Save yourself the $399 and don’t buy the program.  What they don’t necessarily tell you in the infomercial is that there are ways to buy without spending your own money (a tricky use of semantics), but you will still need cash at closing.  And if that sounds good to you, I’ll tell you about the options.

But I’m a realist, and I like to give you practical choices.  So while I will let you in on the “secrets”, I will also tell you about programs you can take advantage of that actually offer zero down.

What the infomercials will sell you:

• “Subject To” – You buy houses “subject to” the existing financing.  So you leverage other people’s credit and take ownership of the property with the original terms of the note with the initial lender.
• Lease Option – In a nutshell the buyer rents the property for an extended period of time, and has an option to buy it for a specified amount.  The rent paid goes towards the down payment.
• Buy to Let – In this scenario the buyer is required to rent out the property and the future rental income is used as collateral.  The buyer needs to present a business plan as well as applications from potential tenants.
• Seller Refinance – The seller refinances the home and gets the cash from the proceeds, and the buyer gives the seller a promissory note for the balance of the equity.
• Government Loan Programs – This is the most viable option in my opinion, so I will discuss it in further detail.
• Borrow money from you family or friends for your down payment
• Borrow against your life insurance policy
• Use other property as collateral
• Home equity loan (if you have other property)
• Trade – The buyer trades the seller for something he needs in lieu of a down payment
• Investor – Again … it’s not your money that is being used as a down payment.

Some of these opportunities are more realistic than others.  And as I mentioned, several don’t require you to use YOUR money as a down payment, but still require cash to close.

I come from a family of martyrs, so I don’t like to owe anyone anything.  The thought of asking a family member or friend for money makes my skin crawl and sends me running towards the bar.  I would rather stand on my own two feet and get a loan myself.

I have worked in the real estate industry for nearly 8 years, and I have seen the market highs and lows.  I have seen amazing mortgage “deals” come and go.  The most reliable programs I have seen come from the US Government.  Shocking, I know!

There are two zero-down loan programs offered by the government – VA and USDA.  Both have low interest rates.  You can qualify for a VA Loan if you meet any of the following criteria:

• Veteran
• Active duty personnel
• National Guard / Reservist
• Surviving spouse

For those of us who have not served, there is another government-guaranteed, zero-down loan program that we may be eligible for and it is worth checking out – USDA Rural Housing Loans.  This program was created to improve the life in rural areas, by providing loans and grants for housing and community facilities.  The process is quite simple, and is broken down into a few steps.

1. Find out if you quality
2. Find out if the property qualifies
3. Purchase the home

Do I Qualify?

As with any government program, there are requirements for eligibility.  For USDA Rural Housing Loans, as with any loan, you must have good credit, the monthly housing costs can’t exceed 29% of your income, your income can’t exceed 115% of the median income for the area, and the property must be owner-occupied.

Know Your Score

Knowing your credit score is always important.  Better credit can get you lower interest rates, saving you money in the long run.

If you don’t know your credit score, check out CreditKarma.com.  It is a FREE online credit report, and it’s very easy to use (I promise they don’t pay me to say that).  CreditKarma also notifies you automatically if there has been a change in your score or someone has accessed your information.

For a USDA loan, the minimum required FICO score is 620.  You also must have an established credit history of at least 24 months.

Know the Ratios

You know your credit score – great!  There is another set of numbers you need to be familiar with as well, your debt-to-income ratio.  Standards for USDA loans are 29/41, which simply means that the housing costs (mortgage, insurance, and taxes) can’t exceed 29% of your monthly income, and your overall monthly debt costs can’t exceed 41% of your monthly income.

Higher ratios may be considered if you have good credit (660+), stable employment history, potential for increased earnings, and proven ability to save.  The 29/41 rule is smart to live by so you don’t get in over your head financially, but it can be stretched in special cases.

Know Your Debt

Now that you know what the requirements are for debt-to-income ratio, you need to know your debt load.  That is easy to determine, but can be hard to accept when it’s laid out in front of you.

Don’t be afraid of your debt.  Fear will hold you back from facing it head on and making progress to get rid of it.  I always say this – knowledge is power.  If you have debt, understand where it came from and how you can avoid taking it on in the future.

List out all of your monthly expenses.  I use an Excel spreadsheet so I have a visual reminder of everything I regularly spend money on.  This list may include car payments, student loans, utilities, groceries, credit card debt, etc.

Once you have your total monthly expenses, you will know how much you can spend on housing.  Make sure it doesn’t exceed 41% of your total monthly income.

Verify Your Income

Depending on your employment, verifying your income will have different requirements.  It can be as easy as submitting a written Verification of Income and a current paystub, or as involved as submitting two years of Federal Tax Returns.

You must report all of your income, which may include alimony, child support, disability, or social security benefits.  Also if you have a non-purchasing spouse, his/her income must be verified as well to make sure your income does not exceed the limits of the program.

There are applicable deductions to reach your adjusted income, which should be discussed and verified with your lender.  They include minor children, disable or handicapped dependents, full-time students, elderly dependents, medical expenses, and childcare expenses.

Once you reach your adjusted income, you need to confirm that it does not exceed 115% of the median household income for your area.  Again, this is something you need to review with your lender to make sure you are eligible.

Verify Owner-Occupancy

This is probably the easiest step in the eligibility process – establishing that you will be occupying the home.  To qualify for a USDA loan you can’t own another primary residence.

QUALIFIED!!!  Once you have proven that you are eligible for the program, you can start looking for properties.

Does the Property Qualify?

Since this loan program was introduced to increase livability in rural areas, you must find a home that fits the guidelines.  Rural areas include places with lower populations, and certain towns and cities.

Types of Properties

While they do require that the property is owner-occupied, there is flexibility as to what you can purchase.  The property can be a single-family home, condo, planned unit development, or manufactured home.

The rural housing program has recently been updated.  According to a Mortgage Officer from Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, there is no limit on lot size, but the land can’t account for over 30% of the value of the property unless it’s typical for the area.  Also, farm properties are not eligible – they don’t want buyers making money off of the land.

Verify the Location

There are also location guidelines, and are specific to your area.  If you are interested in purchasing a home through the rural housing program, ask your local lender for a map.  You can also verify eligibility online at http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov.

Thankfully in many cases, the definition of rural is loose.  As long as you don’t want to live downtown, your options might be far greater than you imagine.

Make the Deal

Once you and the property qualify for a USDA loan, all you have left to do is buy it!  USDA loans have lots of benefits to buyers as well as the community.

They require no down payment, and there are no prepayment penalties for rural housing loans.  They have low monthly mortgage insurance, and offer 30-year fixed interest rates.  Closing costs can even be financed into the loan if the appraised value is higher than the purchase price.

ZERO-DOWN REAL ESTATE IS A REALITY

Being the practical person that I am, I always want to give people honest, real-life advice and options.  Government-backed loans like USDA or VA are solid opportunities to purchase real estate with no money down.  When I say zero down, I mean zero down!

There are riskier choices available that don’t require you to spend your own money, but they do require a financial investment from someone upfront.  I don’t discount any of the alternatives – they work.  If they didn’t, no one would buy the programs you see on television in the middle of the night.

Next time you find yourself awake in the middle of the night cruising through the channels, skip the ones enticing you with promises of real estate riches.  You now have a solid information base to research the choices AND a healthy dose of reality!

And on that subject…

If you want to learn more (well, MUCH more!) about how to make a full time living in the real-estate market I suggest you get Joe Crump’s real estate investing course at realestatemoneymaker.com. Why? Simple…

First, Joe KNOWS his stuff like probably no other real-estate investor knows. From finding sellers who will sell you their home with zero down payment and no credit check, to maximizing your profit potential once you sell the property…and how to systematize your business so you can repeat this process every single day.

Second and most important…his course provides you with more “out of the box” strategies, systematical approaches, exploitable loopholes,  and experience based advice (that REALLY WORKS!) than most real-estate products priced 10 to 100 times more!

The first thing that people notice is a person’s face – is there skin glowing, is there jaw line chiseled or do they have a double chin, does their complexion glow or is it dull looking?

Many of us wish to get rid of wrinkles without paying big bucks for Botox. Did you know that a new Japanese research has proven the yoga exercises are effective for firming your face and neck muscles?

Yoga facial exercises will leave you with glowing skin, firmer and stronger facial muscles, and even reduces wrinkles and lines that nobody wants.  Of course, this does not happen overnight!

If you start yoga facial exercises today, you will see results in a matter of two weeks.  Two weeks!  Best of all yoga facial exercises do not cost a penny compared to expensive, painful Botox injections.

It is important that you do these facial exercises 2 to 3 times a day.  You do not have to be in your bathroom to perform the exercises; they can be done while you drive to work, while you watch TV, while you read a book, and even why you take a shower!

Exercise 1 – Tilt Your Head

Did you know that keeping your chin up will literally prevent your face from developing jowls?

For this exercise, you must tilt your head and neck all the way back, put your tongue on the roof of your mouth, and hold for 30 seconds.  Repeat 5 to 6 times.  Doing this will firm your jaw and neck line, which prevents sagging! 

Exercise 2 – Work Your Fingers

Many of us have worry lines that are well earned.  Now it is time to reduce their presence!

You will need to place your fingers on your forehead, directly above your eyebrows (as your fingers are on your forehead) close your eyes, and slowly move your fingers upward towards the top of your head.

