Jeff's Blog

Goals for the New Year!!!

2007-12-21T14:39:52Z

Goals

We should all have one or two or ten. We all have dreams, don't we? So why not have goals too? Written goals. I admit, I too have slacked in this area. But we can all change. Why not start to change right now? Seems perfect to me? Start out by visualizing your goals. What would you picture? Now picture yourself writing them down...use a piece of paper, a napkin, or a sticky note...just write them down. After you've written them down, get to your computer or a neighbors computer, and type them out. Then hit the print button. Sign and date the paper. And presto!

You've just made yourself a written promise.

The hard part is sticking to these now real-life goals. It doesn't matter how small or how big they are; all that matters is that you have them in your hand, on your fridge, or on your car's sun visor. The paper you've just created is tangible.......

Just like the goals you have created for yourself.

Must See!

2006-12-22T11:36:06Z

I took my g/f out to the movies last night. It was just like any other time......get there 10 minutes before the movie actually starts. Get the tickets, get the popcorn and drinks, and go relax and let the flick take you away from reality. This movie was different from the rest. It WAS someone else's reality. And to see what this family went through....brought tears to my eyes. Many of us struggle from time-to-time. This movie goes beyond that. What this man goes through is truly unreal. You should go see it......if you already haven't.

We saw "Pursuit of Happyness." And if you've seen, or want to go see this movie....then you'll know 'Y' I spelt "happyness" the way I did.

Truly an excellent movie. The funny part is.......when Barbie & I were sitting there, watching the previews, I turned to her said, "You know what....I haven't seen a really good action flick on the Big Screen in a long time."

It's true, I haven't. And as soon as this movie started.....that thought was long gone.

Buy Now.......Why Should I...?

2006-12-18T15:22:06Z

**If you could, please give us your honest answer**

Who's buying right now.....? And why?

Who's not....? And why not?

I'm looking for ways to identify my client a little more clearer. I have many properties for sale right now but my cliental are slow to act right now. Maybe you guys could help me out here.....

Thanks in Advance,

Jeff

RIP BO! We'll Miss You!

2006-11-17T17:55:23Z

For those of you who don't know, legendary Michigan Wolverine football coach died earlier today. This is definately a sad day for college football fans everywhere....no matter who you support.

GO BLUE !!!!

Legendary football coach
Bo Schembechler stood tall

"Ex-Michigan coach Bo Schembechler, who died Friday at 77, was a man of integrity, writes Dan Wetzel."» Column

I Told U So..... :)

2006-11-17T17:49:51Z

From my other post in this blog......I wrote, "Be Wealthy......AND Healthy!!"

And look what's now on the front home page of Yahoo.com:

http://biz.yahoo.com/weekend/leanrich_1.html

I hate to say it but.....I told you so!

Ha! Just kidding. But, this article brings up some very good points.

1. Healthier workers are more productive.

2. Earn more

3. Spend more days at work, rather than being sick and using their "sick days."

http://biz.yahoo.com/weekend/leanrich_1.html

Have a great weekend and be productive in whatever you do!

www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,225718,00.html

2006-10-27T13:27:03Z

Here's food for thought:

Homebuilders are slashing prices. Hot markets are cooling down. Real estate flippers are flipped out, cashed out and knocked out.

You'd think that housing was crashing. It is not.

Stop, for a moment the fixation on what's wrong with housing and focus on what's right with housing: New home sales unexpectedly rose 5.3 percent last month.

Cynics say that's because builders are slashing prices and throwing in extras. Who cares? They're selling homes. And, over the last three months, selling a lot of homes: nearly 1.1 million of them — far more than economists expected and the most in three months.

And as they're selling, the supply of available homes is dwindling. Inventories of unsold homes fell 1.9 percent. That means fewer homes available and, in many markets, way too few homes available.

You see, the dirty little secret on this "doom and gloom" housing talk is that you need a "doom and gloom" in the economy to pull it off.

You need the jobless rate rising — it's falling.

You need corporate profits shrinking — they're jumping.

And you need the economy contracting — it's expanding.

I'm not saying hot markets don't cool. They do. They should.

But there's a big difference between "cooling" and "crashing."

"Cooling" means homes stop going up 35 percent a year in Southern Florida.

"Crashing" means a nuclear bomb going off there.

