Right now it can be difficult to see anything good in the economy.  Foreclosures are at all time highs, the stock market is down over 30% for the year and we are breaking records for federal government spending deficits.  But right now it is important to see the silver lining in all of this financial crisis.  John F Kennedy once said, “When written in Chinese the word crisis is composed of two characters.  One represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.”  I believe this and there are a lot of opportunities investing in real estate right now.  If you want to take the bull by the horns and increase your income and start your own business, then I would consider starting a real estate rental business.  As a business owner, real estate agent, and investor I have analyzed the Minneapolis real estate market over the last couple years.  I have concluded that right now there are hundreds, if not thousands of houses that could be bought, fix up a little bit and provide a quality income and equity to the savvy entrepreneur.  It will take a bit of cash, hard work, and learning, but I think the rewards will be worth it.  If your a first time home buyer in Minneapolis give me a call today.  I would love to help you out.

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Right Now times are tough.  It can be difficult to work through the problem.  A lot of the time you might want to give up on your dreams.  But this is when it is the best time to work your best.  Sometimes before we can rise to our peak, we need to fall to the bottom first.  Often it is at the bottom we learn the most valuable lessons.  I think the next few years could be very tough for many Americans.  But I have faith in our country and our people.  We work hard and we are very innovative.  I think when things get difficult people start being more creative and try new things, make better products and make things better.  If your thinking about making your house better by getting rid of your carpet that is so boring, then call me today.  I will help you refinish your  Minneapolis hardwood flooring.  Thanks a lot.

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It was another down week in Minneapolis real estate. Almost 57% of all the houses sold last week in Minneapolis where foreclosures. In addition 46% of the houses that sold were under $150,000. However, there were a couple bright spots. Sales compared to last December were up 20%. So the end result is a mixed bag. I think there are going to be more foreclosures and prices are going to keep dropping. But the big factor is going to be what Barrack Obama and Congress end up doing. If they start spending trillions and trillions of dollars to buy up bad mortgages and pay for peoples bills then I think prices are going to start to stabilize and even go up. However, if they just spend money on public works and let the oversupply of homes work its way through the market then prices will continue to decrease for a year or two. However, if I was looking to buy my first house, start a business, or try to build wealth for retirement I would seriously consider investing in real estate right now. Prices are so low right now that it is easier to make money on a house by renting it out. If you make a few good purchases it is not that hard to generate a $3,000-5,000 monthly income off real estate investing. I think if you are a smart, savvy, entrepreneurial person, and you can be disciplined with your money, then you could by three houses this year and create a very solid business. If you’re a first time home buyer and thinking about getting into real estate investing in Minneapolis give me a call. I would love to help you out.

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Some win and some lose. That is the way life works. You can try your best, but sometime you get beat out. It might now be because you were bad, it was just the other person was better. Or maybe, you are bad and you need to improve. I think one of the most important things to do right now and the turn of the year is to reflect on your actions and your life. Are you achieving your goals? Are you happy? Sometimes we can get caught up in everything that is going on. Bernard Madoff tricked a lot of people in to giving him money and now he is being exposed. It is really sad. I think the most important thing to achieve for this difficult time is to try to improve your character. Nobody is perfect and everybody has flaws. But we can work on honesty, discipline, consistency, and generosity. You don’t have to make it complicated. I think the most important thing is to try to do what you said you would do and don’t infringe on others or  their property. If you do that, then you should be ok. If you need a hardwood floor sanding and refinishing estimate give me a call. I’ll try my best to win for you.

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It is a new year. 2009 is here. I am excited for it. I know things in the economy are not that good right now but I am optimistic. I think a lot of good stuff can happen from failure. You learn a lot about yourself, test your boundaries, and most of the time you become better. New Data came out for October that stated home prices fell last month more than any other month ever. Also, home prices are now at their 2004 levels. This is pretty bad, but if you are buying real estate it means a lot. The lower the price of a cash producing asset the more it will be worth. Also, GM is offering 0% financing on a lot of its vehicles. So if you need to buy a truck right now you can get a pretty good deal on it. But this stuff doesn’t even matter that much. I think what is most important right now is to have the right mind frame. If you think somebody is going to save you, I don’t think that is the right way to look at it. Throughout my life I have learned that to get things done you have to go out and do it yourself. The key is to do something you love and try to keep getting better at it day in and day out. I love refinishing hardwood floors. So if you need an estimate on your hardwood floors in Minneapolis give me a call. It is a new year and your floors should look new too.

