It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.  I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

I HAVE FAITH IN LONGING, wherever it finds me…

It is the voice of the parts of myself I have left behind in the deals I have tried to make with life, trying to trade pieces of my dreams for promises of safety…

It is not the being, no even the doing that exhausts.  It is the trying: trying to be present, to be awake, to hold the whole world, to be better, more self-aware, more conscious.  My hopes for us are real: I want to help create a world where the very idea of toxic waste would raise such a cry of anguish from the people as to make it unthinkable: where we would move, pulled by the heart, to care for the poor, the ill, the dying and despairing without debating where they are deserving, without fear of contamination, seeing ourselves in each person…

I want to quit running from my own tiredness.  I want to be willing and able to move only as fast as I am capable of moving while still remaining connected of the impulse to move from deep withing, stopping when I have lost that slender thread of desire and having the courage and faith to wait, in stillness, until I find it again…

“What are you longing for?”

This is what I ache for: intimacy with myself, others, and the world, intimacy that touches the sacred in all that is life.  This ache, this longing is the thread that guides me back through the labyrinth of compromises I have made, back to my soul’s desires.  And sometimes I am afraid of my desires – afraid of that they will ask of me, what vision of myself or the world they will offer that may demand a sacrifice of my carefully cultivated way of seeing.  If we are never consumed by the transforming fire of our desires, we risk falling in love with the sweet ache of longing, the daydream of “what if…” or “some day…”

Chapter 2 “The Longing” from The Invitation

Original content posted at http://austinrealestateandloans.wordpress.com

While the information was not new to me, it was refreshing to hear and the concepts discussed are truths that we all struggle with on a day to day or even an hour by hour basis.  Here are the highlights of the evening!

Concept #1         Time Management is a Lie

1. Time is finite and is impossible to manage
2. The only thing you can manage is you
3. MILLION DOLLAR SKILL: Honoring and Respecting Your Time
   1. Schedule the most effective/important items
   2. Your Time is worth what you make it
   3. Don’t let leeches suck you dry

Concept #2         Personal Management is a TRUTH

1. It’s Not About Calendars or To Do Lists
2. It IS ABOUT SHIFTING YOUR STRUCTURES, Behaviors and Activities
   1. Do the most productive things that make you $$$$
   2. The Disease of Multi Tasking

(You Reprogram EVERYONE ELSE to respect your time and NOT YOURSELF)

Concept #3         Ultra Successful Entrepreneurs Create Space

1. Key Distinctive: SPACE vs. TIME
   1. You create space for yourself
   2. There are only 24 hours in a day
   3. It’s About Honoring What You Do Best
   4. Million Dollar Skill-Outsourcing
      1. Contract to Close/Short Sales with Realtors
      2. Personal Assistants
      3. Virtual Assistants

Concept #4         You Must Put Habits and Structures in Place

1. The Art of Scheduling Appointments w/Yourself
2. Million Dollar Skill-Time Chunking
   1. 90 minutes is conducive to learning
   2. Time Spurts
   3. BIG ROCKS FIRST
   4. The Disease of Distinctions

Chapter 1 “Accepting the Invitation”

I want to live with deep intimacy every day of my life…

• The first warning, then, is also the first promise: if this book succeeds in actually taking you into the territory of “The Invitation,” you will experience, not just read about, the ache, the sorry, the joy, the courage, the peace…
• This, then, leads to the second warning and promise: the consequences of moments of deep intimacy with yourself, another, of the world are completely unpredictable.
• The third warning holds yet another promise: no part of the journey is wasted.

“Are you ready to accept the invitation?”

I can tell you that it is possible to feel pain without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it, to dance with joy and feel the ecstasy completely, to live with the failure, to see beauty, to stand in the center of the fire… 

that the courage to go deeper is found by letting you desire grow larger than you fear; that strength is found in your longing to live fully, your willingness to settle for nothing less… 

I am compelled by some deep hunger of the soul, driven by a desire that will not leave me alone, to live life to the fullest…

It means tasting each mouthful, feeling each breath, listening to each song, being awake and aware of each moment as it unfolds…

Life lived intimately may not be easier.  But it is fuller, richer, and more open to everything: the confusion and the insight, the excitement and the boredom, the shadow and the light…

Did I love well?  There are a thousand ways to love other people and the world-with out touch, our words, our silences, our work, our presence.  I want to love well.  This is my hunger.  I want to make love to the world by the way I live in it, by the way I am with myself and others every day.  So I seek to increase my ability to be with the truth in each moment, to be with what I know, the sweet and the bitter.  I wan to stay aware of the vastness of what I do not know.  This what brings me to the journey.  I do not want to live any other way….

