Swiroset.com

This is my first article. I am only now catching up with the internet world. I played professional golf most of my life, but have been an active real estate investor and wholesaler for about 22 years.

I have contracted more than 200 homes in that period of time. Most of those houses I have turned over to other investors/rehabbers and made a very quick and fairly easy profit. I also kept many houses for rehab and retail and many of them I kept for rent, to build long-term wealth.

I have used several different exit strategies when buying houses. Owner financing, lease options and rental ownership. This is the beauty of being a professional real estate wholesaler. It gives me a lot of options on properties that I have purchased at deep discounts. If I hold the rental property, then I have great real estate that has great equity and certainly isn’t affected by downturns in the real estate market.

I rarely deal with foreclosure property. In most cases, there is very little capital to work with. I’m not looking for a pale amount of cash flow from a house. Rental management is too much work. Too many people and legal issues to deal with. Now, if I have a house with 25 to 50 percent equity, I certainly don’t care as much about the hassle and I don’t mind the market. Also, I can trade a contract for a house and make a bigger profit than 20 rental houses could possibly give me. He could flip five houses in a month. That’s a much better scenario than leaky faucets, broken water heaters, leaky roofs, etc.

I have spent over a year and a half working on my educational information that is available on the web.

I live in Dallas, Texas and do strong advertising for motivated sellers in our greater Dallas/Ft.Worth area. I receive calls every day from many people who have nothing to do with the sale of their house. The calls are from people who have taken expensive wholesale courses from big gurus in the business. People with some knowledge, but no tutoring. People who have spent a fortune to learn my business. Most of these people are still in a fog. They have no idea which way to go. They seem to know the basic structure of wholesale, but they just can’t put it all together. No experience or training in applying exit strategies. They have been given plagiarized information about the wholesale business and no support. No tutoring. If they are offered any kind of tutoring, it will cost them a lot more money. It seems that they die fragmented.

Everyone seems to have this mindset that a real estate wholesale price is 65 percent of the retail value (after repair value), less any repairs, and less your determined assignment fee. Then they are supposed to find an investor/rehabber who will buy your contract for 65 percent of retail value less those repairs and your assignment fee.

Example: Value of the house $100,00.00 x.65% = $65,000.00 -repairs – $25,000.00 -assignment fee -$5000.00 What you offer the seller = $35,000.00

Good luck!

I agree that you should try to buy a house for as low a price as you can, but many homeowners just aren’t going to sell their house that cheap. That’s where most callers end up. There is no contract on a house. Without assignment fee and without living. The example above is a great scenario to follow if you can get the seller to agree. Many will not. This is where I see the lack of understanding and training that they have been given. These guru-educated students have no idea what to do right now. No negotiation skills.

A lot of houses that I got under contract were houses that the wholesalers made offers on and didn’t get, because they’re stuck on this 65 percent rule that they’re taught. A rule that just doesn’t work all the time.

I prefer to give the seller more for his house and give the investor a lower percentage return. I have investors who don’t necessarily apply the 65 percent rule when it comes to rehabbing a home.

In the example I used above, why should an investor always make a 35 percent profit on a deal? I am not here to enrich investors. I just want to give them a nice profit margin for 60 to 90 days of rehab work. I found the house and the seller. Without them, the investor does not earn anything. You would certainly think that if an investor made a 20 percent profit in a short period of time, that would be a great return on his investment. Can any of you guys tell me where I can get a 20 percent return on my investment in that time frame? You can’t. Also, if they know what they’re doing, they can get good tax benefits on the investment.

Find investors who are willing to be reasonable about their profit margins, and you’ll hire more houses. I guarantee it.

The people who are really trying to learn our business are not being educated in the right way. They are stuck, as if they were trained by the government; Follow the rules of the book, NO EXCEPTIONS. You will never achieve your goals with this mindset.

You have to negotiate. You have to negotiate with buyers and sellers. Our business is negotiations, not getting lost in the fog.

Bed bugs are one of the most difficult pests to control. In recent studies, scientists observed that pests produce enzymes that neutralize pesticides. In addition, the scientists discovered that the pests acquired mutations in their nerve cells, which attenuated the neurotic effect of the pesticides.

Insects develop resistance to pesticides by natural selection, a non-random process where biological traits become common in a population based on the differential reproduction of their carriers. The insects that survive the pesticide are the most resistant and pass on genetic traits to their offspring.

