Tax Credit Renewal...

It looks like they will be renewing the tax credit until April 2010 at least. I will keep you all updated on when this happens and what changes that could be made as soon as they come available. With luck, many others will be able to take advantage of this opportunity.

Thanks and stay tuned!

What are you afraid of?

What fears are keeping you from buying real estate?

What is stopping you...

from buying a property right now?

What not to do with a short sale...

just ranting, but tell all your realtors and realtor friends that they should not accept multiple offers to submit to a bank during a short sale. The bank gets confused, takes much longer to complete the process, and in the end, loses more money than they would get even if the new offer was significantly higher! In the end, it is better to submit ONE offer if it is solid enough to take to the bank,

That is all for today,

Geoff

When it hit's the fan...

will you be ready? Most people see bad things coming from a distance. Many others are given no warning to a major disaster, issue, or problem when it becomes reality. What are we to do in order to prepare then? I find it interesting how few people keep an emergency fund for stormy weather. The best thing that you can do to prepare yourself in case of a terrible situation is to have at least six month's worth of reserve cash available for when things go south. I encourage everyone to calculate what it would cost to live for six months and determine now to start setting aside money until that amount is reached.

I am about to release my booklet on foreclosure, best of all it will be free online!

More to come,

Geoff

Talking real estate all the time...

Apparently I have been so involved in real estate lately that I am talking about deals in my sleep. This is both good and bad news to me, I love talking real estate, but everyone needs sleep. Wouldn't that be cool if you could do something productive in your sleep though?

I have been thinking about our local and national real estate markets and the opportunities that are out there right now. I know many people that are getting rich because of the various real estate deals that they are doing to make things work for them.

What are you doing to make use of the opportunity near you? I am working on short sales and on buying rental property at this time. Vegas, Kansas City, and Salt Lake are the three markets I am buying and helping people invest in.

Let me know where you are and what you are doing!

Thanks,

Geoff

Home Run Grant #2 in Utah...

For those of you who are not aware, the second home run grant is available for anyone wanting to build or buy a home that has never been lived in. The amount is $4000 and it goes towards your down payment of closings costs of the home. The other good news is it is not just for first time home buyers this time around! If you have any questions, more information can be given by calling Geoff at 801-232-9500 or emailing gwdearing@yahoo.com

If you act fast you could get as much as 20000 dollars towards the purchase of a new home when combined with the 8000 tax credit!

Good Luck and Happy Real Estate Hunting!

Surviving Labor Day and Foreclosure...

I am putting the final touches on my booklet on foreclosure. I am hoping to have it available to send out to anyone that wants it. I will be putting it on a download landing page and will post that here as soon as I have it. If you have any questions about foreclosure in the mean time, please email me at gwdearing@yahoo.com

Thanks and look for a more detailed post about the booklet later this week.

Celebrating Labor Day...

I feel fortunate to be busy helping people achieve their real estate goals, but I had not considered how and why Labor day came into being in the United States. Labor day was established in the late 1800's as a holiday to commemorate the workers killed during Union strikes in New England. It has since become the celebratory end of Summer and a day of rest for those who labor diligently at their various positions. It was sad to hear today that the jobless rate has climbed to it's highest since 1983, making Labor day a bit more painful to those without gainful employment.

The good news is that there are plenty of opportunities to be had in America, even in these troubled times. There has not been a better era for someone to grow their own business, whether it be in real estate or any field at all. Their are plenty of opportunities out there for someone to grab hold and get out of the sticky situation they may be in at this time. I hope that all of you have a great Labor day weekend and look forward to helping you in your endeavors any way that I can!

Thanks,

Geoff Dearing
801-232-9500
gwdearing@yahoo.com

Becoming a contributor...

I have been thinking about ways that I can give back to the community for all the blessings I have in my life. My greatest skill is the knowledge that I have accumulated about the real estate industry, including pros and cons to various situation. It is good to use your acquired skills to help those in need along the way. Today I found another way that I can give back, by answering questions or just talking someone through a tough situation.

I saw a client at the store and was able to reestablish contact with that person. I had helped him sell his home with the option of leasing it back for two years and buying it at a later date. It has worked out for him pretty well as it has allowed his family to get back on their feet. He has additional questions, that although some people would not want to do, I am more than happy to answer as I can. It was a great feeling to see someone I had helped several years later and see their life had improved.