From Chapter 1 “Accepting the Invitation”

Original content posted at http://austinrealestateandloans.wordpress.com

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hit or fade it of fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty, even when it’s not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”

It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and buried to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

“The Invitation” by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Original content posted at  http://austinrealestateandloans.wordpress.com

As a woman with too many ideas to keep track of, I found this very interesting as a way to evaluate which ones I should execute and which ones I should toss.  From one dreamer to another… It never stops. 

How To Get Your Good Ideas Heard

After spending the last week or more in meetings, I heard a lot of ideas. Most of them were pretty good. But they didn’t all get the same amount of air time.

Why not?

 Adapt Your Thoughts and Ideas

The senior people in each meeting wanted to hear “new stuff.” They also have “bigger picture” responsibilities, more demands on their time, and a long-term view of their respective companies. That makes their mental filters subject to some very specific criteria.

As I watched the thumbs up/(silent) thumbs down process, I thought: “What am I learning from this that could be universally transferable?”

Here are four questions to ask yourself before offering the next big idea:

1. Will this idea make other people successful?

Really. If it’s not going to do that, you’ve got what might be a good idea for you or you and your immediate work group.

2. Is my presentation as brief as possible because I have thoroughly edited my thoughts?

Figure out what is important to those in the room and what isn’t. Everything isn’t important to them. And if they do start asking questions it means they care enough to engage you. That’s an indicator of interest, even if the questions sound critical They are evaluating. And they aren’t worried about the time because you’ve given them something worthwhile to ponder.

3. Do I have objective criteria for success?

Even if your idea is a creative one, take time to link it to something that can be measured. If not, it will appear fuzzy to many. The more concrete you can be, the clearer the picture you are able to paint.

4. How do I feel about the idea?

Yeah, I know it’s yours. But make sure that you feel confident about it as well as committing to the work that would ensue. Ideas are sold on confidence and emotion supported up by reasonable facts. Pay attention to your gut.

BY: Steve Roesler, Principal & Founder

Splits: $250 annual fee – Sales (90/10) and Leases (80/20)

Services Included:

• RELAY transaction mgmt membership ($99/yr) www.rebt.com
• Text message marketing service and signage ($360/yr) www.textmymls.com
• 800 phone number on signs for lead rotation ($250/yr) www.gosolo.com
• 800 efax number ($120/yr) www.fax.com
• Weekly Coaching & Mastermind meetings ($8,400/yr) www.maxavenue.com
• Unlimited support from your broker (PRICELESS)
• Dedicated Page on the Austin Domain Properties website www.austindomainproperties.com
• E&O Insurance (Business Risk Partners underwriting Lloyd’s – $720/yr)
• For Sale Signs ($1,000 value)

Optional Services:

• Discounted automated feedback for your listings ($10/mo, $25/mo value) www.proagentsolutions.com
• Discounted CRM tool that synchs with Outlook ($15/mo, $40/mo value) www.proagentsolutions.com
• Personal Assistant through Open to Close to enable you to leverage your time and do more business (list to close, contract to close, short sale negotiation) www.myopentoclose.com

Preferred Vendors:

• Business Cards- www.123print.com
• Handyman- Gabriel Garcia 965-9090
• Signage-jonas@dirtcheapsigns.com
• Home Warranty-HWA (bwelhausen@hwahomewarranty.com)
• Inspector-Steve Jordan 484-8998
• Independence Title-Kelli Burns (kburns@independencetitle.com)
• Loan Officer-Nicole Lahti (Nicole@nicolelahti.com)
• Appraisal-Jason Garcia (Jason@digitalappraisalservices.com)

A good realtor can make or break you and can help you get things done so much faster and smoother.  The problem is that there are so many “wanna be’s” and finding one who is experienced and thinks outside the box can be a process.  I have literally worked with hundreds of realtors all across the country on deals for myself, other investors, and the ever increasing wave of short sales and foreclosures that are consuming so many markets, and I can count on my two hands the ones who have their stuff together and who I would work with again.  Fortunate for me, one of those realtors has fallen into my lap here in the Austin market.

Now how do you find one?  Well, they need to be motivated, experienced, an outside the box thinker, and willing to work for you.  You should also incorporate them into your business and be willing to share in the glory by rewarding them for a job well done.  I know that there are some “gurus” out there preaching that you don’t need a realtor to buy or sell your home and they are correct, but narrow minded.  These are the same guys that talk about outsourcing and making more by doing less.  Realtors do so much by helping you find deals, pull comps, listings, showings, and selling the property.  I don’t know about you, but I value my time and most of the previous items take a lot of time and that’s time that I could be out finding other deals.

