Posted by Chris M (Hamden, CT) on August 17, 1999 at 20:56:01:
Hey Mark, fill me in on how you did it…It seems that I can taste the sarcasm in that response.
chris M.
Carleton Sheets saved my life! - Posted by Annie W
Posted by Annie W on June 20, 1999 at 21:53:16:
Do not even TRY to tell me that Carleton’s course doesn’t work, because it DOES!!!
Carleton Sheets… gets you to “think outside the box”. Since I bought the course 30 months ago, I’ve bought 2 condos, four duplexes, three houses (in Florida where I live) and a bed and breakfast in Maui (where I used to live)… all no money down (or I should say “under 1000” down as I’ve discovered that I feel better if I give the lessor something for “option consideration” … from 300 up to 1000 on the bed-breakfast in Maui). EVERY property is a “positive cash flow” except for one condo (really a “villa”) that I live in, but the unit I live in is costing me $615/month including payments, taxes, insurance and maintenance fees (100/month which includes cable, sewer, water, grounds maintenance, garbage). It’s a two bed two bath with vaulted ceilings, a kitchen that has recessed lighting and room for a dining room table, a living room that has four built-in bookcases, two of em floor to ceiling, two of em with builtin drawers underneath, the place came FULLY furnished, the bedrooms are very large with BIG walkin closets, and a screened florida room (lanai) that is the width of the villa and 16 feet deep. If I were to RENT a unit like this it would go for about 750-800/month here in Sarasota, Florida.
My FIRST deal after studying Carleton’s course for a month was a lease-option on a property that was 6.9 acres with a 2bed/1bath concrete-block house on it AND a 30x40 commercial building built by the previous owner 2 years before. I paid 350/month for this place on a 2-year lease with an option for a 3rd year if I paid the seller $250 bucks at the end of the 2nd year… 100% of the rent for that 2-year period went towards the downpayment (yes, 100%!!! because I didn’t quibble over the price which was $69,400 and about 20K too high for the area … at the time of the lease-option). By the end of the two years (which was about 6 months ago) the property was worth over 100K because a shopping mall got built right across the street from my property. I sold it then (because I wasn’t interested in getting into commercial deals). I collected rent of $325/month on the house for two years from a nice old lady who never called me for repairs. I collected rent of $425/month for the 30x40 commercial building for two years. I paid off the mortgage and put almost 39K in my pocket at closing,not to mention the 10K I’d made on the rents! NO MONEY DOWN.
Today I closed a deal on TWO properties, a house and a duplex. The house needs landscaping. I noticed the lady who lived next door had a beautifully landscaped yard, so I struck up a conversation with her. Seems she’s a renter who “cannot stand” to live in a place that doesn’t have a great landscaped yard… AND she likes to paint. The house also needs painting. Seems she’s also on month-to-month lease with no interest in buying.
I cut her a deal which she accepted. I’m paying to move her into my house (after she gives a month’s notice to her current landlord). I’m buying her “inground” plants from her (which tomorrow she is going to start transplanting to MY property) in exchange for which I’m giving her a computer so she can do bookkeeping at home. (I’m a software engineer and I had an old 486 which I’m giving her… worth about 100 bucks). The movers are tenants who live in one of my duplexes. They will move her for $100 off their rent and I’ll loan them my moving cart. She’ll be paying $50 less than she is paying next door… but I still get a positive cash flow of 150/month after all bills are paid. I also get my house painted for free labor… she loves to paint; and I get my yard landscaped for free because she needs to work in a garden! And later I’m going to have her do my bookkeeping and maybe be a financial backer for her if she decides to go fulltime into gardening.
Carleton is not offering to “hold your hand”, he’s teaching you how to THINK through deals, don’t you SEE that? He’s teaching you how to stop living life as a victim and start living life as a winner, the way God intended.
I won’t lend my course to anyone, I feel that for under 200 bucks you get an incredible deal when you buy Carleton’s course. If you think that some of his ideas are outmoded, so what? He doesn’t do your leg work for you, he doesn’t even suggest that you don’t need anything but his course.
This is a “sweat equity” course… Carleton expects you do WORK at it. Real Estate investment is a BUSINESS. He tells you to read real estate, to join investment clubs, to get your finances in order, meet and become known by your banker, etc. etc. If you aren’t prepared to understand that nothing comes without EFFORT, don’t buy the course. But if you are a renter and you want to be a property owner, you cannot go wrong if you buy his course and then DO it. Think outside the box… if you see a house for rent and it’s empty, why not call the owner and see if they’ll consider a lease option? Why not call every house listed for rent in the Sunday paper and see the owners will consider a lease-option? Why not go to garage sales and see if the people are having a sale because they are thinking of moving and if they say “yes” why not ask them if they’d consider doing owner financing? Why not ask them if they want to sell the furniture with the house instead of paying an exhorbitant fee to move it (to another city or cross country, etc.)
ASK and YE SHALL RECEIVE.
