Those of you who are dreaming of creative ideas now is the time, to start your own internet home based business and make those dreams come true. There are many ways to do this and today I want to show you just one example.Samantha did just the right thing in life. Early in life her mother recognized her keen interest in sounds and rhythm and had ensured that Samantha went for music lessons. Over the years Sam learnt to play quite a few instruments. However, Sam was now a career woman working as a pharmacist, married with two children. Despite juggling around home, children and career she had never given up her dream of music. From time to time she snatched a few minutes and at times a few hours during weekends and holidays. Music was Sam’s soul and she always knew that someday she would devote her entire time to music.One day while browsing through the internet Samantha got to read an article on how E-Learning was catching up on the internet. The opportunities for internet based teaching and learning was very interesting and just the right thing for people who had busy lives. While reading through stories of how many people had started and were running flourishing online businesses from home on the internet, Sam stuck upon the idea of combining her passion for music with the technology and the platform available. It seemed just the perfect solution for Sam to be able to start teaching piano and guitar instruments.Sam worked on the idea and in three months time set up her profile on the internet as a Music Teacher. Few enquiries began trickling in and in a few months Sam found that there was too much demand for her music lessons. Internet was the most convenient way for people living across the country to be able to learn music at their own convenient time.Today, Sam has given up her career as a pharmacist and is teaching music through her internet home based music academy. Sam is earning more than she was while working as a pharmacist with her home based internet business. She has successfully managed to combine her passion with the internet to make her dream come true. So can you.A home based internet business gives you the unique advantage of being able to work from home and yet reach across your clients and manage your business professionally. The geographical barriers of market do not exist in internet based home businesses. Sam has been able to access students wanting to learn music from across other countries which would not have been possible had she not been running her home based internet music academy.Do not give up on your dreams.

The dream of running your own home business has never been more possible. This is due to the many opportunities and advantages the Internet provides today. Let’s briefly go over a few of the advantages home based businesses online provide.1. You can stay at home and run your business. In reality anywhere that you have a computer with Internet access you can run your business. It just happens to be that most people will set up a home office and start their Internet business that way.2. Direct sales opportunities have become real home-based businesses. In the past a direct sales opportunities such as Tupperware were run on a party plan where you went into other people’s homes.The same thing was true for other direct sales businesses such as Avon and Amway. You can still run your business that way if you choose to. But many direct sales companies now provide excellent websites that allow you to set up an ecommerce business and stay at home and do it.3. Training is readily available for internet marketing. This is one of the great things about running a home based business online. You will need to drive traffic to your website, but learning how to do that can be done online as well.You do not need to go to training meetings or read books or tapes. Your home business has a great opportunity to be successful because everything you really need to learn how to do can be accessed right on the Internet.4. Join affiliate programs and sell physical products. Amazon.com is one of the largest online companies in the world.They also have a free affiliate program you can join giving you access to thousands of products to start selling right away. You do not have to stock the inventory or even ship the product.And all of the collections are done by Amazon as well. You can concentrate on advertising and marketing since you get paid for the sales you make.5. Sell digital information. Another great way to use the Internet to make money from home is by marketing information products which are always in demand.ClickBank.com offers an excellent digital information affiliate program you can join for free. This gives you access to ebooks you can sell and make commissions of as high as 75% on.Home based businesses online have several advantages. You never run out of products to sell, yet you can do it from the comfort of your own home with your computer and Internet access.

What is the single most useful tool that a person can use to have the best home based business? The answer is KNOWLEDGE! What sets Robert Kiyosaki, Donald Trump, Warren Buffett, Steve Jobs or Bill Gates apart from everyone else? KNOWLEDGE! Am I sounding like the Wizard of Oz right now? Ok… it was Courage but you get the idea…Do you think that any of these people just fell out of bed one day and said “I’m going to invent a computer today” or “I’m going to invest a bunch of money in stuff that I don’t know anything about and make a killing because I am lucky”? These people are exceptional because they have the drive, determination and knowledge to take the best home based business ideas and turn them into empires.I know that a lot of people are hurting right now and more people than ever are looking for the best home based business idea so that they can feed their families, build a life and find some security somewhere in there. The truth is that you have it within you but you need to find the knowledge first.Do you know what? All the elements are in place for you to be exceptional and to find the best home based business idea and run with it. What are the elements? It starts with drive. If you are searching on the internet for the best home based business right now, you have the drive. What is driving you is where some of the best ideas ever come from… necessity.The next element is determination. This is a tough one for most people right now because they think they are determined but really don’t have a clue what that means. For instance, if you were exposed to the very best home based business in the world RIGHT NOW would you know it? Would you cast it aside thinking there was a better idea out there waiting to be found? The problem with searching for the best home based business is that you just might find it and then you won’t know it when you do. You have to be determined to find what you are looking for and you MUST be open to new ideas and then ACT in order to succeed! The men that I mentioned earlier are ALWAYS OPEN to new ideas and constantly determined to find them. The difference between them and most other people is that they take action when they find that best home based business.Finally, there is knowledge. Knowledge is the single most important part of finding the best home based business. In order to be successful, any good business person has to become an expert at their craft. They accomplish this by doing research, studying and training to make sure that they have more knowledge than their competition.My advice is to be open, determined, driven and especially knowledgeable so that you can recognize, find and act upon the best home based business for you and live a better life.For more info, visit: http://kellynorris.com/articles/the-wizard-was-right-knowledge-is-the-best-home-based-business/

