I thought it would be good to share this article on positive afirmation and manifistation ideas with fellow Real Estate Entrepreneaurs. Actually, anyone who is self employed or has to be a "self-starter" in their employment might benefit.

"I don't know why I'm sabotaging myself.”
This sentiment is extremely common amongst both seasoned and new entrepreneurs.

Let's look at some problems and some solutions:
The first example of self sabotage that comes to mind is carrying around a belief, "I am not good enough". If you don't think of yourself as good enough you will project a lack of self-confidence. Your prospective clients pick up on this and are not attracted to work with you. This then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. As you see yourself losing transactions, you tell yourself, "I must not be good enough."

What is the way out? What is the solution to this form of self sabotage?
The first thing is to find is where does this belief originate.
Here's a typical example "if I have the belief that I'm not good enough then I'll have more connections and acceptance from people."That does not seem to make sense until you dig down a little deeper and find out the origin of that belief "I'm not good enough". Perhaps you learned as a child, that your job was to help others, to be a caretaker. You were conditioned to think that you needed to be in the background, helping others shine but not yourself. Once you become aware of where this self sabotaging belief comes from you'll have the power of choice. You can choose to keep on thinking "I'm not good enough" or, you can work on letting that belief go and replace it with some updated Empowered Beliefs.

Another example of self sabotage is getting involved in interactions with your clients that are not win/win. The reason so many people do this is that they have the mistaken idea that if they are always nice and always accommodate their clients, then they will succeed.Nothing could be further from the truth. It takes too big a toll on you. You will be embroiled in stress you'll be exhausted and in many cases your health will suffer. You will also begin to feel very resentful.Your motto should be "it's either win/win" or no deal. That is straight from Steven Covey, author of "the seven habits of highly effective people.

"What is the solution? How do you implement this? In every interaction, taking inventory on how you feel inside. Listen to your gut feelings, as they will always tell you the truth. If you don't feel good inside then you have fallen into a lose/win and you need to extricate yourself.How do you do that? If you are working with a reasonable client, you say "I only do interactions that are win-win. For this to be a win for me we would need to make this adjustment______________. What would it take for this to be a win for you?If you can't come up with a win for both people, then pull out and put your energies elsewhere.

Why did we get in the habit of lose/win? It always starts with the beliefs you carry on a subconscious level. You think you're not good enough or if you think you have to please people, then you will tend to take on interactions that are not win/win. Change your beliefs and you change your reality. The irony is getting your client's approval isn't that helpful, they won't respect you if they can walk all over you. Win their respect by always committing to win/win.

Another example of a self sabotaging strategy that many people fall into is to focus on what you "don't want .”How would you know what you were doing that?
Look for the following signs:
1. You'd be feeling stressed and frustrated.
2. You would be focusing on circumstances outside of you, like the economy or the marketplace.
3. You would be focused on scarcity, not abundance.

If you are feeling anything less than hopeful and optimistic then most likely you're fretting about the lack of transactions, the lack of clients, and the lack of money in your bank account and so on until your consciousness is saturated with feelings of lack and scarcity.Since our beliefs create our reality, if you're focusing on scarcity, what are you going to attract? More scarcity. Every time you start feeling bad about what you don't have in your life, your energy is contracting and becoming negative. That is not attractive to more business, in fact it repels business.

What is the solution?It is a three-step process:
1. Notice the focus on lack and say STOP to interrupt or thought pattern.
2. Take a DEEP BREATH.
3. Put in a positive new thoughts like:"Money comes to me easily and effortlessly""I do work I love and I'm richly rewarded”

After that, take a few minutes to write down what you DO WANT. Write down the money you want in the bank, the number of transactions you want in a month and so forth. Take a moment to feel how good it feels to have what you want and you will attracted to you.

A common belief that causes success minded professionals to get burned out is the subconscious belief, "to be successful, you have to work long hard hours, struggle and sacrifice."We usually absorb that idea at a very young age, subconsciously, from our parents most of our parents either told us that message and drummed it into our heads or they just modeled it for us and we were sad to see how hard they had to work.

