110 degrees magazine - Index

110 degrees magazine - wlinks_may08 - Index

COLUMN I A HAND UP INTO REAL ESTATE
I started a training and education business
last year giving it the tagline “Real Estate
Knowledge For Everyone.” My goal with the
organization is to educate East County residents
in all things having to do with property
ownership.
We gave our business the promising name
of Freedom Unlimited, which I hope somehow
conveys the message we’re trying to get across
— that even a little bit of training and information
will open doors to unencumbered participation
by informed nonprofessionals in our
local real estate marketplace.
People think that current property market
conditions have become difficult but the fact
is that have only become different. In the
song, “The Gambler,” Kenny Rogers sang the
words, “Every gambler knows that the secret
to surviving is knowing what to throw away
and knowing what to keep.” That’s as true
about property as it is about cards. And the
next line, “Every hand’s a loser; and every
hand’s a winner,” is also equally true of property
as of cards.
A rational real estate purchase made on the
basis of accurate information is a good bet
indeed. The property marketplace has its highs
and (as we’re currently aware) lows, but a
given piece of property in California on average
will double in value every decade or so. So the
issue for wise buyers and sellers is one of
smart timing rather than dumb luck.
42 www.110mag.com May/June 2008
MONA PHILLIPS IS ENGAGED IN THE IMPORTANT AND
SATISFYING WORK OF GIVING RESIDENTS OF EAST
COUNTY THE TEACHING AND TRAINING THEY NEED
IN ORDER TO SURVIVE THE CURRENT DOWNMARKET.
For example, such people are investing in this
marketplace by purchasing properties that are
priced substantially lower than they were two
years ago when perspective buyers sometimes
had to put their name into a lottery just to
have a chance at buying the same homes that
are now available for huge discounts.
The way to survive or even to thrive in this
kind of marketplace is to figure out exactly
what you’re doing. People are walking away
from properties when, with just a little bit of
help, they could have figured out how to hang
in there through the current rough patch and
possibly realize a premium for the property a
few years down the road.
What we are going through now really is
just a patch. Someone told me recently that
when it comes to California real estate, what
goes down must come up.
It’s never too late to become wise and
informed. We’re offering classes, all of them
under two hours, on a wide range of topics
including “How to Buy Foreclosures,” “Fixerupper
Workshop,” “Homeowner Crises Clinic,”
“Credit Crises Workshop,” “Secrets to
Investing,” and “First Time Buyer Workshop.”
Plus, we offer sessions with guest professionals,
such as Attorneys and CPAs, who provide
insights from their particular fields.
The classes are a serious effort to close
the large gap that exists between people
who are accruing wealth because they know
what they are doing and people who are losing
their life savings because they don’t
know. Freedom Unlimited is helping to move
nonprofessionals from the second category
into the first.
Our classes conserve people’s valuable
time; we provide a lot of information during
the time allocated. Some people will repeat a
class so they can thoroughly absorb the information
and the concepts.
The other thing we bring to our clients is our
indomitable enthusiasm. No matter what happens
to us in this world, nothing is accomplished
by whining about it. We learn from
experience; our very worst experiences afford
the very best potential for increasing our
knowledge, wisdom, and judgment.
We were serious property investors and I
secured my license with no intention of
becoming a Realtor but simply so that I could
take complete control over my investment
properties.
My friends needed help with real estate
issues that I was glad to provide, so my professional
career as a Realtor simply developed a
life of its own.
I’m having fun playing in East County’s
volatile property markets and continue to
accrue wealth from the energies created by
whatever ups and downs the market is swinging
through.
We charge a small registration fee for
some of our classes but most of them are
free. In some cases we’re simply helping
some people to survive, in others we’re helping
them to become financially successful.
In both cases we experience a satisfaction
that is its own reward.
I’m not trying to make Freedom Unlimited
a huge profit center because I’m living a life
of grace. “What goes around comes around”
they say. And, in the case of our serving others,
“they” are telling the truth. Serving others
keeps me connected to the good things
in the universe.
Give us a call. Let us teach, train, and serve
you. We’re ready to help!
Mona Phillips
For more information, visit www.monaphillips.com,
email mona.phillips@comcast.net, or call 925-706-
8200. Send comments to editors@110mag.com.