Press firmly as you move your fingers. When your fingers reach your hairline, it is time to open your eyes wide and raise your eyebrows high. Then slowly move your fingers back down to your eyebrows.  This needs to be repeated 10 times.

This exercise works because exercising your facial fontails muscle is extremely important to reduce the appearance of those well earned worry lines! 

Exercise 3 – Lip Lines

Over time, every woman will come to a time in her life where the area above her upper lips will lose its elasticity, which leads to those tiny little lines well known as “smoker” lines.

This happens even if you have never smoked a cigarette in your life!  This exercise will prevent those lines from appearing and significantly asking for attention.

You need to tightly stretch your upper lip over your top teeth and smile, hold this position for 5 to 7 seconds, and then repeat.  This needs to be repeated it 3 to 6 times depending upon the severity of the “smoker” lines.

This may sound silly but it actually works because it elongates the muscles around the mouth that help you to compress your lips making them resistant to wrinkles.  Seriously, who likes wrinkles? 

Exercise 4 – Frown Lines

Everyone squints from time to time.  Did you know that squinting will pull the corrugated muscles that are between your brows together?  If a person squints often enough, eventually the corrugated muscles will stay that way!  The good news is you can smooth them out without a needle or Botox. You can reduce the appearance of frown lines naturally with the yoga facial exercises.

For this exercise, you need to furrow your eyebrows intensely far more than you typically would.  This makes your frown lines become deeper and firmer to the touch.

If you are unsure if you have done this correctly….

Simply rub your fingers over your lines, and make sure that you can feel them significantly.  Once you have done this correctly, you need to place your fingertips at the inner edge of each brow and then slowly pull your lines apart.

Hold this position for 5 seconds and then relax your face and repeat the entire exercise twice.  Annelise Hagen, the author of The Yoga Face states that if you do this exercise in front of a mirror that you can actually see your lines erasing!

According to Hagen, this exercise works because while we maximize the muscle contraction causing these lines we are actually stretching and strengthening the muscles which will lead to softer and less noticeable lines. 

Exercise 5 – Cheekbones

Even if your dream is to have prominent cheekbones, there is one thing to remember — you need to have a little fat on your cheeks!  Why? Because a little bit of fat on the cheeks instantly radiates youth!

Over time, it is common for most of the fat that surrounds and cushions are cheekbones to disappear, which will lead to a thinner, bony looking appearance.  Not many people wish to look like a skeleton!

This facial yoga exercise is simple to perform, just like the rest!

You need to take a deep breath and hold all the air inside your mouth, puffing out your cheeks as if you were playing a trumpet.  The first few times you may want to do this in front of a mirror to ensure you have enough air in your cheeks.

Do not open your mouth, and switch the air from cheek to cheek, alternating between left and right until you run out of breath.  You will need to repeat this at least three times.

This exercise works because it stretches and tones three different muscles that surround our cheekbones, according to Hagen.

Have you noticed that people who play brass instruments commonly have fuller and youthful looking faces?

This is because they are constantly exercising their cheek muscles! Who knew that by holding your breath could lead to a youthful appearance?

There are other ways that you can have amazingly beautiful facial skin…

If you are like many Americans who drink coffee in the morning, and even throughout the day –you will have an abundant amount of coffee grounds.

Forget about purchasing expensive facial exfoliates and all over body scrubs, instead use a handful of your leftover coffee grounds to exfoliate your face and scrub your body.

Moist coffee grounds remove dead skin cells from our face, but not only that, they help tighten and firm our pores resulting in our skin to have an incredibly smooth appearance and feel.

If you have a dry skin, you may want to add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cold olive oil to your coffee grounds before applying to your skin.

This trick is simple, but easily forgotten.  Many women wear makeup on a daily basis but never wash their makeup brushes and sponges.

Dirty makeup brushes and sponges are full of bacteria and grime.  Rubbing the brushes and sponges all of your face simply cannot do any good.  Wash all makeup brushes, sponges and tools once a week with a small dash of shampoo and warm water.

After you have preformed the yoga facial exercises, exfoliate your skin with the coffee grounds, you may want to use other natural remedies to improve your facial skin.

Did you know that the inside of a banana peel can be used as a facial moisturizer?  Simply scrape off the innards of your banana peel, apply it to your face, and allow it to sit on your face for approximately 15 min. and then rinse.

Do not stop there!  Bananas are not the only fruit that naturally provides benefits for facial skin.

Potatoes help reduce puffiness while citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons and grapefruit’s provide powerful astringent properties, avocados plump up your complexion, and pineapples will instantly brighten your skin.

Remember to always use the inner, fleshy part of the fruit or vegetable!

Yoga facial exercises, coffee, fruit and vegetable moisturizers all aid in creating the perfect facial skin but let’s not forget about cleaning our pores, boosting our circulation, and flushing out toxins.  It is important to fight acne with a weekly steam facial!

You do not need a fancy steam machine or to schedule an appointment at a spa in order to properly have a facial steam.  You have all the equipment in your home!

The only thing you need for a weekly facial steam is a pot of water, a stovetop, and a towel.  If you will love aromas and fresh herbs, feel free to put a handful of lavender, vanilla, chamomile, or any other herb of your choice in the water.

Simply bring the water to boil.  Reduce the heat and let it simmer for approximately 5 to 10 min. then place the pot of hot water on your kitchen table or countertop, and gently drape a towel over the back of your head, carefully lean your face over the steaming pot of water.

Be careful not to place your face too close which could cause you to burn yourself!  Stay in this position for roughly 5 min. and then finish your facial steam by rinsing your face with cool water, which closes pores.

Now, last and most important…

DON’T JUST READ…go and implement what you just learned today because it works!!!

Recommendations 

I am always asked what product I like when it comes to skin rejuvenation. Tough! With so many products out there and so much B.S, it’s the exception rather than the rule that works. Yes, few products actually do as promised. And you know what, in my opinion it’s not even about the money…for me it’s about the time I waste on something that’s not working as it should. The frustration of hope without results.

Anyway, no matter what product you use always know one thing – don’t expect miracles! If you understand that and want to try a real product that will yield realistic results then I recommend you give Kollagen Intensiv™  (kollagenintensiv.com) a try. No need to expand on the product here, go to their website and you can read plenty about it (especially regarding its performance in clinical trials).

You’ve thought about the tough guy approach (even if you are the farthest thing from a tough guy!), and you’ve thought about the friend approach — and now you’re left scratching your head wondering what you can do to be attractive by making a girl laugh.

How in the world will you get the girl of your dreams to find you attractive?! Don’t worry; there is a tried-and-true method which some guys use, and others need to use.

We’ve all heard it; numerous studies have proven it… tickle her funny bone! No, I don’t mean to literally tickle her (although you can try if you wish); I’m talking about making her laugh!

Just about every girl loves a funny guy! And, those that don’t are probably lacking the humor gene, just saying!

Think about it, how many of your buddies have ended up dating a girl because he made her laugh? Now it’s your turn! It’s time to move past the dreaded friend zone into the dating zone! 

The Basics

It’s important to remember that before you even attempt to date a girl by making her laugh, you need to learn how to use humor and wit that will not repulse her! Learning how to be funny takes time and practice. Yes, practice!

Don’t EVER use pick up lines that can have her running for the door before you even get to introduce yourself! For example, never, ever say something like “Is your dad a baker? No, why? Because, you have nice buns!”

A line like this is NOT funny, and will NOT make you attractive! Ok, so you may snicker about it with pals, but it won’t land you a date! (By the way, there is always a flip side to things…Martin Merril from makewomenlaugh.com says that one of the neatest most effective way to get a girl to laugh is using lame jokes and spinning them around correctly…yes, it’s more art than science and you got to learn how to do it but WELL worth it).

Being funny is hard work, and even harder to master! But, the good news is, once you have mastered this skill, you will find your attractive meter has increased dramatically!

Learning how to make a girl laugh not only increases your chances that you will be spending EVERY weekend (heck, maybe even week nights) on a date, but it also makes you the popular guy that everyone loves to love. Think Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler and Hugh Grant.

What do all these men have in common? They are all extremelytalented men with their own sense of humor.

Let’s face it,none of the men mentioned have ever had a hard time dating a girl!

Always Look at the Bright Side!

The first step is to look at EVERYTHING from the bright side. Everything in life can be funny, even those things that don’t seem so funny can be twisted into a humorous conversation.

Think about how comedians make their living.

Perhaps you were walking to work today, and spilled hot coffee all over your shirt. Is this funny when it happens? No! But, you can use this situation, and make it funny!

“Wow, you wouldn’t believe what happened to me! I was walking to work, not paying attention, and before I knew it, I had hot coffee all over my shirt! There was no time to change my shirt, so I had to work all day like that! Oh the looks I received from my co-workers!”

A line similar to this breaks the ice, and gets the girl laughing!

Try to make everything funny in one way or another! Practice this step, but while you do, remember it’s not just about how you say it, but how behave while you are saying it.

If you are having a hard time with this, rent a few DVD’s, and watch standup comedians. Learning from the pro’s can never hurt. Pay attention to their body language when they tell the audience a joke. Take notes if you need too!

It Works!

You may be wondering — how does being funny make girls want to date me or better yet, make me become attractive to girls. Think about it for a minute.

When you approach a girl (especially one you want to ask out on a date) the tension starts to build.

Most of the time, girls are on guard when a guy approaches them — wondering what pick up line you are going to use on her that she hasn’t already heard. Don’t be this guy!