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Zero Percent Return is Great! Minneapolis Hardwood Floor Refinishing

Get this. For the first time in United States history U.S. Treasury Bonds are paying 0%. This means that investors are willing to take their money out of the stock market, commodity markets, commercial paper markets, and real estate markets, because they are too scared. Instead, they are willing to invest in Treasury bonds and get nothing back in return. If they invest $10,000, they get $10,000 back in a year. Can you believe that? This is how scared people are. Three month Treasury bonds are paying a negative return of 0.01%. So investors are willing to pay $100 today, knowing they will get back $99.99. Is it really this bad? I don’t think so. It depends on how you look at economic cycles. Things come and go, economies grow and contract and people make money and lose it. It has always happened and will continue. But think about it like this. People are so scared to invest their money in assets such as real estate, business stocks, gold, silver, and commercial paper. In the end, demand is decreasing. So what happens in general to these assets? If demand is going down and the supply is not decreasing, then the price is going to drop. So real estate, prices are down 12% in Minneapolis this year. Now some of these houses that is justifiable. But others prices are not decreasing because of fundamentals, they are decreasing because of fear. It is based on an emotional analysis. This is when it is the best time to make money; when everybody is scared to death. Their basing their decisions on pure fear, instead of seeing an amazing deal that will make them wealthy. The smart investor sees this opportunity and takes action. It is actually easier now because there is less competition to bid against him. When the history books are written about this current economic recession, I think people are going to look at the prices of these assets and will be kicking themselves for not taking action. If you interested in a free hardwood floor refinishing estimate give me a call.

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It is getting tougher everyday it seems. Iceland’s currency is worthless. Ecuador defaulted on 50% of its national debt and Pakistan and India could be on the verge of war when the United States is fighting the Taliban and Al-Qaida on Pakistan northern border. Back at home GM, Ford, and Chrysler could be bankrupt in a couple of months, we are running giant federal budget deficits and 1 in 10 people who have mortgages are delinquent on their payments. This situation can scare a lot of people into inaction. People are going to look for help, and a way out of it. The best thing to do right now for help is to look in the mirror and help yourself. Whether you agree with Barack Obama or not, one thing he helped proved is anything can be achieved. It is not guaranteed nor is it a right. Nobody owes you anything. You owe it to yourself to achieve your desires. Mostly, it takes time, a lot of it, hard work and consistently trying to improve. Keep your nose clean, but don’t be afraid to take calculated risks. More millionaires were made during the Great Depression than any other time in America History. If your thinking about getting your Minneapolis hardwood floors refinished, give me a call, I promise I will not be tough on you. Thanks a lot.

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Low Money Down First Time Home Buyer Minneapolis

Do you make less than $42,000? Do you want to own your first house and pay less than your current rent? If you answered yes, then you should consider contacting the Minnesota Finance Housing Agency. The agency has a program called the Home Ownership Assistance Fund that helps qualified first time home buyers in Minnesota pay for the down payment and a portion of the mortgage payment. They will contribute up to $3,000 for a down payment and $75 a month for your mortgage payment. Now consider this. You get qualified for an FHA mortgage with a 3% down payment requirement. You find a new house for $100,000 in South Minneapolis. It is a foreclosure, it needs a little work, but your FHA loan is a 203K loan that allows you to finance the fix up costs into the mortgage. So, it needs $20,000 worth of work to make it livable and nice. Your loan is going to be for $120,000. Your down payment will be $3600. First, you use the $3000 from the HAF program to pay your down payment. Second, you fix up the place with the $20,000 financed into the mortgage. Lastly you get $75 a month to help pay your mortgage. In the end, your payment after taxes and insurance is around $930. The house you bought was a 3 bedroom, 1 bath. You rent out two rooms for $500 each a month. You’re living for free and making $130 a month. In this scenario, you did all of this with $600 out of pocket. But wait, it gets better. With the 203k loan you can defer your monthly payments for 6 months. This equals about $6000. You collect $1000 from your roommates for the security deposit and you collect $1000 a month for the first six month in rent. After six months you end up with a net income of $7000 cash, and lived for free. If you’re paying $700 a month right now in rent, add $700 times 6 months to that $7000 and you end up with a profit of $11,200. Now put that move in savings to buy another rental property, gold or silver.  This is how you create wealth. Wow! That is a good deal. That is a smart move right now. If you’re a first time home buyer in Minneapolis give me a call for eight free home showings. Thanks a lot. Arne at 612-423-0202

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