Finding a cash flow positive property

Saturday, May 31.  Hi all!  How are you?  I hope well.  Today was a busy day teaching golf-8 hours in a row.  As the years go by it's tougher to do that, but I'm thankful because the income is nice.  Tonight is another night on my own, as Paula is in Grand Rapids teaching modeling.  Yesterday, as I mentioned, I went to McKinley properties and they gave me a whole bunch of properties to look at as investment opportunities.

Well after work today, I confirmed that one of them is actually priced cash flow positive.  That means that after putting a down payment on it (hopefully 20%), there is still money left over after paying expenses.  Which further means that as long as it's rented out, it will make money for me year after year.  Of course there will be occasional repairs needed, but it will be a source of passive income for as long as I keep it.  So it's actually the first time I've found one in over a year of looking.  My plan right now is to come up with money somehow to put down on it and get started with my real estate plan.  It's very exciting!

I hope you all have a good day or night, and I appreciate all the support and love from everyone.  I will talk to you tomorrow!  Bye!

Meeting with McKinley

Friday, May 30.  Hi everyone!  What a beautiful day in Michigan.  About 80 degrees, maybe a little less, sunny and nice.  I slept in today and I think I am almost jet lag adjusted.  I still get a little tired mid-afternoon, but hey.  Today's new adventure was to go into the McKinley properties building in downtown Ann Arbor.  McKinley is the 800 pound gorilla of real estate of the area.  They are brokering the sale of a new batch of 11 properties and, through my friend David, contacted me about the opportunities.  Some might really have some potential.  Like I've been saying, all of my goals will be realized, just don't know how or when.

I met with Jim Chaconas and Susan Moore, both well-respected realtors in the area.  Another chance to make some contacts so that I can get the best of the opportunities before others get a chance.  Networking, right?  Anyway, it was a good experience and I'll spend my off time this weekend looking over the properties.  I hope you all have had a nice day and a good weekend!  Keep enjoying life and smiling and I'll talk to you tomorrow!

Rent to own

Thursday, May 29.  Hello all, back in Michigan again, and slept like a rock last night.  Woke up at 12:30!  Anyway, it's nice to be home and nice to get some rest.  Things here are picking up right where they left off and I'm glad I came home early because I am probably going to teach 6 or 7 extra lessons for the week and could use the money.

Today's new experience was to randomly call a housing development to see how they did their "rent to own" projects.  Many people in America cannot get a conventional mortgage so they are doing rent to own deals, where they start out renting and then apply some of that to the down payment and eventually get a loan when their credit gets better.  It gives the company a chance to sell houses but also gives them a chance to make a little higher rate of return.  So I talked to a guy named Scott who was very helpful in telling me how he does it, and it's giving me a better idea of if I want to rent to own my home how to do it.  I'd like to sell the house, but the market is so bad that I would get a bad price if I did.  This might be a way for me to keep the house but have the buyer pay for my equity.  Win win for me if it can happen.  And I think that it will happen sooner or later.

Anyway, hope everyone is doing well and thanks to all in Thailand who helped me...Dad, Korn, Nana, A Liang, Jod, Pae and Nop.  I appreciate it and feel the love and hope that I can one day return the favor!  Peace and enjoy and smile until we talk again tomorrow!

Meeting a Merchant Marine

Wednesday, May 28.  Hi everyone!  Today is my travel day, so lots of uncomfortable sitting for way too long.  But hopefully the trip will be smooth and I'll get home soon!  My first leg, Bangkok to Tokyo, was very smooth and just 15 minutes late.  I fell asleep because I didn't sleep at all the night before.

My new experience happened while on the plane though, and I met a Merchant Marine from America on the flight.  His name was Felipe and he was nice.  Very talkative, but nice.  I usually don't talk much to people on planes, but it was interesting to see what he did, because I had no idea what a Merchant Marine was.  Turns out he works on boats for three months at a time delivering stuff to different ports around the world.  Cool.  I don't think there is a tie directly to the military, but most of the stuff he does now is to Iraq and the Middle East.  He couldn't even tell me what kind of stuff they delivered.  But it was nice to get to know him and he was very friendly.  He lives in Thailand and married a Thai woman and they are having a baby.  I am happy for them.

So clearly I am making a bigger effort to get to know people because you never know when you can run across them again or they can help you out.  And at worst you have a nice conversation with people!  Til tomorrow friends.  I am doing great and hope you are too!