Several factors contribute to pest resistance, one of which is exposure of the pest to natural toxins over a long period of time. Another reason is that pests produce large numbers of offspring, which increases the likelihood of random mutations. This allows the number of resistant mutants to increase rapidly. Because the insects are difficult to kill, you must use a variety of techniques and treatments.

Bed bug control refers to the techniques used to detect, eradicate, and reduce a bed bug infestation. Five control techniques support knowledge construction (inspection, detection, observation, post-treatment evaluation, and follow-up procedures) and two elimination techniques (application of treatments and preventive control measures) reduce, detect, and eliminate bed bugs.

The process begins with acquiring knowledge about pests. A good understanding of bed bug habits, biology, and behavior is the foundation of a good control program.

People without knowledge try to control them and fail. The structured approach (construction of knowledge, prevention, control and application of treatments) is the basis of effective control.

Acquire knowledge

The construction of knowledge transcends the biology, behavior and habits of the pest. It takes cause and effect into account. In other words, successful control depends on finding the answers to 6 questions:

1. Why do bed bugs enter the house? They need shelter and food.

2. When did they enter the house? The extent of the infestation determines when the pests entered the home. An established infestation implies that they have been around for a while. Low infestation implies that they were recently introduced to the home.

3. What can I do to remove them? It is important that you study the biology, behavior, and habits of bed bugs and understand and implement the proper techniques to reduce, detect, and eradicate the pests.

4. How do bed bugs get into the house? Pests can enter the home in 3 ways:

Person: someone physically carries them home in luggage or other personal belongings.

Thing: They enter the house through furniture, equipment, clothing or any other used item.

Forcible invasion: entering the house from a neighboring apartment, especially in a multi-unit complex.

5. What are bed bugs like? You should do your research on the pest or have a pest control professional identify the target pest.

6. Where can I get help with a difficult infestation? Hire a pest control professional to remove the pest.

Inspection

The inspection consists of locating shelters. Two types of inspections, visual and canine, are used in bed bug control. Canine inspection involves the use of a trained dog to locate shelters.

Dog inspection is quick and 95% guaranteed that the dog will be successful. Since it is only 95% guaranteed, a visual inspection is still necessary to locate shelters missed by canine inspection.

Visual inspection is a physical search for shelters. It is tedious and time consuming, but it is the only technique that makes it easy to locate and treat all shelters. Although the dog locates the shelter, someone has to clean and treat it. Therefore, visual inspection complements canine inspection.

Detection

Detection in bed bug control refers to finding evidence that suggests an infestation. In other words, bed bug inspection makes detection easier.

what to look for

1. Bed bugs and adult nymphs

2. Eggs, eggshells

3. Get rid of the fur

4. Blood stains, excrement

5. An unpleasant odor described as sickly sweet raspberries or musty shoe odor

6. Bite marks on the body

Observation

Bed bug monitoring tools make it easy to observe pest activity. By observing pest activity, you can determine the source and extent of an infestation.

This information allows you to select and apply a variety of treatments to eliminate an infestation. Treatment depends on the structure and location of the harborage site.

Post-treatment evaluation

Evaluation and monitoring procedures are secondary information-gathering techniques. After each treatment it is best to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment.

The objective of the evaluation stage is to determine:

1. If you achieved the objective

2. Whether the strategies achieved the desired effects

3. Whether the pests were managed properly

4. Whether the control methods were satisfactory

5. If the program needs any improvement

Follow-up procedures

Bed bug control is not easy, especially in an established infestation, hence the need for follow-up inspections, observations, and treatments until the pests are completely eliminated.

Bed bugs are difficult pests to control. The information gathering techniques described above are designed to generate knowledge about the pest. The knowledge you build allows you to eliminate an infestation using preventative controls, chemical and non-chemical treatments.

Marketing definition of yellow letters

Yellow letters are a widely heralded marketing technique that boasts a 10-15% response rate. The premise is to handwrite a letter in red ink on yellow paper offering to buy or sell a product or service. Since this technique uses invitation-style envelopes and live stamps, most recipients will open and read it rather than identify it as spam for disposal. Also, since the letter is handwritten and personalized for them, it helps to establish rapport.

Materials and Cost Savings

One-time/fixed-cost items include a printer and a word processor such as Microsoft Office or openoffice.org (free download). As long as it supports mail merge, any word processor will work. In addition, we will use a digital scanner. Since we’ll only be using it twice, you might consider borrowing from a neighbor or friend instead of buying your own. You will also need your complete marketing list with name, property address, and mailing address. To create these lists, you can use an online service like listsource.com.

