Late at night while chowing down on a chopped sirloin and gulping up the last drops of Green Tea, I often times find myself watching the late night Infomercials we've become so accustom to seeing. You know, Carlton Sheets & Company pitching the way to riches in Real Estate Investing. I've done this since I was 18 years old and now at 31 years old and almost 7 years in the business....I have a much different perspective in the validity or lack thereof in what these shows are promoting and how they are promoting it.
I was given a fantastic & quite surprising gift awhile back from a gentlemen by the name of William J Archambault Jr. That gift was a book he had written especially for Real Estate Investors, both new and seasoned. Who is Bill? In a nutshell, he's been in the business (in pretty much every aspect) since 1969. He knows his stuff inside & out. He's saw and been through the ups, the downs, all the cycles that is the Real Estate Industry. If you want a Guru or Mentor or Professional to work with.........Bill is your man.
On my recent flight down to North Carolina to visit my loving parent & brother (Hi Dad, Mom, & Justin:-), I was finally able to sit down and read the book in its entirety. Trust me when I say, "Awesome Read."
I'm not going to do a Book Review per se, but I will provide a link where you can get the book. I strongly recommend you do. It covers anything under the sun that is Real Estate. It's hefty on pages but a very easy & entertaining read. More than that, the value it has in information & Bill's sharing of knowledge is extraordinary.
Now, one may find it odd that I'm essentially promoting my 'competition'. After-all, Bill is licensed in all 50 states so he can do loans here in Pennsylvania as well. Well, I strongly recommend you call him. Yup, that's right...I don't mind being overlooked for the best in the biz. Besides, maybe he'll get too busy and I'll get the overflow:-)
Back to my point though. If you are Real Estate Professional, Real Estate Investor, or someone looking to get started in Real Estate........his book is a must read. Put Carlton Sheets & Company aside and Invest in Bill's book first.
I want to thank Mr. Bill for granting me the opportunity to read the work of a Mortgage Legend. I'm sure anyone reading this will find the information just as relevant & important now as it will ever be.
*Note*
To All you Active-Rain Members, tonight I will be posting my 2008 AR & Real Estate Predictions. As is somewhat typical of yours truly, it will be a sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek, & hopefully a humorous look into the future:-)
Sis - Happy New Year to you!
Jeff - "One House At A Time: Finding & Buying Single Family Rentals." And I agree with you about TV ads, but I have fun watching them:-)
Thanks so much for the tip about Bill's book. I'm a green tea lover so I could relate to "gulping up the last drops of Green Tea" comment.
Happy New Year!
Alecia - I'm sure you will enjoy the book immensely.
Sandra - You and me both:-)
Jason,
There is nothing wrong with promoting someone willing to share experiences with you..I'm sure William isn't going to steal all your potential business. I also feel that sharing is a good thing that comes back you in a positive way,instead of alienating. Sometimes being a good person is better then wondering how much you can pull of the tree before it's all gone.
Neal - You are so very right there, well said.
Matt - You do loans in Florida? I didn't know:-)
Jennifer - It really is and you sure can borrow mine. You know me, Mr. Shameless Promotion:-)
readmedon't read me tonight:-)Jason... I agree with several comments, that there is nothing wrong in talking good things about your competition. I also watch a lot of these infomercials at night and they tick me off, because most are so misleading. And I think I know some of their secrets to no money down while buying these foreclosures. But what I am disappointed in is that you talk highly about this and say it's better than Carlton and the others, but you don't tell us why. ???? At least give me your opinion to why his book is better and or different than these other people on TV. thanks
Happy New Year Jason! I am a little leery about your book recommendation since I've read a few of these and they all seem to be "get rich quick schemes". Is this book new info or the same old stuff just wrapped differently?
Can't wait to see your 2008 predictions by the way.
Jeff - Fair enough, here's a few reasons why I think this is different/more important than the other stuff out there....
-Soup to Nuts Straight Talk on all aspects of Real Estate by a guy who has been lending & in Real Estate for 39 years (The experience alone should tell you something)
-No frills, no bells & whistles......very common sense talk and on numerous occasions he reiterates the need for Hard Work. (God forbid we let people know that making money in Real Estate isn't a Get Rich Quick Gig).
-Bill points out time and again that the key to successful transactions is a Win-Win philosophy. (Your success doesn't necessarily mean somebody else's failure.)
-You can read about the details of Real Transactions and what they entailed. (Reality vs. Pie in the Sky Notions).
-Bill also gives details from the inside (Real Estate Professionals) and what goes on and is involved. He also gives an in depth look at not only how deals are structured but appraisals, homes he has bought and how he bought them, credit & credit repair, numerous contact information for other helpful sites, the cycles of Real Estate, etc.
If you want anything more Belonger, buy the freaking book:-)
Lola - Bill is a wealth of information and experience in Real Estate & in Life. Happy New Year to you as well!
Tracey - I wouldn't call it new info, just info that isn't often shared and addressed in such a Real World & Common Sense Approach that is based on 39 years of experience directly involved in pretty much every aspect of Real Estate. He has lived & worked through almost 4 decades of Real Estate and this read is probably not for those who buy into getting rich quick.
Hi Jason,
We are waiting on your predictions....:) Happy New Year and I will be sure to check out the links for Bill's book, it sounds really interesting. :)
Jason,
It's 10:15PM, I am completely wasted on cold medicine, and I have kahlua ready for when your predictions come out. Not that I am impatient or anything.....
I'll have to put this on my reading list - thanks for sharing! I'm glad you mentioned that it's a common sense/no frills book, because that's what I like. Right now I am digesting Marketing Warfare -- it is a fantastic marketing book (and I am too lazy to look it up and highlight it for everyone).
Looking forward to your predictions!
Jason,
Thanks for sharing the book. It sounds like a great book and I am always interested in reading books on investment. This is going to be one of my collections too. Have a great 08!
Dave
Danny - I would highly recommend referring your friends to Bill's book.
Brian- I will keep that book in mind and check out that blog. You do come across some interesting Blogs, would love to see you put a post together linking to them as I think they would prove beneficial to us all.
Suzanne - My freaking computer has more issues than Newsweek, so the predictions will have to wait. Hopefully tonight:-( And Bill's book is very interesting.
Marc - He is very straightforward. I'll get those predictions out as soon as I can.
Jayne- LOL! It's Friday, I hope to get it out tonight.
Jeannie - Thank you and I will have to keep that book in mind as well. I share your thoughts on the whole common sense/no frills thing.
Dave - Hope you invest in it, the book is a great read on many levels.
Diane - It is and so much of an education. Predictions are out:-) I will let you know the next time I'm down, hopefully this Spring or Summer.
Ginger - With my computer in a state of shambles, I've finally got them out. *Sigh*