Most agents I work with treat this step as one of the “boring details” of the process. The truth is it’s actually a missed opportunity where a lot of agents simply drop the ball and put the deal in jeopardy.

It used to be that if someone wanted to buy a property, ways could be found to “get ‘er done”, but the appraisal piece is becoming an increasingly more important component in today’s purchase transactions as lenders really tighten the screws on the lending requirements.

So here’s my list of do’s and dont’s for listing agents to make friendly with the appraiser during the inspection:

Do arrive on time for the appointment. Duh. Common sense for every appointment really, but if the appraiser is having a bad day and has to wait an extra 15-20 minute for you, usually in the rain, it just starts the whole thing off on the wrong foot.

Do bring a copy of the P&S. A house is only worth what an educated buyer in the market is willing to pay for it, and a signed purchase and sale agreement is the strongest piece of evidence you have to support your case.

If it’s not fully executed yet, give them an unsigned or partially copy and tell them you’ll fax/e-mail it over as soon as a fully signed one is available. They will need the information contained in the P&S for their appraisal report.

Do include a copy of the field card and the deed. You did pull both of these documents when you listed the home, right? The appraiser will most likely have these documents already, but if not, you may have saved them a trip. Plus it shows a level of professionalism on your part.

Feel free to include relevant comps. With “relevant” being the key word. It’s an appraiser’s job to research the comps, but if your house is a particularly tricky or unique one, it doesn’t hurt to make some suggestions. If the comps are less than three months old (yes, these days 3 months is the preferred time frame!), less than a mile away and within a 25% range (smaller or larger) than your house, throw them in the folder.

Appraisers (and the lenders they work for) like to look at sold comps. Do not tell the appraiser about all the great active listings in the neighborhood that support the purchase price. Active sales do not set the market; closed sales do.

Pending or under agreement comps are second class citizens as well. Recent, proximate, comparable closed sales are the meat the we appraisers are looking for.

Don’t try and sell the appraiser the house. You’ve already sold it. You’re in the home stretch. Don’t try and sell it again…especially to someone who is not there to buy it. Feel free to point out unique features that may not be so obvious on paper which might add to the property’s value, but don’t wax poetic about the “glorious fireplace family room” or “the expansion potential in the unfinished basement”. Appraisers don’t care. Like Joe Friday said, “Just the facts!”

Drop a Friendly Reminder Hint. Depending on their work load (which is lighter for most these days), good appraisers will turn-around their completed appraisal report within 24-48 hours after seeing the house. It never hurts to say, “Just so you know, these buyers have a mortgage commitment date of X. Do you think that leaves you enough time to do what you need to do?”

Don’t Show Up Empty Handed. It seems like a lot of agents take the approach that all I need to do is let this person in the house and let them do their thing. You can do that, but you are leaving the entire future of the deal (re: your commission) in the hands of someone else without so much as even a little input on your part. If the appraisal comes in low, two very bad things will happen. (1) the financing will not come through and (2) the buyers will get so freaked out that they will run scared for the hills, never to return to this property again.

Use this very unique one-on-one opportunity to present the appraiser with all the tools and facts they will need to do their job.

Follow Up With an E-Mail. A very short e-mail sent to the appraiser later that day goes a long way! “Pleasure meeting you out at 123 Smith Road today. Please let me now if there’s anything else you need from me.” Less than 60 seconds to write, and it leaves the door wide open if they happen to run into any snags that you can potentially help advert before the appraisal gets into underwriting.

In the end, the appraiser is going to do his or her job the best way they know how and you really can’t influence their final opinion of value. But if you know in your gut of guts that your listing is worth well above the agreed upon list price, bring your evidence to the appraisal inspection.

When presented in a consultative, non-threatening way (ie: “Here’s the signed P&S, a copy of the field card, a copy of the deed and the relevant comps that I used to come up with the pricing”) you can certainly make friends with the appraiser. And trust me, that’s a good friend to have. But when it’s presented in a “You-Don’t-Know-How-To-Do-Your-Job-So-Let-Me-Do-It-For-You” arrogant kind of way, it will always have the inverse effect.

Then again, there is one agent I always run into on appraisals in town that for some reason consistently has Hershey’s miniatures with her on our inspections (as well as everything else I mentioned above).

Those appraisal inspection always go pretty darn smoothly. I’m just saying….something to think about there, Mr. Goodbar. Please leave your thoughts below, and if you’re not sure whether a particular material object would help push your next appraisal through, please send me the item and I’ll be glad to let you know what I think.

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Deal Of The Week!

Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Agent’s “Deal Of The Week” Program Offers Buyer’s Prize And Cash Incentives On Foreclosures

New Deal Posted Every Monday morning through June 30, 2009 on the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Blog.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, April 16, 2009 – Beginning this week, the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Blog will feature the best foreclosure deals on the market in its “Deal Of The Week” program.

The Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Blog is a top rated real estate website operated by Robin Sing-Cunningham, a Fort Lauderdale based Realtor who specializes in foreclosures and short sales.

The “Deal of the Week” promotion will feature foreclosed homes for sale that may be purchased at a substantial discount. Some at prices 25-40% or more below market value.

The program will provide Buyers with property information including pictures and videos. An interesting feature that Buyers will like is the offer strategy section where local experts tell you how they would structure an offer on the home.

“Buyers are always asking me how to find the best deals and how to structure an offer. In this great Buyer’s market, we are providing a platform for Buyers to see the best deals and to see how local real estate experts would put the deal together”, said Sing-Cunningham.

South Florida is a Buyer’s paradise. With nearly 60% of the homes sold in the area being in some stage of foreclosure, it’s actually a very competitive market. However, most Buyers who are interested in a foreclosure never see the best deals.

“Many agents got caught with their pants down when the foreclosure tsunami hit”, said Barry Johnson of Real Estate Radio USA, a top ranked real estate talk show and industry blog.

“When Robin approached us about helping with this promotion we felt it was a no-brainer as our listeners and readers always ask us how to find the best deals”, Johnson added.

A big incentive for participating in the “Deal Of The Week” promotion are the cash and prizes. If a Buyer purchases any of the homes featured they will receive a minimum of $1,500.00 at closing as a rebate on their purchase. They may also receive various prizes ranging from dinners at exclusive restaurants, to sport fishing trips to Caribbean vacations.

“I haven’t seen many agents offering these types of incentives and I wondered why? This is a Buyer’s market and we have to show these Buyers that we appreciate and want their business. To me, it’s all about separating yourself from the pack and offering unparalleled customer service”, said Sing-Cunningham

In an effort to make sure that each Buyer receives high quality customer service, Sing-Cunningham has assembled a team of real estate professionals to provide any Buyer with complete peace of mind.

Erik Wesoloski, a Miami based attorney with the law firm of Wesoloski Carlson, P.A, who specializes in foreclosures says that this is an idea whose time has come. “Most agents don’t have the expertise to help a Buyer navigate their way through the possible land mines associated with buying foreclosures.

