MAY 2015 INLAND EMPIRE

EXECUTIVEAGENT MAGAZINE

Executive Agent of the Month

Inside Features: Lorena Guzman Alpine Mortgage Planning Deborah Nance i Reverse Home Loans

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contents

Southern California’s Publication for the Real Estate Professional

ExecutiveAgent

Magazine

May, 2015

Inland Empire

Cover Story

Editorials

Overcoming Fear

Fred Arrias Executive Publisher PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Ph: (949) 366-3349 Fax: (949) 266-8757 Email: Info@eamag.net Web: www.EAMag.net

14 - Steve Cook:

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

32 - John Boe:

The Power of Choice

24 - Matt Bowman: Quality Deals

Alpine Mortgage Planning............36

28 - Adem Hamidovic: A Real Estate Primer

10 - Stacy Holder: Now What?

City of Hope..................................35 imortgage....................................2 & 23 i Photography Studio.................26 - 27 Mike Ferry...........................................7

08 - Dirk Zeller:

Dog Days of Summer

PWAOR..........................................6 The Termite Guy.............................31 TIGAR...................................34

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Marketing Director: Frank Arrias Editorial Manager: Trudy Van Graphic Designer: Garon T. Arrias Photography: i Photography Studio, Ian Wiant, Rob Paino Writers: Lalaena Gonzalez–Figueroa, Shannon Hartsoe, Haley Freeman, Steven McReynolds

Donna Nazir

Executive Agent of the Month

12 Lorena Guzman

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© Copyright 2015 Executive Agent Magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of published materials, Executive Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors.

Deborah Nance

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E XECUTIVE AGENT

Written by Shannon Hartsoe

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MAGAZINE

Deborah Nance

D

eborah Nance is not quite an anti-salesperson, but the Inland Empire lender likes to consider herself a close second – meet the unsalesperson.

“My mother was always in sales. She always put the customer first and taught me that by doing that, sales

and closings would follow,” Deborah says. “I’m more of an ‘unsalesperson,’ though. I don’t like being sold so I don’t sell. I educate and inform and teach my clients about the process, they are in the driver’s seat and they like that.”

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Sound interesting? There may be a class in the works.

“I’m actually thinking about teaching my method of ‘unsales’ to other lenders,” Deborah says.

Based in Corona and specializing in reverse mortgages, Deborah serves Orange, Riverside and Los Angeles counties. This self-described energetic optimist didn’t start out in sales, though. While working as a mobile notary in 2003, the life-long Inland Empire resident began doing reverse mortgage loan document closings. She was skeptical and negative of them at first. But once she read the loan documents and did some research, “I did a complete 180 and fell in love with it. I wound up selling my notary business and going to work for Liberty Reverse Mortgage in 2005.”

Her belief in the product began when she saw it help her parents, who were struggling to make ends meet while living on a fixed income, despite being in a house they had paid cash for years before. The lakefront home had some construction defects and was in need of repair, and the costs were overwhelming her parents. “As the eldest daughter and with lots of escrow and lending in my background, my mom turned to me to find out about a reverse mortgage,” she says. Now, eight years later, Deborah says her folks have very few financial worries. And the money they save monthly that no longer goes to pay off debt is put into a travel fund.

Master of One Before becoming a mortgage lender, Deborah owned a large mobile notary signing firm with 75 notaries located in Southern California, which catered to the builder business.

She has also had her real estate license since 1978 and has sold new homes, resale homes and was an escrow officer for five years. “I have a rich and diverse background in the real estate field,” she says.

Combining her strong knowledge of the industry with a focus on reverse mortgages has made Deborah a muchsought-after expert on the product. “The fact that I specialize in reverse mortgages only sets me apart. I am an expert on the product,” she states. “Because I work as a broker I can shop the best rates for my clients among a variety of the top reverse mortgage lenders, like Liberty and AAG. My clients love that they can get the same big name loan and the personal touch of having Debbi working for them. They know I’m working for them, not a manager or boss.”

She acknowledges that reverse mortgages can seem scary to some people. Many homeowners cannot afford to make a mistake so they appreciate Deborah’s educational approach. “I believe an informed borrower makes a better decision and knowing they’ve made an informed practical decision makes for a satisfied, happy client,” she says.

Her Clients Agree “Deborah Nance was an absolute joy to work with.

She is knowledgeable, very efficient and explains everything in a way that we can understand,” say clients Larry and Bonnie H. “We would definitely recommend her to anyone. She made the process an easy, calm one.”

