The Lazy Investor's Blog

It's January 7th - Merry Christmas!!!

2008-01-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

Yes, today is CHRISTMAS DAY (birth of Jesus, not a holiday with some red-suited fat guy and a bunch of compost-producing equine off-shoots...)

According to the Russian calendar anyway (and several others, btw...), this is the day of the birth, NOT the 25th of December!!!

Now, I'm not a specialist in how it all works, but it has a lot to do with the use of the different calendar systems - both of which were started at the same time, but have, over the last several hundred years, drifted apart by a few bits every day.

As I understand it (and remember it - I invite you to do the research on the Internet yourself - there must be tons of it out there... I'm just going from my memory and my day-to-day life here!), it was Julius Caesar that made the old calendar 'illegal' - and it 'stuck'. From that time, the old system of counting days, hours and weeks went away and everyone, all over the world, adopted the one we use now (at least, in the 'modern world' - the Chinese still have their own, and I think the Muslims and Jewish folks have their own, too???? - maybe Caesar's power wasn't all that powerful after all... ;)

Nope, I'm not a calendar expert, I just wanted to give you a bit of the background on this as my wife and her mother are preparing to go to church (Russian Orthodox) and celebrate the birth of the baby Jesus...

... for the third time in two days....

Yup, they went yesterday morning for a couple hours (that was a 'Sunday service' though), then last night, another FOUR HOURS with a priest that came in from San Francisco, and again today, another couple hours.

Well, it gives them some time out of the house, and quiet time for me - works all around....

And, the celebration here at home won't revolve around an iconic, commercially-manufactured day of excessive spending (that comes on New Year - NEXT WEEK! ;)

Learn, Apply, Lower taxes, Your wealth will grow!

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
http://thelazyinvestor.com/
702-568-7194 ext. 854

What do you DO all day?

2007-07-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

A great question came in to http://askstevemajors.com/

"Steve, I know you are a L.A.Z.Y. guy, so just what do you DO all day, anyway?"

Well, this morning, I was out picking plumbs!

Yeah, that's the waterfall that feeds the 30-ft long koi pond I spend a lot of time at....

Actually, I got a nearly full 5-gallon bucket of plums this morning - before breakfast! (Tommorrow, I'll be having some plum jam on my toast!)

Now, recall, this picture was taken on a Friday morning, about 10 AM. I'd been out picking nearly 30 minutes before the picture was taken.

(one reason it took me awhile to complete is that I did some 'work' on a deal in Oklahoma while I was on the ladder....)

Just what did YOU do at that time? Where were you - working for someone else, or enjoying your home, your family, your yard?

Real Estate Investing provides the option for you to do what you want, when you want. And, the methods I teach focus directly on

you getting the Lifestyle you enjoy, doing the Activities you love, taking your stress to Zero (who can be stressed when you are picking plums?)

all while making sure You are in charge of it all (and most importantly, your life!)

I encourage you to utilize the 'comment' section below - let me know what you think!

Happy Investing,

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor

Top 10 Real Estate Investing Tips for Maximum Profits

2007-05-22T11:46:00.000-07:00

Ten hot tips to increase your real estate investing profits.
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TIP #1

There are several tried and true methods to uncover sellers who will literally beg you to take their house. They all boil down to finding a seller whose situation has changed.

For various reasons (such as divorce, death or job conditions), they need to get out from under their home fast. You can often buy these homes for pennies on the dollar, then turn around and sell the property at a much higher market value. That translates into BIG real estate profits for you, and jump-starts your real estate investing!

The 'trick' is in finding these sellers. Be patient and keep looking - they are out there and the rewards are well worth it!

TIP #2

Your rehab project may suffer delays and lost profits due to simple things like a rise in gasoline prices, which adds to the cost of materials delivered by truck to your local lumberyard or home improvement store. A few cents per gallon at the gas pump can be enough to erase your potential profits while you work to rehab and "flip" a property.

Take care to calculate into your rehab cost a 'fudge factor' to include funds for such 'emergencies'. A good rule of thumb is to multiply your estimated rehab costs by .2 (20%) and add that to the estimated cost when you are analyzing a potential project.

If this small addition kills the deal for you, it is probably best to move on to another deal.

TIP #3

If you fear Realtors will view you as competition, enlist their help. You can easily have Realtors all over your area working to help you find more and better real estate investment deals.

As they get a commission for each sale, they are eager to find you deals. Be sure and be ready to take those they bring you as you want to work with them in the future too!

TIP #4

Delays in a real estate investment project leaves real estate investors open to vulnerability from shifting economic factors. If the housing market cools off and interest rates spike before you get your house on the market and sold, you could be left with expenses like mortgage payments, insurance premiums, and property tax added to your balance sheet.

Add an additional 10 percent to your initial calculations for these holding costs when analyzing any real estate investment.

Real estate investing is an altogether different kind of business. People just like you and me buy and sell properties and earn tens of thousands of dollars, often within just a few days of getting into the business. ,A good investor knows that a real estate investment property selected with care can be very rewarding. It can render above 100 percent ROI per year, along with good value increase over time. That is why real estate has become the most preferred form of investment by seasoned investors.

TIP #5

An alternative to real estate is paper investment, where an active real estate investor can supplement your portfolio or even make a full-time business in lieu of actual physical ownership of properties.

This offers the real estate investor a way to invest in real estate without the day-to-day logistical headaches of more traditional investing.

TIP #6

You can sell your property on your own and cut out expensive brokerage fees by following these three easy steps.

Step 1. Calculate the asking price for the property

Hire a professional appraiser to price the home or check the sales prices of comparable homes in the same area of your real estate investment. You can visit your local court house and compare similar recent real estate sale prices within a few miles of your property. Many court records are now available on the Internet.

Always take into consideration the current real estate market. If the market is a buyer's market, you may have to lower your price. If it is a seller's market, you might be able to ask more than the market value for the property.

Step 2. Market the property

Advertise the property and show it to perspective buyers. Make sure you have the necessary purchase contract forms. The purchase contract will need to be signed by you and the buyer once you have negotiated the deal.

Step 3. Close the deal.

You will need a closing agent to perform the closing, which may be an escrow company, a title company or real estate attorney, depending on your area. There is a lot of paperwork needed here as you need to provide the buyer with disclosure statements and he will need to provide you with a loan commitment letter.

Inspections are also performed during this time and a title search will be completed by your closing agent. To complete the closing, you will need to meet with the closing agent and buyer to sign the paperwork. pay any closing fees, pay off the mortgage and pay or put aside any taxes owed. Your closing agent will help you with all these details.

The closing phase is the busiest (and most exciting) time of selling your first property in real estate. The closing table is where all of your hard work pays off and you get to walk away with your real estate profits.

TIP #7

Mortgage note investors can earn substantial yields when the real estate market is challenged by steadily rising interest rates.

Those with prior experience as real estate investors can utilize their knowledge of property to choose sound, secure, credit-worthy investments. When the building that serves as collateral on the note has true value, the associated debt carries less risk.

Those investors who are accustomed to doing rehab on a property usually have an eye for what constitutes solid and problem-free construction and can provide a reasonably accurate estimate on any repair costs.

Utilize a team approach to maximize your profits as you learn more and contribute to your own bottom line.

TIP #8

To earn maximum profits from your real estate investing business you simply find owners who are highly motivated to sell (due to a change in their situation like divorce, death or job conditions), buy their property (preferably with other people's money), then sell at a higher price and keep the change. Often that change is $10,000, $20,000, $30,000...and more!

TIP #9

Many real estate investors have incomes that are erratic and difficult to document. There are many legitimate reasons for this, but traditional banks generally do not care. Very few lending institutions will provide real estate investment loans without complete income verification.

An alternative used by some non-traditional lending sources is to use the "Stated Income" approach, which utilizes statements directly from the borrower as to how much money they make. These loans are great for real estate investors because they are simpler to get when you find someone that will do them, however, you must still be certain that the real estate deal will make the expected return or you can get in trouble quickly.

Look for a lender who uses the Stated Income approach and does not require income verification for real estate transactions that really work.

TIP #10

Let's face it, selling or buying your first investment property is probably one of the biggest, most daunting projects you will ever take on in your life. It's a monumental event that could impact the next few years of your life, and it's for that reason that a lot of real estate investors looking to buy or sell homes will turn to a real estate agent or Realtor for help.

Be sure to work with a real investor-friendly Realtor. Not every Realtor understands what investors need. Most of them are trained in buying and selling property to homeowners, not investors, so be sure you interview them before they start sending you property listings or you will wind up wasting a lot of your valuable time.

A good question to ask any prospective Realtor that wants to provide you with real estate listings is "how many investment properties do you have?" This question is a double-edged-sword as it will give you an indication of if the Realtor understands what a good real estate investment deal is, as well as let you know if they tend to keep the best deals for themselves!

Above all, don't be afraid to get into real estate. Thousands of every day people succeed admirably in this industry every year.

Gather the information you need, then get started making money through your real estate investing!

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Profit from Real Estate Investment articles, real estate investing information and DEALS from one of the most creative investors on the planet ~FREE real estate training course~ http://TheLazyInvestor.com

Real Estate Investing Article: Real Estate Investing Key To Wealth

2006-12-11T17:50:00.000-08:00

This real estate investing article holds the key to real estate investment fortunes in your real estate investing, heed it, or simply continue to struggle aimlessly...
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"98% of the millionaires in this country make their fortunes through Real Estate Investing".

These words inspire millions to get involved in real estate investing, yet lack that special 'secret ingredient' - the one thing that explains HOW to make those millions in real estate investing...

This real estate investing article holds the key to how you will make fortunes in real estate investing, or simply continue to struggle aimlessly...

The key to real estate investing riches is not in the latest technique, method or system. The key to real estate investing is in patience and research, monitoring the marketplace for a special 'event'...

Something 'big' in the marketplace that triggers rapid growth in the real estate investing market.

Such big indicators as;
- new major employment moving into the area
- a new factory (manufacturing)
- sales center (like a large outlet mall)
- entertainment (like a casino)

All trigger worthy examination as 'events' in real estate investing.

Other events that affect your real estate investing include sporting arenas, theme parks, even a new airport on the 'outskirts' of town...

All merit further investigation because they trigger fluctuation in the real estate investing marketplace.

When such events occur, there is a sudden rise in the demand for affordable housing in the area, rapidly affecting the real estate investing market.

Not only will the workers at the 'event' location need homes, there is also a need for housing from others - 'customers' that simply want to be near this new location.

Also, these workers will need support for their needs; car dealers, grocery stores, gas stations, clothing stores, etc.

As the 'support' base grows for this 'event', the need for additional housing grows as well.

You see, the 'support base' also needs support - from food stores to shopping centers to car dealers and utility companies - the whole thing just grows and grows!

By now you understand that such 'events' hold extreme value in the real estate investing cycle.

In fact, following such 'events' is the primary key to the number of millionaires that have made their fortunes through real estate investing.

When you monitor these events and take advantage of them early, you grow your wealth very quickly.

This is the simple, secret key to real estate investing wealth.

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Profit from Real Estate Investment articles, real estate investing information and DEALS from one of the most creative investors on the planet ~FREE real estate training course~ http://TheLazyInvestor.com

Real Estate Investing in Cabo San Lucas and even Cerritos Beach is Easier and Safer than you think

2006-07-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

Real Estate Investing in Cabo San Lucas and the surrounding area, like Cerritos Beach and Todos Santos is now easy and safe. Get the 'inside track' on why it is now legal, safe and financially rewarding to do your real estate investing in this HOT area.
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Several myths surround real estate ownership in the Cabo San Lucas area, beach property in places like Cerritos Beach and real estate investing in Mexico in general.

One of the biggest myths about owning property in Mexico is that it is impossible for foreigners to own land within 50km of the sea coast or 100km from the border.

Owning land in Cabo San Lucas and the surrounding area is easier than one might think and below is one example of how this is possible.

It is a great article by Carol Billups, that describes how Americans or any foreigner for that matter can (and do), own land and property within the Mexican states and the Baja Sur, Cabo San Lucas area.

Real Estate: Trust is Everthing Foreign Investment in Mexican Real Estate with the Fideicomiso of Mexican Bank Trust

"In Los Cabos, foreigners (US and Canadian citizens as well as all others) can buy property as long as they own it in a trust known as a Fideicomiso.

This trust, similar to a living trust, exists to hold title to one piece of property.

If your property is located within 50 Km from a sea coast or 100 Km from an international border this is the only way in which you can take title.

In Los Cabos that pretty much defines all of our real estate. But we're not complaining because not only is the Fideicomiso system safe it offers tax and estate planning advantages.

What you need to know are the terms of the trust." http://www.loscabosguide.com/realestate/fideicomiso.htm

It explains some of the rules as well as benefits of owning property in this manner. Although a great article on the Fideicomiso, (Mexican Bank Trust) it fails to show that owning land in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and beautiful beach access property like that in Cerritos Beach is also possible through a Mexican corporation; not unlike the U.S.

Own property in the Cabo San Lucas area and do your real estate investing in an area that is growing in leaps and bounds. Cerritos Beach property now available!
Visit http://TheLazyInvestor.com/cm/Cabo-San-Lucas.php

keywords: Cabo San Lucas, real estate investing, Cerritos Beach

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Profit from Real Estate Investment articles, real estate investing information and news from one of the most creative investors on the planet ~FREE MEMBERSHIP & real estate training course~ http://TheLazyInvestor.com

The Key to Real Estate Investing Wealth

2006-07-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

Discover the key piece of knowledge that all real estate investing millionaires possess, yet few reveal.
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"98% of the millionaires in this country made it through Real Estate Investing", words that inpire millions to get involved in real estate investing, yet lack that special 'secret ingredient'...

The one thing that explains HOW to make those millions in real estate investing...

So, just what is it that the millionaires of real estate investing know that you don't?

Here is the key to making fortunes in real estate investing, or simply continuing to struggle aimlessly...

The key to real estate investing riches is not in the latest technique, method or system. The key to real estate investing is in patience and research, monitoring the marketplace for a special 'event'...

Something 'big' in the marketplace that triggers rapid growth in the real estate investing market.

Such big indicators as;
- new major employment moving into the area
- a new factory (manufacturing)
- sales center (like a large outlet mall)
- entertainment (like a casino)

All trigger worthy examination as 'events' in real estate investing.

Other events that affect your real estate investing include sporting arenas, theme parks, even a new airport on the 'outskirts' of town...

All merit further investigation because they trigger fluctuation in the real estate investing marketplace.

When such events occur, there is a sudden rise in the demand for affordable housing in the area, rapidly affecting the real estate investing market.

Not only will the workers at the 'event' location need homes, there is also a need for housing from others - 'customers' that simply want to be near this new location.

As the 'support' base grows for this 'event', the need for additional housing grows as well.

You see, the 'base' also needs support - from food stores to shopping centers to car dealers and utility companies - the whole thing just grows and grows!

By now you understand that such 'events' hold extreme value in the real estate investing cycle.

In fact, following such 'events' is the primary key to the number of millionaires that have made their fortunes through real estate investing.

When you monitor these events and take advantage of them early, you grow your wealth very quickly.

This is the simple, secret key to real estate investing wealth.

keywords; real estate investing

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Profit from Real Estate Investment articles, real estate investing information and news from one of the most creative investors on the planet ~FREE MEMBERSHIP & real estate investing course~ http://TheLazyInvestor.com

7 Top Real Estate Investing Jobs

2006-06-14T21:53:00.000-07:00

Ready for maximum wealth in your Real Estate investing? It's easier than you think once you understand the 7 Top Real Estate Investing Jobs. This article provides a 'how-its-done' look to maximize your results.