If you can become a problem solver, offer housing, rehab houses, or explore other fields of interest, you will have a more fulfilling life in whatever you do!

Starting a Junto...

Res Frater is being organized in Salt Lake County, Utah! The booklet is also done, exciting things are happening.

Still waiting for suggestions...

I am putting the final touches on the foreclosure booklet I plan to be giving out soon on the web. I am looking for any suggestions on questions people would like to see answered or information that they would like to see in it. I am still working under the title "Twelve Things to Consider When Facing Foreclosure" and would be happy to add anything that I have not considered. Foreclosure is not a fun situation to be in, but as this booklet will show, it is not the end of the world. As always I am happy to help answer any questions that you may have regarding the process and your options.

Looking forward to your suggestions,

Geoff

People being taken advantage of in Foreclosure...

I have heard too many horror stories about people who have been taken advantage of by someone claiming to be able to help them out of their foreclosure situation. There are several legitimate businesses out there that can truly help someone find a viable solution, the hard part is recognizing them. For this reason I have decided to write small informational book with the working title, "Twelve Things To Consider When Facing Foreclosure." I am always happy to answer questions regarding this subject as I have studied and worked in this industry for nearly a decade.

I would also love any suggestions people may have for this book, to email me a suggestion, send it to gwdearing@yahoo.com

Thanks

What does it take to be considered a success?

This is a question that has been asked time and time again, one that I am constantly asking myself. We all have our definition of success, but few of us will agree of what success is outside of the individualistic view. After recently completing my goals for the first half of this year, including finishing the MBA program and the Mongol Rally, I am now evaluating my performance and the relative success of these goals.

Real Estate success offers an identical conundrum to that of the definition of success, it seems there are several definitions and they are all individually based. We need to put a handle on time frames and goals as we feel are viable to be accomplished during specifically identified time frames.

I am currently working a two projects here in Utah to help distressed homeowners and sellers come together. My goal is to help people who are confused and have questions about the foreclosure process, helping them identify the many options they have. My goal, then, is to make sure they are not taken advantage of and are given correct information on the best possible alternatives.

If you know anyone who is facing a foreclosure, have them contact me. If you are interested in investing in foreclosed properties for investment or your own home, let me know as well.

Remember, goal setting is an important aspect of life, one that will never end if done correctly.

Model A in a Parade...

Last Saturday I had the privilege to drive my family's 1929 Model A Ford in a local parade. If was a ton a fun to drive a vehicle that is almost a hundred years old and still running. I have included some pictures for your viewing pleasure.



You may be asking how this has anything to do with real estate? Well first off I was able to advertise my business a bit with a banner on the back. Secondly, many of the houses I am buying were built in the same year as this car and cost less than the car is worth now! So for all of you wondering how to get out of that job you hate or wanting to make that extra money for the much needed vacation, what are you waiting for?



Cheers,

Geoff Dearing
gwdearing@yahoo.com

The greatest real estate opportunity in history...

I recently came back from a real estate conference in Las Vegas where the presenter labeled this current market as the best real estate investment market in the history of the United States. Now, I am not in 100% agreement with this, but I can say that it is definitely one of the top 3 opportunities of all time. Over the next two to three years, we are going to have the opportunity as investors to be able to buy homes at drastic discounts. I am gearing up to work in my home area on Short sales and other foreclosure techniques as well as buying several rental properties out of state. You need to be careful on which techniques you use as many properties are over leveraged, in terrible markets, and will get you into serious trouble if you don't have the right strategy in mind. Make sure you educate yourself by hiring good team members to fill in the positions.

As always, if anyone is interested in a real estate coach or buying property in Utah for equity or Kansas City for Cashflow, give me a call!

801-232-9500

Real Estate is like an airplane...

It can get you where you want to go in life, really quick! I have seen fortunes won in this industry many times. Many people ask me how things are going with my real estate business and I always reply that it is going really well. Why? Because real estate is an industry that treats the educated well and allows them to earn high returns. Now is a great time to be purchasing rental investment property in solid markets. I am not a fan of markets with vacancy rates in the double digits. If you need more help developing an investment portfolio, I am always glad to help with partnering and answering questions!

