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It was a glorious accident that I found My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising by Claude C. Hopkins. I’d been helping my Mom and Dad clear out their recycling and reusable goods. Mom sent me into the book exchange to drop off a bunch of old books and as I was sorting the books onto their proper shelves I found this book I’d heard about in marketing seminars. The book is filled with wisdom and lessons that are just applicable today as they were in the early 1900’s when Claude was building his career in advertising.

This book was a fascinating look at the life of a man who devoted his life to advertising. His accounts of turning money losing products into household names were brilliant and inspirational. His life lessons shared were priceless. And, I found many of his lessons applied to real estate just as much as advertising.

The easy application of his advertising lessons to real estate was delightful but not surprising. I believe that a good marketer WILL make an exceptional real estate investor. Continue reading ‘What Claude Hopkins Taught Me About Real Estate Investing’ »

Listening to a benefit auctioneer without skills is like tuning your radio to the emergency broadcast system test. It is literally hard for your ears to listen to an auctioneer with poor skills for any amount of time. You just want to turn it off. On the contrary, the audience of a skillful auctioneer can listen to him for hours without tiring.

A benefit auctioneer must be trained to have a quality chant. It is a skill that must be improved by much practice. A beautiful rhythmic chant is like music and changes the atmosphere of the event. Often times, there are feet tapping to the melodic rhythm. Continue reading ‘Benefit Auctioneer Qualities – Number 3 Skill’ »

Mutual funds are a great way to get started in investing and should be part of your portfolio if they aren’t already. In today’s economy, diversification is extremely important and mutual funds are an excellent way to doing so. Depending on the fund you choose, your investment entitles you to a portion of the earnings. Here are 3 essential tips to help you make smart investment choices.

1. Do your research ahead of time

Don’t be so quick to jump on a mutual fund that everyone tells you will be a huge success in the future. Always do your research ahead of time and thoroughly look into the fund including how well the fund performed in the past, who the board of advisors are and what assets they invest in. Be sure to invest into a company with a track record of proven success.

2. Make use of rating systems

Be sure to use resources such as Morningstar and the Lipper Leader Fund Ratings as they provide detailed analysis of literally hundreds of mutual funds. These companies use a simple 5 star rating system that use criteria such as total return and past performance to rate individual funds. These resources should only be used as a guide and should not be taken at face value. Continue reading ‘Mutual Fund Investment Guide – 3 Tips For Better Investing’ »

IRA Investments like a Trust

Since we now know that an IRA can do just about anything a trust can do, you should be aware of the specifics that are allowed. Just as a trust, your IRA can be a form of loan money. You are allowed to borrow from the account for loan purposes. This is usually done when the owner of the IRA account is buying a home for the first time. A loan can be taken to pay for medical expenses as well. With your IRA, you can purchase real estate with no money down. You are also allowed to buy options on real estate. On the flip side, you can sell the options and the property that was purchased. There are many avenues you can take when investing in real estate using the funds from an IRA account.

Options with IRA Investments

If you have decided to avoid IRA real estate investing with your funds, there are many other roads you can travel. IRA funds can be used to start a business. This is great news for those who have been able to save a good amount of money in their IRA account. Many people have dreamed of owning their own business, but they seldom have the start-up money to do so. This is where your IRA could be a huge benefit. Continue reading ‘IRA Trust – IRA Investments & Funds’ »