You know what really grinds my gears?

You know what really grinds my gears? Stupid terms like jumbo shrimp and dry ice, thanks Peter Griffin.

But in business there are several things that really grinds my gears, I will list a few for your entertainment.

I. Friends that find out some profit making idea about two years after you found out about it, and they ask you to participate in their idea. Examples: "Hey bro, if you sign up at freewhatever.com, I can get a free whatever". "Hey man I think I am going to buy some Apple stock, those iPods are selling like hotcakes. GTFOOH."

II. People that try to get you buy something they dont even understand. Example: Why would I get a mortgage from your company when you took Algebra I in 11th grade and passed based on a technicality?

III. Free Seminars: If you are a real estate millionaire or an insurance billionaire why do you have free time to go around telling me how I can make millions like you did? I have yet to meet a real wealthy person that just goes around offering to teach others how to do what they did, because they want you to win.

IV. Excuse Investors: Dont buy real estate in California its too expensive. I was going to buy a home in New Orleans, but then Katrina came. I would buy Google shares but they are too expensive. STFU and do something.

V. Ignorant people: Dont you hate when people tell you that what you have done and have been successful in is the wrong way to do it. Example: Someone will say "I would never buy the stock market, real estate is a way better investment. Besides the stock market is way too risky!" And they say this the same day you made a killing on the three stocks you bought last month. The worst part about is the fact that the money you made is the same money they would ask you to use to invest in their Ponzi scheme idea next week.

And thats all I have to say about that!

Real Estate Investment Idea

I dont feel as though I am new to the real estate investment circle. I have first hand experience on a deal or two in my day. But I am ready to jump from the Carlton Sheets class, into the baby Trump class. But how can I do this if I am always thinking so small? I have buddies that say, "If I buy a duplex for $200K and it can cash flow with +$222 a month then that is great right? Well yes and no. Listen my little friend, time is too short and more importantly valuable. So indeed you can do well with positive cash flow, after all that is the name of the investment game, but when in Las Vegas, if you play the nickel slots you will win nickels. When you play the dollar slots you win dollars. And when you own the casino, YOU JUST WIN BABY! This idea is one that I hope to get me somewheres between the dollar slots and the casino ownership.

I found a dream home, that would normally be featured on MTV cribs in Raleigh, a nice city that is growing by leaps and bounds. This is one city you dont have to worry about home price appreciation busting anytime soon, as increases for this cycle are in the single digits. But given some time, promising markets either live up to their potential or they are exposed for what they lack.

Idea: Note many details left out to quicken the story. The home is listed for $920-980K. Wow that's not too shabby huh? About 6500 sq ft, not bad. Here is a comparable.

Because we are not in Los Angeles or Boston, there is a such thing as making an offer under asking price, WHO KNEW?! For simplicity sake just say I am willing to pay 900K and the buyer is willing to accept. Now lets say the house would appraise for $960K. And the bank has no problem lending this amount. Of course you would need a cooperative seller, but why couldnt I offer to purchase the place for 960, with the stipulation the buyer makes the 1st years, mortgage payments, for simplicity sake lets say $5k for 12 months equals $60K. Of course one would need to cash or plan for the next year(s) of payments, but that is my idea of how to take a million dollar home and get paid to live there for the 1st year.

Conclusion: There is more to life, especially the life of a real estate investor outside of the big cities of San Diego, Virginia Beach, The O.C. and the big Apple. Think BIG!

Real Estate Investment

Los Angeles, Orange County California, Las Vegas, Boston, Manhattan and Miami; What do they all have in common? Controversy in the housing market. For the past 3 years naysayers have been predicting the bust of the assumed housing "bubble". Conversely for the past 3 years investors have been realizing that this is not the year the sky will fall and have been cashing in on the greatest, "little man" money grab since the dot com days. I personally do not care if these markets crash or soar I understand that there is money to be made either way.

I wish to encourage anyone reading this to realize that life is a cycle of cycles. All investments are cyclical and the cycles are what should be studied. No matter the investment, learn the vehicle(stocks, land, gold, businesses) and then look to understand the cycle.

Avoid various mistakes such as opening a bakery at the height of the Atkins diet. Wait out the diet cycle and look to attract at the end of the cycle. By the way Atkins is a pretty good diet, if you have the will power. Another example would be to avoid investing in companies that hit their 52 week high. This is a general rule of thumb and rules were made to be broken. You can wait for a dip in the price if you love the company and then make your move. This goes for the housing market as well. The boom of the past 5 years is not only cyclical but regional. Do your homework understand the cycle and then you will begin to understand how you can make money during the booms and during the busts.

Idea #8: Child Care Cameras Online

Many of the ideas I come up with often are already in use. But the art of the deal is not inventing the hamburger, but rather creating a system that is so bullet proof, that you turn the hamburger into McDonalds.