Be careful. There is a difference — a big difference.

Those of us who live on the coasts forget about all that land between the coasts, where home prices are stable and building sustained.

We see the world through our jaded, spoiled, double-digit-dilated eyes. And we whine when suddenly our condos "stop" rivaling the GDP of Latin American countries.

We like to think we're the world. We're not.

Or that the news is awful. It's not.

We haven't a clue. Fortunately, you do.

Click here to order your signed copy of Neil's book, "Your Money or Your Life."

Watch Neil Cavuto weekdays at 4 p.m. ET on "Your World with Cavuto" and send your comments to cavuto@foxnews.com

Bandit Signs.....Why Can't We...?

2006-10-26T12:26:08Z

Hi all,

About 2 weeks ago I was watching my local news channel. A very, very interesting topic was being covered.

SIGNS!

My local Sherrif's office is calling the month of October, "Sign Sweep Month." Where their goal is to basically take every single sign down that has to do with selling a home and/or property. While I'm ALL for this, there SHOULD be guidelines or rules that one should have to follow. For example:

BAD WAY: Painting you're city or town with different signs and words, but uses the same contact info.

GOOD WAY: Putting up a few signs that are ALL the same shape, color, and size that say the same thing with the same contact info. And put them up ONLY during the weekend(s). Starting Friday morning to Sunday night.

There are other ways too. Like.......why can't we (as investors) apply for a permit for the year. I'd pay $100 - $200 per year to hang my signs up....legally.

Now, I have done everything possible to get this issue resolved. I have emailed, and phyically mailed two letters to my local City Council person that is in charge of my District. Haven't heard from her...yet.

Any help would be fantastic on this matter.

ALL OPINIONS WELCOME!

2006-10-24T14:56:48Z

What's the best strategy to become a full time operating business?

ALL opinion's welcome!

Who Lives Next Door....?

2006-10-19T13:11:35Z

WHO LIVES NEXT DOOR TO THE PROPERTY YOUR THINKING ABOUT INVESTING IN?

We can never be diligent enough when considering our investment in real estate. Do your homework, is the mantra of the professionals. Unfortunately, today there is a new threat to the potential value of real eatate. As with all things, APPLIED KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!!!!!!!!!

What do we know about the potential neighbors? Who lives next door? Who lives in the apartment down the street? What if you knew there was a convicted sex offender living there? Would that knowledge put a damper on your interest in the property or your possible purchase offer? Might you want to renegotiate? Might you want to walk away from the deal? If so, read on!

Okay, here's the deal... CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW. Once on this link and near the bottom left, it has a "Click Here" button... click on it and enter any address of your choice ... it will show a tiny "house" icon that corresponds to the address you entered... all the little colored boxes around it are the addresses of Convicted Sex Offenders... click on them and you get a name & picture of the person along with his crime etc.

Pretty amazing and scary isn't it. I just thought you'd like to know. You may want to save this link and use it as a part of your future due diligence in all of your real estate investment ventures. Be sure to check out you own address and the addresses of your loved ones etc. Afterall, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

http://www.familywatchdog.us/

Tomorrow's Real Estate Market......

2006-10-19T13:01:01Z

We all know that nobody has a crystal ball to find out what our local Real Estate market will do in the near and distance future. But what we can do is take a look back at our History, keeping in mind, that Yesturday is now a part of that History.

QUESTION:

What do you think about tomorrow's Real Estate Market........

Marketing Strategies.....

2006-10-18T15:31:41Z

Share or ask questions about Real Estate Marketing Strategies here:

Now, I know that many (if not all) of you will not give ALL of you're marketing strategies...and for good reason. I'm the same way! :)

I'll give one:

When investing in some business cards, put your contact info and business name on one side and put the tiltle company or the real estate attorney that you use on the other.

Okay....one more:

Anytime that I go through a toll-bridge, I'll pay for the guy behind me and ask the teller to hand him my business card.

The Value of a Mentor.

2006-10-18T15:28:13Z

We all come from different walks of life. We all have (or should have) someone that we look up to, wheather its a famous person, a rock star, a professional athlete, or one of you're parents or grandparents. We should all have someone that we can look up to.

We have all heard the word 'Mentor' before. This is not someone who we immediatly look up to but someone that we seek specifically for a certain knowledge. I'm a huge fan of knowledge, but NOT a huge fan of spending a ton of money (or you're parents money) for something that will automatically get you into debt.

