aerospaceman

I have been a stay at home dad for the last four years and I want to get started in real estate. This is not about money, it's about restoring my self esteem and confidence while stepping outside of my comfort zone of isolation. I haven't really talked to anyone in the last four years nor made any friends. I would really like to talk to someone from this area of Spokane or on this website. So my motivation is about Family, doing things for them and myself not about the money-about feeling good inside of myself then giving it back to help others perhaps in a similar situation.

There are two terrific websites that provide a wealth of information at no cost. They are Trulia and Zillow, use these sites to your best advantage. Due diligence is about crossing your T's and dotting your i's, or making sure your information is checked and double-checked so your fair market value is correct. It may be time consuming but it's worth the profit. My problem is turning the digging of info to actually applying effort. Taking Action is the key word! without this simple yet powerful statement, many people would still be watching the infomercial as a couch potato. I am guilty of this and I am trying to break through many of my own barriers to success so keep posted as I work my way to my first deal.

Can someone please shed some light on this subject for me so I can take action? We live in low income housing in Spokane WA under "Spokane Housing Authority" DBA "Northeast Washington Housing Solutions" and we have been told that we are not allowed to own any real estate or we will lose our housing and our section eight. I can't live like this anymore and I don't want my kids living like this anymore...can anyone give me some alternative ideas or paths to take? I want to take action but find I'm frozen to the spot else I create a situation where my children end up on the street. This is why I am so stuck. I am ready to take action; however, I need to solve this issue before I make a move so I am asking for possible solutions.

Believe it or not I can do html and I have looked at some xml programming for websites but I have never really sat down and tried to design a website. Maybe later I'll take the time and play around with it but for right now I have to do some basics like getting my team together, business cards, fax machine, and running over to the courthouse so I can start some offers in earnest. Until then I'll learn what I can by reading these wonderful posts.

Watching You Tube I came across a young man who was born with no arms and no legs, and his comment was it's not whether or not you fail but in how you finish. He said you can fall down, pick yourself up, and keep doing ths over and over again; but, if you quit and give up trying then you will never finish. You must NEVER stop trying, NEVER quit, KEEP going till you finish and ask yourself this one question: Will you finish strong?

Tonight I will be attending my first REI meeting and I have lots of questions. The questions I want to ask deal with subjects such as utility rates, boundary lines and growth, On/Off-Site Management costs, HUD, VA, earnest money deposit, contracts, figuring tax rates, making contacts/networking, team building, mentoring, and so much more! I am going to invest in my first purchase withing the next few weeks if everything works out here tonight. You should never work alone when going diving, working the high line, or other ventures that may be considered NEW. In the military we used a rope system of "OATH" O=OK, A=Advance, T=Take up slack, and H=HELP. In many gun classes they teach one to evaluate each situation using the color of the traffic signal light: Green=OK, Yellow=Marginal, and RED=Danger. What I am really trying to say is what ever method we each use to evaluate our own feelings, remember we never have to do anything alone; we have Dean's website forums and our own team under construction, or in place to help us succeed. When I complete tonight's meeting I will tell you happened and how it affects my future success. By the way, keep your great posts right on coming because I am learning a great deal from each of you that I can apply to my local area. Thanks.

Tonight I spent some time with a local REI Club and I feel as if I missed my mark. The club accepted my beginner status and my recently completed introductory studies to real estate. The meeting was begun with a round of personal introductions and business cards flying around as if we were at an indoor paper airplane convention. The lead was Chris, nice guy, so were the other advanced investors. We quickly settled in for the next two and a half hours listening to a case study about a local piece of property that should have been easy to purchase. Turned out the first mortgage had a junior or second and it should have been canceled but it became the foremost important piece of worthless paper creating a paper chase for any investor. The bank refused to cooperate with the experienced investor and to make a long story short...he called customer service and obtained the information needed to make the transaction possible with access to the internet to finish cross referencing the final details. A nice presentation, but I would have wanted something more attuned to a novice like learning to walk? The benefits are camaraderie, networking, lesson on the complexities of buy and hold. I know there must be some other lessons but being as tired and kids, and...it's been a very long day. I hope to hear some of your reflections on this topic and let me know how I can really get a bite into real estate.

Bill G.

P.S. Tonight I took my first step of action towards my new career in real estate investing.

Mike suggested that anyone who needs help understanding computers inside or out give me a holler. I design and build them for fun, giggles, and grins, hardware, firmware, and software to boot (puns abound!). If it's not too difficult I'll try to answer the question within 24 hours or sooner. I've never done anything like this but I'm going to swallow my stomach and help you out and help myself out of my shell.

There are times that many people may feel intimidated by going to a real estate agents office. An alternative may going to your local fair. Each year some real estate agents set up booths at your local fair and this informal setting may help you put your foot forward as it did me when I took my kids to our fair. I took action and had a really nice conversation that made me feel it was OK to approach them in their office. Sometimes we need a little extra breathing room to take our first talk.

I just wanted to stop by your guestbook and wish you good luck with real estate investing. You can do it! Each day continue to increase your knowledge with real estate and before long good things will happen. Believe and Achieve! - Joe