As for Russ Whitney, well, he wants 1800 bucks of your money up front. Basically to tell you EXACTLY what Carleton tells you for 200 bucks. In fact, I believe Russ did Carleton’s course before he started his own 10 times more expensive course. Sure he says if you find a house he’ll give you the money to buy it and then you do the work and split the profits with him. But before you can get money that way, you have to give him 1800 bucks for the course. And I BET he charges usury rates for his “loans”. However, I haven’t taken his course so I cannot really “rate” it.
However I CAN rate Carleton’s course and I give it an AAA rating. AND last year I talked one of my brothers into buying the course… three weeks later he bought a 20-unit apartment building for 395K with a positive cash flow of almost 20K per year. Do you think HE loves Carleton? He was a construction worker, now he has 3 apartment buildings and a positive cash flow of almost 50K per year.
Stop being negative and living like a victim. Carleton guarantees that if you buy the course you can become a property owner (no matter what your circumstances) within 50 days of completing the course. I swung my first-lease option in less than 30 days… and I was only halfway through the course, but I’d done the section on lease options.
As for credit, NOW, of course, with a net worth of almost 400K my credit is GREAT. But when I bought the course, I was a “deadbeat” who sometimes paid her bills but frequently not till the creditor pounded on the door demanding the furniture back. I even had a car repossessed. I was a TOTALLY unfocused individual whose word was basically meaningless. Now I’m completely different. My attitude towards life is focused, my word can be believed and I have enough money coming into my life that I can do “good deeds”. That’s something that real estate investments bring you… the time and money to DO those “good deeds” for others that most of us really wish we could do.
BUY THE COURSE. DO IT. Listen and GROW and become financially free. I did it.
Annie
Re: Carleton Sheets saved my life! - Posted by Rev. Joe Ayala
Posted by Rev. Joe Ayala on May 28, 2003 at 09:47:13:
Great comments! Just what I need… Thanks…
Re: Carleton Sheets saved my life! - Posted by Patrick C
Posted by Patrick C on November 22, 1999 at 13:55:48:
I have thouroughly reviewed carleton’s course and found it to be very enlightening. It was full of useful information and was money very well spent. However, I cannot see how real estate investing in this economy could work. Here is why: 1) If you have a pulse you can purchase a home to live in(at least in my area of Michigan) for nearly no down payment regardless of credit. This being said, who in their right mind would rent? 2) In order to realize a positive cash flow I would have to charge my tenants much more than they would pay if the mortgage was their own. Again who would do this? Finaly, if I wish to receive a 10% return on an investment home (and thats about all I COULD get!) wouldnt I be much better off in stocks or mutual funds which are growing at 35% and better in some instances? I dont mean to run real estate investing down but I am hesitant to invest because of these reasons. Please send me your view points.
Re: Carleton Sheets saved my life! - Posted by TIm Smith
Posted by TIm Smith on November 05, 1999 at 22:37:05:
I was wondering if you or anyone you know who live’s in Jacksonville Florida who has been successful with the Carleton Sheets program. I would like to meet with them or at least communicate via e-mail. Thanks!
Re: Carleton Sheets saved my life! - Posted by Valerie
Posted by Valerie on July 14, 1999 at 18:51:06:
Thank Annie for the inspiration!!!
I purchased the course 2 years ago and just recently
pulled it off the shelf to start reviewing for the
first time. I’m currently on chapter 9 and I can tell you that I’m really excited about the future! Your story threw some gasoline on my fire!! THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR SUCCESSES.
Annie, your wrong. You made the save… - Posted by Tony-VA
Posted by Tony-VA on July 12, 1999 at 10:09:05:
Annie, you are the one who save your life. The CS course was just a vehicle that helped you to do it. I think that many people expect a Guru to save their life for them. This is where the disappointment sets in. No Guru is going to save you financially. They are doing their best to save their financial stability. Let’s face it, that is what business is all about. Their vehicle just happens to be teaching Real Estate Investing. Stories such as yours make their job extremely rewarding emotionally.
Had you not decided to ACT on what you were taught, you would not have been saved. Therefore I firmly believe that YOU are the one who saved yourself. You took the $200 investment in education and APPLIED it. If the material is not applied, it is a book end.
These courses effect everyone’s life differently. Annie took action and has a wonderful success story to prove it. She is SELF MADE, not SAVED. The course did get her to think differently than the general public. It gave her ideas about how to answer peoples problems and make money is so doing. Had she not continued to think “outside the box”, she would have bookends like so many people who are looking to be saved. The education is there. Learn it and apply it and you will be posting your success story. Buy it and quit after making a few frustrating calls and you only helped a Guru save himself (no emotional reward however).
My congratulations to you Annie. I have no doubt that your success story will inspire some, intrigue others and amaze those that will not ACT.
Thanks for sharing your story.
