The last few years in the real estate market have been the worst this country has seen since the great depression.  But we seem to have turned a corner and forecasters are anticipating that 2010 is the year that the rebound in the real estate market will take off once again.  Current financial indicators all support this prediction. As the real estate market is getting ready to re-ignite going into 2010 the need for licensed professional real estate appraisers to facilitate the deals is about to jump. The time to get licensed is now to be ready for the opportunity that is to come. It is a great time to start a career as a real estate appraiser.

As the economy stands on the threshold of its real estate market recovery the need will be greater than ever to have qualified professionals to determine an accurate value of the properties being purchased for the purposes of validating the purchase price on a loan. In order to appropriately determine the selling price the skills of a qualified real estate appraiser will needed. Expertly trained professionals to skillfully and accurately value the properties being bought and sold in the rebounding real estate market will be in great demand.

The recent incentive programs to stimulate the depressed real estate market have done just that. The original tax incentive of up to $7500.00 for first time home buyers was enough to spark the beginning of the real estate market turn around. The subsequent decisions to raise the possible incentive amount to $8000.00 and suspending the deadline to qualify for the program generated significantly more activity in the housing market.

The expansion of the program to include a credit for existing homeowners of up to $6500.00 to purchase a new primary residence created and even more urgent need for properly trained real estate appraisers. The increase in home sales as well as the number of listings for sale anticipated as existing homeowners sell their current residences to cash in on the incentive to purchase a new one will create an overflow of properties in need of proper appraisal and a demand for licensed professionals to meet the need.

Real estate appraisal is a field in which many can work but those that receive quality education will excel. Honest and reliable real estate appraisers are a cornerstone in a successful real estate market. Without professionals to properly value the properties the market will fall apart. In order to become one of these highly regarded professionals potential appraisers must learn what skills are necessary in order to accurately evaluate a property’s value. The details of a property that add value as well as those that may decrease value, the areas the properties are located in, the land and its significance to the overall property value, this is all knowledge that an expert real estate appraiser will have. The importance of a quality education behind the license will be the difference between appraisers that work and those that grow wealth in the reignited real estate market.

In an economy where unemployment is at its highest, finding a field in need of qualified professionals is like finding a nugget of gold in a mine that was thought to be emptied of all value. To find a field that is about to explode with an infinite potential for income generation is like hitting the mother load. Now is the perfect time to begin a career in a field where the possibility of income is only limited by your ability to do the work. Now is a great time to get started in a career as a real estate appraiser.

RealEstateExpress.com offers the best online appraisal licensing course packages available anywhere.  If you’d like more information about how to get licensed or about our course packages, Click on your state below!

Texas Appraisal License
Illinois Appraisal License
Louisiana Appraisal License
Pennsylvania Appraisal License
Virginia Appraisal License
Washington State Appraisal License

David Goldstein

The first round of stimulus for the housing market (in the form of an $8000 tax credit for buyers) was so popular and effective that many were begging for legislation that would extend the program into 2010. With the housing markets entering the recovery stage, the current administration’s decision to extend the first time buyers credit of up to $8000.00 for purchases written up by April 30, 2010 and with escrow closing on or before the end of June 2010 is exciting news for the real estate market. The legislation has also been expanded to include a tax credit of up to $6500.00 for repeat buyers looking to change their primary residence if they have owned and lived in their current home for at least five of the last eight years. This is good news for buyers and sellers and it’s great news for real estate agents and brokers!

The first and most obvious benefit of the tax credit extension to real estate agents is more interest in home purchases for first time buyers. The initial release of the tax credit for first time home buyers generated an enormous amount of interest in home purchases. The last minute extension is sure to reignite the buzz over the program with the added urgency of the new deadline.

Another reason I am so excited about this extension is that in addition to the first time home buyer credit, existing homeowners will be more motivated to buy with the available tax credit expanding to include them as well. Whether current homeowners are upgrading to a larger home or even if they are downsizing by selling their current home, they will also be able to take advantage of the tax credit now. This will be certain to generate even more interest in home purchases.

This expansion of the legislation will also create activity in the real estate sales market as the existing homeowners that wish to take advantage of the tax credit will need to list their current home in order to purchase their new primary residence. These listings of homes for sale will in turn provide a greater properly priced inventory of properties for prospective buyers to choose from. With more sellers, potential buyers and increased inventory, real estate agents are in for some long overdue prosperity.

More good news! Not only did the deadline for the tax credit get an extension and the expansion now includes current homeowners, but the expanded legislation also included raising the maximum income limit to qualify for the credit by $20,000.00 dollars. Now there are a greater number of people than ever before that can qualify to apply for the tax credit program. This should mean that there will finally be a resurgence of activity for real estate agents.

