Farmer Wants a Wife and reale dstate!

Well here goes another reality show . . . instead of Rock of Love or Age of Love, we now have Farmer wants a wife! Here is a short description and stay tuned afterwards for my thoughts:

New reality: Farmer Wants A Wife

By Jonathan Storm

INQUIRER TELEVISION CRITIC

Hi-ho, the derry-o, the farmer takes a wife.What the heck is the derry-o, anyway?

Such random thoughts scurry across your mind as it empties while you watch the latest lame brained, pick-your-true-love phony reality show on CW 57, starting tomorrow night at 9.

“Why is the show called Farmer Wants a Wife, rather than The Farmer Wants a Wife?” you wonder. It’s obvious why it’s not Farmer Takes a Wife, as in “The Farmer in the Dell.”

The world’s No. 1 hayseed hick wouldn’t take any of the 10 noodle-heads offered up on this show, and this TV farmer, named Matt Neustadt, is far from a hick, with a bachelor’s degree, a soul patch under his lip and a $50 haircut (including a touch of product to keep his topknot in place).

Yes, the world is becoming fascinated with reality shows.  Have you heard of the folloing reality show?  Real Estate Retirement?  This show is based on a real estate investor attempting to make sound real estate investments in order to collect $5,000,000 for retirement. 

 It starts off with the main star getting his real estate license and selling as many properties as he can in order to save money for his first house.  He eventually buys a condo for $150,000 and two yearslater sells it for $310,000.  He takes the money from that sale and buys a larger home and a small investment proeprty that he rents.  He then buyes 5 more properties as the market rises and rents them.

Sound like a good show?  It gets better.  All the properties are being subsidized by his tennats.  Yes, his tennats are covering all his mortage and tax payments.  What an amazing deal.

To submit your application to be on the show, send an e-mail with a 500 word description of yourself to Mike@MichaelDunn.com and receive a special gift just for applying.

Happy investing.

Mike

Posted: April 30th, 2008 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

Giant Squid and Real Estate!

Check out this article and then see my comments below:

Giant ‘diablo’ squid lurk in B.C. waters

Devils of the deep a threat to fish stocks, scuba divers

Ethan Baron, The Province

Published: Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Nightmarish packs of rapacious giant devil squid are hunting off the B.C. coast, their numbers increasing as scientists worry about an attack on fish stocks.  Humboldt squid, called diablos rojos (”red devils”) in Mexico, are known to attack scuba divers and were once a rarity in B.C. waters.  But a changing ocean environment has brought them northward and they may now be permanently establishing themselves off the B.C. coast.

WOW!  The number 4 search on Yahoo is about Giant Squid?  I love nature and usually run along the beach in SoCal and admire the seals, birds and occasional pelican, but I have noticed nature takes care of itself and has for millions of years.

Nature has an amazing ability to bounce back and stay resilient.  What we as real estate investors need to realize is that the market will go up again.  When the market was really hot some were saying that it will go down.  Remember those people who noticed that the values had gone up so high they wished that they had bought 10 of those properties?  Well . . . what is stopping you?

If you cannot afford to buy, I understand.  If you can afford but think the market is going to go down more, I can understand . . . slightly.  Other than those two reasons, you should be buying right now.  Why?  First of all rents are going up and will spike more by the end of the year.  This means that you will increase your cash flow on your rental properties.  This is what takes investors through the soft markets.

So pretend you are the giant red squid coming to feast on some incredible real estate deals and take the plunge to www.MichaelDunn.com or www.ThePelicanEstates.com or just call me at 949-533-2581.

Happy investing.

Mike

Posted: April 29th, 2008 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

Tax Rebate Checks 2008 and Real Estate!

Are you ready?  Yes, the tax rebate checks are coming!  All our financial problems will be solved this coming month.  The recession is over.  Good times are here again.  $600 for singles and $1,200 for couples will solve the recession and mortgage crisis.

 :)  or LOL!

Tax rebate checks are all well and good and very generous of our government, but this is just treating the symptom and not the disease.  Greed and the disease and the only way to cure greed is with discipline.

The past few weeks I have been going thru, what I believe, is the first stage of a mid-life crisis.  No, I am not buying a Harley or starting to do Tequila shots with coeds, but rather re-invigorating my discipline and getting serious about bodybuilding.  Thru this process, I have rediscovered the important “things” in life.  For each of us they are different and unique.  For me, the “thing” is health.  This is the priority.