Happy Investing,

Geoff Dearing

Changing Seasons

We are not out of the recession, but signs are improving. House sales are up, contractors I have talked to are starting to get more business, and the sentiment of America seems to be improving. What are your thoughts? I am curious what everyone perceives has truly changed. I don't think much has changed outside of the media finding they were not selling the 'recession' as well as they could sell 'swine flue' so things have switched gears.

As you can tell I am not a fan of the media, but I believe that the lack of them reporting on the economy is helping things, so I will say Thanks to those journalists now chasing influenza across the globe!

Have a real estate question?

email it to gwdearing@yahoo.com

Taking advantage of a down market...

I am still finding an abnormal amount of people who are claiming to be waiting for the bottom before they get into investing. To me this is turning into more of an excuse than it is a valid concern. I understand the importance of not overpaying for an investment, but I also know that the flip side is equally as damaging. That side would be waiting to long while opportunities are prime for the picking.

Today I put offers in on four properties. Two will likely sell for more, one is under contract, and the fourth is trying to hold out for more. I am saying this only because it proves that there are plenty of people taking advantage of these opportunities and I would hate to have you miss out. If you are on the fence about investing, now is the time to get off and make some offers. It is true that prices could come down more in some areas, but it is equally as likely that they will go up.

I would be happy to answer any questions that you may have regarding real estate investment and getting started.

Happy hunting and I hope you find the deals that will make you wealthy in this opportune time!

Improving Credit

How to....

I am looking for ideas on how to videos to be posted on my website. I have already covered the topics of home inspections, credit, and first time home buying. Anyone have a suggestion for another real estate how-to video?

Utah Down Payment Credit

For those of you who haven't heard or wonder what it is, Utah recently passed legislation issuing a home run down payment of $6000 to anyone who purchases a home that is brand new, never been lived in. This assistance is to help move some of the home inventory that is currently sitting on the market. There are a limited number of these grants available, so time is of the essence. You can visit my site: www.ReturnRealEstate.com or call me at 801-232-9500 and I would be happy to provide you with a list of properties that would currently qualify for this grant. You may also want to visit www.UtahHousingCorp.org to see how many of these grants are still out there. It originally started at 1670 and last I checked it was already below 1540 so hurry and call me today. This can also be combined with the 8000 first time home buyer credit to give you a total of $14000 from Uncle Sam when purchasing a home! You can also ask me about grants and other incentives that could easily take this total above 20k.

Let's take advantage of these options before it's too late!

Thanks,

Geoff Dearing
801-232-9500
gwdearing@Yahoo.com

Exciting news for the blog and our company!

We are now getting leads for wholesale properties in KC Missouri, adding education videos, and many other exciting features! Contact me with specific requests for deals or for suggestions on topics for education videos.

Check back soon!

Real Estate: Predicting what will happen next...

The current real estate market is a conundrum for some, but for those who study history it is nothing new. Although we have seen some record declines in recent years, we have also seen record appreciation just prior to those declines? So what does that mean to the savvy investors like Robert Kiyosaki, Carleton Sheets, and that Trump guy? They likely foresaw a turn of this nature based on the historical records found on websites like ofheo.gov. Here is a graph of the historical home values in the United States:

As you can see there have been several up and downs in the history of our country. Funny enough they seem to correspond in many ways to major wars and trying times in our economy. It is also interesting to note that it didn’t take long into the great depression to see home values rise considerably. World War 2 all but decimated the gains found throughout the latter half of the Great Depression.

If history paints a picture of the world of real estate, what can we expect from here? This is an honest question that has everyone up in arms, making predictions, and totally confused. If they were to only study history they would see that we are close to the bottom, but have a few years to go before we will see any gains. It could even be decades before we see double digit gains in appreciation. To me this means that we need to be even more conscience of the return on investment we receive through cash on cash returns. The major reason I am buying property in Tooele County Utah and Kansas City, MO is because the gains from cash on cash are more significant than other areas I have found in the country. These areas have given me opportunities to own property and earn a greater return on investment. If anyone has any questions to how I find deals please let me know. I really enjoy sharing my findings with others and am even planning on taking a buying tour out to Kansas City later this year if I get enough interested parties. So before you go burying your head in the sand feeling that the sky is falling, just remember that this is only another part of the real estate cycle!

