Tuesday, January 16, 2007

HowTo Get More Done In Less Time To Grow Your Real Estate Investing Business

l. Instead of rushing to the office first thing in the morning, keep your computer off and visit your local Starbucks(I drink tea) or living room and spend time working ON your business. Keeping your computer off will help you get non-computer things done (ex. Studying, reading, market analysis, etc).

2. Stop working at a specific time each day and go somewhere where you'll be undisturbed. It is important to take time off from work everyday. My time where I recharge is in the gym with my workout partner. The exercise is great but we both enjoy being able to shut down our brain and ‘turn off’ the work mode.

3. Stop checking your email every 15 minutes. You’ll make more money checking it two times a day on a schedule then you will wasting hours to see what junk has just arrived. I use Outlook and changed the setting to OFFLINE which allows me to send/receive mail only when I tell outlook to do so. Before doing this I was distracted every time an email came in and flashed on my screen.

The best way to accomplish your goals and IMPORTANT TASKS is to make the decision that you're going to work on your business each and everyday and then schedule that time and keep your commitment to the schedule.

Now go buy a house!

Gerald Romine
www.KickAssRealEstate.com

Saturday, January 13, 2007

A Lesson In Arizona Landscaping

The smart way to get real estate investing work completed is by knowing what you want, getting several bids, and then paying when the work is completed. But sometimes a little knowledge can be useful.

In Arizona desert landscaping is popular because it is low maintenance and let’s face it not a lot of plants thrive in 115 degrees with direct sunlight. And hey, we have green rocks, red rocks and gold rocks so there’s lots of variety!

How much rock do you need? I prefer to use ½ or 1 inch screened rock and 1 ton covers approximately 120 square feet at 2 inches thick. Assuming your front yard is 30 feet by 50 feet you’ll need 12.5 tons.

What does the rock cost? Typically you can get a good variety of rock for about $30 per ton delivered. So 12.5 tons of rock will cost you $375. The rock company will bring the rock, dump it wherever you wish and then it is your job to have it spread as desired. This can be done in a few hours with some laborers.

When wholesaling or rehabbing houses it is important to know your cost of repairs and improvements. If you are using my systems at
www.kickasswholesaling.com or www.realestateprofitpro.com you know how easy it is when you have the right tools.

Gerald Romine
www.KickAssRealEstate.com

PS – PHOENIX INVESTORS – I need to buy a rehab property ASAP to keep my crew busy. If you have any deals send them my way TODAY!

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

USNews.com: Housing Is Still Off Balance

Here's an article that all investors should read. Next, think of how you could use this article in your marketing and interactions with sellers!


USNews.com: Housing Is Still Off Balance

Monday, January 8, 2007

Understanding How Taxes Affect Our Lives

Today I wanted to share this poem and I’ll let you draw your own conclusions because you really don’t want to get me going on this subject.


Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries, then
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers,
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid.

Put these wordsupon his tomb,
"Taxes drove me
to my doom..."

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply

The inheritance tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax

Building Permit Tax

CDL license Tax

Cigarette Tax

Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax

Federal Income Tax

Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax

Food License Tax,

Fuel permit tax

Gasoline Tax (42 cents per gallon)

Hunting License Tax

Inheritance Tax

Interest expense

Inventory tax

IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)

Liquor Tax

Luxury Taxes

Marriage License Tax

Medicare Tax

Pro perty Tax

Real Estate Tax

Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road usage taxes

Sales Tax

Recreational Vehicle Tax

School Tax

State Income Tax

State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)

Telephone federal excise tax

Telephone federal universal service fee tax

Telephone federal, state and local surcharge taxes

Telephone minimum usage surcharge tax

Telephone recurring and non-recurring charges tax

Telephone state and local tax

Telephone usage charge tax

Utility Taxes

Vehicle License Registration Tax

Vehicle Sales Tax

Watercraft registration Tax

Well Permit Tax

Workers Compensation Tax

COMMENTS: Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt and the largest middle class in the world.

When you want to know how to make your fortune so you can pay for these taxes visit
www.kickasswholesaling.com.

Taxed Out,

Gerald Romine

Sunday, January 7, 2007

Could You Use An Extra 55K?

Talk about a total life change. That's what's happened to Victor Morrison after he got my Instant Real Estate Profit Pro super buying automated software system.
Look at what he says, below, then check out the REPP Link.

Gerald,

I also talked to you about a deal that REPP made for me. I had someone from my JOB (sorry to use that word) come up to me and tell me that he needed to sell his mothers house. She had recently been moved to a retirement home and needed money. He wanted to sell her house for $90,000. I set up a time to view the home. After viewing her house, I used the REPP software to show him that I would be only able to pay $38,000 for her home due to the repairs needed. He could not disagree with the numbers. We negotiated a sale price of $40,000. The rehab should cost approximately $60,000. The sale comps are $159,900 after all repairs are completed. We plan on making $55,000 after closing costs. We would not have been able to do this deal without your REPP software.

Thanks for all your knowledge,

Victor Morrison

Victor, I am thrilled to hear of your success. You have mentioned something incredibly valuable. The part where the seller said “he could not disagree with the numbers.” The power of
Instant Real Estate Profit Pro is that it creates offers and backs them up with black and white justification. And as you know educating the seller can make deals/profits happen!

Well my friend, that is all for today.


Now go buy a house!

Gerald Romine

PS - Be sure to get my phenomenal book - Real Estate Magic 101. All you have to pay for is the shipping. Go to www.realestatemagic101.com.

Saturday, January 6, 2007

Do You Know When To Use A Partner?

