G Letter

December 2014

The Best Holiday Gift To Give

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.
- Thomas Jefferson 

Seasons Greetings to all of you in The Real Estate Insider family. Let’s count our collective blessings for 2014 and look forward to a bountiful 2015. As you are out frantically doing last minute holiday shopping, consider that one of the greatest gifts you can give is the gift of honesty. Before you can be honest with others, however, you must be honest with yourself.

We all like to think of ourselves as basically honest, but we all have areas of our lives where we’re pretending to be something that we’re not. We pretend we’re on a diet, even as we’re sneaking chocolate when nobody’s watching. We pretend we’re working hard even when we’re watching TV or silly videos on youtube.

If you want to be whole and happy, then being “basically honest” isn’t good enough. Every time you do a little end-run around the truth, you lose a part of the truth of who you are. Self-deception is a slippery slope, so when you pretend to yourself, you cheat yourself out of the opportunity to look squarely at the things that you wish were different and take measures to change them.

When you are dishonest with others, you sabotage the trust that’s required for that relationship to thrive, and you undermine your own sense of trust. Setting a standard of absolute honesty for yourself prepares you for moments of temptation. Every lie you tell out of fear strengthens the fear. Every truth you tell strengthens your courage and confirms your integrity.

Practicing absolute honesty is very liberating—you find power in living according to your own beliefs, preferences and desires, instead of trying to mold your behavior according to others people’s expectations. You learn to trust yourself completely and to take full ownership of your decisions. Your relationships get cleaner, clearer and deeper. Your stress decreases, and life becomes more interesting and more fun.

Best wishes for success and happiness in the New Year.

Onward and upward! 

G Letter

September 2014

Your Journey To Financial Freedom & Independence Starts Now
 

When I was four years old, I noticed a price tag inside the cover of a children’s book I was reading, I thought to myself, “Wow, book equals money.” So I got a stack of white paper, a stapler, a magic marker and a box of crayons and then painstakingly copied the entire book, page by page (words and pictures). When I finished my masterpiece, I went door to door trying to sell my ‘re-created’ book to neighbors. This was the first of many business ventures I’ve attempted over the years--some were successful, but many like this one were not. I believe that perseverance above all else is the key to success because successful people never give up and just outlast everyone else. 

When I was growing up, I loved music and sports. I played soccer competitively and was an accomplished violinist. I was also fiercely independent and hated to play by other people’s rules. After missing several rehearsals a few weeks before a European tour, I was kicked out of the New Jersey Youth Symphony—I’d have to wait years to get another chance to travel overseas.

After finishing college, I wasn’t sure what career path to take. I wandered from one unfulfilling corporate job to another. The pointless meetings, stifling bureaucracy and office politics made me sick. I stumbled onto real estate accidentally 15 years ago and, in my free time, began amassing a small portfolio of properties by partnering with other people who had money to invest. Although I was earning a six-figure salary as a director at a Fortune 100 company, I was miserable—it was time for a change. My mom thought I was crazy, but in 2002, I took the plunge and became a full-time real estate investor. Now that I control my time, thanks to real estate, I’ve travelled to every continent on earth, I spend several weeks every winter in South America and I volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters and a local homeless charity in my community. I also get to indulge my lifelong love of music by performing live on a regular basis, both as a solo artist and as the founding member of the funk fusion band, GMJ Groove. What would you do if you had more control of your time?

The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does.

— James A. Michener 

 Real estate, like all endeavors, has its share of challenges and frustrations, but I’ve learned to enjoy the ride—the ups, the downs, the smiles and the frowns. I think you’ll find that most things in life that are worthwhile require some effort, and I’m here to help you leverage real estate to make your dreams come true. I love to teach and I have hundreds of former students throughout the United States and Canada. Many of my students have found success investing in real estate, earning extra income buying and selling property for profit and building wealth over time with rental properties. One of my former students recently founded a Montessori School for kids in Jersey City. I started this newsletter to share what I’ve learned about real estate with you because lifelong learning has been one of the keys to my success. I share real estate tips and market insights in The Real Estate Insider that you can immediately put to use and in every issue, I answer a real estate question from a subscriber like you.

Welcome to the Real Estate Insider family—I’m glad to have you on board. Your journey to financial freedom and independence begins now. Buckle up—I guarantee it’s gonna be a fun and fulfilling ride.