Hard Work Pays Off Finding success has taken many hours of hard, disciplined work for Deborah. Once she left Liberty in 2009 and began to self-source her own leads, it took about 18 months to finally see worthwhile results, she says. “I used a combination of networking and face-to-face marketing, along with a disciplined approach, to build my presence online,” she recalls. Deborah continues to network by participating in community events, and making sure she maintains a comprehensive online presence through tools such as YouTube, blogging, Twitter and Facebook. She also stays in touch with clients for whom she’s closed reverse mortgages. Now, half of her business comes from referrals from past clients, forward lenders and local business leaders.

Outside of work Deborah loves to spend time with her husband of 33 years, David, and their four children, two of whom are still at home. Hiking is one of their favorite activities. She has climbed Mt. Baldy with her 13-yearold son and hopes to also scale Mt. San Jacinto and Mt. Whitney. “Being able to meet homeowners and share this fantastic loan program with them is the most fun thing I do,” Deborah says. “I am very enthusiastic and I think it’s contagious. My clients become my biggest fans and constantly refer friends and family to me.”

Deborah Nance i Reverse Home Loans Ph: 951.283.2983 DNance@ireverse.com www.ireverse.com/dnance NMLS ID 202003

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Dog Days Of Summer

T

he dog days of summer are upon us. I think that expression came from the way dogs can lounge in the summer sun. They relax as if there isn’t a care in the world. It’s easy for us to lounge as well. I often see lounging in two ways:

1. We lounge in our improvement of skill because we are so busy.

2. We lounge in our performance because we don’t work with the focus and intensity we did earlier in the year.

Let’s look at each one of these ways.

We are too busy. We have buyers and sellers coming out of our ears. We are running from morning until night.

We often are out of balance with our family because we work too many hours. We are more focused on the business than we are on them. We also are behind in the improvement and developing of our skills. This focus goes out the window.

Don’t ever forget! The property sale we make today is temporary. The money we earn from it is gone shortly.

The client, because we fail to follow-up long-term after the close, is gone.

Statistics tell us that 80% of consumers don’t go back to their previous Agents for one simple reason. The Agents never called them again after the sale. The sale for most Agents is temporary, but the skill acquired through the follow-up process would be permanent. The ability to replicate business through the long-term connection with past clients is a skill. This skill is often never cultivated because we are too busy. We get in the dog days of summer and forget the fundamentals of sales. We don’t adhere to the details for building a long-term business.

The present pressure squeezes the skill of practicing our scripts and dialogues out of the way. It’s easy to get out of the routine and never get back on track. It’s easy to become indifferent. We tend to be indifferent to qualifying the prospects because there are so many. We also tend to be indifferent to getting price reductions from over-priced sellers. We can be very indifferent to the many steps we need to insure success. (What short cuts are you taking now that you know you shouldn’t?) It’s easy to drift along in life. We just go with the flow of the river, drifting down it because right now the river is fast moving. We can drift along for a while; get out of practice and out of shape to be able to paddle hard. The river will slow down sometime. Are we prepared for the slowdown? Will we have the conditioning to paddle hard, long, and fast when it does? The truth is, we can’t drift our way to the top in peak performance. If we talk to the most successful people they didn’t drift their way to the top!

Work intensely, then take time off. Be intense in the game and out of the game with your down time. I am 100% for time off. I am sure that for years I took more time off than many Agents. The difference was the intensity and focus when I was at work. There was no drifting at work. Are you 100% focused at work? Are you completely in the game with intensity? Think of racecar drivers. Can they drift while in the cockpit? Drifting would cost them their life. Do we have that kind of intensity of focus for a few hours a day? I would submit to

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you if you did, the income you earn and quality of life would radically change. There is a time to drift, but it is not at work. We all must be in the moment. Let me give you a few steps to help you be more in the moment.

• Establish a routine: Show up at the same time to work daily. Do the same activities at the same time. Don’t just allow the day to happen. Plan for the outcome you want. Apply yourself in your routine to create that outcome. Dr. Norman Vincent Peale said, “Plan your work then work your plan.” The routine you set will enable you to achieve success. When I started in real estate, I established that at 7:00 a.m. I would begin work. I still do that today. It is very hard for me not to be in my office at 7:00 a.m. working with intensity. What does your routine need to be? When do you need to be at work? When do you need to practice skills? When do you need family time or workout time? These all need to be in a routine.

• When you are not 100% focused, get there or get out. Too often Agents are half at work and half at home.

We are at work thinking we have shorted our family. We are at work in body only. My advice is go home. Go home and focus 100% on your family. We have all been in this unfocused position. We feel like a piece of saltwater taffy. When they make taffy, they tug and pull it until it gets mixed and smooth. Getting pulled between work and home accomplishes nothing.

I realized many years ago that for me, Friday was a tough day to stay focused. I would have put in four focused days in a row. I truly dreaded Fridays because I was maybe at 70 – 80 % effectiveness. The difference between incredible success and mediocre performance is a couple of percentage points. I was mediocre at best. The choice to get out on Friday changed my mental attitude, my expectations, and the results. The year that I went from a 5 1/2 day workweek to a 4-day workweek, I had my largest increase in commission earned ever! Get focused or get out!