There may be hidden problems that can cause a deal to fail or a Buyer to incur certain liabilities. We are happy to be a part of Robin’s team to make sure that her Buyers don’t have any problems with their purchase”.

If you would like to view the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate market “Deal Of The Week”, simply go to the Fort Lauderdale Real Estate Blog and check it out.

With the economic downturn and the mass hysteria, it’s all too easy to make some deadly mistakes that
cost you business.

What are these mistakes?

1. Watching and listening to too much media.

The problem with this pattern is that you are contaminating your consciousness with fear and negativity. This lowers your energy and makes you less attractive to your Ideal Clients.

2. Feeling like a victim of the economy.

This is a mistake because you are overlooking that many real estate professionals are doing quite well.

They realize that what Napoleon Hill said is true:”Within every adversity is an equal or greater opportunity.”

3. Focusing on the problems instead of the opportunities.

Yes, you do have a choice. In this economy or in any economy, you can focus on problems or opportunities. The real estate agents that are succeeding in today’s economy are enthusiastic about how they can help their clients.

This enthusiasm is contagious. Their ideal clients want to work with them, because there is no “doom and gloom”.

Remember, the way you will prosper now, or at any time, is by helping your clients get what they want. Avoid these common mistakes and let your positive mindset turn you into a magnet for your ideal clients.

Obsolescence, lack of technological prowess, ignorance, sloth, …why is it that in a sector of the economy that direly needs professional competence that so many in the industry not only lack the skills to succeed, but exacerbate their inefficiency by deliberately choosing NOT to evolve? Just what does it say about the real estate agent “profession?” Just what does it all mean?

Watch this video and see if you can figure out the riddle as to why most real estate agents are not  understanding where we are headed.

[flv:http://www.realestateradiousa.com/videos/sony.flv 500 450]

 

 

Today is Tuesday, Nov. 4, Election Day, and I am writing this from Wasilla, Alaska, just a few miles
from Sarah Palin’s home.

I’m here because a good friend of mine, who happens to be a very good friend of Sarah Palin,
invited my wife and I and several other couples from around the country to an election party.

Traveling 4,000 miles for a party may be hard to rationalize, but so is flying to the opposite coast to
root for your team during an important away game. The trip seems worth it after a victory, but it feels
twice as long when you return home, minus the “w.” I will soon know how long my return trip will feel.

For a small town, there is plenty of excitement, hope and anticipation in air cold enough to make a
Green Bay Packer fan think twice about going outside. In spite of that, residents line the streets to
support the hometown gal who is making it big. I’m sure the same was going on in three other towns
across the country.

Important decisions will be made today, but the most important decision for our country and its
citizens will be made after the polls close. Who we elect to run our country is not as important as who
we choose to run our lives.

Each of us, regardless of political affiliation, should acknowledge and embrace something that is quickly disappearing from our society, and that is the art of taking personal responsibility for our lives.

Government doesn’t have enough teats to suckle everyone. If you think I’m siding with a particular
party, you’re wrong. I don’t care if the party is painted blue or red or if the leader is black or white. If
they advocate that government’s purpose is a combination of surrogate parent, financial advisor,
ATM and safety net for everyone from cradle to grave, that’s where they lose my vote.

If we believe government can solve all our problems, then we have a problem, one that cannot be
solved. Our national defense will protect us from an enemy outside our borders, but it won’t protect
us from the national dependence that is the enemy within.

Pre-election promises aren’t new, and this year was no exception. What’s surprising is the growing
number of people who believe that there is such a thing as getting something for nothing. Pick a
crisis, any crisis, and you will be able to trace the root cause of it to someone’s selfish interests,
greed, dishonesty or other character flaw.

For centuries, governments have tried unsuccessfully to legislate away the vices that we were born with.
As we painfully know, leaders struggle with the same temptations, so, our form of government, the best
the world has known, still boils down to imperfect people governing imperfect people.

Therefore, should we really be surprised when we read about scandals in Washington, corruption on
Wall Street or improprieties at Fannie Mae? Who’s to blame for these problems? Politicians like to point
fingers at greedy CEOs, dishonest investment brokers or even the opposing political party.

All of the above may carry some blame, but they always fail to place some of the blame where it belongs — at the voters’ feet. In other words, all of us are to blame.

A billion words were uttered throughout the campaign, and I’d bet less than 100 of them addressed our
biggest problem, which is the need to take responsibility for our lives. Government can hand out $2,000
debit cards until the attorneys are finished challenging the election, but that will not solve our problems
if we continue living beyond our limits.

Likewise, the $700 billion bailout may be a shot in the arm, but it won’t cure what ails us. The only cure for our market and economy is a good old fashioned dose of individual honesty — a medicine government is fresh out of.

History has proven that people are sometimes given the leader they deserve, rather than the leader
they need. By the time you read this, the election results will be known. Some will celebrate, others will
not.

However, who won is not as important as which leader we selected. Let’s pray we selected the leader we need, one that is willing to be honest with us by telling us what we need to hear, not what we want to hear.

Keep the faith.

We often hear from new investors that they never know what their first step is. Everyone always wants to run out and find that first deal and then make a million dollars without laying a solid interpersonal relationships. Real estate investing, like most businesses, prosper greatly from the development of interpersonal relationships. In order to “find” great deals, they are often by-products of the deals finding you!

Dave Sheffield is a motivational speaker and valued author here at Real Estate Radio USA. Here is an article he recently wrote speaking of the value of engaging in the development of new interpersonal relationships and how they may be found where you least expect them to be.

Mach 6 With Your Hair On Fire!

Ask any meeting planner or audience member who’s seen me speak at a live event and they’ll tell you that I do everything all out.  Big gestures, big stories, movement and high-octane energy; all of the things you would expect a speaker and positive agent of change like myself to do.

Anyone who has traveled with me knows that I’m also a very intense person.  After all, I have found that it’s much easier to catch a plane when it’s on the ground as opposed to catching it when it’s in the air.  More on that point a little bit later, but for now a recent travel experience that left a big impression on me that I’d like to quickly share with you.

It blows me away at how many sales professionals and entrepreneur’s fly for business related purposes and bury themselves in their laptops and iPods as soon as they step on board the plane.  I look at flying as being trapped in a metal tube with 200 or so potential clients, employers, or people who could help connect you to those who can make your dreams a reality.

By listening carefully and engaging others, not talking their ear off either, you can often uncover unique ideas and opportunities.  A recent flight experience I had returning from an international conference taught me many lessons that I think you’ll find of value to your business and those around you!

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to an audience in Calgary, AB Canada.  What a fantastic experience.  The audience was made up of people from over 60 countries.  The people were excited about the new tools for success and strategies I shared and the time was well spent.  The program went exceptionally well.  The next day my flight out of Calgary took off without a problem and things were running smoothly until we were informed in mid-flight of weather issues happening in the Midwest.

