Hiring a property management company is a great idea if you have even a small apartment building. Having someone taking care of all the small details of a rental property means you'll have more time to find the next good investment. Also, trying to do it all yourself is the surest way to make your real estate investment experience a bitter one. To find a good property manager, ask the following questions.1. Other properties they manage? It's best...more
So many people think that by getting into the franchise business, they are setting themselves up for an easy way to make money, with a safety net under them the whole time. The only real advantage is that you are buying into a business model that works with the help of a company's marketing and sales abilities. But just as with starting a company from scratch, one must have a plan and a model to come up with and follow in order to get the money...more
Buying FSBO real estate, or houses for sale by owner, has its own particular problems and opportunities. Dealing with an uninformed seller who thought he knew enough to handle everything by himself can be frustrating, but it can also be very profitable if you are prepared. First you need to understand the FSBO seller.People try to sell a house on their own for one primary reason: To save the sales commission. Unfortunately for them, they usually underestimate the cost and complexity of going it alone. They'll often get frustrated and tired of the process, and be ready to drop the price and be done with it. If you help them solve their problems, your reward can be a good price on a good investment. Just keep the following in mind:1. A seller isn't an agent. You have to be more careful in what you say and ask. Avoid negative comments about the house. Like it or not, the truth is that it's difficult to get a good deal if the seller doesn't like you.2. Sellers think they're being smart. If you encourage that belief, they'll be more open to your offer. If they have a good idea, tell them so. It's not unethical to make people feel good about themselves when negotiating.3. FSBO real...more
For months, Joe Cline (not his real name) kept his frustration over longhours, cramped quarters and rushed deadlines at an Internet company underwraps. But last month, when his boss needled him one time too many, heerupted, lashing out with an obscenity-laced tirade that I was privileged towitness. As Joe stormed out, I looked at my clientÂ…his...more
Mike M. was a senior manager for one of my large corporate clients, butyou wouldn't know he was on the fast track if you looked at his office. Heworked long hours, felt pressured, and was always playing catch up. Mike wasunresponsive to requests and missed key deadlines. His company's uppermanagement had reached the end of its patience, so I was...more
Where are the best investment real estate locations? If you have enough experience investing in real estate, you can make money almost anywhere, but there are always places that are better or worse for real estate investments. For maximum profits, you want places that have a better demand/supply ratio. You can use the questions below to find them.Real Estate Demand 1. Does the area have decent job growth? Ask local authorities and use census information. Ideally, you want to see job growth equal to or exceeding population growth. You also want areas with professional jobs moving in. It is estimated that for every professional job created, there are four service jobs created, and all those employees need a place to live. 2. Is the population growing? You can check the US Census figures online, or ask the local government if they have the statistics. Stay away from areas that have little growth.3. Is there a decent quality of life? It's subjective, but important. Are there theaters and bookstores? Count coffee shops and cafes. Trendy areas usually have increasing demand for housing. It's also a good indication of a high quality-of-life if people are willing to take lower-paying jobs...more
Forex trading is nothing more than direct access trading of different types of foreign currencies. In the past, foreign exchange trading was mostly limited to large banks and institutional traders. However recent technological advancements have made...more
Credit cards are a huge industry. Everybody who can get one or two or 10, uses them because they are a great convenience. But there are so many credit cards being offered to students these days that it might seem nearly impossible to choose the right...more
So how WAS your first quarter of 2006? Wait - it's still the middle of 4th quarter; what am I talking about? One of the things that salespeople and sales managers tend to lose sight of is the factor that time plays in the sales cycle. We think if we...more
There are many different advantages to trading forex instead of futures or stocks, such as:1. Lower MarginJust like futures and stock speculation, a forex trader has the ability to control a large amount of the currency basically by putting up a...more
THE BARON SON: VADE MECUM 7By Vicky Therese Davis, William R. Patterson, and D. Marques PattonLong & Silverman Publishing, Inc.ISBN - 159575375Today it seems nearly impossible to open a newspaper without finding a story of corruption, cover-ups, or...more
The title of this article may sound a little strange. What did I mean by located and faced for prosperity?I must warn that this is not a typical business article. It has nothing to do with marketing, sales, productivity or even the internet.It is...more