Instead, you should immediately reveal your funny side. Why? Because revealing your funny side instantlyeases the tension, and makes a girl laugh, working in your favor. How?

As soon as you make a girl laugh, she immediately warms up to you, and loses all preconceived thoughts. You have become someone she enjoys talking to without holding back.

Congratulations, you just made yourself human to her! 

Say Goodbye to Bad Boy Charm!

As soon as you break the ice and start the introductions, lose the bad boy charm! There is no need to try to be a show off – in fact; you may risk losing everything you worked so hard to get. Instead, this is the point where you need to be the nice, funny guy.

Start the conversation about something you have in common – the party you are at, the restaurant, etc., then move on to a funny incident that involves yourself looking like a fool.

“Wow, there are a lot of people here tonight. Do you know all these people? Hey, did I tell you about the time I spilled coffee on my shirt, and worked like that ALL day long?”

Studies have shown that girls enjoylistening to a guy who admits he made a stupid mistake. Be the funny guy!

Girls assume that guys want to dominate, and instantly put up barriers, walls, brick, you name it. Avoid this by allowing her to feel as if she dominates the conversation when you share your funny incident.

Perhaps, start your conversion with something like…”Every time I try to talk to a girl, I find that I get tongue-tied. I never know what to say, and then I end up looking like a fool. Hey, wait a minute… I am doing it again, aren’t I?

Never Make Yourself Look Completely Foolish!

While it’s ok to make yourself look like fool from time to time, it’s not ok to rely on it. Relying on it gives her a chance to walk all over you. Don’t ever allow anyone that opportunity, not even the girl you want to date!

It’s important to make fun of ONLY your good side, never your bad side. Making fun of your bad side (and revealing something that you truly lack) only makes you look like you have no ego or self respect. It’s important to let her know you care about yourself.

After all, we have all heard the saying “if a person can’t love himself, then how can he love others.” Girls remember this!

Avoid the Friend Zone!

As you two start talking, the girl may either think of you as her new guy-friend, or things could start heating up and you could be heading towards the dating zone!

Never, ever let the conversation enter the friend zone! Doing this only works against EVERYTHING you are working towards –being attractive to girls, not becoming best friends stuck in the friend zone with no chance of ever entering the dating zone!

While you two are speaking, make it obvious and clear that you are attracted to her, and would like to get to know her better.

Be a Man!

Now that you have made yourself appear to be a funny, charming man; it’s time to turn on the charm a little bit, and be a man that makes her feel protected when you are around.

Remember that you need to make her feel cared for, and gently reminded that you are the man who can, and will make her feel safe.

There is no need to be cocky, or to start a fight with another man; instead, concentrate on treating her like a lady, and being a complete gentleman when she is around.

If you want to be attractive by making girls laugh, you need to use humor, warm up to them and let them know you are interested in being more than friends.

Always remember to avoid the dreaded friend zone!

 You need to be the man she feels protected and safe around!

Girls love a man who is charming and funny. But, more than that; if you havefollowed the steps in this article, you have already shown her that you have a lot of charm and humor in you and that you can protect her and keep her safe. Touchdown!

There are a Few Key Points to Remember

• Avoid the friend zone.
• Learning to be funny takes time and practice.
• Find everyday life humorous.
• Watch stand up comedians.
• Goodbye bad boy!
• NEVER make fun of your bad points!
• Girls want to feel protected and safe.
• Tell her your intentions.

The next time you see a girl you want to ask out on a date, remember that girls love guys who can make them laugh, are clever, witty and charming, all while being chivalrous and protective.

If you can master these skills, there is little a girl can do to prevent herself from falling head over heels in love with you, and bragging about the amazing new guy in her life!

And by the way, don’t forget to grab a copy of Martin’s strategy packed (and VERY fun to read!) eBook at makewomenlaugh.com.

The need for mobility has and always will, involve the buying and selling of ‘modes’!

Have you ever contemplated how many cars there are on the roads?

A “Mega-gaggle!”  (That’s a WHOLE bunch!)

And at some point, each and every last one of them has been bought and sold! 

So, just who is selling all these cars that seem to always be in our way?

EVERYBODY… sooner or later!

There are car sales people who make a living at it (and some who don’t!);

There are car restorers who either do it for a living or as a sideline;

And of course, my ol’ friend, John Q. Public!  (That’s us!)

In a car deal, no different than any other deal, there are two sides to the negotiation; a buyer and a seller.

This article is tailored for the seller.  The buyer, for the purposes of this conversation, is the opposition!

All of the information contained in this article is from interviews with people who are actually in the business of selling cars…

…managers and successful, well seasoned car salesmen!

There’s a little bit of my personal experience and insight, also.

“A B C…it’s easy as 1 2 3!”

Everybody sing along! 

When getting rid of a car, if you just want to get rid of it, give it away!

Done deal!

If putting a few bucks in your pocket in the process sounds appealing, read on!

First Verse:

A – As appropriate as ‘ADVERTISE’ would be for step ‘A’…it isn’t.

We could say it was ‘APPEARANCE’, but that would only be a part of it.

It is PREPARATION.  Or, getting the car ready to sell!

Put yourself in the shoes of the buyer for a moment.  Would you be excited about paying top dollar for a car that was in less than top condition?

Of course not!

The first logical step then would be to make the car just as close to like new as possible.  (The key concept here is ‘as possible’.)

The quality of the silk purse is directly proportionate to the quality of the sow’s ear from which it was made!

…hence, as close as possible!

1. All of those little idiosyncrasies and mechanical quirks that you have learned to live with must now be considered and dealt with.

But it’s normal for a car this age to have some quirks, right?

Absolutely!

And a normal car brings a normal price…or less!

(You might wanna recheck the title of this article!)

Once you (and likely a mechanic and perhaps even a paint & body shop) have completely ironed out the wrinkles, the visible ones and the ones under the hood;

Start a tally sheet and write down exactly what you spent for the repairs.

(Keep the tally sheet handy through-out the process, we’ll add to it!)

2. POP-QUIZ:  If you want to buy, let’s say, a used refrigerator…Just a spare to keep in the garage…nothing fancy.

John up the street has one he’ll let go for cheap.  It’s only a couple years old and   it seems to work just fine!

Never mind the grime around the handle, the ‘beer plaster’ in the bottom, the dent in the door from when Mary threw an iron frying pan at him (and missed) and its missing a shelf!

Across town, you’ve spotted one that is 9 years old and dang if it isn’t the same model as John’s!

But, it’s in as perfect condition as can reasonably be expected…and it’s three times the price of John’s ‘El Cheapo’!

Which will you choose?

You like John’s for the money?

“Then as bad and nasty as that one is, it’s probably perfect for you!”

NEXT!

(A car salesman shared that as his sarcastic comeback to someone wouldn’t hook up on his much nicer model!)

Car dealers go to great lengths to make automobiles look like new!

Well, actually  the dealers have a detailer create the silk purse for them!

They want to present each vehicle as something a prospect would want to own! Inside and out!

Be it a clunker or a show piece, before it hits the lot, it has been ‘renewed’ to its maximum, reasonable potential! Mechanically and appearance-wise!

3. If you prefer to detail it yourself, go for it!  If you don’t own a pressure washer; I highly recommend you invest 50’ish bucks and rent one for the day.

Using a pressure washer is kind of like eating a potato chip… 

“Betcha can’t eat just one!”

Once you fire up a pressure washer, you’ll become a pressure washing ANIMAL!

The under- carriage, the wheels and wheel wells, under the hood, the driveway, the eves of the house…

Run Fido…RUN!

After you’ve done all you can to make the car as pristine as possible, take it to a detailer;

…if for no other reason than to have him envy your work!

If you’re willing to let someone else have all the fun, drop the car off at a professional detailer for a day and plan on spending $50 to $75’ish.

Relax, Fido.

And by the way, for this step, jot down $250 on the tally sheet!

Here’s a neat little trick I picked up from a used car salesman; while you’re out & about, pick up the cheapest vinyl garden hose you can find…

Cut a couple of eight foot sections to coil up and put under each front seat for that‘new car smell!’

That’s worth at least $50 on the tally sheet!

Before pricing the vehicle (which we’ll get to) it needs to look its absolute best!

Did I mention…

A normal car brings a normal price…or less!  ??

Well, guess what…

Your car is no longer normal!

Second Verse: 

‘B’ – Be generous to yourself!

If you still want to sell it…(she’s looking pretty good about now, huh?)

1. Let’s price ‘er out, while at the same time, keeping it reasonably real!

Despite seeming ‘new-like’ she is a year or few old!

First, go to Kelly Blue Book (www.kbb.com) and find the blue book value of your specific car.

The chances are astronomical that an informed buyer will check!

2. Remember the tally sheet?  It’s time to add it all up!

Now DOUBLE it …every dime …and tack it onto the bluebook!

“IS THIS GUY CRAZY?”

Perhaps, but that’s beside the point!  We’re selling a car here!

Crazy is good!  I hear some of the old horse traders were certifiable!

3. Should you expect to get every penny of your price at the time of sale?

Absolutely!  You are FEARLESS!

Will you get every cent?  Probably not, but you have to start somewhere, right?

Here’s a quick, and true story that may ease your mind:

I remember an encounter at a dealership as a kid.  I was with my dad while he was shopping for a new pick-up truck.

As a salesman approached with a smile and an extended hand, Dad, a very matter-of-fact fellow, asked,

“How much?”

The salesman offered some completely outrageous figure and Dad asked gruffly,

“Do I look stupid?”

