I am just beginning to appreciate the subtleties of my heritage and how it applies to real estate and real estate investing.
As I was making tomato sauce for dinner this evening, it occurred to me that real estate is going through the same process that makes the best tomato sauce...reduction is the key word here.
I remember how amazed I was the first time I made my sauce from scratch, particularly, how much water is really in each tomato. It used to baffle me as to why my Nana would have to cook all day to make tomato sauce for all of the dishes she was cooking. The longer that you simmer your sauce, the richer the flavor and the more the flavors combine to give a full, rich taste.
The real estate market is doing the same thing right now. The market is simmering and has been simmering for some time. Too much heat ruins things...the key is to manage the heat and keep it at just the right temperature. The problem is that the real estate market was so hot for so long that it burned out. The same thing will happen to your sauce if you don't manage the heat...it will eventually burn.
Ok, this simmering effect has had its effect on the real estate population as well. While reduction in cooking removes all of the unnecessary water, the simmering in our industry has removed a lot of unnecessary middle men. What we are left with are the parts that make a rich flavorful, (wait we are talking about real estate)...what we are left with are the real estate professionals that are focused and driven to provide the best service in the market. The end result is a richer, more robust real and meaningful estate experience.
So while this may be a tough time for a lot of people, what we are going to end up with is a much better, cleaner, more efficient industry than before this happened. This simmering is a natural process that tends to bring out the best of the best...and YOU are one of the best.
Congratulations...Healthy Investing!
Rob
http://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
Showing posts with label Local Real Estate Deals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Local Real Estate Deals. Show all posts
Monday, July 27, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Plan your Business like a business plans
Ok, so I have a gripe...There are too many people out there that don't treat their real estate investing like a business. It kills me to hear about people and businesses that treat real estate investing like a hobby or a side job. There is way too much at stake to be moving forward without a plan.
Your plan doesn't have to be a 200-page dissertation on the state of the market either. But you should have some goals, milestones and some sort of way to track your success.
I used to think that your business plan was like the ten commandments, you know, carved into stone and never to be changed. Luckily, business plans are living documents and have to change and evolve. Your business plan should have enough flexibility to stand the test of time and weather many storms.
The truth of the matter is that your business and business environment are always changing so you need to have a tool that is flexible enough to guide you and give direction, but if it is taking you down the wrong path, you better be able to change course before you are completely derailed!
Even if you only have a one page business plan you should address the nature of your business, what your goals are (short-term, intermediate and long-term) and attach a metric that can be measured...when you use phrases like, I want to be successful or have a bunch of houses, this is useless, because there is no identifiable quantity to measure against. Be specific.
There was a time when I would start writing a business plan with words, but I like to think that I have evolved to the degree that I start out by building a proforma to see if the business makes sense from a monetary stand point. The words are the easy part, but if the business is not a viable venture in the first place, there is no reason to even write one word. My advice is to hunker down and put your business into a spreadsheet. The mere exercise will make you a better business person as you have to ask yourself if you have all of the right numbers in place and whether or not you can accomplish the financial goals you have set for your business.
Once you have a spreadsheet that tells the story of your business, run it past somebody who knows anything about your business to see what they think. It is always best to be conservative when you are running your numbers. It is easy to get caught up in scenarios that show how you are going to make millions of dollars per quarter, but there is usually something that has not been taken into consideration.
Anyway, take the time to write a very basic business plan...just a couple of pages will be worth its weight in gold if you review it on a weekly basis and use it as the planning tool that it is designed to be. Be flexible though, the business that you are in five years from now may not be the business you started out building, but you just might find that the business you intended to start was not a viable, sustainable business...but that the business you ended up running is sustainable and viable.
Good Luck and Healthy Investing to all!
Rob
http://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
Your plan doesn't have to be a 200-page dissertation on the state of the market either. But you should have some goals, milestones and some sort of way to track your success.
I used to think that your business plan was like the ten commandments, you know, carved into stone and never to be changed. Luckily, business plans are living documents and have to change and evolve. Your business plan should have enough flexibility to stand the test of time and weather many storms.
The truth of the matter is that your business and business environment are always changing so you need to have a tool that is flexible enough to guide you and give direction, but if it is taking you down the wrong path, you better be able to change course before you are completely derailed!
Even if you only have a one page business plan you should address the nature of your business, what your goals are (short-term, intermediate and long-term) and attach a metric that can be measured...when you use phrases like, I want to be successful or have a bunch of houses, this is useless, because there is no identifiable quantity to measure against. Be specific.
There was a time when I would start writing a business plan with words, but I like to think that I have evolved to the degree that I start out by building a proforma to see if the business makes sense from a monetary stand point. The words are the easy part, but if the business is not a viable venture in the first place, there is no reason to even write one word. My advice is to hunker down and put your business into a spreadsheet. The mere exercise will make you a better business person as you have to ask yourself if you have all of the right numbers in place and whether or not you can accomplish the financial goals you have set for your business.
Once you have a spreadsheet that tells the story of your business, run it past somebody who knows anything about your business to see what they think. It is always best to be conservative when you are running your numbers. It is easy to get caught up in scenarios that show how you are going to make millions of dollars per quarter, but there is usually something that has not been taken into consideration.
Anyway, take the time to write a very basic business plan...just a couple of pages will be worth its weight in gold if you review it on a weekly basis and use it as the planning tool that it is designed to be. Be flexible though, the business that you are in five years from now may not be the business you started out building, but you just might find that the business you intended to start was not a viable, sustainable business...but that the business you ended up running is sustainable and viable.
Good Luck and Healthy Investing to all!
Rob
http://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Real Estate Compost Pile
Ever since we began talking about the "green edition" of our magazine, my son has been urging us to become a "greener" family. Considering he is in the third grade, this is an impressive and reasonable request.
We have taken up the greener lifestyle and I must say that it suits me well. One of my favorite green things to do is to contribute to our compost pile in the backyard. Last night as I was contributing the latest kitchen scraps to the pile I noticed that the pile was "cooking." Yep, it was about 132 degrees. HOT! or as they say in compost terminology, it was "cooking!"
That got me to thinking that the real estate industry is not so different; especially real estate investing. There are a lot of "scraps" left on the market right now and it is up to the real estate investment community to make things good again. Well, these are the properties that nobody can afford, or that need fixing up, or are just sitting around on the market. This is not good for a stumbling economy. What we need to do is to turn this "refuse" into fertile soil that we will allow us to rebuild the garden of our industry.
With my compost pile out back, I have been contributing for months, putting my lawn clippings in there along with kitchen scraps, and finally last night it began to cook. The same thing is going to happen in our real estate community. We just have to keep the faith and keep practicing fundamentally good transactions. In that way, we will be contributing to the come back of our industry.
