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Dear Family and Friends, (by Kevin)
Happy April to you all.
So far April has been peaceful. I have been between consulting gigs for several weeks now except for a two-day assignment and am looking forward to getting a new assignment. In the meantime, we are refocusing on real estate investing.
One funny story to share. We live with our son and his family. This month Jen's brother got married down in Florida so Don and Jen decided to take their family to the wedding. Well we had a gift to send down with them and were planning to have them take it but they got in hurry to leave and headed down the road without even a good-bye. We all had a good laugh about it. We'll mail the gift.
We are also refocusing on our healthy us goals. What I discovered is that we slipped into some bad habits while I was on my consulting gig and we are replacing those bad habits with good habits.
I have a video clip from Darren Hardy, the publisher of Success Magazine, that basically says if you are overweight you are emotionally immature, because we are totally in control of what goes in our mouth and the exercise we do every day. For 99% of us he is probably right.
I play that clip once a week because I don't like being emotionally immature and its good motivation to help me focus on my goal.
This week we are headed to Orlando to attend a training and visit with Kevin's family. We will be sure to say goodbye to Don's family. We are very much looking forward to that trip.
Quote of the Month: All of our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them. -Walt Disney
I watched a movie about Walt Disney's early life. He is a great example of dream pursuit. He never gave up on his dream and belief in himself even though he experienced numerous failures. The rest, of course, is history. So don't let a struggles and failure detour you from living your dreams.
Live an Amazing Life!
Mary Jane and Kevin
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(By Kevin)
Your Biggest Asset
Last month I shared that the words we use have a direct impact upon our lives. Well this month I want to take that thought further with something that I finally understand.
Mahatma Gandhi, arguably one of the greatest leaders the world has known, said:
"Your beliefs become your thoughts.
Your thoughts become your words.
Your words become your actions.
Your actions become your habits
Your habits become your values.
Your values become your destiny."
Today let us focus on "Your words become your actions."
You've probably heard that you should write down your goals. A lot of people do this, a lot more don't. Heck I've even had one of our readers let me know that goals don't work. She was wrong and I feel bad for her. Maybe this article will help.
My friend and coach Paul teaches us to write down our goals although he calls a goal a "principle target" to help us know we must aim and focus on the target we are shooting for. I've been attending his training for several years now. During his presentation he inevitably he asks the audience the following three questions.
How many of you set goals?
- A lot of hands go up.
How many of you write these down?
- Only a few hands go up.
How many of you carry them with you and refer to them every day?
- Only one or two hands go up.
Then he asks, "Why not?"
You see when we set a goal we are working on is turning our words into actions, into habits, changing our values, and reshaping our destiny. The reason a lot of goals don't materialize for us is we lose our focus after a time.
Our mind is a powerful. When we remind it where we want to go it will focus and you will see opportunities related to your goals that were always there and you just didn't see before.
Want proof?
When Mary Jane and I decided to get into the business of owning Manufactured Housing Communities (mobile home parks) we all of a sudden started seeing them everywhere we went. We had traveled past them many times before. They were always there. We just hadn't seen them. However, once we set the goal, our mind automatically refocused and poof, there they were.
Have you ever decided you needed a new car? How about a specific model? All of sudden you start to see them everywhere don't you?
The same is true of any goal. Review them at least once a day, better to do it three times to put the power of your mind to work helping you achieve you goal.
One note here is that if you set a complex goal like I want to own a Manufactured Housing Community you need to set intermediate goals, steps if you will, that will get you there. Remember to write the goal as if it has already happened and specific.
For instance, It's December 1, 2016 and I love my new body that is 80 pounds lighter. Nice goal however interim goals with weekly or monthly successful milestones will help you get there.
- It's January 1, 2016 and I decided to create this new me.
- It's January 15, 2016 and I have discovered and implemented the perfect plan to get me my December 1, 2016 goal.
- It's February 1, 2016 and I feel so much better now that I am walking a mile every day.
- Etc.
So bottom line. Write your goals down or type them up. Print them out. Carry them with you. Hang them on the bathroom mirror. Make them your screen saver. Do whatever it takes to help you look at them many times a day. Thus putting your biggest asset, your brain, to work for you until the habits are built that will give you the destiny you want.
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Industry News
(By Kevin)
Top 10 Cities with Foreclosure Discounts
RealtTrac put together a list of 10 cities or metropolitan areas with a population of 1 million or more offering the biggest discounts on bank-owned homes. The list include the location, the discount from the average sales price, the averages sales price of the bank-owned home.