As if the previously mentioned incentives were not enough, there is still another incentive that can help with one of the biggest obstacles that potential homeowners face; available cash for down payments and closing costs. For a number of people that would like to purchase a home, inability to come up with a large enough sum of money to cover the costs included in closing a loan is a problem. Some lenders are allowing what is called a bridge loan where prospective first time home buyers can use the tax credit toward their closing costs. A short term loan will be issued to be used for closing costs, or even possibly to be used to buy down the interest rate of the loan and is to be repaid upon receipt of the tax credit.

The recent extension and expansion of the tax credit program for home buyers has created more reasons for career minded people to get a real estate license and  start new career.  There has never been a better time to buy a home and the incentives to do so have never been better. The wait has been longer than expected but the conditions are clearly here for the real estate market to rise once more.

David Goldstein

Bob, the Salesman.

This post is about real estate sales but not the traditional kind and not even in this country. I was recently introduced to the world of time-share sales in the Mexican Riviera Maya and it was a real eye-opener!

It all started when my wife and I went to pick up our rental car at the Cancun airport a few months ago.  There was a little counter set up in the rental office and it was staffed by a very friendly and attractive young woman.  There was some friendly chit-chat. She asked us about our vacation plans and if we’d like any maps or discount coupons.   We thought that was nice and we accepted a few brochures and maps.  Then she asked if we would be interested in visiting a brand new beach resort where we could enjoy a nice breakfast and the facilities for the day at no charge.  Our only obligation would be to listen to a short sales presentation.  In addition, we would be handed $200 after the presentation. Good deal, huh?

So… we decided to take one morning out of our vacation, visit the resort and pick up our $200. We’d use the money to treat ourselves to a nice dinner or something.  The one hour property tour and sales presentation lasted 3 hours and was one of the most painful experiences we can remember.

The property was gorgeous - super impressive!  We would love to vacation at a place like this. The rooms were gigantic with huge terraces, splash pools and hot tubs. Bathrooms, kitchens and views to die for.  And the prices weren’t bad either.  Now we had already determined that we weren’t going to buy a time-share and we told the sales representative straight up that there was no way we were going to be buying anything from him that day.  We even told Bob (our sales representative) that if he’d prefer to spend his time with someone who was a real potential buyer we would understand and skip the tour and the $200.  But this guy only took that information as a challenge.  He said, “no problem! I’m happy to show you around for a bit - no pressure at all.” Looking back we realize this is probably what everyone tells these sales people!

So, the tour was great and we felt like we made a new friend in Bob when he took us into a large hall filled with tables and chairs and asked us to have a seat so he could go over pricing with us.  We told him that we weren’t interested at any price and he told us that this was just part of the presentation he had to do - it would be quick and we could be on our way.  Then the pressure began… lots of questions about our vacation preferences, travel budget and income levels.  There was a “special offer” available that day for tour guests… we said “no thank you”.  There was an even more special offer available but only for the next couple hours!  We said “no thank you, Bob”.  There was an unbelievable and unheard of offer available just for us and just for the next 2 minutes!  We said “look buddy… we’re serious… we’re not interested and we’re ready to leave now”.  Bob excused himself and returned several minutes later with a sales manager.  This guy wasn’t our friend like our “buddy” Bob was so he didn’t have to be nice.  He proceeded to heap insults, guilt and every kind of manipulation known to man on my wife and I.   This went on for what seemed like forever and we finally got up and walked away.  We didn’t care if we got the $200 at that point we just wanted to get away from the intensity and back to our vacation.  We were shocked when they still handed us the $200 in CASH on our way out the door.

So… here’s what we learned from the experience;

1. Ethical standards that licensed real estate salespeople are held to in the US are much higher than they are in other parts of the world.  Bob didn’t even need a license to sell real estate in Mexico.
2. Guilt and manipulation can be effective in the sales process!  Bob had us going for a few minutes with some of his tactics and since our experience we’ve heard several stories about people who just couldn’t get away without making a purchase that they totally regretted.
3. Even smart people are susceptible to extreme selling tactics (my wife is the smart one - I’m the susceptible one).
4. Don’t waste valuable vacation time on time-share presentations unless you’re really interested in making a purchase.
5. We love the real estate professionals we’ve worked with when buying or selling homes here in the States.  They are educated, ethical and at least in our experience great people.

The free breakfast at the resort was absolutely delicious but these Salespeople and their high-pressure tactics left us with a horrible taste in our mouths.

I know I’m not alone in this… if you want to share your thoughts or experience feel free to leave a comment.

Thanks,

David Goldstein

Look How Far We’ve Come.

When my partner and I launched Activated Multimedia, Inc in the early 1990’s, it took me an hour to load my car for a demo, an hour to set up the demo, and an hour getting my sore back fixed after schlepping all that stuff around town. In those days before the Internet existed, in order to show our Fortune 500 clients the “magic of multimedia” I hauled an entire Mac Quadra with a giant CRT in my trunk, along with enough cables to hang the golden gate bridge. I would arrive at least an hour before the meeting commenced, just to plug everything in, and usually had sweat dripping from my brow for the first 15 minutes of every presentation. To say it was cumbersome would be an understatement.

