Do Bandit Signs Work?

 

In this day of high tech advertising, real estate investors want to know – do roadside "bandit" signs still work?  
 
The Answer: “Yes, they do!”
 
Ironic as it may sound, roadside signs are still a quick, easy, inexpensive way to grab the attention of needed prospects.  Ugly yellow signs – with red or black lettering – attract the most attention.  Coroplast signs, with wire stakes for putting in the ground, work well.  Or you can nail them to telephone poles – high enough so no one will grab them down.  
 
I encourage investors to be creative and let their imaginations go to work.  “Try placing a few signs near a Home Depot or Lowes,” you know, “where the rehabbers hang out.”
 
Meanwhile, don’t forget your own properties. Never fail to put up your own signs in your own properties.  While these locations might not be the highest traffic area, still and yet you will get calls from interested people within that neighborhood.  If people steal them from the yard (which could happen), simply place the sign in the front window.
 
Ask friends and acquaintances if you could put a sign in their front yard – especially if they live in a high traffic area.  Some RE investors have even been known to “rent” a portion of a fence on a commercial property.  For a set monthly fee, they are allowed to mount their signs on that fence.  A few of these around town, and your phone calls will definitely increase.
 
If there are strict rules about roadside signs in your city or community, you may have to be even more creative.  By putting up signs on Friday evening and taking them down Sunday evening or early Monday morning, most of the “sign officials” can be avoided.  This way you can comply with business ethics.
 
If having Coroplast signs professionally printed is too expensive at this time, buy the sign material and create your own signs with permanent marker.  Or you may prefer to always use this “homemade look” that portrays a non-threatening appearance.
 
Make sure the signs are large enough for a driver to see quickly as they pass by.  Keep the message brief and to the point.  Also make sure the phone numbers are larger than the rest!
 
A good mix of online advertising added with such techniques as roadside signs works well.
 
Whenever business gets slow, the solution is to simply get out and place 25 or 50 signs and wait for the phone calls.  
 
As soon as possible every investor should contract this work out to others in order to save even more time.  That means working smarter not harder!

So if business is slow, get out there and get your signs where people can see them.

Antonio Macias

It's All About Networking and Taking Action



The Gold Bus from the Armando Montelongo VIP Bus Tour Feb. 2011


Hey guys I decided not to be all technical with my blogs and try to write all proper.  This is the reason why I haven't written one in so long.  I have now decided to write my blogs just like I am talking to my friends and family. 

Most of you that read this blog are friends of mine that I met thru different Real Estate Investment events.  If we met at one of Armando Montelongo's VIP Bus Tours than we are like family then.  Remember the song and dance, "We are family, all my brother sisters and me, yay...yay!!"  I actually have lots of fun when we do that. :) 

Guys what I learned at this last Bus Tour was that some of us need to be more transparent and open with eachother.  Sometimes this business can become highly competitive and this holds us back from networking with others.  This is a PEOPLE BUSINESS and more important a RELATIONSHIP BUSINESS.  We all need to get out there and talk more and find ways to help eachother.  The way we help eachother is by sharing our stories about our experiences.

Our experiences being what obstacles we are running into, what are our needs (private money, deals, and etc.)  This weekend at the Armando Montelongo VIP Bus Tour we began opening up with other investors more with what was going on in our business and what we needed help with.  The investors that we were talking to shared their experiences and areas of struggle.  In the end we had tools and strategies that ended up solving these issues for eachother.  All just from taking the time to network and be transparent with eachother. 

I know we all want to be the next Self Made Multi-Millionaire investor and we go about trying to be the LoneWolf of investing.  The reality is there is no such thing as a Self Made Millionaire.  You become successful in this business by helping others.  Just like Zig Zigler says

"You can have everything in life that you want if you just give enough other people what they want." 

You see its not about what you know...It's about who knows you and how you can help them.  The only way to accomplish this is by getting out there and networking.

Let me share a little story about how I networked and took action.  I read the book "The Insider Secrets Of The World's Most Successful Real Estate Investors." by Mark Evans DM.  Mark Evans is known for Virtual Real Estate Investing.  Basically he invest from his computer and has other virtual assistants doing a lot of the day to day activities.

I read the book and enjoyed it so much that I felt the need to let Mark Evans know.  I sent him a friend request via facebook and sent him a message too.  It took about a week then he accepted my request and told me to keep him posted on my success as an investor.  I recieve daily emails from Mark that he sends out to his email database.  He had mentioned in his email that he was in Malibu California so I sent him an email about meeting up and discussing a business opportunity I had.  To my surprise he responded and long story short I rented a car and drove almost 2hrs to Malibu to meet Mark.

I had tons of reasons not to meet him and ask him for a rain check but Armando's words kept ringing in my mind "When do Millionaires TAKE ACTION.....NOW!!!"  So I did what I had to do to make it happen.

At the meeting Mark Evans DM and I hit it off great.  He had so much great advice to offer me concerning how to take my business to the next level and offered me an opportunity to do business with him. 