The real estate investment community will inevitably begin heating up again, or "cooking" very slowly, but then it will turn into the hot market that it was and give off returns that will help spur the economy as well. These times that we are facing are only temporary and while we may not see it on a daily basis, the universe is already at work putting together the elements to the next great real estate boom.
Hang in there and take the good with the bad. Real estate investing is cyclical, just like any other natural occurrence.
Think of http://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com like your real estate compost pile, throw in your deal listings and look for new ones. Together we will turn the tide around.
Rob
We have taken up the greener lifestyle and I must say that it suits me well. One of my favorite green things to do is to contribute to our compost pile in the backyard. Last night as I was contributing the latest kitchen scraps to the pile I noticed that the pile was "cooking." Yep, it was about 132 degrees. HOT! or as they say in compost terminology, it was "cooking!"
That got me to thinking that the real estate industry is not so different; especially real estate investing. There are a lot of "scraps" left on the market right now and it is up to the real estate investment community to make things good again. Well, these are the properties that nobody can afford, or that need fixing up, or are just sitting around on the market. This is not good for a stumbling economy. What we need to do is to turn this "refuse" into fertile soil that we will allow us to rebuild the garden of our industry.
With my compost pile out back, I have been contributing for months, putting my lawn clippings in there along with kitchen scraps, and finally last night it began to cook. The same thing is going to happen in our real estate community. We just have to keep the faith and keep practicing fundamentally good transactions. In that way, we will be contributing to the come back of our industry.
The real estate investment community will inevitably begin heating up again, or "cooking" very slowly, but then it will turn into the hot market that it was and give off returns that will help spur the economy as well. These times that we are facing are only temporary and while we may not see it on a daily basis, the universe is already at work putting together the elements to the next great real estate boom.
Hang in there and take the good with the bad. Real estate investing is cyclical, just like any other natural occurrence.
Think of http://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com like your real estate compost pile, throw in your deal listings and look for new ones. Together we will turn the tide around.
Rob
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Dot Com Busted!
Who can forget the dot com bust of the new millenium? Apparently, millions of real estate professionals that's who! How is it that every time a new bubble appears on the horizon everyone and their brother forgets about the last bubble that busted or even worse, tells themselves that they are not in a bubble or that their industry is safe from bubbles...
Unbelievable...but it happened so there is no use fretting about it now. In my opinion, we need to buckle down and understand how each of us contributed in some way and how we can avoid this again. How do we do that? Personal accountability for starters. We can't control the whole industry, so we might as well control our own deals and actions.
Take the time to re-evaluate your business plan, if you have one. If you don't have one, create one. There is nothing complicated about it...keep it simple and realistic. I love to see a business plan that can be articulated in the form of a spreadsheet...words are nice, but numbers tell the real story. Make sure that your plan is sustainable. Sure, you might be able to make a killing on a particular deals, but how many times can you do that and furthermore, can you do that forever? The answer is probably not...so find a business or aspect of the business that you can maintain for an indefinite period.
Modest margins over the long-haul add up to more than you think. Just take the time and stay the course. The good news is that if you are still standing in the real estate industry today, you are doing something right. Keep up the great work and hang in there!
http://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
Unbelievable...but it happened so there is no use fretting about it now. In my opinion, we need to buckle down and understand how each of us contributed in some way and how we can avoid this again. How do we do that? Personal accountability for starters. We can't control the whole industry, so we might as well control our own deals and actions.
Take the time to re-evaluate your business plan, if you have one. If you don't have one, create one. There is nothing complicated about it...keep it simple and realistic. I love to see a business plan that can be articulated in the form of a spreadsheet...words are nice, but numbers tell the real story. Make sure that your plan is sustainable. Sure, you might be able to make a killing on a particular deals, but how many times can you do that and furthermore, can you do that forever? The answer is probably not...so find a business or aspect of the business that you can maintain for an indefinite period.
Modest margins over the long-haul add up to more than you think. Just take the time and stay the course. The good news is that if you are still standing in the real estate industry today, you are doing something right. Keep up the great work and hang in there!
http://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Creativity in a Free Market
There is a buzz going around about the latest bill that is threatening the way that real estate investors do business. It is sometimes scary that those who are making the laws are out of touch with the reality of the businesses that they effect through their system of government.
Fortunately, we know better. We know that they are not addressing the real problem, but rather they are putting hand cuffs on the wrong people. We have the luxury of operating from the spirit of abundance rather than the spirit of scarcity from which the laws were created.
We need to trust that we will collectively find better and newer ways to conduct business. These laws that have been and will continue to be passed are meant to help, not to hinder. So, they are created in the right spirit, but the letter of the law is not going to be effective. It will, no doubt, keep a few people from conducting real estate transactions and most of those people are the ones that should not be investing in the first place. It is also true that there are some good investors with good intentions that will also find it hard to keep investing. Unfortunately that happens as well.
By and large, the best thing we can do as a real estate investment community is to follow sound business and ethics practices in everything we do. The real estate industry has a black eye right now, and we are all going to pay a little bit of the price. Let's do the right thing and create win-win solutions in every transaction...that is the best way to counter the laws that are coming to us right now.
Good Luck and God Bless America!
Robert D. Cass
http://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
Fortunately, we know better. We know that they are not addressing the real problem, but rather they are putting hand cuffs on the wrong people. We have the luxury of operating from the spirit of abundance rather than the spirit of scarcity from which the laws were created.
We need to trust that we will collectively find better and newer ways to conduct business. These laws that have been and will continue to be passed are meant to help, not to hinder. So, they are created in the right spirit, but the letter of the law is not going to be effective. It will, no doubt, keep a few people from conducting real estate transactions and most of those people are the ones that should not be investing in the first place. It is also true that there are some good investors with good intentions that will also find it hard to keep investing. Unfortunately that happens as well.
By and large, the best thing we can do as a real estate investment community is to follow sound business and ethics practices in everything we do. The real estate industry has a black eye right now, and we are all going to pay a little bit of the price. Let's do the right thing and create win-win solutions in every transaction...that is the best way to counter the laws that are coming to us right now.
Good Luck and God Bless America!
Robert D. Cass
http://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
All Hail The Anti-Guru!
We have all been there at some point. We get an email, or someone tells us about them, or even worse...we are watching late night TV. It seems innocent enough at first, but then we begin to show interest, and the next thing you know you are looking for your credit card to pay for the next new product from the next big GURU.
It's nothing to be ashamed of. As real estate entrepreneurs we are always looking for more education and more coaching and that is one of the characteristics that is common among successful entrepreneurs. But we have also seen enough and heard enough from the Gurus to know that there has to be some serious substance to make our hard earned money work for us.