Many new investors are looking for a partner when what they really want is a friend... that is, someone to talk to. And, partnering up could be a monumental mistake.

The first question to ask yourself is why do you want a partner? Here are two valid reasons.

1. To Overcome our shortcomings including:
Knowledge
Money
Skills

2. To divide the workload or risk.

Unfortunately, most people ask somebody they like to partner up and on the surface it seems like a good idea, but is it? What does the other person bring to the table? Do they have something you don't?

If all they possess are the same or very similar skills and a smile then in all likelihood you don't need them and they don't need you. But, if you have the knowledge and time and they have the money then that's another story.

Before you partner up with anybody make a list of each person's strengths and weaknesses to ensure you compliment each other because two people that like each other and have the same skill sets are likely to have problems working together. Why? Because both people will want to do the same things, avoid the same tasks, and think they could do the other persons job better. But, two people with different skills will work together well because both people will be working on their strengths and their partner covers their weakness.

When you look at most people's real motivation for a partnership it often comes down to money, or lack of it. In these cases you would be much better off to find private financing on your own then to form a partnership with somebody that is broke.

In
Kick Ass Wholesaling and Instant Real Estate Profit Pro we talk about obtaining private and have a simple system for getting it. You might want to review those sections before getting into a partnership you'll regret. And, if you do get into a partnership make sure you have a written agreement!

PS - I have a favor to ask. If you enjoy this tip please forward thisw blog it to a friend. We're trying to help as many real estate investors as possible and this is one of the few free resources available anywhere online. Thank You.

Friday, January 5, 2007

How to Increase the Sales Price of Your Home

It's here! The time has finally come to sell your house. You want to do everything you can to maximize your profit and sell as quickly as possible. Here are a few ideas to help you find a buyer and close the sale for the highest price possible.

1) Is your house ready to sell? Don't even think about putting your house on the market if there are still little things that need to be done. What seems "little" to you could be a deal-killer to your prospective buyer. One of the most important things you can do is prepare the outside. Most home shoppers are going to drive by and if they don't like what they see on the outside, you'll never get them to see the inside of the house.

2) Stage the inside of the house. Have you ever looked at a model home in a new subdivision and noticed the home had a cardboard TV, silk plants, towels, candles, shower curtains, potpourri, etc? The only reason they prepare or "stage" a model home this way is because it helps them sell houses. You need to "stage" your house too. If you are creative and resourceful you can do this for less than $500. A nice plus is that you get to keep it all anyway.

3) Magic in pricing. Modeling your pricing strategy like the auto industry is smart business. While the real difference between a $9,995 car and $10,000 car may only be $5, the difference in the mind of the consumer is HUGE. You'll never see a car dealer make this mistake. If you're selling a house for $243,000 that's not much of a difference than selling a house for $249,995.

4) Easy to show. People buy houses based on emotion. If your house is not easy to gain access to, your buyer is likely to fall in love with another house that they can visit quickly and easily. Whenever possible, have a lockbox on the house and make it easy for the buyer to get inside and see your beautiful home.

5) Attract the buyer with a flyer. You need two flyers, Make sure the buyer can pick up a flyer about your house when they walk through it or drive by. Imagine they are looking at 15 houses in one day then later that night they are going to make a decision to buy a house. After looking at 15 houses, the details become foggy, but if they have your flyer with pictures and details about the house it will jar their memory and increase the likelihood of a sale. Your second flyer is a financing flyer. It has great terms listed and details how they can own the house for "only $1299 per month." The goal of a financing flyer is to sell them on the concept of a low monthly payment and make them forget about the price.

Follow these tips and you'll be sure to sell your house for top dollar in the shortest time possible.

Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Don't Let This Happen To You!

Here’s a real big lesson to learn from that came to me as a seller lead through my website. This is real ugly and shows what can go wrong when you speculate.

I own a rental property with tenants, that have a lease with option to buy. I rented this house at the peak of our appreciation in Phoenix, now that prices have corrected I owe much more than the property is able to be sold for. Either my tenants will complete the option to buy, or they will leave and I will have to sell on the market, either way it looks like a short sale. What I perceive my problem to be in the near future is, I am not in any financial hardship, and do not reside in the property needing the short sale. I have heard both of these are requirements for a short sale. I cannot afford to keep up the payments if I have no tenants, waiting for appreciation to return, and I have a negative am loan that is digging me into a deeper hole. I cannot afford to refinance this loan, even with the rent income I wouldn't be able to afford the new payment. Please help me out of this situation.
Thank-you, Jeff


The problem is Jeff bought a rental but did not buy it based on the income. Then, when the market took a turn his problem was compounded with a lease option that gives him negative cash flow, a contractual obligation with a lease option to the buyer, and his option price could be lower than what he owes on the property.

Had Jeff followed a property buying system like that in
Kick Ass Wholesaling he would not be in his current position! And while he has a few options on how to get out of this alive he would have been in a better position to invest on sound principles from the beginning.

It’s funny how some people complain about the cost of education or a real estate buying system like
Real Estate Profit Pro where they can learn the right way to invest. If you were to ask Jeff I’m sure he’d tell you this is one expensive lesson from the school of hard knocks that he would have rather avoided.

Tuesday, January 2, 2007

Knowing When To Dump Your Rentals

Here’s a landlord tip that you should pay close attention to.

School districts control house prices in an area more than anything.

So if schools are failing in an area get out of the area quickly. It makes perfect sense but most people do not slow down long enough to think it through.

If you are flipping properties then this is not as important but still a factor. Make sure you use all of the guidelines for flipping found in
Kick Ass Wholesaling.

Gerald