- Pittsburgh, PA = 63%, $48.2k
- Cleveland-Elyria, OH = 59%, $47.9k
- Milwaukee - Waukesha - West Allis, WI = 59%, $72.9k
- Memphis, TN = 58%, $52k
- Cincinnati, OH = 58%, $56.6k
- Birmingham - Hoover, AL = 56%, $64k
- Columbus, OH = 55%, $68.8k
- Detroit, Warren, Dearborn, MI = 55%, $58k
- Philadelphia, PA - Camden, NJ - Wilmington, De - 54%, $91k
- St. Louis, MO - 53% discount from median sales price
As you might guess all of these cities have a huge inventory of homes on the market with the smallest being #6 at 501,131 units and the largest being #9 with 2,430,000 units. While the number of units on market is impressive my instincts are that those numbers alone may be misleading because the metro areas are different sizes. It is more important to compare the # of units on market as a % of units sold each month to determine how many months of inventory there is.
My guess is these cities are probably hurting for jobs. It's also interesting that one of the presidential candidates touts the fact that he turned the budget around in OH and three of the locations are in OH. I have no reason to doubt his claim, however, that may illustrate that you can turn a budget around and still not create a robust economy. For instance, raising taxes and/or cutting back on services can get a budget under control but it can also drive companies, and therefore jobs, out of an area. It's a challenge.
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Projects and Opportunities
- 8+% ROI: We are continuing to locate used mobile homes, set them up in one of our Manufacture Housing Communities, and sell/rent them. If you have between $15,000 and $20,000 you want working harder for you then this could be the right opportunity for you.
We will do all the work and can manage the home for you totally turn key or you can place one of your homes in our community and manage it yourself. We are very flexible with these opportunities.
We only do 3 of these per month so let us know your interest as soon as possible so we can more fully explain the process and get your name on the list.
Did you know that you can invest in real estate from your IRA or other retirement account? You can also use your stock portfolio to invest without ever selling your stock? (Think leverage, leverage, leverage!). These investment secrets aren't well known but they are perfectly legal. Contact us and/or click on this Investment Secret link to learn more.
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Laughs and Interesting Stuff
(Selected by Kevin and Mary Jane)
Dumb Criminals:
... Who needs to take a test? Adan Juarez Ramirez had it all figured out-he could be a cop without having to take the boring test. He was arrested in Grapevine, Texas, after pulling over a driver in his pickup truck, outfitted with flashing lights. He even had an ID badge, which he'd made by blacking out a restaurant gift card and etching in the word "POLICE."
However, he'd kept the restaurant's logo, a jalapeno pepper surrounded by the words "Chipotle Mexican Grill."
... You skimp on travel expenses. Twelve Middle Eastern immigrants forgot the first rule of sneaking into a country: Don't call attention to yourself.
En route to England from Germany, they snuck a ride in the back of a man's truck. They stayed mum throughout their trip, even as they crossed the Channel into England. But once they hit Dover, they celebrated their arrival with songs and whoops.
Not for long, though. The startled driver headed to a police station, where the 12 were apprehended.
... You're not picky about your office location. Christopher Oxley of Everett, Washington, was arrested for conducting a drug deal over the phone-in the bathroom of the Everett Police Department.
Priest at the Pearly Gates
A priest dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him is a guy who's dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket and jeans.
Saint Peter addresses this cool guy, "Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?"
The guy replies, "I'm Jack, retired airline pilot from Houston."
Saint Peter consults his list. He smiles and says to the pilot, "Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom." The pilot goes into Heaven with his robe and staff.
Next, it's the priest's turn. He stands erect and booms out, "I am Father Bob, pastor of Saint Mary's for the last 43 years." Saint Peter consults his list. He says to the priest, "Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom."
"Just a minute," says the good father. "That man was a pilot and he gets a silken robe and golden staff and I only get cotton and wood. How can this be?"
"Up here - we go by results," says Saint Peter. "When you preached - people slept. When he flew, people prayed."
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(so people will wonder what your up to AND its contagious)
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We are always willing to share information with you so please feel free to contact us
Driscoll Enterprises Inc. 332 West Lee Hwy., Suite 200, Warrenton, VA 20186
703-398-1188 or 800-887-0001 info@DriscollEnterprisesInc.com |
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