I'm also a huge fan of having a Mentor, but NOT a fan of spending a ton of money to get one. There a alot of Companies, today, that will send out a personal Mentor to hold you're hand and teach you the ins & outs of Real Estate Investing. While this does indeed work, it just isn't for me. I cannot learn that way. I'd rather learn by doing it myself. Maybe it's a pride thing....I don't know. I like to learn by following others that have made the mistakes already. I ask a ton of questions all the time. By no means am I a "guru" at this game.......in my opinion, nobody is....not even Donald himself. The Value of a Mentor and the value of getting the correct education is priceless.

Decision Makers.....

2006-10-11T14:52:03Z

Making an informed decision is the safest way to a sure thing. But then again, there are no guarantees. Not in the Stock market. Not in the Real Estate Business. Not even in life itself. Which is why I'm a huge fan of getting educated. Having the correct knowledge about a particular subject re-assures us that we "know" what we're talking about, and helps relieve the fear factor of taking action.

We all come from different walks of life, which is WHY we all think and act differently.....which is a GOOD THING! But, have you ever noticed that the one's who are truly wealthy, the one's who we listen to when they speak, the one's we stop & stare at when they walk into the room.......ever noticed that they always seem to have one important trait in common......? Ever wonder what that trait is......?

I believe it's their ability to make decisions on a dime. Without thought. They just do it. They're fast decision makers, and slow procrastinators.

Some people call them gamblers, but when they "gamble" and win.....the nay-sayers call them "lucky." Quick decision making doesn't have a thing to do with luck or gambling. It has to do with ATTITUDE. The way you talk, the way you walk, the way you look, the way you carry yourself. Plain & simple. Black & White. You can always tell nay-sayers apart from quick decision makers. The nay-sayers HATE black & white......they live in a World of "Shades-of-Gray."

Take our local Real Estate Market as an EXAMPLE:

We are in a "down" market.....its true. But, the fast decision makers will jump on this opportunity to buy more and hold for later. The nay-sayers will always find a way why its a bad idea to invest "NOW."

When do the nay-sayers decide to buy.....?

That's a great question and I don't have that answer. What I do know is that they alway's seem to find a million reasons why THEY can't invest NOW, when all they need is one reason why they can.

Procrastination is our enemy in this business.....especially in this business.

Choose today what you want to become and make a decision now to see wheather or not making money is for you.

What would you attempt, if you knew you could not fail?

My name is Jeff. I made the decision 8 months ago to become engaged in this business full time.....and I'm learning something new everyday! Don't be afraid to do the same! If you have any questions, please contact me.

Thanks & I wish you the best!

Jeff J. Rabedeau

239.699.9668

jrabedeau@yahoo.com

CONTRACTS!

2006-10-09T14:03:09Z

If MARKETING is priority #1 then CONTRACTS should be a close #2!

Personally, I was scared to invest in Real Estate. I knew it could make me wealthy. I knew it was a very profitable business to be a part of. I was brought up, in a home, to believe in getting good grades and going off to college, so that one day, I can get a "great job" with all the benefits I would need.

As I'm sure a lot of you can relate to that same mind set........................we HAVE TO find a way to break out of that thinking. Which is the hardest thing to do. WHY?

Simply because this is all we knew growing up. I saw my Dad bust his back for a living and I knew I wanted no part of that. Growing up, my Dad worked for a Land Company starting 1987. I was 7 years old and was also the middle child. My Mom was a stay-at-home-Mom so we always had awesome food and great conversation, except when I was being grounded for getting a bad grade or something. Yes, my Father was in the real estate business. He had to go take his real estate exam.....pass......then find a job. He did all three. And when this Land Company changed hands (from about 1995 - 1998), my Dad started to have second thoughts about who he was working for. The Company lost the vision. And they lacked the common sense. So, My Dad ended up back up north, while my Mom and us kids stayed here in Florida. We stayed here because we were trying to sell our house down here so we could move up north to where my Dad now worked. From 1998 to 2002, I lived up north, in the freezing cold winters, going to a local community college, and bar tending at night. I was in this mind set for 4 years. I wanted out!