The salesman was cucumber cool when he laughed and replied,

“No sir, absolutely not…but in case you were, I didn’t wanna miss you!”

Three hours later, we had a new truck!

The salesman had cleverly established a starting point with gracious headroom!

Bump that price! You just might meet a dummy…or at least, you’ve left yourself some wiggle room!

Third Verse:

‘C’ – Cash in!

Everything to this point has all been prerequisite.

It is brass tacks (or brass something!) time now!

1. Advertise! Finally!

Are you sure you still want to let it go?  Okay, if you’re sure…it’s game on!

Post an ad in whatever medium you choose…or several!

Craigslist, Auto Trader, what have you.

———————————————

REGRETFULLY FOR SALE!  

2004, Yada Yada. 

Impeccably maintained!  (It now looks the part…right?)

Average miles!  (up to 15,000 a year is reasonable) 

(List features and accessories)

I MUST SELL and YOU MUST SEE!  (It’s good if they think you’re desperate to sell!) 

BEST OFFER! 

Available at 1234 My Street,  

Hindenburg, My State 

(123) 456-7899

———————————————

The purpose of your add is to do one thing and one thing only! To get a potential buyer on site to look at your car!

You will not sell it over the phone! 

2. Handling the phone ‘inquisitions’…How do pros do it at a dealership?

Give as little info as possible on the phone and set the appointment!

“You’ve GOT to come see this one!” 

“It may well be exactly what you’re looking for!”

“Need directions?”

“Well how much IS the darn thing?”

(If they don’t ask, (yeah right!)…don’t offer!)

“I’m looking for the best offer I can get!  I’ll tell you this much, I’ve turned down (quote barebones bluebook price)”

“Are you looking for an awesome car or a cheap car?

…because this car is IMMACULATE!” 

(And by now, it dang well better be! Though all’s fair in love, war and horse trading…NEVER misrepresent!)

“Would 6 pm or 7 be better for you to come check it out?”

“Um, hem, haw, uh…I was looking to be in a lower price range.”

“This one might change your mind if you saw it! Can you make it by around 6…or would 7 work better?”

“Naw, it’s out of my price range.”

“Well, I do understand. Thanks for the call and have a nice day.”

NEXT!

NOTE:  At a car dealership, mishandling a sales call can be grounds for reprimand!

3. Okay…here you are, finally face to face with, at least, a semi-serious tire kicker!

Don’t lose the deal over a few bucks, you have ample wiggle room! But don’t give the car away!  You worked too hard getting it ready!

“So, how much you gonna knock off for those parking lot dings on the door?”

“I took that into consideration when I priced the car and held back about $100 for that very reason!”

Point – Counter point!  This is horse trading, y’all! 

And you are FEARLESS, remember?

The prospect wants to work you down and you want to hold as firm to your price as you can!

If it comes to an undeniable stalemate, don’t be afraid to say,

“Thanks for coming by!”  We are in this for profit, right? 

NEXT!  

Let the person walk. There will be others!

Unless you’re working for a dealership!

“Where’s your customer?”

“Oh, he was just a tire kicker.”

“Well, how bout you go find that tire kicker and bring him back so I can talk to him? …and don’t come back without him!”

Those guys play hardball!

On ‘holding profit’:

An acquaintance/sales manager at a dealership told me;

“If a salesman brings a bare bones, give-away deal to my desk for approval, he had better duck because it’s coming right back at him…wadded up!” 

(Whew! Thank goodness for paper!  Back in the days of chariot sales, did they write deals on stone tablets?  Yikes!!)

Dealerships must make a profit!

Why shouldn’t you?

Holy Cow!  You finally found a real buyer and held a good profit!

CONGRATULATIONS! You’ve earned it!

Was it worth it? Sure it was!

VERY IMPORTANT!

Now that you’ve closed the deal, leave NO loose ends…

You’ve been paid, the buyer has the car, the paperwork is squared away…

You’re ready to pay off the loan (if applicable in your case),

And, he is entitled to the pink slip…

TIDY ALL THAT STUFF UP ASAP!

Done deal!

A B C … 1 2 3!

Nikki is single, she appears to be available and she is fine fine super fine! 

…As she so daintily sips her Daiquiri.

She and Ken accidently brushed shoulders earlier.

They both smiled and cordially apologized.

She even gently gave his arm a squeeze.

She pleasantly said with a cute giggle,

“Oh! … I’m sorry.  I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

He acknowledged in kind and they went their separate ways.

In a few minutes Ken saunters over with his best Clooney and asks her to dance…

…Only to be rejected!

Politely, mind you, but denied, none the less.

Two songs later, Nikki’s out on the dance floor with someone else! 

Now?  All of a sudden?  She fits the profile of any number of derogatory nick names?

I mean, Geez Ken, at least she could’ve told you she had a boyfriend! 

And look at that guy!  He’s not all that… 

And guess what, he’s not her boyfriend either! 

Not YET anyway! 

Every woman has the right to pick and choose who she wishes to be with… 

…All according to her personal tastes and preferences! 

So, why not Ken?

Why would she decline Ken’s offer, and then accept someone else’s?

Ken is taller and arguably more handsome, to include his physique!

Even his clothes say, “Sharp”! 

‘Mr. Else’…remember?  His first name is ‘Someone’… had also encountered her earlier!  And he too had recognized her fine qualities! 

The difference between Ken and Mr. Else was that Ken, who initially had a pretty good chance, began making suggestive gestures for his buddies when he thought she wasn’t watching! 

BUSTED and UNTRUSTED!  Leaving her, DISGUSTED!  

She actually was interested!  Ken got busted because she just happened to be checking out his butt as he started his ‘shenanigans’…doing his “I’ve GOT this” charades!

So, instead, she saw right through him AND she didn’t find the disrespect amusing! 

Ouch! 

Mr. Else, on the other hand, realized that she was somewhat refined and from all appearances,

A ‘Lady’ expecting to be treated as such!   

Later, if and, “When we get behind closed doors”, she may well be a tigress! 

But for now, by her poise and demeanor, she is a ‘Lady’!

During his brief encounter with her, Mr. Else smiled, then casually and respectfully complimented her necklace and went on his way.

Both men had ‘planted a seed’.

Ever heard,

“You reap what you sow?” 

All women are different…in ‘some’ ways.

Consider this:

Have you accidentally or otherwise overheard several women talking about some guy?

 “Oh!  And THEN you know what he did?” 

“No! Do tell!” 

“Right when I was just about to…you know…he had the audacity to; 

“Shhhhhh, they’re listening!” 

“<pssst pssst pssst>” 

 “No WAY!  You are kidding me!” 

The third woman ponders, “Hmmm, he did?…mmm.”… As she *very subtly repositions. 

(*Body language…learn to read it.  It can sneak right by you in the blink of an eye!) 

Woman #3?   She might even engage in a conversation about the size of cucumbers on the produce isle if you use the right approach and catch her in the right mood! 

“Trying to make the right impression on a woman with the wrong approach is like trying to start your car with your house key!” 

Though, women share some general similarities with regards to likes and dislikes, 

There are certain things that a woman looks for in a man that she uses to determine whether he is someone she is attracted to.

To some, it may go no further than his physical characteristics.

No man is all things to every woman.

A cold hard factor that also comes into play is a phenomenon called natural selection.

Aside from being similar in concept to the familiar term “survival of the fittest”, natural selection, as it pertains to this topic, strongly influences the instincts of desire.

While outward appearances are certainly involved in deciding who we find physically attractive, beauty and handsomeness are not the only factors.

“Beauty is only skin deep”?  Sure…that cliché didn’t just appear out of nowhere!

As in the episode with Ken and Mr. Else, Mr. Else was obviously not a bad looking guy…he was acceptable to Nikki.

In fact, put Ken and Mr. Self on a stage in front of a panel of female judges and Ken would likely win hands down if it was a Mr. Buff Guy of the Week contest;

But when it comes to overall attractiveness…

…It’s less about the looks and more about the man!

Women like what they like!

But…do we take everything she says too literally?

“That girl loves chocolate!  She said so herself!”

Try taking her to Peterbrooke for dinner a few times a week!

Then see how long before, 

A) She no longer accepts your invitation to dinner!

or

B) She no longer fits in your Miata! 

With roles reversed, I experienced a similar situation!

“I hope you like my lasagna…I even used Portabella mushrooms!” 

“Oh!… I love it!  And Portabellas?…They’re my favorite!” 

“I know!  I’ve heard you mention that!” 

Within a month’s time, I would wake up in cold sweats from nightmares about being tied down while she shoved hands full of Portabella mushrooms in my mouth!

They are no longer my favorite! 

So what does she want?

According to Men’s Health Magazine;

The number one character trait that women find desirable and should be reflected in a man’s persona if he is to successfully meet and engage a woman, 

Is… CONFIDENCE. 

Confidence, includes self respect, self esteem and an overall feeling of comfort within one’s own skin. 

And it shows! 

Confidence is not to be confused with, arrogance and/or being overbearing! 

A confident man smiles easily, not like “Smiling Bob” from the male enhancement ads, but comfortably.

False Vibrato is not a trait of a truly confident man.

He laughs appropriately, is considerate and consistent …he never breaks stride…

To elaborate briefly on ‘consistent’;

Let’s don’t confuse consistent with predictable!

‘Consistently unpredictable’, however, can be an interesting trait…

IF it isn’t overplayed!  Think about it.