Many of our priorities were skewed a few years ago and we became blinded by money.  We took out silly loans, lived beyond our means and were star struck by Lamborghinis and Bentleys.  What kind of idiot buys a $300,000 Bentley but does not own real estate?  Why care what someone else thinks of your automobile?  We all know what the smart thing to do is . . . buy real estate you can afford and the rest is easy!

So when you receive your tax rebate check, think long and thoroughly about what to spend it on.  The government wants you to spend it on consumer products - short term.  The interest rates are so low that putting $600 in a savings account is not worth it.  The stock market cannot be trusted as evidenced the past few eeks and the research required to invest in a good company is much more than most care to analyze; unless you just invest in what Warren Buffet invests.

That leaves only one legitimate, appreciating, self controlled asset . . . real estate.  Yes, you heard it right.  Mark this day April 28, 2008 and Mike Dunn is recommending real estate.  I have asked myself many times why?  True it is my business and if someone does not sell or buy, I do not get paid.   However, I practice what I preach.  I won 8 investment properties ans have a positive cash flow on all except one.

If you sre serious about finding a great long term investment, go to my websites.

Go immediately . . . and I mean immediately, to www.MichaelDunn.com or www.ThePelicanEstates.com, and you will be on your way to serious wealth.

Happy investing,

Mike

Posted: April 29th, 2008 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

 

Best Gas Mileage and Real Estate!

In this time of global energy concerns and rising gas prices, it may be a good idea to check out the latest best gas mileage by vehicle class.  What does this have to do with real estate?  If you approached your real estate investments like you will researching the best gas mileage, you will most likely have plenty of money for retirement and also become a millionaire.

How?  Well, first take a look at the chart featuring the best gas mileage by vehicle class below:

Best Gas Mileage by Vehicle Class

 

Each year, the Environmental Protection Agency compiles its Fuel Economy Guide to educate car buyers on fuel-efficient vehicles. The EPA recently revised its testing methods, lowering MPG estimates for most vehicles. The new testing methods go into effect for the 2008 model year. Compare old and new estimates at fueleconomy.gov. The following gas-powered, automatic cars and trucks have the best fuel economy within the listed vehicle classes.

Best Gas Mileage for Cars, Trucks and SUVs
Each class includes the 2008 automatic-transmission vehicles with the best gas mileage estimates in that category.
Class Leaders	City MPG	Highway MPG
Compact Cars (Range: 11-37; Avg.: 21/28)
Toyota Yaris	29	35
Honda Fit	27	34
Midsize Cars (Range: 9-33; Avg.: 18/26)
Hyundai Elantra	25	33
Pontiac Vibe	25	31
Toyota Matrix	25	31
Full-Size Cars (Range: 10-31; Avg.: 15/23)
Hyundai Sonata	21	30
Toyota Avalon	19	28
Luxury Cars (Range: 9-32; Avg.: 15/23)
Mercedes-Benz E-Class (diesel)	23	32
Audi A4*	21	30
Sports Cars (Range: 9-31; Avg.: 16/23)
Audi TT*	22	29
Volkswagen GTI*	22	29
SUVs (Range: 12-28; Avg.: 15/21)
Jeep Compass (2WD)	23	27
Jeep Patriot (2WD)	23	27
Pickup Trucks (Range: 12-26; Avg.: 15/20)
Toyota Tacoma (2WD)	19	25
Ford Ranger (2WD)	19	24
Mazda B2300 (2WD)	19	24
Minivans (Range: 15-28; Avg.: 17/24)
Mazda Mazda5	21	27
Kia Rondo	19	26

Now, real estate can be classified the same way.  The big difference is that real estate does no depreciate over time like a vehicle does.  Also, if you do your due diligence, the gas mileage on your real estate will actually increase over time.  Think of the gas going into your vehicle as an expense, but the income you get from your real estate is actually like getting free gas for your vehicle.

You actually have someone paying you for your gas.  This is fantastic!   The next time you think about buying an exotic SUV, think about the the gas you will be paying and the value of it going down.  Buy a small affordable rental property and see it give you a monthly surplus and go up in value.

For more specific properties, go to www.MichaelDunn.com or www.ThePelicanEstates.com

Happy invets8ing.

Mike

Posted: April 28th, 2008 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: 1

Madden 2009 and Real Estate!

