Real Estate Success & future plans

Well its official, my house is rented! It felt really good to get closure on this end of things. I'm nearly done siding the 3rd side of it, and all that is left is the back of the house which is the smallest and most simple of all, I'll barely need a ladder for it so it should go really fast. All in all I'm well pleased with this business. I can't wait to get more.

I hope I can refinance the house, I'd like to pay off some debts and buy myself a new house, then sell my current home. Then with the profits made from my current home, I'm estimating 25k profit when I sell it, I'll buy at least two more rental houses for 2009, ( one is a duplex) and pay off the mortgage on this one. So by the end of 2009 I will have 4 units hopefully, and be cash flowing over 1000 a month, and be living in a 2700 square foot mansion :) Well the place needs tons of work ATM, but will be sweet when we're done with it.

So far I love the real estate business. One down, 19 to go! I figure I can retire comfortably on 2o rentals.

Rental Nearly Done!

You guys are probably tired of reading about my rental unit. It's nearly done, and tomorrow the tenant should sign the paperwork and I should be about all done with the work on it by this weekend.

I've had enough construction work for one year, I'm ready to sit on my rear and do computer work again for a while. It was a fun challenge, and I'm totally excited to do more, but right now I'm pretty tired and I'm ready to start my new business and make some money.

I think it is the easiest business I've ever tried to do. I mean construction work is really easy compared to fixing cars in my opinion. Brain wise any way. Physically its a little more demanding, but nothing compared to bodybuilding. Its more of an emotional endurance factor. If you can withstand the daily grind of fixing a place up, expect that things will cost twice as much as you anticipated, and the odds and ends will keep you frustrated for a while, and of course there will be crappy tenants from time to time... then this is the coolest business I've ever seen. Its like monopoly pretty much, except there is no way to lose if you are smart and follow the basics. My mentor handed me a sweet deal, and I am forever thankful for all his help, but its been quite a bit of work.

I really think this is going to be a great business though. I mean how else can you make 250 dollars a month profit for the rest of your life, provided you maintain the place? How else can you build equity with someone else's money? How else can you make money while your sleeping? How else can you turn 15k into a 30-35k value in under 3 months? Even if I just sold the place right now for 30k quickly... I'd make a solid 15k profit for my 2.5 months of work. But I want to hold it for a long time and then sell it when I'm ready to get out of the rental business.

I think I was born to do this business. I mean I'm mechanically a genius (according to my military aptitude tests) and can fix about anything. I like working hard. I don't mind dealing with people. After this one is all done, I'm wishing I'd have been doing this a long time ago. I wanted to be a landlord when I was in my twenties but I never got around to it. At least I'm doing it now though.

What gets me is all the horror stories everyone tells you about. They don't mention the passive income, the positive cash flow, the toys they bought that someone else paid for, but they talk about how one bad tenant ruined this or that, didn't pay them, etc. I guess people only remember the horror stories and don't really focus on the benefits. I know I'll have some disasters to deal with at some point, but I don't care what it is, anything is better than worrying about money problems. Anyhow, so far so good. I'm going to open my new business next week. I know its going to do well, today I sold a web site so easily it wasn't even funny. People need stuff, you just have to provide it for them and do good work and you'll do great.

Rental Business Success!!

Well today a prospective tenant called and said tomorrow they will put down some money to hold the place until payday. Provided they pay on time and don't trash my place, I think I love the rental business. My sign hasn't even been up a week and I've had tons of calls and people stopping by to look at it. Pretty much everyone said the place is great.

The whole process has been rather enjoyable. I like fixing things up, and all the appreciation the neighbors have shown to see the house getting improved dramatically felt really good. And to think I've just made Beatrice a little bit better looking on just one block where there was a horrible eye sore, made me feel even better about it.

I'm anxious to buy my next one and I've already been looking. Its amazing how many good potential opportunities are out there. I think I'll stick to my plan and buy this duplex I've been wanting now for a year. I keep kicking myself about the past. At one time I had 3 million in credit, I could have bought 100 rentals with that kind of money and been cash flowing 25k a month or more THEN... and had them probably about all paid off by now and cash flowing more like 50k a month. I could have funded my game ideas with solid cash flow, and avoided bankruptcy and enjoyed a lot of years being rich by now.

