Does Your Finished Fix and Flip Say “Pow!”? My brother, Curtis, needed a suit. And since he was a 25-year old news cameraman residing in Phoenix, Arizona, his closet was devoid of any fashionable formal wear. Our family was about to embark on a 7-day/night cruise to the Mexican Riviera. One of these evenings on the ship would be spent sipping champagne and dancing in the ballroom. If Curtis showed up in a t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops to the captain’s party no doubt access would be … [Read more...]
Negotiating with Home Sellers Is a Process
September 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Negotiating with Home Sellers Is a Process I have found time and time again, that negotiating with sellers is more of a process than an event. Many times when we meet sellers at their house, they will just throw out an asking price that is nowhere in the ballpark. They tell us what “their expectations are”. And more often than not, they just pull this dollar amount out of thin air. If you ask them how they determined the asking price, they will just simply say “that’s what I decided I … [Read more...]
It Can Take Time to Work the Deal
August 14, 2012 By Leave a Comment
It Can Take Time to Work the Deal Real estate is an exciting and interesting field to work in. Sometimes the deals quickly fall into your lap. That’s exciting! Other times the deal is not made right away. It can take months, even a year or more to get the deal worked out. That’s when it can get interesting. For example, I recently purchased two small apartment buildings which took me over a year of working with the owner to get closed. I am glad I persisted as these … [Read more...]
How to Never Lose Monopoly Again
August 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment
How to Never Lose Monopoly Again I once beat a friend in Monopoly in twelve minutes.I don’t know if that’s a world record but it’s got to be close. During our summer after high school ended we played a game of Monopoly every single day. (I bet you can guess how popular I was with the ladies…) We became extremely quick at the game and memorized every card’s value and the distance between every spot on the board. My twelve minute game was a result of a nearly perfect set of rolls in … [Read more...]
A Simple Tip for Negotiating with Contractors
July 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment
A Simple Tip for Negotiating with ContractorsThe overloaded orange hand truck was filled high with ceiling fans, light fixtures, door hardware and faux wood mini blinds. I made my way slowly from the Home Depot pro desk to the parking lot, careful not spill any of the precious cargo.Yes, I could have made two trips to the car with my stuff. But that’s not how I roll. I’m a guy and guys get it done in one trip, not two.I loaded the items into my chariot, a 2004 Chevy Tahoe with the back seats … [Read more...]
How I Accidentally Bought Two of Kurt Cobain’s Former Homes and Why That’s Not Even The Best Part.
July 15, 2012 By Leave a Comment
How I Accidentally Bought Two of Kurt Cobain’s Former Homes and Why That’s Not Even The Best PartKurt Cobain is a big deal.If you are unfamiliar with the name “Kurt Cobain,” perhaps you are much more familiar with the band “Nirvana.”Still no?“Smells Like Teen Spirit?”“Come As You Are?”If you are still lost, just trust me when I say that Kurt Cobain was, and is, a big deal.As the front man of the 90′s grunge band “Nirvana,” Cobain led the group to over 75 million album … [Read more...]
Space Aliens, Ghosts and Shadow Inventory
June 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Space Aliens, Ghosts and Shadow InventoryWhat is it with this country and our morbid curiosity for the unknown, the mysterious and the enigmatic? We’re fascinated with space aliens, ghosts, zombies, vampires, a lone gunman on the grassy knoll, and Adele. Okay, maybe it’s just me that’s fascinated with Adele. It’s just that I’ve never heard a woman sing like that before.I guess this also explains why the mainstream media, bloggers and real estate pundits love talking about shadow … [Read more...]
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Handshakes Vs. Contracts: Which Do You Think Is Better?
Handshakes Vs. Contracts: Which Do You Think Is Better?Yes, I know . . . on the face of it this seems like an incredibly dumb question. But is it?In the past two weeks I have found myself in the challenging position of advising clients on the basics of the difference between executed contracts vs. doing business with just a handshake. And, to make matters even worse, I was a partner in one of the deals that involved just a handshake.As someone with lots of experience and who considers … [Read more...]