This delayed our landing by 30 minutes.  Keep in mind that my connecting flight was going to get me in that day.  If I missed this connecting flight I wouldn’t get in until the next day.  Upon landing and with the Olympics fresh on my mind, a mental decision was made to capture the Olympic spirit with making my next flight the gold medal prize I’d be awarded if I could make the gate in world record time.  If you haven’t been to the Dallas-Ft. Worth airport it’s HUGE! It was easily a three mile run from where we exited the plane to my next flight’s departing gate.

I ripped my sandals off, looked at the sign above me and then took off hauling through the airport.  Of course the tram went down so I kicked on the afterburners and in such a focused, goal driven mental state noticed that I was passing airport police officers riding Segways.  Carefully dodging small children and ducking under tall people in front of me walking at two miles per hour, I moved like a true Olympian while at the same time carrying a laptop bag weighing 20 lbs. and an odd-sized three foot banner that I use in my live programs.

I can imagine that this was quite a sight to see a barefooted, running man loaded down with carry-on items ripping by them like a petty criminal who just stole something from the airport bookstore.  After a few minutes into my airport marathon, I quickly glanced up and noted that I was down to 16-minutes before my flight took off!  I kept running with the goal clearly locked in my mind of making this flight.  I finally made it to the gate, with 8-minutes to spare.  I was a bit winded, but grateful that I had a few minutes to spare. As I put my laptop and banner bag on the ground I heard the gate agent calmly say, “Oh, you’re fine.  Our flight was delayed, you have 30 more minutes.”

With some extra time now on my hands I ended up engaged in a conversation with a woman named Scotty, out of Palm Beach, FL.  In the middle of our conversation she chuckled and stated, “You were running Mach 6 with your hair on fire!”

I discovered that she was an interior designer and was impressed by my stunning ability to avoid humans and not get run over by the many airport carts I managed to avoid with cat-like agility.  As our conversation progressed, I soon found another traveler named Joe who engaged us and shared that he designs and builds casinos.  He’s based in Chicago but works in Palm Springs, CA.  After our short conversation I encouraged Scotty and Joe to exchange business cards.  (Do you have any idea how much revenue an interior designer would make from a casino?!)

When we got on the plane, I soon met a couple of great people in my seating area.  The woman next to me was a junior at Purdue named Leah.  I love visiting with college students, especially if I can get to them before they buy into too much of the educational “the sky is falling if you play outside of the box” type of mentality.  (Can you tell that I am a non-conformist?) She was sharing some of her ambitions and dreams with me.  One of which was to intern at a major casino.

“Joe!” I exclaimed as I tapped the seat in front of me.  “This is Leah, she is a sharp as a tack girl who would love to intern at one of your casinos.”  They exchanged information once we deplaned. Who knows where the connection may end up.  Most people in the job search, client search, or and any kind of search process should let people know what they’re looking for and broadcast the message. People aren’t mind readers, and as this true story demonstrates, you never know where a conversation with someone you’ve never met may take you.

There are three key ideas that everyone can take away from this recent travel experience:

1. Make a conscious effort to not only tell others what you do, but also find out what they do. Everyone loves the sound of their own voice.  Encourage others to talk about themselves.
2. This line is golden: “What do I need to know about you to help you achieve your goals?” Hello!  Can you say tuned into everyone’s favorite station, WIIFM, or What’s In It For Me?  People love this.
3. Follow up.  Stay in touch with people.  You never know when opportunity or a potentially great connection may be seated three-feet in front of you like I described when I introduced Leah to Joe on the flight. Life’s all about building relationships.

Real Estate Investing Strategies – Using the Law of Attraction to Create Your Ideal Income
by Dr. Maya Bailey

Did you know that your thoughts and intentions play a big part in your success? Not only that, but what you choose to focus on determines what you’ll attract?

This article describes the Law of Attraction and why it’s so important to master this Law. By learning how to implement the Law of Attraction you’ll be able to create your Ideal Income.

The 5 steps:

Step 1: Get clear on what you don’t want.

It sounds strange doesn’t it to focus on what you don’t want? However, that’s what most of us do all the time, unconsciously.

In my 30 years of empowering people to reach their goals, I have discovered that most people are focusing on what they don’t want . So, for example, if they have a pile of bills, they’ll focus on their pile of bills and their lack of money. What do they get? More of what they are focusing on.

Step 2: Get clear on what you do want.

For everything that you don’t want, ask yourself, “So what do I want?” By doing that, you are sending signals to your conscious and subconscious mind to bring you more of what you do want. If money is your concern and there is a big contrast between the money you have and the money you want, put your focus on the money you want.

Step 3: Create your desire statement.

So after you begin focusing on what you do want, write a paragraph describing what you desire. If it’s about money, then write out a Desire statement describing you Ideal Money Situation, as if it were happening right now. For example, “I now have an abundance of prosperity. Every month there is more coming in than going out. I am happily buying what I need and I have money left over……” and so forth.

Step 4: Clear your beliefs.

What would block you from manifesting the prosperity that you want? When I ask my clients that question, I usually get answers like, “I don’t deserve it”. “No one in my family makes that amount of money.” “If I have that money everyone will want some of it and I’ll never know if people like me or they like my money.” “I don’t’ have what it takes to succeed at that level”.

So what self-limiting beliefs do you have? What stops you from having your ideal income? What self sabotaging strategies do you use?

Step 5: Allow it to come to you.

In other words, suspend all doubt and just trust that you’ll be guided into inspired action. By following your hunches and keeping your focus on what you want, you become increasingly magnetic.

A tip: Read your desire statement each day out loud and feel what it feels like to have it. Really allow your self to experience it so that you magnetize it to you.

Take a look at some industry blogs and you would think that when the bubble burst it spelled doom and gloom for everyone. Not true at all. Not by a long shot. There are a bunch of people making an absolute killing in the biz. While some agents may be making money, the majority are not. Why? Does it really matter?

Point being, we know a lot of attorneys, transaction coordinators and yes, real estate investors who are making money…substantial money because they either know how to implement sound real estate investing principles or know how to facilitate deals for those who seek to prosper.

One of our contributing authors asks the question:

Why Soft Real Estate Markets are GREAT for Investors?

Investing in real estate has changed in many markets in our country. If you are like me, you live in a real estate market that has gone soft. There are still some areas in the country where homes are appreciating nicely, but nothing like it was a year or two ago.

There were a lot of self-proclaimed real estate gurus that popped up during the boom times telling you how to make HUGE PROFITS in real estate. Back then, during the up cycle, investing in real estate was so easy.

You could throw money at almost any piece of real estate and be practically guaranteed to make a profit. It seemed like anyone who had flipped a couple of houses and made a profit was an “expert” investor.

The times have changed
Things are different now. Investing in real estate takes a little more effort. Investors who haven not weathered “down” cycles before are struggling because all they know are massively appreciating markets. All too many of those self-proclaimed gurus lost their shirts when the markets changed.