Another time I had nearly 40k in the bank. The game industry was so harsh to me before that point that I hoarded every dime because I knew hardships always return. After about 10 months of no deals, no work, I pretty much burned up all that money and was broke. Had I bought 8 rentals at 5k down I could have basically had about 2k a month rolling in from that in positive cash flow. By now, I'd have had all that money back in the bank and hten some. Actually I'd have more rentals... but my point is I could have made a huge impact. Hind sight is always 20/20 though, and right now I'm focused on building my rental business and creating a new service business where I can make really good money to further build my rental business faster.

As much as I love games, I love making money and feeling successful MORE. I think I'm more of an entreprenuer than I am anything. I've always loved making money and making deals with people, and being in high demand. The game industry took all that from me and left me feeling pretty worthless for quite a few years. Now at nearly 42 years old I have no time to waste. I need a sure fire way to become rich and successful, and I think real estate and quality service are the sure fire path.

Rental Scam

Well I put my house on craigslist and someone emailed a few times, over the last few days, then today they said they would take it. They said they would send me the whole check from their companies moving expense check, and then I was to forward the balance onto an interior decorator. I went and took down the for rent sign and was all happy, called my brother to tell him how great of a client I got, and even thought maybe my girl friend could get the furniture business since she sells furniture, so I got her excited too.

Then I remember when I got started earlier this year about how scammers send you offers to loan you money and send you a bad check from London. They ask you to western union a processing fee and then their check takes weeks to clear... it bounces and then you are screwed. For some reason I remembered that and googled "rent check decorator scam" and got someone's blog with the EXACT same email I got, where bunches of people got ripped off.

So I'm very lucky I guess. I'd have never mailed crap until it cleared though, so I wouldn't have gotten screwed anyway, BUT I'd have lost a months rent or more waiting for all this crap to clear up. So tomorrow I'm putting the for rent sign back up and will continue looking for a good tenant. I've already got a few who said they would have the money for me by thursday so I'm glad that they didn't call or anything tonight, I'd have told them it was rented and screwed myself out of money.

Anyhow, phew. Thanks Rich dad, my mentor, and http://www.creonline.com/ that is where I learned about the loan scams months ago which made me think this deal could be a scam... and sure enough it was. If something seems too good to be true it probably is... always do diligence on people, and the internet is full of filthy worm eating scum.

Curb Appeal

Well here is a before and after shot. I'm really not quite done, I still want to paint the doors white and do some landscaping, paint the foundation, etc but some of that will have to wait until next year. Overall I'm very happy with how the place has turned out. The gable and siding really spruced the place up. The after pic was also taken with my cel phone, I'll take a proper "after" pic from my digital camera once I'm completely done with it, but this really shows what some TLC and hard work can do in just a few months.

It feels like home - again

Well I'm barely getting a few things moved in to my old new shop/office and it already feels like home again. As I mentioned in a previous post I've taken the plunge to take my business to the next level and I've rented out our old office building. I rented this place almost 20 years ago now and started a body shop there. Seeing how awesome the place was my brother moved the sign shop in as well. Eventually that led to 4D Rulers, an ISP and other businesses we had. In 2004 I went bankrupt and took a job fixing cars for about a year, where I contemplated deeply what went wrong.

I think a couple years ago my brother moved out, moving his sign company to another spot he felt would do better. Some matress company rented it and stored matresses there or something, but that fell through and I've watched it be empty now for quite some time. The downtown area is dying, that is probably why nobody has rented it. I don't mind though, it has always done really well for walk in service businesses that we had.

I actually lived there at one time. When I first started my shop things were tight so I moved in down there into some offices. I made it my home, it wasn't too bad. I fixed up the bathroom and made a shower in the basement, and it worked for a year or two. My cousin T-Ski even lived there with me. We'd go up on the roof drinking beer and make weird sounds and people on the ground couldn't ever figure out where they were coming from. Like friday the 13th sounds at night, chew chew chew ah ah ah... lol good times. I could tell stories all night long about that place, I've spent probably the majority of my adult life there.

Anyhow its good to be back. I miss the old bomb shelter. Its a brick shithouse and a half, 4 stories, a basement and a car elevator, and I guarantee you, the absolute coldest toilet in Nebraska. Someday when I'm rich I'm installing a bathroom on the main floor with heat, lol.