Check out this news release regarding the Madden 2009 video game:

Newly retired Favre on Madden NFL ’09 cover

Ex-Pack QB maintains he’s not ‘coming back’ despite being on video game.

NEW YORK - Maybe the best proof that Brett Favre is the football icon of his generation came Friday when he became the cover boy for Madden NFL ’09.

Favre is the first retired player to have his visage on the video game. And yes, he is retired, despite the rumblings that nothing is final — the Packers filed papers with the league to make it official on Friday.

“There are always second thoughts, but that’s not saying I am coming back,” Favre said. “It’s never a clear-cut decision. It’s something I can’t expect everyone to understand. No, there’s no perfect time.

“First of all, I won’t keep myself in shape. I’m sure after training camp is over and all that hard work is done, it might be ‘OK, now.’ It might be nice to dream about it, but no.”

Favre indicated he’d like to stay close to the game, although he wasn’t specific. Perhaps some mentoring for high school players.

“Coaching? Right now, no, but if I ever did, it would be at that type level,” he said. “It’s the time aspect; it’s a lot of time and it’s demanding. When you’re retired, you don’t want to spend that much time.”

Favre spent much of his time Friday being roasted by former teammate Sterling Sharpe, Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and former Packers quarterbacks coach Steve Mariucci. He also admitted he did not play the Madden game, which is celebrating its 20th year by highlighting Favre on the cover.

The story of Brett Favre’s’s career is very inspirational.  He had talent but he worked hard.  As a young college player, he was low on the depth chart and got his chance to play due to an injury of another player.  He worked extremely hard and learned the plays backwards and forwards.  He studied game film, came in early to workout and became a consummate student of the game.

When he made it to the NFL, he once again was called upon to take over for an injured player and proceeded to play in over 200 consecutive games until his retirement last season.  It is a tremendous story of perseverance and dedication - two characteristics that do not require any skill.  This means anyone can learn them - you just need the will.

In real estate there are no special skills required.  You do not have to know how the universe started or what the lifespan of an Amoeba is.  You just have to be able to learn and adapt to situations.

Go to www.MichaelDunn.com or www.ThePelicanEstates.com to learn more specifics about investing in your retirement plan.

Happy investing.

Mike

Posted: April 27th, 2008 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: 1

 

NFL Draft and Real Estate!

The NFL draft is happening this weekend, today as a matter of fact, and this brings up some very intriguing comparisons to real estate.

Think of the NFL draft as a huge interview process.  All 32 teams interview their potential draft choices and see what the positives and negatives are with each player.  A wrong hire could spell the loss of millions of dollars and could cost a franchise it’s reputation.

The same thing holds true for real estate investments.  In the past few years, too many “investors” just bought without doing their proper due diligence and research.  You must approach your investments as if you are a multi-million dollar company, because you eventually will be when you make the right decisions.

Shall I save you some time and effort?  As a real estate agent and real estate investor, I have the experience and the track record to help you make a sound and profitable decision.

Whether you are looking in Orange County, California or throughout the United States, I have a network of real estate investors who own property themselves.

Go to www.MichaelDunn.com or www.ThePelicanEstates.com and do some searching for your self. 

Pretend you are having the Real-Estate Draft Day and you need the best return on your investment.  When you go to my websites, choose your initial criteria and then send me an e-mail and I will let you know what the comparable sales are and the rental market so you can analyze your rate of return.

Happy investing.

Mike

Posted: April 27th, 2008 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

 

Wesley Snipes Tax Evasion and Real Estate!

Yesterday, a federal Judge ruled that Wesley Snipes will send three years in prison for failure to file his United States income tax returns.  Here are excerpts from the official AP report:

OCALA, Fla. (AP) — Wesley Snipes called on famous friends to vouch for him, highlighted his clean criminal record and even wrote the government $5 million in checks — all in an effort to convince a judge that his conviction on tax charges should cost him nothing more than home detention and some public service announcements.

Snipes was sentenced to three years in prison Thursday for failing to file tax returns, the maximum penalty — and a victory for prosecutors who sought to make an example of the action star.

Snipes’ lawyers had spent much of the day in court offering dozens of letters from family members, friends — even fellow actors Woody Harrelson and Denzel Washington — attesting to his good character. His attorneys recommended he be given home detention and ordered to make public service announcements because his three convictions were all misdemeanors and the actor had no previous criminal record.