So I want to encourage all of you to get out there and Network and this includes Taking Action.   Now Take Action and fill out our survey we have developed so we can see how we can help you become more successful in your business.
 Click on the link:
 <a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QN6SN8N">Click here to take survey</a>

If you are considering selling your property you can go to our website:
http://www.your.offerin12hours.com/ 
We will evaluate your information and see if we are able to give you an offer that will work for you. 

God Bless,

Antonio Macias
Real Estate Investor

PS.  Don't forget to follow our blog so you can stay up to date on what we share with our friends and readers.

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TIME- THE MOST PRECIOUS COMMODITY

I'm finishing up my packing right now for my first cruise ever.  I'm going on the JILLIAN MICHAELS ULTIMATE WELLNESS CRUISE.  My wife and daughter are big Jillian Michaels fans and do some of her workouts.  I'm a P90X graduate myself. 

I wanted to make sure I posted something before I was out of the country for a few days.  I needed a topic to discuss and I thought of the topic TIME.  I have heard so many times that the most common thing that anyone says on their death bed is that they wish they had more time.  Most of the time their biggest regret is not spending enough time with their family.  You see time is the most precious commodity because we can't buy more time.  Every one has exactly 24hrs in any given day.  It doesn't matter if you are a billionaire you still have 24hrs in a day.

I decided to be a Real Estate Investor not only for the benefits of money but mainly for the benefits of having more time with my family.  You see while you still work your 9 to 5 you do not have time freedom.  I was a slave to my occupation.  I was a Gang Investigator for the Texas Department Of Criminal Justice and I was on call in case of any prison uprising in the entire state of Texas.  I loved the excitement of my job but I hated when I missed out on family events because of it. 

I am blessed with a beautiful loving family.  I knew the only way to have time freedom, was to be my own boss and set my own hours.  I am able to take this cruise with my family because my boss (my wife) said I could.  No, honestly because we chose to.  My wife had to request off from work but I didn't.  It was seldom for me to be able to take vacation without at least 3 months prior notice at my prior job.  Now that I am the boss I just walk to a mirror and tell my boss I am taking off.

My point is, that I encourage all of you who are pursuing your dreams of being a full time investor to keep moving forward.  Don't let obstacles and negativity stop you from one day firing your boss.  Work diligently and never give up.  It is all worth it when you have gained freedom of time.  Time is precious and we never know how long we will be around.  Don't waste another minute watching T.V. or sleeping in late when you could be working on finding properties or negotiating a deal.  You owe it to yourself to set yourself free!!


antonio macias

real estate investor

http://www.jillianmichaels.com/cruise.aspx

Why You Need a Mentor To Succeed In House Flipping

"Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed."
Proverbs 15:22

This proverb is so true when it comes to making decisions for your business. In any worthwhile business endeavor, it's impossible to be successful without seeking counsel and effective mentor ship. Most of us are knowledgeable in a few things, and we're totally ignorant and incapable in millions of other things. The only way to ensure success in the areas in which we lack knowledge and experience it to seek out counsel or mentor ship.

Be very strategic when seeking counsel or mentor ship from someone. Some investors go to family members for counsel on certain investment deals. This is never a good idea. You should never seek advice from someone who is not knowledgeable in your field of business. I would not ask my mother if she thought I should invest in the stock market because she knows nothing of it and most definitely say "no." Yet there are tons of people who have become millionaires by investing in the stock market. You must qualify who you seek counsel from. Never seek advice from a novice investor when dealing with real estate investing. Always seek advice from a qualified mentor or coach.  They can teach you the systems for house flipping.

History shows us, that no one has ever achieved any significant project, worthwhile goal, or impossible dream without seeking outside counsel. If the most successful people in history have needed the help from mentors and partners, why should you think that you can accomplish anything worthwhile without help. Fact is, none of us can. Successful entrepreneurs do not seek counsel simply when their business is in trouble; rather, they seek mentor ship from the very beginning, before they begin any effort. Seeking counsel and mentor ship from the very beginning greatly reduces risk of failure. It also significantly increases one's probability of success.

I spent thousands of dollars on education and having a mentor before I even thought about investing in real estate. Some people see it as a waste of money. They do not see the value of being mentored. A mentor is key to your success as a real estate investor. There are so many ways to make money in this business. There are also so many ways to lose money in this business. I choose to make money and not lose money. Go ahead and try it on your own. You run the risk at losing thousands of dollars while I used my money to educate myself and to learn from the best in the business.

Armando Montelongo and his mentors are the best in the business. I have learned so much from Armando and the mentors that sometimes I feel like my head is going to explode from so much information. Another great thing about having a mentor like Armando is that he will push you to higher levels. Levels that you thought you could never reach. He will definitely keep you highly motivated. Many investors that I have met over the course of two years have quit investing for lack of motivation to stick with it. Having the right mentors keep you accountable and motivate you by their success stories which drive you to succeed.  Make sure to get yourself a mentor.  If you are new to investing in real estate then I definitely recommend you getting signed up with one of Armando Montelongo's mentorship programs.

antonio macias

real estate investor and house flipping machine

Check out the picture of Armando Montelongo with my wife, baby, and me in front of the first house FM Investors flipped in California from out of state.

http://www.armandolive.com/
http://www.armandobustour.com/