Taking a tour of West Oakland in the last few weeks leaves one to believe two things: "Prices have definitely changed" and "There are great deals out there for Investors". The way I see is a little different, being that I live in Oakland and most of these properties would stay "Jacked up" or "Deferred Maintenance" the housing crash will probably result in the fix up and repair of these homes eventually.

In West Oakland, you have Duplexes selling for the low $100k ranges, you can actually get into a piece of good investment property for the low end, however it is not for people that cannot stomach any fix up work because there is a lot of work involved.

"Whatever obstacles appear in your path, put your head down and get past them. Those obstacles aren't real. They're just God's way of testing you. He's asking you, "Do you want to make it or not?" ~ Russell Simmons Quotes from Do You!

Myself and a colleague named Gary that runs Garlison Group International, a major watch company, we have been re-learning marketing techniques for the Internet, i.e. Social Networking or Virtual Business Marketing, Facebook.com, Linkedin.com,Myspace.com, Twitter.com, and the whole world of “Getting your product known” theories on the net. Well, in about the last 3 months, I think we have crossed that threshold of “What works” and “What’s hot” on the net in terms of marketing, however after registering for all the “Social Network” sites, after all, it’s called “Social Networking”! After all, you can definitely experience, feel and understand where the future is headed in terms of promoting products, selling and marketing goods on the net.

“Building Systems” will be my next discussion and strategy session with Gary in the coming weeks, we met about 9 months ago at an entrepreneur event in SF, each week, we have discussed Entrepreneurial issues, growing pains and ways to get bigger faster. However, in about three more weeks, I think myself and Gary will have eclipsed the knowledge and skills we need for that area of the Internet. Of course, all this stuff will change fast; we are blogging more, networking with the top bloggers to get our products known; testing out concepts; and working on podcasting. Sounds like a lot, hah? Wait a minute, here’s the key component missing: “Systems”! How to do you stop recreating the same set of actions when you know what to do once you figure out how to make good cookies?

For example, you know how to bake great cookies, you have all that is necessary to bake them, however when people call you on the phone, order via the net and want your great cookies, the question becomes: “Where’s my stuff”? Okay, then you run into the kitchen frantically looking to bake cookies, all of a sudden you cannot find the flour, the old oven breaks because you should have ordered a new one months ago, then you look for the sugar, oh you didn’t reorder the sugar, no one ordered more bags, no sugar ordered, no new ingredients, etc., you get my point? Systems would have stopped all this from happening once you learned how to bake cookies, so there you go with this big demand for your cookies and no darn system of how to keep up the pace! Also, if you were launching your next Billion Dollar idea, your ability to have your Systems working will enable a “Mission Impossible” type of roll out each time. Remember on the old TV series, how all these people, plans and strategies were all brought together, well that’s a system. My next weekly phone call with Gary will be about “Systems” in the coming weeks because we have become Jedi’s at how to get mass promotion fast on the net!

Next trippy thought of the week. I watched Forest Gump, the other night I realized why that is one of my favorite movies of all time, remember when Forest went down to the South to start a “Shrimp Boat” business and everyone told him: “Forest” you are a dam fool, why do something like that, boy are you dumb?” Forest being stupid knew no better, he knew he could not loose, he was “too dumb” to listen to people, he just kept going, going and going till he got some shrimp! I watched that movie, I started having all types of thoughts about that scene when that guy told Forest he was dumb, I thought about how incredible it is to feel that you knew you could not loose; I thought about how Forest was not smart enough in a book sense to know he could loose! Guess what? Forest Gump got rich…Next quick thought while I’m blogging is “Do You” by Russell Simmons, okay you know I love “Personal Development” books, however Russell Simmons book is really good, a good chapter in the book to review discusses “Letting go of the outcome” a little bit of Deepak Chopra quotes and guess what? That’s in the bible about being attached to worldly possessions. How much money or what type of life could one have if they totally let go of the “outcome” in the sense that the “Outcome” was not important and the biggest and greatest prize was “Going for it without fear of failure”! Simple lesson, the same lessons, however Simmons’ book is live, I love it!

Forest Gump, he was cool…whatever that big goal is, “Go Get it” I have not blogged in awhile, so some people might not know what the heck I’m talking about, click delete then, I’m not attached to your decision! J LOL

Bye for now…..

Jonathan Fleming is a professional real estate consultant, entrepreneur and author. He blogs at www.localhouseblog.com and he writes occasionally about "The Road to the Big Dream" for Entrepreneurs.