Those ads that say, “I made $256 Million in real estate in four weeks with no money down” are a whole lot less believable. Okay, $256 Million is an exaggeration, but you know what I mean.

So the question is: “How can we still invest in real estate and make profits?” Can it be done in these soft markets? The answer to that question is quite simple. I can say without question and without hesitation, the answer is: YES! ABSOLUTELY!

I have been investing in real estate for more than 20 years. I have seen up cycles, and I have seen down cycles. I have made money and been successful in both. I can tell you several things about down markets that may surprise you.

First, experienced real estate investors will tell you that more money is made in down markets than in up markets. It’s true, MORE MONEY is made in DOWN markets than in up markets!

Second, experienced investors PREFER to do the bulk of their investing in DOWN markets. There are a number of reasons for this, but the big ones are that there are more motivated sellers in down markets and the competition (other investors) pursuing these motivated sellers is LOWER. It’s a double bonus.

Down markets = more deals and less competition

One of the investing techniques I specialize in is lease options. Lease Options are one of the absolute best techniques for investing in real estate in down markets. I’ll say it again, because if you are looking for ways to get involved with real estate investing you need to know this:

Lease Options are one of the absolute best techniques for investing in real estate in down markets.
Let’s take a look at why.

I’ve already said that down markets produce high numbers of motivated sellers. Right now in Michigan, it’s very common to see a house listed on the market in two ways, both for sale and for rent. They are listed this way because the sellers KNOW how bad it is and they want someone, anyone, to cover their mortgage payment.

These double listings SCREAM: “Motivated Seller”! Now, not every single one of these is going to be an excellent lease option deal. But you know what? That’s okay, there are plenty to choose from!

The critical part in selecting your lease option candidates in an up market or a down market, is creating WIN-WIN-WIN situations. The seller must be satisfied with the deal, you must be satisfied, and the end buyer must be satisfied. When investing in real estate, this is what makes us successful.

How does this work?

To create a WIN for someone we must meet their core need. A motivated seller’s goal is to sell his house. Eventually he needs his mortgage paid off and the deed transferred out of his name.

If he’s willing to rent the house, as well as sell it, he’s telling you that having his mortgage paid each month is more important right now than actually getting the house sold.

If we can find a tenant/buyer for them we are satisfying their core need of paying the mortgage each month and eventually selling the home. This is a WIN for the seller.

Our end buyers are looking for a home to own. Their current situation prevents them from getting a mortgage immediately, but they plan on being able to get a mortgage soon. They want a home now. They don’t want to wait to get their house.

By allowing them to lease and then purchase the house we are meeting their core need. This gives our buyers a WIN.

Sub-prime fallout = more quality tenant/buyers

Before we talk about what makes a WIN for you as an investor, let’s talk a little more about mortgages for our end buyer. There has been a lot of news lately about sub-prime lending woes and how lenders with riskier loans are facing high rates of foreclosure and may be going bankrupt.

As a result it is getting much harder for people with poor credit to obtain a mortgage. It is also getting harder for ANYONE to obtain a mortgage with 100% financing (i.e. no money out of the buyer’s pocket). This may sound crazy, but this is actually a good thing for us when investing in real estate.

When investing in lease options, it is harder for us to find quality tenant/buyers when almost anyone who can fog a mirror can get a mortgage. Not only that, but because it was so easy to get 100% financing, most buyers save nothing and are unable or unwilling to pay much for an option fee.

With the lending companies tightening their belts, I expect we will see a growing population of QUALITY tenant/buyers who are able to pay HIGHER option fees.

The flip side of this is that because lenders are tightening their belts, your tenant/buyers will need to work harder to restore their credit. It may take as much as two to three years for some tenant\buyers to be able to qualify for mortgages instead of just one year as we had seen before.

Bottom line: When investing in real estate by using lease options the difficulties of the mortgage lenders are just another reason why this down market is a GREAT time for us investors.

What’s in it for me?
Now let’s look at the last part of our WIN-WIN-WIN equation–the WIN for us, the investor. For us to WIN, we need to make a profit. The profit comes both from the equity spread between your option price to the seller and the buyer’s option price to you as well as any monthly cash flow in the rental payments.

With lease options, it pays to be creative. You’ll find a lot more deals and be a lot more successful investing in real estate if you practice creativity in your structuring.

Time to start asking questions!
The most common motivated seller we encounter is the one who has little or no equity in his home. Too many sellers get calls from real estate investors that only care about, “What’s it worth?” and “What do you owe?” If the numbers are too close together, they say, “Sorry I can’t help you.” Click.

What if you pursue it a little further with a creative mind? A good question to always ask is, “What are your monthly payments?” If the payments are lower than rental rates you may be able to make some monthly cash flow.

Another good question to ask is, “How soon do you need to sell the house?” You may want to ask this question a couple of times while you are talking to them. You could be surprised to find that the number grows longer each time you ask.

There aren’t too many markets I can think of that stay down forever. Eventually the house should start appreciating again. If your option period to the seller is long enough you can capture appreciation to make your profit.

You have nothing to lose
What about this: “Are you willing to bring money to closing to sell your house?” And if their monthly payment is higher than what you can rent the house for, “Are you willing to pay the difference between the rental amount and your monthly payment?” These two questions may seem brazen, but ask yourself, what have you got to lose?

If the seller is fully leveraged on the house or their payment is higher than the rental rate you have nothing to lose because if they aren’t willing to make concessions, then you can’t help them!

It may feel awkward asking these questions; but trust me, no matter how embarrassed you might feel at first, after you ask this question 30 times, you will start to feel much more comfortable.

When you add all three of these together: meeting the seller’s need, meeting the buyer’s need, and you making a profit, you have created a WIN-WIN-WIN. This is what you MUST do to be successful when investing lease options.

Do you see how much BETTER it can be to find deals in down markets? Motivated Sellers are EVERYWHERE and there are far FEWER investors competing with you. These two factors allow you to choose your deals with greater care. Always “cherry pick” your deals in a soft market.

This is why experienced investors, who have been in both up markets and down markets, prefer the down markets. Soft markets can provide some of the best deals when investing in real estate.

What does it mean to “sharpen your saw?’

According to Dr. Steven Covey, “sharpening your saw” means increasing your personal production capacity by daily self care and self-maintenance. Why is this important? In my 30 years of working with clients to help them maximize their success, it is so clear that those who neglect this will never reach their goals.

For example, one of my clients, Sandra, (all names have been changed) struggled with a sugar addictions for years. Her business was always in chaos, as she had roller coaster moods that would never allow her to focus on her business. Another client, Jane, never wanted to look at how her addiction to alcohol affected her business. Once she made the decision to limit her alcohol intake, she regained energy and strength and her business took off.