Riding a bike

Tuesday, May 27.  Hi all!  How are you?  I hope well.  I am good but tired.  It is now 1:40 am in Bangkok and I need to leave for the airport at 3:15 am.  So not much sleep tonight and a short entry if you don't mind.  Today was a good day and I managed to say my goodbyes to everyone, and got one last massage before eating a nice khao tom meal at 11 pm.

My new experience today was to ride a bike to the local barber shop here in the Soi where Nana and A Liang live.  It was interesting.  Not far, but still unfamiliar and I almost got hit by a car because I wasn't paying attention.  Very hot too, and the bike was built for a 10 year old so it was kind of small and I'm sure I looked silly.  Anyway, got my hair cut and made it back to the house in one piece then started my day.

My trip has been good.  I got done what I could get done, and I'm happy with that.  I am ready to go home however, as I miss home and miss Paula dearly.  I can't say I'm looking forward to the plane ride, but it is what it is and at least I'll get a chance to sleep some, right?  I'll be back in no time and the next time you hear from me will be from Ann Arbor.  I know I said that last time, but since I'm not sleeping, I'm getting one more post in from Thailand.

Anyway, gotta go.  Talk to you soon.  Enjoy life, smile, and keep it real, y'all.  Later.

Borrowing potential ideas

Monday, May 26.  Hi everyone.  How are you?  I hope well.  Today was an interesting long day of doing things all by myself throughout town.  I went to reprint the business cards in addition to printing some for our real estate businesses.  I also took an adventure to the Baiyoke Towers to go to talk to a t-shirt wholesaler about printing t-shirts for promotional purposes.

Later on, I met Pae on Thong-Lo to go see Muse, which is in its final phases of getting ready to open.  It's going to be beautiful.  Pae was unhappy with a few things, but overall, it's very hip and has a great location, and I think that it'll be a smash.  I don't know if it'll be ready for a June 2 opening, but it'll open soon enough and I'm happy to be an investor it the project.

After Muse, we went to eat at two places I'd never been before.  The dinner part was at a Noodle Shop, with side of the street quality, slightly higher prices, and premium ingredients.  Very cool, hip and has great brand and franchise potential.  I might just steal the idea and come back to Ann Arbor and open one up.  The other place was the iberry cafe, where they sell unusual sorbets often using Thai flavors and fruits.  Tremendous brand presence and detail.  We happened to sit next to the woman who started the business from one small shop.  I felt inspired to start and nurture some of my ideas.  If she can do it, why can't I?

Anyway, I have moved my return up to tomorrow morning.  My business is done, and quite frankly I'm running out of cash.  So I will, all things being equal, be back on Wednesday at around 3 pm.  I've already got two lessons scheduled for that day (that should be interesting) and have opened up Thursday for teaching too.  Need to go back to home base and start collecting some jingle jangle.  So the next time I write it will be from America, and until then, be safe and enjoy.  Thank you for all of your support and love.  I can feel it and I appreciate it and send it right back to you.  Until then!  Bye.  Later.  Out.

Subhapruek Golf Course

Sunday, May 25.  Hello everyone!  How are you?  I am doing great, hope you are too.  Today was a day of resting and planning.  In the morning, I hung out with Nana and A Liang a little, and planned my remaining four days in Bangkok.  I've got a few more things to do.  At about noon, Pae picked me up and we went to play golf at a course I'd never played before, Subhapruek, near Assumption College, a private university.

It was very nice.  I liked it a lot.  All good holes.  Not too difficult, not too easy.  Conditions excellent and greens especially good and smooth and fast.  Fairways nice too.  I played like shit but had a good time just getting outside and messing around with Pae.  This time, I remembered to bring a change of clothes so that I could take a shower there after the round and have fresh clothes.  Definitely a must in Thailand.  All in all, a great day!

I miss not being around for Memorial Day weekend at home.  I hope the weather is good and you all have something enjoyable to do.  Even though this is for war veterans, I find that it is a good day to just remember those who we have lost over time.  I'll do that anyway even though I am halfway around the world!  Enjoy your day and take it as it comes.  Until tomorrow friends!