Real Estate - The home stretch

Well my rental is just about rentable. In just a few days its went from a lot of loose ends and feeling like "when will it ever be done" to wow, maybe tomorrow the for rent sign can go up. The inside I've got all clean and shampooed the carpets. If you ever have a tough stain just dump some mr clean w/feebreeze on it and watch it fuck off. I mean I used a professional shampoo green machine on the carpets but there were these crazy rusty colored stains that just wouldn't go away. So that stuff took 'em out. I usually use this orange oxy stuff that rocks but I ran out, so I was impressed by the mr clean/febreeze stuff. It smells AWESOME too.

I've got two sides all sided, and today I built a trap door for the attic. Not sure where it was but a gaping hole to 1800's death attic is not cutting it. All I really have left inside is to clean the kitchen, hook up the furnace, finish sanding and paint one little spot on a wall, and get all my tools out of there and its done. I can finish the exterior after someone moves in or maybe even before that. I don't know though, the weather is CRAZY here. Yesterday I enriched my tan working outdoors wearing a tank top and shorts, right now its 43 degrees. How can it go from 75 to 43 in 24 hours? Nebraska sucks like that. Its supposed to be 80 by tuesday, I'll believe that when I see it, lol.

Art - 2D Painting in photoshop

A while back I mentioned how I learned about natural brushes 2 in photoshop. Here is a drawing I'm working on that pretty much exclusively uses those brushes. I am really enjoying how natural they work and my whole way of drawing has changed now. I've only got 2 hours or so in this, and it's pretty high res, around 3000 pixels or so, it would have taken me 3x as long to get this far with the old crappy brushes I used to use.

Anyhow, I love painting people in photoshop. I'm thinking of charging to do this in the near future after I get some nice ones done and printed off in my gallery at the office I have planned.

Back in Business!

Well I took a bold step. I'm really sick of the game industries ups and downs so I rented out the old 4D Rulers building again. I plan on running a walk in business there where we provide various services to generate some income. One year I make over 100 grand and the next I make nothing, so this will stabilize my income and allow me to continue my real estate plans.

I will fix computers, do logo design, print t shirts, caps, coffee mugs, magnetic business cards, build web sites, create graphics, and offer portrait paintings, etc. We'll keep looking for contract work in the game industry and make our own games, but this will at least give me a solid income I can count on for basic survival. My only worries are what will happen when I do land contract work, I don't want to be stuck fixing computers, lol. But maybe I can hire someone to help with that when the time comes.

I must say when I walked into my old office I felt some incredible empowering energy. I never wanted to leave that building. I first rented it almost 20 years ago and used it to start my first business, an auto body shop. I drew in my brothers and the family sign company, and we grew and grew over time, having 20 some people working there. So when 4D Rulers tanked hard in late 2003 I worked from home. Eventually my brother moved his sign company to another place and let it go completely. So I missed the old building. Its all brick and concrete, 4 stories high and a basement. Huge place. LOTS of memories there. So I felt a little like the old successful Joel when I walked in. I never had trouble making money there with traditional businesses. Its just the game industry that has been challenging for me. Any sort of walk in service business I've always been great at.

Anyhow, I'm a bit nervous increasing my monthly expenses when I have little income. I have some passive income but its not enough to pay the bills. But I feel like this is a sure thing and it could take months to find new contract work in this industry, maybe even years. You just don't know and you can never count on anything until the contracts are signed. So rather than take a job which I would be miserable at and not make enough money to survive on, I'm starting up a new/old business. I've done everything before so its easy, I own all the equipment so there are no startup costs. I got a great deal on the building.... so why am I nervous about it? I'm not really. I know it will work out.

I shouldn't post when I'm angry...

Well lifes been handing me a lot of lemons lately so last night I was pretty emotional and I think it all just built up so I unloaded my fury and frustration on my keyboard. I hope nobody was offended. I'm going to take things back up a few notches from here on and start practicing what I preach.

So my plan is to find an investor and make a casual game. I really think it will make at least 400% of the budget. Time to go talk to some people. I might just try and borrow it against my rental property, then I after I make millions I can write about how someone should have invested a measily 25-50k so they could make 50% of the return. But I understand people's fears. They don't know what I do, so I'm not scared at all about it.