Finally, on ‘confidence’, ol’ rugged Jack Palance said it best in an Aqua Velva commercial;

He slapped the After Shave onto his leathery face, then, using just his disarming smile and merely three words, he said it all,

“Ain’t confidence sexy?”

There are other character traits women find appealing that tend to go hand in hand with confidence such as: 

• Sincerity
• Kindness
• Understanding (to include fairness)
• Strength
• Conviction
• Commitment
• Respectfulness
• And last but certainly not least, experience!  

He knows how and how not to treat a woman!

A confident man who conveys those traits through his persona and his actions…

…Is what many, if not most women consider a great catch! 

The overall characteristics which comprise such a fellow, are well described in a song by Trisha Yearwood titled,

“That’s what I like about you!” 

Check it out sometime!  It’s a rockin’ country song! 

She just wants a good and SEXY man!

As for a ‘sexy’ man?  A sexy man is a man who makes her feel sexy in what ever way works best for her! 

Jack Sparrow or Jason Bourne? 

Tommy Lee Jones or Harrison Ford? 

Sam Elliot or Mel Brookes? 

I’ve asked around!  The ‘rugged’ and the ‘handsome’ are neck & neck!

So, just looking for MS. RIGHT NOW?

…Or, Mrs. Right For Ever & Ever til….? 

I couldn’t take it any longer!

LORD I was crazed!

When this feelin’ came upon me like a Tidal Wave!

I started swearin’ to my God and on my mother’s grave,

I would love you til the end of time!

I swore, I would love you til the end of time!

So now I’m praying for the end of time!

To hurry up and arrive!

…etc. 

Careful what you wish for! 

If there are any ‘magic’ words that are sure-fired, stone cold guaranteed to make every woman who hears them succumb to a man’s every desire…

I’d like to know what they are!

Wouldn’t you?

The fact is…I don’t know if any such words even exist…in fact, I have serious doubts!

So instead, let’s take a step at time!

Our operative word here is… 

FINESSE!

In some settings, though still dependent upon the woman you spring this on;

…  “Hey Baby…guess what I’ve got in my pocket and you can have a bite!” 

…might actually get a rise out of an occasional woman…say…

 …“Woman #3” (from above)? 

On the other extreme, the “tingle” you might stimulate, could be that tingle in the,

Palm of her hand!  (But then again, if she’s a slapper, hey…who knows!) 

According to Dictionary.com… 

Finesse is described as “Extreme delicacy” and “Skill in handling sensitive situations”  

“Subtle action”, discriminating, tasteful, strategic, artful… 

Finesse is not a strong suit for the typical bull in a China Shop!

Tact applies, as well.

For our purposes, while finessing includes ‘going with her flow’, it equally, means creating a flow of your own which she will willingly, preferably gladly follow! 

Think about this:

Did you invite her into your realm, or did you invite yourself into hers? 

YES!

But then “who’s zoomin’ whom” here?”

Ever heard?…

“Either lead or follow or get out of the way!”

May I suggest lead…when possible?

As long as you lead confidently and with finesse, she will follow.

If she begins to fall behind, you’re leading her in the wrong direction!

Go back to where she was and hopefully figure out where you took a wrong turn.

…and Quickly! 

Hint:  ‘No’ doesn’t always mean no…the first time. 

Sometimes it just means; 

“Not Yet!” or “Not right now!” 

And at times, just a little gentle coaxing is all it takes to figure out it’s really NO! 

“Oh my GOD!  I’m not riding that ride!” 

Is she just ‘being a girl’ or does she mean…I AM NOT RIDING THAT! 

“Aw come on!” with a gentle tug in the direction of the ride entrance. 

“Nope, she ain’t ridin’ it…and that is final!”  

About those strategic ‘Magic’ words…

I approach this topic with extreme care not to suggest any under-handed gimmicks, but the truth is, in some cases, it seems we just can’t resist the temptation to;

“Test the waters!”

Okay, by now, she seems accepting, and the situation seems comfortable…

…She’s following, or at least allowing you to lead!

You make the call…do you drop a suggestive innuendo?

“Yeah!  Speaking of the hot summer weather, how’s your ‘temperature’ about now?” 

“Feelin’…HOT?” 

“Guh dunk, guh dunk, guh dunk…snort!” 

An ill-placed or poorly timed or tackily suggestive ‘innuendo’ can be an instant: 

 Deal Breaker! 

IF and only if, you feel the time and the climate seem appropriate,

There are tactfully subtle phrases that you can likely get away with which may or may or not trigger a response…

Just as an example…

As innocently as is humanly possible…no smirks, no highbrow…

…Absolutely NOTHING to indicate anything beyond face value…

“Whew, it is really ‘packed deep and tight’ up in here tonight!”

“Wanna get some fresh air?”

Body language!  Watch for it!

If there is even the slightest chance that she ‘got it’ she will let you know…silently.

At Asylum.com there is a much more in depth study of female body language entitled:

“A Guide to Reading Body Language”

The high points for this scenario include:

She may look away and blink to unsuccessfully hide her rolling eyes,

In which case…DROP IT!  And remember, you didn’t mean anything!

She’s reading you, too!  …And, she obviously misses nothing!

But that’s not necessarily a bad thing…she’s paying attention!

If she looks down and messes with her hair and maybe even exposes her neck that displays a coy vulnerability.  ‘Submissiveness’.

She thinks and maybe even hopes she knows what you meant!

But, she’s not really sure because you played it so well!

Nothing readable…yet?

What? You missed when she smiled seductively and nearly squirmed out of her chair?

Yeah, I missed that too!

If she agrees to go outside for a breath of air, you’re likely off the hook…safe! 

It is case by case!  

She may just come back with an equally provocative innuendo and; 

Blow your mind!

If she makes any friendly physical contact en route to the great outdoors, she shows signs of wanting to be in your space!

If she responds favorably to any contact you may subtly offer, that’s a great buying sign!

She’s okay with you in her space!

Yes sir!

But still, did she get it?  At this point…it doesn’t really matter!

Things seem to be moving forward nicely!   

A comedian from the 1940’s, Woody Woodberry, proposed a toast! 

“I finally met the perfect girl, no man could ask for more?”

“She’s deaf and dumb and over-sexed…and owns a liquor store!” 

CHEERS!  …and happy hunting!

P.S. It’s fun learning new ways to interact with woman and UNDERSTAND them (as much as possible at least!). As guys, most of the time we PRETEND we know what they want and how they think. W-R-O-N-G. But you know that already don’t you! I personally love hearing it all from them…letting THEM teach ME. And if you are with me on this (are you?) go and read a great eBook called “Guy Gets Girl” at guygetsgirl.com.

Gain a clear-cut advantage over everyone around you, from your co-workers to your sworn enemies, by mastering the fine art of covert persuasion. Unleash the power of mind control hypnosis and you will be delighted when people stumble over themselves, begging to please you. Grab the master keys of hypnosis and unlock the power of mind control hypnosis to ALWAYS get what you want!

The conscious mind is the gatekeeper to the unconscious…

Consciousness is the decision-maker that creates a “blanket statements” about the world around you. Your conscious mind decides whether the things you see and hear are large or small, good or bad, real or imagined. This blanket statement then drifts backwards into the subconscious, where the brain files the experience as a generally positive or negative memory. To hypnotize someone, you first need to get past the gatekeeper of the conscious mind so you control the person’s perception of the information you suggest.

Mentalists are master mind controllers because they understand one simple concept: reality is only real because our conscious minds tell us so. Your boss is your superior only because you both agree to the relationship; he has no natural superiority over you. Gold is valuable only to humans because we perceive it as having value – gold means nothing to your pet parakeet.

To harness the power of mind control hypnosis, you must learn the golden rule of hypnosis: the ABS formula.

The ABS formula stands for Absorb attention, Bypass critical factors and Stimulate with suggestion. The first thing you must do is grab the individual’s attention and keep them focused on that singular item. Next, bypass the person’s critical thinking skills – get them to relax and let their guard down. Lastly, suggest what you would like them to do. Every hypnosis technique is a variation on the ABS formula, each technique focused on a different aspect of ABS.

The Four Master Keys

Persuasion artists softly dominate others by turning the four master keys of hypnosis.

The first master key is to relax the gatekeeper of the brain, the conscious mind. Nightclub hypnotists do this by telling subjects that their eyes are growing heavy, a technique that will not work well as you call someone to action in the boardroom or the bedroom. Instead, use covert tactics such as “the insurance game” or “logical offsetting” to quickly vault past the resistance of the conscious mind.

The Insurance Game is a group of persuasion tactics systematically assembled to supply leverage against another person. Play the insurance game by consistently doing favors for someone so he will always feel obligated to do something in return. A master mind controller builds up insurance by performing multiple favors that consistently give him the upper hand in that relationship.

For example, start showing up for work five minutes before the boss every day and leave coffee and donuts on her desk. The daily treat serves as a physical reminder that you are more dedicated than your supervisor is because you consistently start work before she does. It does not really matter if you perform any work before your boss arrives, as long as you create the perception of dedication.

The second master key is imagination – invite the individual to imagine how good life would be if they did it your way. While imagination seems trivial or childish, psychologists agree that whenever the imagination and will conflict, imagination always wins. Imagination reshapes reality.

