Archive for April, 2008

A brand-new MP3 audio introduction has been recorded and uploaded to “The Intrepid Way” website.

Some readers may not be clear what the book is about or what it was intended to be.  This MP3 audio Introduction should clarify what The Intrepid Way series is all about.

You can visit TheIntrepidWay.com to download the file there.  Or you can simply download the MP3 file here.

Moving on to my 2nd post in the “I Don’t Get It” series is “The Sims”.

The Sims is a PC-based game published Electronic Arts. I have been told that the game franchise has sold 100 million units! This does not include the tens perhaps even hundreds of thousands of pirated copies that are in circulation. What a staggering number for a PC game.

I have watched as this game was first launched back in 2000 and one add-on/expansion pack/upgrade came out one after another. From what I can see, the whole idea is to create a fictional character that you will nurture through its online life. The thing here is that the environment you play this character in is based in normal, every day life.

I am thinking to myself “WTF?” Let me get this straight. Most of us live in the “real world” living an “average life”. And so to have fun, what do you do? Go create an alternative character so that you can play or guide them through their “average life”? Huh? I don’t need a game to live an average life. I am doing fine just now!

I could be wrong, but from what I have seen or been told, there are all kinds of restrictions on the character. You have to make money, go to the bathroom, sleep, and all the un-fun parts of life to support your digital character. Granted, it is not happening in real-time (accelerated or skip-over portions).

Maybe if I am extremely bored and I run into an inexpensive copy of The Sims, I may load it up just to see if I will eventually “get it”. For now, call me an idiot because the folks at Electronic Arts are making a fortune publishing The Sims game series.

I am going to deviate a bit from what I normally write about…

Recently, I came to the conclusion that no matter how smart I get or how much I learn, there are going to be some things I will have to resign myself to “not getting” in this world. “Getting” meaning I cannot comprehend or make sense of it in my mind why people spend so much time and energy on.

Am I alone and in the minority when I say, I just don’t freaking get “MySpace” and “Facebook”?

Maybe I am just getting too old. I can create and launch websites. I can assemble and configure entire computer networks. I can do some light programming. I consider myself a Power User of computers, networks, and technology, in general. I love the Internet and use Instant Messaging, email, and upload/download all kinds of files. But why don’t I “get” MySpace and Facebook?

I have gone to the trouble of setting up a MySpace and Facebook page. I have gone through the motions of setting up half-way respectable personal pages. And there it sits and continues to sit, month after month.

I know I can reach out to others and “make more friends” or create a community. Is the reason why I don’t truly understand the benefits of Facebook and MySpace is because it is meant for the Millenial Generation? If so, the I will concede.

Personally, I think Facebook and MySpace has little practical application except for the fact that perhaps the Millenial Generation use it. But outside of that, what does it do for you aside from serving as a Personal Home Page? Is that what the big deal is? That the Millennial Generation so desperately want to connect with one another and show off all aspects of their embarrassing personal lives to the world? Perhaps they are places to indulge their exhibitionistic tendencies.

I have to tell you, the things people put up for the public to see is embarrassing and will carry some negative consequences if those individuals ever amount to anything in life. The fact that so many of those people don’t realize it shows their naivety.

One day maybe someone will teach me and show me the light regarding MySpace and Facebook. Aside from a few minutes of interesting diversion in looking up some people and learning about their personal lives, what is the big deal?

Since my announcement of my upcoming, new 3-day TurnKey Investor seminar, I have since formalized the name. It is now called, “The TurnKey Investor’s 2008 Real Estate Portfolio Building Workshop“. If you click on that link, you will see that a new information page specifically for that seminar has been created.

The venue still has not been decided as well as the specific dates. That won’t happen until I visit a few of the nicer hotels in Columbus, GA and speak to the hotel sales staff. I would like to do it at the end of September 2008 but it may get pushed back to October 2008 depending on scheduling.

After I get back from Colorado Springs, I have to assemble the team members I want to help manage and staff the event.  In the coming days and weeks, you will see many updates to the “The TurnKey Investor’s 2008 Real Estate Portfolio Building Workshop” information page.  Check back often for the latest updates.

For the very first time, I will be hosting and teaching a 3-day TurnKey Investor intensive seminar workshop in Columbus, GA. I will be inviting students from across the U.S. to attend this very special event in September 2008.

It has been suggested and even recommended by many people that I hold my own seminar event. Although I have done smaller events and short seminars, I have been resistant to doing a bigger event.

My thought has always been that there are plenty of “other” instructors teaching similar subjects. I have also frequently said I didn’t want to get into the seminar business. However, as I look around, I have discovered that Wes Weaver and I have our own distinctions and techniques which differ from many other investors and instructors. Not only that, there appear to be very few who are “teaching from street experience”.

