Archive for November, 2008
What Are You Thankful For?
Tomorrow is the day that millions of Americans pull the plug on chasing their dreams – and the almighty dollar – long enough to spend some time with loved ones, reflect on their lives and relationships, and give some thought to all they have to be thankful for.
So what are you thankful for?
Is it a loving spouse you swore you’d stick with through thick and thin, regardless of their flaws, until your dying day? Don’t just expect that they know you’re thankful for their love and support. Make a point to give your spouse a loving embrace and tell them what they mean to you.
Are you thankful for your children? Tell them how much you love, adore, and appreciate them. I believe children are a special blessing from God, and that if we just listen to them, we can better grasp the good that exists in humanity. Whether your children are 3 or 33, embrace them lovingly and express your feelings to them with words, deeds, and gestures. We too frequently get caught up in the moment and we forget what life would be like if they weren’t here to spread their light and their youthful zest for living.
Enjoy the moment – it truly is special.
If you’re mourning the loss of a dear family member or a close friend, weep if you must. But also take the time to be thankful. Be thankful for the life that was, the time you had, and the times you shared. Life is fragile and our time together fleeting, but by remembering the good times you had and expressing your Thanksgiving for the time you had together you can do your part to keep them alive in your heart and your mind.
Be thankful for America and the fact that – for all of her flaws and troubles – this is still the greatest country on the face of the earth.
Above all else, be Thankful tomorrow.
Let that thankfulness spread every day and never forget that there are others with so much less than what we’ve been blessed with.
When you take the time every day to be thankful for what you have, you really can turn the corner from looking at Thanksgiving as a holiday for eating turkey and taking a day off from work.
When you really let Thanksgiving infiltrate every corner of your life, you can take it to the next level.
Your day of Thanksgiving can give way to a life of ThanksLIVING.
Blessings!
Charrissa Cawley
Are You Positioned for Fat Profits in the New Year?
In my last blog post, I told you about how President Roosevelt basically kickstarted the economy to end the great depression by confiscating gold which devalued our currency, before revaluing gold much higher. I’ve done a little more reading on this subject and I see this as a possibility – maybe one of the more risky ideas out there, but one that has some interesting side-effects.
The G-20 nations will get together for another big meeting after President-elect Obama’s administration takes over. They’re not supposed to meet until April, but I won’t be at all surprised if they don’t get together a little sooner than expected because there’s a massive mess to straighten out.
I’m thinking more and more that this might be the hidden solution to a lot of the problems we have. If this is indeed the solution they select, there are some risks and rewards that will come into play. First, there’s a chance that it might not work. The longer other ideas don’t work, the better the chances that they’ll try to pull a rabbit out of their hat and try something radical. And, don’t forget that so far nothing else is working either!
Then again, this strategy worked once before – on a global basis – so I think that lends credibility to the idea that it could work again.
One big risk to devaluing currency and then revaluing it by a fixed percentage is that it could cause hyperinflation if they don’t do it right. And that could be a very bad thing, especially for people that have cash. Which leads me to a very good side-effect of this idea.
If they revalue gold upward that will revalue other assets upward by a comparable percentage. Therefore, things like real estate would increase with the stroke of a Presidential pen. So if you have a real estate investment with no equity before the adjustment is made, you could instantly have equity buildup of 40% or more.
Will they do it? And what could that mean to you and your family’s net worth?
The property-buying spree real estate investors everywhere are on right now would probably come to a screeching halt. But, the property you have could potentially be worth a whole lot more than it is now. In this situation, you could literally become an overnight millionaire.
Disclaimer: I’m not a lawyer and I’m not an economist. Before you do anything I suggest you do some research of your own and see what the risks and rewards are for yourself. Make your own judgment about what you think makes sense – or get the opinion of an expert. The bottom line here is that by doing your own homework you get to take all the credit for what you ultimately decide.
Big changes are coming. I don’t know what will be decided in the end, but these are exciting times as we rock and roll with every twist and turn this adventure we call real estate investing decides to take. Doing nothing will get you nowhere fast, but staying on top of current events and making smart decisions could easily set you on course for your own golden parachute – without having to go crawling to the government and begging for a handout.
Happy Investing!
Charrissa Cawley
Radical Solution to the Global Financial Crisis?
The G-20 nations met with President Bush over the weekend trying to collectively solve the global financial crisis. At this point, nothing much was accomplished, but they’ll be meeting again shortly after Barack Obama becomes President. In the meantime, it looks like the short-term solution of the day seems to be continuing to throw money at the problem and hoping against hope that all that money will somehow cause the major economies of the world to catch fire.