A do-it-yourself campaign can provide significant cost savings compared to many online yellow card services. To give you an idea of ​​the savings, a 1000 letter campaign online can cost $1.40 per letter for a total of $1400. Doing it yourself can be as cheap as $650 for a savings of $750. Please note that I did not price raw materials, so you may be able to overcome this by buying in bulk or finding a better deal. These items can be picked up for prices similar to the following at any office supply store such as Walmart, Staples, and Office Depot.

• Color ink at $25 / 250 letters is $0.10 per letter
• Invitation-style envelopes (4 3/8 x 5 3/4) $8.38 / 100 envelopes en $0.08 per letter
• Yellow Notepads (8 1/2 x 11) $10.88 / 600 sheets en $0.02 per letter
• First class stamps (for return service) are $0.45 per letter
• Total cost per letter is $0.65 + tax

The steps

First, I must say that this is a non-trivial amount of work. If I had to guess, I’d say I’ve put in a solid 30 hours from start to finish to put out my first 700+ card campaign. Now that I’m more experienced with the process, I might cut it in half for a similarly sized campaign. You certainly need to consider the cost-benefit before you start. That said, this is a great option if you’re focused on keeping your marketing costs down, are just starting out, or have a tighter budget. You can multitask while printing and stuffing envelopes while watching TV. Given the savings, there is certainly room to outsource this work to someone looking to make a quick buck. Alternatively, you can use this technique until you have closed a few deals. After that, your time is more important and you may prefer to use an online service.

1. Create a custom font

If you haven’t heard of fiverr.com, prepare to be amazed. The premise of the site is to buy various services for $5. Go to the site and search for “source” and then choose one of the service providers that has a good rating. Here is the workflow:

1) They will send you a template that you must print.

2) The template has a series of boxes for you to provide samples of your handwriting, including AZ, az, and special characters.

3) Once complete, you will need to scan the page and provide them with the resulting image file.

4) They will create your font and return it to you in about a day.

5) When you receive the font, you can install it on your machine by following its instructions. Now you can create and print documents using your handwriting!

A couple of things to keep in mind:

1) Try to introduce some variability into your font by using a less than perfect letter; things like left, right, top, or bottom justifying some characters and varying character sizes.

2) Make sure your font has a consistent slant so any sentence you write flows well.

3) Try a thinner pen, such as a ballpoint pen, and keep it handy so you can mix it up in the future.

4) This pen does not need to be red, as we will introduce the color later.

Bottom line, try not to make your font perfect or you’ll have obvious characteristics of computer generated fonts like comic sans (regular spacing between characters, all characters lined up perfectly, no errors).

2. Creating your Yellow Letter Template

Type, print, and proofread some sample text in your new font. If your source is credible on its own, you can skip step A and proceed to step B. If it seems too synthetic, you can try step 1 again (for an additional $5) applying any observations you have. If not, you will need to complete steps A and B to create your yellow letter template. In either case, your finished product will be something like the following where [XXX] and [YYY] they are automatically populated with data from your marketing spreadsheet.

Dear [XXX],

I am a real estate investor and I am interested in your neighborhood. I see you have a house in [YYYY].

If you are interested in selling, please call me at 555.555.5555. We’ll pay closing costs and…

Kind regards,

Don

A) Create the base for your template

The basis of your template will be a scanned image of a handwritten yellow letter. To do this, I suggest you first create a hard copy of your Yellow Card using your custom font. For the printed letter, be sure to leave room for the salutation (i.e. Dear [XXX] from above) and a full line for the address of the property (i.e. [YYY] from above). You will also need a sheet of yellow pad paper and a sheet of blank printer paper. First place the yellow paper on the table. Next, overlay the printout so that the text matches the lines on the paper. Finally, place the blank piece of paper on top so that you can copy the printed version using your handwriting. The purpose of this step is to match the font closely but introduce additional variability to make the result more readable. You may need to adjust the pages several times to get the resulting copy to match the line spacing of the yellow paper. You may get better results by using a window so that the sunlight allows you to see the lines that make up the yellow paper and the lettering you are copying by hand.

The next step is to scan this document with your scanner and create an image file that you can put as a background in your word processor. The best setting for the scanner is text mode (this preserves contrast by removing dust and other impurities). Also, set the scan dimensions to 8.5″ x 11″ so that the resulting image will fill the space in your word processor and line up perfectly with the lines on the yellow paper.

