Like many people that have come and gone and like some that still post on the mobile home forum every now and then, I bought Deals on Wheels and Making Money with Mobile Homes over a year and a half ago. I read them once; they made a lot of sense; but they went right back onto the bookshelf.
Last July, while reading some of the posts on the mobile home forum, I emailed Ryan Needler to get the “scoop”–his sincere take on this whole mobile home investing gig. And without flinching an ear lobe, Ryan challenged me to drive up to his playground and have a look-see. He spent several hours showing me around and talking about “Lonnie” deals.
When I left Ryan’s place, I was ready to set the world on fire. I came home, re-read Deals on Wheels and Making Money with Mobile Homes two more times and…nothing.
“I’ll never be able to do this. What if I lose what little money I have by investing in these mobile things? What if I don’t have all the paper work? What if I screw it up?” The mind (especially a negative one) can have a staggering effect on a person.
Self-fulfilling prophecies are the result of what we feed our mind.
- If I believe I can do it by giving it my all, even if the results are not exactly what I want, chances are I will probably accomplish it.
- If I believe I can’t, it’s over; pack it up. I believe a negative mind has a more drastic effect than a positive one.
At a recent event in Florida, where I got meet Lonnie Scruggs for the first time (to me, it was like meeting a movie star but much better because he is 100% real), I saw Ryan again and met a lot of new and good people who are always ready to meet you half way, at anyone’s level, with a word of encouragement and positive influence.
It took several kicks to the butt and some deep, VERY deep soul searching that when I came back from the event I not only GOTC (Got Off The Couch), I actually threw it away! Yes, I have been hearing GOTC for so long, I actually dropped it off at the Goodwill spot near my house.
Exactly thirty days ago, I went out to EVERY park in my area on a mission to find that first mobile home deal. I placed an ad in a local classified newspaper that I was looking for a nice, used mobile home, already set up in a family park, and that I was willing to pay cash. Two days after placing the ad, I got a call from a man that HAD to sell yesterday.
He was asking $9,000 for the home. I drove out to look at the home and after looking it over, I felt the home was in pretty good shape (except for a couple of soft spots on the floor, some minor cracks on the masonite, and a horrific stench coming from the carpet). The home is a 14 x 70, 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 1985 Parkway.
It came with a shed, all appliances, and a deck. It was very clean, for the most part, and the inside looks impeccable. I told him I couldn’t afford to pay him his asking price, but if he could see a way to lower his price, I might consider buying the home. He said he’d think about it and he MIGHT call me back.
The very next day, he called saying he could let it go for $5,000. I told him the most I could pay was $4,000. He accepted it. I wanted to kill myself! He accepted way too quickly, and I violated Lonnie’s rule of letting him name the price. But it was done, and this was my first “Lonnie” deal.
We closed, and I immediately put an ad in two local newspapers and put up signs which read:
For sale – Owner will finance – No banks
Small down payment – Flexible terms
Lonnie must also be a prophet because just as he “predicted,” my phone was ringing off the hook. At first I was getting some tire kickers it seemed. Two weeks and still nothing. “I knew I shouldn’t have bought that thing! My dad was right. I lost $4,000 that I didn’t have.” All the negative mind games were haunting me again.
I called Ryan Needler and Mike Nelson for advice. They both told me to hang in there. It was now three whole weeks and nothing! “Woe is me! I screwed up. I knew this was going to happen.” Just as I was putting the “whine” bottle down to answer my cell, I found myself speaking to seven different people who wanted to come out on Saturday to see the home.
Subconsciously, I had scheduled seven people at the same time to look at the home. When Saturday came, five people showed up, and they ALL loved home! I sold it for $10,000 to a guy (carpenter) and his wife with two kids with $1,000 down and a note for $9,000 for 48 months at 15% interest, payments of $250.48.
I paid $4,000 plus just under $500 expenses minus their $1,000 down, so I had $3,500 in it. My yield on this first “Lonnie” deal (with all my negative energy working against it), is 82.32%.
Not too shabby huh? I had this home just under four weeks and sold it at a great yield. Where else can you “screw up” as much as I did and still make 82%?
I could have made this a five-line Success Story, but I felt a more real point of view, especially from a newbie and for other newbies, would be more appreciated. I am the king of procrastination…or so I was. If I can do it, anybody with his brain tied behind his back can do it.
It’s all about the mind and what you feed it. If it’s negative, forget about it; pack it up. If it’s positive with a little dose of perseverance and common sense, there are no limits!
I hope this testimony can motivate someone who was doubting the business to GOTC like I did and make it happen. Thanks to Ryan Needler, again, for being there when I needed it most with a ready and honest answer and to Mike Nelson, for help and support. Thanks a lot guys!