Don’t let the dog days of summer affect the outcome for your year. It’s easy to let off the gas if you got off to a great start. Don’t coast into the finish line. Make sure you are investing in your skills daily.

We all need to be better today than we were yesterday!

Dirk Zeller is an Agent, an Investor, and the President & CEO of Real Estate Champions. His company trains more than 350,000 Agents worldwide each year through live events, online training, self-study programs, and newsletters. He’s the widely published author of Your First Year in Real Estate, Success as a Real Estate Agent for Dummies®, The Champion Real Estate Agent, Telephone Sales for Dummies®, and over 300 articles in print. You can get more information by visiting www.RealEstateChampions.com. © 2008, Dirk Zeller. All rights reserved. For information contact FrogPond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@FrogPond.com; http:// www.FrogPond.com.

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EA

Now What?

T

he scariest day in your investing career is undoubtedly the first time that your contract gets accepted.

You spend all that time making calls, talking to Realtors®, knocking on doors, driving through neighborhoods, etc. At night, you are reading and researching all the creative ways to make offers and how to negotiate.

You have a stack of business cards of all the people you have met in the past few weeks. There are title companies, attorneys, Realtors®, mortgage brokers, hard money lenders, and tons more. You are ready. You have this thing figured out.

You aren’t worried because you know how to put out risk free offers with contingencies to protect yourself.

You have nothing to worry about!

You are sending out offers every week and you know that the one that gets accepted is right around the corner.

You know that you negotiated that contract well and it’s absolutely going to be accepted.

Guess what? It is. You just received that phone call telling you that the offer has been accepted or the buyer has said “OK. What do we do next?”

Now what? You are probably filled with panic. What were you thinking? You can’t possibly do this deal? You don’t have money to put down. What if you lose the deposit? What if you can’t find financing? What if you missed some of the problems with the house?

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That is probably the scariest moment of your entire career. There is no book, tape or video that can prepare you emotionally for that first yes! But use that energy in a positive manner. Don’t forget everything you have learned. You just follow a system that works. If you don’t have one of your own, ask someone that does. Use your mentor or find a mentor.

Our first yes was all backwards. We made so many mistakes, but we got the deal done in the end, which is what is important afterall isn’t it? We did learn quickly though that we needed to have a system in place for our deals so that we didn’t go through that again. We needed a simple step-by-step plan that could repeat over and over again, time and time again.

Now, we go through our checklist. We have several depending on the type of deal. One for wholesales, one for rehabs, one for properties to hold. The key is to simplify it. If you don’t know the answer, just find someone who does and call them. There are tons of people willing to help and tons of products to get you through.

Stacy Holder and Heather Seitz began their real estate investing career with absolutely nothing! They learned to leverage other people’s time, money and resources to purchase over $2 Million in real estate in their first 8 months.

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E XECUTIVE AGENT

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MAGAZINE

Written by Haley Freeman

Lorena Guzman Giving Clients the Power of Knowledge

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L

orena Guzman is a conscientious lending professional with a passion for helping home buyers make excellent decisions for their families. She began her mortgage career working with the Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services of Montclair, a non-profit entity that assists low-to-moderate income buyers in attaining home ownership. “Back in 2001, I walked with my kids to a safety fair that was going on near our house.

I met the director of the program there and we hit it off. I was hired and sent to training to become certified as a loan officer. I began teaching eight-hour homebuyer education classes where I counseled borrowers about credit, budgeting and creating savings plans for down payment. We offered special programs for down payment assistance and getting rid of mortgage insurance. I really enjoyed educating people and helping them accomplish their American Dream.”

Next, Lorena moved from the non-profit sector to the banking sector, where she continued her career as a loan officer. She met Brett Reichel and Marlene Hoover, working with them at US Bank and New American Funding before following them to Alpine Mortgage Planning last year. “I trust Brett and Marlene completely and knew that I would be successful working with them. Another thing that attracted me to Alpine Mortgage Planning is that there are so many options for loan products, and our interest rates and closing costs are very competitive. We also have our own marketing department to help our Realtors® succeed in their business.”

Lorena’s 15 years as a compassionate and skilled educator have paid off. She receives many referrals and the repeat business of people she has taken good care of in the past. “To this day I have friends at the bank where I used to work calling me to tell me that a past client has come in looking for me. I still hear from clients I helped all the way back to 2001. Having the confidence of my clients means everything to me.”