Open the image in your favorite graphics software and change the font areas from black to red. Finally, paste this image into your word processor and set it to go behind the text.

B) Mail Merge Settings

We have the basis for your Yellow Card. Next, you’ll need to add the greeting and property address placeholder fields so that the mail merge can substitute unique values ​​on each page. To do this, you’ll reference your spreadsheet that contains the name, property address, and mailing addresses of your destination campaign. For example, your greeting will say “Dear [XXX]” where [XXX] is the field that references the specific column in your spreadsheet. Using red text and your font, you can write this text and position it so that it is in the correct position in relation to the background image or other text.

Mail merge is such a broad topic that I suggest you do a quick search to find many online resources (Google and YouTube) for setting up mail merge in Microsoft Word and Openoffice.org. Also, if you are using Openoffice.org and notice strange printing behavior, you should take a look at the solution that is needed if you print an odd number of pages.

3. Refinement

You should now try to print on your yellow paper. Most likely you have alignment issues; these can be addressed in a number of ways:

1) Try adjusting the font size of the blank lines above your text. For example, you will have some blank lines before and after the greeting. Adjust the font size of these lines up or down to scroll the text below.

2) A less demanding method would be to adjust the top margin so that the text area moves up or down.

3) You may need to adjust the spacing between paragraphs or characters to match your work.

4) Remember that the image in step 2A can be adjusted up or down to align it correctly.

5) Lastly, try setting the view (or zoom level) to 100% and then hold your yellow page on the screen to see how close it is.

Make the necessary adjustments and try again. A couple of mistakes if you have an inkjet printer:

1) Do not overfill the paper feeder as the page alignment changes as the number of pages decreases.

2) Raise the rear fence on the paper feed to prevent it from moving when the printer feeds paper.

Lucille’s BBQ in Lake Forest, California, is part of a multi-county chain. We were going to celebrate our son’s 23rd birthday. He’s in a frat and we were having a family party for him and our daughter later in the week. So he decided it was pay night his way. There ended up being 18 people.

The restaurant doesn’t take reservations so my son and his girlfriend decided to go down and put their name down at 5:45 and told everyone to be there at 6:30. It was Tuesday so we honestly didn’t think the wait would be that long. Are we ever wrong?

We finally got seated at 8:30. By then, we had all decided exactly what we were going to have: most of our clan had work or classes to attend early the next morning. It took another 10 minutes for the waiters to take our orders.

My husband and I were paying for the birthday boy, his girlfriend, our daughter and son in law and ourselves. The four young men ordered some type of barbecue meat sandwich. My husband and I were going to split a rack of beef ribs, but were told the rack had 7 ribs, about half what is served at another barbecue chain (Claim Jumpers) and for about a third more in price. So my husband chose a different dish to share. His was $2 more but he thought they would be generous with the chicken (also had tritip and 2 beef ribs). We ordered it with their cole slaw and very small potatoes.

The food was delicious, I give it that. The chicken was juicy, the ribs were too sweet for any of our tastes, but they were meaty and the tritip was fine. really nothing special. The cole slaw was (for a complete change from most restaurants!) almost completely devoid of dressing. The budget fries were also tasty but we thought they might have been sitting out for a while as they were quite limp.

We were starving! Especially since we hadn’t eaten since around noon. Honestly, compared to the taste and quality of Claim Jumpers, we were disappointed. My husband and I always share a meal there and still come home with “a little more”.

Most of my son’s friends had a good time, most ordered beer or other alcoholic beverages and had fun being together, which is the whole point of having a party!

For a group this size, the waiters did a pretty decent job. They keep the refillable drink glasses full, they only messed up 2 orders and they were nice. They brought our son a birthday ice cream at the end and led us in the usual song.

When our bill came it was $95 which included tax and tip. Now, before you think that doesn’t sound too bad, remember a couple of things: We had 5 meals (don’t forget, my husband and I split up) and we all had nothing but water to drink.

I think one of my son’s friends said it best during our long time before we were seated: “Hey Adam, there’s a Fuddrucker’s across the street, I called and now they’ll set up a table and it’ll cost us half.” !”

Enough to say we should have listened!

Technically, the ‘closing’ of a deal occurs when you sign the papers making the property yours. But before that happens, there are a few things you should know. A little practical knowledge about how real estate transactions work can go a long way.

1. Walk around the property

Better safe than sorry! Inspect the house one more time to make sure it is in proper condition as agreed to by all parties. During the tour, make sure that all the conditions required by the agreement, such as appliances and furniture, have been met.