I’m no economist, and I honestly don’t know if it will work. But I read an article that got me to thinking about some of the more radical solutions they might decide to implement if all that cash doesn’t catch a friendly spark and a favorable wind that reignites the economy in the meantime.
In 1933, President Roosevelt used the power of his Executive Order pen to simultaneously devalue U.S. currency and confiscate gold. He then raised the value of gold by about 70% which revalued all financial assets. It worked back then. Would a similar idea – implemented on a global basis – work today?
I’m not suggesting they would confiscate gold – and the author of the article wasn’t either. What he was suggesting is that if they were to simply restate the value of gold that it could have the same effect. By skyrocketing the value of gold, they would basically be raising the value of everything of value – gold, real estate, etc.
Would it work? I have no idea.
What I do know is that governments around the world can’t seem to print money or IOU’s fast enough to keep up with demand. Nothing they’ve tried has worked. About all they haven’t tried is giving every man, woman, and child in America a check for a million dollars and ask that they please start buying stuff.
Who knows, that may be next.
Like I said, I don’t know if this will work or not. But it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.
Until then, invest right and invest smart. We don’t know what the future holds, but the coming weeks and months promise to be a wild ride.
Blessings!
Charrissa Cawley
Congratulate Obama; Celebrate by Investing in Your Future
Last week we made history in this nation by proving that hard work, an indomitable spirit, and a few lucky breaks along the way make it possible for any of us to achieve our dreams. So what can we all learn from the Obama campaign model – and how can you put a micro-version of this to work in your investing life?
• Don’t be afraid to try new ideas even if everyone you know thinks you’ll fail – Friends and family will tell you that real estate investing is a bad idea, that millions of people are staring at foreclosure right now, and that only a fool would jump into a market that is bruised, bleeding, and holding on for dear life. Only a fool would buy real estate when prices are at the top – because there’s only one direction they can go. Hint: It’s not up.
• Believe in yourself regardless of what the pundits think – A strong belief in yourself can help you overcome any adversity you might face. Lack of money, credit, knowledge – these are all challenges you can overcome. Believe in yourself and find a way.
• Surround yourself with smart people who believe in you – You recognize that you don’t know everything. Instead of lamenting this for 40 years and treading water, find someone who knows what you don’t. Tap into their expertise and move forward.
Congratulate Barack Obama on his historic achievement regardless of your political viewpoint. Use his election as an incentive to challenge your own preconceived notions of what is possible. When success in real estate seems like a mere pipe dream, reach down deep within yourself and keep pushing forward with a mantra for success, “Yes, you can!”
Yes you can.
Blessings!
Charrissa Cawley
Unprecedented Opportunity to Build Wealth, Do Good
The impression a lot of people have is that the average real estate investor is a fast-talking con-man (or woman) who specializes in preying on those unfortunate enough to fall on hard times. As you know, the reality is much different. These misconceptions are fueled in part by media perceptions and a few bad actors who call themselves real estate investors, but are — in reality — low-lifes who should be serving long stints in the Cross Bar Hotel.
As an honest and ethical real estate investor who is interested in buying right and doing the right thing — while helping people who NEED to unload their property — I want to share a totally uplifting story I read about a truly special real estate investor. A woman who fell on hard times and lost her home was fortunate enough to run into a real estate investor with a heart. What this investor did was enough to bring a tear to my eye. She bought the property at auction and immediately gave it back to the lady who had lost her home. No strings, just blessings and a great big hug.
As an investor you may not be in the position to be able to do this sort of thing, but by getting in gear now and capitalizing on the unprecedented opportunity you have to make money and build real, sustainable wealth, you still have a chance to do much more than the average person who simply shrugs their shoulders and switches the channel. You can take care of your future, but you can also do some good for other people.
Obviously, the choice is yours.
You can pocket all of your profits if you like. But, I recommend you do some good for others. Your contribution can be a series of small, quiet contributions to charities that you believe in, or a loud, in-your-face gift that will make others praise your name.
The choice is yours.Secure your future by building real, sustainable wealth. But don’t forget to give something back.
Make no mistake about it. Real estate investing riches are great.
Even better is the undeniably electric feeling you get by making a real difference in somebody else’s life. The beauty of this concept is you’re in charge of your destiny, but you can also play a vital role in improving the lives and the outlook of others as well.
When you do that, you truly understand the concept of being wealthy.
Blessings!
Charrissa Cawley