Today it’s easy to fit your entire office, if not your life, into one carry-on size bag.

The examples are almost infinite. You can take an entire library with you on a Kindle; you can take your “computer” with you in a hand-held device like an iPhone or a Blackberry, which also serves as your movie theater and concert hall to go. As our tools and technology have successfully evolved into true portability (smaller and lighter packages that fit in your pocket), the economics and viability of having that big office loaded with bulky hardware starts to look more and more obsolete.

Many New Professionals Are Investing in Technology Instead of Rent, for Virtual Office Freedom

Today’s smart professionals in the age of connectivity are realizing that by “going portable” the costs and carrying weight of a large fully-equipped office are often mitigated. Like me, they have learned to downsize their physical office, in favor of taking their “virtual office” with them wherever they go.

That’s not to say there isn’t a place for physical offices, especially in real estate. But if you just have to have a formal “street presence,” try going for less square footage, for a shorter term. Or even better, tap into the many offices around the world that rent “by the day”. (For more about that read this summary “How Virtual Offices Work.”)

I have an office that I rarely visit based in St. Louis, and three separate tiny offices in different towns in Chile. But my “main office” is essentially an oversized briefcase. That’s what I use most as my office.

Currently, I live outside the USA more than in it, and travel on flights and connections that often are measured in days rather than hours. Accordingly, I have learned to fit (i.e “cram”) all my clothes, and my office, into one overstuffed carry-on bag.  Yes, even with my laptop, camera, iPhone, and cables, I can fit a weeks worth of clothes in there as well! The only thing I can’t seem to fit in this bag is my secretary.

Here are the key items that give me my office on wheels:

Hardware:

iPhone or Smartphone- I have a chip for the USA and a chip for South America - which is invaluable to avoid roaming charges. I have an original iPhone, and had a friend “jailbreak” or “unbrick” it, to allow for the different carriers in different countries. Sure, Blackberry and Palm Pre work also. In terms of apps, there are way too many to list here, but suffice to say the Zillow and Trulia Apps are great for real estate agents. They geo-target your location and bring up what’s for sale where you are and they give you comps too.  “Around Me” is a great one if you travel in the US because it tells you where they closest “anything” is to where you are (based on the internal GPS). Coffee, hospital, grocery store, resturaunts, hotels etc. But there are over 1.5 million apps out there, so search using Google for the ones that help you the most.

Canon Powershot- Because for business I need high-quality, high-res photos, and phonecams just don’t cut it in terms of pixel size. The all time favorite camera in the world, and easy to download your pictures to your computer or a variety of devices. I have a Powershot 630, but there are other models available.

Plug Converters- Most electronic devices today come with a plug/transformer set for International use. If it says 110-240volts, then you won’t fry your US-made device (110volts) when plugging it in to a South American or European socket (220-240volts). All you need is a converter to make the “prongs” match. Extra batteries for your devices is always a good idea as well.

Laptop- I’ve got 20 years of Mac-love and 15 years with Dell, but after having 2 expensive laptops fry in Airport XRay machines, my techno-gurus gave me a “made in China” IBM stepchild called a “Lenovo” that turned out to perform just as well as the better known brands. Much less painful if something goes wrong- but this little Chevy Nova suits me fine at half the price. Because I travel, my office has our troubleshooting tech Michele hooked up by virtue of an “agent” program, so she can fix anything remotely for me, no matter where in the world I may be.

Software:

TweetGrid- Track 9 or more Twitter accounts or terms at once. For monitoring subjects of interest and keywords like “real estate” “housing” “foreclosures” “realtor” and other business-centric terms, I use the 3 x3 array to also follow updates and tweets from other real estate professionals.

TweetDeck- For coordinating your Twitter accounts, following friends, as well as a one-stop shop for Retweeting, posting Twitpics, 12sec videos, and following Social Media trends. Works with Facebook and iPhones in most countries.

Twhirl- Cute little widget that is like a mini-version of Tweetdeck. Boasts a really fast URL-shortener tool as well. I keep this running on my desktop.

AlertThingy- To view and operate both your Facebook and Twitter accounts at once, in harmony. Efficient little app that saves you time.

Microsoft Office Picture Manager- I love Photoshop but this is the most efficient way to size images for quick placement in my blog, TwitPic or websites. Not a huge Microsoft fan but this little tool is fast, and easy to use, and usually is included with Office. Selecting “Edit Pictures” can give me my shot color corrected, cropped, resized and more in less time than it takes Photoshop to open.

FreeTranslations- Remember, even in the prosaic USA, over 20% of your customers speak another lengua materna. May make you sound like a gradeschooler, but 95% of the translations aren’t bad!