It’s good to have a bulldog on your team, especially if you are dealing with short sales and foreclosures in your investing.  Luckily, my realtor has negotiated several hundred short sales all across the country.  I’ve even seen her and her team go above and beyond the normal scope of negotiation on several occurances to save a deal.  When you can get the head of loss mitigation for a bank one day and then get the loss mitigators to call him the next morning at HOME at 7:30 am to help get a foreclosure auction stopped.  Now that is dedication to getting the job done!  She also helps me get my rentals occupied by taking calls and helping me find other renters without asking for anything in return because she knows that she is part of my TEAM.  Of course I’m sending her referrals left and right and promoting her business just as much as mine.  

I believe that’s the key in any successful business or personal relationship.  You have to have to want your teammates to be successful and surround yourself with like minded people.  You can’t be looking to cut your realtor’s commission to save a few bucks or use another title company because they promise to reduce their fees.  In this day and age, it all comes down to getting deals closed and being loyal.  Even though it might cost you a bit more, you will make up for it by having a vested, dedicated team that will bend over backwards to close your deal and help you make more money in the long run. 

Let me give you an example.   In the ABOUT link on the home page, we write about the story of a short sale listing that I initially called upon.  Well, follow up is a very key and important characteristic in real estate.  While we are not even close to being perfect at it sometimes.  It’s been a year since that fateful phone call to Amberina and she’s had that short sale listing with the bank since.  She recieved a call this last week stating that they have accepted my offer (which was a back up offer that was submitted after a higher offer fell out), but it looks like we will be buying that property.   She has also helped me get a second property approved on a short sale that went to foreclosure.  Instead of giving up on the deal, she was able to get the bank to have her become the listing agent and was able to get the offer that I submitted on the short sale accepted as an REO offer.  Most realtors would have given up on both deals with the first or second no.  She didn’t and that’s why I will be closing two deals where others wouldn’t.  Your realtor is the most important team member!  She is a HUGE part of my business and I’m glad to call her partner!

American Bank of Texas
Arrowhead Bank
BAC Home Loan
Banco Popular
Chase Home Finance
Countrywide
Everhome Mtg
Flagstar Bank
HSBC Bank USA
Indymac
Lehman Holding
LaSalle Bank
Litton Loan Servicing
Midfirst Bank
National City
Nationstar Mortgage
PHH Mtg Corp
Saxon Mtg
Suntrust Mortgage
Wachovia
Wells Fargo Bank
Wells Fargo Financial

Stage 1 Delinquency on Mortgage:

This is where the homeowner starts to be late on their mortgage payments.  You can purchase lists from credit bureaus of 30, 60,90 day lates and start targeting them with marketing.  What is the upside? Less competition from other agents and investors because you obtain the client info early before the Notice of Default (NOD) or Liz Pendence is filed with the county and others have access.

The downside?  It’s almost to early in the process.  They have more time to think about short sale and consider mortgage mod.  Once a note goes 90 days late, it becomes a lot easier to negotiate on the purchase of the note with a bigger discount.  While there is less competition, the homeowners often have their head stuck in the sand and refrain from doing anything for the most part.  It would be good to talk to them first and start a relationship with them.  Because in phase 2, they will feel a sense of urgency.  This is my second favorite stage for short sale listings.                     

Stage 2 NOD/Derogatory filing with County – Filed within 90-180 days of first delinquent payment in most states with County Recorder’s Office

Upside: Client is more desperate therefore realistic and likely to agree to short sale listing.  Downside: we are not getting them as early in the process, we may be competing with more realtors and we have less time to close the short sale.  Obviously there is more competition, but if you can target them in stage one and follow back up after the NOD/Liz Pendence is filed, you can often capture a nice percentage.  At this stage the note should be discounted around 70% or greater depending on how long it takes to foreclose.  This is where the majority of business takes place because the homeowner is now getting proded constantly by the bank with letters and calls.  This is my favorite phase for short sale listings due to the fact that homeowners know that they must act now or face loosing their home.

Stage 3 Auction/ Tustee Sale Date filing with County

Upside: Client is even more desperate in this stage than Stage 2 therefore realistic and likely to agree to short sale listing.  Downside: We are not getting them late in the process and either may be competing with more realtors or have very little time to close the short sale.

With the foreclosures taking place the first Tuesday of every month here in Texas (and filings must be filed at least 21 days prior to the auction) this does produce a much higher “call to action” amongst the clients.  Depending on the state’s foreclosure laws (months to foreclose), if you are able to get the auction delayed through a short sale, TRS (temporary restraining order) or BK filing, this can add a minimum of 3 more months to the process which can often motivate the bank to sell the notes with steaper discounts.  The positive side is that as long as OTC can get a signed offer, Authorization form, and a estimated HUD-1 to the bank several days before the auction, most banks will delay the auction to negotiate the short sale as they don’t want to take the property back (which automatically provides more time to buy the note).  I’ve gotten foreclosures saved minutes before auction on the courthouse steps.  This can be done, but it is stressful and time consuming for all parties involved to get that extension.