The Plain Truth

By Robert Ringer

There are some people who aspire to have power over others. And there's not a person on this earth who hasn't found himself on the short end of that power stick at one time or another.

Have you ever asked yourself what it is that gives someone power over you? The truth be known, it's a matter of perception - both the other person's and yours. By this I mean that most power is abstract, and therefore impossible to quantify.

So the question becomes, "If the power someone holds over you is abstract, how can you overcome it?" Answer: You simply refuse to grant permission. You see, the only power another person can have over you is the power you give him.

Which means it's really your power. And only you can grant another person permission to take your power. By the same token, you can refuse to grant that permission.

Of course, you do not verbally grant permission. It's much more subtle than that. As I said, power is an abstraction. The way it normally happens is that you get yourself into a position where you need the other person. If, for example, you ask him for a favor, that immediately gives him power over you.

Thus, the surest way to prevent others from having power over you is to be independent. And the corollary to this is that independence gives you power. The plain truth is that even a master intimidator like Donald Trump would have no power over you if you were totally independent. He may be a powerful person in his own right, but his power would not affect you unless you allowed it to. And you certainly are under no obligation to do that.

The next time you feel as though you're in a position of weakness when dealing with someone, remember that his power is really your power - power that you have given him. And anytime you wish to revoke that power, you need only withdraw your permission for him to use it.

How To Build Your Home Seller Assist List

How did you limit yourself last year, and how can you remove those limits in 2009?

Were there certain actions you took or didn't take that came back to haunt you? You need to bring these self-defeating actions to the surface, shine light on them, and, most important, determine what you must do differently to make sure you don't limit yourself the same way all over again. Here are just a few of mine for working the Home Seller Assist program created by John Alexander and otherwise known as We Provide The Cash .

Not reviewing my goals daily

Not sticking to a daily sleep schedule

Hoping things would work out well in a few situations where my gut told me not to

Once again, make a list and identify the takeaways.

For example, one of the self-defeating actions on my list was not reviewing my goals on a daily basis (even though I know better). And when I don't review my goals daily, I get sucked into what's currently happening and distracted from what's most important. That caused me to miss the mark on a few goals I had set for myself in 2008.

The takeaway: I'm determined not to make the same mistake in 2009.

Link-Building

You want the good links - the high-quality, relevant, highly trafficked websites. So how do you weed them out? There are a few online tools that can help you make the distinction between a good link and a bad link.

Alexa.com and Compete.com. These websites give you a general idea of the kind of traffic a particular site gets, and that can help you determine the quality of the site. High traffic typically means high quality.
Google Toolbar PageRank (PR). Always controversial in SEO circles, many debate whether this particular little number means anything at all. Whenever I mention it, I always recommend taking it with a grain of salt. But a site with a higher Google PR is seen by Google as a higher quality site with a respectable number of links. In other words, a website you would want a link from.
These are good tools to have on your side, but not the only ways to determine the quality of a potential link. You can also use a kind of website common sense.

Does the site have quality relevant content?
If the site makes it possible for users to leave comments about its content, are they participating? This can be a sign of how active the site's community is - a sign of quality.
Does the site consist of nothing but links to other sites? If it's not a known directory like Yahoo, etc. it's likely a link farm - so stay away.
Does the site have good design and navigation? Or does it look like it was patched together with FrontPage in 1998 and left to die?
Once you've identified the websites you definitely want to target for links, you have to determine the best way to approach each one.

The Gift of Christmas: The Wait

By Phil Ware

What's the longest wait you have had to endure? (Not a pleasant subject, I know. But just hang in there a bit, it gets better; you just have to wait a paragraph or two and you'll get to the good part!)

Waits come in all sizes -- the "wait" until the baby gets here, the "wait" until the weight is off, the "wait" until you graduate, the "wait" until you get married, the "wait" until you get a driver’s license. But maybe the hardest "wait" of all for me happened every year when I was a little kid. It was that horribly long "wait" from the time the Sears and Roebuck catalogue arrived until Christmas came. Wow! It seems like they mailed that thing out earlier every year and Christmas came later!

Now one thing you must know about me; it is HARD for me to wait! I don't like it at all. Never been good at it. But Christmas has always brought out the worst in my ability to wait. I remember once when I was a boy, and I snuck in real late one night and opened my "mystery present" under the tree. I was disappointed in the gift. I was disappointed in myself for peeking. Most of all, I was disappointed in having to act surprised when I opened it the second time in front of the rest of the family. I wish I had waited.