Real Estate investing has long been proven to make tons of CA$H for the active investor and many of the real estate investing methods and techniques used to make some of the biggest (and quickest) CA$H only require a little time and a bit of knowledge (i.e., NO MONEY and NO CREDIT!) to rapidly bring home a really big check!

That’s the appeal of Real Estate investing courses to most people – to do deals that require little/no money or credit yet pay back huge rewards for the time and knowledge you get from following their systems.

Yet, the "investing" gets a bit lost in most of the world of "Real Estate Investing" - there is no "investing" other than a bit of time - there is no ROI (Return On Investment) other than the time-for-money factor.

Thats why I call these activities Real Estate Investing Jobs -they stop bringing income as soon as you stop working them.

Real Estate Investing through these jobs, while they make you CA$H, will never give you financial freedom as they only generate quick money and not long-term, passive income.

This article will look at some of the more popular methods of Real Estate Investing jobs.

One of the biggest challenges to overcome is the fact that, when discussing the money made through Real Estate Investing, the numbers of dollars are much more than your common corporate job, and many people simply are not ready to handle such discussions.

You see, when you were very young, you were programmed to think that $X was a large amount and often this amount was only a few hundred, or perhaps, a few thousand, dollars.

Yet, when discussing Real estate investing deals, there are often multiple thousands of dollars at stake.

Most people simply are not used to discussing such numbers, and wind up not making the money they could. They simply have not learned the language of Real Estate Investing.

One of the first lessons I teach my students is how to get past the fear of discussing hundreds of thousands of dollars and changing the programming you were given as a child to form open ideas about money and investing to make even more money.

One quick step you can do to begin this journey is to look deep inside yourself and ask yourself how you feel about money. Can you comfortably discuss figures in the hundreds of thousands of dollars?

Most people learn quite quickly - with just a little bit of practice.

With that in mind, it is time to look at these Real Estate Investing Jobs more closely.

These 'jobs' bring you various levels of income, depending on your area, so instead of discussing them in dollar values, we will look at them from a percentage standpoint.

Of course, with these examples, the amount of work, time and knowledge you put into it will certainly pay off more (or less);

1. Property Profiling (birddogging) - this popular way to get started in real estate investing provides a real estate investing job with a decent income - something along the lines of what a factory worker would make in the area.

2. Lease Purchase - this powerful tool can be utilized to buy and sell property with no money out of your pocket (a Real Estate Investing sandwich), while keeping a nice pocketful of money for your time (can you tell this is one of my favorites?) An active person can make about 1.5 - 3 times more than the Property Profiler, on average.

3. Subject To - with a bit of training, you can make this method of real estate investing really pay off big. Once you know how to negotiate these deals, your real estate investing income will reach that of corporate executives - with much less of a time requirement.

4. Foreclosures - while highly lucrative and one of the top income producing methods of real estate investing, the time and knowledge required to actively pursue such deals is becoming more difficult all the time.

The payoff to those that can perform these deals is huge - about 10 times that of the Property Profilers, however, finding deals is much more difficult due to the number of people looking for them.

5. Tax Lien certificates - this is a true form of Real Estate Investing - actually putting your money into something that produces a return - one of the safest investments around with returns that beat any other form of passive investing. If you have money to invest, this is a great area to get into with 15%+ return with almost no down side.

This is still a real estate investing 'job' as tax lien certificates are short term, quick turn profit generators, not sustained over time, plus they take skill and talent to make the maximum profits.

6. Short Sales - this form of Real Estate Investing is another job, as your knowledge level and timing are extremely important. A lot of money can be made with this type of Real Estate Investing job - as much or more than any other form - once you know how.

7. Secondary notes/Purchasing Equity positions - a 'higher level' of real estate investing, where more knowledge is needed to limit the risk, however, the returns on equity position purchases can be extremely high - from 6%-10% for fully passive results and 'sky's the limit' for purchasing equity positions.

Yes, once you get past the internal false programming - the LIES you have been taught all your life about money, you can begin a successful career in Real Estate Investing - through a variety of Real Estate Investing Jobs and then onto true, full, watch-your-money-grow Real Estate Investing.

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Profit from Real Estate Investment articles, real estate investing information and news from one of the most creative investors on the planet ~FREE MEMBERSHIP & real estate training course~ http://TheLazyInvestor.com

The Lazy Investor

2006-04-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

The Lazy Investor

You busy Thursday?

http://TheLazyInvestor.com/webinarsignup.html

Texas is HOT - and San Antonio and Austin are SMOKIN'!

Learn about this exciting and lucrative market.

You are always looking for the hot ones...

You want to be on this call!

Thursday night, I'll be chatting with one of the most savvy
investor/Realtors in the area - Angelique Naylor (also known
as "The Slab Queen" for her work on rehab units with broken/
cracked flooring).

We'll discuss this solid real estate investment market and
how you, too, can benefit from her research and expertise!

Be sure to tune in and get your share!

Thursday, April 6 Starting at 6pm/pst - 9pm/est

WEBINAR ACCESS - http://TheLazyInvestor.com/webinarsignup.html

US Access Number (limited lines) 605-990-0200 Cnf# 854351

There will be a number of people on the line, so please make sure to mute your phone by pressing *6.

We look forward to you joining us on the call this Thursday, April 6, so don't disappoint us...

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Lon Hooker, REIA
InvestInAmerica.US

P.S. Put this conference call info on your calendar NOW! 6 PM Pacific, 9 PM Eastern 4/6/2006 THURSDAY WEBINAR ACCESS - http://TheLazyInvestor.com/webinarsignup.html
US Access Number (limited lines) 605-990-0200 Cnf# 854351

It is coming.....

2006-03-30T15:39:00.000-08:00

The Lazy Investor

Very soon....

You will be pleased...

I am quite excited...

Just what is it?

One of the HOTTEST things I've seen on the internet!

Are you tired of SPAM and JUNK in your Inbox?

Wish there was a way to TOTALLY block out any/everyone from blasting into your computer so you could ONLY receive info from those you truly want to hear from?

A way to do BUSINESS online - without all the garbage sent by those without integrity - someone that STOLE your email address from somewhere and now they fill your day with stress, brought on by deleting messages you really needed.

And, what about all those FILTERS - those things that were SUPPOSSED to help us?

Well, with nearly every word in the English language now being utilized in some way or other by these SPAMMERS, it is nearly impossible to get an email through the filter systems of most ISP and large services (where, most likely, you either have an email there yourself, or your customers are there!)

Unless you have been living under a rock somewhere, you know of these issues - lost email, overly-active filters and even now, the 'big boys' are talking about CHARGING for email to get your message delivered to your subscribers and friends!

ENOUGH ALREADY!!!

IT IS TIME TO FIGHT BACK!

Or, at least, take the next step in communication - the 'leading edge' of technology - to BYPASS EMAIL as a business tool and REGAIN CONTROL of our vital communications!

And, I, for one, am doing something about it!

I've just been introduced to a FANTASTIC new software - one that allows us to keep in touch INSTANTLY so you can grab all the latest news, articles and DEALS as they become available!

You may have heard of 'rss', 'xml', 'blogs' or even 'podcasting' - well, this software OUTDOES THEM ALL!

By combining not only 'blog', 'podcasts', 'news' and 'instant messaging', but also useful tools like a scheduler and 'channel' guide to keep track of all your subscriptions.

Not only that, you can log into my webinar room with just a couple clicks!

Talk about INSTANT contact!

Now, let's look at how we are going to use this super tool for building your real estate investing business.

1. DEAL Alerts

This will prove to be the FASTEST way for you to know about deals as they come across my desk. If you are subscribed to this 'channel', you will receive a notification ON YOUR DESKTOP within seconds of it being posted!

No waiting for email to get through the 'ether' (sometimes it has taken up to 5 HOURS for my messages to get through!) and certianly no missing out on any HOT deals because of some over-zealous spam filter - from someone that knows nothing about the real estate business!

2. Training sessions

With this technology, we will be able to connect together often, to open up more training events and sessions for you - a way to keep in touch and get all the training directly from me - but without having to travel or sit in a conference room all day!

Not that we won't still have live conferences and training sessions - they have a tremendous value for networking and face-to-face that nothing else provides....

However, we will be able to do MORE training at a LOWER PRICE, which keeps your budget in check and leverages your time as well!

3. New Articles and training tid-bits

Of course, I won't stop sending out these FREE tips, tricks and techniques, too - NO WAY!

As a subscriber of The Lazy Investor's Basic Training channel, you will receive all the tips and 'musings' - the 'goings-on' that you have come to know around here...

So, just how can you get involved in this great technology?

Just what will it take for you to get started receiving all this valuable info INSTANTLY?

Just hang loose, right here.

I am finalizing the testing of this software (still in development - this is really 'cutting edge' stuff!) and it will all be released very soon.

So, as they say ' Stay Tuned ' it is coming!

Happy Investing,

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor

Webinar Tonight!

2006-03-30T14:38:00.000-08:00

Webinar tonight!

That's right, we have another webinar scheduled and this one is to talk DEALS!

We have identified several great investment opportunities all over the country and we are talking about one of them LIVE tonight....

6 PM Pacific/9 Eastern - March 30, 2006

Go to http://TheLazyInvestor.com/webinarsignup.html for info on how you can get in on this webinar/teleconference simulcast!

See you there!"

NO income, NO Credit, NO Transport & IRS problems...

2006-03-05T14:27:00.000-08:00

Real Estate Investing with No Money, No Credit and even IRS problems? Discover tips and a step-by-step simple plan to get started right away.
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Is Real Estate Investing really possible with NO income, NO established credit, NO transportation, and IRS problems?

YES!

The other part of that - the 'What do I do about it?' part - well, that one is simple, too...

In fact, it is similar to the situation I was once in when I was starting out in real estate investing.
Let's go through it, step-by-step...

If you have 'no' money, the first thing to say is - if that is true, how do you eat?

You see, that is one of the most important things you must do to get started - be honest with yourself and take a serious look at your current situation.

If you are serious about real estate investing, you must understand that the world will not give you a living, nobody will be your 'daddy' and the government isn't going to make it happen for you.

Now, I know, this is a bit harsh, but you have to face reality - there ain't no free lunch anywhere and until you look that truth in the face, you will never be successful in anything - certainly not real estate investing.

By now, you are ready to begin your real estate investing journey with strength and truth, have stopped reading or looking for a link to get off my list.

You make a choice, which ever way...

For those that are still with me, know that there is no 'sugar coating' in this message! (to paraphrase a movie - "There ain't no crying in real estate investing!")

So, here's the step-by-step plan to move from a situation where you have little income, no credit established, no car and IRS problems into a world of successful real estate investing...

1. You already conquered the toughest one - facing the truth that you are the one responsible for your own actions.

Congratulate yourself for this (yes, go to the mirror, right now and tell yourself "Congratulations! You understand that you are the one responsible for your actions! You have taken the first step in real estate investing!")

2. Start profiling properties for other investors. You have taken the toughest step (you did #1 completely, didn't you? If not, DO IT NOW!)

You aren't quite ready to take on a deal by yourself - yet.

So, begin your real estate investing journey by finding deals for others. The Lazy Investor's Guide to Property Profiling is perfect for that - in fact, it is exactly what it is designed for!

3. As you begin to make money profiling real estate investing properties for others, don't spend it! (hey, you were living without income before - stick with that, for awhile - it will pay off soon!)

Put that cash away in a safe place (a bank account would be good - put it in a debit card with a major credit card logo - that will establish credit FAST!

To skyrocket your credit, take the steps detailed in The Lazy Investor's Guide to Raise Capital, Build Credit and Wipe Out Debt.

4. Look for real estate investing deals for others, but now that you have a bit of cash, look for other real estate investing deals for yourself. One of my favorite things to do with a bit of cash is to work Lease Purchase real estate investing deals.

Now, they don't always require it, but you will find a lot more real estate investing deals to work if you put a small amount down (I'm talking $10 or $100 most of the time - which is the legal minimum in most states).

Depending on the deal, you might put $1000 on it.

See my website for more on how to make tons of cash from this powerful real estate investing tool (yeah, it is my absolute favorite real estate investing method!).

5. Now, you are on your way! Make all the deals you can for yourself and sell off those you can't to other investors, you make plenty of income to begin to take on even bigger real estate investing deals.

The Lazy Investor's Guide to Real Estate Investing is the right thing for you. With this, you start to make more creative real estate investing deals, with more cash staying in your pocket.

That is what you want, isn't it?

That's it for now on this question - oh, as for the 'no car' and 'IRS troubles' part...

After you make some cash, buy a bicycle, then a scooter or something, then a car - to really start, you may have to actually WALK around to find real estate investing deals at first...

If you don't like that answer, re-read #1...

IRS problems - you got yourself into them, do what it takes to get out of them! Use some of that cash you are making from real estate investing to pay off the bill and get on with your life!

You can often negotiate with the IRS to either get a payment plan or drop the total bill. You might want to check out The Lazy Investor's Guide to Sales, Marketing and Negotiation if you need skills in this area.

Do this, or choose to live in fear and hiding the rest of your life...

If you don't like that answer, re-read #1...

OK, I'm done on this one - more later....

Happy Real Estate Investing,

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor

P.S. Do you have a friend that needs to hear this for themselves? Pass this message along! Send the link where you saw this to everyone you know!

P.P.S. This isn't all I have to say about this real estate investing topic (or many others you have asked about at http://AskSteveMajors.com, so stay tuned... In the meantime, why not check out all the tools you need to make real estate investing happen in your life...

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Profit from Real Estate Investment articles, real estate investing information and news from one of the most creative investors on the planet ~FREE MEMBERSHIP & real estate training course~ http://SteveMajors.com

A 'LAZY' Review of 'Zumanity' (a Las Vegas show)...

2006-02-09T15:16:00.000-08:00

The Lazy Investor

A 'LAZY' Review of 'Zumanity' (a Las Vegas show)...

Many people want me to give more 'personal' info - kind of a 'how do you spend your time' log of my life, so, here is a bit of that...

Note that I'm not one to ramble on and on about nothing - something I see a lot of on blogs in general - boy, are there some chatterboxes out there!

This post is for those folks that like to read the goings-on, so if that isn't you, stop here!

OK, disclaimer over - let's get to the review!

A couple days ago, my family and I went to the Las Vegas show called "Zumanity" at the New York, New York casino.

The whole thing was planned as a 'surprise' by my son's girlfriend, who lives with us (longer story than you'll likely hear on this blog.....;) as a Valentine's Day gift...

The biggest part of the surprise, to me, was that it was for Valentine's Day, as it is was well over a week away!

Anyhow, that was what she called it and she got some FANTASTIC seats - right off the stage (amazing what deals you can find when you don't follow the 'standard' dates and flow of crowds - that, in itself is a L.A.Z.Y. method of living!)

So, on to the show - once we knew where we were going (I was driving the Hummer so I had to be told a bit in advance where the destination was...), we headed down to the Strip and went to the valet parking (a Las Vegas tip - 99% of the time, use the valet in Vegas. They don't charge for parking and the entrance is usually close to just about everything. Give them a buck when you leave it and one when you pick it up - they are always thrilled...)