Anyone who has been on a diet can tell you about the cake that called to them all day, beckoning the dieter to imagine how pretty it looks sitting in the cake pan with all that delicious frosting, pretty sprinkles and sugary goodness. Imagination assures the conscious mind that one taste of frosting is innocent enough, and little bite would be morally acceptable, then three bites is okay, until finally the individual loses all willpower and wolfs down the entire cake. Imagination made the dieter ignore the realistic consequences of eating cake.

Invite your subject to imagine how good they will feel when they do as you suggest.

Master key number three: repetition. The human mind accepts a perception as being reality if they are exposed to the idea enough times. Psychologists think people accept concepts after hearing them 12 to 15 times. Repeat your suggestions in the exact same way or say them slightly differently each time, just keep repeating them. To say it one more time – repetition is master key number three.

The fourth master key is positivity. People naturally gravitate towards experiences that make them feel good; they also resist situations that seem confusing or difficult. Reduce resistance by framing your words and actions with a positive tone.

Learn how to say Yes even when you mean No. Instead of saying, “No, you cannot have a raise,” say instead, “Yes, I agree that you want more money and that the company cannot afford it right now.” Framing sentences in a positive manner makes you seem supportive – positivity changes the perception of reality.

The 10-Second Hypnosis

Traditional hypnosis invokes changes by making direct suggestions to the unconscious mind. Here are four steps you can use to hypnotize someone in ten seconds:

1. Tell them to close their eyes and go into a trance
2. Suggest that every time you do something, such as touch their shoulder, they should go deeper into the trance
3. Talk directly to the unconscious mind by first reassuring the person they can relax and then making simple, direct suggestions
4. End the session by telling the individual that they will awaken when you snap your fingers

Traditional hypnosis works because the unconscious has a hard time telling the difference between reality and imagination. The subconscious is simply not equipped to make the decision whether something is true or false – the job of critical thinking and decision-making is up to your conscious mind. Traditional hypnosis works well in nightclubs because the subjects are relaxed and willing to participate.

Face it – traditional hypnosis is a joke, nothing more than a parlor trick to make your subject cluck like a chicken.

You need something more powerful than traditional hypnosis to effect real change in your life. Traditional hypnosis is less effective on individuals with highly critical or analytical minds because their conscious minds resist and reject suggestive thoughts before they reach the subconscious. The people YOU need to influence are smarter than the average nightclub patron is. Furthermore, you would be a laughingstock if you told your boss to close his eyes and fall into a trance when trying to land a promotion.

You need to take mind control hypnosis to the next level if you are going to control the greatest minds in the United States today. If you think you are the only one to think of using the power of mind control to always get you want, you have another thing coming. The puny and out-dated hypnosis techniques your father taught you are not going to get you the pleasure and respect you require and deserve. You need something more sophisticated than the rinky-dink, hocus-pocus hypnosis tactics of yesteryear.

Two techniques are today’s benchmark of mind control hypnosis because they provide advanced results when trying to influence the behavior of a sophisticated person. These techniques are the Ericksonian Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming.

Ericksonian Hypnosis

Ericksonian Hypnosis uses stories and metaphors to reduce resistance of the conscious mind. There are two types of metaphors: Isomorphic metaphors and embedded commands.

Use an isomorphic metaphor to tell a story that offers up the moral you wish to deliver. The unconscious mind builds a one-to-one relationship with elements of the story and elements of the problem situation. You can use an isomorphic metaphor by telling a story about a worker just like you who made a boss almost exactly like him a millionaire. Allow your supervisor to make emotional connections to the characters in your story and suggest that he too could experience a happy ending.

Embedded commands weave indirect suggestions within an interesting story that engages and distracts the conscious mind, leaving the unconscious mind open to suggestion. In our example story, the fictional supervisor gave the dedicated worker a raise.

Neuro-linguistic Programming

Neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP, helps you train other people to think in a way that influences their behavior in a way that benefits you. NLP anchors are emotions sparked by environmental influences. An example of an NLP anchor is the song playing on the radio when you got your first kiss; you attach certain emotions to that song. When you hear the song decades later, you feel those same emotions. The song is an NLP anchor.

You can develop NLP anchors in others. Take notice when another person imagines a specific moment in his past, like when he graduated or had his first child. As he recollects the situation, he will feel just as proud as he did at that time.

You can make your subject feel good every time you remind him of this particular event. If talk about the birth of his child each time he bought dinner, he would soon associated those positive emotions with buying you a meal. Purchasing food for you becomes the new anchor for his feelings. Anchor positive emotions to improved behavior.

You are smart and worthwhile; others should crave your approval and eagerly cater to your every whim. Ditch the art deco hypnosis your father used on you when you were a child and use a grown-up system of mind control. Employ cutting-edge psychological techniques to optimize every advantage over your competitors. Use the most sophisticated powers of advanced mind control techniques so that you ALWAYS get what you want.

Last, make sure to grab a copy of Kevin Hogan’s “Covert Hypnosis” (coverthypnosis.net). Why? Simple…because it ROCKS! Kevin is a real master in teaching hypnosis secrets you won’t find anywhere else. His course is WELL WORTH the $47 he charges for it (it’s one of those cases of “you are crazy for pricing this so low”!). By the way, I specially loved the section about “how to use 20 of the most powerful hypnotic language patterns ever spoken“.

“Make four million dollars in five minutes, guaranteed!”

“I made seventeen thousand dollars while I slept last night by doing this one thing, and you can, too!” 

“Until last week, I was broke. I was being evicted, my children had no food, my dogs ran away, my bank closed my account because I hadn’t put any money in it for two and a half years, and I lost the last sixteen cents to my name in a manhole when I was crossing the street to get a shopping cart from Safeway for all of my belongings.”

“And then I found the most amazing website called this-is-a-scam.com! They taught me everything I had to know to make real money, and now I can teach you! Below is the copy of my first check that I received from this-is-a-scam.com.”

You’re going to teach me what you learned from this-is-a-scam.com? No, thanks, I think I’ll pass. If I don’t, I’ll will end up as broke as you were before you found this “most amazing” website; we both know that you want my one-time-only credit card number so that you can “get me started” and that once I give it to you, I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to get back all of the money you steal out of my account.

Don’t advertise this (no pun intended), but I have actually spent time checking out some of the places and things that will “make me rich” (I didn’t give any personal information out, though, I’m a little more internet-savvy than that) and guess what? I’m not rich. I’m not even close.

There are, however, ways to make money on the internet that are legitimate. You won’t get scammed and you won’t lose all of your money. However, there’s no magical website, you will have to work more than five minutes to earn the money that you make, and I’m thinking that seventeen thousand bucks during one night of sleep ain’t gonna happen. (Sorry.)

There are two things I could do right now. I could sit here and name jobs that you can get on the internet to make money (which you probably would like me to do), or I could concentrate on one “sure-fire” way to do it.

I’ll take option number two, Alex, for as much money as I can make. So let’s talk about something – one thing – that will make you money, guaranteed. No scams. This is not a get-rich-quick-scheme. This is a legitimate way to make some serious money. This legitimate way to make good money is called “flipping art”.

You may have seen articles and advertisements about “flipping houses” or “flipping domains”. The premise of investing in a hot commodity and then selling it to make a profit is known as “flipping.” When you buy art low and sell it high, you are “flipping art”.

You can take a painting that cost you ten bucks at a garage sale and turn around and sell it for a thousand bucks on eBay. You can take another painting you bought on eBay for a hundred bucks and flip it for five hundred bucks. Point being, the profit margins can be huge.

The great thing about this is that you don’t have to have an art degree to make money buying and selling it. A lot of people end up really getting into it and building a lucrative business and they didn’t know anything about art when they started.

You can’t expect to go out and make money in a world that you know nothing about, either. You’re going to have to do some research. Nothing too painful, I promise you. But there is a lot of work to do to make the kind of money you do when you flip a piece of art.

I am going to make a big qualification here: In this article, we are only going to be talking about paintings. If you want to really get into flipping art, later you may want to get into sculptures, ceramics, or something other form of art, but right now, we’re starting out easy.

Okay. When you need to learn about something, you usually read about it, right? This is no different.

Let me warn you: There are two words I am going to repeat (a lot): Google and online. In the “old days”, you used to always have to go to the library to research things. I am living proof that this is no longer true; I haven’t stepped in a library to research anything since 1970-something and there was an assignment in some class that I was in.

Most you need to know is online; it’s just an easy way to research without having to go somewhere. However, if you can or want to go to the library, that’s great, too, because then you can look firsthand at the pictures, etc.

You’re going to want to start familiarizing yourself with just a few things as you start to buy paintings. You’ll want to know about artists, styles, and different types of paintings. You’ll want to focus on American Art, and whatever people are currently buying. (Google it.)

Google anything that you want to know. General or specific. If you have a question, type the whole question into the google box. (By the way, if you prefer a different search engine, go for it. It’s just that Google works so well for me; that’s why I use it.)

A good way to see what people are buying is to buy some art catalogs (eBay sells them). Google it to find out where else you can get them. One thing: In the catalogs you will find what the final auction price was for the different items you’re interested in learning about. Make sure that the catalog you’re going to buy has that in it, because some of them don’t.

Get catalogs from main auction houses, like Christie’s or Sotheby’s (they are the two best in the world). Google some other auction houses and get catalogs from them, as well.,

This will be kind of cool (and you should get used to it): Go to art auctions that are mainly about American Art, and don’t forget the point of all of this is to find out what people are currently buying.

Next, try art museums. Under American Art, look for museums that may specialize in things like Western art or  Native American Art. You may not find a lot of contemporary art. On the off chance that you do, go to museums that specialize in them.