Lorena is a patient listener who takes the time to learn what her clients’ goals are and then guide them to their most effective options. “A lot of loan officers don’t take the time to explain options to the customer. The more educated a person is, the better the decisions they can make and the less likely they are to be taken advantage of. When I work with first-time buyers, I take the extra time to talk about qualifying for a conventional loan instead of FHA. It

surprises me how many people don’t even realize that they have the option of going into a conventional loan. I love giving people the power of knowledge and watching them use that knowledge to change their lives for the better.”

Lorena’s own education has been enhanced by the mentorship of fellow professionals. “I am inspired by good-hearted people and like to learn from those who are positive and outgoing. Helga Hughes from PFF Bank and Trust is one of the greatest examples in my career. She always encouraged me to keep going and remain focused.

Marlene Hoover is another woman I admire in the business. She is very knowledgeable and has taught me a lot.”

In her personal life, Lorena is a busy mother and grandmother. “I have three kids and a granddaughter who brings so much happiness to the house after so many years of not having a baby around. I love being a grandma! My kids are my world and my reason for being. I do everything with them.” Lorena is an active person who also loves running and working out at the gym.

Lorena has served on the board of directors for NAHREP and has been recognized by her employers for her exceptional service over the years. But to her, the most gratifying reward for a job well done is the gratitude of her clients.

“It makes me feel so awesome when a client sends me a thank you card telling me how grateful they are to be in their home. Sometimes it takes months of coaching them about how to manage credit and pay off debt so they can buy a home, get out of a bad loan or refinance to put their family in a better financial position. I won’t give up on my clients no matter how tough it gets. Helping people brings me so much joy.”

Lorena Guzman MLO - 221375 Alpine Mortgage Planning 3390 Concours, Ste. 350 Ontario, CA 91764 Tel: 909.633.1383 Email: lguzman@alpinemc.com Web: www.alpinemc.com © 2015 A division of Pinnacle Capital Mortgage Corp | Equal Housing Lender | NMLS 81395 | WA CL-81395 | AZ BK-910890 | Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act Regulated by the Division of Real Estate Colorado. .

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Quality Deals ’ve been meaning to write this article for quite some time on real estate investing advice, and those who have heard me speak in the last couple of years have already gotten an earful of this. This topic isn’t about a neat investing technique or new idea, but about a mindset.

It’s my mindset and one that I believe will make many other people successful.

I

What are quality deals? They’re real estate deals that contribute to the advancement of your goals. They get you moving in the direction that you want to go. Many investors start buying homes with no idea of what they really want to accomplish with investing. As a result, they buy anything that looks like a deal and, all too often, get pulled in directions they never intended to go.

Back in 1998 when I took my first step into real estate investing, I was given strong real estate investing advice by others around me who believed you had to be a dominant force in your market to make real money. They stressed doing as many deals as possible and beating out the competition. The world around me was saying that the person who does the most wins. More real estate deals lead to more profits which ultimately leads to greater success – all going hand-in-hand.

Your goals should drive your decision making. For example, a person who needs money today and buys a property to keep it as a rental is contradicting or not fulfilling the original goal. Rental properties will not reap quick, fast cash today. Let’s say your goal is to free up your time so that you can do other things important to you. If you only want to work 20 hours a week and are taking on deals that require 40 hours a week, you’re not doing quality deals. You’re focused on quantity.

As a newbie, I took the advice to heart and did over 100 deals in my first two years. I was proud of my real estate investing accomplishments and knew many around me were impressed with my successes. However, when I stopped to look at the big picture, I was doing a lot of deals and making more money than ever before, but I had little control elsewhere. My time wasn’t my own and the deals truly controlled me. In short, I wasn’t living a life that felt fulfilling.

We need to make sacrifices to achieve the success that we desire, but need to be careful not to sacrifice the important things in life. If you are pursuing investing to achieve a better quality of life, focus on quality deals and not quantity.

I’ve talked with many investors across the country and always ask what draws them to real estate investing. The answers vary, but typically can be summed up in one sentence, “I want a better quality of life.” Over my years of investing, I have come to realize that QUANTITY does not lead to QUALITY. My advice, if you want real estate investing to provide you with a good quality of life, you need to pursue good quality deals, not a good quantity of deals.

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Since 1998 Steve Cook has flipped many hundreds of houses as an active Baltimore-area real estate investor.

Steve’s unique specialty is the “flipping homes 1-2 punch”, a proven system of real estate investing that powerfully combines wholesaling and rehabbing houses.

Also the founder of www.FlippingHomes.com, Steve is dedicated to helping others in this thriving online community succeed through understanding and aggressively applying his time-tested, step-by-step approach to flipping real estate. Get FREE weekly tips from Steve Cook and other house flipping experts at www.flippinghomes. com

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Written By Steve Cook

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Nomination Form Nominate a fellow REALTOR速 to be featured in one of our feature stories; on the cover as Executive Agent of the Month, or as a special feature story. All candidates must be nominated by a real estate professional. The selection process includes a questionnaire, personal interview, reference check and final approval by the Advisory Council. Candidates are evaluated based upon professionalism, length of service and uniqueness of story, as well as industry and community involvement.

