Everywhere you turn there is negativity about the economy. Unemployment is up. Stocks are down. Retirement plans have gone haywire. Nobody knows when it is going to end. Even millionaires are feeling the pinch. It is easy to get caught up in the drama of it all, and those that do get caught up in the drama of it all will miss the proverbial boat — or in this case it’s a proverbial yacht.

Those who do a little research will find access to a little known but powerful fact.

More millionaires are made during periods of depression and recession than during any other historical times.

Why? It is because in times of depression and recession the economy provides for tremendous areas of investment opportunity. It is a lot easier to make your million dollars when the pending rebound of the global economy is on your side and you can acquire property or stocks for rock bottom prices.

So how do you do it? Well, why not emulate the millionaires who did it before? Smart million dollar minds are always focused on investments that create residual income. There are many ways to do this, with commodities, with the stock market, or real estate. Here we will focus on the latter.

It is now easier than ever to use real estate to build residual income.

Almost all of the nationwide real estate markets are currently depressed. Because of low purchase prices and interest rates, starting investors can find it easier to purchase investment properties where all out of pocket monthly expenses are completely covered by tenant rent.

So what is stopping everybody from doing it?

Fear… fear the sky is falling! Fear the situation will get worse, they will make the wrong decision, the list is endless. Get advice, do research and take action- we live in a world of people who procrastinate, the situation will never be perfect but if it’s almost there- take a little leap of faith and learn as you go. Any wealthy person will have been sitting in your position at some point, what do you think they did?

Consider cities where homes that were selling for half a million dollars in late 2006 can now be found for three hundred thousand dollars. Some areas have been depressed so much that they offer an even bigger bargain. Many of these properties are in beautiful residential markets where renters subsidize your investment. Millionaire investors are picking up properties like hotcakes. The trick is to fall in love with the numbers and not the property. To evaluate a deal, figure out if your tenant’s monthly rent payment can cover what is called PITI (principal, interest, taxes, and insurance). If the numbers don’t work, then walk away. That is how the millionaire mind thinks. Investing is all about controlling your emotions and following a strategy.

 Thats not the best bit!

The real earnings come in holding on to these properties for the long haul and taking advantage of the inevitable appreciation. There are so many tax advantages to. This is how million dollar portfolios are made over time.

Recognize the current investment opportunities, evaluate the numbers, and take advantage of the global downturn. That is the time-tested way of the millionaire mind.

Start your journey today… Develop the mindset of a millionaire! Click on the link to order a free DVD or free E-Book.  

In today’s trying economic times, just about everyone is wondering how to get rich. After all, the rich appear to have it all – they appear happy, content and are financially secure. In essence, they don’t appear worried about their financial future or have debt collectors hounding them. They aren’t concerned about credit scores and definitely aren’t living paycheck to paycheck. If you are like most people, you too want to be rich. You want the fulfillment and the financial security that comes from being rich. Well, in this article, we’ll provide you with 5 tips on how to get rich and prosper this year and beyond. Let’s get started.

1. Develop the right mental attitude.

You must want to do it but more importantly believe that you can do it. This is true of everything in life especially achieving financial freedom. You need to develop a rich mindset and believe that money is inherently good and that you deserve to prosper. This type of attitude will attract money and allow you get rich. If you focus on the lack of the money that is exactly what you will create.

2. Get a copy of your credit report.

Most wealthy people have good credit and if you want to get rich, you have to improve your credit. This is what allows you to borrow money. Get a copy of your credit report and review it carefully- this is often available free online. If there are errors, take care of them. Don’t hide from bill collectors or obligations, they will only become a perpetual thorn in your side when it comes to getting rich.

3. Stop using credit cards.

The interest repayments are designed to keep you in debt! Instead, pay cash for your purchases and save your money. It is important to put aside some money for emergencies before you can even think about paying down your debt and investing your money in quality stocks, bonds, mutual funds, real estate investments, whatever.