In the last two years I have met some folks who should be gurus, but avoid the spotlight at all costs. First of all, you would never think of them as gurus because of the way they dress. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a $1500 custom tailored Italian suit to know what you are talking about. In fact, as I write this, it just occurred to me that the people that I have been most impressed with are the ones that are wearing flip flops on a Tuesday afternoon whom I bump into at Starbucks.
You may know some of these people, but never considered that they are the ones you should be tapping for knowledge. They are ridiculously humble and avoid telling you with exact certainty how many properties they own. In fact, they would almost prefer if you just didn't delve to deeply into their portfolio. As you make the rounds in your networking groups, start to look for those folks who are quiet and patient and are NOT trying to make the big impression. These are the people who may be worth listening to.
There are some other things you should look for in your anti-guru. Look for specific kinds of answers to questions. I remember asking a young lady from Hampton Virginia once how many properties she had and her answer was one simple word: "enough." Enough indeed! What struck me was that at the time she was in her early 20's at a time when people were outright bragging about how many properties or transactions that they were a part of...here she was giving one word answers where most people would have taken that as an opportunity to get on a soap box. When she said that, I couldn't help but notice that she was wearing athletic pants to a presentation. It made a strong impression to say the least.
You can always tell when you are dealing with a true professional anti-guru as well when you ask them how much they have made in real estate. The guru will tell you they have made millions, while the anit-guru will give you an answer that is similar to, "I have been blessed, " or "We have done well," or even better, "We have been fortunate." These are humble answers and there is much more to be said for these answers than the typical answers that some gurus hide behind.
If I ask someone how they have done and they feel compelled to tell me how much they have made, then I am going to dig deeper and quantify the numbers...this is fun if you have never done it. For those folks that like to show off their net worth in a conversation, it is easy to find that many of them do not offer a true picture of their net worth...no kidding, right? Anyway, start asking questions that relate to their debt and just probe a little bit, it won't take long to sniff out the stink in their net worth. I guess my point is that they NEED you to believe that they are successful in order to keep being successful. That's how too many of them are successful. Don't get me wrong, we all have to make money, but let's just be clear about HOW we are making our money.
I have recently run across a website that really put this into perspective for me and I want to share it with you...the website is http://www.REMentor.com and on the front page it has a "Guru Test." This is the kind of confidence that I want from someone whose advice I am taking. The questions shed light on the nature of the guru and by the end of it, there is no escaping the light of truth! I love it and I love the approach of getting to the heart of the matter. Questions 4, 5 and 9 would be enough for me to know whether or not I would work with any guru. The website is worth going to and has some excellent advice.
With regards to the anti-guru, I find myself getting nuggets of gold by the finding those humble folks whom I meet up with on occasion every other month or so. The truth in what they have learned is so incredibly valuable. There is not a "high pressure" sale for them to believe what they are saying...they don't need you to believe them. Recognize the anit-guru when you meet them. They look different, they use very specific language and they are humble. Take them out and treat them to coffee or lunch...get to know them. Don't pry for information, get to know how they think and thank them for their time.
Most of these people love sharing information and truly enjoy your company. These are the gifts of life and the gifts of our industry. Recognize these folks as the angels that they are and treat them with respect and you will have an abundance of knowledge. Keep up your formal education, but learn how to distinguish a real guru before you spend a ton of your hard earned money.
Take care and happy investing
Robhttp://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
It's nothing to be ashamed of. As real estate entrepreneurs we are always looking for more education and more coaching and that is one of the characteristics that is common among successful entrepreneurs. But we have also seen enough and heard enough from the Gurus to know that there has to be some serious substance to make our hard earned money work for us.
In the last two years I have met some folks who should be gurus, but avoid the spotlight at all costs. First of all, you would never think of them as gurus because of the way they dress. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a $1500 custom tailored Italian suit to know what you are talking about. In fact, as I write this, it just occurred to me that the people that I have been most impressed with are the ones that are wearing flip flops on a Tuesday afternoon whom I bump into at Starbucks.
You may know some of these people, but never considered that they are the ones you should be tapping for knowledge. They are ridiculously humble and avoid telling you with exact certainty how many properties they own. In fact, they would almost prefer if you just didn't delve to deeply into their portfolio. As you make the rounds in your networking groups, start to look for those folks who are quiet and patient and are NOT trying to make the big impression. These are the people who may be worth listening to.
There are some other things you should look for in your anti-guru. Look for specific kinds of answers to questions. I remember asking a young lady from Hampton Virginia once how many properties she had and her answer was one simple word: "enough." Enough indeed! What struck me was that at the time she was in her early 20's at a time when people were outright bragging about how many properties or transactions that they were a part of...here she was giving one word answers where most people would have taken that as an opportunity to get on a soap box. When she said that, I couldn't help but notice that she was wearing athletic pants to a presentation. It made a strong impression to say the least.
You can always tell when you are dealing with a true professional anti-guru as well when you ask them how much they have made in real estate. The guru will tell you they have made millions, while the anit-guru will give you an answer that is similar to, "I have been blessed, " or "We have done well," or even better, "We have been fortunate." These are humble answers and there is much more to be said for these answers than the typical answers that some gurus hide behind.
If I ask someone how they have done and they feel compelled to tell me how much they have made, then I am going to dig deeper and quantify the numbers...this is fun if you have never done it. For those folks that like to show off their net worth in a conversation, it is easy to find that many of them do not offer a true picture of their net worth...no kidding, right? Anyway, start asking questions that relate to their debt and just probe a little bit, it won't take long to sniff out the stink in their net worth. I guess my point is that they NEED you to believe that they are successful in order to keep being successful. That's how too many of them are successful. Don't get me wrong, we all have to make money, but let's just be clear about HOW we are making our money.
I have recently run across a website that really put this into perspective for me and I want to share it with you...the website is http://www.REMentor.com and on the front page it has a "Guru Test." This is the kind of confidence that I want from someone whose advice I am taking. The questions shed light on the nature of the guru and by the end of it, there is no escaping the light of truth! I love it and I love the approach of getting to the heart of the matter. Questions 4, 5 and 9 would be enough for me to know whether or not I would work with any guru. The website is worth going to and has some excellent advice.
With regards to the anti-guru, I find myself getting nuggets of gold by the finding those humble folks whom I meet up with on occasion every other month or so. The truth in what they have learned is so incredibly valuable. There is not a "high pressure" sale for them to believe what they are saying...they don't need you to believe them. Recognize the anit-guru when you meet them. They look different, they use very specific language and they are humble. Take them out and treat them to coffee or lunch...get to know them. Don't pry for information, get to know how they think and thank them for their time.
Most of these people love sharing information and truly enjoy your company. These are the gifts of life and the gifts of our industry. Recognize these folks as the angels that they are and treat them with respect and you will have an abundance of knowledge. Keep up your formal education, but learn how to distinguish a real guru before you spend a ton of your hard earned money.
