More Craziness for One Dollar!

Yesterday, I blogged about how Ron LeGrand is giving away his new course on how to turn $10 into $10,000 in 30 days. This guy is a master marketer and real estate entrepreneur.

He's allowing MY current customers and subscribers to have it for one dollar before he starts selling it for $599 to his customers. This thing comes with 6 CDs and a complete, step-by-step manual. I still can't believe he's doing this.

In the last two days, he's had 2,263 people take advantage of this crazy offer, but time has almost run out. You have one day before this offer is removed.

Go to https://gpi.infusionsoft.com/go/1DWH/LeGrandGoldClubAffiliate right now while you can.

Crazy! $599 Wholesaling Course for $1!

It finally happened. Ron LeGrand,speaker at the last REAPS meeting and real estate mentor to literally hundreds of thousands has done something so crazy it has me seriously concerned about his mental health. He taped a brand-new, cutting-edge Wholesaling Course in February, and just got the edited CDs ready to release, but instead of selling his brand-new course, he's giving away the whole course, CDs and manual, for a measly dollar.

That's right, a $599 course for one dollar. This is step-by-step instruction where you'll learn why wholesaling is the fastest way to get a check for $10,000 in real estate using none of your own money or credit, with no previous experience. Ron has thousands closing deals daily all over North America all for one dollar. Crazy, isn't it?

Crazy or not, his staff couldn't stop him, but they did come to an agreement. They're only going to leave this ridiculous offer up for a little while, so go to https://gpi.infusionsoft.com/go/1DWH/LeGrandGoldClubAffiliate right now, and get his complete, $599.00 Wholesaling Course for one dollar before he comes to his senses.

Wendy Ceccherelli

Seller Financing on 4BR in Lincoln Park!

Want a seller-financed property in a great Seattle location, close to parks, salt water beaches, ferry terminal, and wooded trails?

I'd like to tell you about this opportunity to put just ten percent down on a solid split-entry house for sale in Lincoln Park, with 4BRs and two full baths. Seller is willing to finance the balance at 5% interest, with cash-out in five years.

I'd like to tell you more about this property, but unfortunately the Listing Broker is prohibiting blogging.

So for more details on this or other seller-finance opportunities in Seattle, please contact me directly at this email or call 206-355-1706.

Before & After: Rockin' the Rockaways - Part 1

It’s been awhile, but we’ve been busy! Most of our time has been spent out in East Rockaway, working on innumerable home improvements and repairs on the house you see right up there. The job is a total overhaul, from the dingy basement up to the vacant attic. We’re still a few weeks away from the whole place being entirely presentable – the basement needs more work and two rooms still need to have the wallpaper removed and a new coat of paint. Here are some of the before pictures, just to give you an idea of what we’re dealing with. I’ll post more later this week.   

The basement, first of all, needed a thorough clean-up. Debris and dirt were taken out, and we redid all the wiring and a great deal of the heating system. We also did some work on the ceiling and the support beams, making it easier to handle the replaced flooring we're handling above. We're also replacing that refrigerator, which I imagine was the first fridge ever made and purchased in America. Don't take my word on that.

The two bedrooms have needed substantial work. We cleaned them out and then gutted them both. We laid down new hardwood floors, put in new energy efficient windows and new door to boot, and repainted the entire room, which was preceded by extensive patch-up work. We're also checking and correcting the pitch of that radiator. New wiring is being put in as well, with new outlets and switches.  We swung by the site today and I can say, with no false modesty, our guys did a great job; the place looks completely new. Bathroom and first level pictures later this week.

Getting Into the Real Estate Game!

I just signed papers today to close on a HUD home in Lakewood, that I am buying with a builder partner to fix and flip in the next six months. It is pictured here in its present condition. Because this is a major fixer, we will be putting $50-60,000 into renovations. Had I been using contractors other than my builder partner, I would be spending $100-125K for the same work. Not for the feint of heart....

I am financing the deal with 0% APR credit card financing at less than 4% for 12 months. My builder partner has a private loan with a private lender he has used previously for remodeling.

I also hired a VA in India this morning, who is researching FSBOs in Seattle for me. This is an assignment from real estate investment guru Ron LeGrand that is due tomorrow morning. We students are looking for homesellers willing to sell subject to existing mortgages, or on a long-term lease purchase.

And finally, I have joined Home Buyer Network as a Deluxe member to identify motivated buyers and sellers. Many sellers need to sell quickly in this down market, and I have a variety of creative acquisition techniques to enlarge their pool of prospective buyers. Check it out at www.fastsell.net if you know anyone who is having trouble selling their home and needs to sell quickly.

If you are not out there making offers, you are not in the game. This is as good a market as any in which to be an investor. No, actually, it may be the BEST market for investors with cash, knowledge and experience! If you don't have all three, partner with someone who has what you need - and GET IN THE GAME!