While I have released several book and audio titles on lease-options, “subject to” mortgage financing, portfolio building, and property management, it is never quite the same as being taught in person. Essentially, I believe there is a need and I am launching this 3-day event in September 2008. Students will have the opportunity to come to our home turf and learn what we do first hand.

I have asked some of my prior students here in Columbus, GA to assist me in putting on this professional event. At this time, we plan on doing 3-day sessions that will include 2-evening sessions. Basically, my students will be immersed in the subject matter. It is my intention to fill up the students brain until it hurts them.

The agenda and other specifics are being planned and outlined. There will be more announcements before we officially accept registrations for this exciting seminar event in September 2008. Updates will be added to the TurnKeyInvesting.com website.

The first draft of the upcoming book “The TurnKey Investor’s Deadly Sins of Real Estate Investing” has been completed. Because the audio program of the same name was first recorded in 2006, a new book based on that audio recording will be adapted into print book format. Additionally, it will be updated with 2008 content.

This audio program was chosen to be converted into book format because of its popularity in sales, not to mention its timely relevance. This book is expected to be less than 100 pages, very readable, and approachable even to beginning investors.

I believe this book will become more important in the years to come for any investor looking to get back into real estate investing during these tumultuous times. Many of the things I discussed in the original 2006 program have, in fact, become reality in 2008.

People who listened and followed the advice given in the original 2006 program probably fared much better than people who did not.

Because there are multiple publishing projects in the pipeline, a definitive release date has not yet been set except that it should be released later in 2008! I will have more news in the weeks to come.

I have a congratulatory announcement to make regarding my real estate business partner, Wes Weaver. Last week, Wes passed his exam and attained his license as a Full-fledged Real Estate Broker. For the three years prior, he was a real estate agent. For two years prior, he was both a real estate investor and property manager.

Becoming a real estate broker, Wes elevates his professional status, knowledge, and experience to a higher level. I am happy to say that we remain good business partners to this day and I am excited to see what he will do as takes his business career and business to a new level with a real estate brokerage company.

Wes and I have had private meetings and brainstorm sessions regarding which direction he should go. I am his advisor but ultimately he will be running this new ship his way.

Wes has chosen to maintain his relationship with me on “The TurnKey Investor” educational series but I suspect he will one day launch his own “Real Estate Agent” educational series on the publishing side.

Again, congratulations to my friend and business partner, Wes Weaver, on his new found achievement and status.

Two weeks ago, during my blog hiatus, my friend Tony Calloway and my business partner Wes Weaver joined me in hosting and conducting a brand-new seminar, “The Turnkey Investor’s Seller-Financing Short Seminar”.

Essentially, this is a more advanced seminar that builds upon and expands the content of “The TurnKey Investor’s ‘Subject-To’ Mortgage Crash Course”.  The “subject to” mortgage is only one form of seller-financing.  While it is a great way of financing investment property, there are many instances that technique is simply not practical, nor desired in some transactions.

Wrap-around mortgages, land contracts, contracts for deed, and lease-options are also legitimate ways of financing investment properties.  Each of these financing techniques have their own pros and cons as well as the circumstances of when you should use them.

Wes Weaver and I share our real life experiences and comments on the other forms of seller-financing techniques that we have used (and those we have chosen NOT to use!).

Originally conceived as an additional “audio crash course” in the spirit of “The TurnKey Investor’s ‘Subject To’ Mortgage Crash Course, Tony talked me into making the Seller-financing presentation into a seminar in front of a live and experienced real estate investor audience.

Essentially, the raw unedited recordings come to over 4 hours of audio content.  I expect to edit it down to less than 3 hours however that is a very rough estimate.  I am trying to pare it down to a 2-CD audio course set but it may end up being a full 3-CD audio course set.

Once the audio course has been completed, I plan on taking that content and creating an all-new manual called “The TurnKey Investor’s Seller-Financing Handbook” which will be similar in format and a companion manual to the “The TurnKey Investor’s ‘Subject To’ Mortgage Handbook”.

There is no precise timeline for when the Seller-Financing products will be available except that I expect it will be released in 2008.

I will be putting a warning label on the products that beginning investors or students should not buy either of these products.  The discussions were advanced level.  The one beginning student we had was a bright person but clearly did not have the background to keep pace with the seminar presentation.  She served as a barometer for me to warn off beginning investors and students.

I would like to comment that all the students in the audience (with one exception) were prior students of ours and had actually done at least a couple of real estate transactions.  Gauging from the feedback from students, they greatly appreciated the fact much of material that Wes and I presented had not presented in such depth and sophistication.

As I get more news on the progress of the Seller-Financing products, I will post them here.