a great place to get STATS on your market

HEY!

What a week. So many very excellent things happening, it's hard to
track it all.

Statistics on what a market is doing is critical; you must know this
BEFORE buying property, and it's best to get it first-hand from
reliable sources and NOT from a broker that is trying to sell you a
property. If you do get info from a broker/agent, just remember,
"Trust, But Verify."

Check out your area's MLS (multiple listing service) for stats on
both residential and some multi-family properties.

For instance, I can track what's happening in the Willamette Valley
by visiting our regions MLS site: www.WVMLS.com

I can run FREE reports that show recent stats on residential and what
the market is doing (hot, post-hot, cold, warm, recovering, etc.) -
trends based on home sales within recent months.

If you decide to invest in other areas, like I do a lot of (for
instance, San Angelo, Texas and all over Iowa) you can get a TON of
info from a simple resource like this on virtually any area's MLS site.

Check it out BEFORE YOU BUY. Another great resource, especially if
you are going multi-family: RealQuest.com

Go Make an Offer!
~Jerry

who's doing deals?

A lot of whining continues from un-savvy (which translates to un-
trained) real estate investors.

Meanwhile, all OVER the U.S. other investors are just killing it.

I'm at an event right now in Long Beach that is a haven for finding
folks, regular guys and gals, doing some amazing and hugely
profitable deals.

What separates the wheat from the chaff are two things:

1) training
2) DO-ING something

That's it. There are other keys, but these are the biggies.

I'll post another entry here in the next day or two of THREE DENTISTS
that are just doing some amazing things.

One in Dallas. One in Kansas and another in Florida.

There's never been a better time to get started. Especially with all
the advancements in what can be done for you without your involvement!

Heck, last night, I learned how to wholesale properties in any state
right from my cell phone and computer!

AMAZING!

Anyway, I'll be in touch...Adios, Jerry

Time Management: You're Using The Wrong Computer.

Some time back I posted an article on Time Management.

I've got another area I've cracked, that allows a literal DAILY EXPLOSION

of time re-captured, once lost.

It's not a miracle website.

It's not a "process" to make appts.

It's not a "new" and unusual gadget.

It's not a new employee (although, a blessing and a curse aren't they?!)

It's not more cash, although, more cash does create more time, right?

Here IT is:

A computer.

Most likely, for 90% of you, you're literally using the WRONG computer.

I don't mean Windows XP vs. Vista. (oooh, my computer almost shorted just now.)

I don't mean laptop vs. desktop.

It's the BRAND and operating system that can suck up more time in a day than

inconsiderate "friends" that "just thought" they'd "stop by."

Last June, in 2007, I switched to a MacBook Pro.

For obvious reasons, that unless you own a Mac, you may find hard to believe.

Here's a short list of benefits:

* They start up quickly.

* They crash rarely and usually only when running Windows software like Word or Excel

* Their MAIL program is considerably superior.

* They are much, much, much more simple to operate and connect to things. ANYTHING.

* They are FFFAAAAAAAAAAAST.

* They are not always downloading laboriously long updates.

* They are not susceptible to viruses, so I don't have any annoying virus programs running in the "background." 

And I could go on and on.

I only recently thought how much time I re-captured every day of the week when I went from a Dell PC laptop to a Mac, when I was 

visiting a friend of mine in HIS office, wasting HIS time, and he was about ready to toss his newer Dell into the trash can. Vista

kept running updates and did so about daily.

He couldn't get work done. I encouraged him to re-claim his life and time and DO sell it on eBay and buy a Mac!

I encourage you to do the same. I've never been THIS excited about ANY computer.

Check 'em out at www.apple.com

You'll never regret it.

And, besides, why should Bill Gates stop in your office everyday and ROB YOU BLIND of YOUR time?

Adios, Jerry

How Much Does Construction Cost?

Great Question. It's one Tom and I (partner Tom) ask a lot about different projects we review and consider.

To get a quick ball park, look at public info on other projects. That's what we do to get a general idea.

From there, we add contingencies such as materials cost increase (right now, anything made with or processed using oil, which in construction is about everything) and site challenges (slopes, water front, wetlands, elevations, etc.).

It's a quick and easy way to calculate costs. In fact, this is my preferred method.

Then, if we get to that point in a project where we have basic drawings for a contractor, we get firmer estimates.

Eventually, you get a contract from your builder with specific prices, or fixed bid contracts.

Here's a source I use once in a while for the Greater Portland area: Daily Journal of Commerce. They print information on a lot of the big, multi-million dollar projects around the NW - including major rehabs - so you can get a ballpark, "How many millions to do this..." idea.