Because of my problem with waiting, I've always loved Peter's description of the wait the prophets had, and how the angels even had a hard time waiting and trying to figure out everything they said about Jesus:
The prophets who prophesied of the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired about this salvation; they inquired what person or time was indicated by the Spirit of Christ within them when predicting the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glory. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things which have now been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. (1 Peter 1:10-12 RSV)

I still remember my beloved Bible professor Dr. Neil Lightfoot, standing up on his tiptoes saying something like, "Ah yes! The coming of Christ was something that even the angels stood on tiptoe trying to see as they tried to look over the horizon of history."

Christmas time is an interesting, wonderful, and bewildering time. Now I assume you know that we don't really know when Jesus was born -- at least not the exact day or even month of the year. Most likely it wasn't in the winter since shepherds were out in their fields at night. However, if we will hold our skepticism just a bit and stand on tiptoe with open hearts, I do believe that we can find some amazing gifts that our Father has left for us. We won't find them under a tree or in a stocking. No, we will find them in an amazing story of a baby and his little family who were caught up in the dazzling display of God's sacrificial glory. It was, of course, glory in the ordinary, found as it was in simple everyday folks who believed that God kept his promises because he loves his people.

How and when the end of this wonderful story of God's glory will be written is still a lot more mystery than popular writers would lead us to believe. But I, for one, have decided to join the angels on tiptoe and revel in the greatest of all stories ever told, penned by the Master Storymaker himself. However, I hope you don't wait on me -- or anyone else for that matter. No, go unwrap this gift right now and give the first two chapters of both Matthew and Luke a little read. As you do, ask God to help you see past the ribbons, bows, papers, and sparkling lights so you can find his greatest gift.

P.S. I'm really not any better at waiting for Christmas now that I'm older. Since I'm the adult, I say we can start opening one present a night every night, starting December 20th. Not a bad idea. You might try it sometime. Unless you find it too hard to wait until the 20th!

Article source: www.heartlight.org

"Why Should I Trust You?"‏

Just yesterday while I was checking my emails I got asked "Why should I trust you?" And then a few minutes later I got a message from a person so hungry for a change that they were willing to put their house on the line to join the Home Seller Assist program created by John Alexander and also known as We Provide The Cash. Then, not a minute later, I got a message from someone who was at a time on my team,but decided to give up a little too soon, only to tell me about the great new business they want me to look at that launches next month. Yet here I am, in the same business, doing the same things, getting the same results.

If that doesn't sum up the home business industry then I don't know what does. At first glance these happenings appear totally unrelated, but there is a secret hidden behind them that if understood . . .

The ONE pink elephant in the room of the home business industry that no one ever talks about is that no one trusts anyone. For the most part, most would be home business entrepreneurs have "tried" so many businesses that they're in a total state of confusion. They feel slighted, they feel used, yet at the same time they feel desperate to succeed. Stop and think about it for a second.

That's a lot going on in a person's head. A ton of conflict, a lack of focus, lots of fear, and mental paralysis. It's not that much different than a sweet little puppy would act if you kept being nice to him, fed him, and then immediately scolded him for no good reason. After a period of time the poor guy doesn't know what to think of you. (That's kinda how your prospects look at you) What happens to network marketers over and over again (at least in terms of their perception)?

Someone says "Hey buddy, we got the best bizon the planet. Join us and we'll take care of you." The would be entrepreneur says to himself: "That guy seems nice, he's got a great product, he seems to have it all figured out,and you sure can make a lot in the business.I think I'll give it shot." The entrepreneur jumps in, is told to call leads then immediately feels the constant cold sting of rejection (like our puppy friend getting scolded)

Then our entreprenuer friend is told to go to all the company gatherings where everyone's so happy, excited, and nice. Back home again, our friend hits the phones for more rejection while his pocket's bleed of cash with no praise and no profits. Eventually he gives up. What happens next?

Another guy in another opportunity of the same nice character presents him with another great opportunity. Our entrepreneur jumps in,a few months later the same exact fate befalls him.

Eventually our would be entrepreneur, get's hardened, disillusioned and trusts no one. For the most, that's what we go through,until something changes. (What?) Keep reading . . .