Take care and happy investing
Robhttp://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Social Media Real Estate Marketing
I love marketing...I love it because it is ever changing and now more than ever the face of marketing is in tremendous flux right now. For the moment, I just want to discuss social marketing. This relatively new aspect of marketing is fascinating and it puts many smaller organizations and individuals on an even playing field with even the biggest players.
As real estate professionals, one of the hardest things to do is to be "found." I don't have official research in front of me at the moment, but I know a lot of folks these days turn to the internet to find a home. This is a great advantage in a social networking environment, because these social networks exist on the internet.
Let's be clear about a couple of things. First of all, you are not going to get rich quick on the internet, I don't care what anyone says...it isn't going to happen, so get the idea out of your head. Social marketing takes time, energy, consistency and a plan. If you aren't willing to invest in all of those basic elements, don't waste your time.
The amount of each of the critical elements is totally up to you as well. You don't have to do it every day, you can do it at just about any pace, but make sure you do pace yourself. If your frequency is once a week, then make it a habit. One of the neat things about social marketing is that the credentials you are building by being on line and networking within your industry or specialty is that the conversations and threads lead to the most amazing places and introductions.
I will also tell you this from experience...If your only goal is to get people to do business with you and all you are doing is advertising...go away, please go away. If you don't have some useful advice or something that helps people other than yourself, don't waste your time. Remind yourself why the internet is so popular and prosperous...Information at your fingertips. I am pretty sure that nobody is going to wake up in the morning and say to themselves, "Hey! I need to google Susie Real Estate Investor and see if she can help me out." More than likely someone will wake up and say "Hey, I really need to find a good deal on a lease option because my credit is toast!" That person will probably look for articles or posts about lease options or alternative home buying solutions. When they see your name attached to a HELPFUL article or conversation...you have branding!
The more you post, the more that threads get out there. It doesn't hurt to promote yourself a little, but keep it to a minimum, we all get it, you are an expert and you would like to earn as much business as possible. We make that assumption because you are networking in the first place.
Next, pick a few social media sites after reviewing them for a couple of weeks and monitoring them. Don't just pick one, and don't pick all of them. Like I said, this is a commitment and nothing will happen if you don't nurture your accounts. Local Real Estate Deals makes use of 6 particular sites.
Blogspot... www.LocalRealEstateDeals.Blogspot.com
www.YouTube.com/LocalRealEstateDeals
www.Twitter.com/LocalREDeals
www.facebook.com/localrealestatedeals#/home.php
http://localrealestatedeals.myplaxo.com/
Linked In
Once you find the ones that are the most applicable, get involved...it doesn't do any good to sit on the sideline and not communicate...this is netwworking after all...Join discussions, ask questions, give answers, join groups, form groups...get the most out of it and make connections. Do it to enhance your knowledge and to be helpful...if you are just looking to sell, sell, sell, you are going to find yourself quite alone.
Social marketing is not the end-all, be-all marketing tool. It is an arrow in your quiver and you still need to have a good product and people skills to make it work. It also needs to be implemented just like any other marketing plan. It should be a part of your business plan, whether you have one or not and should be done methodically. You should also have a way to justify the expense (of your time and energy) to keep it going. If you are not getting results, then why would you keep doing it, right? The key is to engage fully for no less than six months to determine if it is worth moving forward. This goes for any marketing for that matter. Most people fail to give their marketing plan enough time to get off the ground. If you are not going to stay with it for six months, then save yourself the hassle and don't get started in the first place.
That's just a birdseye view of my thought process for the moment. Books could be (and probably are being) written about the subject so I am sure I will have more on this later, so check back every so often for updates. Until then, you are more than welcome to follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/LocalREDeals
Good Luck and God Bless!
Rob
As real estate professionals, one of the hardest things to do is to be "found." I don't have official research in front of me at the moment, but I know a lot of folks these days turn to the internet to find a home. This is a great advantage in a social networking environment, because these social networks exist on the internet.
Let's be clear about a couple of things. First of all, you are not going to get rich quick on the internet, I don't care what anyone says...it isn't going to happen, so get the idea out of your head. Social marketing takes time, energy, consistency and a plan. If you aren't willing to invest in all of those basic elements, don't waste your time.
The amount of each of the critical elements is totally up to you as well. You don't have to do it every day, you can do it at just about any pace, but make sure you do pace yourself. If your frequency is once a week, then make it a habit. One of the neat things about social marketing is that the credentials you are building by being on line and networking within your industry or specialty is that the conversations and threads lead to the most amazing places and introductions.
I will also tell you this from experience...If your only goal is to get people to do business with you and all you are doing is advertising...go away, please go away. If you don't have some useful advice or something that helps people other than yourself, don't waste your time. Remind yourself why the internet is so popular and prosperous...Information at your fingertips. I am pretty sure that nobody is going to wake up in the morning and say to themselves, "Hey! I need to google Susie Real Estate Investor and see if she can help me out." More than likely someone will wake up and say "Hey, I really need to find a good deal on a lease option because my credit is toast!" That person will probably look for articles or posts about lease options or alternative home buying solutions. When they see your name attached to a HELPFUL article or conversation...you have branding!
The more you post, the more that threads get out there. It doesn't hurt to promote yourself a little, but keep it to a minimum, we all get it, you are an expert and you would like to earn as much business as possible. We make that assumption because you are networking in the first place.
Next, pick a few social media sites after reviewing them for a couple of weeks and monitoring them. Don't just pick one, and don't pick all of them. Like I said, this is a commitment and nothing will happen if you don't nurture your accounts. Local Real Estate Deals makes use of 6 particular sites.
Blogspot... www.LocalRealEstateDeals.Blogspot.com
www.YouTube.com/LocalRealEstateDeals
www.Twitter.com/LocalREDeals
www.facebook.com/localrealestatedeals#/home.php
http://localrealestatedeals.myplaxo.com/
Linked In
Once you find the ones that are the most applicable, get involved...it doesn't do any good to sit on the sideline and not communicate...this is netwworking after all...Join discussions, ask questions, give answers, join groups, form groups...get the most out of it and make connections. Do it to enhance your knowledge and to be helpful...if you are just looking to sell, sell, sell, you are going to find yourself quite alone.
Social marketing is not the end-all, be-all marketing tool. It is an arrow in your quiver and you still need to have a good product and people skills to make it work. It also needs to be implemented just like any other marketing plan. It should be a part of your business plan, whether you have one or not and should be done methodically. You should also have a way to justify the expense (of your time and energy) to keep it going. If you are not getting results, then why would you keep doing it, right? The key is to engage fully for no less than six months to determine if it is worth moving forward. This goes for any marketing for that matter. Most people fail to give their marketing plan enough time to get off the ground. If you are not going to stay with it for six months, then save yourself the hassle and don't get started in the first place.