The four levels of “sharpening your saw”:

• The physical level-How good are you at getting enough rest, sleep and exercise? Is your diet healthy or do find yourself relying on fast foods? What about your water intake? Are you drinking 2-3 quarts a day? Very important: are you allowing yourself to breathe deeply? So many of my clients were in the habit of shallow breathing and depriving themselves of the needed oxygen for energy. How well do you take care of your physical body? The answer to this will determine not only the health of your body but also the health your business and your ability to wisely market yourself.
• The mental level-What kind of thoughts do you entertain? Are you focused on what you don’t want or what you do want ? Your thoughts create your reality, so what thoughts are you thinking right now? Whenever you catch yourself in negative self talk, use the STOP Technique. Just say STOP, take a deep breath and change that thought to a more positive one.
• The emotional level—Are you doing things that make you happy? Are you around people and activities that bring you joy? So many times in our focus to achieve success, we deprive ourselves of a balanced life. Guess what? You attract the energy that you radiate. So if you want to attract happy appreciative clients, become happy and appreciative. Before you know it the business you had been struggling to have is now drawn to you like a magnet. Everyone wants to do business with people who are positive and uplifting.

• The spiritual level—What are you doing each day and each week to nourish yourself spiritually? Whether you are religious or not , I have never met anyone who didn’t sense that there is a Divine Intelligence that created this universe. And this Divine Intelligence is abundant, just look at the trees and the flowers. The more you are aligned with this essence the more your have a solid spiritual foundation. Maybe your spiritual nourishment is church, maybe it’s the trees or the ocean. Find that place where you are in a state of awe and wonder and visit there often.

As I have been watching the news this week, I see that bankruptcy is at an all time high. You may be a homeowner in distress or an investor who is upside down or a real estate agent who has some financial difficulty or has a client in trouble. You may be considering filing bankruptcy. Just know that bankruptcy is not the end of the world. Many people file and start fresh and become wildly successful.

We found the following information on this government website – http://www.uscourts.gov/ to be helpful. Check out the site yourself for more information…

United States Bankruptcy Courts
Each of the 94 federal judicial districts handles bankruptcy matters, and in almost all districts, bankruptcy cases are filed in the bankruptcy court – the Federal Courthouse. Bankruptcy cases cannot be filed in state or county court. Bankruptcy laws help people who can no longer pay their creditors get a fresh start by liquidating their assets to pay their debts, or by creating a repayment plan.

Bankruptcy laws also protect troubled businesses and provide for fair distributions to business creditors through reorganization or liquidation. These procedures are covered under Title 11 of the United States Code .

Filing for Bankruptcy
When you file bankruptcy your creditors, court personnel, the media, and general public are notified. An official notice will be placed in the legal section of your newspaper stating that you filed and giving other creditors a chance to join in. The court will set a 341 hearing and the process will begin.

In 2005, the Bankruptcy Code was amended to require that anyone filing bankruptcy complete an approved credit counseling program before they file bankruptcy. Most people can now do the class online. Again, go to the website to find a list of approved agencies and complete the course before you file. It only takes a few hours.

Filing for Bankruptcy without an Attorney
Corporations and partnerships must have an attorney to file a bankruptcy case. Individuals, however, may represent themselves in bankruptcy court. While individuals can file bankruptcy without an attorney. To represent yourself means to file “pro se.” To buy additional time, many homeowners will file bankruptcy themselves, hire an attorney afterwards, the attorney will ask for a dismissal of the case and then refile, often buying 90 days or more before the individual must appear in court. Bankruptcy is not something to toy with. If you do file yourself, hire an attorney as soon as possible. Bankruptcy has long-term financial and legal consequences – hiring a competent attorney is strongly recommended.

Debtors must list all property and debts in their bankruptcy paperwork. If a debt is not listed, it is possible the debt will not be discharged. The judge can also deny the discharge of all debts if a debtor does something dishonest in connection with the bankruptcy case, such as destroying or hiding property, falsifying records, or lying. Individual bankruptcy cases are randomly audited to determine the accuracy, truthfulness, and completeness of the information that the debtor is required to provide. Please be aware that bankruptcy fraud is a crime.

Credit Counseling
Individual debtors are generally required to obtain credit counseling from an approved provider within 180 days before filing a case, and to file a statement of compliance and a certificate of credit counseling furnished by the provider. Failure to do so may result in dismissal of the case, however; in most cases, if you file bankruptcy without completing the credit counseling, the court will require completion of the counseling before your first hearing giving you time to stay within the guidelines.

Finding an Attorney, including Free Legal Services
Debtors are strongly encouraged to obtain the services of competent legal counsel. Even if you cannot afford to pay an attorney, you may be able to qualify for free legal services. For information about hiring an attorney, or about free (also known as “pro bono”) legal services, contact your state or local bar association. Many law schools have legal clinics that offer free legal services. Court web sites often have contact information for bar associations and pro bono legal service programs, as well as important procedural information.

For information about such legal resources, check the American Bar Association’s Legal Help page, the Legal Services Corporation, or the web site of the bankruptcy court where you intend to file.

If you are filing or involved in a bankruptcy case and do not have an attorney, the web site of the bankruptcy court where the case has been or will be filed may be of assistance. The Bankruptcy Resources page may be of help as well.

Again….it is not the end of the world…Knowledge is power – so take time to research this before you make such a HUGE decision…

Have a Blessed Day,

There have been some recent lively discussions over the cyber-waves about whether or not to require buyer pre-approval and/or a buyer agency agreement prior to showing a home. Most real estate agents seem to be of the opinion that it’s a waste of time to work with a buyer who does not have a pre-approval stamped to his forehead and/or hesitates to sign a buyer agency agreement upfront.

Such discussions always rile me up. I have to ask myself… are real estate agents in today’s market So Darn Busy with qualified buyers and motivated sellers that they need to actively turn away those who show up at their doors looking for help? Wow! As I always say in these situations – I LOVE a full pipeline! Send ‘em my way! I’ll take great care of them and probably sell them a house eventually… as well as to all their friends through the years. And I’ll be happy to pay you a referral fee.

I have used the services of many real estate agents in my lifetime and I promise you that if any of them had shown more interest upfront in my financial qualifications than in my housing needs, I’d have found someone else … who showed me the respect I think I deserve. And I certainly would not be interested in obligating myself to anyone I barely know. Oooooh, I get bristly just thinking about it.

I submit that many agents are chasing away perfectly good buyers who are 100% sincere in their desire to purchase a house — and are likely perfectly well qualified to do so. But with these disrespectful efforts to tie them down, all they’re accomplishing is sending them elsewhere… fulfilling the prophecy that Buyers are Liars and confirming the belief that stronger “rules” are needed in the future.

I disagree. I believe that this approach simply irritates buyers, so they look elsewhere for more respectful assistance. I have to wonder if spending time with a buyer without a hint of obligation or pressure might be a much better use of  time than fussing so much over whether or not they’re worthy of a little time?