But U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges said Snipes exhibited a “history of contempt over a period of time” for U.S. tax laws, and granted prosecutors the three-year sentence they requested — one year for each of Snipes’ convictions of willfully failing to file a tax return from 1999-2001.

WOW!  I do not like paying my taxes, but I do enjoy my freedom to do and go as I please.  This year, I was giddy to pay my taxes.  After all, I am helping support the defenders of our country, helping to subsidize those of us who are having a hard time making ends meet and helping to keep our traffic lights from failing and causing massive accidents.

I also love paying my taxes to keep our lawmakers on top of the greatest investment in history . . . REAL ESTATE!  Yes, our lawmakers understand the power of real estate investment because all of them own real estate and they will continue to protect our rights when it comes to real estate taxes.

Go to www.MichaelDunn.com to learn more about real estate and taxes. 

Happy investing.

Mike

Mike Dunn
Realtor / President
CB Platinum Properties / LIN, LLC
Tel 949-533-2581 -  Fax 949-861-6886
www.MichaelDunn.com
www.MichaelDunnBlog.com
www.ThePelicanEstates.com

Someone once said: “What goes around, comes around. 
Work, like you don’t need the money.
Love, like you’ve never been hurt.
Dance, like nobody is watching.
Sing, like nobody is listening.
Live, like it is Heaven on Earth.”

Posted: April 25th, 2008 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

Yahoo,  Google and Real Estate!

Here is a brief history on the evolution of Google and Yahoo.  Afterwards, we shall see what this has to do with real estate:

GOOGLE -

During 1996, Larry and Sergey teamed up to analyze Web links as research toward a PH. D. thesis. Since this work took longer than anticipated, Larry came up with the theory of counting the number of links to a website could be a way of ranking that website’s popularity. Later on, they applied the Page Rank to the Internet. By early 1997, a primitive search engine called BackRub was developed. During the autumn of 1997, BackRub earned a new name, Google, derived from the googol a mathematical term, which means a number equal to 1 followed by 100 zeros and is expressed as 10 to the 100th power.

After its initial beginnings, the development of Google as a company reminds me of any small cottage industry that can abruptly grow in leaps and bounds to take over its industry sector. If Thomas Edison is called the genius of Menlo Park, Sergey and Larry, too, may be called genius-wizards of Menlo Park, because like Edison, they rented a large house in Menlo Park from where to continue the expansion of their company. Menlo Park became the nest from which Google the research project became Google.com.

One bright idea that led Google to its present day success was the idealism of its founders. During the heyday of the dot com companies, Sergey and Larry preferred to keep the company private as long as they possibly could because they wanted to build the best search engine; the money they could gain by making the company public was not so important.

Still, the company needed cash to expand, especially after moving to the new company headquarters in Palo Alto, and on June 1999, Sergey Brin and Larry Page announced that two venture capital companies, Kleiner Perkins and Sequioa Capital, had agreed to invest $25 million dollars in Google with their managers Doerr and Moritz joining Google’s board of directors. With this announcement, the Google revolution started taking roots.

YAHOO -

Yahoo! began as a student hobby and evolved into a global brand that has changed the way people communicate with each other, find and access information and purchase things. The two founders of Yahoo!, David Filo and Jerry Yang, Ph.D. candidates in Electrical Engineering at Stanford

University, started their guide in a campus trailer in February 1994 as a way to keep track of their personal interests on the Internet.

Before long they were spending more time on their home-brewed lists of favorite links than on their doctoral dissertations. Eventually, Jerry and David’s lists became too long and unwieldy, and they broke them out into categories. When the categories became too full, they developed subcategories … and the core concept behind Yahoo! was born.

The Web site started out as “Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web” but eventually received a new moniker with the help of a dictionary. The name Yahoo! is an acronym for “Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle,” but Filo and Yang insist they selected the name because they liked the general definition of a yahoo: “rude, unsophisticated, uncouth.” Yahoo! itself first resided on Yang’s student workstation, “Akebono,” while the software was lodged on Filo’s computer, “Konishiki” - both named after legendary sumo wrestlers.

Today, Yahoo! Inc. is a leading global Internet communications, commerce and media company that offers a comprehensive branded network of services to more than 345 million individuals each month worldwide. As the first online navigational guide to the Web, www.yahoo.com is the leading guide in terms of traffic, advertising, household and business user reach. Yahoo! is the No. 1 Internet brand globally and reaches the largest audience worldwide. The company also provides online business and enterprise services designed to enhance the productivity and Web presence of Yahoo!’s clients.