Investing in Real Estate for flips, long term holding or just for tax benefits is nothing new. I have been doing this for 30 years. We all know you can leverage with Real Estate and earn fantastic returns along with tax benefits. The difference and what I want to talk about is investing in a special niche of Real Estate which most stay away from. This niche is Probate Real Estate Investing.

I have been Probate Investing since 1987. Let me explain the process and why it has been so lucrative but for so few. When a person passes, if they don’t have a living trust then their estate must be probated in order to pay off creditors and transfer the assets to the rightful heirs. This is a time consuming process which is very hard on the family and on average runs for 4 months plus.

Now, the real estate in an estate is usually the biggest asset and is going to be sold to settle the estate and disburse the net dollars to the heirs according to the will of the decease. Sounds simple doesn’t it but in reality this process is the most stressful and time consuming event in most people’s lives when they are the Executor of an Estate. The responsibility the Executor has is almost unbelievable especially when this person most likely has never had to do anything like this. There are time lines and requirements they must adhere to, assets to first find, then appraise, manage and finally disburse to the heirs. There is limited help from the Estate Attorney representing the family as most tasks are handled by the Attorneys Para-legal and the Executor is usually kept in the dark. I have seen this predicament a common denominator with Executors in probate.

There are two processes in Calif one may probate under. The old law is a dinosaur and basically handcuffs the Estate as far as the Real Estate to be sold is concerned from attracting only Wholesale buyers. The other process is the done under the Independent Administration of Estate Act which allows the Executor to treat the real estate to be sold like a regular home sale with a few exceptions. A much easier process and also enables retail buyers who have interest in the Probate Investing to bid. I could go on and on regarding this process but I think you can understand. States other than Calif will have a process equal to or less than Calif’s Probate process so once you understand Calif’s Probate process, it’s usually just a small adjustment for a different State. During the 90′s most estates where processed under the old probate process in my area and in my opinion it was to keep any liability off the attorneys for allowing a property to sell to cheap with a possible complaint later on form the heirs. There is really no other reason to go through the old court confirmation process when selling a home in probate other than this. In today’s Probate world, probably 50% are going through the I.A.E.A which is where we want to be but many are still being probated under the old process.

For those in the know, you can purchase probate property early in the process and control the sale. I can dictate which probate process the sale will conducted under in my offer and I’m usually the only one approaching the Estate. I’m there the week the probate file is opened at court which is before most tasks have been completed. This has produced many wholesale buys for my investors and I over the years and here is the reason why I love Probate Investing.

Executors want the probate RE off their plate. They are worried about a vacant property being vandalized, maintenance to be performed, and in many cases they have moved into the home during this process. What we bring to them is peace of mind by buying the probate real estate and taking the biggest head ache off their shoulders. Also, this is Free money and even though they are selling to me at a discount, the proceeds look mighty good to them and the heirs not to mention the biggest asset now in cash. Buying probate property with the right game plan and know how can mean $50K profits (90 days) if you know what you’re doing. Plus many don’t understand the Probate process or options so stay away. Unlike foreclosures there are no lists which tell you which properties to approach.

I also love Probate Investing because we don’t purchase blind like many foreclosures plus the properties are usually in great shape as it’s not a distress sale. For 20 years I have enjoyed probate investing and it still amazes me today that most of my fellow agents and investors shy away. I’m not complaining…

In my opinion Probate Investing is the best opportunity to purchase single family and 2-4 unit real estate at wholesale prices and flip. This can also be a great way to accumulate rental properties buying with a 15-25% equity position the day you close for long term investing.