Relationships take time. There’s no way you can know upfront if a buyer will buy, regardless of the pieces of paper they bring with them or are willing to sign. If an agent can’t afford the $20 in gas or the two hours of time it might take to create some trust and rapport, then by all means, he’ll probably do better referring his potential clients out. And please don’t forget – we get serious paychecks when someone buys. Our paychecks more than offset the risk of a little gas money and time.

My friends, most buyers are not liars… Most buyers have better things to do than waste our precious time. Their time is precious, too. They simply want to be treated kindly, and with RESPECT.

Successful sales function of facts, not emotions

Here’s a new thought for you. Our residential market is trying to correct itself, but we keep getting in the way. “We” includes buyers, sellers, agents, lenders and any other stakeholder that has the propensity to allow emotions to enter their decision-making process. As I said in a previous column, I believe the market is efficient. And like water will seek its own level, supply and demand will equalize with some predictability, if the human factor can be minimized.

Keeping decisions factual and rational sounds good, at least in theory, but let’s face it, we are emotional creatures. Emotions have been called the spice of life. However, in a real estate transaction, decisions rooted in emotion can have the same effect as eating a Habanera Chili Pepper. That is, they both can go down in flames.

One of the best ways to keep your emotions in check is to keep your expectations in check. Tom Magliozzi, a radio talk show host, said, “Happiness equals reality minus expectations.” Who knows if this applies to all aspects of life, but it certainly does apply to real estate.

Too many people involved in the real estate process have a depressive disorder called “Expectation-itis,” which is nothing more than wishing things were one way, when in fact, they are not. How do you know if you have it? Well if you find yourself using one of the following phrases, you may need expectation therapy.

One of the phrases is “Today’s buyers are bottom feeders.” Buyers wanting to buy as low as they can have been around as long as the law of gravity. Sellers want to sell as high as they can. So what? Expecting anything different will certainly disappoint you.

One point that should not be ignored is that when the seller finally becomes a buyer they do not consider themselves a bottom feeder. They call themselves an informed and prudent buyer.

Another classic phrase is “I don’t want to give my home away.” This is another forbidden phrase if you are trying to recover from expectationitis. When you sell your home, you will not be giving it away. You will be selling it at today’s market value. The “giving” part is purely a seller’s mental exercise as they subtract what the market is willing to pay from their “expected” selling price.

The most chronic sufferers will continue to remind everyone how much they have already reduced their asking price. So does that mean if their original listing price was $1.5 million, and now they are down to $500,000, that the market has fallen that much? Or could it be that their expectations were a little unrealistic?

Does it really motivate a buyer to learn that your current asking price is one-third of what it used to be? Nope. Buyers only get excited about “real” savings, which is how much below market value they can buy a property.

Sellers aren’t the only ones who test positive for this disorder. Buyers’ expectations can exceed what reality can deliver as well. How about the buyer who uses the seller’s purchase price as rationale for their offering price? This approach may sound reasonable, but not if the property was purchased five years ago. Or what if it was gifted to the seller? Would your offer be nothing? The seller’s basis in the property is good information, but it does not indicate what the property is worth.

How about the “rule of thumb” method of coming up with an offer price? That’s the one that says you always offer some percentage, usually 10 or 20 percent, below the asking price. These buyers will always be disappointed because they will miss all the good deals. We had a home that was listed at $649,000, but when the advertisement came out there was a misprint. The asking price read $349,000. Guess what? We had an offer come in 20 percent under the printed price. An old adage in real estate says that when you find a great deal, you buy it. In other words, you don’t steal in slow motion.

One of the biggest surprises is about to happen to the fence-sitting buyers. They felt there was no urgency in buying now because prices were falling. Well, they may have already waited too long, because while prices were getting more attractive, lending policies were not. For the buyers who have much less than above average credit and do not have a hefty down payment, they may not be able to buy now, even if they wanted to. That fence you’re sitting on isn’t quite so comfortable now, is it?

There is a difference between expecting the best and having unrealistic expectations. Make sure your recipe for decision-making has more substance than spice. And if you want to add a chili pepper, be sure you have the tolerance for the after effect.

Dave “The Shef” Sheffield is a valued contributor on the Real Estate Radio USA Blog. Dave is also a highly in demand motivational speaker. We found the Shef in a hotel room, had OJ provide us with some well needed security, and we kept the Shef in the room until he agreed to provide us with weekly pearls of wisdom in addition to his articles and New World Order training participation. Here is what the Shef cooked up this week.

Hey You…Yeah You…Take Some Personal Responsibility

We have all heard people say things like, “I can’t help it.” or “It’s not my fault”. All of these statements give pass to an amazing passiveness towards life. In the US, we have the opportunity to do and be anything. If you are poor and want to be rich, do it. If you are in a bad relationship and hate it, get out. If you are bigger than you want to be and want to change it, do it.

My hope is that you all take today as the battle cry for everything that life has to offer.

How Many Irons Are In Your Fire?

“Too many irons in the fire”. We have all heard this one. If you are doing 9 things that are totally unrelated and you aren’t doing any of them real well, you need to scale back. There are a few things that I observe about this statement.

1. The less you do, the more you make. If you are in sales or are a business owner, take the amount of time that you would spend doing something else and focus on doing your highest revenue producing activity.

2. It’s OK to have multiple irons in the fire; as long as they’re in the same fire. Do what you can do to have multiple streams of income. Our educational system in the United States teaches students to go work for a company and get a watch after 30 years. That world does not exist any more (other than in government). The most un-secure thing in the world is a secure job.

3. Continue to better yourself. People who are successful don’t wait to get to a certain level before they start on a personal development program. Start now. This is the foundation for anything successful.

It is also great to have people around who support you in your goals. Get excited about their accomplishments and victories.

Fire it up!

It really makes me wonder just what planet these guys from the National Association Of Realtors (NAR) are from. As a Realtor, I pay dues to an organization that causes my clients and prospective clients to ridicule my chosen profession. It was my belief that these guys were supposed to be supporting me. Wow, was I ever wrong!

While many real estate agents may be lacking of intelligence and not up to speed on financial markets, the consumer is. In fact, I believe that the American consumer is out pacing the average Realtor in regards to garnering knowledge about the real estate industry and the purchase and sale process.

Too many real estate agents are hacks while the consumer looking to spend a couple of hundred thousand dollars in a volatile economy is becoming more and more informed while Realtors are not and relying on moronic cheerleading mantras and statements from an ill-prepared NAR.

Yesterday, in a post on a real estate agent haven website, Agent Genius, one agent pretty much summed up this statement pretty well. Lisa Sanderson, an agent from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania  said, “Catering to the lowest common denominator…thank you for saying that out loud. It has to stop if we are ever going to raise the level of professionalism in our industry. Consumers are out there teaching themselves about many facets of our business. If we don’t outpace them in that and prove our value, we are doomed.”