4. Your next step is to pay down debt.

You can’t be rich if all your money is going towards paying off debt. You must commit to paying off your debt which prevents you from saving and putting money in investments. One nifty trick is to use the debt snowball method in which you apply a set amount to one bill and pay the minimum to the rest. When that debt is paid off, you then move on to the next one until you have paid all of them.

5. Become educated.

A financial education is absolutely paramount to becoming wealthy. Learn from books, CDs, DVDs, anything you can get your hands on. Start talking to millionaires and asking them how they became rich. Find a mentor to help fast track you to making money and to help keep you on track. Remember, knowledge is nothing without action. Learn the principles; get the tools and strategies and TAKE ACTION!

How much energy are you wasting thinking about becoming rich? Would this not be better spent learning about how to do it and actually doing it? Picture achieving your goals in your mind, stop using credit cards to purchase items you can’t afford, pay down debt and invest wisely. By doing this, you too can become rich and help others on their path to living the life they desire. Good luck and prosper!

Start your journey today… No more living paycheck to paycheck! Click on the link to order a free DVD or free E-Book.  

Do you just leave your hard earned money at the mercy of others, the so-called ‘experts’? It’s time to change!

With the rising costs of living and run-away inflation on the horizon, for most the income from your job is not going to be enough to meet your goals, let alone your basic needs. Planning for retirement and prosperity today is especially precarious – it is a completely new ball game, the rules have changed. The only way to survive and thrive in this climate is to educate yourself and put these new learned skills into action.

 Every day investors like you lose fortunes and life savings on investments.

This usually happens because they make one of two catastrophic mistakes:

1) The investors rely too heavily on experts for investing advice and money management. (Ever heard of Bernie Madoff?)

2) Investors eagerly begin working on their own, following whims or opinions of the neighbor, groping in the dark: in short, learning the hard way. A handful of the commited will persevere long enough to get there but the majority will give up well before they begin achieving healthy returns.

 There’s no need to go to either extreme, but one thing is certain; however much you think you know now, you probably don’t know enough to reach your goals. Beginning your education now and acting with intention will help put you on the right path to having the lifestyle you have always wanted. Times change as we have seen so drastically of late, so the learning process never really ends it just evolves and we must adapt to stay in the game.

What do you desire? What is your current financial situation? Are you able to do all the things you really want?

Start asking yourself these questions and begin to take control of your life. Start your financial education by reading a well known book like ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ by Robert Kiyosaki or my personal favorite ‘What I Didn’t learn at School but Wish I Had’ by Australian Entrepreneur and self made millionaire Jamie McIntyre.

Investing clubs exist all over the country, both local and online, welcoming investors interested in almost every kind of product or strategy imaginable. The more people you talk to, the more you can learn from their mistakes. In this game, and that’s exactly what it is, a mentor is one of the most crucial assets to becoming wealthy. If you want to be good at investing do you think you are more likely to be successful if you’re mentored by Warren Buffet or your uncle Bob who has dabbled unsuccessfully on the stock market his whole life? Extreme examples I know, but you see my point.

You have to become accountable, stop blaming others for losing your money. If you don’t monitor what they are doing and make sure they are achieving what you expect, who is to blame? Whose money is it? Do your homework before giving your money to anyone. A little diligence and caution can go a long away!

Start your journey today. Financial freedom can be yours! Click on the link to order a free DVD or free E-Book.  

Make Money Fast!

Does it sound too good to be true???

Are you looking at new ways of making money? Need to supplement your current job? Or just want some extra cash to take a vacation or to have a splurge. Or are you like myself committed 100% to achieving financial freedom and not been another statistic to barely survive on the state pension but live out your latter years in at least moderate luxury!

If you have done any research at all you will know that there is no end to the advertising and marketing.

Particularly online where endless opportunities exist. And with the added bonus of working from home, a lot sound very appealing. So how do you know the good from the bad and the ugly before parting with your hard earned cash? Very good question!  I have spent over a 100k on courses and I have learnt a lot in the process.

I would like to share with you my top 5 tips (from experience) that can help get you on the right track.

After all, pick the wrong one and you could end up a little further back in your money making quest.

