Posted by JoeB(Atlanta) on April 26, 2000 at 21:44:29:
Hi Chad, Your Excuses vs Success columns was a great idea. I’m sure you’ll get lots of great responses to your post, so here’s a quick/brief idea to get your feet wet.
Join your local REI Club (national listings at top of page, click on REI Clubs button) and get yourself on all the wholesalers lists and/or call on all fixer-uppers in the paper…then go see all those houses.
You’ll start to get a feeling for what fixer-uppers look like and are priced at in your area. This gave me the confidence back when I started, to start making all those offers (which is the next step) to get my first deal.
Posted by Chad Lare on April 26, 2000 at 21:15:12:
I have been visiting this site for a few months and I attended the CRE 2000 convention in Atlanta. I have also read some books and listened to some audio tapes. I feel like I have learned a lot, but so far I haven’t been able to push myself over the edge and do my first deal.
Today I did something that I hope will encourage me to leave my comfort zone and just start investing. I made two columns on a piece of paper. At the top of one column I wrote “Excuses”, then I wrote down all of the excuses I have made for doing nothing so far. At the top of the other column I wrote “Success”, then I listed all of the ways my life will be better when I become a successful investor. Finally, at the bottom of the page, in large letters, I wrote “Which One?”.
I have acknowledged that every day I choose whether or not to be successful. I can spend my time going out and looking for deals, or I can watch TV.
I think that becoming a real estate investor will be the most challenging and exciting thing that I have ever done. I think that the hardest part will be overcoming fear and laziness. I need to act today instead of saying I’ll do it tomorrow. I would appreciate any insight from those of you who have been where I am now.