Wordy C: Oh Crap...
I'm Missing Out On A Really Cool Deal... A FREE Real Estate Foreclosure Seminar In Seattle
I love Trump University. Everyone close to me knows I hoard Donald Trump information like Ebenezer Scrooge hoards money (LOL). The cool thing about me and Ebenezer is we tend to figure out what we missed in the beginning and make beneficial adjustments to make out in the end.
"Now Is The Time To Buy" is a real estate mantra heard so often it is starting to fall on deaf ears. Sad thing is, now IS the time to buy... Seriously... (You can't believe I said that, right? I usually say this market WHOMPS and it does! It completely sucks, which is why I'm now investing in out-of-state property - LOL)
Why am I buying something now? Hmm... Did you miss the low, low prices? Did you know that in some communities approximately 1 in 7 houses are now estimated to possibly be vacant according to the Census Bureau? You can read a very interesting 12 page census housing report here if you like crossing your eyes over the housing numbers (LMAO). Psssssst... It gives my ADD something interesting to do when I'm debating with my attorney girlfriends. ;-)
BTW, they, my legal eagle buddies, want to buy something as well... We are having mad fun talking each other OUT of purchasing properties. Not a typo (LOL).
Did I mention this market whomps? Well, now it whomps enough for me to realize I need to snap up a good deal. So I am (LMAO). However, I still have to do my due diligence and wont buy a crappy home. We finally found one investment we all liked so my hubby Mikey has dibbs on it. The seller and bank recently accepted our offer and we are very happy that it requires a minimal amount of repair work. We knew to make our under market short sale offer based upon the national and local numbers. Even if you are not sure what the numbers mean for now, save the PDF ladies and gentlemen, I will be teaching people what the numbers signify later (and you can ask other people, so don't wait for me). In the meantime, now that I have teased you with the possibility I will be posting a market report tutorial from hell down the road, you should start your own research to create your "dream file" so you can take your time and craft a game plan to increase your family's wealth by doing what the wealthy do: (a) getting informed so they can (b) take action.
Think I'm kidding? I'm not. It's that simple.
Getting informed means you have a file of research regarding what you want to do. I have a dream file. I've been checking off items one by one and the list is pretty long. I want stuff and I am working very hard to get it.
It aint easy. I am struggling in this recession just like a lot of other folk but in case you missed this little real estate detail I am here to tell you that PEOPLE ARE STILL MAKING MONEY. In a sucky market no less (LOL). I jumped in and am determined to do a lot with a little bit because (a) I only have a little bit and (b) I habitually gravitate towards people who are smarter than I am and learn all I can while they are making themselves available to me.
The Internet is a beautiful thing. You do not have to be limited to a brick and mortar event to get started. Trump University is making itself available to people in real life and virtually. Some of it is for free. FREE people. Free, free, free... (LOL)
Don't like free? I can't help you then because I am the Queen of Free. I LOVE FREE. This seminar is free... Sign up. Get there. Go network. Make a play date with your relatives and friends and/or write off your business trip. Do what ever you need to do to get there if you can. If I were not already engaged with my kid's IEP I would hop a plane and be there. I am totally bummed out that I am not going to this one... It would have been really neat because I love ActiveRain just as much as Trump U and I really wanna go to Seattle, damn it. That would have been a two for one for me, but I digress... (LOL). ;-)
If you are considering buying and/or selling a home soon, my advice to you is to go take the Trump University seminars. This one. Another one. Doesn't matter which ones... just take 'em when you have the time or make the time, depending upon how important increasing your personal wealth is to you. It's important to me because I have wee ones that need to be taken care of. Who do you want to take care of? Think about that before you dismiss this as a possible life changing event... My first Inman was incredible. It was a life changing event. So was my first Trump U webinar.
FACT: Most people who sell their home are looking for someplace else to live.
FACT: Most people who buy a home are looking to maximize their investment dollars with the best property their money can buy within an allocated budget. It doesn't have to be a short sale or foreclosure either (which is why I believe people should understand exactly what they are getting themselves into).
FACT: The more you learn about the various stages of the process the better the odds that you will make an informed decision when you hire your Realtor, Lawyer and other team members to realize your objectives, whether it be buying or selling a home or any other investment project.
Did you know that there is a "rash of foreclosures" going on. CNN Money has an interesting article on the subject here. The media and NAR are spinning all sorts of interesting sound bites on the subject so I am going to jump into the fray. Ready? Read... My sound bite: go find out for yourself (LOL).
FACT: The Census Bureau reports, "Approximately 85.5 percent of the housing units in the United States in the third quarter 2009 were occupied and 14.5 percent were vacant. The owner-occupied housing units were 57.8 percent of total housing units and renter-occupied units made up 27.7 percent of total housing units in third quarter 2009. Vacant housing units comprised 14.5 percent of total housing units, including 10.9 percent for year-round use, and 3.5 percent for seasonal use. Approximately 3.5 percent of the total units were for rent, 1.5 percent were for sale only, and 5.9 percent were vacant for a variety of other reasons."