What's up with the Bay Area Real Estate Market? Housing is worth the Value in the long run

Geez, have you been freaking out about the bay area real estate housing market? With all the negative news, media pundits, newspaper doomsayer stories, worried neighbors, family and anybody with a mouth. The talk has been whether the bubble has burst on Bay Area real estate forever now! Ironically, I guess the war in Iraq does not make the evening news as much; starvation in the Darfur region; and the mindless stories about Britney Spears and Anna Nicole Smith have not taken real estate off the evening news yet!

I am a Proud Professional Real Estate Agent. Some, people might say, "Of course, he's going to be positive, he's an industry pundit". Big Deal! My prognosis, feeling and mindset are fairly simple and grounded in basic facts of real world "Buying and Waiting!" If you bought a house because you wanted to build your American Dream, then you will do fine no matter what happens in the interest rate markets or bond markets. The reason is simple: It goes back about 40 years to when my father bought his house for $24,000 with the government's GI Bill; it's about starting a family and buying a home for "Shelter"i.e. a place to live. After all, no matter what happens in real estate we aren't going to move into Motel 6, I'm not!

40 years later, my father in his 70s has achieved that American Dream without ever in the last 40 years being worried about interest rates and all the other negative stuff in the media today. At this point, he's survived every imaginable "Crash" if there was ever a real estate crash! Can you name one! Real Estate was great when the media was pumping up the housing craze, i.e. bidding wars, buyer frenzy, etc, and everywhere you went the talk was about real estate and how high the market could go! My father as you can see bought a house for shelter and a place to raise his family. Now, some people reading this article will say: "Dude, those houses cost less than a new Honda Accord back then!" True. In reality, as my father says all the time: "Boy, you young folks are wimps, son, in my day, interest rates were in the double digits like 20.1%".

It is that old school wisdom does for you because it makes everything: Basically, common and not as fearful. I wrote this column for the homeowners out there in the world today that are struggling, afraid and are panicking about the housing market. I am writing this column for all the good, hardworking people and families out there that are enjoying their homes for the comfort, joy and love that is shared within those walls. I am writing this column to stick up for the people that are being blamed for the "Subprime Meltdown"!

A lot of people in the subprime meltdown are not poor inner city people, they are just people, i.e. human beings that bit off more than they can now afford. It happens to the best of us, but if only 10 to 20% will go into default, let's cheer for the other 80 to 90% that will not have that problem happen to them. The blue collar types; hardworking families that are the backbone of American culture will do their best and hold on to their homes no matter what happens. Why? It's the American way, my father drove for Muni for years, my mother was hairstylist, both high school graduates intent on raising their family. Yes, dedicated and hardworking people that had a vision, dream and were passionate about making it through whatever times were out there in America.

The mortgage meltdown will just happen and it will go away like all things in life in due time! Your home, my friends is more than just concrete, woods and walls, it's your place to live and have lifetime memories. If you are in a bad loan, call your local bank; ask around; call a trusted real estate agent that you know and ask: "Do you know a good mortgage person I can talk to about a mortgage check up?"

My father had the American dream on his mind and he never took out all his equity in his home, quite frankly, today this day, he still does not know what "Home Equity" is really! Awesome! Today, I wish a lot of people did not know about all the crafty loans; crazy scams; and other assorted ideas that taken away their same love and passion for their homes. Everyday, we are flooded with new news about "Where's the housing market going?" I am just tired of it, I am tired of the Harvard guys talking about where Bay Area housing is going as if they live here, work here and understand the unique culture of the Bay Area.

There are over 48 million people in California; 68% of Americans own their homes; and homeownership rates have increased dramatically among Minorities my friends. Please nominate me as the most optimistic soul in the real estate business because I am! The Bay Area housing market will do good long term because the bay area is quite simply a desirable, beautiful and incredible place to live in the world. If you are like many people worried, then just remember the story about my father, I am not done yet. But it's been over 40 years and his little investment of $25,000 has culminated in a home worth more than $500k now that's the American dream if you want a piece of it my friend.

If you bought a house for shelter; if you bought a house for investment; if you bought a house for sheer family dinners; you have a family with kids and dogs; and great neighbors, then you will be okay because you are not like the people that just bought homes for all the wrong reasons that you should never buy a home. Looking back, my father vision's of the American Dream has paid off because he provided shelter for his family, he built lives and he did something that he and his wife can leave a great legacy, so his investment was not something that media jargon and scare stories could every rob! He stayed true to his own American Dream. Be a hero today and love your house and the joy it will bring you!

As Cecil Williams of Glide Memorial Church says: "Move Forward"! Quit worrying about the real estate market and take a drive down Highway 1, i.e. the California Coastline for a change! After all, this is the Golden State whereby you pay for this great highway with your taxes; it is considered the most beautiful drive in the world, so enjoy your life! Goodbye!

Jonathan Fleming is a professional real estate agent. He runs Jonathan Fleming & Associates, a real estate company specializing in sales, development and income properties.