The game industry sucks ass

I'm so sick of the game industry. Its gotten so competitive that its virtually impossible to make any money. You either have to have millions and millions to make a competitive game, or make casual games, even those take some money to make. You can't get a deal if you don't have a large team. You can't even get contract work now, unless you have a large team. You can't make a game without money. How the hell are you supposed to make a living in this industry? I'll be damned to hell if I'm going to invest one minute or my own money into some demo just so I can be told it's not good enough 10000 times before it gets signed. Its just SO frustrating. The only option is to be a slave and get a job. FUCK THAT. You know why? Because I'd have to move and never see my kids or family again. So because I actually care about people, I cannot do what I really love to do, or do it for a living that is.

That makes me question things a lot. What is better a struggling dad who's here, or a stacked dad who's there? Or maybe I'd be better off just getting the hell out of the game industry all together. I'm already on my way out, but I wanted it to be MY choice. Mainly I'm venting because I lost my contract work from NC Soft... and soon I'll be flat broke in a small city where 10 dollars an hour is the ceiling. You have to be your own boss to make anything in this area, but I'm wondering what to do. I know I'll eventually find contract work in the game industry... but I don't want it to be after I have to suck it down and get a job or start some new business. I guess I want life to be easier. I only need a couple years of decent pay and I'd have enough rentals that I wouldn't need to work any more. I could give everyone a finger if I CHOSE to.

I guess thats where I want to be in life. Being able to give everyone a finger and be making money while I sleep. Passive income is beautiful. I really miss having a team to make games though. This work from my basement stuff is crap. I don't know why I can't find a deal or why I can't get contract work. I'm damn good at what I do, but this industry is all about who's buddy you are. If you don't know anyone where you are applying you might as well not bother. Talent has nothing to do with anything, unless you are like uber talented. I'm talking leagues above everyone, then your portfolio might get you something. But generally speaking its all about who you know, so if you get anything useful from this, NETWORK YOUR ASS OFF! If you don't network and know a jillion people then you won't make it. I don't know enough people, period.

I don't mean to be negative. What a way to kick off my blog, right in the middle of "the shit has hit the fan" time, lol. I'm a funny joking person, but writing my anger helps me walk away from the PC a better person. The bad thing is anyone who reads this stuff will think I'm some jaded freakshow, lol. But seriously, I do feel better venting. This stuff is all straight from the heart. The sick thing is, a fat contract could roll in at any time and then I'm talking about how damn great life is.

I am getting better at handling the stress of no contracts and no income. I think if I didn't have this rental to work on I'd be going absolutely crazy though. At least I can go rock. I love working. I'm a work aholic. I love fixing things and feeling progress. That is why the game industry sucks ass, I am not progressing. I should be making millions by now and have 50 guys. Instead its just me. I got an email today saying "No man is an Island" and its funny how that is starting to make sense to me. I realize I need more people to help me make cool games. But people need money and getting money is not easy. Publishers want your game about done. Thats not easy to do. Screw working on games at nights and on weekends, I'm not in my twenties any more. I prefer a real life.

Things are getting better though. Sometimes you just have to keep on keeping on and have faith that it will all work out. Try harder. I'm done now. I'll go work on my portfolio some more, lol.

Art Gallery up!

Well the shock of getting laid off (along with 21 other NC Soft employees) has finally settled in. I'm looking for contract work and I've put up an art gallery showing off some of my latest work I did working on Dungeon Runners. To make me your art slave, email me: Joel@4drulers.com

Welcome to Joel Huenink.com!

I've got my own domain!
Well I'm a legitmate internet blogger now, lol! I was just blogging out of a closet space in my gaming web site, www.4drulers.com but I went ahead and registered my own domain name so I could feel special and be successful :)

Seriously I figured as cheap as it is, it puts me out there better and I guess it seems more official having my own domain.

I'm still working on my rental but today I took off due to labor day and I've been going non stop over there. I'm really enjoying the gable I built and deck improvements. I'm anxious to finish that and the whole front side with siding, and then its rentable IMO.

Holy Photoshop discovery!
I discovered some new tools in photoshop last night which revolutionized my painting skills instantly. They are some brushes called "natural brushes 2" which I think completely rock. In an hour, I was able to produce better results than from 3-4 hours of smudging and crap before. Now I can lay on the paint in a more natural way and build it up to exactly what I want on the first pass practically, versus the old way using the default brushes, which I now concur are horrible. I'll post some images down the road or make a gallery of my art. Its really nice to be able to see your own progress over time. I like painting in photoshop, it reminds me of when I did art as a kid for pure enjoyment, versus making game art feels more like a task any more. There is something about painting on a 2d image/canvas etc that feels artistic and you can express yourself better for some reason.