All Forum Posts by: Cory Baker

This may be a half-vent. 

You might be better to go from what I've gone back and labeled (A) and drop straight to (C)

(A)

I am constantly looking for that mentor that will let me watch, learn and basically do some hand-holding as I close that first deal! (Then 5!) and get the profit sharing going!

I believe in education and have purchased so many programs about RE Investing-Books, Tapes, Courses, Licenses, Seminars, Videos... and the best advice I think I ever received TO was find a local REIA! Right up there with find a mentor, and put together your power team.

At the risk of missing someone, I've learned from courses by Carleton Sheets, Robert Allen, A Simple Man's Guide (or something), Jeff Schneider, Steph Davis, JP Moses, Patrick Riddle, Cody Sperber etc... 

Of course, on line, Phil Pustejovsky, Dana Van Hoose, 

And books from some of the above, and Donald Trump, LeGrand, Preston Ely and others

My license was obtained in 2007 and I kept it though in active till 2012 or so.

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(B)

I found a wholesale ceo one day last year and picked his brains at times. This year I linked up to several of his partners, in his group. I worked "ugly Houses"( with a partners's sticky note) Name lead Research-Which I'm very good at apparently, and Notice of Defaults.

About the same time, around April 2015, I signed up for both Cody Sperber and a Riddle-Moses Program.

[Imagine doing these things while you live out of warehouse........... Bleh ] 

Last year is when I hit the knowledge and action throttles and came in to this year with high expectations and was even trying to coach my friends, and bring (drag) them along.

[Ugh, I didn't want to delve much in to my situation, but maybe someone can relate]

So, I had an accident last year that drew me back away from a paycheck job. I'd rather be more free and have often had tip paying jobs, and seasonal positions and independent contractor titles.

I thought that internet marketing with Anthony Morrison, and doing Wholesaling was my ticket. 

I had no reserves, and when I had to rely on operating a bike taxi which was good for a few months but was not good for a few months... well I really struggled. I had a girlfriend who couldn't always see "the vision" I had. +++FInally, making 2k, 5k, 10k checks over and over! And silencing all those "voices" that told me I was wrong for daring to take on such projects!+++

Our lease was coming due and we couldn't renew. The pedicabbing kept me going for a while. I'd had a job as a driver working for a couple years and had to let it go. Then I kept that biking for a while and got another driving job which as I mentioned died after my accident...

2 sets of friends helped us (the girlfriend and me) by letting us stay and pay low rent.

I was so sure all the activity and learning I was into would pay off!!!  6 months at one place then 3 months with another set. 

This set actually was more supportive and started to learn and dream big with.
Both sets were helping me pick tape and pin up and collect my bandit signs. While I we stayed with them. And this second set had Entrepreneurial Spirits. They even were so excited and watched and recorded as I put my first Wholesale Flex-Option together.

I found it on craigslist and texted, "Are you flexible on price?"

 I received back that they were. And I tried doing a flex-option with online sgnatures and a clause stating the $10 option consideration to be paid within 5 days. I thought I had it down! We all met together and we signed live on the receipt.

Just prior to the receipt signing and $10 Cash... I got the property marketed back out: my email, and google voice blew-up! 

I startred adding to my contact list!

My friends could hardly believe that this "wholesale" stuff actually works and Cory-broke and living with us an struggling- was NOW  going places and teaching us valuable valuable lessons!

{I didn't know I was supposed to have at least 100 bandit signs to ger the best use, and the time consumption for Craigslist campaigns...all that time my friends saw me spending infront of a computer}

But, the location wasn't so desirable for some, the profit margin wasn't good enough for some, the first wholesaler was playing too fast and loose and was way low on the cost of repairs. I originally started out with a good number and bumped it up to get my FIRST one done!

It was with a wholesaler, that didn't seem to know much or understand the value of contracts. And the wholesaler became hard to reach  and I recorded my Option.

No one wanted to follow as this got more complex. It fell apart. We lost a great deal of enthusiasm and momentum. 

I since then moved belongings into storage, and moved into a warehouse. 

Living the dream....

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(C)

I get tired of all these gurus'and the non-guru gurus that keep sending the latest software, multiorginizational systematization process, or how to really ramp up to 100k per month!

Do they not remember how it was when they got their first one???

I just need to get that first one done successfully!!!!!!!