Bob Wilson, an agent from San Diego, California also offered an opinion and quipped, “Its sad that 87% of brokers feel that informed consumers are their biggest threat!” Read Activerain and that is readily apparent. The typical response is to insult the intelligence of the consumer. The reason they feel threatened is that many agents really do know that they know very little, so when challenged, they react like Bill Murray in Ghostbusters, “Back off man, I’m a scientist”. The consumer has access to info like they never did before and the knowledgeable agent should welcome that. It is another way to differentiate yourself from the competition, because we are now at a point in many markets where knowledge talks and BS walks.”

Sanderson and Wilson are absolutely right. I find myself constantly speaking to clients and prospective clients who look to me to provide them with information borne from substantive fact not wishful thinking that the NAR wants us to spew forth. Credibility and integrity are worth a lot more than a sale.

For example, while Wall Street took an absolute beating last week and the financial news hit like a ton of bricks on what seemed like a daily basis, I received call after call from clients as to what I thought would happen. If you are a regular reader of this blog you know how I feel. Yet while I counsel in reality, we get nothing but rhetoric from the NAR.

Last week while giving a speech (better known as preaching to the choir) to the New York State Association of Realtors in Saratoga Springs, Lawrence Yun, named one of the nation’s top economists by USA Today, said the “foreclosure crisis has been over-hyped”. He went on to say that “It’s very high from a historical point of view, but it’s not as if people are falling apart right and left.”

Huh? Does this guy own a television set? Has he ever even heard of Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers,  AIG??? This is the guy the NAR sends out to make speeches that people besides rose-colored glass wearing real estate agents can actually hear? Are you kidding me?

Does this guy have any idea how much $700 Billion dollars in bailout money is? But he says with a straight face that it’s not that bad? Just a bit overhyped. Yeah, and the Titanic had just a little leak! What an absolute moronic statement. But it gets worse for those of us trying to survive on credibility, integrity and market awareness.

What did the NAR members in attendance do when they heard this BS? Did they rush the stage? Give him the hook? Turn off the mic? No! According to the reporter from the local newspaper who covered this fiasco, the audience actually applauded and cheered.

Let me ask the people of upsate New York. Do you feel comfortable with any agent who cheered this speech handling or advising you on your next home purchase or sale? Of course you don’t.

Yun and the NAR cronies are so far out of touch I think they forgot just when the last time it was that they told the truth and had some resemblance of a credible trade organization.

When Yun can actually muster the audacity to say that he believes that the housing slump is nearly over (he’s actually been saying that for over a year) despite recent financial news, and that “the winter months are always weaker (for home sales), but this winter will be better than last winter,” and that there is this great pent-up demand that cannot be held back any further“…then we as professionals have to begin distancing ourselves from a regime that does not represent or hold the best interest of the American consumer in any regard whatsoever.

My clients expect the truth as well they should. This is not the time for professionals to sugarcoat the realities of our economy and our local market conditions. We don’t have to BS the consumer in order to earn a living. There are buyers out there and if represented correctly and given the data relative to the market, they are making informed decisions and are buying homes and are responding to those agents who can expertly navigate the volatile waters of today’s real estate market.

Can someone please put a muzzle on the NAR and Lawrence Yun!

[flv:http://www.robinashley.com/videos/cramer.flv 300 250]

I have to say that I love Mad Money’s Jim Cramer. I love someone who is willing to absolutely speak what’s on their mind and not have to be beholden to anyone.

Cramer has been wrong, but fortunately for his clients he has been right a lot more than he has been wrong. At the end of the day I want to work with people who I can get the strait scoop from and know what they are talking about.

Cramer recently took the banking leaders in this country to task and, in my opinion, correctly pointed out that the federal government’s intervention and prevention of the collapse of American International Group (AIG) represents an acceptance of socialist, Marxist philosophies.

“They never made the real calls, they never made the tough decisions,” CNBC “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer said of national financial leaders yesterday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”.“Their ideology was such they believed everyone should own a home including people who were deadbeats and had no right to own a home. They were anti-regulation. Now we have spent $900 billion bailing out these institutions and in a twist on what Nixon once said ….after the seizure last night of AIG and Fannie Mae…we’re all communists now.”

It’s not that the bailouts weren’t necessary. I think most of us unfortunately agree that it had to happen. However it is still the point that government intervention into the private sector is a socialist action. As Cramer had stated the day before, had the bailouts not taken place, there was a great chance that the markets would have frozen and not opened if AIG wasn’t bailed out. That would have been absolute financial chaos.

MSNBC host, Mark Haines underscored Cramer’s sentiment and went even further in actually making the call that we are already in a state of Socialism.

“Well, everyone’s in favor of a free market until it doesn’t work to their advantage,” Haines said. “And then, they’re in favor of socialism and that’s where we are right now – that’s where we are right now.”

The free market has failed in recent days and notably as it regards AIG. As banks became even more nervous, we are at a point where they may have stopped lending to each other altogether without some reasonable expectation of being paid back. In fact the term guarantee has replaced reasonable.

While philosophically we all can go back and forth as to what should have happened and lay blame on a number of people, the fact of the matter is we are now where we are. Government intervention on a philosophical level irks and scares many. Yet, in this instance government intervention was an absolute necessity.

You know how when you were in college and you really did not want to ask mom and dad for any money, because you knew what strings came clutching with your request, but you just couldn’t eat one more burrito from 7-Eleven?

Well Mom and Dad (Paulson and Bernanke) are in place with coffers open to help, but the help alone won’t fix the situation.

The long-time CNBC anchor admitted the government intervention was ill-conceived on a philosophical level, but it was a necessity – even though it didn’t remedy the problem.

“Nobody really likes this on a philosophical basis, but we live in a real world and we can’t, can’t dither with philosophy when such serious matters are at stake,” Haines added. “So – I’m of the opinion this doesn’t really fix anything – it’s just another Band-Aid.”

So how does this affect the real estate industry? Well, I think that the posers need to step aside and let those who want to roll up their sleeves and actually work get in the trenches and make something happen.

Put Lawrence Yun in a closet somewhere, tell Dick Garfield and the NAR to stop running silly stupid commercials, and let those Realtors who actually are trained professionals get out there and do some business to bring back the housing sector.

I’m a real estate agent. I represent buyers who want to purchase a home. If my buyers can’t find the money to buy a home I am basically out of business. So while I abhor governmental intervention, I understand the necessity in this instance.

With the thin air of breathing room afforded us all in this business, I think it’s time for true professionals to step up and and generate some business. So what should we all look to do? Here’s a couple of immediate steps that we as agents can do:

1. Retire, Quit, Step Aside: Ok, I’ll say it…the time for the Mary Kay, Tupperware real estate agent is done. This economic climate requires true professionals to expertly assess market conditions and be HONEST with their clients. I know it’s tough for some but maybe the NAR can spend some money auditing listings. It will never happen but it’s a nice thought.