Remember I told you about the three different messages I got yesterday? Can you spot the stages each person is in? I can. I can't fault the guy that doesn't trust me for not trusting me. He's probably been burned so many times all he knows is fear and anger spawned from past experiences, but still the question remains . . . Why would he be reading my emails and responding that way? He had to proactively opt in, become a subscriber, read a few issues, and then start to complain. (Hmmm . . .)

Why did the person who was once on my team tell me about her new great opportunity? Why was the third person dying so bad to be apart of my team?

Understand this . . . No matter how many times a person's been burned, no matter how many times a person comes to you with a new opportunity for you to look at, no matter how many people are willing to mortgage their house to join in business with you . . .

On thing remains true. The desire for more. The fire that was originally ignited never goes out. Once a wealth seeker always a wealth seeker. What changes a wealth seeker to a wealth getter?

Instead of looking outwards for the answer.You start to look inside and ask questions. Then simple focus and discipline to see through the answers you find inside. But to be pragmatic about it. You do the opposite of what isn't working now. If you've been in more than a few businesses, then maybe committing to one biz for the next five years may be your answer.

If you've always followed the advice of your sponsor as doctrine, then maybe NOT doing that anymore is the answer. If you've been buying and calling leads and it's not working, then just maybe NOT calling leads and instead giving the Home Seller Assist program and John Alexander is the answer.

It was for me!

Larry Potter

847-872-4047

http://www.myspace.com/homebusinessnow

Why home values may take decades to recover

By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY

Rick Wallick moved into a new, three-bedroom $200,000 home in Maricopa, Ariz., in October 2005. Today, the home is worth $80,000.

The disabled software engineer stopped making mortgage payments this month. His $70,000 down payment is now worthless. His dream house will be foreclosed on next year.

"We're so far underwater it's not funny," says Wallick, 57, who had to return to his original home in Oregon to care for a sick family member and tend to his own medical problems. Wallick, one of the hardest-hit victims in one of the states hit hardest by the housing crisis, lost 60% of his home's value in three years.

His story is an extreme example, but home values have fallen so sharply since hitting a historic peak in the spring of 2006 that many Americans are wondering how much more prices can sink.
As painful as the decline has been, history suggests home values still may have a long way to drop and may take decades to return to the heights of 2½ years ago

Curb Appeal Matters Now More Than Ever

WASHINGTON, DC -- For the second year in a row, Realtors(R) report that exterior remodeling projects return the most money as a percentage of cost, as detailed in the 2008 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report.

On a national level, wood deck additions and all types of siding replacements -- upscale fiber cement, midrange vinyl, and upscale foam-backed vinyl -- returned more than 80 percent of project costs upon resale. Of these, the most profitable project was upscale fiber cement siding, which recouped 86.7 percent of costs, followed by wood decks at 81.8 percent, midrange vinyl siding at 80.7 percent, and upscale foam-backed vinyl siding at 80.4 percent.

"Because today's buyers have much more to choose from in the way of inventory, any home for sale must make a positive first impression," said National Association of Realtors(R) President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. "As a trusted source for real estate information, Realtors(R) understand what attracts and motivates their buyer clients, which is why the results of this year's Cost vs. Value report underscore the importance of curb appeal in the buyer's eye."

The 2008 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report compares construction costs with resale values for 30 midrange and upscale remodeling projects comprising additions, remodels and replacements in 79 markets across the country, expanding from 60 markets last year. Data are grouped into nine U.S. regions, following the divisions established by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the 11th consecutive year that the report, which is produced by Hanley Wood, LLC, was completed in cooperation with REALTOR(R) Magazine, as Realtors(R) provided their insight into local markets and buyer home preferences within those markets.

In addition to wood decks and siding, window replacements and kitchen remodels also returned a relatively high percentage of remodeling costs on a national basis. All types of window replacements -- upscale and midrange wood and upscale and midscale vinyl -- returned more than 76 percent of costs. A major midrange kitchen remodel returned 76.0 percent of project costs, while a minor midrange kitchen remodel returned 79.5 percent of costs.

On a national level, bathroom remodels, while still a relatively good investment, do not return as high a percentage as in previous years. A midrange bathroom remodel was estimated to return 74.4 percent on resale, comparable to a midrange attic-to-bedroom conversion, at 73.6 percent of costs recouped, and a midrange basement remodel, at 72.7 percent of costs recouped.

As in last year's report, the least profitable remodeling projects in terms of resale value were home office remodels, sunroom additions, and back-up power generators, returning only 54.4 percent, 56.6 percent, and 57.1 percent, respectively, of project costs.