Don't tell me to lie, deceive or do something that would cause one to lose jeopardize their license either! I don't have one anymore but would practically shut down when I'd even hear to do a white lie, or use blind ads on properties I do not have or confirm with a partner I don't have....

And no I have no more money to "invest".  Playing catch up with my other "great programs"

That tangible Mentor is still allusive. At a local REIA I found a Partner recently who is learning from me as his tutor and we are pretty motivated...we knock on doors together, I had him go with me to an actual trustee sale auction, and he and I are networking and planning. And he has begun a mailing campaign!

There needs to be more info on GETTING that first Wholesale Deal Done....

I'll call him Rob.   Do we co-wholesale a deal with a flex option or maybe with a contract that reads Cory and/ or Rob an /or assigns?

Ugh! So much and so little. I'd rather pay a mentor thousands of dollars like a 60-40 split where they get the 60% as I learn from them....

JUST that FIRST DEAL (OR 5) PLEASE! 

 Anything more than this is "too-Much" Let's keep it simple and duplicatable.

[Not scaling up, not multimillion, not armies of VA's, not 87 deals per month.. the First Successful Deal!!]

I think I need to cancel nearly all the email subscriptions and maybe hang here in the Pockets... And learn from all your experience.

I found a local group but they wanted $1000 to start... Ugh again...

-Feeling like I'm missing something

make that-"man, were my hopes high "-   and there's a " with" that was supposed to be a "worth"

Bought the Fast Track Course: Incidentally on YouTube you can find several videos from his group. One of my favorite videos on wholesaling is his whiteboard Wholesaling101 and his partner's Mr. Vanhoose has a great one on birddogging. I've bought weird, "my wife is going to kill me package" for like 7 dollars after his autoresponders hounded me via email. He knows his stuff, he's local, and an incredible upselling promoting machine. It even came with a Fast track Poster. I'd hear about learning about his M5 marketing system, of another training video etc. Some of which I'd already seen. I was very confused. I thought I already had the FastTrack system until I talked to their customer service and some business development counselor. Eventually, I found out that the FastTrack was the main course and after one purchases this there's no more upselling. And after completing the modules, one could feasibly put together several thousand and get a chance at personal mentorship by Cody.

For about $300 I got a full blown course and access to a business development aid or something. The only parts, I struggled with ethically is 1. He being a Realtor and I also used to be licensed, how can he promote "ghost ads", 2. Where are the lines between ads with realty and equal housing, and ads on website and bandit signs, when you're a Realtor misrepresentation and blind ads are a big deal. 3. Promoting a white lie to Section 8 about how you're a friend of yours who's a disabled war veteran, seems way too shady. 

 It reminds me of how hard it was for me to learn from Carleton Sheets when he promoted telling little white lies-tell them you have a partner when you don't, saying he wasn't a Realtor when he was...

It took me a while to try out bandit signs, but if you take them back down no one seems to be that bothered by them anymore than a yard sale sign. My experience and advice is it you are looking for a course that seems relevant for Arizona, that will give you, 90% of what you should know on wholesaling for under $300 it's a pretty good deal. It didn't cover for me to any great extent how to work with other wholesalers, effectively...instead he kind of goes off on a rant about it not being the nicest guys who make it. That came on the 2nd to last video in the bonus videos, If I recall correctly.

Anyway, Joint venturing, probates -- may be missing but there are weeks with of content.

I was brought on as a birddog with a local RE investment group, bought Cody's Fast Track, had already received great coaching from Steph Davis who suggested Patrick Riddle and JP Morgan's Course IPOD, which I purchased for $97 all around the same time and just after I and then gf had to move out of our friends' home. I've been studying and doing, and surprisingly even had an option to purchase which I marketed, got tremendous response on- man, were my hours high- but I wound up finding out the Wholesaler didn't know or care much about what he was doing, the address was not limited by some of the investors, and had the price been $10 thousand less, it would have sold, quickly. The estimated repair costs were low. 

Beware the Wholesaler may give a very low rehab estimate when you come along as another Wholesaler. Steph told me that just after I experienced it the hard way.

For all my countless hours of looking for property, studying, trying to find partners, talking on the phone... I'm now practically homeless.... Yes, this future success story will probably start out... "I was living in a wearhouse when I made my first successful deal!..."