I did some research on "nanny cams" and "child care webcams". I mean how great would it be for a parent to check in on their kids from work over a secure webcam? I know all of you single people may be wondering, what the hell am I talking about? But it is simple, the technology and conveniecne is already out there. This idea calls for the implementation of marketing such a product to business owners that probably lack the technical know how or fail to see the benefit of such a product.

Business Type: Childcare premium service sales

Estimated Start Up: <$2K. ( marketing, advertising)

Where: Local markets

Potential Coverage: national, unlimited

All that is required is a video server, web cams, a high speed web connection, and a secure login. But the best part is none of that is your concern. Essentially all you need to do is identify a company in your area that offers such a service and you and/or your sales team is armed with a product that has a high demand and a great ROI for either parents or child care owners.

Think of the same model that cabinet and carpet companies use. Most of them are not manufacturers of the products they sale, they just mark-up the products and order them for you. As for profit potential, that depends on how you set up your business plan.

At Larrin's for profit ideas, we dont make a lot of the ideas you have, we make a lot of the ideas you have better.

NYC Money and $7 gas prices thoughts

I was reading the post by my blog buddy at NYC Money about gas prices.

It must be nice to not have to need a car, to save on gas, insurance, maintenance and payments. Gas prices are the real killer.....or are they?

It got me to thinking. As I live in Los Angeles home of the Notorious 405 freeway. The only freeway in the world that has a 60% chance of a traffic delay at 1:25 am on a Saturday. How I have longed for a toll for that freeway. Maybe I will get my wish after all. Think about it, when McDonald's raises their prices on Big Mac's how many NFL players even notice? And what about your soy milk? Last year 2 for $5, this year 2 for $7. If you have a decent amount of wealth and income, these price rises are often blessings in disguise. Smaller lines, equals more time, equals less mistakes, equals fresher offerings, equals less stress. Hell I think $7 gas prices could end world hunger and bring peace in the middle east, j/k!

If gas prices went to $7, many people would cry but I would be happy. I would have the means to drive and not only that I would get back so much time. Lets say you have a job that pays you $30 an hour, or roughly $57,000 a year. This means that your time per hour is worth at least $30. If you want to drive from Orange County (Anaheim) to San Fernando Valley (near Hollywood) at 4:00pm the distance is roughly 85 miles round trip. With no traffic the trip should take no more than 1.5 hours. Lets add traffic and the time is more like 3-3.5 hours driving. You have wasted or not optimally used a finite resource called time, doing what? Flipping driving an automobile! With the additional 1.5 hours your time is worth $45, but many people would complain about the additional $$25 ($4 more for 6 gallons with a car with at least 21 mpg, Ford Explorer) in gas it would take to complete the trip.

Now imagine that same logic but instead of 60,000 per year, add a zero to 600,000 per year. Instead of $30 per hour its $300 per hour. This is the rationale that many wealthy people consider when small things like gas prices rise. Even at $3, gas is still cheaper than milk, per gallon, and milk prices are subsidized! Food for thought.

Kiyosaki Seminar in Los Angeles

This weekend I attended the Rich Dad's seminar featuring Robert Kiyosaki in Los Angeles, sponsored by local radio station KFWB.

A few notes on the seminar:

1. The workshop was attended by over 2,000 people. Over $85 a ticket at the door.

2. Kiyosaki used a couple of cuss words, some of the multi syllable kind. I dont know why but this shocked me. Kind of like learning about mom's sex life before dad. Whoa, too much information.

3. He professed that his mission is not to tell you how to make money, but to educate you so that you can figure it out yourself. He asked himself, how he made money and replied (one of the ways), "write a book that sold over 25 million copies and get a commission of $3 per book" I was like damn! Do the math on the Rich Dad, Poor Dad book alone.

4. I just wondered what was his cut for speaking as he spoke, from the top of his head for about 1 hour total during the entire workshop.

Thoughts on Kiyosaki:

1. I am a supporter of Robert, especially for beginning investors. His common sense approach provides a wealth of information that I would have never been privy too, as I grew up in a poor dad household.

2. While I support him for beginners, anyone that has spent more than a year reading his materials, needs to get out of the nest and start doing. As Robert will probably tell you, he makes his most money from those that are scared to leave the nest and always feel they need more information. One more book, one more CD, one more course, one more workshop. If you dont have something on the inside click and say I can at least try, then you will be the smartest broke person on the block.

3. His educational seminars run seamlessly and he really is an MC. Very little Q&A, very little information at a seminar that you cant get from the books. I admire his system, whether you agree with the message or not, the system is flawless for making money. And even his wife is involved, amazing. Take notes from the methods and focus less on the message.