1. Research, research, research!

Check testimonials, speak to people who have done the courses, audios and DVD’s, are they actually making money? Always dig a little deeper! Check out what people are saying in the forums and blogs.

2. Decide what you actually want to do.

Are you passionate about shares, property or business? Doing something just for the benefits it will reap doesn’t go that far as to encourage you to get out of bed on that cold winters morning. Do you have any existing knowledge or skill in certain areas? Lets face it, if you can’t really use a computer then making millions online is going to be that little bit harder but if you have a good knowledge of the property market in your local area that could be a great help.

3. Ensure there is a money back guarantee

If the product is worth it and the people selling for real, they will quite happily offer a guarantee or cooling off period.

4. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

Often online you will be hit with crazy sales letters showing $$$ each month in the persons bank account. Whilst this maybe achievable, it certainly isn’t going to be as incredibly simple and as quick as it promises, so be careful!

5. Stick with it.

When you have decided on a path, don’t be too easily deterred. Opportunities present themselves all the time, especially if you have your eyes open. Don’t get distracted, stay focused and give it a fair shot. Then if you really feel it isn’t working try something else.

There are a million ways of making money and most will work- some more frequently than others. Time and effort are certainly going to be required. Most people are just too lazy. Procrastination is very prominent in wealth creation!

I would say the most important thing is to gain a financial education and a mindset for wealth. With these building blocks… financial freedom will be not far around the corner.

Start your journey today. Financial freedom can be yours! Click on the link to order a free DVD or free E-Book. 

It’s Time to take Control Back!

Although everyone talks about becoming extremely wealthy, most people don’t want to put in the hard work and effort to do so. Instead, they are always looking for the easy way out, however, as most millionaires and other wealthy individuals will tell you, there is no such thing as the easy way out. Instead, it takes knowledge, skills and hard work to make it to the top.

In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of a quality financial education, the benefits of having one and how it can change your life. Are you ready? Let’s begin.

Importance of Wealth Education

A Financial education is important because it enables you to control your destiny. It will teach you the skills that you need to be a successful investor and start making money work for you. You need to learn the fundamentals of attracting prosperity, as well as how to rid yourself of debt, the importance of making sound financial investments and methods to create financial security. You alone, have the power to change your financial future.

The chance of you winning the lottery is a 1000 times less than winning a gold medal at the Olympics- if that doesn’t put things in perspective I don’t know what does. Imagine not having to go to work to earn money because your investments are giving you a healthy passive income… worth a bit of effort to learn how to do this? I think so.

 Pitfalls of not Educating Yourself

By not taking an active role in your educational development, you join the millions of people worldwide who have their lives dictated by others. You become part of the problem and not the solution. You live in cause ,not effect and set yourself up to stay within the same realm of mediocrity and financial insecurity that plagues so many.

Wealth Education separates those with real money from those without and in return the level of contribution one can make to this world. A good job no longer means wealth and financial security- you need to learn to invest. There is only so much time you can spend working, you’re money however in the right place can be working for you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. So how do you do this? You can read books about stocks, bonds, real estate, commodities, trading and business or you can go out and find someone who has done it before and model them- you will achieve your dreams so much faster by doing the latter. Unfortunately, like most people who read this and think it’s a good idea, for one reason or another you just won’t take action. It does involve time, effort and money but I think you’ll agree the outcome is worth it.

 Be Accountable!

At least educate yourself to the point where you can monitor the people who are looking after your money and managing your wealth. If you don’t ensure they are doing a good job and hold them accountable no one else will.

In conclusion, having a quality wealth education is everything when it comes to making money. Get focused and clear, get the right tools for success and start taking action now!

Start your journey today. Financial freedom can be yours! Click on the link to order a free DVD or free E-Book. 

When looking to buy property, how do you know it’s a good price and how do you avoid being ripped off?

In the past I had asked the same question and it was always answered in the same, seemingly intelligent but not that helpful, kind of way; “Do your research”.

But what does “do your research” mean? I mean what exactly are you expected to research?

