With the start of the major league baseball season, a simple success formula recently heard comes to mind.  It uses baseball words, but contains plenty of success wisdom.

Which do you think is more important, a home run or a single base hit?  Most of us would choose a home run – even a “grand slam” home run.  Most of us were also brought up to believe that someday our “ship would come in” – that all of our success or wealth or whatever would arrive at once, in one grand port call.

Funny thing is – more ball games are won with base hits than with home runs.  Most ships arrive slowly in port – guided by tiny tugboats – and only after having navigated the wide oceans through a series of thousands of minor navigational corrections.

Yes! Big wins and successful journeys occur most often as the result of daily decisions – not life-altering, once-a-year, mega-decisions.   Want to lose weight?  It won’t happen because you vow on January 1 to do it.  It will be the result of your daily decision to walk, run, or work out.  Want excellent health?  Your daily, even moment-by-moment, decisions to ingest only healthy foods and avoid junk are the ones that will win the day.

The same holds true for your success in business.  While a master plan at the beginning of the year is important, it’s really the steps taken each day that produce the results.  As you face each of the very small daily decisions, be careful to make only the right choices.  By day’s end they’ll add up to valuable progress both on and off the field.

This is a guest post by Brian Gormley of Cornerstone Properties and Financial Services LLC.   If you like this post go to his website and sign up for his “morning coffee”  to get weekly inspirational e-mails.

Quote of the Day

“Do what you do so well that people can’t resist telling others about you.”

- Walt Disney

I love this quote from Walt Disney.  What a great way to make your business grow.  Today the social media marketers would call it “Going Viral.”   Seth Godin calls it “Being Remarkable.”   His entire book Purple Cow, is about this very concept.

Today it seems most people and businesses do a poor job with customer service. The irony is this makes it easy to stand out from the crowd, yet so few take the opportunity to do it.

“You can’t run away. You can only repeat what you don’t want to face.”

Richard Flint – From his morning minute video

We often have tough issues in out lives that we don’t want to face. Our logical side knows we need to deal with the issue, but our emotional side holds us back because it will be uncomfortable. But if we don’t face it today, we will repeat the uncomfortable emotions every day until the issue is resolved.

How do you know the most important thing you should do today?  It is often the very issue you want to avoid and procrastinate.  While the task we dread may not be important in and of itself, it is the energy drain it causes that makes it important. Dealing with tough issues immediately is a great habit to have.  Unless and until, you deal with them, they continue to be an energy drain. Don’t just do it today, make it the first thing you do. The rest of the day will be a piece of cake.

To your success,
Ned

I found this video from the Secret on a blog I read, I’m Just Sharing. It’s not about real estate but Mitch the author does have articles about business and marketing.   The video was so inspiring to me I had to share it here.

I am working on a vision for my life and honestly I am a little stuck.  I found some of the phrases in the video really hit home and I quickly added them to my vision.  One that really says what I want my life to be is “I live with Passion and Purpose. ”

Let me know what you think, leave a comment.  If you really like it tweet it, stumble it or otherwise spread the word.

The name of the book is a play on words.  We’ve all heard of a “Go Getter”, a person who aggressively goes out  to get what he or she wants.  Being a  “Go Getter” is considered a positive trait. The point of the book however is that giving or being a “Go Giver” is a better way to get more out of life.

The book is written in the style of a parable, similar to Who Moved My Cheese?, The One Minute Manager, or Fish!.  In this story a man meets a mentor who introduces him to other people who each teach him one  lesson. There are five lessons.  I won’t give them away but you can already figure from the name that point is you get more from giving and sharing than from putting your own interest first.

This was a fun read.   How fast I get through a book is an key indicator to me how good the book is.  If it is interesting and chock full of good information, then I am anxious to get back to it and read more.  I finished this in two days which must be a record for me.  I recommend this book.

Who should read this book?

There will be three types of people who read the book. The first type will love it because it reinforces what they already believe. That is where I fall. I know these principals to be true from my own experiences. The book is a reminder to use these concepts regularly. It is easy to get out of the habit of what we already know we should do. This book is an enjoyable reminder.