For you Real Estate agents Probate Real Estate is a great way to increase your yearly commissions just listing and selling probates and providing help to the Executor in selling. I have kept busy from an investor and agent standpoint working probates. In fact through the 90′s I worked about 10-15 hrs per week and earned more than my real estate practice paid me working 60hrs per week.

Every now and then persons trying to make up their minds where to put their money ask me if real estate ventures are more or less profitable, compared to other businesses opportunities around.

My response is always that apart from its potential for yielding significant profits, investing in real estate often confers long terms benefits.

I discuss five such advantages below:

1. You Can Refurbish (to Enhance the Value of) Real Estate
After you buy a stock, you hold it for a period of time and hopefully sell it for a profit. The success of the stock depends on company management and their corporate success, which is out of your control.

Unlike other conventional investment instruments, like stocks, for instance, whose rate of returns, depend on third parties (e.g. company management), real estate investments are directly under your control.

Even though you will not be able to control changes that may occur in demographic and economic aspects, or impact of nature induced changes, there are many other aspects that you can control, to boost the returns on your investment in it.

Examples include aspects relating to adding repairs, or improvements/enhancements to the physical property and tenants you allow to live in it.

If you do it right, the value of your investment will grow, resulting in increased wealth for you.

2. Real Estate Investing, When Done Right, is Proven to be Profitable Even During a Recession (like the one we’re in right now)
It has on several occasions, been used to effect a bail out, from financial setbacks, such as those that many have experienced during the economic downturn happening in Nigeria today.

A considerable number of clients have confided in me that due to the present economic situation, they are not sure of profitable channels to invest their money. Some of them are done with bonds and treasury bills, but are in dire need of a new investment.

We had extensive discussions, and based on my expertise as a real estate consultant, I recommended landed property investment, as the most suitable and secure alternative channel of investment.

This is because, even if all businesses crumble, land will always appreciate greatly. Then to drive my point home, I ended by sharing the following apt quote, by a former American president:

“Real estate can’t be lost, nor carried away, managed with reasonable care, it’s about the safest investment in the world” – Franklin Roosevelt.
Not surprisingly, the client chose to take my advice – and signed up: it was the obvious, common sense thing to do!

3. Real Estate Investments Are Immune to Inflation
In other words, investing your money in ownership of viable real estate can protect you from the harsh effects that inflation usually has on other conventional investments.

This is because the value of real estate generally tends to rise in positive correlation with inflationary pressures. This is why property values and rental rates go up with rising inflation.

The nature of real estate, therefore affords owners the unique advantage of being able to adjust the rates they offer, to match inflation.

Monthly rents for example can be raised to compensate for inflation – thus providing a cushion effect against inflation induced losses that other monetary investments suffer.

4. Real Estate is Uniquely for Being Universally Acceptable as Collateral, Towards Securing Funding from Banks
Today, real estate in form of either building or lands, with proper titles (i.e. Certificate of Occupancy – aka “C of O”) is the most recognized and accepted form of collateral in Nigeria – and some other parts of the world.

It has the unique feature of being able to protect the interests of both the borrower and the bank (that’s doing the lending), so that funds can be released i.e. after due verification, and terms and conditions are agreed.

This is one of the key advantages a private C of O has over the global C of O, because the former (i.e. private C of O) is what will be needed by the intending borrower, in the event of any future financial dealings with bank in Nigeria.

5. Real Estate Investing Allows Use of Other People’s Money
In other words, you can do it even if you do not have enough money. You just need to know how.

This is possible because real estate is physical property or what is called a hard asset. That is an attribute that makes it attractive to financiers i.e. people with money to invest.

This is why many times real estate products are bought with debt – unlike conventional investment products like stocks which are NOT tangible, and therefore perceived as being more risky to invest in.

So real estate investment can be done using cash or mortgage financing. In the latter case, payments can be so arranged to allow payment of low initial sums, provided by you or a willing third party.

Those payments will be happening on landed property which will continue increasing in value throughout the duration of such payments – and indeed beyond. That further inspires confidence in the minds of those financing the acquisition, that their investment is safe.

Little wonder that real estate investing has continued to prosper for so long!

[A WORD OF CAUTION] The listed benefits notwithstanding, I still tell prospective investors that due diligence is a crucial requirement for succeeding.

Whether you do everything yourself or use industry professionals like me, it is imperative that you exercise caution and arm yourself with relevant information and education.

This is something I advice my clients to do all the time, so they can make good decisions in investing.

The importance of the above cannot be overstated, especially in Lagos where quite a number of individuals, have had their fingers badly burnt, because they failed to take the needed precautions.

My purpose is to help clients avoid having such horrible experiences, by bringing my years of experience in this field to bear in serving them.