That's just a birdseye view of my thought process for the moment. Books could be (and probably are being) written about the subject so I am sure I will have more on this later, so check back every so often for updates. Until then, you are more than welcome to follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/LocalREDeals
Good Luck and God Bless!
Rob
Financial Literacy
It has become clear over the past 18 months, if not over the past 30 years that we are becoming less financially literate as time goes on. I say this not to provoke anyone, it is a fact...a sad fact. The truth is that many people believe they are fully financially literate and there in lies the problem.
There are so many aspects of wealth and financial literacy, it is tough to be competent in all areas, but that shouldn't stop us from pushing ahead and learning more. There are many places that we can get an education with regards to financial literacy, that it is almost overwhelming just trying to find the right place.
We can always go to a broker or a licensed agent, but then we might be wondering what the motivation is to give us information. It is always curious that in most cases the advice that we receive leads us right into a product line that suits our "needs." Don't get me wrong, I know we are all trying to make a living out there, but when the only advice we receive, leads us into a product line of the person delivering the pitch, you have to feel compelled to at least get a second opinion.
Then there are the industries that don't even require the marketers, or sales reps to have any sort of licensing requirements. In this case, I am speaking of loan officers. There are many loan officers that are experts out there...you know who you are. But for every expert, there are a dozen or more that don't truly understand how money works and furthermore, how to build wealth. Part of the problem is that good loan officers know how to get a loan through and that is what people come to them for. The mistake most people make is to start asking for financial advice from someone who knows how to get a loan processed. This is not a good approach.
The psychology behind it is certainly solid. Consider that an individual has to go to a loan officer to get a loan and they end up telling their entire financial story as well as many personal details of their life to the loan officer. These become psychological tethering lines to the relationship. Why wouldn't the person ask for financial advice after building a relationship like that? Also, who wants to give all those details again to someone else who would either charge for the advice or try to sell a different financial product?
When you look at the mortgage industry from that perspective, it is easy to see how some people go down the path of bad advice. To be fair, I don't think any loan officers wake up in the morning and say to themselves "I am going to give some bad financial advice today," unfortunately, that is exactly what ends up happening. The path to hell is paved with good intentions, as they say.
But the problem is much bigger than that. There are many people who never even get to the point of home ownership and never learn or even understand what it means to build equity. This is also one of those sad facts. It is sad for many reasons, but the biggest reason in my mind is that this ignorance is handed down from generation to generation. The mindset of these people is supported, encouraged and imprinted into their psyche until the thought of building wealth is never even considered.
Most people have more insurance on their vehicle than they have on their lives. Let's face it, protection is as much a part of building wealth as making money. If I had to guess, I would have to generalize and say that many people consider insurance an unnecessary expense. On the other hand, the wealthy consider it part of their estate and wealth plan.
All I am saying is that there are principles like protection, taxes, assets and liabilities to name a few that many people, too many people, know little to nothing about. I still have a lifetime of learning and I learn something new everyday and I am in this industry. If we commit to making our financial education a lifelong endeavor it doesn't seem so overwhelming. Find an area that you can use some more information on and begin your education. Don't trust one source either, get your information from different sources and don't be afraid to ask clarifying questions. The right adviser will be patient and understanding. Impatience is a sign of ignorance and you should be wary of anyone who handles your questions with impatience.
In all that you do as a real estate professional or investor, encourage and support financial literacy at every opportunity; it's good for everyone.
Thanks and have a great day
Robert D. Cass
There are so many aspects of wealth and financial literacy, it is tough to be competent in all areas, but that shouldn't stop us from pushing ahead and learning more. There are many places that we can get an education with regards to financial literacy, that it is almost overwhelming just trying to find the right place.
We can always go to a broker or a licensed agent, but then we might be wondering what the motivation is to give us information. It is always curious that in most cases the advice that we receive leads us right into a product line that suits our "needs." Don't get me wrong, I know we are all trying to make a living out there, but when the only advice we receive, leads us into a product line of the person delivering the pitch, you have to feel compelled to at least get a second opinion.
Then there are the industries that don't even require the marketers, or sales reps to have any sort of licensing requirements. In this case, I am speaking of loan officers. There are many loan officers that are experts out there...you know who you are. But for every expert, there are a dozen or more that don't truly understand how money works and furthermore, how to build wealth. Part of the problem is that good loan officers know how to get a loan through and that is what people come to them for. The mistake most people make is to start asking for financial advice from someone who knows how to get a loan processed. This is not a good approach.
The psychology behind it is certainly solid. Consider that an individual has to go to a loan officer to get a loan and they end up telling their entire financial story as well as many personal details of their life to the loan officer. These become psychological tethering lines to the relationship. Why wouldn't the person ask for financial advice after building a relationship like that? Also, who wants to give all those details again to someone else who would either charge for the advice or try to sell a different financial product?
When you look at the mortgage industry from that perspective, it is easy to see how some people go down the path of bad advice. To be fair, I don't think any loan officers wake up in the morning and say to themselves "I am going to give some bad financial advice today," unfortunately, that is exactly what ends up happening. The path to hell is paved with good intentions, as they say.
But the problem is much bigger than that. There are many people who never even get to the point of home ownership and never learn or even understand what it means to build equity. This is also one of those sad facts. It is sad for many reasons, but the biggest reason in my mind is that this ignorance is handed down from generation to generation. The mindset of these people is supported, encouraged and imprinted into their psyche until the thought of building wealth is never even considered.
Most people have more insurance on their vehicle than they have on their lives. Let's face it, protection is as much a part of building wealth as making money. If I had to guess, I would have to generalize and say that many people consider insurance an unnecessary expense. On the other hand, the wealthy consider it part of their estate and wealth plan.
All I am saying is that there are principles like protection, taxes, assets and liabilities to name a few that many people, too many people, know little to nothing about. I still have a lifetime of learning and I learn something new everyday and I am in this industry. If we commit to making our financial education a lifelong endeavor it doesn't seem so overwhelming. Find an area that you can use some more information on and begin your education. Don't trust one source either, get your information from different sources and don't be afraid to ask clarifying questions. The right adviser will be patient and understanding. Impatience is a sign of ignorance and you should be wary of anyone who handles your questions with impatience.
In all that you do as a real estate professional or investor, encourage and support financial literacy at every opportunity; it's good for everyone.
Thanks and have a great day
Robert D. Cass
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
1000% ROI Guarantee? You betcha!
You know, I have never been one to accept the status-quo. In fact, it is in my blood to buck the system, not for the sake of it, but rather to see if we can do things better, faster, stronger...kind of like the 6 Million Dollar Man...I digress.