Geoff Dearing

801-232-9500

www.ReturnRealEstate.com

Would you fail anway?

I have been juggling a thought in my head for several months now and I finally have a good way to express it. The thoughts have been circling around the idea of failure and how many people make excuses for failure. My wife and I attended a formal dinner on Friday night, the guest speaker talked about how most of the businesses that are failing, aren't failing because of the recession. Businesses fail in up and down economies. These businesses would have failed either way, even though the recession may have accelerated the issue. The biggest excuse people are making right now for failure is the state of the economy. Many people I talk to say something to the effect of, "I would be doing great if the economy were not so bad," or "this economy is so bad, it is killing me." Are these reasons why these businesses are failing? or are they excuses? I am not writing this blog to be judge, jury, and executioner. I am sharing this point of view to help people shake off the dust and get out there to explore opportunities. There are hundreds of ways to make money in this country, as I have stated before. Why not get out there and explore them? This is why I make it a habit to surround myself with people that have a positive outlook on life as we all have our problems.

I have the pleasure of working with several people that see this economy as a blessing in disguise as well. These are the people that see the silver lining in the sky and are trying to make the most of the opportunity. If you find yourself surrounded by the "Eeyore's" of the world, it's time to get a new set of friends! Don't spend your time thinking of what could have been, spend energy working towards producing results.

Uncontrolled Spending

Can a government declare bankruptcy?

We are in a period of uncontrolled spending that seems to have no end. The current government seems to think that the way to get out of our current hole is to keep digging. Let me ask a question, when has this ever made sense. When you want to get out of a hole, you don't continue digging, you stop!

What we need is good, old fashioned, hard work at this juncture in our history. As was once said by a very great leader, "The only thing we need to fear is fear itself," which is absolutely true, but we are riding fear headlong into our current recession. We have several situations arising due to the fear of our nation's members, some are good for the state of things, ie better savings habits, and some are terrible, ie pulling investments out of solid markets thinking it will be better elsewhere.

I have recently had the opportunity to give a speech to our state Apartment Association. During the speech I was surprised at how few questions there were regarding how people could take advantage of the current market conditions regarding real estate. I admit that I was a bit disappointed in my own performance, not for the information provided, but from the presentation of that information. This was not as disappointing, however, as the lack of excitement in the opportunities of our current market. Baron Rothchild once said, "Buy when there is blood in the streets, even if the blood is your own." He was basically saying that you should be looking at opportunities, especially when most of the populous is running from those opportunities. Although I am glad that some people are overlooking the opportunities, I am amazed at how few there are taking advantage of them.

What do you need to know to get educated on historical real estate markets? I spent eight hours researching this current situation and have a presentation that I would be happy to share with anyone who requests it via email.

Hope you are able to take advantage of market conditions by buying a home, investing in real estate, or even expanding your knowledge at minimum!

State of the Economy? or should I say the Media?

We all know that the economy is in a recessionary state. We also should know that this is a cyclical nature that happens quite often in our economy and in any free market aka capitalistic environment. What we may not realize, however, is how much the media controls our thoughts and minds on the matter. We are in a recession yes, but do we have to choose to be doom and gloom about it? Is this not still the land of opportunity? Isn't every other nation in the world having similar struggles? Why can't get past the fact that we are in a recession and work our way through it. Why do we have to be constantly reminded about the 'hard times' and 'struggling economy.'

My thought is this, why not use this opportunity to get ahead. People have free time, start a business! Need extra income, start doing something about it. I found a way to make forty dollars yesterday without having any money. Just by working through a simple formula of paint cans and a stencil, I could have easily made much more than that, but wanted an example of a simple thing someone could do to make money with literally no overhead. You find a person who wants numbers painted on the curb, get them to pay ahead, go buy the supplies, and follow up with neighbors who may be willing to pay 15 to 20 bucks to have it done. This is just one of thousands of business ideas that are potentially out there to those industrious enough to move forward.

Real Estate is the same. I hear people tell me all the time, I would love to invest if I had the money. That seems to be the most common excuse anyone has these days. I met with someone today who doesn't have any money, but we discussed three different things he could do to start investing today!

You don't need money, there is money to be found, what you need are goals and desires to exit the hole you are in and move forward! Let's quit listening to the media and go make a difference.