I recently wrote an article: How to Buy a House - 5 Must Know Tips where I describe some foundational issues that all home buyers face when getting started in their home search. Sometimes people feel the need to jump in and figure things out later when they get serious. This is almost always a disaster yet this is the default road home buyers tend to take.

A real estate agent usually gets involved once they call on a few ads. This is really the best thing that can happen to the home buyer because they then at least ahve a chance to get on the right track. As a real estate professional I can tell you that there is a right way and a wrong way to buy a house. After more than a decade of watching people be both successful and unsucessful I can say that getting educated is probably one of the largest keys to buying a home.

So nothing fancy here, we are talking about one of the most major purchases you are going to make in your life. Instead of jumping in and making mistakes, why not learn how to buy a house from a professional that does it for a living year after year. Remember, you have nothing to lose but your time, money and mind. :] 

Hello Everyone,

I was given the opportunity to be a guest author on a well syndicated blog on social media and marketing. This is my first guest blog post. Please check it out and comment. Thanks to all of my fellow Activerain bloggers..

Here is the link:

http://osakabentures.com/2012/01/social-ghosts-catching-the-eye-of-big-companies/

Remember, Work Smart and Live Well

Hello Everyone,

Well if some of you have wondered where I have been, alot has gone on over the last year. My life was turned upside down in many ways, but I am still here, praise God!!!

I have come back and I am better than ever. I know I had started by bringing you blogs on marketing and technology and how to develop your real estate business. These are all things I love. I went through a very dark time this year and now as I pop out the other side I have made some life direction changes.

Here are a few of them:

1. I am working on some books - Self Help, Business, Innovation, and Social Media. My goal is to have my first one finished and work on getting it published in 2012.. Best seller world here I come.

2. I am working in Tech Start-ups. One of my real passions is innovation and the tech world is so ripe.. I am working on many things one of which is a social media site that I hope can topple Facebook.

3. Social Media - My first book may be on Social Media and I have reinvigorated my research of new technologies.

4. Mentoring - I have some crazy stuff in store for Real Estate, and am finally getting my stuff together that I ahve worked for years building. Since I have kept many things to myself though I share a lot, I am going to mentor people in Real Estate because it is a small part of my focus on a local level.

5. Networking - I am in need and search of the top minds and people who I can collaborate with on projects and who can help me further my projects. My goal is to network with top notch people because my talents have been wasted thus far.

So expect me to be much more active as I am putting everything together. I think the big thing is I was holding back in so many areas of my life and I feel I am now at a place in my life where I need to do the things I am passionate about... Life is short (My wife and son both almost died this year and our family was sent in a tailspin).

Shalom!

Hello Everyone,

I just finished Drive by Daniel Pink. I liked this book, if had some good information. It did seem to get a little muffled in the middle. Many times I find that the summary of the book at the end is more powerful than 90% of the text. That being said. The core of this book is about challenging the way we think about motivation in the business setting.

They compare extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation and explain what environments or task are better suited for each strategy. The one method fits all method of motivation not only doesn't work, but may actually lead to less production in certain tasks. The basic concept is that all things being the same, being self driven and motivated is still the premium choice. I would have liked if they had gone into more detail on how to encourage self motivation and how to develop it in ourselves and others instead of just pointing to the need of it.

Take Aways - Mindset is important (this didn't come directly from the book, but this was the feeling I got after seeing how important intrinsic motivation really was). Getting people to be on board with something is more effective than a carrot and stick approach. People will work harder for something they care about than something they are just getting paid to do.

Overall I gave this book 7 out of 10 stars. Worth the read, but needed some more material on how to activate our own drive and cultivate the intrinsic drive in others.

You can download the book free with a free trial of Audible which is what I use by clickingthe link below:

Try Audible Now and Get A FREE Audiobook! 

You can buy the book and read sample pages from it here

You can see my top rated books and the reviews here.

Remember Work Smart and Live Well!

Spokane WA Real Estate Expert - Ross Quintana

Hello Everyone,

Well it is that time today, paint the face.. Build the nachos, and grab a cold beer... It's the Superbowl! In the midst of yelling at referees and cheering d-fense, there may be a good real estate lesson for us to learn from the Superbowl.

Everyone gets excited about the Superbowl even if they don't care about football. Most people don't watch the games throughout the season, but everyone focuses on the Superbowl. I see this same pattern in real estate.

There are thousands of Realtors that start the year like all of the NFL teams with hopes of having a great year, but the fact is only a handfull will do what it takes to make it to the Superbowl. Most people focus on the paycheck and the clients that are ready to transact, but very few Realtors focus on the games or critical wins along the way that make the Superbowl possible. What I mean by this is that many Realtors want a paycheck and the sale, but very few I have met really have a schedule and plan for success to get to cashing those paychecks. Without the consistent wins in regular season when no one cares, you will never make it to the Superbowl which for us is a paycheck.