Well here are some tips that, if followed correctly, will mean you will never be fooled into buying overpriced property and that will give you the ability to spot a bargain a mile away.

Know What You Want:

Smart investors always know what they are looking for with precise accuracy and strict criteria.
How do you work this out? Well for starters you should know your budget. Find out your borrowing capacity before you start looking for your investment property. Get together details of your income, your assets, liabilities and expenses and go and see a financier, they may want to know what you’re borrowing for, but just tell them you’re still looking and you just want a pre-approval to find out your borrowing capacity.
Once you know how much you can spend you can set a limit, there is no use looking at property well above your budget. Set a limit 10 to 20% above your budget to allow for the fact that many real estate agents will over value a property to secure a listing from the vendor and then “condition” the vendor to accept lower offers over time (now that’s a different story altogether, keep and eye out for a post about agents tricks coming soon).
Now you have set a limit on price, it’s time to define all the other criteria. Such as:
• Suburb
• Type (house, unit, villa, apartment)
• Construction (brick, timber, fibro)
• Land size
• Bedrooms
• Bathrooms
• Garage
Specify as many things as you can. Ok I know, there are specific things that are expected to be considered better investments than others, eg brick versus fibro and 3 bedrooms versus 2 or 1, and even some suburbs versus others, but the idea here is to be specific within your budget, if it’s your first investment property and you can only afford a 2 bedroom unit or a 2 bedroom fibro house that’s fine, just decide, what is it going to be, A 2 bedroom unit or a 2 bedroom house?

Why Be So Specific?

Ok the key is, if you chose one type of property and one type only, anything you look at will be accurately comparable to everything else you choose to look at. What I mean to say is, if you look at a 2 bedroom apartment one day and a 3 bedroom brick house in another suburb the next, there is no possible way you are going to be able to compare the prices of those two properties, and therefore you will be no closer to knowing if either of them were priced well or not. On the other hand if you look at two 3 bedroom houses in the same suburb, on roughly the same sized, flat corner block of land and they both have 1 bathroom and a single lock up garage but one is 15k cheaper, than your ears are going to prick up and you will instantly recognize the variation in value. Am I right?

Don’t Stop There…

Right, now you have the concept, don’t just rush out and buy the 2nd house you see just because it was 15k cheaper than the other. Remember, this is “research”. What you’ll want to do next is find as many properties that fit your criteria as possible.

Tip: Did you know property websites like www.domain.com.au and www.realestate.com.au have a function where you can set your criteria and have only properties that fit your criteria emailed to you automatically?

At this point you want to call the agents and book in to view as many properties as you can as soon as you can. I’m talking 10, 20 ,30, 40 properties all that fit the criteria. Hang on a minute, are you telling me to spend all weekend every weekend for the next 3 or 4 weeks scanning my emails looking at properties and talking to agents?? Well, no. you don’t have to do any of this, I’m just suggesting that if you were to do this “research” its possible to save up to 10 to 20% off your next investment property and have up to 40% instant equity and maybe save as much as $10,000 to $40,000. Let me ask you this, how long did it take you to earn your last $40,000??
So, when you go to view the property, take a clipboard / notepad with you. Take heaps of notes.
• What’s its condition?
• How are the carpets?
• Dose it have air conditioning?
• What’s the buildings age?
• Is it on a main road?
• Is it under power lines?

Tip: Open houses are great, they are advertised in advance, often with the name of the agent and what time they are on. This helps you save time by being able to plan your day. You can even ring the agent in advance and ask questions saving you more time on site and even eliminating unsuitable properties.

Keep a small file on each suitable property to refer back to. You can usually select “Print Brochure” from the website where the property is advertised and put this with all your notes.

The Big Brother Trick

You can cheat a little too.
Tip: did you know that there are websites that can give you past sales data on recently sold properties? Sites like www.domain.com.au will provide you with recent sales prices and the date of sale of properties in your search area for a small fee.