These services include Corporate Yahoo!, a popular customized enterprise portal solution; audio and video streaming; store hosting and management; and Web site tools and services. The company’s global Web network includes 25 World properties. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Yahoo! has offices in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Australia, Canada and the United States.

Both companies started on a very small level and evolved as the founders grew.  This is the incredible part of real estate as well.  You can start small with a one bedroom condo, then as the market rises, you can pull money out of the condo and buy a small house.  As that house appreciates, the income from the rents will help buy another house and so on.  it is a fantastic investment because you can start at any level and grow as long as you live within your means and do not over-leverage yourself.

Create your own Yahoo and Google with your real estate investments.  To get a head start, go to www.MichaelDunn.com or www.NorthwoodPointeIrvine.com or www.ThePelcianEstates.com to get more specific information.

Happy investing.

Mike

Mike Dunn
Realtor / President
CB Platinum Properties / LIN, LLC
Tel 949-533-2581 -  Fax 949-861-6886
www.MichaelDunn.com
www.MichaelDunnBlog.com
www.ThePelicanEstates.com

Someone once said: “What goes around, comes around. 
Work, like you don’t need the money.
Love, like you’ve never been hurt.
Dance, like nobody is watching.
Sing, like nobody is listening.
Live, like it is Heaven on Earth.”

Posted: April 24th, 2008 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

Netflix and Real Estate!

You have heard of Netflix?  This company delivers you favorite CDs and DVDs to your doorstep within 2 days of your online order.  Wouldn’t it be great if you could get a new CD or DVD of the next big investment delivered to your desktop or laptop?

Netflix sends you a movie, which can change you forever.  Mike’s Real Estate Flix sends you a plan to build a sound and secure financial future.

How does it work?  Well, you send me an e-mail to Mike@MichaelDunn.com with your order.  For example, let’s say you want to have $1,000,000 for your retirement in 10 years, Mike’s Real Estate Flix will show you what area to buy and what to do.

You juts have to provide three things:

1. The amount of down payment you can afford to make

2. The price limit of your purchase

3. On a scale of 1 to 3, your risk factor.  1 is Low, 2 in medium and 3 is “Vegas risky”.

Once I have the criteria, I can tell you exactly where to buy and when to make your move.

Yes, Netflix send you a new CD or DVD every month.  Wouldn’t it be nice to receive a rental check every month while your real estate holdings go up in value.  The numbers are quite staggering.  For example, if you buy a $300,000 property today and it goes up in value 10% per year for 10 years, while you are gaining positive cash flow from your tenant, you will have you $1M.

Send me an e-mail Mike@MichaelDunn.com and I will send you all the information.

Happy investing.

Mike

Posted: April 24th, 2008 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none

Megan Fox, Real Estate, Northwood Pointe, and Newport Coast!

What do real estate, Northwood Pointe and Megan Fox have in common?  If you have been keeping up to date with the internet, you would know that Megan Fox was voted the Sexiest Woman in the World today.

Contrary to what you hear on nthe news every night, real estate, specifically Northwood Pointe in Irvine and Newport Coast, California are also very sexy.  Sexy in a different way.

Sure the real estate market has softened, but in a declining market, the areas that do not decline as much will appreciate higher during an escalating market.  So, real estate, Northwood Pointe, Newport Coast and Megan Fox, are all very sexy.

I would state that real estate in Northwood Pointe and Newport Coast is even sexier than Megan Fox.   Ok, Ok . . . slightly.  Here is why:

1. There are over 5 billion people in the world and only one Megan Fox.  Whereas there are millions of homes available to choose as great investments.

2. With Megan Fox, for the most part, you can only look.  With real estate, especially in the aforementioned areas, you can not only look, but touch and receive a nice reward every month.

The gerat thing about real estate is that it does not discriminate based on race, religion or anything else.  It is open to everyone.  So while you are Googling, Yahooing or MSNing, type in www.MichaelDunn.com or www.ThePelicanEstates.com and you will find some of the sexiest treasures the world has ever known.  They are the type of treasures that will keep on giving from generation to generation.

If you want everything, buy a house in Northwood Pointe or Newport Coast and hang a picture of Megan Fox on your refrigerator . . . then you will have everything plus!

Happy investing.

Mike

Posted: April 24th, 2008 under Hot Tips, Real Estate News.
Comments: none