You don't just get to the Superbowl, and you don't just get sales and listings. The real game of real estate is played every day in your daily habits and small wins along the way. Get a game plan, make a schedule for your business. Practice scripts and presentations and track your record of how many new clients you win. Every lead is like a play. Each prospect is going to seek to stop you and just because you win a play doesn't mean you move forward to a score with that client. It takes one good play after another to advance the lead. 

Realize how much it took for each team to get the Superbowl and the year of hard work they put in and treat your business the same way. Make a plan, fight for every inch in your business and you will win clients and those will add up to sales. If you have enough sales in the year you may win it all. Go out an make your business more predictable this year by having a plan, practicing, and moving forward inch by inch with one ultimate goal in mind..... to Win the Superbowl.

Remember, Work Smart and Live Well!

Hello Everyone,

I just finished watching this film and it was excellent! I rated it 9 out of 10 stars - This film explains the history, intended scope, and misuse and social and political abuse of corporations in our modern society. Very eye opening and well made. A must watch for everyone if nothing else, just to raise awareness. I highly recommend this movie.

Here is the trailer:

Here is a link to buy the Corporation DVD and see other of my favorite movies and reviews.

Here is a link to buy the book The Corporation

Here is a link to the The Corporation - Movie Official Website

Hello Everyone,

So I just finished the Winners Brain by Jeff Brown, Mark Fenske, and Liz Neporent. Overall a decent book. The concept is how Neuroscience breakthroughs can be used to understand the brain of successful people and produce a formula for recreating the brain patterns that successful people display to recreate their success.

The Winner's Brain: 8 Strategies Great Minds Use to Achieve Success

Overall Impressions: I like the concept and neuroscience is teaching us a lot right now about how powerful our minds are and how they work. Some of the case studies are pretty good. Overall I didn't feel there was enough direct relation from the findings to usable techniques with followup analysis to make this a really powerful book. For those who are very competitive though and can't stop trying to get an edge, this may be worth a read for the fragments of good information inside.

Aha's - Sleep, is essential for sharp minds, nutrition, and exercise was the shocker that produces more positive effects than brain exercises. I think an intriguing fact was that the parts of the brain you use actually grow larger. So the phrase,"look at the big brain on Brad" from Pulp Fiction has new meaning. Overall, stretch your mind and read! Also some good memory tips.

I gave this book 7 out of 10 stars. Worth a read if you are into the connection of neuroscience and success but for the average person only fragments of items they can use to go change their brains.

You can look at the book and buy it here or I highly suggest Audible for audio versions you can listen to on your phone or on the computer. The link below is the best offer I have found for Audible. Thanks Subscribe for more great reviews to save you time and money when looking for success literature.

Limited Time Offer - Get Your First 3 Months at Audible.com for $7.49/month!

View the list of reviews for 2010 here and keep Reading!

Hello Everyone,

I read 20 books in 2010 here is the list and my ratings. They are in order from Highest to Lowest from 1 to 10 with comments. You can Click the Link to read examples of the book online and buy them Enjoy!

1 - The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss - 10 Stars

(Great book for goal setting, dreaming big, living outside the box, and changing the way you think about life.)

2 - Outliers by Malcomb Gladwell - 10 Stars

(Malcomb Gladwell is incredible, I suggest the audio as he is a great storyteller and reading may not give you the full effect. This book will help you understand what really makes people exceptional, great for parents.)

3 - Positioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout - 10 Stars

(Incredible powerful book that can help you be successful by design and crush your competition, this book teaches concepts that can widely be applied, I have used many of these techniques for years and this is the first book I have read that talks about some of them.)

4 - How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci by Michael Gelb - 10 Stars

(This book helps you grow in all areas and be an exceptional human being, Experience your own personal renaissance!)

5 - The Tipping Point by Malcomb Gladwell - 10 Stars

(Learn why things finally break through for people and understand how the slightest factor can change everything. Success doesn't have to be a mystery.)

6 - Blink by Malcomb Gladwell - 10 Stars

(Learn how powerful our mind really is and learn how to listen to and yet not be fooled by it.)

7 - Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath - 9 Stars

(Excellent Book, practically a must read for all marketers. Learn how to make your brand stick in people's minds.)

8 - Free: The Future of a Radical Price by Chris Anderson - 9 Stars

(A virtual look into the future of many industies and a book that helps you find new ways to think about your product and services.)