It has occurred to me, as many things do, that the advertising industry doesn't play by the same rules the rest of the world plays by. We have been conditioned to believe that the number of eyeballs is the most important number when it comes to advertising, but I couldn't disagree more...the most important number is the return I get on my advertising investment because it relates to my bottom line. Why advertisers don't get that is a mystery to me.
I know that when I am prepared to spend money on an advertising campaign it is with the goal of making money, specifically, PROFIT! My metric is, and always has been, a 1000% return on my investment or else I don't advertise with that company again. What that means is that for every dollar I spend, I want to see $10 come back to me. There are those that believe there is no such thing as a 1000% return on their investment and that is fine with me...we have a tendency to create our own reality and if you don't believe it is possible, then it probably isn't.
It has been done on a regular basis for decades for those who understand marketing. I read a book a few years ago by Mark Stevens titled, Your Marketing Sucks. The main thing that I got out of that book is that if you can't track your revenues back to marketing or vice versa, then your marketing sucks.
I have embraced that concept and have challenged advertisers and advertising companies for years with that one simple concept and I am appalled at the apparent lack of concern for my bottom line. It is as if it is their right to take our hard earned money and spend it in a way that is completely unaccountable! It is insanity!
So, here I am in the position of having a media suite of real estate investor products called Local Real Estate Deals. I can take the stance of my predecessors and competitors and put the burden on my advertisers, OR I can work with them as an extension of their Marketing and P.R. departments to increase their bottom line. It isn't as profitable in the beginning, but it just seems like the right thing to do.
We have decided to take a very proactive stance on advertising in our media group and offer a 1000% Return on your Advertising Dollar! How's that for confidence in our own product? We will keep your advertisements "live" until we can quantify a 1000% guarantee...PERIOD! In order to do that, we need to understand your business in a way that most advertising sales reps never will. We need to understand the metrics of your business in a way that will allow us to create a trackable system and measure your ROI. It's amazing sometimes to learn that as we go through this with our clients, they are amazed at how much money they have wasted by NOT tracking their advertising options. In this way, we feel like consultants, and technically we are. But going through this exercise puts everybody on the same page. It's what I have done ever since I started buying advertising and now that I have created an advertising product suite, it is time for me to show our advertisers how to quantify their advertising so that their marketing doesn't suck.
So there it is...The first official 1000% ROI Guarantee! I know we won't be making friends with our competitors, but that isn't my goal...Maybe you should ask them if they will guarantee a 1000% ROI...the answers will be interesting.
Give us a call to see how we can work together
Robert D. Cass
Publisher, Local Real Estate Deals Media Group
757-729-3124
It has occurred to me, as many things do, that the advertising industry doesn't play by the same rules the rest of the world plays by. We have been conditioned to believe that the number of eyeballs is the most important number when it comes to advertising, but I couldn't disagree more...the most important number is the return I get on my advertising investment because it relates to my bottom line. Why advertisers don't get that is a mystery to me.
I know that when I am prepared to spend money on an advertising campaign it is with the goal of making money, specifically, PROFIT! My metric is, and always has been, a 1000% return on my investment or else I don't advertise with that company again. What that means is that for every dollar I spend, I want to see $10 come back to me. There are those that believe there is no such thing as a 1000% return on their investment and that is fine with me...we have a tendency to create our own reality and if you don't believe it is possible, then it probably isn't.
It has been done on a regular basis for decades for those who understand marketing. I read a book a few years ago by Mark Stevens titled, Your Marketing Sucks. The main thing that I got out of that book is that if you can't track your revenues back to marketing or vice versa, then your marketing sucks.
I have embraced that concept and have challenged advertisers and advertising companies for years with that one simple concept and I am appalled at the apparent lack of concern for my bottom line. It is as if it is their right to take our hard earned money and spend it in a way that is completely unaccountable! It is insanity!
So, here I am in the position of having a media suite of real estate investor products called Local Real Estate Deals. I can take the stance of my predecessors and competitors and put the burden on my advertisers, OR I can work with them as an extension of their Marketing and P.R. departments to increase their bottom line. It isn't as profitable in the beginning, but it just seems like the right thing to do.
We have decided to take a very proactive stance on advertising in our media group and offer a 1000% Return on your Advertising Dollar! How's that for confidence in our own product? We will keep your advertisements "live" until we can quantify a 1000% guarantee...PERIOD! In order to do that, we need to understand your business in a way that most advertising sales reps never will. We need to understand the metrics of your business in a way that will allow us to create a trackable system and measure your ROI. It's amazing sometimes to learn that as we go through this with our clients, they are amazed at how much money they have wasted by NOT tracking their advertising options. In this way, we feel like consultants, and technically we are. But going through this exercise puts everybody on the same page. It's what I have done ever since I started buying advertising and now that I have created an advertising product suite, it is time for me to show our advertisers how to quantify their advertising so that their marketing doesn't suck.
So there it is...The first official 1000% ROI Guarantee! I know we won't be making friends with our competitors, but that isn't my goal...Maybe you should ask them if they will guarantee a 1000% ROI...the answers will be interesting.
Give us a call to see how we can work together
Robert D. Cass
Publisher, Local Real Estate Deals Media Group
757-729-3124
Monday, April 27, 2009
Social Capitalism (Real Estate Investor Style)
It occurred to me that some of the best and most successful capitalists have had a "social capitalism" frame of reference. Consider that Henry Ford found a way to increase transportation and thus helped the economy as well as himself and countless other industries. All of this because he solved a social problem; hence he was a "social capitalist."
I believe in capitalism, it is not a perfect idea, but it is an ever evolving idea and I like the way that it is trending right now. The trend is to consciously engage in social capitalism, that is to say that to engage in capitalism in a way that solves social problems. Consciously is one of the key words here. Sometimes products or services pop up that were solely created to drive revenues and that is not necessarily bad, but let's just get into the mindset that we can solve massive issues and capitalize from them individually and socially.
If you are reading this blog, then you are probably involved in real estate in some form or fashion. There is a social condition that I think warrants a product or service and that is the social disease....yes, I said it DISEASE! of perpetual renters. Now, I am not saying it is bad to rent, there is certainly a time and a place for it, but when it becomes a permanent solution, then it becomes a disease because those involved are not putting themselves in a better financial situation.
As part of the responsible real estate community, I think that we can all capitalize on the fact that there are 54 million renters out there and the "problem" isn't going to go away anytime soon. But we can tailor our efforts to minimize the negative effects of this "rental disease" by putting good deals together and offering home ownership at some point maybe in the way of a Lease Option, Seller Financing, or Land Contracts.
I am not kidding myself. I know that simply offering lease options is not going to change the mindset of millions of people, however, if we pool our resources and make a serious and sustained attempt, we can all contribute to the collective education of renters, because in my opinion, it is a lack of education and discipline that people fall into a rental abyss.