But, one more tip - don't take your Hummer (H2 anyway) to the valet at New York, New York - their parking garage can't handle them! That was certainly a surprise to us, but, in typical L.A.Z.Y. style, we kindly remarked to the attendant that we had a 75 year old grandma in a wheelchair with us and that it is hard to get her up/down, etc, etc (it really doesn't matter WHY, most of the time when you ask for special treatment and give some sort of reason, people will let you have it - another L.A.Z.Y. tip...)

Not only did the attendant take the truck, they parked it on the main curb - right in front of the hotel! When we came back after the show, it was already sitting right there!

Back to the review (or, have I even ever gotten there?)...

Surprise number 2 was that this is a VERY ADULT show! No, it isn't a 'striptease' or anything too bad, but it is quite an adult theme and a provocative, sexy thing, with lots of 'upper body flesh' showing - and not just on the guys....

You wouldn't want to take your 1st date there, I'd think.....

And, certainly not if you are sitting in the first couple rows, or on the isles (oh, another 'tip' about Vegas shows - many of them are 'audience participation' themes and if you are on the aisles or in the front row (i.e., 'close enough to grab'), you just might get picked for some 'participation'.....)

The show itself was quite good, the actors all playing their parts well.

Lots of athletic stuff going on, too - some, pretty erotic! (personally, I liked the girl in the swimming pool the most - interesting flexibility!) There was one other 'stand-out' performer, in my opinion (although, again, I would say they were all good) - that he was only seen a few minutes before the performance and then 'in the shadows' throughout the show was a shame (another one of those 'tips' for Vegas shows - they tend to have things going on all over the place - look for performers in the rafters as well as on stage...). This was the 'spider-guy' - I don't recall his name or anything, but his talent for movement was really great.

Now, he was not a contortionist - they had one of those! This guy was amazing - touching his toes together by bending his legs BACKWARD! That is quite a feat (or, is that 'feet'...?)!

I would recommend the Zumanity show if you are adult enough to handle it (be warned, there is a lot of nudity in it - tastefully done, and often comically done as well). Where we were sitting, we only got 'participated' from confetti and once, where the guy was naked and strutting through the seats right above us.....

Well, you'll have to go to the show to find out more on that one!!!

Hope you enjoy this 'review'. You can write to me and let me know if you want more of this stuff (or not)... I'm always open to whatever works for both sides!

Happy Investing,

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor

Put a little mayonnaise in your rice...

2006-02-03T15:38:00.000-08:00

The Lazy Investor
Put a little mayonnaise in your rice...

You read that right...

Put a little mayonnaise in your rice!

You know, I'm not one to change my diet much - oh, I'm no
'health nut' - far from it, but there are a few things I
like to eat pretty much every day...

For breakfast, I like toast - hot and buttered.

Now, on occasion, I do add some jam (watch out if there is
grape jelly though... ;) and on rare occasions I have been
known to 'experiment'...

On one such 'binge', I wanted to try something different
and put a sliced banana on my toast, then poured a bit of
honey over the top - Y.U.M.M.Y.!

That has proven to be my #1 favorite breakfast, but I don't
have it everyday - that would ruin the treat!

For lunch (and most dinners), I'm one of those 'heat it up,
roll it in a burrito bread and I'm done' kind of folks.
Pretty much any leftovers make it a meal that satisfies my
'pangs'.

Well, recently, I was fixing one of these 'dinners' for
myself and my wife (she often shares in my concoctions -
without the burrito bread...)

Even her 74-year old mother got in on this one - some rice,
veggies and stuff...

But...

She (grandma) told me to put some mayonnaise in her rice.

Now, I thought she'd gone totally nuts (after all, she has
had some lapses in memory and such lately and with her
other health problems, it wouldn't be a surprise...)

However, I fixed it as per her request - after all, it
wasn't me that had to eat it!

But, then, something amazing happened...

As I was cleaning up from fixing her meal, I grabbed the
spoon I'd used to mix her concoction with and stuck it in my
mouth...

One of those things you do - right?

And, to my total amazement, it was GOOD!

YUMMY in fact!

So good that I made my 'burrito' with the same mixture!

So good in fact that I made TWO of them!

So good that I will, from this day forward, be putting
mayonnaise in my rice - often...

What does any of this have to do with real estate
investing?

Actually, a lot!

You see, oftentimes, you get stuck on just how to do your
next deal - just what to do to make your next one go
through quickly so you get paid.

Many times, it is because you only know one technique - or
one version of it...

Sometimes you simply get stuck in a 'rut' and only want to
do things one way...

Yes, even with something as simple as Lease Purchase (or
Lease Option - however you like to call it...), there are
different methods to get to the end result - which, in my
opinion, is to get you PAID!

The technique I teach in The Lazy Investor's Guide to Lease
Purchase has the most powerful marketing and 'powers of pursuasion'
systems in it I have ever seen - and GET you PAID - BIG!

What do you think?

I mean, if you have a system that allows you to consistently
bring a seller down on their price while taking buyers from

"A couple thousand down" to

"$20,000 non-refundable option money" -

would that be something you want to use for yourself, right
where you live?

It's just like putting mayonnaise in your rice...

Put things together just a little differently - and the
results are YUMMY!

You just have to be willing to taste it for yourself...

But, watch out - you may just find how much you LIKE it!

Pick up your copy of
The Lazy Investor's Guide to Lease Purchase,
stop what you are doing and go, right now,
http://TheLazyInvestor.com/products.html#LP

Happy Investing,

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor

P.S. Check out all the 'mayonnaise' at http://TheLazyInvestor.com/products.html

P.P.S. Put a little different flavor in your life, and do things a little differently - for more results. http://TheLazyInvestor.com/products.html#LP

A Simple Plan for Starting a Business of Real Estate Investing

2006-01-02T17:33:00.000-08:00

Follow this simple step-by-step process to change your life, increase your income and have a successful business in Real Estate Investing. This article provides a 'how-its-done' look to maximize your results.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Starting a business of real estate investing - whether you work out of an office or a 'home based business' you run out of a corner of your bedroom, you can drastically change your life, and your income in as little as 10 hours per week - all through a very simple plan of real estate investing.

It is possible to become successful in real estate investing in a short time and, even when starting a business of real estate investing, you can find the time without crimping your current lifestyle!

Starting a business of real estate investing with a simple plan.

1. Groundwork of your simple plan is crucial when starting a business of real estate investing.

I know, it is easy to say - and the truth is, it is easy to do! Most people get stopped when starting a business of real estate investing because they simply FAIL to plan. That's right, it isn't because their plan didn't work, it was because they did not implement even a very simple plan!

To be successful in real estate investing, first find someone else that is successful in real estate investing, watch them, interview them, find out everything you can about what they did when starting a business - and write up a simple plan of what they have done to be successful in their real estate investing - something that you can follow each day.

In order to have what they have, you need to do what they do, so find out what percentage of their day is spent on the telephone, for instance.

Find out how much of that time is spent on making calls, receiving calls and the type of calls they are (Customer Service, making deals, etc.)

That gives you a good idea of what your total time should look like, when you are starting a business of real estate investing of your own.

2. The next step in developing your simple plan as you are starting a business of real estate investing is to divide your total time (10 hours per week is a great start) just like your successful mentor does.

Even if they put in a hundred hours per week, they still divide their time, just like you will, once you begin working your simple plan.

The 'secret to success' isn't in the hours - it is how you spend them!

Follow the simple plan outlined here to make the most of your hours and get the most out of everything as you are starting a business of real estate investing with a plan of success.

If your mentor spends 1/10th of their time making outgoing phone calls to find new business, then you need to spend 1/10th of the time you dedicate to your real estate investing business doing the same thing, a pretty simple plan, huh?

3. Set your Goals.

A clear destination is something you always do when starting out on vacation, isn't it?

Then have the same thing in mind when you are starting a business of real estate investing.

Every successful person says to have a goal in mind so you know where you are going, and our simple plan gives you the steps to get there!

A goal is crucial in anything, and certainly when starting a business of real estate investing.

Without a destination (a specific income amount, a personal item like a car or boat, or simply an amount set aside in savings), how will you know if you ever arrived?

4. Track your progress.

You have your goal in mind, and a simple plan to begin. It is time to get into your 10 hours per week program and 'backtrack' to create a clear and simple plan to follow.

Take your goal (a clear date of completion and 'destination'), divide it out and chart the required progress each day, week, month and/or year to quickly know what is required to reach your destination.

Follow your progress each day to know quickly if you are sticking to your original goal destination, or if you are ahead or behind schedule.

As you are starting a business of real estate investing, you will likely come across some detours, that's OK (and where many people get lost... Do not!)

When driving, if you find a road that is blocked or a path that seems impassible, you simply find another way around, right?

The same is true when starting a business of real estate investing, just find another way.

Include in your simple plan a few hours here/there just for such 'emergencies'.

If you have no emergencies, do something else that will get you closer to your destination, or just relax and enjoy where you are.

5. Spend time ON your business, not only IN your business.

In your simple plan for starting a business of real estate investing, you must set aside part of your working time to plan, set goals, promote and advertise your business, not simply work along in your business, doing the things you do.

In today's world, when starting a business of real estate investing, you will most likely have a website. You need to spend a certain portion of your time (even 10 hours per week total) on getting more visitors to that website. The more people that see what you have to offer, the quicker your business will grow.

You could spend time driving from house to house, telling everyone about your website (not a very simple plan for your time!), or you can maximize your time by writing articles about your business and post them online where many people will see them (many online services promote articles).

This is often overlooked by people as they are starting a business of real estate investing, and one of the reasons they fail to make their simple plan.

As your business grows over time, you will do less of this (but never stop!) and begin to work your simple plan toward the 'IN your business' phase.

6. Give excellent Customer Service.

It never pays to make your customers angry. An upset customer will kill more business than you can imagine. Find a way to work with them, or simply give them their money back.

Losing customers is something you cannot afford when you are starting a business of real estate investing!

Many people simply don't make the time to provide quality service to their customers. Do not let that happen to you!

A little up front planning and goal setting, then follow-through each week, then simply repeat the process.

You will change your business from flat to cash in a short amount of time!

Follow the steps above and it can be done in as much or as little time as you have.

When starting a business of real estate investing, if you follow the simple plan I have outlined here, you are already a success!

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Profit from Real Estate Investment articles, real estate investing information and news from one of the most creative investors on the planet ~FREE MEMBERSHIP & real estate training course~ http://SteveMajors.com

2005-12-19T09:23:00.000-08:00

NO income, NO credit, NO transport & IRS problems...

Thanks for your questions at
http://AskSteveMajors.com- I read every one.

I answer as many as possible individually, however, as
several have a similar 'theme', I'm going to, on occasion,
answer them through this newsletter - it saves us both time,
and utilizes one of the most powerful tools in the universe
- LEVERAGE! (That's why it is the first letter in L.A.Z.Y.!)

Ok, here's the question for today...

Is it really possible to be successful in real estate
investing with NO income, NO established credit, NO
transportation, and IRS problems?

YES!

Thanks for the question....

Oh, the other part of that - the 'What do I do about it?'
part.... ;)

Well, that one is simple, too...

In fact, it is similar to the situation I was once in when I
was starting out in real estate investing.

So, I'll go through it for you, step-by-step, just like I
did for myself...

If you have 'no' money, the first thing to say about
that is - if that is true, how do you eat?

You see, that is one of the most important
things you can do to get started - be honest with yourself
and take a serious look at your current situation.

If you are serious about real estate investing, you simply
must understand that the world will not give you a living,
nobody will be your 'daddy' and certainly the government
isn't going to make it happen for you.

Now, I know, this is a bit harsh, but that's the reality you
have to face - there ain't no free lunch anywhere and until
you look that truth in the face, you will never be
successful in anything - certainly not real estate
investing.

By now, you are ready to begin the journey with strength and
truth, have stopped reading or found the link at the bottom
of this email to get off my list.

You have made a choice, which ever way...

For those that are still with me, know that there is no
'sugar coating' in this message! (to take a phrase
from a movie - "There ain't no crying in real estate
investing!")

So, here's the step-by-step plan to move from a situation
where you have little income, no credit established, no car
and IRS problems...

1. You've already conquered the toughest one - facing the
truth that you are the one responsible for your own actions.

Congratulate yourself for this (yes, go to the mirror, right
now and tell yourself "Congratulations! You understand that
you are the one responsible for your actions!")

2. Start profiling properties for other investors.
You have taken the toughest step (you did #1 completely,
didn't you? If not, DO IT NOW!)

You aren't quite ready to take on a deal by yourself - yet.

So, begin your journey by finding deals for others.
The Lazy Investor's Guide to Property Profiling
http://TheLazyInvestor.com/products.html#PPS is perfect
for that - in fact, it is exactly what it is designed for!

3. As you begin to make money profiling for others, don't
spend it! (hey, you were living without income before -
stick with that, for awhile - it will pay off soon!)

Put that cash away in a safe place (a bank account would be
good - put it in a debit card with a major credit card logo
- that sureh does establish credit FAST!

To skyrocket your credit, take the steps detailed in
The Lazy Investor's Guide to Raise Capital,
Build Credit and Wipe Out Debt
http://TheLazyInvestor.com/products.html#Credit

4. Continue to look for deals for others, but now that you
have a bit of cash, you can also look for other deals for
yourself. One of my favorite things to do with a bit of cash
is to work Lease Purchase deals.

Now, they don't always require it, but you will find a lot
more to work if you put a small amount down (I'm talking $10
or $100 most of the time - which is the legal minimum in
most states).

Depending on the deal, you might put $1000 on it.

Go to http://TheLazyInvestor.com/products.html#LP for more
on how to make tons of cash from this powerful tool (yeah,
it is my absolute favorite!).

5. Now, you are on your way! Making all the deals you can
for yourself and selling off those you can't to other
investors, you are making plenty of income to begin taking
on even bigger deals.

The Lazy Investor's Guide to Real Estate Investing
http://TheLazyInvestor.com/products.html#RE is the right
thing for you. You will begin making more creative deals,
with more cash staying in your pocket.

That is what you want, isn't it?

That's it for now on this question - oh, as for the 'no car'
and 'IRS troubles' part...

After you make some cash, buy a bicycle, then a scooter or
something, then a car - to really start, you may have to
actually WALK around to find deals at first...

If you don't like that answer, re-read #1...

IRS problems - you got yourself into them, do what it takes
to get out of them! Use some of that cash you are making to
pay off the bill and get on with your life!

You can often negotiate with the IRS to either get a
payment plan or drop the total bill. You might want to
check out The Lazy Investor's Guide to Sales, Marketing and
Negotiation if you need skills in this area.

Do this, or choose to live in fear and hiding the rest of
your life...

If you don't like that answer, re-read #1...

OK, I'm done on this one - more later....

Happy Investing,

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor

P.S. Do you have a friend that needs to hear this for
themselves? Pass this message along!

P.P.S. This isn't all I have to say about this subject (or
many others you have asked about), so stay tuned... In the
meantime, why not check out all the tools you need to
make real estate investing happen in your life...

A Simple Plan for Starting a Business

2005-12-02T21:36:00.000-08:00

Follow this simple step-by-step process to change your life, increase your income and create a wildly successful business. This article provides a 'how-its-done' look to maximize your results.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
A Simple Plan for Starting a Business
(by Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor)

-------------------------------------------------------------

Starting a business, whether it is a 'small business' where you work out of an office or a 'home based business' you run out of a corner of your bedroom, you can drastically change your life through a very simple plan.

Starting a business is not something you jump into. When you are working a simple plan, starting a business is something you GROW into.