Airline WiFi- Most airlines today are equipping their larger wide-body aircraft with Internet Connectivity via Wifi. I usually fly American, because they have my gazillion miles stored since 1981 - and they are retrofitting most of it’s 767 fleet with WiFi for a fee.  But I get it at no charge during this promotion season using this coupon code. Feel free to try it: AAWiFi80208A2

Google Voice- 3 cents a minute and you’re talking worldwide with high-fidelity.

Air Card- For Internet Connectivity anywhere you may be.

Thanks to space and time-saving devices like these, and the proclivity of Internet-based applications, I can literally take my office with me wherever I go, and stay connected in  virtual real time. I can reduce the size of my physical office, lower my rent costs, and probably end up more efficient as a result.

True, there were a few things the old Mac Quadra could do that I still miss.

What I don’t miss is my sore back or the sweat. Today I can easily lift my entire office and put it in the airline overhead compartment, no sweat.

Now, if I can only figure out how to fit my secretary in the same small space!

Geoffrey Thompson

A young person recently asked me if I thought it was a good time to make an investment in real estate.  He had a couple opportunities but was “frozen” because he was afraid of what the future might hold.  I told him that in spite of the uncertainty of today’s economy that I do believe this is a great time to invest and that there might even be some unusual once-in-a-lifetime opportunities available today.  Then I shared some perspective that I think applies to anyone who is interested in building a future for themselves and their families.

There are always reasons to be pessimistic.  This year it’s the housing market and unemployment, next year it might be inflation and the year after that it could be fears of nuclear proliferation or terrorism. The truth is that there has never been a time when there hasn’t been some looming scary possibility that could cause us to focus on the negative and freeze… but it’s also true that there are always great opportunities available to those who do their research, have vision, and who are bold enough to say “I’m not going to allow risk and the possibility of failure to prevent me from moving toward success”.  The key is staying optimistic even when things get rough.

Are you considering getting your real estate license but are “frozen” because you’re just not sure if the time is right?  Asking the question “is this the right time” is a healthy thing to do, but standing still is not.  If you read this blog very often you know that we are of the opinion that this may be the best time ever to enter real estate as a career and we explain why in various posts.  If negativity has you at a stand-still I’d like to suggest that you shake it off and go positive! I know that can be easier said than done so here are a few tips for staying optimistic even during difficult times.

1. Remind yourself of the times you’ve seen bad situations turn around. Here’s an example from my life… I watched the value of homes in California (including mine) fall through the floor in the late ’80’s and early ’90’s resulting in the same kind of “upside down” mortgage situation that we’re seeing today.  I also watched those prices recover more quickly than I would have thought possible.  The bad situation ended and turned around fast - I saw it with my own eyes.

I have dozens of examples like this that I can pull out and meditate on when I get “scared” and feel like giving in to negativity.  I’d recommend that if you don’t have a list of your own that you get out a pad of paper (or open a Word doc) and make a list - it’s a very encouraging exercise!

2. Hang out with people who have positive attitudes and who encourage you. There’s nothing less helpful than having people constantly reminding you of how bad things are.  I am fortunate to have a lot of friends who are very positive and optimistic about life.  When one of us is down, we gang up on that person and encourage them.  Not everyone enjoys that kind of community - if you do then you know what I am talking about.  If you don’t have a strong support network you might consider getting involved with a local synagogue, church or club.  Today, even social media offers you a way to connect with other like-minded people.  Go ahead and open a Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn account!

3. Turn off the news. I know myself… I can get sucked into the stuff they dish out on the news fast and it affects my thoughts and emotions just as quickly.  I find it better for myself if I check news online and carefully select what I want to open myself up to.   There are certain reporters and commentators that I know can hook me and drag me down - I try to stay away from them.  I don’t want to be ignorant or out of touch so I don’t entirely unplug from news but I’m careful.  Make sense?

Bottom line… We at the American School of Real Estate Express want to encourage you to move forward with your plan to become successful or to continue your success.  If that plan includes beginning a real estate career we’re here to help you with that.  If you are a little nervous about getting started and need a little encouragement give us a call!

David Goldstein

I just saw a rerun of one my daughter’s favorite shows in the 1980’s. In this episode, as Macgyver mixed a cup of mouthwash with some random plant food to make a hand-grenade, he said: “Desperation tends to make one sort of flexible.”

For those who are too young to remember, Macgyver was the guy who could make a rocket ship out of a paper clip, or a fuel-efficient car out of a 9 volt battery and a skateboard. We watched this hit show each week two decades ago not because it had the script excellence of today’s “Bourne” films, or the cinematographic quality of CSI. No, we watched it because we loved to see how an “average” guy could be creative with what he had, and figure out a way to save the girl, or the day, using everyday junk. And always, with a solution that was fast, economical, and exigent.

Flexibility in the pursuit of a career is mandatory today. Career solutions that are fast and economical are the only ones that make sense. The job market that young people encounter now is one of the worst we’ve had since the depression, and many college graduates with $50,000-$100,000 in college-loans are having to take jobs for barely minimum wage. The high costs of a 4-year University education in many cases no longer are justified when compared with the earnings graduates are receiving today.