Be smart, but take action! Contact me if you think I can help!

What Your Broker Should Have Told You

At the last Sunday tour of homes I did for real estate investors in March, I focused on the information that is available to real estate brokers to help you the investor in analyzing and identifying deals. Typically, a broker hands their client a “client detail” report on qualified listings from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS). But the broker has access to much more information in the “agent detail” reports and through tools that are available from the NWMLS.

Let’s talk about the information that a good buyer’s agent should be able to provide for an investor.

First, a savvy broker should be able to identify markets that appeal to an investor by analyzing sales transactions in the recent past. As a broker (and an investor!), I like to look for areas, neighborhoods or zip codes that have had the most number of sales transactions in the past 30-60 days in the median price range that most investors seek. I call these the “hot” markets for investors. While I specialize in Seattle, I can research this data for any area of Washington serviced by the NWMLS.

The search may be further narrowed to focus on certain other features that are important to an investor, such as sales of three-bedroom homes, for example.

The agent detail report contains information on the listing broker, which is not available in the client report. This might be because some clients may believe they get a better deal allowing the listing broker to represent both sides of the transaction and earn a higher commission. In fact, this is viewed as a conflict of interest by many brokerages, and they do not allow their brokers to serve as “dual agents.” Despite his seventeen years in the real estate profession as an appraiser, a friend of mine (who shall remain nameless to protect his gullibility) forgot this problem when he purchased his small apartment building a few years ago in Leschi. The listing broker was only too happy to goad him into paying full price, as his prime responsibility was getting top dollar for his client, the seller. To this day, my friend regrets his decision not to use a buyer’s agent to represent his interests at the negotiating table.

I like to look at who has the listing, because I want to see how knowledgeable they may be about working with investors, or open to creative financing options.
The agent detail report also lists the number of days the property has been listed on the market, and the city and state address of the seller. Both are important pieces of information to determine the level of seller motivation.

I also look up tax information, readily available on Realist through the NWMLS website. I am looking for zoning to see if the lot can be sub-divided or developed in the future. I look at tax-assessed value, and Realist even provides an estimated range of values, based on both County tax information and on recent sales data reported to the NWMLS. This helps clients formulate an offer based on comparable sales information. What is the property REALLY worth?

The range of values reported by Realist may help an investor offer a reasonable price at the low-end of the range, knowing that the fixed-up After-Repair-Value may be somewhere around the high end of the range.

Realist contains information on the most recent sales history of the property, the date and amount at which it last sold. It notes whether the transaction was a quit claim (divorce or probate), a bargain and sale deed (foreclosure), or a regular warranty deed.

Realist also tells me the most recent mortgage history of the property. Here is where I can tell how many mortgages might exist on a property, how much principal is owed, and whether they are owned free and clear. An investor would then know whether to make a “subject to” offer, pursue a short sale, or ask for seller financing.

Many brokers are unaware of the real information needs of an investor and do not always make this information available. Now, you as the investor client, know what information you might expect your broker to provide. And if you do not have a real estate license, be sure you get an investor-savvy broker as part of your real estate investment team!

I welcome your feedback on this blog. Please let me know what topics you might like to see addressed in future articles for the novice real estate investor. I can be reached at HomeLandInvestment@gmail.com.


Wendy Ceccherelli is the volunteer membership coordinator for REAPS. She has been a full-time real estate investor since 2006, and is the designated real estate broker for Home Land Investment Properties, Inc. Prior to her career in real estate, she spent twenty-five years as a government arts funder. More information on real estate topics may be found on her website at www.HomeLandSeattle.com

FREE Seattle Tour of Homes this Sunday!

View up to six North Seattle homes on Sunday, March 18th priced under $450,000!

Our Sunday Tour of Bargain Homes is a great way for investors and first-time buyers to get an overview of what homes and features are available in your price range in your favorite Seattle neighborhoods. Our tour this Sunday, March 18 will focus on information of interest to investors, cash-buyers and others who want to know how to evaluate a property and make offers.

Here is how it works: Home Land Seattle offers tours of bargain homes on selected Sundays. Tours begin at 2pm SHARP at the first house on the schedule where you will pick up detailed maps, directions and information of the featured houses.
Our Sunday Tour is free, and no reservations are necessary. You will be driving your own car and decide which properties you wish to visit. There is no pressure being a part of a group and you will enjoy the constructive comments of your fellow tour members.

The tour this Sunday, March 18 begins at 5613 30th Avenue NW in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle.

This Sunday Tour of Bargain Homes is led by real estate investor Wendy Ceccherelli, Designated Broker for Home Land Seattle.