How do you make a simple plan for growth when starting a business?

1. Groundwork of your simple plan is crucial when starting a business.

Find someone that was successful in starting a business in your industry, watch them, interview them, find out everything you can about what they did when they were starting a business. Then, write a simple plan outlining what they do all day.

In order to have what they have, you must do what they do, so find out what percentage of their day is spent, for instance, on the telephone making calls, receiving calls and the type of calls.

2. Divide your time.

The next step in your simple plan as you are starting a business is to divide your time like your mentor. Use the same percentage of the total hours, as you will not work the same hours they do.

The 'secret to success' is not in the hours, it is how you spend them! By following the simple plan outlined here, you make the most of your hours, and get the most out of everything as you are starting a business with a simple plan of success.

3. Set your Goals.

A vital piece of success when starting a business is that you have a goal in mind and work your simple plan to get there.

Without a destination (a specific income amount, a personal item like a car or boat, or simply an amount set aside in savings), how will you know you arrived?

4. Track your progress.

Divide your goal into days, weeks, months and/or years to quickly know what is required to reach your destination.

Check your progress often. You will know quickly if you are sticking to your original goal or if you are ahead or behind schedule.

Just like a road trip, as you are starting a business, you will likely come across some detours, that's OK. On vacation, just as in starting a business, if you find a road blocked or a path impassible, you simply find another way.

And, just as on vacation, include in your simple plan a few hours here/there for such 'emergencies'. If you find you have no emergencies, simply choose something else that will get you closer to your destination, or just relax and enjoy where you are.

5. Work ON your business, not only IN your business.

In starting a business, you must set aside part of your time to plan, set goals, promote and advertise your business, not simply work along in your business, doing the things you do.

When starting a business, a simple form of advertising is a website. The more people that see what you have to offer, the quicker your business will grow.

You could go door-to-door, telling everyone about your website (not a simple plan!), or maximize your time by posting articles online where many people see them.

This is overlooked by many as they are starting a business, and one of the reasons they fail...

As your business grows, you will do less advertising and begin to work your simple plan toward the 'IN your business' phase.

6. Give excellent Customer Service.

Upset customers kill more business than you can imagine. Find a way to work with them, or simply give them their money back. Losing customers is something you cannot afford when you are just starting a business!

So many people simply do not make the time to provide quality service to their customers. Do not let that happen to you!

With a little planning and goal setting, follow through each week and simply repeating the process, you can change your business from flat to cash in a short amount of time.

When starting a business, if you follow the simple plan we have outlined here, you are already a success!

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Profit from business related articles, real estate investing information and news from one of the most creative investors on the planet ~FREE MEMBERSHIP & real estate training course~ http://SteveMajors.com

Real Estate Investing LIES Unveiled

2005-11-03T21:14:00.000-08:00

Real Estate Investing is not about doing flips, No Money Down or even 'buy and hold'. So many people have been LIED to about Real Estate investments, and I, for one, think it's time to 'get real' about your Real Estate Investing.

This article describes just what these lies are, where they come from and how you can stop them before they stop you - and your successful real estate investing career!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Let's get REAL about something - and quelch the LIES you have been told about Real Estate Investing…

What I am going to reveal to you are some basic truths about Real Estate investing - truths that may totally affect the Real Estate investments you have now - and certainly I intend to modify the way you do Real Estate investing in the future.

Let's get right to it - and into the heart of the real estate investing issue…

You have been programmed all your life to become what you are today - from school, friends, relatives and, yes, your parents.

Recent studies show that you are who you are now, more from what you learned prior to age 8 than in anything else you have learned since.

Now, that may surprise you, but it is true that what you learned at the earliest ages affects the way you make Real Estate investments today, and the type of Real Estate investing success you will have going forward!

Yes, that's a bit shocking…

You see, if you grew up in an environment where you heard things like “We can't afford it”, “Be sure you have saved enough and have the cash to buy it (i.e., never use credit)” or numerous other phrases that you now hear yourself saying (you know what I'm talking about - those times you catch yourself "becoming your parents"…), it is because of your early programming (from 0-8 years) and what you were told about money, success and life in general.

That is controlling your current income - and your success - or lack of it...

The things you were told at that early, most influential age, are now creeping out and affecting how successful you are in business, in life and yes, in your Real Estate investing.

THERE IS GOOD NEWS

The greatest thing about this fact - as horrible as it seems - is that you can change the 'programming' - you have the power to do it!

You can reprogram yourself in any way you want - have anything you want - do anything you want…

All it takes is simply to 'reinstall' the right kind of thinking.

And, it is easier than you might think!

One of the best ways to do that is to get a CD audio set from someone you like to listen to - someone that thinks positively and speaks of the life you want to live. Many home study courses are available (yes, including mine) that are designed to inspire and motivate you, while they teach you the methods and secrets of real estate investing.

Purchase one - listen to it, over and over - until you hear yourself speaking that way, too.

You see, we are all simply creatures of habit and environment - if we allow junk to get into our heads, all we will ever say is junk coming out.

If all you listen to is the bad stuff in life (like the TV news, most 'talk radio' shows, those TV 'real life' shows that end up in fights - you know the ones…, and even violent movies where the language is nothing you'd ever expect to hear from your own lips…), that is exactly what you will wind up sounding like!

It is true - 'you are what you eat' - and that counts just as much for what you put in your ears as it does for what you put in your mouth!

If you spend your time around 'bar people', you'll speak and act like them. Not that there's anything wrong with that, as long as you made a conscious thought that it is what you want, but I think you'd be much more successful at Real Estate investing if you were listening to a successful person teaching you about Real Estate Investing!

Now, let's get right to the point about the various methods and concepts you have learned about Real Estate Investing…

You may call yourself a 'real estate investing expert', but if you have to get up every morning and wonder where your next check is coming from, you aren't making real estate investments, you are being employed in a Real Estate Investing JOB!

Yes, that's a hard-hitting statement.

You see, I want you to 'get real' with yourself and simply admit it - Real Estate investing is when you put money into a Real Estate investment and then get some money out - 'real estate investing' defined…

Yet, it seems that most people I meet want to attend my real estate training or purchase my real estate courses that have to do with 'No Money Down' (NMD) “real estate investing”…

Now, that kind of talk just proves the point - you can reprogram yourself to speak a different language - even if it doesn't make sense!

A bunch of 'gurus' have told you over and over again that 'No Money Down' is real estate investing - even though you learned at an early age that 'invest' means to put money into something and get money out (see http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=invest for other definitions - none of them say 'No Money Down'...)

Now, it's not that 'NMD Real Estate investing' is all bad - heck, my students and I make several thousand dollars from these types of 'Real Estate investing' transactions every year, too.

Just don't lie to yourself and say they are 'real estate investments', we know very clearly that these are simply 'earned income' from one portion of your real estate investing business - the real estate 'job' portion - earned while in transition from your 'corporate job' to your 'real estate investing job' and on the road to true Real Estate Investing.

In other real estate investing articles, I cover some of the methods and techniques you, too, can explore while moving from your 'corporate job' to your 'real estate investing job' and you'll learn some insider secrets for taking that leap quickly.

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Profit from Real Estate Investment articles, real estate investing information and news from one of the most creative investors on the planet ~FREE MEMBERSHIP & real estate training course~ http://SteveMajors.com

Real Estate Investing Financing Truths - Part 2

2005-10-11T12:35:00.000-07:00

Simple Real Estate Investing formulas to make the most of your real estate investments in today's market. Take an inside look at 'traditional' and 'creative' real estate investing methods (Part 2 of 2)
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(p31 - The Lazy Investor's Guide to Real Estate)

Real Estate Investing Financing Truths - Part 2 of 2

No Money Down and other 'Creative' Real Estate Investment Methods

For many years, investors have seen the traditional real estate investment methods described in Part 1 of this article as a lot less than desirable!

They began looking at the prices of houses and finding methods of bringing the price more in line with making more money in a faster way.

These savvy investors developed ways to get loans on properties that allowed them to pull money out whenever they buy a real estate investment (cash back at closing) and lower their payments to build up their cash flow ('creative' investing).

They even developed methods of determining a Sellers motivation for selling - and bought the property at a discount price.

These creative investors also saw that some Sellers were not able (for whatever reason) to sell the property at a discount price, however, they still needed to get rid of the property, as they didnt know how to manage it as a landlord, or make money from it - not that it couldnt be done, they simply lacked the knowledge of how to do it.

The Seller just never learned how to profit from a real estate investment.

These investors understood how to make money from such properties, and did.

They bought the property on discount terms, and made money from the spread by selling it at retail price and/or terms (certainly one of my favorite methods of real estate investing).

Buy Every Real Estate Investment via Discount Price or Discount Terms.

Several years ago (actually, it really took off in the 1980s), Real Estate Investment Experts began seeing the potential for making money in bringing this treasured knowledge to the public in the form of home-study courses, seminars and Boot Camps.

They found that it wouldn't create competition for themselves, as many people, even though they purchase real estate courses and attend seminars and Boot Camps, will not actually take the information and utilize it to make the hundreds and even thousands of dollars possible for anyone serious about Real Estate Investing.

These Real Estate Investment Experts (being dubbed 'guru') found that this side of the business was lucrative often making more income from teaching about real estate investing than the actual real estate investments themselves.

It is important to understand that these real estate investment gurus learned early that they can only teach others what to do, not be responsible for the other persons success.

Providing the information to those that choose not to use it is very similar to the old adage "You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make it drink".

Yes, these real estate investment gurus got wealthy from selling this information, but their theories, principles and techniques taught thousands of others (those that take action on what they learn) how to realize their dreams utilizing their tried and true methods of real estate investing.

From home-study courses and seminars, to boot camps and one-on-one training, these methods have been proven to be not only interesting to millions of people, but capable of bringing massive wealth to those that take action on what is taught - those that go on and actually make real estate investments themselves.

Knowledge changes things...

This knowledge of no money down real estate investing techniques being known by thousands of Sellers has made changes in the industry.

By bringing the Seller into the knowledgeable realm of Real Estate investing, Sellers now know many of the methods that the gurus teach.

This is both a blessing and a curse.

To the talented investor, these knowledgeable people are more likely to work to create a WIN-WIN situation.

Investors that avoid the tricks and stick to the basic real estate investment techniques and terms that have been proven to work over and over again, have proven these powerful real estate investment strategies work even with these informed Sellers.

Oh, yes, many of these real estate investment techniques work today, as they have for many years. So much so that it is almost possible to say they have become principles; things that work, over and over, the same way no matter what happens - like gravity.

However, sadly, they are not really principles, as several of the real estate investment methods and techniques that worked in the 1980s and even through the 1990s are today not as powerful, nor do they work as often as they did before (although some 'gurus' are still teaching the same methods - even after 20 years...).

Some of this decline is due to a more educated society (due to the flood of real estate investment information available via books, tapes, home-study courses and the Internet), while some of it is due to simple changes in policies and laws.

It seems like a wave started late in 2003, the FHA announced that flips (transactions where investors buy houses cheaply and sell them at or near market rates) are "illegal". (Note that illegal in this context is not a legal term, but one that has been adopted from "you are not allowed to do that and do business with us".)

The FHAs announcement started a wave of concern (if not panic) throughout the Real Estate investing community.

Title and Mortgage companies began to tighten up their reigns. Many of these companies, in lieu of direct information, began simply not completing any transactions that did not follow the traditional real estate investment system. This made it hard for investors to complete transactions that involved simple buy-then-resell agreements (as they are not really real estate investments, but a rather nice way to make some fast CA$H!).

In rapid appreciation areas (California and Nevada, for example), the ability to flip a property all but stopped (became 'illegal'). All the 'traditional' creative real estate investing methods were virtually put on hold.

Ingenuity to the rescue, other methods of real estate investing always seem to pop up. After all, "Necessity is the Mother of Invention", and "Where there is a Will, there is a Way" are absolute principles.

Investors have to make a way to get things done - a way to keep their real estate investments profitable, and even more creative real estate investing methods were developed - to keep real estate investors, and the love of real estate investment, alive forever.

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Profit from Real Estate Investment articles, real estate investing information and news from one of the most creative investors on the planet ~FREE MEMBERSHIP & real estate training course~ http://SteveMajors.com

Real Estate Investing Financing Truths - Part 1 of 2

2005-09-25T16:39:00.000-07:00

Take an inside look at 'traditional' and 'creative' real estate investing methods and discover simple formulas to make the most of your real estate investments in today's marketplace. (Part 1 of 2)
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(p28 - The Lazy Investor's Guide to Real Estate)

Real Estate Investing Financing Truths - Part 1 of 2

Traditional Methods of Real Estate Investing

Through years and years of transactions, the traditional method of buying and selling Real Estate investments has evolved into a market of its own and has grown into a Real Estate ‘machine’ that circulates massive amounts of money through Real Estate Agents, Real Estate appraisals, Title & Escrow Companies, Banks, and Mortgage Companies.

These once-simple real estate investments have grown from a modest fee for a professional to keep the Buyer’s or Seller’s best interest in mind during negotiations, to now, traditionally, 6% (or more) of the total sales price being paid to Real Estate Agents (via Brokers who often take the majority of the money), another 3 – 5% being paid to Title, Mortgage and Escrow Companies for various fees, and then even more is taken for a real estate appraisal.

As if that weren't enough, then a huge amount of money is absorbed by the Bank, through the form of interest payments – usually over 15 – 30 years and totaling 2 – 3 times the original purchase price of the initial Real Estate investment!

Down Payments go to pay a variety of fees.

Now, don’t get me wrong, it certainly is possible to make money through these methods, but the ‘traditional real estate investment system’ is designed to simply ‘break even’ for the home owner in purchasing a home (the first, and perhaps, only real estate investment they will ever make) in this manner. It is really not designed for the investor, who, of course, wants every real estate investment to make money.

Traditional funding only allows the Home Owner to break even.

Example – Home Owner Financing:
(the numbers represented here reflect the methods, not necessarily the price structures of any given real estate investment market.)

List price on property (with Real Estate Agent)
$200,000

Bank loan available (owner-occupied, 100% @ 7% interest)
$200,000

Monthly payments (over 30 years)
~ $1350

Taxes, Insurance, etc. (per month)
~ $250

(This example is for an ‘average’ home in an ‘average’ neighborhood, for the ‘average American’ using an ‘average’ interest rate of 7% – of course, these figures do not apply everywhere.)

Therefore, the payment for this property is approximately $1600 per month for 30 years, to be paid by the home owner living in the property.

Now, the ‘traditional real estate investment system’ allows for this home owner to have a change in their lives and decide to purchase another (usually larger) home. They have the right, and often do, ‘rent out’ the first house and move into the new one with their family.

The owner will be responsible for any additional expenses (repairs, Home Owner's Association fees, etc.) as well as their desire to make a small cash flow from this endeavor.

Their previous home now becomes a true real estate investment where they increase their 'homeonwer's' monthly payment to the ‘renter’ by an additional $200 per month, for a total price to the renter of $1800 per month.

Reasonable enough – until/unless there are repairs to be made – or, the renter leaves and the new ‘landlord’ has to make payments on this vacant house. Then, this $200 positive cash flow per month real estate investment doesn’t look so good….