Collect as many past sales details of recently sold properties in your selected area as possible. How far back you go is up to you, it all depends on the market at the time. If the market has been fairly stable then you could consider sales from up to 6 to 12 months ago, but just keep in mind things may have changed in value a little since then. It’s a good idea to take a drive around and have a look at the properties that you have past sales data on and once again take a note pad and even a camera to collect more details on the property and keep it all in your little file for each property.

Tip: you can get a quick idea of the property, including a view of the property from the street and its location using www.googlemaps.com simply enter the address in the search bar. This could save you time going to check out properties that have obviously had major renovations or redevelopment since their last sale and therefore are no longer comparable.

Now that you have looked at a large number of COMPARABLE properties you should go back over all the property files that you have been compiling, consider any of the variations between them and start to gauge the true value of the property you are looking for. By now you should have a very good handle on what represents good value and I would be surprised if you didn’t know a lot more about the particular type of property that fits into your criteria than any real estate agent you speak to.

If you do your research properly, you will become the guru of property value in your particular niche and you will know when it’s a good price, be able to spot a bargain a mile away and you will never be fooled into buying an overpriced property.

For more investment property & wealth creation strategies, feel free to order our FREE e-book and FREE DVD available at www.EducationForWealth.com

Happy Researching

Lance Jenkins
Education For Wealth
www.EducationForWealth.com

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I would like to share this article I discovered on a great web site called simplesavings.com.au A fantastic site if you are looking for ways to save on expenses and start putting some savings aside.

I believe this was written by a lady called Penny Cooper

THANKS A BUNCH FOR FREE FLOWERS

My hubby gives me a beautiful bouquet of flowers every week – and it doesn’t cost him a cent!  When times get tough financially, the first things to disappear are usually life’s little luxuries.  As soon as we started living on a budget I could no longer justify buying fresh flowers to add a splash of winter cheer to our home.  So I was surprised and delighted when my husband arrived home from work a few months ago with a gorgeous bouquet of flowers! He works in a corporate building on the same floor as the reception desk. Every Monday morning there is a fresh bunch of flowers delivered to reception and as such the existing flowers are thrown out every Friday. They are still usually absolutely fine however, being only five days old and often contain lilies and other hardy blooms that last for three to five weeks.  Instead of leaving them to get thrown away, he asked at reception if he could take them home and they said no problem!

You could ask the same at any likely shop/reception area that has flowers each week.  It’s easy enough to call by and pick them up before they throw them out. While this hasn’t really saved us any money as we weren’t buying them due to their cost, it is a delight for me to be able to enjoy one of my luxury items for free.  It also allows us to be generous to our friends who are also all on budgets.  Now we have a constant supply of flowers for our own home, plus often enough to make up into bunches to give to our friends.
At least until Hubby’s colleagues catch on to what he’s doing and start asking to take them home too!

What a great idea Penny.

If you are looking for ways to save money, pay off debt and even start investing some of your saving, than you may want check out this free DVD and e-book.

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Great news if you are looking to buy..

A global economic downturn, a determined Australian Government, a robust banking system teamed with housing shortages and falling interest rates means it’s a pretty good time to be an Aussie right now….and even better to be an Aussie looking to get into the property market.

Housing Shortages Rising

Australia is getting close to having 9 million dwellings in the country by the end of this year, however this is still well short of demand. At the moment, we are building no more new dwellings than we did 40 years ago, despite having a population that has doubled since then.

In Australia, population growth is faster than the world average due to high immigration, which now exceeds the natural increase. Due to the continuing shortage state governments are being forced to create more development land and alternative opportunities such as the NSW Government’s move to eliminate
infrastructure levies.

Property prices are staying relatively strong in Australia in comparison to the hits taken by the rest of the world and the bottom hasn’t fallen out of the market as has elsewhere. ANZ recently stated that the present shortfall in residential dwellings is around 250,000 showing us an unprecedented level of under supply.

It’s not all Doom and Gloom….but is there the possibility of a BOOM?

The release of the RP Data-Rismark Hedonic Property Value Index heralds some exciting news for the Australian residential market.

According to the latest monthly indices, property values are experiencing a recovery from the modest 3 per cent falls seen in 2008. The findings confirmed that over the first two months of 2009, national dwelling values increased by 1.1 per cent with most of the capital gains coming in February.

