Consider the Ant? What does it mean?

Many of us have heard of King Soloman, the Richest Man ever to live. If you haven't, there are countless movies and t.v. mini-series dedicated to finding his lost mines.

During his lifetime, King Soloman amassed the greatest fortune and treasures known to man. Well, he also disclosed how he did it in the Ancient text of Proverbs. In the sixth chapter, he references the Ant. Let's review...

"Go to the Ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores up its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest." - PR 6:6-8

So, if you consider this text, King Soloman is telling us the way to amass a fortune through simple observations of the ant. Silly, yes, but true, Oh yes my friend.

What are some of the observations we can make about the ant that are applicable to our lives?
1. The Ant is the opposite of a Sluggard - Curious about a sluggard, read in the text a bit further and the King so eloquently describes the tendancy of the sluggard.

2. The Ant is wise. This assumes that the sluggard is not so wise.

3. It has no commander / overseer - This is a big one. What do you do with your spare time? T.V., X-Box, Sleep, play sports, etc.? Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad shared the biggest difference between the rich and the poor is what they do in their spare time. The Rich use their spare time to educate them selves on opportunities to earn more money or to keep more money than they pay out. They educate themselves on ways to save on taxes, to invest in Real Estate, to create stock vs. buy stock. No one tells them to do this, it is just what they do, as do the ants.

You might take this a bit further to consider that most of the Rich are self employed in some fashion or they work on a commission basis. Many of the poor look for security in working for someone else who is ultimately their ruler or overseer. Now I am not telling you to quit your job to become self employed. What I am saying is that even if you are employed, you can educate yourself on how to find security outside of the job.

4. It gathers provisions for harvest time. Do you realize that we are facing one of the biggest generational transitions in American History today? Baby Boomers are the largest generation to retire in our country. Guess what? Many of them are not prepared for the Harvest. They did not gather properly and store up enough provisions so they are scrambling. What types of things are you doing to store your provisions or ensure that you have provisions during your harvest?

I am very excited about Consider the Ant. I am working Diligently on completing the book by Summer of 2008. I appreciate your support and hope this has been helpful.

If you would like to discuss these things in more depth, please feel free to contact me directly at 505-250-1944 or jchristensen2901@gmail.com.

Have a great day!
Joshua

Foreclosures…Credit Crisis…Mortgage Woes…

Are you sick and tired of hearing all of this? I am. Does it just make you mad that so many people are “losing” their homes. I can’t tell you the emotions that are roused by people in the Real Estate Industry as well as people outside the industry who are so angry that this has happened...

Funny thing about it. The same people 2 years ago were bragging about how amazing real estate investing is and how important home ownership is. A couple of years ago, anyone could buy a home. Lenders biggest requirement was that a person could “fog a mirror”! Hello! Well today, the same lenders are requiring a reflection in the same mirror. Guidelines are tougher and understandably so. They gave away the bank and now the price has to be paid for their wild speculation for working with buyers that couldn’t qualify. They lowered their standards to capitalize on Wall Street’s unquenchable desire for “easy money”. The alarms have sounded, I can hear my mother, “Wakey Wakey, it’s time for eggs and Bakey!” So now what?

Here’s the deal. Take a deep breath. Relax for a moment and let’s look at the facts in the matter.

I received a report last week that was a great relief to me here in New Mexico. Of all the states, counties, cities and neighborhoods in the United States, the Albuquerque Market had some of the best appreciation in the country. As a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Placitas, Los Lunas, etc., our total area appreciation in 2007 was 7.5%! Wow~! That does not sound like the Doom and Gloom the media is portraying.
Slow down before you get too excited. There are many sellers out there right now that are marking their homes incredibly high in their neighborhoods causing Realtors to reduce home prices on their listings. If you’re going to sell, trust the Professional Realtor you are paying for. Trust me. Realtors will sell your home for as much as they possibly can. They are on commission after all. So, if your Realtor suggests that the price point you are choosing as a seller is too high, listen close! They know what it takes to sell your home.

Another great stat I received the other day was about where New Mexico ranks in Foreclosures. The state only has a .3% (yes that is 1/3 of a percent) rate of foreclosures. That number is down over 25% from Jan. 08 back to Jan 07. Times are fine.

Another important fact is Buying Real Estate these days! It is not the time to be waiting for a deal. The deals are all out there. Consider it a Clearance Rack at Macy’s. Prices were high, now they are low. If you or someone you know is in the market to buy, Don’t miss this sale. Now is the time to buy Real Estate! By this time next year, the sale will be over.

If I can be of any help to you, please don’t hesitate to call me. 505-884-8600