I Nominate: Name_______________________________ Company___________________________ Address____________________________ _____________________________________ City, State, Zip_____________________ _____________________________________ Phone______________________________ Email_______________________________ Submitted By: Fax/Email nomination to: Executive Agent Magazine PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Fax: 949.266.8757 Email: Info@eamag.net Tel: 949.366.3349

Name_______________________________ Company___________________________ Phone______________________________ Email_______________________________

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Cover Story

Executive Agent of the Month

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

D

onna Nazir is the dynamic broker-owner who has poured her heart and soul into The Skye Group, Inc. and Sierra Hills Escrow. She has created a boutique real estate experience that breaks with corporate convention to deliver service that is tailored to the unique needs, circumstances and goals of each individual client.

That professional experience taught Donna to be a good listener, a skill that has served her well in her real estate career. “I left the security of a stable income, retirement plan and great benefits to follow my heart. I went from helping people find the right fit for their careers to helping them find the right home and solutions to their real estate needs.” As a rookie agent working with RE/MAX, Donna surpassed her own goals, earning the 100% Club Award and the Platinum Club Award during her first and second years with the company.

Written by Haley Freeman - Ian Wiant Photographer

Donna personifies the American Dream. When she was three years old, she and her family arrived on American soil from Cuba in the care of the U.S. Coast Guard after nearly being lost at sea in a frail vessel crossing the Atlantic in storm conditions. “One of the reasons my mom and dad made that crazy journey across the Atlantic to bring us here is that they wanted us to live what is in our hearts.” Donna has lived her life and career in keeping with that wish. She brings her infec-

tious warmth and enthusiasm to every enterprise. Donna describes her first career as a corporate recruiter, “I dealt with people in a really exciting part of life, when they were getting to know the company and had a glow in their eye.”

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In 2007, Donna took another monumental career leap when she obtained her broker’s license and opened The Skye Group. “If you tell me what time it is, I’m eventually going to wonder how the clock is built. My next natural step was to become a broker. I realized that it meant more responsibility, more compliance and more training, but I wanted to be held to that higher standard.”

Donna has strategically built a people-focused culture where every client is made to feel like they are the only client. She remains a producing broker who works handson with buyers and sellers.

“I want the company to retain its small, boutique feel. I take a consultative approach with my clients – there is no cookie cutter method because every family and every house is different. The client and I decide what strategy is best for them, rather than doing what a corporation has dictated to us.” Donna observes that in recent years, reality television has presented an unrealistic image of the real estate industry.

“My client is the star, not the Realtor®. My longterm goal is to continue to put the client first no matter how big we get. My clients are not a number. I know them, their children and their parents by name.

I never want to lose that.”

Donna has assembled a team of like-minded professionals who share her vision for customer service. While she remains the main point of contact and master negotiator, her executive assistant and buyers’ agents help to ensure that everyone’s needs are met with the highest standard of care.

The fact that Donna opened her doors at the beginning of the housing crisis is a testament to both her tenacity and precocity. “By the time I had my corporation and broker’s

license in place, the industry melted right before my eyes.

It was an extremely humbling experience that taught me what I’m made of and to be more resourceful than ever.

I sat in the living rooms of many families in pain, and by the time they contacted me, there were usually no easy answers. I did what I could to give them peace of mind so that they could walk away with dignity. Part of the plan was to give them hope. I negotiated short sales instead of foreclosures, and got them into a rental with a two-year plan to rebuild – the goal was to make better decisions the next time.”

Donna continues to apply the lessons learned in those difficult times, “I don’t want my clients to be house poor. Sometimes I have to tell a family, ‘This is not the house for you. You will not see your wife if you buy this house because you will have to pick up every extra shift. That is not where you want to be five years from now.’ It is so easy in our society to get distracted by all the shiny objects, but spending all that a lender says you qualify for may not allow you to take trips, spend time with your family or pursue the hobbies you enjoy. I think one of the lessons of the crash is that less is more.”

Many of Donna’s family and friends are police officers, firefighters, and military personnel. As a result, she provides them with special care when helping them with their housing needs. “My parents instilled in us a strong love for this country, and I still believe we live in the greatest nation on Earth. I have great respect for the hard-working men and women who give back through their service, and I understand the complexity of shift work and the sacrifices that families make to support those who work in these careers. I do all I can to make a home transaction go as smoothly as possible for them.”