Why am I fascinated about this PDF and the CNN Money numbers? It reiterates now is the time to buy to the cartoons in my head (LOL). Do think about it... No matter what the market does people need food, clothing and shelter. You can debate their methodology, you can compare the revised government estimates, you can hollar at me all you want with pessimism and sarcasm while providing links to other opinions. Wont change the fact that the housing market prices are more reasonable now then they were a few years ago AND PEOPLE STILL NEED SHELTER, FOOD AND CLOTHING. Somebody is going to buy and enjoy some equity so why not you? Wont change the fact that some states have more housing issues than others but they all have issues we can't escape from. Since we can't escape, why not do what we can with what we have? Wanna buy? Buy. Wanna sell? Put it on the market, listen to your listing broker and price it according to the actual comps and stop acting stupid with picking unreasonable numbers out of thin air.
Stop trying to time the market. The statistical maps speak for themselves after the fact. By the time some sellers get comparables, have an attitude with a listing broker because he or she wants more than buyers are willing to pay, you/he/she/they missed so many opportunities to buy/sell/invest in a new property or properties that were potentially great opportunities to purchase.
Flip side: buyers, stop low balling sellers. This isn't a game, its a business transaction. There is a big difference between being astute and being stupid. Think about that the next time you miss a home with $100K in equity in it because you wanted something for nothing. The market is constantly evolving. Do you really want to buy a house or don't you? You need to be honest with yourself before you pick up the phone to ask to see a property. Owners are taking off time from work to make their homes presentable and available. My time is not the only time being wasted while you play at posing as a buyer.
Some of you need to learn a new set of facts and stop blaming everything on the industry professionals. Take responsibility for your actions and educate yourselves. I did not sign your loan docs. You did. Consumers need to read all of their paperwork and stop whining about what they agreed to do. When you come to me and carry on about what happened before you came to me I always wonder why you signed the docs to begin with. I am a Realtor. I am not the Social Security Advocate, not the CPA, not the Mortgage Broker, not the Lender, not the Lawyer, just the Realtor. That's why I want you all to go to class.Someone besides the Realtor needs to teach you what to expect from the roles presented because when we try to tell you we ought not to be answering certain types of questions some of you think we are stupid. Fact is, we know a lot more than you think and do not want to cross out of our representation purview.
People who take investment seminars are investing in themselves and tend to be a wee bit more serious about a real estate transaction than those who just watch HGTV, expecting something unrealistic and unreasonable. I love HGTV, but I do a lot more than just open doors and parrot, "this is the kitchen." It is unrealistic and unreasonable for consumers to make a transaction hell because somehow a contract isn't a contract to some of you and you keep trying to negotiate and change the agreement after you have agreed in writing to the terms you accepted. I work very hard on my market reports and memorize my neighborhood trending statistics so when people act stupid and ruin deals and demand more deals only to ruin them as well, there is just so much a professional will accept before we withdraw from a toxic relationship. We can "fire" consumers for cause. Did you know that? You may want to consider that the next time your poor planning and flip fly attitude rears its ugly head and you tantrum because you mistakenly believe the people you hire have to put up with your shit indefinitely. This is a business transaction. I am not your therapist (LOL). That's why I like advocating events like this. Informed consumers make better clients. :-)
The cool thing about attending great business seminars is that they have the potential to wake and shake you up, making you aware that breaching a duty isn't just about professionals, it is also about you, the consumer and some of your actions when you initiate a business project retaining professionals to work on your behalf. If you have enough sense to respect your boss at work, then you have enough sense to respect me when I work with and for you. I think that ones ability to have common sense and behave is a reasonable assumption for most rational people interested in remaining employed at a job that matters to them. Doesn't buying your house matter to you? Being a brutally blunt person, I am going to say what a lot of people think but may not tell you: we have an expectation that you will behave and hate when you dont because it causes unnecessary stress and delays. So behave. Act as if what the entire team of professionals do on your behalf matters to you and respect your decision to select and hire us. ;-)
Got news for you: I am in your boat, consumers and sharing the same questions and fears most of you have because I am working from where I am right now (1) as a buyer's broker and (2) first time home buyer. Prior to this specific transaction I would only purchase land because land development interests me. Since I am also putting my money, my hubby's money and my friends money where my blog mouth is, I am doing a considerable amount of research across state lines learning other markets with a little help from my broker friends. We, my personal sphere of influence, are all starting to buy property right now because we can afford the discounts on the equity currently reflected in the markets researched as they currently stand. ARE YOU?
You can if you want to and if you stop freaking out about will it go up or down three weeks from now. It will always go up and down. That's what free markets do. Markets are local, so work with people who know your targeted areas and figure out when you want to enter the market. Can't afford to buy a house? Then buy some land and start dreaming about building your dream home for a later date.
WORK FROM WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE NO ONE HAS A CRYSTAL BALL AND NO ONE CAN DEFINITELY TELL YOU WHAT THE HOUSING PRICES ARE GOING TO DO. If you are willing to pay a particular price for a home, then pay it. If you are willing to sell at a particular price, then sell it. Get yourself a buyer's agent or a listing broker and do what you can do the moment YOU decide you are going to do it.