Now let me make a quick admission: I am a College graduate. But when I entered Arizona State University at age 17 three decades ago, tuition for out-of-state student like me was a grand total of $605/semester. Or about $5 a day. I worked at night as a waiter and managed to pay my way as I went. After a couple years I got residency, which dropped my tuition to a giant $195/semester.

Today it will cost students $195 a day for tuition. As I mentioned in my previous post, that adds up to over $100,000 on average for a 4 ½ year tour to earn a Bachelor’s degree.

Many high-school graduates today are realizing that for a guy like me, who went to college in the 1970’s, the formula made sense; but in 2009, the costs often don’t justify the reward. For many , I’m recommending that they say “No” to the ridiculously high-costs of college, and “yes” to a NOW career. To see why, take a look at a concise chart comparing career choices with costs listed.

At the top of that chart, in terms of speed, low cost, and income potential,  is becoming a real estate professional.

There are many reasons for this.

• It’s the fastest professional career path around today-for most people getting your license takes only a few weeks.
• It’s also the career most likely to earn great income, even in the first year.
• Plus, you don’t need to have a super high SAT score, be on the debate team, or run a 9.2 hundred in order to enter your school and begin training. As long as you haven’t committed a felony, in most states, you’re qualified to start studying and take your licensing exam.

The process is fast. I’ve conservatively estimated that the average person starting from scratch, with ZERO experience in real estate can be trained, licensed, and working the profession in less than 2 months. For many it’s even faster, but let me illustrate what I mean. There are three basic steps you’ll follow to go from neophyte to a licensed real estate professional in your state. Here’s how the time and cost invested stacks up:

STEP ONE: Get Licensed and Official – Estimated Cost = <$450 Estimated Time= 3 ½ Weeks.

a. Take a Pre-License Course. All states require successful completion of a course of study before you can sit for the licensing exam. You can take this course in a classroom, at a University, or online( like most do today) to get it finished even faster. 10 days or less using Internet based training.

b. You should NOT spend any money signing up with a Broker to “sponsor” you, before you get licensed. Keep your options open. Once you have your license you will be in demand.

c. Sign up for your state’s licensing exam. Some states have waiting lists as long as 4 weeks out, so check this out and make an exam appointment BEFORE you are finished with your course. ½ hour.

d. Start practicing for your exam using an exam-prep product like LicenseTutor.com. For less than $75 they guarantee you’ll pass your exam the first time. You have nothing to lose with these great tune-up products. 10 days.

e. Take your Licensing Exam and pass it. Ask for expedited results. 1-5 days.

f. Once you’ve passed your exam, you’ll be getting requests from Brokers to join them.

STEP TWO: Set up Your Virtual Office - Estimated Cost = < $500 Estimated Time = < 2 weeks

a. Technology: This means a telephone (cell, Skype, Vonage, etc.) and an email address;

b. ID Package: This includes business cards, perhaps a logo, and a Designation specialty;

c. Joining your local Real Estate Board, or MLS. This is usually around $400 for a year.

STEP THREE: Set up Your Online & Social Media Sites = Estimated Cost = $0 Estimated Time = < 1 week

a. This means open your free Twitter account, Facebook page, and professional listings;

b. If you desire, you can get a website for free by using Wordpress or other sitebuilders.

Total Time = 7 Weeks. Total Cost =<$1000

After that, it’s all about working three almost cost-free tools to build your client-base:

• The Phone
• E-mail & Social Media
• Networking

If you’d like to read more detail about how to quickly build your client base and earn money now in real estate, I wrote a book about this subject entitled “Licensed to Soar” that I’m making available free to my followers and blog readers this week. In less than a dozen chapters I detail how to differentiate your business and use new tactics to gain a client base, fast! To get it, just email customercare@realestateexpress.com with this simple sentence:”Send me Licensed to Soar,” and you’ll have it sent to you immediately.

These are desperate times for many, not just high-school graduates. As McGyver said, “Desperation tends to make one sort of flexible.”

With the unemployment rate going through the roof, and a College education costing more than a heart transplant, today’s wise job seekers are realizing it’s time for some flexibility and innovation in the pursuit of career. My personal belief is that real estate is the career of the future, and is the most fast, economical, and exigent solution around today. And you don’t need to know how to make a rocket ship out of a paper clip to get started.

Geoffrey Thompson

I thought my brand new B.S in Engineering was going to be worth something. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was three decades ago. I remember the dryness on my tongue as I sat there, mouth open in astonishment, listening to the salary they wanted to offer me.

I was on the interview circuit- off to start my career after four long years of college. I had just graduated from Arizona State University with an Aerospace Engineering Degree, I had earned all the flight certificates possible, I was one of the youngest Certified Flight Instructors in the country at the time, and I figured I was going to be getting an awesome job, making some awesome bucks.