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Donna often assists military personnel who are stationed abroad and trying to buy a home for their family. “There are times when the entire family is waiting for me at the airport and they have 48 hours to find a house. There is no time for mistakes, and there has to be a back-up plan.

When a family is interested in a house, I personally call the listing agent and tell them the story. People bend over backwards to help. These men and women give so much – they are literally leaving a little piece of themselves out there every time they go.”

Donna’s vitality is appreciated by numerous professional associations where she is an active member. Recently, she was sworn in as president of the Rancho Cucamonga chapter of the National Association of Women in Real Estate Businesses.

In 2014, Donna received the Community Service Award from the Citrus Valley Association of Realtors® for her outstanding work as the co-founder of Rena’s Dresses, a non-profit organization that provides prom attire to disadvantaged young women and has grown to provide

tuxedo vouchers for boys and college scholarships. “The foundation was started in honor of my niece who passed away as an infant. It started with 5 dresses from my closet and year-to-date we have over 2000 dresses in inventory.

Prom is a milestone in a young lady’s life, and it’s amazing to watch their self-esteem rise before your eyes.”

Donna has two daughters of her own whom she describes as “dynamic little girls who are turning out to be really cool people. Sometimes we just love being together and laughing until our stomachs hurt.”

“Your character is defined by what you do when nobody is looking. My mother is the strongest woman I know, and she taught me that Jesus is the greatest example of how a human being should live. His life is the ruler I use to measure myself and the way I treat my clients. I want them to say, ‘Donna’s got this. Let’s just go to sleep.’”

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Donna Nazir The Skye Group, Inc. Rancho Cucamonga, CA Tel: 310-339-0688 Donna@theskyegroupinc.com www.TheSkyeGroupInc.com CalBRE # 01420796 ExecutiveAgent Magazine

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Overcoming Fear Written By Matt Bowman

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was driving down the road the other day with a friend of mine putting up some “WE BUY HOUSES” signs.

I mentioned to my friend that it was kind of funny that I often got e-mail or phone calls from students of mine who are actually afraid to put up these signs. They feel that people will stare at them or they will get into trouble.

I have got into the habit of riding down the road and whenever I find a good spot for a sign, pulling over if I can or simply pulling over as far as I can to one side of the road, putting my flashers on, hopping out and jamming a sign in the ground, then hopping back in my van and continuing on down the road. (Yes, I’m the idiot you had to slow down and change lanes to get around! Don’t hate me! I’m trying to run a business here!) I have even done this with a police officer behind me. As long as you are not violating any laws or local regulations, you have nothing to worry about. (Of course, you need to check with your local code enforcement to check on local regulations regarding the use of these signs, which I already had.)

Now this is easy for me to do now, but when I started out doing real estate deals and using signs, I was nervous about going out and putting up signs, as well as a lot of other things. Why is this? I know that by just putting up a sign, I can make anywhere from $2,000 to $30,000! I have learned that the things that we are most afraid of are the things that we need to take a close look at and find out if the fear is keeping us from something good or something bad.

It had been sitting empty and broken down for years. I did all the “tough” work of inspecting the property, estimating repairs (I went so far as to go to home improvement stores with a list and price every item, then call all the local contractors and ask how much they would charge for each tiny little aspect of the rehab), finding the owner through tax records, figuring out what I could offer, etc.

I then got the phone out, sat down on my bed, got out my notes on the property and stared at the phone. I rehearsed in my mind over and over what I was going to say and how I was going to pitch the deal. And I stared at the phone.

I went back over my numbers and all the research I had done to confirm what my highest offer could be. I knew where I would start as an opening offer. Heck, I even knew some slick negotiating tactics that would get the owner to name a price first. And I stared at the phone.

After 2 and a half hours, I set the phone aside and thought, “OK, I’ll give it a little more thought and call tomorrow.” My mind instantly relaxed and said to me, “Good boy. Now go watch some TV and have some potato chips.” So I did. (Hey, who was I to argue with my brain?)

The next day, against my brain’s advice, I decided to get out my notes and phone again. To make a LONG story short, after about hour and a half of staring at the phone again, I thought to myself, “This is so stupid! What the worst that can happen? The guy says no?”

Fear has its place in our lives. Fear keeps us from doing many things that would harm us. However, it also keeps us stuck in our “safe”, secure little world, never to go out and try something new and unfamiliar that may be far better for us than anything we are currently doing to keep ourselves “safe and secure”.

I picked up the phone and dialed the number. After the first 2 rings my brain said, “Well, I guess he’s not home.

Hurry up and hang up before you annoy him if he really is there!” Just as I was about to set down the phone, someone answered!

When I was getting ready to do my very first deal years ago, I was looking at a house that needed to be rehabbed.