But, the “rent” has been established for that house – and the ‘comparable rent for the area’ can easily be calculated using this method;

STANDARD RENT CALCULATION - (Simple Method)

Total payment for the property (includes Principle, Interest, Taxes and Insurance – known as PITI at 100% loan at 7% interest)

+ cash flow for the ‘investor’ (usually $200 per month)

= ‘Rent’

Note: With several homes in the area of similar size and style, plus the fact that most homeowners in the area have similar loan structuring, we can estimate that whatever the average loan percentage is will create a ‘standard rental rate for X model real estate investment’ – in this case, $1800.

A simple (and LAZY) way to remember it is;

PITI + $200 = STANDARD RENT

If an ‘investor’ (one that seriously wants to make money from buying/selling Real Estate investments) wishes to purchase the same house in the same area and for the same amount of money, the ‘traditional real estate investment system’ doesn’t allow the investor to really make any money from the transaction.

Example – Investor Financing:

List price on property (with Real Estate Agent)
$200,000

Bank loan available (investor loan, 80% @ 8.4%)
$160,000

Monthly payments (over 30 years)
~ $1250

Taxes, Insurance, etc. (per month)
~ $250

(This example is for an ‘average’ home in an ‘average’ neighborhood, for the ‘average American’ with an ‘average’ investor interest rate of 8.4% – of course, these figures do not apply everywhere, but the formula is very similar.)

Therefore, the monthly payment for this investor-owned real estate investment is approximately $1500.

At first glance, seems very good, as the investor will have a ‘cash flow’ of $300 per month – more cash flow per month than the homeowner-turned-investor.

However, the difference is that the 'Investor’ (the one serious about making a profit from this real estate investment) has brought in cash (out of pocket) of $40,000 – UP FRONT!

Plus, the investor has to pay a higher interest rate (in this example, I have included 1.4%, while a bank may charge several percent for investor loans – those identified as being purchased solely for the purpose of being a real estate investment - check with your lending institution on their policies prior to finalizing your loans)!

Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t know too many people with that kind of money for 1 property – not to mention the fact that this person expects to make several real estate investments, repeating ‘what works’ several times.

Not only does the investor have to come up with $40,000 up front (every time they decide to make a real estate investment), but how long will it take (at $300 per month) to make enough to purchase a second investment property at this rate?

10 YEARS!! (presuming there are never any repairs, the investor never takes out a penny of the cash flow for their own use, etc)!

Investors and Homeowners get different rates.

Not what I call a ‘wealth path’, not what I teach – and certainly not any way to run a business.

END Part 1 of 2

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Profit from Real Estate Investment articles, real estate investing information and news from one of the most creative investors on the planet ~FREE MEMBERSHIP & real estate training course~ http://SteveMajors.com

The Lazy Investor is back on his feet - well, almost....

2005-09-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

GREAT NEWS!

I have now been going to the thearapist (yesterday and today) and he has 'ok'd' me to begin actually STANDING on my foot!

YEAH!

Yes, he pushed, tugged and twisted, and now feels like my foot has healed enough to begin putting some pressure on it ('toe-tap' only...)

But, it is a step (pun intended...)

Now, this guy, I like - he's a 'get it done' kind of guy and believes in making it happen as soon as possible (although he firmly believes in proper precautions and not pushing into something that you aren't ready for - heck, he thinks a lot like me and real estate investing!)

So, I've taken a few steps and actually have been 'walking' around the house as much as possible (walker-assisted, of course...)

I've even been out doing some investing work (one of my mentoring students wanted me to lock in a property for them as part of their one-on-one time) and we be going to a local Real Estate Investing Club tonight (be sure to support yours, too...), so I'm getting around pretty well.

My shoulders are a bit sore, but that will pass soon enough (and, hey, I'll be 'buff' for the Boot Camp.... ;)

The therapist is working on my foot, as well as the left shoulder (it got fractured in the fall as well as my left heel, but I couldn't handle two surgeries on the same side at once.....)

Be sure and get your seat reserved at the Boot Camp - you may never get another chance to see me so trim (and sexy... ;)

Happy Investing

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor

The Groundhog saw his shadow...

2005-09-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

Yeah, even in September, it seems, there is something about
it...

To follow up on my '5 days and counting' email last week, I
went to the doctor and it was obvious that he had gotten up
that morning, stepped out the door - and saw his shadow...

I know that because he told me "6 more weeks before you can
walk on it..."

SIX WEEKS! Now, that certainly wasn't the news I wanted!

Well, he did backtrack a bit on it and told me that I could
work with a therapist 2-3 times a week for that time and
MAYBE (I guess if I was 'good'...), if the therapist
reports progress, I may be allowed to put some pressure on
it in a week or so more.

But, for the time being, it is still wheelchair or walker...

Sure am glad I am a LAZY real estate investor - I've done a
couple deals this last week right from my chair - didn't
even need to get up to make them happen - and still made
more than I ever did at any job I ever had! (I really love
this business!)

So, I guess I'll still be on the walker for the Boot Camp -
so be it...

Heck, I'll still be able to do a full 'brain dump' and teach
everything I know about real estate - folks don't come to
watch me walk around, they come to learn all the secrets of
LAZY investing!

You still have time to get your reservation - and a DISCOUNT
on the package (even though I'm already going to PROVE this
system works by offering you to take the training fee from
DEALS YOU WILL COMPLETE from learning this system)...

For a very limited time, you can get full training
(detailed in full at http://TheLazyWayToBuyRealEstate.com -
including the 100% ~NO~RISK~ ~GUARANTEE~) plus you'll get a
CHECK from me for $200 to offset any expenses you might
have in getting to the Boot Camp (hotel, meals - slot
machine play... - whatever) - it's yours to do with as you
please!

Go, right now and get your seat reserved - before they all
fill up!
http://TheLazyWayToBuyRealEstate.com/TakeAction.html

Seats are limited (I keep it small to keep it personal), so
hurry and get yours before they are all gone.
http://TheLazyWayToBuyRealEstate.com/TakeAction.html

See you at the Boot Camp - Oct. 14-16, 2005
(I'll be there - wheelchair, birthday cake and all... ;)

Happy Investing,

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor

P.S. If you get your seat reserved for the Boot Camp by
Sept. 19th, I've got an ADDITIONAL BONUS for you - You'll
receive the complete version of 'The Lazy Investor's Guide
to Real Estate' - a $497 value - absolutely F~R~E~E~!
http://TheLazyWayToBuyRealEstate.com/TakeAction.html

5 Steps to Massive Profits - A Business Marketing Tip

2005-09-11T11:48:00.000-07:00

A Quick, Informative Business Marketing Tip for Maximizing Your Profits.
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Here's a business marketing tip to gain maximum profit from
any product or service in your business marketing lineup,
and how you will gain extreme profits when you follow these
5 simple, LAZY steps;

1. Look not at what you are offering through your business
marketing efforts - look at WHO WILL BUY your
product/service. Make a picture of your 'typical buyer' -
who they are, their age, what they like to do, etc.

This is often known as the 'target market prospect', yet,
the more detailed you define this 'target' in your business
marketing, the better.

I've even gone to the point of giving this 'target market'
person a name and put a picture up on my computer monitor
(find a 'friendly face' on the Internet somewhere and 'tag'
it as your target market prospect) - get your business
marketing centered around every aspect of your target - the
more you know them, the easier it is to chat about what they
need.

2. Develop a list of your target market prospect's likes and
dislikes as it would relate to a product/service similar to
yours. (You'll get a 'third party' look at your competition,
as well as some inside looks at their business marketing
efforts.)

Consider some questions they would have, or some typical
objections to buying this similar product/service (this may
come from your previous research, or you may have to simply
do some).

One way to personalize the business marketing research of
your 'target market prospect' is to 'role play' - think
about your prospect as a good friend that you are having a
picnic with (or even a co-worker at the water cooler, etc.)
and in passing, your friend brings up that 'similar'
product/service.

What do they say about it?

What are their questions/concerns?

Is there a 'running joke' about the competition's
product/service that defines a hole in their business
marketing? (i.e., "Did you hear about the lady that used
X?")

All these things need to be addressed, and documented.

Let your mind be creative and wander, but keep it to a time
limit - about 15-20 minutes per business marketing 'play'
session. Think of nothing but this 'conversation' during
this creative (often fun) time.

It might even be helpful for you to say everything that
comes to mind out loud during these business marketing
planning sessions(as silly as that sounds, it works...) and
record it, as some of the best business marketing ideas get
overlooked when you are trying to write them down quickly.

Listening back for those 'nuggets' might even trigger other
'bits of business marketing gold' for you to work with.

3. Figure out how your product/service and business
marketing plan is similar, yet different than the
competition. Just how does your solution overcome all the
questions, concerns and yes, even 'jokes' from your target?

If you can't answer these questions for yourself, how would
you expect to answer them from your prospect?

The beautiful part about this business marketing exercise is
that, if you go through it with commitment, you will already
know the answers to the prospect's questions BEFORE they ask
them - which quickly eliminates any fears you might have
about talking with them.

4. Continue this simple exercise - every couple days for a
week or so. Giving 15-20 minutes of serious thought to your
business marketing plan and role playing every couple days
will stimulate your conscious mind, as well as keep your
unconscious mind actively thinking about it.

You'll be surprised at the outcome of taking these steps
seriously.

But be forewarned - you will very likely have a very
different outlook about your prospect after one week of this
simple, yet extremely effective business marketing, 'target
market' finding tool!

You will know them as well as you know yourself, so you will
be able to talk with them about things quickly, simply and
with the best, consistent results of your business marketing
efforts.

5. Now, take a look at your product/service and business
marketing plan - through the prospect's eyes (now that you
can clearly see through them...)

Does it fit your prospect's needs?

Does it answer their questions and eliminate their fears?

Is it priced right for your target prospect?

Is there a market for your product/service other than your
personalized target market prospect? (This step is vital as
a 'reality check" - and one that many business marketing
planners miss)

When you follow these five steps faithfully, you will have
credibility, knowledge and successful long-term
relationships with your customers (who used to be simply
'target market prospects' before you understood the power of
this business marketing tip!).

Steve Majors - To-the-point training and coaching for business and
wealth creation through creative Real Estate investing. Known as
"The Lazy Investor", with courses and training sessions to
slingshot your success. http://SteveMajors.com

Finding, Fixing, Financing and Flipping - The Short Course

2005-09-05T17:14:00.000-07:00

Discover a quick system to gain maximum profit from your real estate investments.
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Most people get involved in Real Estate investing to make money.

Pretty self-evident – or, is it?

What would you say if I told you that everything you have been taught about Real Estate investing and making money ‘rehabbing’ your real estate investments is wrong?

Well, at least, much of it… Let’s take a look at something that all too many people don't think about in their real estate investing - something that seems to be a secret formula to bringing in the most cash from your real estate investments…

While it is often true that the total price of a property that has had a lot of work done on it is more than one that hasn’t, what has that ‘price difference’ really cost you, the Real Estate Investor?

With enough time and effort, we could go through dozens of scenarios to figure out just what a loss of time, money and effort it is to go through a house and ‘rehab’ it, but let’s keep it short and talk about some things that really happen in real estate investments – a ‘reality check’ if you will...

I like to be sure to get everything out of a real estate investment that is possible, but, there is a balance between the Time, Money, Effort and Appreciation the customer will get out of what you put in, as opposed to what they would rather do themselves...

And they are willing to pay you for the privilege!

I call this the ‘M-E-A-T’ of a real estate investing deal, and it is a simple equation you can apply to all your real estate investments.

In the table below, look at the M.E.A.T. result for each Function.

____Function____
_M_ _E_ _A_ _T_ _Total_

Painting (full)
_2_ _5_ _5_ _6_ __18__

Kitchen Redo
_7_ _4_ _3_ _6_ __20__

Bath Redo
_6_ _6_ _3_ _4_ __18__

Landscaping (full)
_4_ _6_ _4_ _4_ __18__

Painting (L.A.Z.Y.)
_1_ _2_ _4_ _3_ __10__

Landscaping (L.A.Z.Y.)
_2_ _2_ _4_ _3_ __11__

You can see from these figures, the appreciation factor of the customer is often the same – whether you put lots of time, effort and money into this real estate investment or not.

The reasons for this are as varied as the people looking at any given house, but how many times have you heard of people going into a house – just after it was fully ‘rehabbed’ and they turned right around and put the paint they liked throughout the place?

So, why did you waste your M.E.A.T. on doing it yourself?

Because you thought it would be prettier?

That you would get more money from it?

Because you think that's what real estate investing is all about?

I challenge you to think about this - every time you get involved in any real estate investment...

Just how much more M.E.A.T. did you really get from your real estate investment - your total return? The cash you got was more – maybe - but so was the WORK.

You can sell houses just like you get them – and get 90% or more of the price you will after all that effort, even without ever seeing the place!

When you use the L.A.Z.Y. way, you put very little extra into any given real estate investment, but raise that return by another 5% (which means that it brings in almost the same total as you get otherwise – without the added cost and work!

So, who makes more profit from their real estate investments?

Those that do less work! Plus, there’s more time, energy and money available to put into the next real estate investment – while those other folks are still remodeling their last deal!

In a year’s time, you can do 30-50 houses this way – by yourself!

How many can you rehab in a year – by yourself?

Now, where is the bigger profit?

By now you can see just what I meant by the training you had before being 'wrong'...

You've been taught to ‘fix and flip’ your real estate investments – but, unless you are doing the fixing directly at the request of the end user, you are likely wasting your time, money and effort for no additional appreciation factor, so, overall, you are wasting it for nothing.

You are throwing away the M-E-A-T of the deal!

Just how much did painting that living room in your last real estate investment cost you? Since you missed another deal that might have $20,000, $30,000 or more in it, I would suggest you spent a LOT on it!

Think about this before you start your next real estate investing ‘rehab’ project – just how many other deals will you do if you don’t put all your time in on fixing? Then, add on the energy (effort) that it saves you.

Most people think about the money part of real estate investing, but leave out the rest of the equation when calculating the total value of their real estate investments.

I think that is a big mistake.

When you can get 90% or more of the same price from any given real estate investment, but do 1% or less of the work, keep 95% of the energy for other projects and 95+% of the money it would cost you – why would anyone want to do any ‘rehab’ job – ever - in their real estate investing business?

Now, there may be times you find a house you want to live in that needs some work. That is a fine time to consider doing a ‘rehab’ job - you aren't doing a real estate investment (other than for appreciation), but any time you are working your real estate investment business, take a serious look at the M.E.A.T. of the deal – before committing to spending all your time, money and efforts.

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Profit from Real Estate Investment Articles, Real Estate Investing Information & News from One of The Most Creative Investors On The Planet
~FREE MEMBERSHIP & FREE Real Estate Training Course~ http://SteveMajors.com

Be a Real Estate Investing Expert - In An Instant

2005-08-31T08:25:00.000-07:00

Another quick and simple system designed to 'kick-start' your real estate investment business.

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Here's a simple method of getting to know your real estate investing market, which is VITALLY IMPORTANT before you can know if a property/price is worthy of calling a 'deal' or not...

This 'L.A.Z.Y.' method of market research reveals some amazing facts about the real estate investing market in your area and it works for any area there is....

Take a local newspaper (you can get many of them online, for free, nowadays) and simply count the number of 'For Sale' and 'For Rent' ads, keeping track of them for later reference.

Usually, Sunday and Wednesday papers are the 'biggest real estate investing days', so, for now, just watch these.

Keep track of the number of ads for a few weeks and watch what is happening to your market (hold on, now, we're coming to the part about you turning all this research into a really great real estate investment).