Throughout my 4 years in Tempe I worked nights as a waiter, always at the best places in town, so my tip income was good. I probably took home $300/weekend in tips. For a part-time waiter who really was a full-time student, that was decent income! Combined with the free lobster tails and wine every night, I had a pretty good living as a starving student.

I didn’t know just HOW good I had until I graduated, and started interviewing.

I was thrilled when Lear Jet in Wichita told me they wanted me to work for them. The job had sounded awesome–I’d be flying Lear Jets for a living, I’d be with a super brand in aviation, and I thought I could figure out a way to make boring-Wichita fun. It all sounded wonderful, until they mentioned the starting salary.

“Whaaaaat?” I said fighting desperately for saliva. “I make that in a week waiting tables at the Windjammer in Tempe! You’re saying that would be my MONTHLY salary?”

“Yes,” the President of Lear Jet responded, “you’ll find that’s what recent graduates with a B.S. in Engineering get as a starting salary.”

“But I can make more money than that waiting tables part time!” I said in exasperation. “And you don’t need a college degree to be a waiter!”

“Well” he said, “after you’ve paid your dues, in a few years, you’ll start seeing some increases.”

Pay my dues? Hadn’t I already “paid my dues” for four years? So I declined the job offer, and went into real estate instead, leaving my B.S. in Engineering as a diploma only, a framed memory of what might have been the worst investment in my life.

What I discovered first hand thirty years ago, is even more true today. The University model is broken. The investment is way too high for such a low pay out. If you doubt that, ask any parent.

The cost to send just one child to a typical state University is more than the cost of buying a new car each year. If we then expanded the category to that of private Universities, it’s like buying a new condo each year. Seriously, to send just one child to a decent University for 4 ½ years (yes, the time keeps increasing along with the costs) the average family will have to come up with over $125,000*. If you happen to have 4 kids you’ll need a half a million dollars, not counting things the little things like food and clothing.

Over three years ago, Forbes was one of the first to suggest that the University promise was a myth, when they published their famous “5 Reasons to Skip College”, summarized here:
1. You’ll be losing four working years in college, accumulating debt;
2. You won’t necessarily make more money after you graduate;
3. You could make more money skipping college;
4. You can learn in other ways, outside the classroom;
5. Plenty of other people did fine without college.

Today it’s even worse. It’s not like there are jobs just waiting for all these college graduates in 2009. States are laying off administrators, teachers, and city planners in record numbers, while at latest count, America’s leading corporations have let over 1 million employees go. Our country has way too many lawyers per capita, (according to their own associations), way too many people with “Political Science” degrees, and way too many Vetrinarians. In today’s new socialized medicine environment, a career in medicine no longer pays, (unless you come from India), and the majority of “want ads” in the health industry are for low-level nurses willing to move and work the night shift.

Many graduates today are faced with three horrifying choices after investing over $100,000 in their future. They can:
1. Go work at a restaurant or retail store;
2. Take a professional job in their chosen field for minimum wage, in a place like Wichita;
3. Go to graduate school. (And keep spending money.)

It’s no wonder many high-school graduates today are saying “No way!” to the University Myth, and shouting “Yes!” to the immediacy of a high-paying career without the need for college.

In short, let me conclude with a question. What do the following people have in common?

• Michael Dell
• Henry Ford
• Rachel Ray
• John D. Rockefeller Sr.
• Bill Gates

You guessed it – no college!

There are many options for today’s High School graduates who want to start a career now, many of which produce significant first-year income. In Part II of this series I’ll present some of those in detail.

Geoffrey Thompson

NOTES:
*According to a recent article by “Inside Higher Ed” the average cost for a University degree in Florida was $170,831 for “multidisciplinary studies” and $259,781 for an M.D. Complete Report here (pdf):
www.deltacostproject.org/resources/pdf/johnson3-09_WP.pdf

Here’s a cool little widget that will tell you how much College costs in your state:
http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/collegecost/collegecost.jsp

Here’s an article entitled: “The Four Year College Myth” by the Boston Globe:
www.boston.com/bostonglobe/magazine/articles/2009/05/31/the_four_year_college_myth/

I am writing my blog post this morning from paradise. I’m in Cabo San Lucas, a place I love second only to my beloved Chile, not only because of the beach and climate, but because it reminds me of San Diego in the 1960’s. Relating to the 60’s in a beach community like this is good perhaps for setting a tone in a bar or restaurant, but it can be deadly in the current real estate market.

I have made lots of  friends here in this marvelous community founded by Desi Arnaz and Ernest Hemingway, both locals and those from Canada and the USA who now call this home. I’ve shared  dinners with some of the leaders of this town, tourism directors and more, and in just about every industry but one, they really have it together here. Cabo understands technology, publicity, and marketing communications.