I fumbled around telling the man that I had noticed his vacant property and was wondering if he might be inter-

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ested in selling. He excitedly answered that he would and had been wanting to get rid of it for some time! What the heck had I been afraid of???

If you can overcome your fear of the unknown and simply take some steps towards getting a deal, I can guarantee you it will be a downhill slide once you get over that initial “hump” of fear! The rest of that deal went so easily for me! Even when I had trouble getting the deal to go through, it was fun because it was a learning experience!

The hard part was just talking to the owner!

squash that fear and move beyond it. It will be REALLY uncomfortable the first time, and maybe even the second time. However, if you can make it a habit to push through the fear, the other side is a lot better feeling than the mere “comfort” of inaction!

Matt Bowman, www.reitoolbox.com, is a full time investor who started investing in 1997. After several attempts to get started in creative real estate investing, he found his niche in sandwich lease options.

Fear is good if it is protecting you. However, if it is keeping you from bigger and better things, it is time to ExecutiveAgent Magazine

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EA

A Real Estate Primer

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here are a great many books and web sites devoted to real estate investing out there, but most of them concentrate on one specific area of investing. It’s often hard to find a general description of real estate investing, one that lists the various real estate investing strategies and how to get started. That’s what this article will set out to do.

Before beginning, you must understand that real estate investing is not a get rich quick scheme. Real estate investing can, and will, make you wealthy, but it certainly won’t happen overnight and it will require work. As you perfect your technique and gain experience, the amount of work needed to gain a lot of money will reduce, but it will take effort and persistance to make it there.

If you’re completely new to real estate investing then the only sort of investing strategy you’re likely aware of is rental properties. Landlording has been around since there have been houses and people to rent them to, and it will continue to be a wealth builder. In fact, most of the ‘no money down’ real estate strategies you hear about still include rentals as part of their plan. Still, there are other ways to make money from real estate investing out there.

The next most ‘traditional’ method is to buy a fixerupper, fix it up, and then sell it for a profit. This is commonly referred to as ‘rehabbing’ and is a very good way to make a lot of money in a relatively short period of time. Most rehabbers won’t even look at a property unless they can make at least $20,000 of profit, and this is usually within 3-4 months time. Rehabbers tend to be experienced investors with available money, or have partners who help provide any extra cash required. But if you’re just starting out you likely won’t have access to large amounts of money. One way to get involved in this area of real estate investing without needing any money at all is to ‘flip’ houses to these rehabbers.

What this entails is you going out and finding these fixeruppers, noting all the work required to fix the place up. You then place a low offer in to the owner, taking into account the fix up price and some built in profit.

Once you have the house under contract you then flip it to a rehabber for a small fee. This can result in several thousand dollars for you, without you having to spend a dime. ‘Flipping’ properties can be a great way to start your real estate investing career. Another ‘no money down’ technique that’s popular on the late night infomercials is called ‘lease optioning’. This is basically a rent to own strategy that allows you to control a property without ever taking ownership of it.

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It’s a slightly more complicated strategy that warrents its own article, but it does allow you to make money in several different ways, each without ever having to spend any of your own money. If you’re not put off by longer term investments then lease options are definately worth more research. There are other strategies that involve foreclosures and getting the home owner to sign the deed over to you, but for now I’d suggest learning more about flipping and lease options as entry-level real estate investing strategies.

How do you find properties that would make good real estate investments? Again, an entire article can be devoted to that, but there are basically two ways: you go looking for them, or you get them to come to you. The first way involves reading the newspaper classifieds and scanning the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). This is where having a great real estate agent is a must - they can get you more details on homes than you can view on the mls website, and can often let you know of great deals before they even become available to the general public.

Having home owners contact you means setting up an advertising campaign. This can involve placing ads in the newspaper, placing bandit signs at strategic locations around town, starting a direct mail campaign, etc. There are many ways to let people know that there’s a new real estate investor in town, and it would be in your best interest to try each of them to see which ones work best for you.

Whether you decide to go looking for deals, have them come to you, or both, they key is to be persistant. Real estate investing is a numbers game - most of the time you won’t be able to make the deal work, but every time you do it translates into thousands of dollars for you. The more owners you talk to, the more deals you’ll be able to do, the more money you’ll make.

I hope this article gives you a bit of an idea of what the world of real estate investing is like. There’s a lot to learn out there, and all of it is very interesting. Find the area that interests you the most, then get out there and start talking to home owners. Don’t be discouraged if you’re getting turned down a lot - just remember that when it does pay off, it will pay off big!

About the author: Adem Hamidovic is a part time real estate investor and operator of www.ProfitPiggy.com, a website devoted to new and experienced real estate investors alike.