2. Secure the required insurance policies

To obtain a mortgage, most lenders require the buyer to purchase a homeowner’s insurance policy. A homeowner’s insurance policy protects both the buyer and the lender, in case something happens to the house in the future.

3. Open an escrow account

An escrow account is an account maintained by a third party on behalf of both parties to a transaction. This makes things easier and more convenient, since many activities are required to complete a home sale. In addition, an escrow account is the best way to prevent the seller or buyer from committing any type of fraud, since the money and related documents are with a neutral third party.

4. Lock in your interest rates

Since interest rates are unpredictable and fluctuate multiple times a day, you should monitor interest rates and lock in if you haven’t already. Keep an eye on the market and lock in your interest when rates are lowest and most affordable.

5. Carry out the pest inspection

A pest inspection involves a specialist making sure your home is free of wood-destroying insects, such as termites or carpenter ants. Even a small termite problem can spread and destroy your entire home. Therefore, treat any minor pest problems immediately, if they exist.

6. Get title insurance

A title insurance policy is a policy that protects the buyer and the lender when there are problems with the land after the sale closes. While getting a title insurance policy, learn which policy offers the best protection for the least amount of money.

7. Consult a lawyer

It is difficult to create legal documents and confirm the laws related to the real estate market. Hiring an experienced attorney will make things easier and help you with the closing documents.

8. Renegotiate your offer

If your inspection reveals defects or faults in the property, you may want to reconsider the offer to reflect the cost of any repairs you may need to make.

9. Finalize your finances

Before you close, get all your finances in order and make sure you have the money you need to pay for closing costs and a down payment.

10. Schedule and attend the closing

Sign the imposing paperwork and make sure both parties are present for the closing. Also, make sure the interest rate on the papers is correct and that there is no prepayment penalty. If you have retained an attorney, then he/she must be present on site with you to ensure that all paperwork is completed successfully.

Closing a real estate deal can be a tedious task, but once the deal is closed, you can breathe a sigh of relief. If you’re ever not sure what you’re doing, consult a real estate expert or lawyer for help.

Have you gone to your basement to do some laundry only to find that the pipes in your washing machine are completely frozen? You are not alone. This happens regularly, especially during the cold winter seasons.

But you do have to worry about permanent damage to the tubing and motor. Before that can happen, you must first defrost your washing machine. These are some of the steps you have to follow:

1. Go to your water supplier’s main valve and close the valve. After doing this step, go to the sink closest to your washing machine. Run your washing machine pipe into the sink to drain the defrosted ice.

2. Take an empty bucket and place the end of the tube in it. You may also want to get extra towels to catch any water that might come out of the pipe once it has fully thawed. You need to start from the pipe in the faucet sink and progress towards the frozen area to avoid a sudden rush of water.

3. Get a small propane torch. This is the same one you use to light your charcoal grill or when you’re toasting cheese on top of your homemade soup. Wear gloves and goggles for added protection. Hold the tube 9 inches from the torch. Light the torch and run it back and forth until it starts to thaw. Do not directly heat the pipe or you may inadvertently damage it.

4. After doing this, get a hair dryer and set it to the highest heat setting. Just like the propane torch, also move it back and forth. This will thaw the pipe but will not expose it directly to flame.

5. Another remedy that you can try is a heat lamp. This is used as a heat source during the winter season, especially when you are camping. You can place it 8 inches away from the pipe. You can use this if your washing machine pipe is installed behind walls or if you cannot easily access the pipe.

6. For pipes that are exposed to you, simply use a hot water heating pad. Wrap it around the pipe and leave it there until it has returned to its normal state.

You may want to winterize your washing machine next time to prevent this from happening. Be sure to maintain your washing machine well at all times to prolong its life.

The Misconception of the Term ‘Wood Burning Fireplace’

If I mention the term ‘wood burning fireplace’ to you, most people instantly build a picture in their heads of an old rustic wooden fireplace with traditional lined red brick chambers decorated with brass trim surrounding an iron wood burning stove. slightly worn black cast (the kind you’d probably find in Hagrid’s hut in a Harry Potter movie). Now as cozy as all this sounds and I’m sure many people are striving to achieve this wonderful composition. What if you’re looking for something a little more modern, especially if you’ve recently decided to redecorate and go for the contemporary minimalist feel? to your living room or just moved into your new dream home and want the warmth and appeal of a wood burning/multi-fuel fireplace but with that contemporary twist? then look no further as I am about to provide you with valuable information on wood burning/multi fuel appliances.