That excellence in marketing and acumen in business communications however, unfortunately, does not extend to the majority of local real estate professionals, in my view. I have been stunned by the lack of sophistication and technological savvy in our industry here. It’s almost as if most are “stuck” in the 1960’s, both attitudinally, as well as technologically. I’m not just talking about the fact that if you mention “Twitter” or “blogs” most realtors here look at you like you have something on your shoe; I mean they are not even using email correctly. Let me explain.

There’s a famous true story in both L.A. and St. Louis that date backs to the mid 1960’s when the McDonnell Aircraft Company, as it was then known, purchased the Douglas Aircraft Company. On one of its first post-purchase visits to Long Beach, executives from the conservative Midwestern-based McDonnell were surprised to find the Douglas plant virtually empty of staff and executives one Friday morning. It was around 10:00 AM, there were planes to build, yet whole departments sported empty desks from wall to wall.

As the story goes, “Mac” himself, the founder of McDonnell Aircraft, turned to his Douglas tour guide and said, “Where the hell IS everybody? Didn’t they know we were coming?”

Without a beat, the Douglas liason, replied, “Well, yes sir, but you know, it’s the tide tables and all.” Noticing the “deer in the headlights” look on James McDonnell’s face, the Douglas employee realized that “Mac” was not tracing with his Southern California lingo, so he restated his answer more clearly:

“I mean”, he said in all seriousness, “surf’s up this morning, baby!”

Yep, most of the key staffers had gone surfing! It was only then that McDonnell realized that the culture “out west” at Douglas aircraft was much different than in St. Louis, and if they intended to make this merger work, they’d have to do something about this antiquated mentality!

• Months before arriving here in Cabo I used the Internet to find local real estate professionals. I selected a half-dozen or so that looked good based on a directly listing I found, and emailed them all a full page of details about me and what I was looking for. How many do you think actually responded? A grand total of two. One of the two responses was a castigation e-mail by one of the oldest realtors in Cabo, scolding me for using email! I quote “This is a small town and we all know you sent multiple emails. This was bad form,” she said, in tones that at best could be described as discordant. Can you believe it? I actually had the temerity to send multiple emails!

• After being here a day I saw a property near the house we are renting, and called the phone number shown on the For Sale sign. Spent about 5 minutes answering “qualifying questions” with the agent on the phone who told me he’d “call me right back.” Three days later, I called HIM back. He didn’t have a clue who I was.

• Went out to my car the third day here and found a very savvy real estate agent had stuck a bumper sticker advertising his firm on my back bumper. No, he didn’t ask, nor introduce himself. I called his office to politely suggest that this kind of thing was better done “with advance permission from the car’s owner,” but after three attempts to reach the Broker, leaving my name and number, to this day still haven’t received a return call. Maybe he’s do busy with his bumper sticker business.

Yesterday I walked past a well known real estate brand’s office in the heart of Cabo who had pasted literally EVERY square inch of their front windows with listing sheets. I do not exaggerate when I say I could not find a quarter-sized hole in the glass to look into. It was around 9:00AM, tourists were on the street, shops were open, but this office was wallpapered shut. No one around. I tried to find an email address or phone number on the door, but to no avail.

• Then I opened up the local Cabo 4-color magazine and found three full-page ads for new developments- beautiful ads by developers up and down the corridor, all targeting US buyers, with gorgeous shots of their homes overlooking the Sea of Cortez. I called all three. First one: phone was answered by a “temp” who spoke beautiful Spanish but no English. Second call: phone rang 43 times and never answered. This was at 11:00 AM. Last one? got a recording, the number was out of service.

Could I have pushed those calls more? Of course! I speak Spanish, I know how to redial the phone, but that’s not my point.

Even though Cabo hasn’t experienced as deep a recession here, or as dramatic a “bubble”, it seems to me that they should get with the program. Their customers of today, and the future, are connected, blogging, tweeting, Blackberry, iPhone laptop users, who do not have time or inclination to read listing sheets taped to windows, or wait three days for return phone calls.

Now the good news is, there are exceptions. Both Snell Real Estate and Ehrenberg & Associates are doing it right, using e-mail, the Internet, and cell phones well, in a real-time basis. If you email them they’ll respond professionally, and immediately.

Some of these other folks, well, all I can say is, don’t be surprised if you find a bunch of empty desks and a part-time janitor explaining that the reason your emails, tweets, or calls haven’t been answered is because “surf’s up, baby!”

Geoffrey Thompson

Last year we decided to make the focus of our blog “Good News in Real Estate” because positive news had become so hard to come by.  Every day was FULL of daunting reports about the housing market and the economy.  Finding anything hopeful was difficult.  Now just a few months later, you can’t get away from the good news - it’s EVERYWHERE.  And the good news is that the housing market appears to be pulling out of its tailspin.

Even though we all knew the bottom would get here eventually, none of us really knew how low we’d go or how long the ride would last.   And truthfully, we don’t know for sure that we’ve reached the actual bottom.  But even if there’s another dip or two in the ride I for one enjoy the chance to catch my breath and feel the ground under my feet.