Most of our parents did not have the concept of working "smarter", not harder.So, what do you do if you notice that your sabotaging yourself in this way?The first step is to be aware that you are carrying this belief. Then recognize that it's only a belief, not a fact, and a belief can be changed.

Remember your beliefs create your reality. If you believe that you have to work hard, then you will if you believe you have to work smart, then you will.To make the paradigm shift, keep in mind this quote from Mark Allen, "in an easy and relaxed manner and in a healthy and positive way, I create total financial success, for the highest good of all."Let that idea be your mantra, and remember to breathe deeply, throughout the day reminding yourself to relax and work smarter not harder.

To summarize, all self sabotaging strategies can be changed. The power to change a belief is always in the present moment. No matter how many years you have been sabotaging yourself, you can change it now. This article has given you some tips and solutions. The bottom line is to identify your self limiting beliefs, why you put them there in the first place, release them, and replace them with Empowered Beliefs that you can install immediately.
RIS Media, May 17, 2010

Housing Market Shows Signs of Stability

WASHINGTON, Alan Zibel, AP Real Estate Writer – A real estate industry group says home prices rose in 40 percent of U.S. cities in the fourth quarter of last year, as massive federal spending helped the housing market show signs of stability.

The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that the median price for previously occupied homes sold rose in 67 out of 151 metropolitan areas in the October-December quarter versus a year ago. That's a sharp improvement from the third quarter, when prices rose in only 20 percent of cities surveyed.

The national median price was $172,900, or 4.1 percent below the fourth quarter last year. That was the smallest year-over-year price decline in more than two years.

RE Broker & Agent Confidence Relitively Optimistic

RISMedia (01/08/10) On a scale of one to 10, Point2 Technologies' Real Estate Confidence Index settled at a reading of 5.91 in December -- down a bit from the previous month but still relatively optimistic. The national gauge hit a high of 6.03 percent in November. The December results suggested that industry professionals were encouraged by the federal government's newly expanded tax incentive and its positive impact on lower-priced homes but discouraged by the upcoming expiration of the initiative, which runs through April of this year. Factors contributing to favorable sentiment also included more stringent loan underwriting, which was viewed as critical for sustained market recovery. On the other hand, continued pressure on property prices in several markets because of low appraisals and high foreclosure inventories contributed to the faltering lack of confidence in the market. Additionally, in a trend that has been documented for more than six months, realty brokers and agents based in U.S. cities with a major military presence continue to take a relatively more upbeat stance on the business climate.

A Quick Understanding of the 1st Time Homebuyers $8,000 Tax Credit Extension & New Credit for Long-Time Homebuyers

On November 6, 2009, President Obama signed into law an extension of the $8,000 first-time homebuyers tax credit until April 30, 2010. Binding contracts for the purchase of a principal residence signed by April 30 must close by June 30 to qualify in order for the first-time homebuyer to qualify for the credit. For qualifying purchases in 2010, taxpayers will have the option of claiming the credit on either their 2009 or 2010 return.

The new law added several new provisions that apply to persons purchasing homes on or after November 7, 2009:

• Homebuyers with higher incomes can now qualify for the credit for homes purchased after November 6, 2009.
• Income limits have been increased to $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for couples filing jointly. These income limits were formerly $75,000 and $150,000, respectively. The credit phases out for individual taxpayers with a modified adjusted gross income between $125,000 and $145,000 or between $225,000 and $245,000 for joint filers.
• The new law adds a $6,500 credit for long-time homeowners who want to trade up, that is, current home owners who have lived in their home for five of the past eight years and who buy a replacement principal residence by April 30, 2010.
• Qualifying home purchase prices must not exceed $800,000.
• The extended tax credit for first-time homebuyers remains at $8,000 and requires that the buyer have not owned a home in the past three years, as before.
• Purchasers claiming the credit will need to attach documentation of the transaction to their tax returns in order to help combat the tax credit fraud that has been experienced by the IRS to date.