The ‘Infire’ range of wood burning / multi-fuel fires

An infire stove is exactly what it says, it is an appliance that can be placed directly on the wall or in a hearth. It not only combines practicality with a simple style, but also provides optimal heat output and is easy to maintain. The purity of its appearance, the size of its glass door without additional decorative elements is ideal for anyone who wants to get the clean look of a modern wood stove. The infire not only looks ultra-modern, but its wide range of features sets this range of wood-burning stoves apart from the rest. Complying with the strictest European standards, both in terms of safety and the environment, the Infire is truly packed with technology and also has the option of an additional fan unit to emit even more heat from the appliance. Capable of burning dry wood, charcoal or briquettes with equal ease, it brings a new definition of comfort and perfection to your interior.

What size stove do I need?

The size of a stove really depends on whether it is going to be your main source of heating for your living space or just a calming backup for your central heating. You also need to consider the size of the room in which the fire is to be installed, as you do not want a small appliance to heat a large room, just as you do not want a large appliance to heat a small room. just keep in mind what it is you want to get out of your wood stove.

What kind of wood to use?

The best type of wood to use with all wood-burning stoves is dry wood, preferably one that contains no more than 30% moisture from water. Some of the best woods for Woodburners are as follows:

Ash – It is considered one of the best woods for firewood. It has a low water content and can be split very easily with an axe. It can burn green but, like all wood, it is best when dry. Burn at a steady rate and not too fast.

Birch – makes excellent kindling and will burn without seasoning. However, it burns very quickly, so it is best mixed with slower burning wood, such as elm or oak.

Oak – is one of the best firewood. When seasoned well, it gives off a good long-lasting heat and burns reasonably slowly. Wood stoves always work optimally when dry and cured firewood is used, this is the best way to get maximum efficiency from your appliance.

Best looking wood burning fireplace?

When it comes to the look and feel of a wood stove, again it depends on buyer preference, but if you’re looking for something that really Wow! and is best suited for a modern contemporary new build, then look no further than Phenix Green. This monster of a heating appliance puts out an incredible 20kW of heat!… That’s enough to heat 4 standard size rooms and can even be ducted to channel heat to other rooms in the house. With an extremely large viewing window (41″w x 19″h), the Phenix Green looks amazing when fully operated, as can be seen in this video here.

Well, I hope the above has given some people a different perspective on the types of wood burning and multi fuel appliances that are now available on the market. There are many new and exciting products that are especially aimed at the modern living environment. You can get more information or contact us through our Mansfield fireplace website.

Thanks for your time.

Andy Turford

Sales Marketing Executive for Hestia Fireplaces.

The past week of stock market declines has pushed the S&P 500 into correction territory for the first time in two years. Although still in a bullish uptrend, the S&P 500 officially fell into correction territory on Thursday, more than 10 percent below its record hit in January.

One theory as to why the market may be correcting now is fears that the economy is too strong and complacent. The fear is that this could lead to inflation, which may cause the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates too quickly and dampen growth.

Another concern is that the search for yield over the last 8 years and the low interest rate environment have created an extremely risky situation for retirement income planning. The threat of higher interest rates creates uncertainty in the stock market, as it can make stock dividends less attractive. Remember, uncertainty causes volatility that can lead to sudden corrections in markets.

An obvious lesson for investors during this period of volatility is that periods of uninterrupted returns don’t last. A correction is a normal part of reversing. When the markets correct, you cannot control its duration or severity, but you CAN control how you respond.

The recent dramatic pullback in stocks has created a buying opportunity if you follow the “buy low, sell high” stock buying theory. I have no idea where the market goes next. It may continue into a longer-term correction or it may go back to its January highs. One thing is for sure, he had to put some money to work if he was smart enough to take some profit off the table at the end of 2017.

This brings me to an important point of clarification: if your financial advisor didn’t put at least some money to work on this fix, you need to FIRE THEM!

The job of a good “Financial Advisor”, no matter what they’re called: CFP, CHFC, etc., is to make sure you’re properly assigned and have money available to buy shares when they go on sale. He is paying you to keep him calm and help prevent you from panicking and selling your investments at the wrong time. Also, his adviser should have made sure he didn’t get greedy in this bull market and took steps to help him make some profit so he would have money to deploy when stocks got cheaper.

Please understand that I do not condone “market timing,” which is specifically being “all in” or “all out” of the market at any given time. However, it is extremely important to have a methodology for buying and selling investments.