Tony
Re: Carleton Sheets saved my life!CONGRATS!!! - Posted by JEFFK
Posted by JEFFK on June 21, 1999 at 18:16:18:
CONGRATS, I’M VERY HAPPY FOR YOU, I WISH I HAD THE SAME LUCK, I GOT OUT C.S.'S COURSE AND I’M GOING OVER IT AGAIN. I’M SUCCESSFUL AT MY OWN BUSINESS SO I’LL TRY AGAIN AT THIS, I STILL WON’T RECCOMEND THE COURSE. I’VE ONLY GOTTEN 3 SUCCESS STORIES, YOURS IS THE BEST. IF I’M THAT DEAD WRONG AND I MAKE OUT LIKE YOU I PLAN TO BUY SOME T.V. TIME AND MAKE A PUBLIC APOLOGY TO THE SHEETS ORGANIZATION, AGAIN CONGRATULAIONS, DON’T STOP . I HOPE YOU BECOME A BILLIONAIRE.
I REMAIN,
JEFFK.
Re: Carleton Sheets saved my life! - Posted by Des
Posted by Des on June 21, 1999 at 17:13:30:
WOW!!!
Thanks, I needed that.
Keep on going!
Des
You could have saved money with Tony Robbins $15 book - Posted by J
Posted by J on June 21, 1999 at 13:20:24:
You wrote:
Carleton is not offering to “hold your hand”, he’s teaching you how to THINK through deals, don’t you SEE that? He’s teaching you how to stop living life as a victim and start living life as a winner, the way God intended.
First, I could read Tony Robbins for that in one of his books for $15, I don’t need to spend $200 for Carleton to tell me that. Secondly, Carleton sells more expensive consulting…why if his little $200 program covers it. Thirdly, Carletons $200 course does not teach the things you are talking about – major commercial and Maui bed and breakfast. If that was the case, everyone would be doing it. Lastly, who wants to be a property owner, I want to make money.
Right on!! - Posted by Mark (SDCA)
Posted by Mark (SDCA) on June 21, 1999 at 12:38:54:
Carleton’s course is like most course. It works IFF (if and ONLY if) YOU WORK!!
Great story and congrats!!
Re: Annie, your wrong. You made the save… - Posted by Bob Davis
Posted by Bob Davis on August 22, 1999 at 18:56:52:
I believe Mr. Sheet’s course was what Annie and a lot of others need to motivate them and make them begin thinking creativly. I am a beginner and although I still have a lot to learn, Mr. Sheet’s course has made me think in a way I would have not discovered on my own. Thank you Mr. Sheets. I hope to someday meet you in person. Bob
Re: You could have saved money with Tony Robbins $15 book - Posted by Russ Sims
Posted by Russ Sims on June 22, 1999 at 12:04:54:
I think you miss the point. Of course Sheets doesn’t teach you exactly how to buy commercial property or Maui B&Bs (hey Annie: what are your rates? I’d love to take my wife there). But he does teach a number of creative purchase techniques. Once you start thinking about these, your mind leaps out of “the box” and begins pondering other ways of creatively buying. Once your appetite is whetted, you’ll begin exploring all the possibilities of CRE. You may choose to further your education with additional courses. It’s up to you. But the point is that it all starts with Sheets (or Legrand, or Bronchick, or the guru of your choice).
I’ve done 5 lease options in the past 3 months. Even at this snail’s pace, I’m on track to produce a profit of over $100k this year. Did Sheets teach me how to do this? Not exactly, but he did open my eyes to the possibilities of L/Os. It intrigued me enough to purchase a course on it and now I’m doing pretty well.The point is I wouln’t have done it without Sheets. In my case, Sheets was the key to the door. I entered through his course and now there’s no looking back. If I had paid $2000 for the Sheets course, it would have been worth it many times over.
Re: You could have saved money with Tony Robbins $15 book - Posted by Matthew Chan
Posted by Matthew Chan on June 22, 1999 at 24:56:30:
Mr. Sheets goes past Tony Robbins stuff. Robbins stuff is too motivational for me. Sheets has more content.
Ummmmmm… - Posted by Mark (SDCA)
Posted by Mark (SDCA) on June 21, 1999 at 16:54:15:
Are you saying it is impossible to make money as a property owner?? Weird. I wonder how I did it. Any property you don’t want, let’s talk.
Cheers,
Mark
Re: Right on!! - Posted by Cd-Rom
Posted by Cd-Rom on July 18, 1999 at 13:37:29:
Just clik
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=133285254
Re: Right on!! - Posted by James Graham
Posted by James Graham on July 03, 1999 at 18:34:49:
I’m happy to hear your positive comments on Carlton Sheets, since I purchased, and just finished going through his course the first time. Haven’t made any deals yet, but my eyes have been opened to the process and the possibilities, and had I not bought his course, I’d still be totally in the dark.
May I ask what steps you took after your first reading of the course?
By the way, do you have an opinion of Bill Gatten’s PACTrust™?
Thanks!
Re: You could have saved money with Tony Robbins $15 book - Posted by David Harris
Posted by David Harris on June 23, 1999 at 08:19:07:
Hi Russ
Just wanted to know who’s L/O course you used?
Thanks
David