I said it before and am saying it again: Markets are local. Deal with the reality of YOUR situation from where you stand right now... A sound bite from a talking head on the television shouldn't be telling you what your interests are, you should be discussing your best interests with the retained professionals of your choice.
Some experts previously said there was no housing bubble. Now all "they" talk about is the housing bubble bursting (LOL). If you ask me anything along that line I am going to think that you are incredibly stupid because what part of there being no crystal ball and markets are local didn't you understand? I don't know when the next crash is coming. "They" have a track record of being wrong so why listen to them tell you about next year. Can you see into next week? What makes you think "they" can? Seriously... Quit that... (LMAO). You need professionals to look out for your best interests NOW. Start where you are. Create a budget. Get a goal and get off the fence.
I am a Donald Trump fan because he starts where ever he is. He struggled and survived and is qualified to teach struggling people like me how to do it anyway. He was not always rich, periodically had cash flow problems, was smart enough to hire people who strive to bring clarity to the situation and honestly speaks about the times when things were not going well in comparison to when things are. It is a well rounded perspective.
I like blunt people. I like people who are open about their mistakes and will advocate not repeating the same business mistakes as if the first lesson wasn't a valuable lesson. I have a lot of valuable lessons to learn and if I can avoid going down a wrong road I'd like to try to stay off the messy paths very smart people tell me not to go down.
Wanna know what my goals are? I want to go from being a real estate sales agent to an associate broker, from an associate broker to a broker in charge, from broker/owner to an east coast franchise and niche developer. I'm already a real estate investor. I still find that amazing and quite amusing (LOL). I've already started where I am and you can start where you are too. Need some help? Let me know or call the Realtor of your choice. Land is available all across the USA from a few thousand dollars to several millions worth. Start with land if you don't have house money.
Did you know you could pick up a plot of land for less than a trip to the Bahamas if you change your mindset and think about a long term investment rather than a short term beach booty call? Yeah. I went there. I have friends who do this twice a year so I know exactly what I am talking about (LOL). Now they want to buy recreational land because we've been visiting the areas we personally invested in and taking them on rides for mini vacations is cheaper and more fun. America has beaches too (LOL). Wanna do something cool and unusual with some of your vacation money? Why not create your own vacation spot? One that you own. ;-)
Trump University has a lot of really neat seminars to choose from that can help you do this and a lot of other neat things. I am a huge fan of their webcasts. I also love their book collection. Donald has some of the best people in the industry working and writing for him. I don't care how much you may personally like or dislike the man, what I care about is the fact that as a resource to consumers and practitioners the collection housed there is a very useful to anyone looking to do something positive regarding creating personal wealth through starting a real estate investment portfolio.
Why do you think my hubby and I just jumped on an investment property in Florida and are currently in the middle of a social media closing where we're using the power of networking to get what we want? It's because we are doing what we learned from the material that Trump University makes available. We are doing what we learned although I myself am a small fry with limited streams of revenue. I was smart enough to pay attention and buy land when I could afford to, then upgrade to hunting for a decent home with a significant amount of equity in it. It hasn't gone smoothly, but what short sale doesn't have potential third party drama? Any sale can create drama (LOL). Do I need to remind you that this market whomps and people are very emotional about selling their homes?
If I can start where I am, you can start where you are too. Do something different and go check out this seminar (and a host of others) if you are within driving distance to any of the following locations:
Holiday Inn Downtown Everett 3105 Pine Street Everett, WA 98201 Monday, Nov 30, 2009 1:00 PM 7:00 PM
Embassy Suites Seattle - North/Lynnwood Hotel 20610 44th Avenue West Lynnwood, WA 98036 Tuesday, Dec 01, 2009 1:00 PM 7:00 PM
Redmond Marriott Town Center 7401 164th Avenue NE Redmond, WA 98052 Wednesday, Dec 02, 2009 1:00 PM 7:00 PM
Courtyard Seattle Bellevue / Downtown 11010 NE 8th Street Bellevue, WA 98004 Thursday, Dec 03, 2009 9:00 AM 1:00 PM
If you can fly in, by all means fly in. There's a lot of really neat stuff to do in Seattle WA during your pending business trip. As for me, I am a huge Grey's Anatomy fan and ActiveRain is another fave addiction. I may discover a means to get my bloggers butt over there if anything changes in the next couple of days (LOL). I'm constantly learning and will be the first one to tell my buyers and sellers you should know what I know. Wanna get started on your on investment adventure? Google and Trump University are great ways to start.
Check out Josef Katz. Dude is a marketing genius totally into real estate investing. I am learning a tremendous amount of information from my ActiveRain friends in the industry and Josef is a friend of mine who works at Trump U. I have personally benefited quite a bit from their material. Why shouldn't you benefit too? We all have to start somewhere. Don't let the holidays turn you into a slacker because you're fibbing to yourself about some New Years resolution you know you are not going to keep because you failed to keep the other ones (LMAO). Yeah, I went there. Been there. Done that. Aint doing it again... Know how I know? I no longer make New Years resolutions (ROTFL). Can't break promises you don't make, even if they are to yourself... Just sayin' ;-)
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