These are just a few places to learn; get creative or google to find more.

Where can I buy art (cheaply)? 

Now that you have an idea of what art to look for, here’s some places that you can go.

You’re going to need money; take cash. I’d take $300.00; it gives you enough money to buy what you may find; in addition, if you find something you like and the seller wants more than you have, you have enough to leave a deposit and go run to an ATM for the remaining balance.

Some sellers take debit and/or credit cards, but a lot of them don’t. The main thing is to have enough money to buy something you may want.

Also,it might be good to carry twenties (or some combination of small denominations). That way when you pull our your money, someone doesn’t see that you have hundred dollar bills and get the idea that that you can afford more than you want to spend. That’s just a theory; just do what’s comfortable for you.

Craigslist

I don’t know if you have ever dealt with Craigslist, but if you haven’t, it is a great place to find everything you need, and I mean everything.

When you go to Craigslist (just google it and put in the area you live in), on the front page, you will see a ton of things to buy, rent, sell, etc.  First, though, look at the left side. The second option down is all about how to not get scammed. It is very important that you know all about scams on Craigslist! Have a look at the personal safety section, as well. The whole point is to make money, not to get ripped off or hurt.

This tip is probably in there, but try and meet in a public place; since you don’t know these people, you probably don’t want them knowing where you live.

Don’t let any of this scare you! It’s just better to be safe than sorry.

Okay. Now go to the ‘For Sale’ section. If you need a job and a place to live and some activities in your community, great, you can go to those categories, too, but right now you are going to see if there is anybody selling art you might be interested in.

The thing about Craigslist is that you have to separate the men from the boys, so to speak. People honestly don’t know what they’re selling a lot of the time (they didn’t read this article!) and so you may be able to pick up some great deals.

You need to narrow it down (don’t look for art under electronics, you probably won’t find any), and there are three different categories that you can look under:

Art, Collectibles, and Arts and Crafts.

To narrow it down even further, you can type in things that relate to paintings:

Pastels, Watercolors, Oil, and Limited Edition Prints (or just Prints). Look up more if you want to. 

Estate Sales.

You will notice when you are browsing around that some of the art is listed in estate sales. This is one of the best (if not the best) places to go to find some art! An estate sale is usually held when someone passes away, and if there is an estate sale listed by a private party (the professional ones don’t haggle and probably know what they’re doing) and something interests you, go!

When you go to an estate sale, there are important things to know, like when you get there and if you need to be on a list to get to see things. Look these up beforehand so that you’re not surprised when you get there!

Go to EstateSales.net to find estate sales near you.

Garage sales.

Try garage sales, too. People have no idea what their stuff is worth, and that’s what you are looking for. You can find garage sales listed in the classifieds of your local paper, or on Craigslist. If you can, go to the better areas of town.

Go to GarageTracker.com or GarageSaleHunter.com to find some in your immediate area.

Flea Markets or Swap Meets.

Flea markets or swap meets are great places to look. The sellers will haggle, too; maybe not a lot, but they will haggle.

Go to FindAFleaMarket.com to see when there is going to be one in your area.

Antique stores. 

Here’s another one to try: Antique stores. Try and find the ones that are messy and not so rigid. Some owners will not haggle at all and only cater to the very wealthy. The messy antique stores have things in places that are hidden away, so don’t be shy about peeking under things, and don’t have any qualms about haggling!

To find them, google antique sales and your area, or try USAntiqueDealer.com.

Thrift stores.

You know a great place to go? Goodwill! My niece goes all the time and hits the jackpot once in awhile – and I mean a jackpot. Ask someone where you can find the art, and if you can’t find any, do what you do when you go to the shoe store and you can’t find your size: “Do you have any in the back?”

My niece only frequents the Goodwills that are located in (extremely?) wealthy neighborhoods. A lot of people don’t know what they are donating and you may end up getting an exceptionally valuable piece for next to nothing.

Any thrift store is good, really.

Ebay.

And of course, there’s always (and always will be) Ebay. Using everything you know, check out the art under Art, Antiques, and Collectibles. 

If you have never dealt with eBay, then go open and account and play around a little. A couple of things to know; If you should find a seller that deals with the artist that you want, or the type of American Art that you want, then put them under Favorite Sellers. When you have a search that hits everything just right, put it under Saved Searches.

Do those two things and it will save a lot of time because you can go back to the places you want to without having to go through the whole search all over again.

Not to be morbid, but try to look for artists that are – well – dead. (Sorry.) If you focus your searches on from like 1800 through 1970; that will help. The point is to look for art that has proven auction records (more on that in a minute).

Note: Make sure to get some bidding software (google it for a good, free type). That way you can “be at the auction” when you’re not; it’ll do all your bidding for you – right down to the last minute.

Always try to get an original (avoid reproductions) and even then, make sure that it is by doing your own research, starting with the information you get by the description.

With all of these places to look, you may not find anything on a day that you go. So go the next day! Just keep trying; you’ll get a good hit somewhere.

How you can see what it’s worth. 

You’re not an art appraiser. How can you tell if something is worth buying?

The cardinal rule: If it seems to good to be true, it is. Walk away from it.

Here are ways to authenticate a painting. Google each one for their particulars and how to go about establishing what you need to know about them.

Condition.

Provenance. (Where it’s from, etc.)

Rarity.

Signatures: Go to ArtValue.com and look up the artist. If the artist has at least five auctions to his name, that’s good. You don’t want an artist who has never sold a painting.

Next, go to the website of one of the auction houses that I mentioned and, using their zoom tool, zoom in on the signature and make sure that it is close to the original signature. There can be some variation, but not much. Any real doubts, pass.

If there is no signature on the front, check the back. Sometimes there will be a painting with both. No signature anywhere? Pass.

Size matters.

Anything taller than 60 inches is too big. I remember going to a gallery opening and finding a painting I have never wanted so much in my life. It was gorgeous: Modern, contemporary, and perfect for my living room. It was also seven feet tall. Enough said.

What sells well.

Certain subjects sell better than others:

Good looking people.

Native American art.

Western art.

Light and airy paintings: Meadows, sunny paintings, pastels, flowers, etc. No dark paintings.

Miscellaneous stuff.

There are so many things that go into the value of a painting:

Can it be restored? How old is it? What’s its style? Who exactly is your artist? Did he study under someone famous? Is the signature authentic? Research every possible thing you can before you go looking.

You need to know art terms; this is a very important part of your research. There are many references that you will want to know; googling and reading will tell you what you need to know.

When you can, try and talk to gallery owners, auctioneers, etc. about anything regarding to art. A lot of people are only too happy to “tutor” you in some very important ways that you may not think of.

Where should I sell my art?

Finally! The final step that makes the research and work you’ve done worth it.

There are many places that you can sell your art.

Auction houses.

This should be your number one place to sell. I mentioned Christie’s and Sotheby’s; there is also Bonham and Butterfields, which is famous for American Art. You can google auction houses and find others.

See if you can sell your piece by consignment. This means that you list your piece with them, and if they sell it, they take a portion of the sale price. See if you can lower what they want for their portion. Some of them will.

Sometimes an auction house will not want your piece. (How rude.) If that happens, ask them if they know of someone else that would be interested.

If they want your piece, you are on your way to the flip! They will need to photograph and catalog it; send the piece one to two months ahead of the auction. They will provide you with a consignment contract; google that to see what one looks like.

You can put a reserve on your piece. What that means is that it cannot be sold under the price you want to get for it. Factor in your time, what it cost, the house percentage, and all of your expenses.

It’s a good idea to put a reserve on your painting; that way, at least you’ll break even. After all of your hard work, you don’t want to (say this softly) lose money.

Make sure that you check with the auction house on all of the particulars, such as insurance, when they pay, etc.

Dealers.

Look up dealers that specialize in American Art. Go meet them; get to know them. You want to look like an expert, so don’t call one that doesn’t even sell it. Another thing to research: Where are the dealers in my area that would like my piece?

Be careful of scam dealers. If they ask you weird questions or if your gut just says no, then heed its warning.

Try not to give a price. Ask them to make you an offer first. If you say that you want two thousand for a piece, you won’t get it. If you have to give a price, start high. You can always negotiate down to the price you wanted in the beginning. As I always say, “I may be high, you may be low, so somewhere in the middle we have a deal.”

Craigslist.

A great place to sell, as well as buy. In fact, I think it’s better to sell. (That’s only my humble opinion.) Just remember all of the warnings about scams, etc., especially when collecting the money. Top two: No Western Union and don’t ship anything anywhere.

Ebay.

Of course I had to put in Ebay! Obviously, it’s a proven place to sell. Make sure you put all information into the listing – all of it. Add tons of pictures and make sure your terms of sale are clear. Most seller take Paypal, but if you want to take debit or credit cards, that’s okay, too, just make sure that you lay it out.

In addition, figure out how you are going to charge shipping and make sure you are clear about that, as well.

List an explicit return policy.

Always get insurance!

You should probably have a reserve price; as I said, this is so that you don’t undersell. Cover your expenses.

By the way, if you want to sell something for a lot of money (say $25,000.00), Ebay may not be the best place to do it. Check and see how much the average painting sells for and if anyone ever gets anywhere near the price that you want for the piece.

Flipping art. Your mind is probably mush by now, because yes, I have given you a lot to think about. But think about this:

The more research you do, the more knowledgeable you become. The more knowledgeable you are on the whole process of flipping art, the more you’ll make. You have the potential to make chunks of money that will let you do a lot of things that you never could before.