Adios and have a good weekend.

Now, Go Make an Offer(TM)!

Jerry

Jerry A. Jones

3488 Liberty Rd S

Salem, OR 97302

jerry@jerryjonesdirect.com

www.jerryjonesdirect.com

P: (503) 339-6000

F: (503) 218-0557

Best Adivce Yet?

Free advice is often worth what you pay: zip.

However, sometimes, in seeking out more experienced folks, I get a real education for pennies.

Today I am going to visit my friend Dave. He's been a local Salem resident and real estate broker here (Commercial only) for years and knows about everyone in town and has been inside or knows the owners of just about every commercial property in Salem.

I'll spend an hour with him and we'll evaluate 4 properties today.

How much will I spend with Dave?

Zero.

Now, I might take him out on one of my fishing boats in Juneau (check 'em out at http://www.ThunderMontainAnglers.com) some time or pay for him to catch some fish with me in Cabo, but it's all worth it.

Dave will give me honest answers and keep me outta trouble. He's long-term relationship guy and old school. And you know, there's just not enough of that left around anymore is there?

Hook up with an Old School Guy/Gal and add them to your dream team. The dividends are amazing.

Now, Go Make an Offer(TM)!

~Jerry

Real Estate Education & FREE Information for Busy Dentists - For more information visit http://www.SecretsofRealEstateMillions.com

Former BLOG Reader Decides to Respond

You guys are going to love this. Remember Dr. Escobar? Well, he's
back and decided to respond to my BLOG post, so he's no longer a
*former* reader.

Here's what he said:

"Jerry: You've held yourself out as a dentist in the past. That check
you posted is probably not even yours. Anyone cold have created that.
I get so tired of your kind of people praying on the backs of hard-
working dentists and other people out there. I would never sign up
for any course you offer. I am sure it'd be lost money. I can't see
how you can sleep at night charging someone 449 a month for your LOS
membership. What a joke. Dr. Escobar"

And of course, my reply:

Dear Dr. Escobar:
First things first. If you are going to email me more insults, kindly
refer to me as Mr. Jones, not Jerry. Secondly, I have never, ever in
my entire career held myself out as a dentist. You're just flat-out
wrong. You PROVE IT. And I won't accept your misreading something,
either. That'd be your fault, not mine. Geez. Do you want to see a
bank statement, too? Would that make you feel better? Is it just
because that's more than you earned in, oh, say, 4 or 5 months
breaking your back bent over a patient? You know Doc, there IS
another way and that is why the SOREM site exists
[www.secretsofrealestatemillions.com]. At this point, if I knew you
wanted to sign up for a course with me, I'd not even let you in.
You'd poison the well and take real opportunity and value away from
others deserving of it. Why should I let your negative thoughts and
verbiage affect them? My mission is to expose losers like you for
what they really are. Oh, this is a good one: Preying on the hard
work of others. First off, spell it right. Secondly, no way Jose.
I've never held a gun to anyone's head demanding they participate in
ANYTHING with me. People I work with do so on their own free will and
are happy to have someone like me that will spend the time with them
to get an educational base hammered out, provide high-quality
educational materials and mastermind discussions where they can grown
and learn at an exponential rate. Frankly, spending $449 a month is a
BARGAIN compared to what I deliver. My land use and attorney's fees
often times exceed what most dental practices profit in one month -
$5k to $10k is an easy month in fact. What I PAY them to learn and do
for me I pass along and happily so, to members. Where else can you
learn what I teach? Who ELSE is going to take you by the hand and
guide you through the process of buying your first hunk of raw land
or apartment building? Who ELSE would consider partnering with you on
a project? Duh. And, I won't even touch on the other 20 or 30 Members-
only benefits. You've got to understand the insight and value
delivered is useful to those seeking it. Right? It'd be like teaching
a chiropractor to pull a tooth. WHY? It would be painful for the
patient and the chiropractor would have no practical use for the
skill, right? I think you need to re-evaluate where you are at in
life and how you are going to reach your financial goals. Perhaps an
MLM would be a good route to take. Low risk, a sure-fire way to chase
away your friends and relatives, and, I am sure great products,
right? Again, good luck to you and please, don't waste any more of
your time writing to me to try and piss me off. Ain't workin' and
I'll debate you right into the ground. Good Luck. ~Mr. Jones.

Ah, that felt so good to write that. You know, with any luck, he'll
GET it and make some positive changes in his life. Good luck to YOU!
Now, go make an offer!!