The second type is someone who is open minded but hasn’t yet learned or doesn’t yet fully understand these lessons.  If this is you, you have the most to gain from reading this book.  You will relate to the hero of the story as he learns and applies these lessons

The third type of person is the cynic who simply won’t believe this works. That’s OK, you don’t have to believe in it, for these truths to work in your life.  Sadly most cynics wont apply the lessons and they will never learn that it really does work. But if you are a hard core cynic, I challenge you to read this and apply it’s lessons.

Buy it here at a great price from Amazon The Go-Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea

Happy reading,

Ned

Do you have an Apple iPod? How do you use it? I try to take a walk every day. It is modest exercise and it relaxes me. I also get some of my best ideas while walking. To help generate those ideas I listen to my iPod.  I listen to motivation, sales, real estate and marketing recordings.

Many of us have a shelf full of programs from all kinds of real estate Gurus. Why not load them onto your iPod and actually listen instead of leaving them on your shelf.  I have also recorded my goals so that I can listen to them daily. You can take this a step further and record a list of your strengths and successes. Motivational speakers regularly talk of our “Self Talk” and how it can help or hinder us depending on whether it is positive or negative. Record a positive self talk tape  and listen daily. This guarantees you a daily dose of positive messages.

What is Nike +

I Use a Nike+ for my iPod.  This is a really cool tool.  It has a little transmitter that goes in your shoe and it sends a signal to a receiver attached to your iPod.  It keeps track of how far and how fast you run.  When you sync your iPod it uploads your info to a Nike website which tracks your mileage.  You can set goals and track by day, week, or month.

While I am out walking, the Nike+ is keeping track of how far, while the iPod give me something positive and motivating  to listen to.

Kudos to Nike for Good Service

Well I had to replace my sensor as the battery had run out. I hooked it all up and it wouldn’t sync properly with the website. I checked the online FAQ – useless.  So I sent a message to customer service.  Most big companies like Nike have bad customer service. They want to rely on their horrible online instructions and FAQs.  Much to my surprise I quickly I got a reply back with an answer that actually worked.  It was a personalized message from someone who actually understood the question! I was very impressed and I think Nike deserves Kudos for providing such good service.

Try it Yourself

If you want to get an iPod or the Nike plus I’ve made it easy for you. Just click the links below. The Nike+ does not work with all iPods. So if you already have an iPod make sure you have the right one before you spend the money for the Nike+ kit. You need to get a Nano (1G, 2G, 3G or 4G) or an iPod Touch 1 G or 2G. To make it easy for you these links will send you to the right page.

Apple iPod nano 8 GB (4th Generation)
Apple iPod touch 8 GB (2nd Generation)
Apple Nike + iPod Sport Kit for iPod

How do I invest in this volatile market?

Are you wondering how to invest in this changing market? Have you seen your savings and investments decline? Are you paralyzed and unsure what to do with your investments even as you see them wither away to nothing? Crab Properties, LLC has arranged a free online webinar to answer these concerns.

Arkad Group, LLC will present why Commercial real estate, specifically apartment buildings, is the best investment for this market.

I know what you are thinking “I don’t have the kind of money it takes to buy an apartment building.” This is why the second part of the online webinar is about using your IRA. This little know technique allows you to use your IRA to invest in high return investments like commercial real estate.

Invest in real estate with your IRA!

Did you know you can invest in real estate with your IRA?  After their home, retirement accounts represent the largest investment for most Americans. This is an untapped source of funds to invest in real estate that most never even realized was possible.

Satchie Carvounis, a representative for Security Trust Company, will give a presentation on how to super charge your retirement accounts by investing in creative strategies like real estate.

Don’t settle for stock market losses or measly 2% returns bank CDs or treasury bills. Sign up now.

Sign up for our list to get announcements of future events

Commercial property and IRA webinar

Details
When – Wednesday March 25
Time – 8:00-9:00 pm eastern savings time
Where – Online, watch and listen in from home
Price – Zero, nada, nothing, just sign up.
Click Here to sign up

I am a big fan of Warren Buffett.  In fact I wrote about some of Warren Buffett’s quotes earlier. While reading another blog about investing, Invesmint.com, I saw the following video about Warren Buffet buying stocks.