Keeping more detailed records (what price for a 3/2/2 in the SW part of town is being offered for sale and rent wise, etc.) will yield tremendous knowledge, but, for now, just to get started in your real estate investing, stick with the basic 'total ads' research.

After a few weeks, you'll start to see 'trends' in the real estate investing potential of your area - maybe the number of For Sale is going way up and the number of For Rent is going way down...

In such a market, what are you doing looking for 'flips' as real estate investments anyway?

Such a trend clearly shows that there are fewer people buying and a high demand for rentals (perhaps a good time for you to pick up some deals for your long-term real estate investments).

You see, the newspaper (and the active market) has shown you what you need to be looking for (or not), and this is certainly a good indication that there are few Buyers (whether for themselves or as real estate investments).

Maybe it is because of some local condition (like the closing of a major employer or something), or it could be more national (like the interest rates rising quickly, etc.) - i.e., it could be something you can control, but most likely it isn't.

However, it doesn't mean you can't make real estate investing money in such a market!

You can certainly make money in a real estate investing market where there are few 'For Rent' and lots of 'For Sale' properties (even if you have poor credit and no money...)

This is a perfect time to be doing Lease Purchase/Options! Yes, it is a great time to simply make CA$H in your real estate investing business.

And, if (and WHEN) the real estate investment market changes again, you will already be on top of it because you'll keep this simple method in mind - just watching the total number of ads in the paper - something anyone can do (but so few will...) and you'll know what the next real estate investing 'trend' will be - maybe back to 'flipping', or maybe something else...

Just one of the major reasons that you need more than one 'tool' in your real estate investing toolbox.....

Here's to your successful (and L.A.Z.Y.) real estate investments...

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Profit from Real Estate Investment Articles, Real Estate Investing Information & News from One of The Most Creative Investors On The Planet ~FREE MEMBERSHIP & a FREE Real Estate Training Course~ http://SteveMajors.com

We are really enjoying this...

2005-06-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

The Lazy Investor

Here we are, a couple months into our new home, with things going pretty well...

With so much time on my hands working with the LAZY system of investing, I have time to do the things I want to do, not having someone else control my time.

And, I'm doing it...

One of the greatest rewards about using a system that brings in deals all the time - so many deals that I get to choose the ones I want - is that I get to putter around in my yard (something I really love doing) and build things as/if I want.

The WATERFALL

A tremendous acheivement recently completed is our waterfall. Now, this isn't some 'drip-by-drip', leaky-faucet thing - it is a full-blown, thunderous cascade of a WATERFALL!

At EIGHT THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED gallons of water an hour, this thing ROARS!

It drops water from about 3 feet and winds around multiple slabs to a 4 foot wide opening, where the water pours over at nearly 1/2 inch! Yes, this is a serious waterfall!

And, as it has an UNDERGRAVEL FILTER system that keeps the water crystal clear without chemicals (something I really like!), it is now a beautiful place to spend some quiet time with almost no maintanence required at all (we do still watch the skimmer filter to keep the leaves down - a 2-minute process easily done while watching the fish eat...)

Now, how did I figure out all that wonderful stuff to make this magnificent creation?

Well, I went searching on the web and found a home-study course that taught me just how to do it.

I also followed the advice of the local pond supply store (actually, they sell the course there, and use it for every one of the waterfalls they build, too...) and went to see just how the experts did it.

You know, I find that following the advice of those that have gone before is the ONLY way to fully leverage your time, money and effort - the 'L' of being LAZY!

Now, did that georgous waterfall get built simply by sitting around, thinking about getting it done, studying everything over and over, making plans and researching for months on end?

NO!

Even though there was some up-front research and plans done (the design of the undergravel filter...), it took ACTION to make it successful.

And, every time we had a stumbling block, we turned to our home-study course and found the answers - or we contacted the 'gurus' we got the book from and got our questions answered.

Of course, when we needed more (like our pump, tubing, fish etc.), we went back to them because they knew just what to do and had worked with us, step-by-step.

So, our first thing was to gather a list of materials;

1. LOTS of sand - 6 TONS of it! - Looking at our pond area, we wanted to build a 'mound' 8' deep, 8' wide (at the pond side) and 3' higher than the pond rim. I left all that calculation to the experts (I gave them my measurements and layout ideas and they told me 5-6 tons would be needed) we looked at the local supply stores and found several versions of 'fill' that we liked, but in the end, we stuck with what our mentors told us to do and chose 'reject' sand (I don't like that word, but that's what they call it and it worked out great....)

2. Retaining wall blocks - When we first started building the base, we thought we could get away from this step, as it was expensive and the sand (when properly wet down and packed) was staying in place very well. But, one day, we went out and discovered that the sprinkler system was 'melting' our structure slowly, but surely... We did what the experts told us to do and put up a retaining wall...

3. The pump - we live right on a 'minor' street - that's one that has a good deal of traffic, but is not a 'major' street (Las Vegas has 'major' streets every mile, and 'minor' ones every 1/2 mile). We get some traffic noise.

So, we wanted to have a waterfall big enough to drown out the noise, but not so big that we couldn't hear ourselves think...

Again, back to the experts, who calculated the rate of flows, the size of the pipes and such, we decided we needed a 5500 gallon per hour pump. But, as we wanted to get rid of noise and build a bigger drop (it is 4 feet wide at the bottom...), we needed to 'upgrade' the pump and the 8500 gph was the only thing they had.

4. The liner - this tough plastic sheeting is certainly one of the major components of any pond. Although it was one of the simplest items to purchase (we went back to those that know and asked their advice...), it is a bit tricky to install, but, again following their advice, we got it installed and leak free - once we 'tweaked' it a bit.

5. Rock - and LOTS of it... - Big boulder things - as much as one man can lift (yeah, I had a helper do most of the heaviest stuff, but I did place them myself) - one for each end of each 'shelf', plus the shelf themselves (made from flagstone - nice big pieces of flat rock, but fragile!).

Of course, as we have an underground filter, we have several tons of gravel-rock (smaller stuff - about 3/4 inch is what we decided on) covering 130 feet of 3/4" PVC with holes drilled all throughout and piped back into the pump input.

Yes, this is a SYSTEM, but doing all the work up front and following the system that works has proven time and time again to be worth all the effort - now, we don't have to struggle with leaves or clean out all the time - it is 98% maintanence free...

So, that's the latest from around here. Hope you enjoy this info as much as we enjoy our waterfall, pond and now, koi and goldfish (getting bigger every day!)

Happy Investing,

Steve

OK, I'm getting into this thing way too much...

2005-06-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

The Lazy Investor - But, it IS my own house, now...

This is turning into a project - one that I'm enjoying, yet, not my typical investment, that is for sure!

What I've found is something that is rather typical when investing in and beginning rehabs - the 'onion' problem...

You know what I mean - once you start one thing, you just peel back that 'tiny' layer, and all of a sudden, you find there is yet something else that now needs fixing... and, it is thicker and more solid than the one 'simple' thing!

Oh, yeah, you get the idea...

For instance, our electric stovetop - now, there's an ONION for you!

We started with the simple issue - the stovetop was too high, as well as being electric (neither my wife or I like electric cooktops - just never learned to cook on them).

Oh, we could have learned to cook on it, but as it was built on top of a 30 inch cabinet (and, you'd have to see these cabinets to believe them - they are METAL, right out of the '50s!) and then, with the stove being another 6" higher, it was simply too high - for my 5' 2" tall wife....

So, we decided to take the electric stovetop out and replace it with a gas one (layer '#1'...)

We looked around for a replacement stovetop - something simple that would work in the same place - an 'easy' rehab item, right?

What we found was that,
1. The house has no gas connection (all electric)
2. To get natural gas, we have to get it brought in from down the street (this house is in the 'country' - located in a subdivision established in the county which has yet to be annexed into the city - great for taxes and some other political garbage)
3. It would cost $4995 to get natural gas to the house (the property line only - not into the kitchen!)

So, we fretted with the electric stove again...

Finally, we took it out...

To my amazement, it was pretty simple to remove - a few screws, a couple tugs and it was out - along with the tile border that was holding it in.

Actually, it seemed simple enough...

Well, now we had a hole to fill - - - -

So, it was back to the store, looking for gas tops (still no idea of just how we were going to get gas in the house, but we had already called a couple of propane dealers that said it should be a lot less expensive than the natural gas).

We found one we liked, but it was not a stovetop, it was a full range - with an oven built into the bottom (you know, a 'standard' kitchen appliance...).

OK, we'll simply take out the cabinet - the 30" x 30" x 24" metal box - nothing too strange - just remove that and put the range in the empty hole, right? (layer #2...)

In fact, that is so simple, and with the new range, why not go ahead and get the latest in 'modern day' appliances and install an overhead, matching microwave? Heck, it saves space, and in the tiny kitchen of this 1958 house, space is at a premium! (layer #3)

So, out came the overhead vent and cabinet. Again, simple enough, with a few screws and a yank, viola! it was out!

And, so was the vent pipe - dropping all the way to the floor...
(layer #4...)

Now, I had a 7" hole, and a vent way up in the crawl space (there is no 'attic' in this house, just about 3' of space filled with air ducts and insulation... - a small boy might get around, but this 6' 2", 220 lb. LAZY man won't!) No clue how to get this pipe back into the hole it came from - and hit the vent shaft that hung idly by, so very far away...

Well, that was an issue for another day - we now have a huge hole in the kitchen that needs to be filled!

Back to the store, we went to another store and found (surprise, surprise) another kitchen combo that we really liked. Of course, it was more expensive (aren't they always...?) but, it gives value to the house in appraisals (in fact, the ONLY appliance manufacturer that I know of that does!), it looks great, and is just what we want, so why not?

They'll even install it for us! GREAT!

Now, we just need to get gas to the area and we are set...

We got a couple of quotes for the propane, but only one that would include the install all the way to the kitchen (of course, that's the one we wanted!) So, he began working.

The quote included us 'helping' run the pipe from outside the house to the kitchen - certainly a 2-man job (about a 65' run through drop ceiling tiles and several rafters, around corners and such...). He quoted 2 hours, and, with my help (layer #5), it would cost $950 to get a full propane tank and connections to the kitchen stove, our gas dryer and - he'd even toss in a full-time connection to the BBQ grill!

This work got started - I pulled out the ceiling tiles and ran a rope through to make the pipe job a bit easier, he brought in a huge roll of flex tubing and left it on our freshly cleaned and polished, wooden living room floor...

Then, something happened and he couldn't get back for several days. So, not only did we have the kitchen torn up with all the loose tile, empty hole for the new stove and nowhere to cook, we now had ceiling tiles removed and scattered all over the living room - along with a big roll of flex pipe! Yes, and in the house we are trying to make a home!

OK, remain calm (we are trying to...)

Layer #6 comes when he doesn't show up and I'm doing all the job myself...

Well, he did drop by and bring the drill bit that was needed to run the flex pipe, but he had another job that was pressing and just couldn't stay...

OK, so I did it - all myself. 4 HOURS of drilling, pulling, drilling, pulling, shifting insulation around, drilling, pulling and so on - until, finally, the pipe arrived at the kitchen wall - just above the place it should go (HURRAY!)

But, then, layer #7...

With no access to the attic, and the way this kitchen was made, we are still 2 feet from the back wall where the pipe must go behind the stove. This is from the original kitchen setup of the counters and cabinets. A quick cut into the sheetrock, a bit of drilling and cutting to gain access and it is in (although, now, there is another big hole to patch up later.....)

However, the pipe is in - YEAH!

Well, now that we have a plan for the new stove/oven combo, and since we have found 'the' microwave/oven combo that goes above the stovetop, what do we need that original (from the original house - all electric, turn-knob, very 'retro') double oven for? (layer #8...)

Heck, let's just tear that thing out and put up something else - the tile on it is horrid, it sticks out too far and so on - let's just rip it out and go with some storage cabinets, a worktop or something...

About an hour of pounding, pulling and twisting and it is gone - another 30" hole from floor to ceiling - with the floor tile being cut just a bit larger than everything else (making a noticible 'L' shape in the floor... layer #9...) - it should be nothing to fix....

So, the propane guy shows up, puts in the tank, the connection to the dryer, the BBQ and the kitchen - all is going well...

We go to order the stove and microwave, and something has happened to our credit cards! (layer #10)...

We tried several and none of them would work - still not sure about that, but we went home to figure it out - the store closed anyway (we like to shop just before closing time - it keeps us moving through the store and not buying too much - a LAZY habit that keeps money in your pocket!).

The next day, we simply pulled out cash and went back to the store (we like to buy on credit cards but pay them off every month - keep the 'Yield' as high as possible in your pocket, but use the 'Leverage' of the credit cards to pay for stuff and keep records simple.) and ordered the appliances.

'D-day' is 4 days away - we will get our appliances and can cook again!

The store clerk is great - he even gave us a plan for the installation so everything could be ready for the crew to come in.

OOOPS! The microwave REQUIRES a cabinet to be installed (layer #11) and the power and gas connections for the stove MUST be on the LEFT side, no higher than 12 inches from the floor (layer #12 - we had installed the gas pipe near the old electric panel - on the RIGHT side of the stove and about 18" from the floor!.....)

With some twisting, shoving and several 'choice' words, I moved the power and gas connection to make it work for the stove. So what if it wasted a few hours -what else is a LAZY investor to do??? ;)

On to the microwave. The installer took one look at the area and said "NO WAY" - well, we knew that - there was no cabinet installed and the power was a cord hanging out of the wall...

So, it is off to my dusty tools and woodworking begins. Taking some of the wood from the cabinet we ripped out from the double oven, I hacked and sawed my way into a box cabinet that should fit just right into the hole (is this 'lucky layer #13'?). I put it in and to my shock, I had built it wrong.... Off to the shop again, and about 4 hours after starting this, I had built a 30" x 24" x 8" box to mount as a cabinet insert so the microwave could be installed (now, to my credit, I did have to consider the vent for the microwave, the power to the unit and the house vent connection (still just an empty hole at this point...)

But, first, we must get the power plug installed!

Have you ever been to an older house? Have you checked out the electric outlets? Many of them don't have grounded outlets - nor grounds! Now, I'm not talking about a third hole - I'm talking about the real, safety of a GROUNDED outlet! (layer #14, and it is a thick one!)

We knew there were a lot of two-pronged outlets in the house - certainly in the 'older section' that was built in 1958. The 'addition' that came in 1979 has the three-pronged ones, but several of our things we need to plug in (lamps, notebook computers and such) only need the two prongs, so it hasn't been an issue - until now...

No way was the installer going to allow a two-pronged outlet to be installed, and they use a tester to make sure they have a good socket before doing any work, so we decided to test the outlets in the kitchen (some of them were the three-pronged types, so....)

NONE of them have ground! In fact, we found that the entire 'old' portion of the house has what is called 'open ground' and getting that fixed won't be simply (nor cheap!)

Thank goodness I've got an electronic background - I can at least do some of the work myself (I think you are getting the picture now - yeah, that's another 'layer'.....)

Well, this is turning into a book, and I certainly have my work cut out for me today - more 'tasks' around the house.

Good thing I'm good at making enough deals that I don't have to have a 'job' - I don't know what I'd do if the money wasn't there already....

Just a friendly reminder about rehabs - don't get into them until you are really ready - and can afford to mess with them!!!

In The Lazy Investor's Guide to REAL ESTATE, I go through many scenarios to avoid having to work on rehabs - ways to make CA$H for your pocket, not work for your body!