Extended Homebuyer Tax Credit ResourcesFor additional information, the following resources – which can be expected to be updated frequently over the upcoming days and weeks – offer examples of fact situations, filing options and other details:
NAR The Basics: Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit 2009/2010: http://www.realtor.org/home_buyers_and_sellers/2009_first_time_home_buyer_tax_credit
Internal Revenue Service: http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=204671,00.html
NAR FAQ Regarding Tax Credit Changes: http://www.wra.org/pdf/government/2009_NAR_FAQ_TaxCreditChanges.pdf
NAR Comparison Chart: http://www.realtor.org/wps/wcm/connect
WRA Tax Credit Extension Video: http://wra.org/video/tax_credit_extension/tax_credit_extension.html

Preparing Your Home For Sale to Put Your Best Foot Foward

In preparing your home for sale, there are generally three areas of focus; de-clutter/clean, minor repairs/paint, and de-personalizing. A small investment of time and money in these three areas could make the diferrence in both the time on the market and the final selling price.

De-Cluttering/Clean:
Starting in either the basement or attic, pack-up all items through-out the home that are not needed on a daily basis, storing them in a neat manner in a section of the basement/attic. Think of this as preparing yourself for the move. This way when your house is sold you will already have a jump on the moving thing. If you do not have designated storage area, such as a basement ot attic, you may want to consider renting a storage area until your home is sold.

Also consider having a garage sale. No matter what time of year, there are plenty of garage sale customers. A summer time sale is typically held outdoors or in the garage. So where would you hold one in the winter? Indoors, maybe in the basement or wherever you have the most open space in your home. A winter garage sale can bring even more customers as there is no competition. After the sale, donate or discard un-purchased items.

Once you have de-cluttered, give your entire home a "deep" cleaning; counters, appliances, cabinets, bath fixtures, windows (glass & frame, inside & out), ceiling fans, floors and carpets.

Don't forget the outdoors. The drive-by is still as important as ever in selling your home. Make sure that these areas are also neat and tidy to give the right impression to the potential buyer. One that says that this house is ready for them to move into and enjoy knowing that "it has been well cared for".

Yes, the garage will also need to be tidied. Remember part of what you're selling is usable square footage..with the emphesis on usable.

Minor Repairs/Paint:
Attend to any minor repairs that are needed. Each repair in and of itself may not be a big deal but when added together they give the buyer the impression that there is going to be "a lot of work to do". If even had buyers go so far as to label a house a "fixer upper". It is not unusual for minor repairs to be a factor in turning away potential buyers or costing thousands in the final sale price.

In these days of HGTV and the DIY channel, it is especially important for your home to have a little "wow" factor and one of the easiest and inexpensive ways to get it is with paint. For example; paint one wall in a room a color 3-5 shades darker than the nuetral color of the rest of the walls.

De-personalizing:
Some real estate experts believe that it is important to remove ALL personal items - photos, etc. I'm not so sure. I think it is a balance. A photo of a treasured family moment can evoked strong feelings of "home" and after all this is one of the emotions that you're trying to evoke in a buyer. However, a home filled with photos on the walls, furniture and even kitchen appliances is too, too much!

Speaking of kitchen appliances, while your home is on the market avoid using them as bulletin boards. Again it is about balance, a drawing made by a child placed on the "frig" for display. But when combined with everything else, like teacher notes, doctor appointment slips, etc., etc. it is way too much and definately does not leave a positive impression.

There is no formula to guarentee the successful sale of your home but hopefully focusing in these three areas - de-clutter/clean, repair/paint, and de-personalize - will go a long way in getting it done.

NAR Frequently Asked Questions Homebuyers Tax Credit Changes

I wanted to share this information just in from the National Association of REALTORS® Government Affairs Division. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions on the changes to the Homebuyer Tax Credit

Question: Existing homeowner credit: Must the new house cost more than the old house?