Let's face it, we are in an industry where we have the ability to help people. This is something that we should all be proud of because we have the opportunity to make a great income while helping others and THAT is what Social Capitalism is all about!
Now go get 'em!
Rob
I believe in capitalism, it is not a perfect idea, but it is an ever evolving idea and I like the way that it is trending right now. The trend is to consciously engage in social capitalism, that is to say that to engage in capitalism in a way that solves social problems. Consciously is one of the key words here. Sometimes products or services pop up that were solely created to drive revenues and that is not necessarily bad, but let's just get into the mindset that we can solve massive issues and capitalize from them individually and socially.
If you are reading this blog, then you are probably involved in real estate in some form or fashion. There is a social condition that I think warrants a product or service and that is the social disease....yes, I said it DISEASE! of perpetual renters. Now, I am not saying it is bad to rent, there is certainly a time and a place for it, but when it becomes a permanent solution, then it becomes a disease because those involved are not putting themselves in a better financial situation.
As part of the responsible real estate community, I think that we can all capitalize on the fact that there are 54 million renters out there and the "problem" isn't going to go away anytime soon. But we can tailor our efforts to minimize the negative effects of this "rental disease" by putting good deals together and offering home ownership at some point maybe in the way of a Lease Option, Seller Financing, or Land Contracts.
I am not kidding myself. I know that simply offering lease options is not going to change the mindset of millions of people, however, if we pool our resources and make a serious and sustained attempt, we can all contribute to the collective education of renters, because in my opinion, it is a lack of education and discipline that people fall into a rental abyss.
Let's face it, we are in an industry where we have the ability to help people. This is something that we should all be proud of because we have the opportunity to make a great income while helping others and THAT is what Social Capitalism is all about!
Now go get 'em!
Rob
Sunday, April 26, 2009
New Edition of Magazine
If you look to the right, you will see a copy of our new magazine that features Miss Kendra Todd who gained fame as the first female winner of Donald Trump's Reality TV Series, The Apprentice. Miss Todd has been very busy since the days of The Apprentice and it was absolutely refreshing to catch up with a rising star who still has her wits about her.
Read all about it online at
Read all about it online at
http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/b1bad9f9#/b1bad9f9/1
Enjoy!
Robert D. Cass
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Leverage
Now would be a good time to talk about leverage. You know, that term that everyone has talked about for so long. It is easy to talk about leverage when everyone is doing well in the market. It is actually a joy to talk about how much leverage you have in the market and how well you have positioned yourself.
But we are just getting to the point where we are seeing a few people out there that understand what true leverage is and what the correct ratios are. For those few out there that have been through this sort of downturn in the market and actually learned from it, this is an awesome time to be a real estate investor.
Consider that if you knew where to look and what indicators to keep an eye out for, you could have seen this coming a mile away. For anyone who has a surplus of cash and is not hemorrhaging right now, it is a buyers market like nothing we have seen in 80 years. I have been saying that THIS is the real opportunity, not the past 8-10 years. This is going to go on for a while too, so don't fret. The key is to understand what your ratios are and to understand the meaning behind the numbers.
One of the worst things we can do as investors is to let the banks tell us what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. Dive into your numbers and look at the big picture, you can still be conservative and make a killing. Too many of us (yes, I have been caught up in it as well) were overly aggressive and we are lucky if we learn from our mistakes.
If we are smart, we can learn and grow our portfolios much larger than before the market toppled. The key is that we have to be disciplined enough to conduct our own debrief analysis to figure out where we went wrong and put personal investing policies in place that we actually adhere to. Discipline, discipline, discipline.
Then focus on gaining leverage. Because if this ever happens again, you will definitely want to be ready for it. Shame on all of us if we let this happen again and worse, if we are not leveraged properly!
Robert D. Cass
But we are just getting to the point where we are seeing a few people out there that understand what true leverage is and what the correct ratios are. For those few out there that have been through this sort of downturn in the market and actually learned from it, this is an awesome time to be a real estate investor.
Consider that if you knew where to look and what indicators to keep an eye out for, you could have seen this coming a mile away. For anyone who has a surplus of cash and is not hemorrhaging right now, it is a buyers market like nothing we have seen in 80 years. I have been saying that THIS is the real opportunity, not the past 8-10 years. This is going to go on for a while too, so don't fret. The key is to understand what your ratios are and to understand the meaning behind the numbers.
One of the worst things we can do as investors is to let the banks tell us what is acceptable and what is not acceptable. Dive into your numbers and look at the big picture, you can still be conservative and make a killing. Too many of us (yes, I have been caught up in it as well) were overly aggressive and we are lucky if we learn from our mistakes.
If we are smart, we can learn and grow our portfolios much larger than before the market toppled. The key is that we have to be disciplined enough to conduct our own debrief analysis to figure out where we went wrong and put personal investing policies in place that we actually adhere to. Discipline, discipline, discipline.
Then focus on gaining leverage. Because if this ever happens again, you will definitely want to be ready for it. Shame on all of us if we let this happen again and worse, if we are not leveraged properly!
Robert D. Cass
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Pendulum Swings both ways!
There are so many wild things going on in real estate and mortgages right now, that you have to expect some overreactions on all sides of the business. Specifically, last September Fannie Mae's guidelines limited investors to purchasing 4 properties. Ouch! This put a crunch on many would-be investors.
At the time it looked like an over reaction, but in hindsight, it did have some positive effects. Over the past decade, there were many "investors" who had no business being in the business of real estate investing. Now, they were not the only problem, but the system encouraged them to purchase 10 properties and the vast majority of those folks were completely over-leveraged and not prepared to handle a down turn in the market.
While I completely disagreed with the decision last fall to cut back to 4 properties per investor, it did serve to stem the tidal wave of investors who were getting into the market and were ill prepared for the worst. Granted, by that time, the damage had already been done, but at least the effort was made to correct one aspect of the problem. I think that, by and large, it worked to keep the people out who should not have been investing.
Here is the funny part though...the people who are true investors know how to move money around and purchase properties REGARDLESS of what Fannie Mae is up to. Those relatively few have been largely unaffected because they understand how to buy correctly and more importantly, know what ratios they should stay under to keep from being over-leveraged. If we the bankers tell us what we can and can't do, we will be in a pretty precarious place. Thank God there are those investors who know where to get the money to move properties.
You see, it's a very bad thing when deal flow stops, so we all need investors to keep deals going when the market slows down. There is legislation being considered in every state that threatens the rights of investors and that is a very dangerous thing. While we are in this down market, we need investors like never before because, by and large, they are the only ones making a consistent difference. I know there will be someone who will tell my how untrue that is, but I don't care...whether I am right or wrong is not important, the fact remains that real estate investors are a very, very necessary part of our financial eco-system. Take them away and bad things happen.