Doing business my way and riding the whole BTS

Saturday, May 24.  Hi everyone!  I hope all are doing well.  I am doing very well, but tired and missing home a little.  But in a good way, and lots of good things are going on and I am enjoying myself.  Today, two new things happened.  One, I went to Sampeng by myself and talked to both the fabric guy and the hat guy, and did things my way.  I was straightforward, honest about what I want and need, and they responded in similar fashion.  Today we all moved forward in a bigger step than ever before.  Don't have all the answers yet, but are getting closer to figuring out how much each hat will cost to produce.  Ah yes, the golden number.

My second new thing was to ride the BTS, the above ground railcar system in Bangkok, from one end all the way to the other.  I started at the Jatujak station and rode it all the way to the On Nut station, where Nana and A Liang live.  Cool.  Only 40 Baht, or a little over a dollar.  

Next week, starting tomorrow, I will look to get the last bits of information about the hats and fabric, look to design and make some t-shirts and maybe some microfiber type golf shirts/mock turtle neck shirts, look for some fleece for Paula, and some containers and bags for Paula.  She may need some things for both her pie idea and her crafts idea.  And oh yeah, also change my business cards because of the silly company in Switzerland.  And I do think it's a real company, but we'll see.  Until tomorrow friends, enjoy the day and laugh a little and smile a lot!

Registering a domain name

Friday, May 23.  I registered for my first domain name ever today!  www.gabaan.net!  I of course wanted .com, but get this, a Swiss company registered gabaan.com just HOURS before I tried to.  What's up with that?  My friend Nop said that sometimes Network Solutions, the domain registrar, are a little sneaky and will lock the name up and make you pay for it if you want it.  Hmm.  Anyway, we'll see.  I offered $100 for the name and we'll see if they give it up or not.  If it's a fake situation, they should take it, if they are a real company, they won't give it up anyway.

In any case www.gabaan.net is mine!  Yeah!  Next step is to simultaneously get the product going and work on the website and cool and creative ideas.  The only negative is that I'll have to print new business cards because the ones I had printed yesterday were based on gabaan.com.  Well, sometimes stuff like this happens, right?  Not everything goes your way all the time.  I keep getting that lesson and now I actually feel like I've learned the lesson!  Bye for now everyone!

Doing what I had to do

Thursday, May 22.  Hi everyone!  How are you?  I hope well.  I had an interesting day today.  In some ways, not my proudest moments, in other ways, very important moments.  At 11 am, my dad scheduled a meeting for me, him, and Korn to discuss where we go from here with the hat product.  It started out ok, but for me I was still hanging on to the many time so far in these two trips that dad just quieted me for no other reason than he thought that I might say something harmful to the project.  As time has gone on, he as taken a bigger and bigger roll in the everyday tasks involved in getting things off the ground.

I appreciate and love him very much, but today I just had enough of him taking the opposite side of anything I said, and his constant judgment for the way I make decisions, think about things, and the way I am living my life in general.  I just had enough.  So I told him that I didn't want his help anymore or his money, packed up my stuff, and moved out.  I've never done that before.  I didn't do it out of anger or pure emotion though.  I just had enough.  Others might be able to take him for what he is and be totally ok with it, and I'm getting better at it too, but today just crossed the line for me.  I think that the only way for him and mom to understand that I can take care of myself is to just take care of myself.

Again, this is not because I don't appreciate their help or love them at all.  It's just what I had to do as a man, and I did it.  I left telling him that I love him, and just want to be able to live my life and make my decisions without judgment, just like he does and always has.  I left feeling strong, more manly, and feeling good.  A tiny bit of natural guilt crept in as would be natural, but I think he can handle himself ok and won't be stuck in his condo crying because I said some straightforward things that needed to be said or that I left.  Maybe that's what he really wants form me anyway.  To make decisions, live my life, be responsible for myself, and man up.  So I did and am moving on with the project myself.  I am smart, know what I want, and will be able to handle this project just fine.

So sorry dad if I hurt your feelings in the least, but this is probably for the best.  I still love you and would do anything for you, and appreciate everything you have done because I know it's out of love for me.  But your style of expressing yourself is too negative for me and brings me down,and it's just best for now to limit our exposure to others.  I am not asking you to change, please don't ask me to change.  This is just the way it's going to be until we can get along more peacefully.  And don't worry, I will show you how successful and competent and able I am in short time.  You will see.  I love you all, especially you dad, and will talk to you again tomorrow!  Adios amigos.