9 - Talent Is Overrated by Geoff Colvin - 9 Stars

(Disprove your own myths about why some people are successful and why you are or not. This is a must also for parents. It is the companion with Outliers by Malcomb Gladwell.)

10 - Innovate Like Edison by Michael Gelb - 9 Stars

(Michael Gelb does an excellent job analyzing innovation and Edison displays the systems you can use to create constant innovation.)

11 - The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch - 9 Stars

(Touching and powerful book that will be hard to put down. Appreciate the time you have and the ones you love.)

12 -  All Marketers are Liars by Seth Godin - 8 Stars

(As with most of Seth's stuff, very insightful and opens the curtain to the real mechanics of marketing and how  and why people make decisions.)

13 -  The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan - 8 Stars

(Great book on the systems and strategies of some of the best agents out there. This book is so powerful you will likely miss the profoundness on a first read.)

14 - Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson - 8 Stars

(Great book on how to prepare for and adapt to change. Challenge the way you think about negative things in life and opportunities.)

15 - The Referral Engine by John Jantsch - 8 Stars

(Good book one the many aspects of referrals, seemed a little broken up but lots of good information.)

16 - Extraordinary Leadership by Robin Sharma - 8 Stars

(Great examples of traits that you can have to be a great leader.)

17 - Good to Great by Jim Collins - 7 Stars

(This book had some good concepts but seemed to labor the point and make them more complicated than they needed to be.)

18 - The Traveler's Gift by Andy Andrews - 7 Stars

(Some good points, and inspirational moments, but just OK for me.)

19 - Execution by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan - 6 Stars

(Based more on Corporate America then execution so not as useful and not focused on execution in general but surviving in a mid management and an upper management setting. Some good information.)

20 - Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Steven Bowles - 6 Stars

(I have read better parable based books. Not a lot of information that is beyond common sense so too long for the limited useful information that it had. You could have said what they needed to in 20 pages instead of 80.)

Overall I am very pleased to have read 20 books this year and anything that is a 8-10 is worth reading. So 16 out of the 20 were great new information. I look forward to this year and seeing what great new information I can learn. If you have any suggestions of great books leave them in the comments and I will try and read them and rate them. I also mentor real estate agents so if you want to make more money email me or call me. Have a great 2011!

I listen to many of these books on my Phone while in line, in the car, and around town. Audible.com is the best place to get business Audiobooks. Their Droid app is the best app I have ever used. Here is a link to the best deal I have found for Audible memberships. Enjoy!

Limited Time Offer - Get Your First 3 Months at Audible.com for $7.49/month!

Hello Everyone,

Well it is a new year. You can now look back and smile or cry about what you did last year and make the adjustments needed to get something else or more of what you got last year. One thing you may consider as you move forward.

Last year I read 21 books. Don't think you have time,.. try audio books. Audible.com is the best resource and their Droid app is the best app I have used on a phone. I will provide a list of the 21 books I read in another post. My goal was 38 but I fell short. The exciting thing though is that I gained a lot of great knowledge and better yet I know what I gained. It is measurable because you can just count the titles. What is great is that I can now sit and plan out what new information I am going to put into my brain this year.

I rate the books as I read them and make notes of the best things I learned and my own thoughts that it sparked off. Books that are a 9 or 10 are usually worthy of re-reading. Maybe pick one 10 and re-read it towards the end of the year. I can put together a list of the books I want to read based on reviews, authors I like, or book suggestions.

The great thing is that I control the quality of the information I will learn and add to my mental library. If you want to grow and be the best, put great information in your head and let it work itself out through you into your life. I will give my recommendations off of the books I read in 2010 in my post about the books I read in 2010. Until then... feed you brain.

"Upgrade your grey matter, cuz some day it may matter..."

Del the Funky Homosapien

Remember, Work Smart and Live Well

Hello Everyone,

Well I just finished: The Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss. I have to say my mind is spinning. It is rare that a book really makes you think. Not just about what is said, but how it could affect your life. This book is powerful. I didn't know what to expect when I picked it up. I had heard about it a few times but nothing specific.

This book will change the way you think about success and force you to rethink the direction you are going. Whether you want to take all of the advice or pieces of it, you will be a better person for reading this book. It is rare that you get such a in your face book that actually has ideas you hadn't heard before.

Here are a few Aha's:

Don't defer your happiness for when you've made it.

You can do your job in a different way and get more out of life at the same time.

Time is one of the goals you should seek, not just money.

There are people who live incredibly well while others go to work and grind out their existence

You can live like a millionaire on less than you probably make now.

I gave this book a 10 out of 10 due to the dramatic impact it could have on your life and the joy I had listening to it. I would highly recommend it.

Remember, Work Smart and Live Well