If you don't have a copy yet, get yours today at http://TheLazyInvestor.com/TLIGTRESL.html

Happy Investing,

Steve

Rehabs take too much time...

2005-04-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

The Lazy Investor Yes, rehabs, for me, take just too much time.

And, oddly, here I find myself in the midst of one - again...

Well, this one is for a house that we really like for ourselves, and since we picked it up so cheap (at 70% LTV), it is 'worth' it...

However, don't get me wrong - I'm not doing all that work!

Oh, I have 'dabbled' here and there - taking a couple days and stripping off 50-year old wallpaper last week, and checking in on the painters I hired to put up wallboard in a few spots (to cover the old panelling) and paint the place with 'modern' color (it was GREEN in some rooms, with GOLD and BLACK in others and a variety of wallpaper coverings from BROWN/GREEN to PINK!)

Yes, this house was something to look at before - - -

Now, it will be much more modern.

The whole place is being textured in a MEDIUM pattern (oh, there is a name for it, but I forget...) and we are using SWISS COFFEE paint (a slightly off-white that has just a hint of tan in it - a common color, perhaps - you see it in office buildings and most homes nowadays, but it will be a quick resell...)

There is so much more to do...

The pool - well, it is GONE. The liner was taken completely out and there is no pump. The financial decision is close to simply bringing in a dump truck full of sand....

The fountain - yes, this place is big (1/2 acre) and has plenty of room for a 2888 sq. ft. house, a pool, several mature trees and rose bushes (and other flowers we have yet to identify...) as well as a 'figure-8' fountain.

The fountain leaks, badly. We filled it with water and the next day, it was over half dry, so we obviously have a serious leak. Looking at it, there are a few crack marks, but nothing looks too serious. However, the waterline tells the truth - we have some work to do...

The roof - after getting into this, we found that the roof had a 20 x 20 tarp on it... The lady I got it from told me that all the leaks were 'fixed', but it looks like we have more to do than we thought.

Of course, I'm brining in a roofer - I won't be doing that myself, either...

The roofer is a really interesting fellow - he takes his dog with him everywhere - INCLUDING THE ROOFTOPS!

Yes, he has a 'roofing dog' (I think his name is 'Roofer' - I forget - I had met him a couple years ago on the "last" rehab I did...).

Then, there's the floors...

90% of this big house is HARDWOOD FLOORS.

Wow, did I learn a big lesson yesterday!

Talking with the refinisher, I found that this is an EXPENSIVE thing to get done!

I know it isn't something that I want to do myself, but it is PRICEY!

He quoted me $10,000 just to sand and put some gunk on the floor - WOW!

That wasn't the worst part - he told me it would take UP TO 3 WEEKS to complete the job (perhaps he could finish in 2)!

So much for us moving in next week!

That puts us into paying for both houses for another month - not a fun item on my list!

Overall, we will certainly make out well on this property - after all, I only put down $10 of my own money to lock in the property and we have been in control of it for right at two months now.

We are taking out an 80% loan to pay off the existing 1st (it is too high an interest rate to keep - the old owner had refinanced with poor credit) plus some 'hard money' we borrowed to pay her some equity and move on (which brought us up to the 70% mark), and with the additional 10%, we'll do all the repairs and still have cash in our pocket (at 'worst', we will break even) - plus 20% equity in this $425,000 property.

Not bad for $10 down.... ;)

Plus, we will have a beautiful place to live in for a couple years (bypassing the capital gains taxes) and then resell it for upwards of $500,000 (1/2 acre properties are really hard to find in Las Vegas - the demand is high and people will pay the price).

Is this the greatest deal ever? No. Yet, it is a good one - and with no less than $80,000 in equity (that can be leveraged into another property) in my wealth bank, it is a deal that is certainly worth taking.

However, I would NEVER recommend you take on such a project unless you want to live there!

Rehabs - certainly for beginners, are NOT something you want to do!

They are too much physical work, and quite often, simply too much time. They take away from your thinking process - after all, we only have a certain portion of our brains that we use anyway, and only 100% of what we use is available for thinking/doing.

If you spend your time thinking about the missing screws on the wallplates and the cost of that $.15 item busting your budget, you don't have time to contemplate another deal that could bring you several thousand dollars!

So, watch out for 'time-waster' things like rehabs. Unless you are experienced and/or going to live there (and I would still recommend you stay away from the rehab unless you have a good reserve!) - simply don't do them!

Utilize your time for other things - make deals happen where you get PAID, not where you spend a lot of time.

Once you have a bankroll, then consider a rehab job (we all love to get our hands dirty once in awhile...), but be sure to balance out the costs of materials and workers - as well as the cost of your time!

In my new book, The Lazy Investor's Guide to REAL ESTATE, I've gone through several calculations on how to guarantee you'll never loose money on a deal. One of the CDs I've included even has "The Break Even Calculator" - an Excel spreadsheet that does all this calculation for you.

You can get your copy of the Guide and all 6 CDs at
http://TheLazyInvestor.com/TLIGTRESL.html

I've been so bad.....

2005-03-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

The Lazy Investor
After that 'killer' deal a while back, I've been really slow to get back into telling you even more about what's going on in the world of Real Estate around here.

And with the demand for my time teaching my LAZY methods at different events, it seems that my 'blog' hasn't gotten the attention it should.

So, today, I'm going to correct that!

Here's what is happening in our Real Estate world...

The market in Las Vegas has changed - drastically.

You know I like to keep things simple - and one extremely simple way to 'check out the market' is to take a look in the newspaper to see how many 'For Sale' ads are running.

Here's what a quick look at today's paper is telling me...

2 ads for houses < $100,000 (we use 'K' for short...) 3 ads for houses $100K - 150K 16 for $150K - $200K 47 for $200K - $300K 39 for $301K - $400K 92 for $401K - $500K and 92 for homes >$500K

Does that tell you something? It does me!

The prices of property in Las Vegas are HIGH (as if we didn't know that... ;)

On average, the price of 'what is available' (with the LAZY research we just did) is between $200K and $400K (eliminate the >$500K properties - they range all over the place... and I tend to stay away from the 'highest' homes - it is obvious that they aren't selling right now either...)

The issue though is not in the price, it is in the 'debt service'...

From The Lazy Investor's Guide to REAL ESTATE CD of Real Estate Definitions, "Debt Service" is defined as the price you pay every month to cover the mortgage.

Usually, that includes any/all costs, including taxes, insurance, principle and interest (PITI) plus any/all additional costs incurred by the property - like Home Owner's Association fees (HOA) or anything else.

In doing just a bit more research (on mortgage rates and such), I figured out how much the debt service would be on our 'average' property of $300K.

Of course, I could use my (even simpler) method of The Rule of 7 from The Lazy Investor's Guide to REAL ESTATE (page 97), but I'll stick to the more difficult way and look it all up - this time...

A loan on of $300K, at even the 'best' rate of 3.724% (that's on an ARM - may not be what you want to do...), the payment is $1384.92/m...

Now, let's get back to the paper and see what the 'rental market' is brining in...

One of the 'most desired' (if you ask those that own property there...) areas of Las Vegas is Summerlin. It is a newer area, where the Realtors(r) have been raising prices for several years (did I say that.... - well, let's keep the comments to a minimum here... - as you might can tell, the agents and the market they have created in Summerlin are not what I call an "investor's mecca...")

Anyway, here's what my 'at a glance' research tells me...

With 763 ads in the For Rent section, there is a LOT of competition, which keeps the price down.

Many of these ads are for Summerlin properties (I wonder why.... agents driving up prices, 'investors' that don't have a clue are buying in the frenzy and now, are holding overly-inflated property values dear to their hearts....)

Here's some real data - - -

summerlin - 4bd 3ba,1900sf W/D/R, $1195/m - this is 'high dollar' as we can also see in the same paper that >2000 sf properties are only slightly higher (I found a 2550 sf for $1450/m...)

So, depending on the exact house we are talking about, the 'rent' in the area (I didn't take the time to average 700+ properties!) is about $1300/m.

NO MATTER WHAT, anyone that buys a property at 'market price' in that area CANNOT service the debt - causing NEGATIVE CASH FLOW!

Does that stop investors - are we doomed to never have any more deals in Las Vegas?

I think not.

But, we have to be creative about it. Building 'win-win' scenarios isn't as simple as it was in the other marketplace, but it is still possible.

That's part of why I've been 'quiet' for awhile - I've been researching and determining what my next steps are to be for the market in Las Vegas, as well as seeking out other markets that do still cover the debt service and are on the rise.

When will you learn more about all this research? Drop in to The Lazy Investor's Real Estate Boot Camp (http://TheLazyWayToBuyRealEstate.com) and I'll discuss everything I've been doing!

Happy Investing,

Steve

And, sometimes, they are easy.....

2005-01-31T11:18:00.000-08:00

The Lazy Investor - Just got a call from a Seller that saw my ad, heard my message and left their number. Sounded excited to have me call back, so, (of course), I did...

The husband had left the message to speak with either of them, and as his wife answered the phone, I began to discuss what we could do with her.

All was going great - she understood the fact that buying their house was not an option in today's market in Las Vegas - payments don't meet rental rates and therefore we would get into a negative cash flow situation, which would not be a winner for me.

I explained that we could do some creative stuff, leaving their loan in place, taking their payments, etc.... She was interested in that idea.

As they didn't want Realtors shuttling through dozens of 'lookers' and also since they could not set an exact move-out date ("moving to Tennessee 'sometime in the summer' - June or July" was all they know right now), they were looking for a more calm solution.

She told me a bit about the property (I explained why it didn't really matter to me what it looked like if the numbers were right - she understood...) and we got to the particulars of how the deal would come together - that's when she put her husband on the phone...

Now, I had to go through the whole 'pitch' again - although he, too, was open to the idea and interested in putting something together quickly.

So, here's how the deal came out...

Value - $335,000 (appraisal 2 months ago, when they did a re-fi to an interest-only loan)
Owe - $210,000 (re-fi)
Payments - $1285/m
Area - Silverado Ranch and Las Vegas Blvd (newer subdivision)
House - 3 bed + loft, 2048 sq. ft.
Lot - .12 A (kinda small...)

The deal...

We'll take over their payments, as-is. Do a LP for $10 down (the legal minimum in Nevada) and give them their $335,000 at the end of 5 years.

That allows for about $150/m cashflow.

It also allows me to pick up $10,000 or so up-front when a new tenant/buyer moves in.

And, when it is sold in a few years (not likely to happen until I've picked up at least another $10,000 from a 2nd tenant/buyer - maybe more...), I'll pick up another $20,000 minimum.

Not bad for running an ad in the paper....

Happy Investing,

Steve

To learn more about the methods used in this deal, be sure to visit www.TheLazyInvestor.com. Everything used to make this deal, including the contracts, ads, even the recording that makes Sellers anticipate your call is available in The Lazy Investor's Guide to REAL ESTATE and The Lazy Investor's Guide to LEASE PURCHASE, both availabe now at www.CashFlowProducts.com

Screamin' hot deals - they don't last long...

2005-01-13T18:23:00.000-08:00

The Lazy Investor
Well, today was a perfect example...

A hot deal came across my desk at 10:40 AM - something that one of my Deal Finders sent to me - a 1000+ sq. ft. house in a 'less than perfect' neighborhood for $62,000.

The comps they pulled were showing around $112,000 value, and as is common with these deals, the house would likely need some work.

We were told that the place had a renter in it - nothing more on the deal at all....

Now, this deal alert went out to others on the list of this Deal Finder. To be sure, they have put together their list of buyers to make short work of such deals - that's just good business.

I sent the message out to the Club Members of LVREIC (Members get priority notifications of all such deals) as soon as I read the message, which, today, was just after lunch (I was at the bank cashing a $124,630.85 check from another deal I did recently - you can read more about that in another story...).

Members of LVREIC received the DEAL ALERT at 1:57 PM

One of the members contacted me around 3:45 PM and I followed up on the deal...

It was GONE already!

You see, deals like this are out there. Oh, not everyday, but they are there.

And, when they come along, you have to be READY. Not only ready to "look at it", but ready to BUY it.

People that get deals like this are those that are "decisive in nature" - they say "I'll take it, and then work out the details", not the other way around.

Now, would this be a screamin' deal if it needs tons of repairs? Well, it could take $20,000 and still be a good one - if you wanted to do that much work (that's actually one of the main reasons I didn't take it, BTW...)

Looking into the deal further, we found that the 'renter' was someone that wasn't paying anything to the owner of the property (maybe even a dead-beat family member) and they didn't want to go through the hassle of eviction (and the trouble of family issues, no doubt...) - that is one of the reasons they were selling so quickly and cheaply.

So, the deal isn't 'clean'... It will take some work to get the property into shape after going through an eviction (about 30 days in this state). But, there is still a good amount of equity sitting there and a deal is to be had - - -

IF you are READY!

Are you ready? What can you do, right now, that will put you in a position to get such deals like this one? Who do you need on your team to make things like this a reality in your life?

Or, maybe you just aren't interested in getting screamin' hot deals like this...

If you'd like to get these DEAL ALERTS quickly, get on the LVREIC Member's list. You can do that at www.LVREIC.com.

Happy Investing,

Steve

"I need to sell this house - FAST!"

2004-12-18T14:27:00.000-08:00

The Lazy Investor

Here's a message I got from a reader:

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
I have been "stuck" with high mortgage payments on the house
I purchased in June 2004 and I coudn't sell it for 6 months.
Now, I can't even afford to have it listed and pay 4-6%
commision without paying from my pocket. The house is vacant
and I must sell it a.s.a.p.! Would you know anybody
interested in buying a nice & clean 4bd/2.5ba/2car 1700sf
home in gated community SW Las Vegas, Spring Mtn/Buffalo
area, with all new appliances? I would appreciate your
suggestions or advice.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

My reply;
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Appraised value?

Asking?

What you owe?

'Bottom dollar' (price and/or terms)?

Without this, no investor will look at it.

Smart investors will not pay top dollar for a property in a
soft market - unless excellent terms are offered.

To find a retail buyer that will pay top dollar for a
property, Realtors(r) and ads in the paper work best.

My favorite way to get rid of any property is via
Lease Purchase/Option - gets higher rental rates,
better tenants and some up-front cash.

FYI, there's a lot of this 'Gotta Sell' stuff going around
right now.

Unfortunately, many didn't hear my report in May, 2004, when
I explained that the market was changing - fast. Hundreds of
'investors' (I say 'speculators') went into Las Vegas and overpaid
for property, to ‘make a fast buck’.

Many speculators in this ‘gold rush' of early 2004 went because
they heard many people were flipping houses for big profits.

Even with many market indicators pointing to a fast
downfall, without reliable counsel they continued to
buy - at full price and above!

They forgot to monitor their surroundings and got
caught up in the emotion of buying – at any cost.

Now, they are stuck with high payments they don't know how
to handle.

Options if you did overpay in a market going soft?

Ride it out as best you can (rent it to minimize
negative cash flows or Lease Option it to 'break even')
or sell it at a loss now.

There is no 'secret' to getting out of a bad deal, now or
ever.

The time to ask the question 'How do I get out of this?' is
BEFORE you buy it.

Tips for staying out of these kinds of situations can be
found in my MEMBER's ONLY Real Estate training course, available
at www.TheLazyInvestor.com

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor
Active Real Estate Investor, author of ebooks, training courses and
seminars, provides one-on-one mentoring and coaching.
Articles, news and more at www.TheLazyInvestor.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

When 'overnight' = 30-60 days...