Also, if you are nearing retirement or already retired, it is vitally important to understand that avoiding major market declines is the key to long-term investing success. The long-term results of avoiding periods of severe capital loss will outweigh the short-term lost profits. Small adjustments can have a significant impact in the long run. The best money managers I know have always been adept at working around their positions by using a set of rules to help keep emotions out of the trading arena.

By the way, do you remember that risk questionnaire your advisor made you fill out when you opened an account? How do you feel about it right now? How are you going to feel if we are in a declining market for several months?

Risk quizzes will never give you the correct answers you need to succeed in the financial markets. Your portfolio should always be built (and closely monitored) to offer a sufficient rate of return to meet your long-term goals with as little risk as possible. Your risk appetite will constantly change, so you need to build a set of rules to follow in any market environment to help you with that goal.

Unfortunately, the only real job of most “financial advisors” is to pool assets to earn a residual fee. You’d think their services include “buying on the dips,” but they don’t, unless you’re one of their major customers. You see, you don’t have time to gather assets and keep an eye on your account. There isn’t enough time in the day (or you could be on one of your sales prize trips that you won by capturing more of your money). The Financial Advisor’s mantra is “buy and hold.” This way, he can continue to make money on his account, whether it’s going up or down.

If you’re lucky enough to be invited to investment house functions like dinners, golf outings, and other events, but you weren’t important enough to put money to work during a market sell-off, then you’re being cheated. You are the one paying for those lavish dinners with the management fees you pay. However, you are paying for incompetence. You are paying mediocre interest on your valuable assets.

Not only are you not getting attention to your ENTIRE financial situation, you’re not even getting the courtesy of going the extra mile with your portfolio that they manage. The least you should expect is some attention to your account and some action to put money to work at the right times. That’s what you’re paying them for, right? You can pay for many of your own dinners if your adviser is buying money on sale for you!

This week was a true test to determine the real value of your Financial Advisor. I should have prepared you to have money available to buy on the dives. I should have put some money to work during this solution. You should also make sure to keep some dry powder in case the market continues to fall.

The dips came and you had the opportunity to buy shares on sale. Did your financial adviser do that for you?

If it did, make sure you hang on to that adviser! If not, there are only two words that make any sense at this point:

YOU ARE FIRED!

Why wholesale real estate as the vehicle of choice to make quick money in real estate? There are so many reasons to consider “wholesale” as the absolute best way for new investors to make an absolute fortune in real estate!

The most compelling reasons are:

1.) Zero Risk
2.) The investor does not need money
3.) No rehabs or repairs or contractor nightmares to deal with
4.) No Tenants Destroying Your Property and Sanity
5.) No real estate ownership (no taxes, no utility bills, no maintenance bill, etc.)
6.) You don’t need good credit
7.) You don’t even need a job
8.) And there are several more… but you get the idea!

I started wholesale homes in 2001 and to date have wholesaled over 450 homes, all within a 20 mile radius of my home. I consider myself an expert on the subject. I love this business and can’t see myself wanting to do anything else for a living ever again!

Here’s a quick overview of the wholesale system:

1.) Find a motivated seller who will sell at a deep discount
2.) Put your house under a contract of sale assignable between the two of you
3.) Find a motivated investor/buyer who wants to buy the motivated seller’s house
4.) Assign your sales contract between you and the original motivated seller to your new investor/motivated buyer for a fee (assignment fee).
5.) Go to closing and collect your fee (assignment fee)
6.) Repeat often!

That’s all! Anyone can easily learn this overly simplistic, but real chain of events! I could have completed the above deal with no money, no credit, not even a job! The deal had no risk to speak of! I never took possession of the house, interest passed directly from the original owner directly to my investor/buyer and around me!

If the house needed repairs, then guess what, my investor/buyer will be the one to do the repairs, NOT ME! If the house is going to be rented out to tenants, that burden is also the new owners baggage and not mine!

What I probably like the most is the fact that I didn’t need any of my own money to structure this deal! Now, you may need a small deposit to hold the house when you write the sales contract with the motivated seller. I usually give a deposit of $100.00 or less (security deposit) to make the sales contract legally binding, and that’s it! That’s all the money I’ll need to put this deal together! On many occasions I have put down just $1.00 to secure the sales contract! Motivated sellers don’t look for big deposits!

These are not conventional agreements, in which we are the end users of the real estate we are hiring. We don’t go to the bank and try to get a mortgage on these houses. So we’ll never need the traditional 10-20% initial deposits that regular buyers have to make! The guy doing that in this example deal is our investor/buyer! Is this starting to make sense?