A combination of low interest rates, softer property prices and government incentives make 2009 a great time to buy property, particularly for first-time buyers, according to mortgage broker Loan Market Group.

Capital city dwelling values for the 3 months to end of Feb ‘09 have been released by RP Data as follows;

* Sydney values up 0.5% to $509,900
* Melbourne values up 1.9% to $428,600
* Brisbane values up 2.2% to $413,700
* Adelaide values up 1.3% $389,450
* Perth values up 1.0% to $466,900
* Darwin values up 61% to $426,660
* Canberra values up 1.8% to $438,900

The average number of days on the market is at the lowest in Melbourne at 42 days and at the highest in Adelaide at 78 days for the three months until the end of February 09.

Demand for more affordable property has also helped property values in some regional areas. It is the properties at the high end of the market that are taking the brunt of the current financial situation. Properties in the $500,000 or lower price range have managed to defy the downtrend, whereas big drops have occurred in the median price of higher-end properties.

First Time Home Buyers Grant

John Kolenda, Executive Director of Loan Market Group says first homebuyers face an unprecedented opportunity and have already leapt back into the market since the Federal Government announced the doubling and tripling of the First Home Owners Grant in mid-October.

These grants have reinvigorated interest at the lower to middle end of the property market. “It is now clear that the boost to the first home owners grant has been one of the Government’s most successful policy measures – this price strength will hopefully encourage developers back into the market. – RP Data National Research Director, Tim Lawless

First homebuyers who purchased established homes received a boost of $7000 that doubled the grant to $14,000. First homebuyers who built a new home or purchased a newly constructed home received an extra $14,000 which took their grant to $21,000.

This has resulted in there being record sales to first homebuyers. Melbourne property prices fell more slowly than expected in the December quarter, thanks to lower rates and the First Home Owner Grant boost.

Stressed sellers and falling prices, housing shortages, 40 year lows in mortgage rate and government incentives make 2009 a year of opportunity by providing ideal situations for anyone wanting to enter the property market.

While the property boom of five to ten years ago may be well over for most states it is not over for property investors – not by a long shot. – Smart Investor

You can learn more about the exciting & profitable hobby of property investing by getting your hands on a FREE e-book and DVD (valued at $132) simply by following the link below.
http://www.educationforwealth.com/free-wealth-creation-dvd

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Around the house can be one of the quickest and easiest places to save money. A lot of these tips are virtually set and forget.

• Replace your shower head with a water saving shower head. This not only saves you water but can also save you a considerable amount on you energy bill by using less hot water.

• By installing energy saving light globes you can save quite a bit on your power bill and a lot of the compact fluorescent globes have a long life, up to 20 years, so they are great value.

• You can save on energy costs by setting your heater one degree cooler in winter and one degree warmer in summer.

• Set your air conditioner on a timer so it comes on a little while before you come home. This way your house will be cool when you get home, preventing you from putting it on flat out when you come home to a hot house. You can do the same with heating in winter.

• When using water only for a short time, like washing your hands, be sure to use the cold water tap. This will save water heating costs.

• In winter, make sure any windows facing the sun have the blinds open to capture as much natural heat as possible.

• In winter, draw the blinds early to prevent the heat from escaping.

• In summer, keep the blinds closed on the windows that face the sun.

• Keeping the doors closed and heating only the rooms you use most can save you a lot on your heating bill.

• Turn off any electrical appliances that have a stand by mode (that’s anything with little lights or LED displays) at the wall.

• When replacing electrical appliances, consider their energy rating.

• Lower the hot water thermostat by 5 or 10 degrees.

• Turn off the lights if you’re not using them.

You may think all of these things seam like small stuff, and they are, but together they can save you large amounts on your utility bills. Allowing you to take that saved money and put it aside to start building your personal wealth. If you would like to learn more about investing your savings to accelerate your wealth and create extra streams of income, feel free to order our FREE Wealth Creation DVD. You may be surprised at how simply it really is.

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