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The Power of Choice

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n aviation, the word “attitude” is a term that refers to the angle that the plane meets the wind, if the wings are level with the horizon and whether the aircraft is climbing or descending. The pilot who fails to take responsibility for the attitude of his or her aircraft is in serious trouble. And likewise, any leader who fails to control their thoughts and take responsibility for their attitude runs a similar risk with their organization.

As a sales manager, you not only set the pace for your sales team, but you’re responsible for setting the tone as well. For better or worse, the leader’s attitude is contagious and permeates throughout their organization.

Positive, upbeat companies are always led by positive, upbeat managers. While we’re not always able to control our circumstances, we can and must control how we respond to life’s difficulties, setbacks and challenges. We have a choice about how our day is going to be.

How often do you talk to yourself and what do you say? Research in the field of psychology indicates that the average person maintains an ongoing mental dialog, or “self-talk,” of between 150 to 300 words per minute.

Unfortunately, not all of these thoughts are positive.

In fact, it has been estimated that of the thousands of thoughts we have each day, approximately 40 percent of them tend to be negative and self-critical in nature. Most of us are generally unaware of this negative background chatter, let alone its sabotaging effect on our emotional state, performance and well-being.

Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Choose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits. Study your habits, for

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they will become your character. Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny.

-- Anonymous Earl Nightingale, cofounder of the Nightingale-Conant Corp., concluded that life’s “strangest secret” is that you become what you think about all day long. If you want to know where your predominant thoughts lie and what you believe, look at what you are experiencing in your life.

Your thoughts are creative by nature and express themselves through your emotions, which in turn, drive your actions. Everything you say both positive and negative is in fact an affirmation and reflects your belief. Whatever you think, feel or say about your life today is the scaffolding that builds the events you will experience in the future.

Affirmation And Positive Self-Talk William Shakespeare said, “Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” The first step in the process of changing your belief system is to monitor your thoughts and the next step is to control them through the power of choice. Once you become conscious of the critical aspects of your internal dialogue, you can choose to reframe your negative thoughts by substituting affirmative statements.

World-class athletes understand the value of affirmation and recognize the impact of their mental preparation on their physical performance. They use the power of positive affirmation to reduce anxiety and increase their expectation of achievement. To be of maximum benefit an affirmation must be simple, encouraging and stated in the present tense. By repeating an affirmation over and over again it becomes embedded in the subconscious mind.

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POWER Do affirmations really work and can they propel a person to greatness? As a teenager beginning his boxing career in Louisville, Kentucky, Cassius Clay would frequently affirm, “I am the greatest of all time!” While many considered him boastful and few took this eightynine pound, twelve year old seriously, Mohammad Ali used the power of affirmation to become the greatest boxer of all time and arguably the most recognizable sports figure in the world.

Henry Ford was right when he said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t - you’re right.” Your belief system, like your computer, doesn’t judge what you input; it simply accepts it as the truth. The key to cultivating and maintaining a positive mental attitude is to use your power of choice and take control of your thinking. It’s a challenging task to develop a calm, focused mind, but well worth the effort.

Action Plan: Here are some suggestions to help you have a good day every day.

1. Establish the habit of getting up early.

• You’ll See It When You Believe It, by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer • The Power Of Positive Thinking, by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale • Think and Grow Rich, by Dr. Napoleon Hill • Psycho-Cybernetics, by Dr. Maxwell Maltz 3. Take a few moments to consider the upcoming activities of your day. Visualize events flowing. See people accept your ideas and your day unfolding in a harmonious and productive way. This is a good time to verbalize your affirmations.

4. Take time for some physical exercise.

5. At noon, take a 10-minute mental break to relax and replenish your energy.

John Boe presents a variety of training and motivational programs for meetings and conventions. John brings over twenty years of experience as an award-winning sales trainer to the platform. Copyright© 2005, John Boe. All rights reserved. For addition information, contact the Frog Pond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@frogpond.com; http://www.frogpond.com.

2. Upon rising, read or listen to something positive and inspirational. Clinical studies indicate that our mind is most receptive to suggestion during the first 15-minutes upon awakening. Here are some books that will help you start your day off on the right foot.

• How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling, by Frank Bettger • The Magic Of Believing, by Claude M. Bristol

Written By John Boe ExecutiveAgent Magazine

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Our bone marrow transplant reunion is now standing room only.

Each year, City of Hope invites bone marrow transplant recipients and their families to attend the “Celebration of Life” event. It’s a joyous time during which survivors of blood cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma embrace their health, their life and each other. It began more than 35 years ago when City of Hope created what is now one of the largest and most successful bone marrow transplant programs in the world. In fact, we’ve completed over 11,000 transplants and, according to national reports, our outcomes are among the best in the nation. The goal of curing cancer isn’t just something we work at. It’s what we live for.

If you have cancer, make us your first call. Or ask your doctor for a referral. We accept most insurance.

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