Answer: No. Thus, for example, individuals who move from a high cost area to a lower cost area who meet all eligibility requirements will qualify for the $6500 credit.

Question: I am an existing homeowner. On October 25, 2009, I signed a contract to purchase a
new home. I have lived in my current home for more than 5 consecutive years and
am within the new income limits. I will go to settlement on November 20. If
President Obama has signed the bill by the time I go to settlement, will I qualify for
the new $6500 tax credit?

Answer: Yes. The existing homeowner credit goes into effect for purchases after the date of enactment (when the bill is signed). There is no reference to the date of contract for the new credit. The povision looks solely to the date of purchase, which is generally the date of settlement.

Question: I am a firsttime homebuyer but was not within the prior income limits at the time I
entered into my contract to purchase on October 30, 2009. I will be covered,
however, by the new income limits. If the new rules have been signed into law by the
time I go to settlement, will I be eligible for a credit?

Answer: Yes. The new income limitations go into effect as soon as the President has signed the bill. The income limit and other eligibility rules will look to your status as of the date of purchase,
which is the settlement date. So if the new rules have been signed when you go to settlement,
you should be eligible for the credit (or a portion of the credit if you're within the phaseout
range).

Question: I am an eligible existing homeowner. I have a fair amount of equity in my home. I
have found a home with a nonnegotiable price of $825,000. Will I be able to use any
of the $6500 tax credit?

Answer: No. The $800,000 cap on the cost of the purchased home is firm at $800,000. Any amount
above $800,000 makes the home ineligible for any portion of the credit. The $800,000 is an
absolute ceiling.

Question: I owned my home for 10 years, but sold it two years ago year and have been renting
since. If I purchase a home, will I be eligible for the $6500 tax credit if I meet all the
other eligibility tests?

Answer: Yes. Because you lived in the home for more than 5 consecutive years of the previous 8, you will qualify for the $6500 credit. For example, Say John and his wife bought a home in 2000
and lived there until 2008 when he got a divorce. Whether John has been renting or bought in
the interim, he WOULD INDEED be eligible for the credit because he owned a home and
occupied it as his principal residence for 5 consecutive years out of the last 8 years. The
keyword here is "consecutive." As long as he lived in that house for 5 years straight what he
did since 3 years doesn't impact eligibility.

Question: I am an eligible firsttime homebuyer. I entered into a contract to purchase on
November 1, 2009. Do I have to go to closing before December 1? How does the
extension date affect me?

Answer: You do not have to close before December 1. Once the legislation has been signed, it will be as if the Nov 30 date had never existed. Therefore, so long as the contract settles before April 30 (or July 1, worst case), the purchaser will be eligible for the credit.

Home Selling Tips

We've all watched the HGTV shows, read a magazine article, been given the "secret" to successfully selling a home...but yet some sellers still just do not get it! Putting your best foot forward is crucial to selling a home, especially in a "buyers" market.

We've all heard the age old saying "it's the little things that matter most" or "it's all in the details". When it comes to selling a home, truer words were never spoken. I have been with many a customer touring a home only to be greeted with a foul odor coming from who knows where from who knows what or have endured the frustration of turning on light switches to lights that do not work (simply because the bulb was burned out). Now one might say, hey what's the big deal? Everyone has dirty laundry, don't they? And you've had a light bulb burn out now & then, haven't you? So what's the big deal?

The big deal is that I am selling my house. And every little detail leaves an impression. The foul smell coming from my laundry may simply mean my sons a hockey player but in the mind of a buyer it could leave the impression that I am not a good house keeper and a house that is not well kept can deteriorate faster. Or, the burned out light bulb could say to the buyer that if I can't make sure all the lights are working when I know someone is going to be looking at my house, then what other maintenance or repairs am I neglecting? Neither of these impressions represent the reality of what is going on but they do represent the reality seen by the buyer based on his/her impressions. There is an old marketing saying, "you don't change someones reality you change their impression.

So as you prepare your home for sale and especially right before an Open House or private showing, do make sure to take stock in all the impressions that all the little things are making.