The idea of luck is very seductive.  Doesn't it sound great?  When you have luck you can just show up and without any work or struggle or self doubt have your wishes granted.  On the flip side, if your dreams don't come true you can rail against the unfair fates and simply say that luck was not on your side.  But what is luck, really?   I love the quote "Luck is when opportunity meets preparation" To me this is great working model for luck.  Opportunities will come and go, for all of us, but those of us who are prepared and knowledgeable will have the ability to use those opportunities to our advantage.  People who have not done their homework will stand on the sidelines and think that we are lucky and wonder why they aren't so lucky.   Let go of your old ideas of luck.  There is nothin... 03/29/2009

There is a popular way of thinking that espouses the phrase, "Change your mind; change your life."  We could debate the validity of this idea until we are old and grey and unable to speak.  I don't know about you but I have other things I would rather do with my time, like create meaningful wealth in my life.  But let me just offer one example of the power of the mind to create success: top athletes.  These are a group of people who train consistently both physically and mentally in order to perform at their peak.  Ask any top athlete if they could perform at the their best if they didn't believe in their core that they were not only capable of winning but that they would in fact absolutely win.  I'm quite sure that they have some days when they believe it a little more or less than oth... 03/29/2009

Fear is the single biggest reason that people don't invest in real estate. Sometimes fear is useful and warranted, sometimes it is simply debilitating.  Fear can be a powerful tool if used properly.  The question is how to know when it is useful and when it is just debilitating; knowledge is the key.   If you take the time to educate yourself on what your fears are you will frequently find that the fears will dissipate. Much like taking a flashlight and shining it under a fearful child's bed, knowledge acts as a beam of light to clarify what is and what is not.   In this age of media bombardment it is easy to take a television or radio report at face value.  Haven't we all seen the countless reports on the housing market and the growing concerns over rampant foreclosures?  Do these repo... 03/29/2009