2004-12-12T10:22:00.000-08:00

The Lazy Investor
The Mortgage market has changed - again... At least, around buying properties in Las Vegas. This information is useful for anyone that experiences a rapid influx of property buying, as is happening in several areas of the country.

This issue has hit Nevada first, but will likely bloom into the entire country soon.

Getting a loan today for a property in the Vegas Valley is tough, and certainly if it is an investor loan.

This is due to a variety of reasons, but the effect is that new mortgages are taking anywhere from 45-60 days most of the time, and occasionally 30-45 days - if you are 'lucky'.

The result of that causes a difficult situation for Real Estate investors (and has an effect on homebuyers, too).

Investors trying to make a deal with a Seller often must include 'fast close' as one of the terms in the agreement. The Seller will accept the lower offer the Investor must make in exchange for moving quickly. It has been the 'rule' forever...

In today's market, though, the Investor cannot move quickly if (s)he is trying to put a new loan on the property - certainly not when the Investor is looking for a 90%-100% loan.

If the Investor puts a substantial amount of CA$H of their own into the property, there are some considerations and the mortgage companies tend to move more quickly.

Therefore, the 'secret' to moving into properties in such a market is to have a substantial down payment.

But, how do you get a substantial down payment?

That's the rule of investing! You must build that capital from other deals!

Oh, I know - you wanted to get RICH in Real Estate overnight, right? Well, you see, that happens very rarely - it was possible when the 'wave' is first forming, as it is rolling in you can ride it for a short while.

The smart investor remembers to take the CA$H from all these 'easy' deals and put it aside, back into the business - not living off it!

That way, when the market changes (as it will, I assure you...), the investor is ready for the next 'wave'.

The simplest way to keep this money separate? Create a separate business entity where you keep all the big cash in a separate bank account. Of course, this is better for bookkeeping and income tax planning, too.

By keeping your wealth building separate from your living expenses, you can create massive wealth very quickly.

An "INSIDER TIP" - Don't be too quick to become a 'full time' investor! By keeping your current job for a year or two while you are building your business, you maintain your excellent credit rating as an employee while building credit references for being in business for two years or more.

It is the way the 'system' of credit works - live within their guidelines and you'll get your loans done more quickly. This is NOT one of the places you can do a lot of 'creative' things! Sometimes, we have to play by their rules - and when it comes to those that have the money, it is always the 'Golden Rule' - those that have the money MAKE the rules!

Happy Investing,

Steve

Webinars - a great tool for every Real Estate Investor, Agent and Realtor!

2004-11-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

The Lazy Investor
Last week, I held my first ever 'webinar' - and I'm HOOKED! Two weeks ago, I had barely heard of this word, but I gotta tell you, it is the greatest thing going...

I mean, where else can you have;
- dozens of people listening to you, talking live, back and forth, from anywhere in the world
- all viewing the same webpage at the same moment
- all with absolutely NO TELEPHONE CHARGES!

Yes, there are teleconferences, and you can tell everyone to 'go to my webpage at such and such, but then you have to spell it a dozen times and still, some people don't get it.

With a webinar, YOU control the pages viewed, so you can make sure you are all looking at the same thing - every time.

Now, while it is the "cat's meow" for me, teaching regular sessions and such, why did I say that it is for EVERY Real Estate Investor, Agent and Realtor(r)?

Well, how about this - You want to show off your properties, right? And you want the person you are showing to see them as quickly as possible, without you having to go to the property, right?

The web lets you do that, of course. But, what if the person has a question? What if they don't like that property and want to see something different?

Traditional methods only put them back to a search page - a lonely place for someone that isn't used to poking around your site. This is a person looking to buy, not spend time searching.

But with the 'webinar' technology I'm using, you can have a button on your main page and every other page to let the BUYER contact you RIGHT NOW, LIVE. You can speak with them, answer any questions, and even show them other properties - all without leaving your desk!

And, if you aren't available at the moment, they can contact you for an appointment so you can show them all the properties, then set the time to meet them at the property for final viewing and signing the contracts!

It is a 'perfect' addition to the LAZY method!

Another great thing about having this service is that you can keep in touch with friends and family in far-off places - all without long distance charges!

The cost for this service depends on how many people you will have in your 'room' (the term for the meeting place of your webinar), but it certainly rivals the cost of a telephone line and those pricey teleconferences.

And, the service I'm using costs MUCH less than anything else out there that I know of - like hundreds of dollars per month less!

Plus it gives you features you will never get from teleconferences. The benefit of everyone 'being on the same page' sold me right away. Then, I used it for a live event...

Just once, and I'm convinced that teleconferences are headed for dinosaur status...

Check it out for yourself - I think you'll be convinced, too.

Go to www.TTCGlobaltalk.com and talk with Tim (he's one of the owners). You can usually find him hanging out at the Public Demo Room (there's a link on the main page to get there).

Be sure to tell him that I sent you!

Happy Investing,

Steve

Doing what you say you are going to do...

2004-11-10T18:37:00.000-08:00

Don't you just hate it when people don't do what they say they are going to do?

I mean, what use is it to someone that tells you they will be somewhere - and then, they don't show up?

It wastes time for you (making you angry in the process) and also is a waste for them- the one that didn't show up - actually, in two ways. One, they have just wasted their breath (yeah, not much of an inconvenience), but the other, they have wasted their time in creating a friend with you, as a few times of this and you can't/won't take any more of it.

To me, it is simple - do what you say you are going to do. If you can't do it, don't promise it.

If you find that you have been late and/or not shown up for something more than once, you need to reevaluate your own time management morals.

Of course, not being precicely on time for everything happens to everyone, on occassion, but the thing is - if you are never on time, you are "overpromising and (certainly) underdelivering".

Strive to be on time. In my opinion, being 15 minutes late for something is almost inexcusible. I mean, your car had better have blown up or something. And, you should have at least called to tell the other person you have had some catastrophic issue - it is only common courtesy.

Do what you say you are going to do - not just in being on time, but doing deals that you promise. Other people are relying on you being truthful to them. If you say you are going to call them back, CALL THEM BACK! If you say you are going to make the deal work - MAKE IT SO!

Don't lead people on, just tell them the truth - what you can/cannot do, and move on.

Overall, you will have many more people happy with you because you were truthful than you will ever have happy about your 'stories'.

And, your business will reap the rewards, too. Doing what you say is a rare quality that, when found, you want to stick around that person as much as you can - but, be sure you respect their position and do what you say you will with them, too!

Happy Investing,

Steve

Getting things done - NOW

2004-11-04T08:29:00.000-08:00

The Lazy Investor
Several days ago, I told you about Appraisers and such.

Well, we have been struggling with our appraiser - not getting the thing done, making what we felt are excuses, not actions and generally winding up almost losing three deals (worth almost $200,000 in my pocket) over it.

Not what I call a 'happy' time!

Well, yesterday, we had enough. I turned my wife loose on the appraiser! If you know Irena, you may be surprised at that statement. She is one of the sweetest, kindest, most patient people you could want to meet. But, when she gets going, watch it!

I've only seen her like that twice in the almost 12 years we've been together and let me tell you, I learned a lesson the first time that I didn't want it to be pointed at me again! ;)

Well, she let loose on the appraiser, got his bosses phone number and started letting loose on him. I was on the phone to the Real Estate Commission - first to the local chapter, then I found the state level person to call.

Presenting my case in detail - how we have been told for weeks now that the appraisal was 'an hour away', often times told 'it was already sent' and issues of 'computer problems', 'health problems' and a variety of this, that and something else (once, it was a 'car accident' that was keeping us away from closing), the Commissioner was concerned about how this was being handled, too.

Now, don't get me wrong - some things do come up, like health and car accidents, and cannot be avoided. But, dozens of them, all in a row, happening to the same fellow that was doing our appraisal? Seemed just too much.

Well, the Commissioner told me that she would check into it. My wife was done with the appraiser's boss (we knew the guy we were dealing with was an apprentice and that the real appraiser had to sign off on everything - another issue we were told was a problem - "The appraiser doesn't like my reports and we have to change a thing or two - the appraisal will be finished in an hour..." - how many times can we listen to that one??) The appraiser told Irena that he would have the report out by the end of the day. At one point, I spoke with him and he told me the same thing.

To shorten the story a bit, we had called around 3:15 in the afternoon. From the previous experiences, we felt that we would have the appraisal early this morning.

But, the happy part of the story is that we did, in fact, get it before 5 yesterday!

Amazing what people can do when they get motivated, isn't it?

It is a shame we had to go to that level - reporting them to the commission and such, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Our backs were against the wall as well - heck, I'm not loosing a couple hundred grand over incompetence!

So, what's it going to take for YOU to get motivated? To get up off your back side and make it happen in your life?

If it is time for you, and you want to talk about your steps, consider me 'the commissioner'.... We can put a plan of action in place and hold you accountable to make sure it is getting done.

It works - and is certainly one of the most successful ways to make things happen NOW.

Happy Investing,

Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor

Another exciting update...

2004-10-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

The Lazy Investor

WOW! I just got off the phone with my CPA and we have come up with something that is totally blowing my mind!

This is one of those DUH! moments in life where you just can't believe what is happening - one where it seems that everything about it must be wrong, illegal or at least fattening!

I mean, how is it possible to actually have a method of picking up a check for just over $200,000 - and not pay tax on it - EVER!?!?!?

That's what we just came up with - and, it looks like we are going to have several properties coming our way that fit into the same category - a true 'niche market'!

I'm excited (I'm sure you can't tell....) - this could be really HUGE!

Of course, I need a bit of time to go through it, but it looks legal, moral, and most of all - PROFITABLE!

More on this as it develops!

The Lazy Investor - an update

2004-10-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

The Lazy Investor
Still no calls from the constable's office..... Guess I should ask for my $45 back???

Well, at least the tenants are gone. They even left the property in 'broom clean' condition. After what we saw a couple days before - I thought for sure it would take a week to clean it, but they got it done quickly.

Of course, the place still needs a good cleaning. It looks like they didn't ever wash dishes or clean the bathroom sinks (we have pictures, but I don't think you want to see them!).

The appraiser did come though and gave me a 'thumbs up' on getting the price I wanted. So, that is something good.

I put up a sign on the garage and in the front window, and have already had a couple interested calls. Also put an ad in the paper - have yet to see anything from that.

Ok, more on deals and things later. Have a good weekend!

Appraisals and appraisers....

2004-10-12T16:56:00.000-07:00

The Lazy Investor

Appraisers are funny people.

We can't live without them, but who can understand them?

Property values are based on comparable sales, right?
Comparable sales (comps) come from the MLS, right?

Well, then, just why is it that we need appraisers?

We need them because they bring us a 'neutral third party' - someone that is not involved in the transaction. Since the MLS is a Realtor(r) thing, it is possible that if we relied solely on the agent, they might want to 'skew' the results to a slightly higher mark - resulting in their higher commission.

If the seller would have a representative looking into the MLS for the comps, they, too, would most likely take the highest prices - to get the highest price.

Just as likely is the fact that, if the buyer's side of the transaction would be the one to give the final evaluation, the price would be on the lowest sales in the area.

Appraisers are there to give us a 'non-biased' opinion - something based on facts and figures only, and are suppossed to be totally neutral.

What seems to be the practice of 'neutrality', though, often gets swayed back to the side of 'who paid for the appraisal'... If the seller paid for it, the appraiser is inclined to work hard to 'bring in' the property value where the seller wants it. If the buyer pays for it, the same thing is true - bring it in no higher than the offer is made.

I guess there is really no '100% fair' way to get an appraisal. After all, we are all human. Even if it were a state-run thing, where some state agency would send the appraiser out to do the job, there would still be some influence from the person that let them in the house. Maybe we should let the state agency open the place for us, too? Heck, why don't we just have the state take care of everything for us - including sending us food, money and clothing? Maybe they would even send someone out to wipe our noses for us too?

I think I'd rather take my chances with an Appraiser!

Happy Investing!

Just got a call from the 'dead-beat' renter

2004-10-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

The Lazy Investor
Well, strangely enough, I haven't had a call from the constable's office to make the lock-out happen, but I did get a call from the renter - telling me they are out and ready for me to pick up the keys.

So, I guess it is off to meet with them - in the morning... to get my keys back.

I tried to get them today - told her that I would come get them right now - but, she is crafty - wouldn't tell me where she is right now and only wants to meet at the property.

This is a clue for you - renters are often smarter than you! They spend tons of time finding out how to 'get around' paying you, putting you off until the last minute, etc. and will delay everything you need to do (like getting someone else in the property) for as long as they can.

I'm sure she knows that I can't really do anything until the constable does the lockout - heck, she has probably been through this before...

Make sure you are keeping everything legal, and understand that Real Estate doesn't move really quickly - although, when you have a payment facing you in a short time, you want it to!

Also, be sure you are prepared for events just like this one - make sure you have at least a buffer in your bank account for a renter to tie you up for awhile - even a full month (and maybe more...)

I had to make 2 full payments on my first eviction, and will likely have 2 or more on this one (and with the market like it is today, it may be several!)

That's all part of Real Estate investing, though...

Make sure you are covered in all your investments.

I'll be in touch soon!

Happy Investing.

Evicting a dead-beat renter...

2004-10-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Lazy Investor
I really hate evictions.

They are work for me, and unpleasant for everyone involved.

But, sometimes, you have to do them...

This time, it is from an unhappy Lease Purchase Tenant Buyer that didn't follow through with their promises (and what I clearly explained to them to do - which is to clear their credit up).

The sad part is that they have been in the house for over a year and have paid their rent on time every month. They've been quietly living there, with no issues at all.

In fact, until yesterday, I had never even seen the house! Yes, I bought it and put the folks in there the LAZY way! And, there hasn't been any reason to go there - until now...

They didn't pay their rent this month and only called me last week to tell me they were moving out. I did ask them for a follow-up letter and they did send it to me, so there is no issue with that!

Now, though, they are still in the house - after telling me they would be out last Friday. So, I had to go to the court and file another complaint (and pay another $42) and this morning I should get a call from the court to proceed with the eviction. I'm no expert on this part - yet. I did it once before, but with a process service. This time, I couldn't find them (out of business, I guess). I did find another service that helped with the first step, but I need to learn this myself, too. Of course, the next time I need an eviction done, I'm calling a service again!

So, these folks are almost moved out. I got a call that the house was left open yesterday, so I went to go secure it.

WHAT A PIG STYE! The place was a total mess - dog hair everywhere, filth like I've never seen! INCHES of dirt all over the place! Clothes piled up here/there and a few pieces of junk furniture scattered in a couple rooms. Sure looks like they left!

We thought they intentionally left it like that - a 'get back' at us or something...

But, then, we saw stuff in the garage. Looked like stuff they might want - tools and such...

And, while we were securing the place, they came back to get more of the junk! So, we know it wasn't an intentional dirtying of the place - that's how they were living!

WOW! Hey, if you don't believe me, come to the next Boot Camp - I'm going to show the video of this place - you won't believe it!

So, that's the 'news that's fit to print' for now.

A bit later, I expect a call from the constable's office and I'll fill you in on that as it comes along....

Happy Investing!

Today's thoughts

2004-10-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

The Lazy InvestorWell, today has already been a good day - and it isn't even 9:30 yet!
We have figured out how to make the Blogger thing work and publish it on the web - pretty cool stuff!

Thanks for coming!

2004-10-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

This is the first blog from The Lazy Investor