Although most regions followed national trends, the regions that consistently were estimated to return a higher percentage of remodeling costs upon resale were the Pacific region of Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington; the West South Central region of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas; the East South Central region of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee; and the South Atlantic region of the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

The regions that generally returned the lowest percentage of costs were New England (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont), East North Central (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin), West North Central (Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota), and Middle Atlantic (New York and Pennsylvania).

McMillan explained that the resale value of any given remodeling project depends on a variety of factors. "A home's overall condition, availability and condition of surrounding properties, location, and regional economic climate are all factors that will influence the value of any remodeling project," he said. "That's why it's important to consult with professionals like Realtors(R) in your area when you want to enhance the value of your home. Realtors(R) see hundreds, if not thousands, of homes every year with their buyer clients and can provide valuable insight into what projects and improvements will make a difference with buyers in your area."

Results of the report are summarized in the December 2008 issue of REALTOR(R) Magazine. The issue also includes examples of actual remodeling projects that were less expensive than many of the report's cost estimates. Full project descriptions, as well as national, regional and local project data for the 79 cities covered by the report will be posted at www.costvsvalue.com by December 5. "Cost vs. Value" is a registered trademark of Hanley Wood, LLC.

Hanley Wood, LLC, is the premier media company serving housing and construction. Through four operating divisions, the company produces award-winning magazines and Web sites, marquee trade shows and events, rich data, and custom marketing solutions. The company also is North America's leading provider of home plans. Founded in 1976, Hanley Wood is a $240 million company owned by JPMorgan Partners, LLC, a private equity affiliate of JPMorgan Chase & Co.

The National Association of Realtors(R), "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Information about NAR is available at www.REALTOR.org. This and other news releases are posted in the Web site's "News Media" section in the NAR Media Center.

Why Get Your Hands Dirty When You Don't Have to?

Where there's a stampede, there's an opportunity...

Thousands of wannabe entrepreneurs have jumped on a bandwagon to find, fix-up and flip foreclosures.

They thought they were being smart. They thought they were doing the opposite to the crowd and had the license to print money.

Little do they know... they ARE the crowd!

Now, please don't misunderstand me. It's a fact that many properties (sadly) are becoming available at rock bottom prices due to foreclosure. It's also a fact that a few people are making money by flipping foreclosures...

And they're earning every penny (when it all works out)!

Flipping foreclosures may sound great in principle, but stop and think about what you have to go through to achieve that…

Not my idea of easy money.

Proof of Funds Letters!

Proof of Funds Letters!

As a Platinum Member of HSA, you are entitled to
use our Investor’s Private Funds.

Cost to use the funds is 1% plus $300

The fee is paid out of closing!

Which means Nothing is paid uprfront and there are No CREDIT checks!

Now as you may already know, Banks won’t consider your offer on
Short Sales or REO’s without a “Proof of Funds” Letter.

This is the part that stops most investors dead in their tracks…until now.

Here’s a 2 minute video on how to obtain and print out as many of your Proof of Funds Letters as you need:

Click Here for 2 Minute Video!

If you are not a Platinum member yet, visit us at:

http://www.FUNDSFORSHORTSALES.COM

and find out how you can be flipping short sales and
REO homes using NO CREDIT AND NO CASH!

Make sure you sign up for the FREE 30 Day Trial!

It’s time to think big…really BIG!

Larry Potter
Home Seller Assist
847-872-4047

Promote Instant Access

Have you ever purchased a gift online, only to have it arrive three days after the holidays?

Talk about a disappointment, right?

And it's that fear of NOT receiving a gift on time that could stop a LOT of people from clicking the "buy" button on your site in the final days leading up to the holidays...

... unless you make it CLEAR that their purchases will arrive on time!

So if you use a major delivery service -- like UPS or Fedex -- make sure you clearly state that prominently on your site.

Your customers will feel MUCH more comfortable making a last-minute purchase if you can assure them that the gift will indeed arrive in time to wrap it up and put it under the tree.

And to save yourself a lot of post-holiday customer service headaches, make sure you also include a "cutoff date," after which you will no longer be able to guarantee holiday delivery.

That's why we offer Instant Access to everyone joining the Home Seller Assist program created by John Alexander.

People want to get started right away and we provide that, the same with our
We Provide The Cash program which was also started by John Alexander.

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