One of the things I love about our business (American School of Real Estate Express, LLC) is that we’re all realists here.  The partners are all old enough and experienced enough (I’m the youngest at 50) to have witnessed ups and downs of the economy and the real estate market.   We’ve seen markets skyrocket and we’ve seen them come crashing down.  What we’ve never seen is a crash without a recovery.  This is why we’ve been encouraging real estate professionals to hang in there through the crash.  Real Estate will turn around and we believe that those who stay with it will not be disappointed.

As a business, RealEstateExpress.com has viewed the downturn in the market as an opportunity for us to grow.  We’ve been aggressive about adding new schools in states where we didn’t already have them.  We’ve added many new courses and we will be launching out into some new real estate related niches very shortly.  All of this during the biggest downturn we’ve seen since we founded the company in 1996.

We’re encouraging others to do the same.  Take this opportunity and make an investment in your career/business.  If real estate is something you have a passion for and you’re not already licensed, get your  real estate license.  Take a step of faith and sign up for that pre-license course.   If you’re already licensed and thinking about letting your license expire,  don’t do it!  Instead, use this time to develop additional skills that will help you be more effective and more successful when market conditions improve.

The Good News Continues!

David Goldstein

I got my first real estate broker’s license in 1975. I was still in college, had hair beyond my shoulders, and just to go to real estate school I carried a full suitcase full of books, amortization tables, and something like an abucus with me. I remember taking the Licensing Exam with a #2 pencil on a scantron answer sheet. Remember those forms where you had to “fill the circle completely” or they graded it wrong? And no erasing!

I was in Engineering school at ASU around that time, and the only efficient technology tools available to me at that time were limited to two innovations from 2 different centuries:

• A slide rule

• A brand new TI calculator that cost me $300

That was it, apart from a little plastic strip called a “penny dialer” my geek “phonephreak” friend Richard Weinstein gave me which allowed me to use payphones for a penny rather than the required dime. Yes, it was dishonest, but I’ve since reformed - MagicJacks are easier today.

Today, thanks to the Internet and countless other innovations (that for the most part Americans invented), I have a veritable cornucopia of tools that keep me connected to my businesses while I travel.

How does a guy run three organizations in three locations in two hemispheres, and travel half the year? Here’s an insider’s look at the tools I use:

DEVICES I SHLEPP WITH ME:

• Vonage Phone - local phone numbers, free long distance. Plus, the easiest way to set up a new office without paying rent. This is how many of my students open satellite offices on the cheap.

• Magic Jack- plug it in, and VOIP rocks. Just like Ma Bell only without the cost. Now you can get them at Walmart.

• USB wide band- cell-based wireless Internet connectivity in pen-driver size. These are usually unique per country.

• iPhone - One touch weather, FAA reports, stock, GPS, Internet, e-mail Steely Dan hits, etc. Mine was hacked to unbrick AT&T for International use.

• CanonPowershot- to “show” what I mean digitally over the Internet

• PenDrivers- as backups of all my important things…because Airport scanners have fried my hard drives before.

• Sams’ Long distance calling card- For International calls from payphones when nothing else works.

• Kindle 2 - to carry a room full of encyclopedias in your pocket for easy reading.

ONLINE TOOLS I USE:

• Wordpress - the king of blogs and what we use here;

• Twhirl - Easiest way to post, retweet, shorten URLs, and see my follower’s posts

• Twitter and TweetGrid- The social media phenomenon and a real-time way to get the latest news, industry updates and market research from feet on the street.

• FreeTranslations - For when my Spanish fails me

• TweetDeck - Because the newest version has a one-button translation feature.

• Sharepoint - Microsoft’s product adapted for our businesses that lets me communicate with our 37 contractors scattered all over the globe.

• Octos - Our own proprietary webmanagement system that David Goldstein created to let me see our business like an MRI in real-time. Can’t show you this cause it’s our secret sauce.

• Odiogo - Text-to-speech converter that allows me to “hear” blog posts RSS’s and more in a funky startrekky voice—but great when your hands are occupied. We have installed it on this blog if you want to try it.

• Zillow – replaces like six former online tools in a very slick macro view of real estate and mortgage trends; As Spencer Rascoff says, it gives me “an edge in real estate.”

Everything mentioned above goes neatly in my flight bag, along with my laptop, clothes, and other essentials, and fits in the overhead compartment of the average airline (LanChile excluded. Sorry Sebastian.) My point is, no matter where I am, my “office” goes with me.

Sure, it can get a little confusing at first with all the bells and bongs going off…my laptop screen sometimes looks like something from NASA, and many times I have tried to “answer” a blog or a twitter by reaching for one of my cellphones…but you get used to it.

Do I ever long for what I had in 1975?

No, not for a minute. Well…except for the hair. That I do miss.