The herd of Investors has been thinned out to a reasonable degree. Now we need to get back to basics and build a nation of educated investors...and by that I am not talking about an education by Carleton Sheets. I am talking about sound business plans with reasonable exits and a deep understanding of leveraging principles.
Healthy Investing!
Rob
http://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
At the time it looked like an over reaction, but in hindsight, it did have some positive effects. Over the past decade, there were many "investors" who had no business being in the business of real estate investing. Now, they were not the only problem, but the system encouraged them to purchase 10 properties and the vast majority of those folks were completely over-leveraged and not prepared to handle a down turn in the market.
While I completely disagreed with the decision last fall to cut back to 4 properties per investor, it did serve to stem the tidal wave of investors who were getting into the market and were ill prepared for the worst. Granted, by that time, the damage had already been done, but at least the effort was made to correct one aspect of the problem. I think that, by and large, it worked to keep the people out who should not have been investing.
Here is the funny part though...the people who are true investors know how to move money around and purchase properties REGARDLESS of what Fannie Mae is up to. Those relatively few have been largely unaffected because they understand how to buy correctly and more importantly, know what ratios they should stay under to keep from being over-leveraged. If we the bankers tell us what we can and can't do, we will be in a pretty precarious place. Thank God there are those investors who know where to get the money to move properties.
You see, it's a very bad thing when deal flow stops, so we all need investors to keep deals going when the market slows down. There is legislation being considered in every state that threatens the rights of investors and that is a very dangerous thing. While we are in this down market, we need investors like never before because, by and large, they are the only ones making a consistent difference. I know there will be someone who will tell my how untrue that is, but I don't care...whether I am right or wrong is not important, the fact remains that real estate investors are a very, very necessary part of our financial eco-system. Take them away and bad things happen.
The herd of Investors has been thinned out to a reasonable degree. Now we need to get back to basics and build a nation of educated investors...and by that I am not talking about an education by Carleton Sheets. I am talking about sound business plans with reasonable exits and a deep understanding of leveraging principles.
Healthy Investing!
Rob
http://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
Friday, March 20, 2009
What business are you in?
You may be surprised at your answer when you stop to think about it. I know that the knee-jerk answer is "real estate," but I beg to differ. No matter what industry you are a part of you can't get around the fact that you have to deal with people. So if you think you are in the real estate business, think again!
You see, people are infinitely more exciting than properties. They have issues and concerns that change daily. The needs of our clients and colleagues makes real estate a fascinating industry. There are so many techniques, properties, challenges and opportunities that it is an extremely dynamic industry.
If this wasn't an exciting enough industry, with all of the ups and downs and government bail-outs and regulations, it becomes thrilling when you throw the human element into it. There are no two scenarios that are exactly the same. Just when you think you have seen it all, you get thrown a curve ball that mucks-up a deal or at least throws a wrench in it.
If you take the human element out of our great industry, it begins to feel like a commodity...that is to say...BORING! Nope, I don't care what anyone else says, this is a people business in all of its gory and glory, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
I could be wrong though...I often am...Let me know your thoughts.
Robert D. Cass
http://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
You see, people are infinitely more exciting than properties. They have issues and concerns that change daily. The needs of our clients and colleagues makes real estate a fascinating industry. There are so many techniques, properties, challenges and opportunities that it is an extremely dynamic industry.
If this wasn't an exciting enough industry, with all of the ups and downs and government bail-outs and regulations, it becomes thrilling when you throw the human element into it. There are no two scenarios that are exactly the same. Just when you think you have seen it all, you get thrown a curve ball that mucks-up a deal or at least throws a wrench in it.
If you take the human element out of our great industry, it begins to feel like a commodity...that is to say...BORING! Nope, I don't care what anyone else says, this is a people business in all of its gory and glory, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
I could be wrong though...I often am...Let me know your thoughts.
Robert D. Cass
http://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Welcome to Local Real Estate Deals Media
Magazines aren't what they used to be...at least not the new ones. While magazines will probably never go away entirely, they are losing their grip on the market and readers. The truth is that ideas are omni-present, so media outlets need to keep the pace.
Local Real Estate Deals media is working to address the issues that real estate investors face every day. Let's be clear about a few things...we are not the experts of all things real estate. In fact, I take pride in the fact that I am a student of the industry. You see, every time you refer to yourself as a GURU, there is someone who just can't wait to knock you off your post. The reality is that there is so much to know about real estate is is tough, if not impossible, to be an expert at all things. So, to be clear, I am a student of the industry and jump at the opportunity to learn something new.
I love the fact that we interact with our subscribers and our advertisers for that matter. Our content is alive and well and generated by anyone and everyone who as a passion for real estate. I would like to think that we all want to help others succeed, but that is not always the case. In any case, if you have ideas, thoughts or any kind of content that relates to the real estate investor population, then we have the media for you, whether it is our dot com, dot tv, magazine, blog or youtube....we want to hear from you.
We like to think of ourselves as the National Forum for Local Investors, in fact, that is our tag line. We have an online magazine at the following link http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/54d27127#/54d27127/1
as well as a deal listing engine that you can find at www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
and a "Dot TV" site that is on the way as well...that will be located at www.LocalRealEstateDeals.tv
In addition to this blog, we have a presence on YouTube...yep, you guessed it...our user name is LocalRealEstateDeals...we like to keep it consistent.
Well, thank you for your interest, we look forward to hearing from you.
Respectfully,
Robert D. Cass
http://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
Local Real Estate Deals media is working to address the issues that real estate investors face every day. Let's be clear about a few things...we are not the experts of all things real estate. In fact, I take pride in the fact that I am a student of the industry. You see, every time you refer to yourself as a GURU, there is someone who just can't wait to knock you off your post. The reality is that there is so much to know about real estate is is tough, if not impossible, to be an expert at all things. So, to be clear, I am a student of the industry and jump at the opportunity to learn something new.
I love the fact that we interact with our subscribers and our advertisers for that matter. Our content is alive and well and generated by anyone and everyone who as a passion for real estate. I would like to think that we all want to help others succeed, but that is not always the case. In any case, if you have ideas, thoughts or any kind of content that relates to the real estate investor population, then we have the media for you, whether it is our dot com, dot tv, magazine, blog or youtube....we want to hear from you.
We like to think of ourselves as the National Forum for Local Investors, in fact, that is our tag line. We have an online magazine at the following link http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/54d27127#/54d27127/1
as well as a deal listing engine that you can find at www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
and a "Dot TV" site that is on the way as well...that will be located at www.LocalRealEstateDeals.tv
In addition to this blog, we have a presence on YouTube...yep, you guessed it...our user name is LocalRealEstateDeals...we like to keep it consistent.
Well, thank you for your interest, we look forward to hearing from you.
Respectfully,
Robert D. Cass
http://www.LocalRealEstateDeals.com
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