Look, I’ve done this over 450 times in 7 years! I have an exact science that I adhere to too! I have built a “wholesale/flipping machine” that keeps turning out deal after deal for me.

How much do these assignment fees pay? Well I average $7,500.00 per deal! Now, let’s put this dollar amount into perspective: 1 transaction per month @ $7,500.00 = 12 transactions per year = $90,000.00 per year 2 transactions per month @ 7,500.00 = 24 transactions per year = $180,000.00 per year 3 transactions per month @ 7,500.00 = 36 transactions per year = $270,000.00 per year 4 deals per month @ 7,500.00 = 48 deals per year = $360,000.00 per year.

A professional wholesaler can easily do 50 to 75 a year. A part time wholesaler can easily do 6 deals a year with no problem (1 deal every 2 months!) That’s still an extra $45,000.00 per year! What would that do for the lifestyle of the average American each year?

I don’t know of any other business that has ZERO RISK involved in the learning curve period, that has the ability to yield this type of income! Is incredible!

I finished high school with a “C” average and never earned a college degree. So I’m just the average guy, with average intelligence. If I can do this, I bet you can too! Some days I still can’t believe how profitable this business is! I personally know several wholesalers in my market who make over $500,000.00 per year selling wholesale homes full time! That’s more than most surgeons and the President of the United States make! Amazing, right!

Who should wholesale houses for a living? Well, ask yourself the following questions and see how it goes:

* Am I the type of person who likes to forge their own path in life?
*Am I a leader and not a follower?
* Am I the type of person who likes a personal challenge?
* Do I usually finish what I start or give up when I hit the first hurdle?
* Can you imagine having and doing the best things that life has to offer?
* Do you want to retire before your head?
* Do you want more time to enjoy family, friends and life?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, you are a solid candidate for the wholesale real estate business model! If this is the first time you’ve heard of “real estate wholesale,” then you need to learn more about how you can start using this investment system to change your financial outlook right away!

Wholesale real estate, wholesale real estate, wholesale real estate, say it over and over again until it’s embedded in your subconscious mind! It’s the lowest risk, fastest paying style of real estate investing any new investor could ask for!

Visit: WholesalerSmarts.com for more information on wholesale home sales.

“Life is changing great!”

After all is said and done, how much does your builder get?

Wondering how a builder decides how much to charge for a new home? You know that he pays for the wood, the carpet, the accessories and all the details, but how is the final price determined?

Buying a house requires a lot of money. The cost is based on many different factors, including construction, land, and administrative and marketing costs to the builder. And of course, the net profit.

Sound easier to understand?

Most builders will charge similarly. The construction of the house will suppose approximately 50% of the base price of the house.

There are several costs within the construction factor. There are direct costs, which are the sticks and the bricks. These are all the materials that go into the home, from wood to concrete and from windows to carpet.

The work is usually provided mostly by subcontractors hired by the builder.

Then there are the labor costs in construction. These are the costs associated with the work performed by the builder’s employees. These go along with indirect costs, which are generally incurred by the builder’s employees. They include proofreading work done to correct any errors by subcontractors.

You will also be charged for construction interest on the home. To finance the purchase of the lot and the cost of construction before paying the builder, the builder takes out a bank loan. The cost of the loan, including all interest and fees, will be calculated on the base price you pay.

The actual cost of the lot can be between 25% and 40% of the base price. With the cost of land constantly rising, especially near metropolitan areas, the lot share has increased over the years. Added to your land costs are off-site improvements such as water and sewer lines, street development, curbs and paving, and driveways and sidewalks.

Many builders offer a discount off the base price, often by paying points at closing, to encourage first-time buyers. A discounted home will often have 50% building costs, 30% lot costs, a 3% discount, and 17% gross profit.

From the gross profit, the builder deducts administrative costs, marketing costs and taxes.

If you choose options, you could add 10-30% to the base price.

Surprisingly, builders walk away with less profit than might be expected. Net gains on the sale of a home often range from 2% to 6%. In general, the bigger the house, the bigger the network.

You can easily find out the net earnings of builders who are publicly traded companies. You just have to read their annual reports.

When you’re contemplating building a home, sometimes you have to shop around a bit. Compare the costs of similar homes offered by different builders. Ask the builder how much of the cost is the construction. They may or may not tell you. But it never hurts to ask. You can use this figure to estimate the rest of the costs.