A key quote from the video is:

Today people who hold cash equivalents feel comfortable. They shouldn’t. They have opted for a terrible long term asset, one that pays virtually nothing and is certain to depreciate in value.

Yes if you are smart you have cash on the sidelines. However if you are really smart you have no intention of keeping it there. You should be shopping for value. Whether that value is in the stock market like Mr. Buffett or in real estate.

Another famous quote of Warren’s is also in the video:

A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful

Many have cash on the sidelines because they are fearful. However this is the time to get aggressive with your finances. This is the time to “Be Greedy” and take advantage of the low prices.  Of course “Being greedy” does not mean being stupid. You need to know how to find value, and how to assess it.  If you don’t know how to do that you need to get an education and/or work with a professional you can trust.

Contact me and I will help

As a reader of this blog, contact me and I’ll be glad to help and point you in the right direction. No one, not even Warren Buffett, can predict prices short run, but real estate is currently priced very well for long run. If you have money on the sidelines and want to get into real estate, send me a message via the contact us page and I’ll give you some ideas as  to how to go about it.

Happy investing,

Ned

! ! ! Update: see 2010 Tax Sale Announced ! ! !

The Baltimore City has announced that the date of their annual sale of tax lien certificates is scheduled for Monday May 18, 2009.

Other important dates for tax sale bidders.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009. Properties that are delinquent will be listed in the Baltimore Sun along with instructions for bidders. Bidder registration begins. If you missed the paper the tax lien list is available at BidBaltimore.com

Approximately March 25, 2009, a second printing of properties scheduled for the sale will be printed in a publication to be announced.

Monday May 11, 2009, is the last day to register to bid.

Friday May 15 will be the final update of properties going into the sale and bid submission begins.

Monday May 18, is the day of the auction for Baltimore City Tax lien Certificates. Bidding will be done online at BidBaltimore.com

Homeowners Last Day to Pay Taxes

The last day to pay your overdue taxes by personal check was February 2. The deadline for walk in payments or Online payments is May 1, 2009. This is the last day to have your property removed from the tax sale. After this date you will have to wait until Thursday May 28 2009. This is the first day you can redeem a property that has been in the 2009.

Good luck, but don’t bid too high!

Ned

More articles on tax liens here

About the only time I might read People Magazine is when I am waiting in the doctors office and there is nothing else around about business and finance. However while waiting for the cable guy at my girlfriends new house, I noticed Michael J Fox on the cover of the most recent issue of People. It was 10 years ago that he was on the same cover because he had just announced that he had Parkinson’s disease.

The story inside is an update on how he is doing.   It is absolutely inspiring. Despite a disease that makes everyday life a struggle, Michael shows an incredibly positive attitude. While the cocktail of several medicines allows him to function, he still has daily periods were he can’t move is arms.   Yet his life is better, fuller, richer simply because of his attitude.

There is a wonderful quote in the article where he says “Hope is optimism with the facts to back it up  .   .   .  I’m in the Hope Business.” I think that is a great way to describe a positive attitude. Hope, optimism, positive attitude or whatever you want to call it, is not about pretending there are no problems. It is about recognizing both problems and strengths and making the best of them.

In my last post about Thanksgiving and a positive attitude, you can read about how being thankful helps you recognize your strengths.  But it is just as important to recognize the roadblocks in life. Only by acknowledging them can you address them. That is where the positive attitude comes in, fixing the problems. Pretending the problems aren’t there is not a positive attitude and in fact will lead to very negative consequences. A positive attitude is recognizing the roadblocks and saying “I can make this better!”

We all have problems, The weakest of us are overwhelmed by them. Most of us muddle through. The best of us see them as an opportunity. That is the level Michael j Fox is operating at. If you want to be inspired pickup a copy of the Dec. 8, 2008 People magazine.

Happy investing,

Ned