So, by learning the CONTRACT side of this business.......I didn't feel that fear overcome my thinking anymore.

And I haven't looked back since.

So, LEARN how to make a WRITTEN offer! it will alleviate a lot of pressure off your shoulders!

Jeff J. Rabedeau

239.699.9668

jrabedeau@yahoo.com

MARKETING.......

2006-10-09T13:17:28Z

MARKETING!

Where do I start?

I get this questions A LOT!! And I really don't have one definitive answer. Aside from the actual wheeling & dealing part of this business, this would be my favorite! I love marketing. There are no limits. And you can be as creative as your mind will let you. I ALWAYS tell "newbies" to start with investing in some business cards. And nothing fancy either. The simpler, the better. A good idea would be to have you're real estate contact info and business name on one side, and have the Title Company and/or a local Real Estate Attorney that you use for all of your transactions, on the other. You may want to try investing in some fliers too. Hand these out (or hire someone) on every corner. Be creative. Use your vision. I know some people in the biz that use Radio, TV, and newspaper as a way to get their phones to ring. Again, its not hard coming up with the idea.......its putting that idea into motion.

What would you attempt, if you knew you could not fail?

Have a Great Day!

Jeff J. Rabedeau

239.699.9668

jrabedeau@yahoo.com

Wholesale Real Estate? Why should I?

2006-10-09T12:59:09Z

From time to time, I get newbie's that ask this simple, but yet, common question:

Why should I get into wholesaling? This is a great question. And I usually respond by telling them that it's just another option for you as a newbie or for the seasoned investor.

Wholesaling (AKA ~ Assigning Contracts) is an excellent way for one to get his/her real estate investing career off the ground. When wholesaling real estate, your basically playing the role of a Realtor, without getting or asking for commission(s). You are simply putting two parties together. The Seller & the new end-buyer. You're main job (in my opinion) is to MARKET yourself. To get the phone to ring. You want Sellers calling YOU. Once you get Sellers calling you on a constant basis, you'll find that wholesaling gets easier & easier.......sorta like riding a bike. Now, when dealing with a new Seller...... you must find motivation. Thier motivation is key not just for the bottom line but should also be taken to heart.

We are in the PEOPLE BUSINESS and NOT the money business. Those of you who think otherwise, won't be in business very long. Trust me, when dealing with someone that is motivated to sell their home.......the biggest purchase that anyone can make.......there's going to be a lot of emotion in the air. I'm a firm believer in the fact that if you build you're business around helping people that come to you, then the money part will automatically follow. To many new people in this business want to get rich quick. If this is your mind set, then you'll ALWAYS be looking to get rich quick.

No matter what technique you want to learn or are currently using........THIS IS WORK! Don't let anyone tell you different. It takes a lot of communication, knowledge, and discipline to fully succeed in this business......or any business for that matter.

Anyways.....where was I...?

Oh yeah ~~ Wholesaling. Right. Once you establish that important relationship with that new Seller.......now you MUST start the negotiating process. This part is FUN! Obviously, you're in the business of buying at Wholesale and NOT at Retail, right? So.....you must find common ground as to what you should OFFER this new Seller. This is just a matter of finding the right numbers. Keep in mind, that's all real estate is. It's a #'s game. Plain & simple. Don't make it harder than it already is. Keep things simplified. If the #'s tell you to buy, then buy. If they don't.....then move onto the next deal. Remember, your an investor......KEEP YOUR EMOTIONS AT BAY! "How do you find those right numbers," you might ask.......?

Well, for one, you NEED to join a local REIA Club. The one in my area is Southwest Florida REIA. You may go to http://www.swflreia.com/ to get a good idea as to what they're all about. Click on this link if you are somewhere else: http://www.creonline.com/clubs.htm. Click on you're State and take it from there.

Now, making the right offer......this is the part where a lot of newer investors lose the control battle. You MUST keep in mind that you are a business, so you should be ran like one. When making you're offer......do not, I repeat, do not think that the seller(s) will say NO. Come in with confidence. Make them want to say yes to you.

You may get 100 "no's" before you get that one "yes." But its totally worth it!

This is my first blog. Sorry its so long. I hope I helped some of you out there. If you have ANY questions, please feel free to contact me anytime!

Thanks,

Jeff J. Rabedeau

239.699.9668

jrabedeau@yahoo.com