2. Stop Faking It!: If you don’t know how to really do a real estate short sale stop lying to clients, cancel your listing and refer them to someone who actually does. I venture to say that 90% of agents have no clue as to how to execute a short sale but would die before they step aside. People can’t you see what’s going on in the financial markets??? These banks are DESPERATE. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. One of the reasons you are having so much trouble in your short sales is becasue you don’t understand simple banking jargon and procedural operations. Stop making flowery BPO’s becasue you hope to get listings. Be financial analysts. Learn how money markets work and their relation to non-performing assets. Learn how to perform a regression analysis and how it applies to the bank’s expected loss severity rate. Cultivate buyers who are prepared, ready and financially capable of actually closing on a transaction. This stuff sound over your head? Then go deliver pizzas! You’re not a professional.

3. Bail On Ridiculous Listings: Unless you need the practice then why would you take a listing you know won’t sell. You’re supposed to be a professional. If I go to a doctor and I tell him I have been coughing and sneezing he doesn’t prescribe Viagra. You are grossly misdiagnosing your client’s needs for your own benefit. Shame on you! You are actually adding to the financial crisis by listing properties that won’t sell or at prices that are absurd. Time and time again we talk about the law of supply and demand and it falls upon the deaf ears of too many realtors. Hey stupid! Wake up…quit using yard signs to promote yourself on a listing you know won’t sell. It’s not like you plan on answering the phone anyway! Where’s that NAR audit when it’s really needed.

4. Stop Holding Hands And Singing Kumbaya: Sometimes I actually feel that I am in a cult. No one wants to call anybody out. No one wants to be seen as that agent who singles out people. Where is the oversight in this industry? Code of Ethics? It’s a joke. Why don’t you brokers out there monitor your business? If you have subpar, non-expert agents in your stable give them the boot! To hell with the loss of desk fees. i am sure there’s another sucker for you to pimp out somewhere. This industry is rotten from the inside out from top to bottom. It is amazing so many ignore the data and survey that is culled from the minds of consumers. If someone in our office isn’t pulling their weight or working in the best interests of the client then good bye! It’s not that hard to do. Surround yourself with people who want to succeed. Give me 5 determined and EDUCATED agents and we will take over any market.

5. Realize That Socialism Sucks! I don’t want to be “taken care of”. I don’t want to be bailed out! I don’t want to have any agency providing me with my ability to sustain business. If you do, then vote for Obama, get in the welfare line, take your food stamps and stop pretending to be a real estate professional.Cramer said that he thinks we dangerously stepped into a Socialist state with the bailout of these financial behemoths who lost their way. I think Socialism has been taking hold of the real estate industry for quite some time.

Everyone should not be allowed to be a real estate agent or call themselves a real estate professional. No, we are all not professionals. No, we are not all created equal and regardless of what shade of lipstick you choose to wear, some pigs are indeed more equal than others.

A socialist mindset makes me sick and the fact that Cramer may be somewhat right that we all may be communists now does not mean we have to stay that way.

Did you know the # 1 reason why most people fail to reach their goals? Is it the lack of skill, lack of intelligence, or lack of motivation?

The answer is, “None of the above.” Rather, it is the presence of self limiting beliefs.

Having been a business coach for the past 12 years, I’ve noticed that everyone has an abundance of self limiting beliefs. Sometimes these lie dormant for years, but when you are building a business, they often stop you dead in your tracks.

I’ve noticed that there are categories in which most people have self limiting beliefs:

• Beliefs about themselves
• Beliefs about money
• Beliefs about work

Let’s take these categories one at a time and discover the self limiting beliefs that live within each one of us.

Beliefs about yourself

Do any of these sound familiar?

• “I’m not educated enough”
• “I’m not good enough”
• “It’s selfish for me to want more”

Beliefs about work

• “Work needs to be hard”
• “Work requires struggle and sacrifice”
• “To be successful I have to give up my personal life”"

  Beliefs about money

• There is never enough money”
• “Nice people don’t have money”
• “People who have money are cut-throat”
• “Money will create a problem in my relationships”

If you recognize any of these self limiting beliefs in yourself, keep in mind that:

• It doesn’t help to judge yourself for these beliefs, so be compassionate with yourself.
• These beliefs are not facts, just beliefs.
• These beliefs can be changed, you’re not stuck with them.

At this point, you’re probably wondering, “How do I get rid of these beliefs?”

Step 1

Make a T diagram by drawing a horizontal line on your paper and a vertical line. This will create two columns.
Label the heading of the left-hand column, “self limiting beliefs”. Then label the right-hand column, “empowered beliefs”.

After you’ve written down all of your self limiting beliefs in your left-hand column, find the belief that would cancel out the old belief. Then write that in your right-hand column.

For example, if your self limiting belief about yourself is, “I don’t have what it takes to succeed”, then cancel that out by writing the opposite of that statement in your right-hand column, such as,” I have more than I need to succeed.”

Step 2

Make a list of your inner and outer resources. At the top of the page write, “I have all I need to succeed.”
Then began to write down all of your inner resources, such as intelligence, determination, people skills and so forth.

Next, determine your outer resources, such as: a supportive office, a supportive spouse, years of experience, and excellent mentor and so forth.

Step 3

Become highly aware of your thoughts and feelings.
If you’re feeling anything less than wonderful, then you’re probably focusing on what you don’t want, rather than what you do want. When you notice that, ask yourself, “So…what do I want?”

Step 4

Once you are aware of what you want, begin to visualize it and feel what it feels like to have it. For example, if you want to make $400,000 a year , work 30 hours or less a week and take several vacations within the next 12 months, visualize that. Close your eyes and capture the feeling.

Take a few moments each day to be in that feeling. Be sure to bring all of your senses into it.

For example, if you visualize yourself vacationing in Hawaii, then feel the balmy ocean air, the feeling of the sand beneath you, the warmth of the sun on your body and so forth. I’m sure you get the idea.

Step 5

If any self limiting belief opposes your intention to make $400,000 a year, work 30 hours a week or less, and have several vacations within the next 12 months, become a
“loving detective” in yourself and find out what self limiting belief is opposing that.

In other words what is your counter intention? For most people, it is the belief, “I’m not worthy of abundance.”

Ask your old belief this question, “What are you trying to do for me, by having me hold on to the belief that I’m not worthy of abundance?”

Most of the time, the answer will be, “I’m trying to keep you safe.”

When I coach my clients, I help them to see the origin of that belief so they are able to realize the connection in their subconscious mind between perceived “safety”
and stopping themselves from abundance.

Usually what we discover is that this belief was installed as a survival strategy in childhood. Once the awareness of that is available, we can reprogram or release that self limiting belief. I have my clients thank that self limiting belief for trying to be of service, and then release it to its highest good.

If you have been feeling stuck and unable to reach your goals, I would highly recommend that you practice the five steps shown above. Once you’ve released your self limiting beliefs, you will have unleashed your “unstoppable energy.”

Success is created from the inside out. By doing this inner work, you are building a solid blueprint for success within yourself.