To be notified of upcoming Sunday Tours of Bargain Homes, go to www.SundayBargainTour.com or call our free 24/7 recorded real estate hotline at 888-621-4999 x4.
Courtesy of Home Land Seattle.

Take Five: An Interview with NYC Electrician Richard Altman

We took some time to talk to Richard Altman, owner and operator of NYC institution Altman Electric and Click and Improve service provider, about his business, what goes into being an electrician these days, where the home improvement industry is heading and what advice he would give to a new generation of electricians.

How did you get started as an electrician in NYC?

I worked all around NYC as a young man. I learned the trade largely as an apprentice, which is really the best way to learn any trade. My father was in the business as well and I learned a lot from him, but it was also informative and important to work under people I wasn’t directly related to. I learned as much as possible and then, in 1964, my dad and I started Altman Electric. We’ve been servicing NYC ever since.

What’s it like running an electrician business?

Any good business should be run as a family business, even if no one in the company is actually related. I consider my employees family: their well being and security is very important to me and I work best knowing that I’m providing them with work and good pay. That being said, I’m quite careful about whom I work with and take trust very seriously in my company. We try to stay busy all year but we tend to be busiest during the warmer months. We even get to do some outside wiring in the outer boroughs.

What made you want to sign up with Click and Improve?

I believe in the business, which is always the key to working with anything that is new and not necessarily inside your comfort zone.  There aren’t many things you can’t order over the internet these days, but home improvement solutions, without the hassle of bidding and interviewing, is definitely one of them. It has to happen, eventually. It’s really just a matter of time at this point. I wanted to be at the front of the line when people caught on, to get more work for my employees,  and Click and Improve was the first company to come up with this idea. It’s a very exciting concept.

What kind of jobs do you handle most often as an electrician?

We recently started learning and working with solar technologies and we’ve surprisingly received a good amount of calls about converting percentages of household energy to solar. Otherwise, we continue to work largely in wiring and energy efficiency, fixing cables and circuits, repairing and upgrading fuse boxes or panels, installing outlets and dimmers. These are very normal jobs that pop up all the time. There are also other common problems that homeowners don’t necessarily know about, such as when a line is over fused. Whatever the job, if it’s related to electricity, we can handle it.

What would you say to any future electricians?

Watch and learn, and try to study as much as possible. The best things any electrician can do are be honest about their business and tell the truth to their customer, always. I’d also say it’s smart to look into green energy and energy efficiency, since that’s the way everything seems to be going. And, of course, I’d suggest looking into working with Click and Improve and creating an online avenue of business as soon as possible.  

DIY Decor: Make Your Own Cleaners & Air Fresheners

Get your beaten jeans, toss-away sweatpants and damaged-yet-comfy t-shirts ready! Spring cleaning is right around the corner, and that means you’ll have at least one weekend in the near future devoted to scrubbing, sweeping, picking up, dusting off and tossing out. Between trash bags and scrubbing brushes, new appliances and garden supplies, you’re spending enough, so why not concoct some easy DIY air fresheners and cleaning supplies instead of loading up your shopping cart and depleting your bank account? Here are a few tips:

·      An easy way to keep your kitchen smelling great is to take a few oranges, lemon, or any major citrus fruit, cut them in half, and boil them in a pot with water filled up about halfway on a stovetop. If you want a more homey smell, add mull spices to make your kitchen smell like hot cider.

·      In your more troublesome smell areas, place small bowls and fill them with freshly ground coffee. Ground coffee is a potent, deep and pleasant odor and it also acts as an excellent absorber of all your most funky and foul stinks. If you live with a smoker or just have one lying around, an ashtray is the perfect place to put the grounds.

·      Take your favorite essential oil and place a few drops in a spray bottle with water. It works just as well as name-brand air fresheners and works without the hassle of recycling each can. You can use it anywhere, of course, but try spraying a little bit on a light bulb before you turn it on: the heat works as a sort of catalyst, so whenever you turn it on, you get an invigorating fresh scent.

·      Not all that keen on spending more money on clog remover? Pour a cup of baking soda, a cup of white vinegar, a cup of salt (generic or sea) and then pour about two-to-three cups of boiling water down, as a reactant. The resulting mixture will likely dissolve any small-to-medium-size clog you’re having trouble with.

·      For window cleaning, mix about a quarter-to-half-cup of vinegar, a tablespoon or two of cornstarch and a quart of hot water. This mixture is a surefire way to get all those annoying streaks off of your windows or your patio doors in a jiffy.

·      Mix a quarter-cup of baking soda and a quart of hot water for a perfect all-purpose cleaner for your floors, countertops, walls and tables. If you want to add some fresh scents, squeeze half a lemon into the mixture or add a few drops of your favorite essential oil. This way your house will smell and look fresh, and you can use the money saved on some colorful pieces for your unique décor.