Finally – again – this process really works.  So go flip some art!

P.S. I read a great eBook by Alexander Murrow about art flipping that I really think you should get if you want to make some serious cash in this industry.  Alexander has been a fine art dealer based out of Southern California with extensive experience in art flipping. He has flipped hundreds of paintings, sculptures, prints, and more. His primary interest is California Impressionism and Western art. By the way, a free chapter of his eBook is available on his website makemoneyflippingart.com.

I don’t know how many times I have been driving somewhere and saw a sign on a check-cashing place that says, “Sell your gold for cash!” or heard, “We buy gold!” on the radio. Jump on your computer and google, “sell your gold” and you’ll get ‘About 115,000,000 results (.20 seconds).

Actually, it’s not just gold, it’s all jewelry.

The economy is such that people are looking into selling anything that’s worth anything, just to make a little extra money. You may be reading this because you have a piece of jewelry sitting in your jewelry box that you haven’t worn since 1968 and figure that if you haven’t worn it by now, you might as well sell it, yada yada yada.

Before we start testing to see how much your jewelry is worth, I want you to go to your jewelry box (or wherever your piece of jewelry is), and pick up the piece that you are thinking of selling. When you look at it, do tears spring to your eyes because you remember when you wore it to the prom with your first love of your life?

Do you feel bereft at the idea of it just not being “with you” anymore?

Do you know for a fact that if you sold it, some relative is going to come screaming out of the woodwork when someone dies because they know it was handed down to them, and where is it?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to think about whether or not you really want to sell it. Is whatever cash you can get a good replacement for the memories of your magical night of the prom?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, I would forget it and go sell something else. But that’s just me.

If you’re okay with everything, then do it! You don’t even have to go to an appraiser to find out how much you can get out of it (without getting ripped off). You can just do it at home.

How much it’s worth.

Do you know how much jewelry is marked up in a retail store? Put it this way: I know why I got a copper wedding ring. (This time I am not kidding. I wish I was.)

Jewelers thrive on the fact that you have to read an article to be educated about your jewelry’s worth, thus they mark their jewelry up 100 to 1000 percent. (No, that is not a misprint.)They rub their hands together with glee, an evil smirk planted on their faces, as soon as they see a man (any age) walk in and go straight to the engagement rings.

Because what says love more than a big, beautiful, hugely marked-up engagement ring?

A jeweler may pay $500.00 for a diamond, and put a price tag on it of $5,000.00 or more. (I am quitting my job today, I am so in the wrong business.) Case in point: Don’t go to a dealer to find out how much your jewelry is worth. Ever.

Gold, silver, and platinum.

There are tests for each metal that are complicated and should only be done by a professional. However, there  are three tests that you can do at home that will tell you whether or not you have a real piece of gold, silver, or platinum on your hands, and that’s all you need.

Note: It is a good idea to do all three tests, if possible. You want as much proof as you can of whether or not your gem is real.

Test #1: Magnet to metal.

The easiest test to see if any precious metal is real is this:

Get a neodymium magnet (it’s the very strongest magnet you can get which is necessary for testing metals) and hold it next to the piece. If the magnet pulls the metal immediately, then it is not real. If it has a light pull, it could be plated or impure. Don’t forget that the settings in a ring or a clasp on a necklace will respond to a magnet; make sure it’s just the metal that you are testing.

(Note: I personally don’t have a neodymium (or rare earth) magnet just hanging around my house. If you don’t either, then just jump online and shop them. You can purchase one for under ten dollars.)

Test #2: The acid test.

The traditional way of testing these metals is by using an acid tester; any reputable jeweler uses this method. However, you don’t have to go to a jeweler to have this done; you can do it yourself.

You can purchase testing kits online; shop around for the one that best fits your needs, and check the reviews for how well the particular kit works. The testing kits vary because it depends on what and how much a person wants to test. Look for testing kits that will test 10k, 14k, 18k, 22k, silver and platinum; they’ll run you around twenty bucks. (Note: Some of these tests come supplied with neodymium magnets.)

The acids that come in the test kits are corrosive, and you really don’t want to be on the receiving end of an acid splatter, so be careful! Use newspaper to cover your area and wear protective goggles and rubber gloves. And don’t put more than one piece of jewelry on your work area: You won’t need to test any piece of jewelry if it gets splattered with acid.

Read the testing directions carefully and follow them exactly; you will be using a different type of procedure and acid depending on the type and/or weight of the metal. With each type, though, the premise is the same: You’re going to put a teeny drop of nitric acid on an inconspicuous place on the piece and see what happens.

Final acid test results for all three metals:

Gold:

If it doesn’t change color, it’s real.

If it changes color to a yellow-orange color, it may be gold, but a lower karat.

If it changes to any other color, it is not gold.

Silver:

If the color changes it to a cloudy, cream color, then it is sterling silver (or better).

If the color changes it to green, it’s silver-plated.

Platinum:

Real platinum will not change color.

Test #3: The hallmark.

The last test for all three is very simple: Check the authenticity of the piece by inspecting it for a stamp or “hallmark”. A hallmark can tell you the purity of the piece, the manufacturer, the date of when it was manufactured, and other marks of interest. Google what you see if you want to know specifics.

Diamonds.

They’re a girl’s best friend. Unless they’re zirconium.

Almost every married woman has a diamond somewhere in their life. But how real is it?

Test #1: The scratch test.

People have been testing diamonds like this for eons, and you can, too, but there are a couple of things to consider before you do this test.

First: There’s a possibility that you could damage your diamond.

Second: Many false gems can scratch glass nowadays.

Having said that, if you still want to, scratch the diamond across a plate of glass. If the glass shows a scratch, the diamond is real.

For the most part, it is a good indicator of the gem’s authenticity, so if you do it, just be careful not to damage it.  If it turns out that it seems real, do another test. There’s no such thing as too much proof.

Test #2: The newspaper test.

Put some newspaper down on a table, Put the diamond on top of that. If you can’t see the newspaper print through the diamond, the diamond is real. One comment on this: Sometimes the diamond has a shallow cut and you can read through it anyway.

Test #3: The fog test.

Take a soft cloth, gently rub the diamond, and then breathe on it. If the fog goes away quickly, the diamond is real. A real diamond will not retain heat.

Other gems.

There are other gems that have different varieties of properties and colors. A blue stone could be a blue sapphire, a blue diamond, an aquamarine, or a blue topaz (among many others). Synthetic rubies have the same properties as real rubies.

Identifying gems is really tough, though, even for a jeweler. I cannot even begin to try to list all of the tests (most of which you shouldn’t do at home anyway) to test other gems. I do, however, have one possibly attractive option which I will show you in a minute. 

Testing for weight.

No secret here: Get a gemstone scale that weighs in carats.

As far as expense for a gemstone scale goes, it varies highly. I have seen gemstone scales that cost over a five hundred dollars, some really good ones for around seventy bucks, and there are basic does-the-job scales for under twenty dollars.

The best deal I came across, however, is digital pocket scale that weighs in carats, ounces, grams, and grains. It’s a portable mini scale that has a 50 gram capacity (250 carats) and I’ve seen them listed online for only seven dollars.

(By the way, I just want to point out here that when you add up the acid test, the magnet, and the gemstone scale, the total is less than what you would pay for an appraisal. Pat yourself on the back for being smart enough to do your testing at home.)

Bonus Jewelry Tools.

After all of this testing, maybe you have found your calling. Maybe you’re now going to open a jewelry store or something. Maybe you have a lot of different types of jewelry that you would like to test. Maybe you just want to know more about the jewelry that you have.

At any rate, in this wonderful age of technology, there are quite naturally jewelry gadgets to be taken advantage of. If you don’t mind the extra expense, you can do all of the testing (and more) by simply using some of the best jewelry gadgets on the market today. Just remember that they may be a little more expensive.

The Presidium Gem Tester / Color Stone Estimator.

This is the “possibly attractive option” I mentioned a few minutes ago.

If you want to test your other gems, then you can invest in the Presidium Gemstone Tester / Colored Stone Estimator. This gadget is the only colored gemstone tester in the jewelry industry. It identifies diamonds and most colored gemstones, polished and unpolished, and does other tasks, as well. The lowest price I found online for this is $205.00, but it’s well worth it if you have a lot of colored gems (or just one special one).

Deluxe Gold Buying Kit GXL-24 PRO A&D EK-1200i with How To Buy Gold Book

Do you really want to know what your gold is worth and what you can sell it for without losing your shirt?  This gadget has the whole package.

The kit comes with a 6k to 24k gold tester, a Legal for Trade Scale which will give you the particulars your need to sell at pawn shops, etc., a gold price calculating scale which allows you to you calculate the price of your piece of gold based on its weight and purity, a 10x magnifier loupe to examine your gems, a prong opener to work with settings,

It even comes with the book, “Gold – Everything you need to know to buy and sell today”, written by Jeff Garrett and Q. David Bowers.

I saw this gold buying kit marked down from $1,275.00 to $699.00. (I told you these gadgets were a tad more expensive.) It’s worth it, though, if you have the need for it. (Note: It may pay to check eBay for these gadgets and any others of interest; just a suggestion.)

There are a lot more gadgets out there that do more (and less) than the two above. Just google and shop.

Okay, so now you know the worth of your jewelry. You have identified your jewelry. You know what you want price-wise for your jewelry. How do you get what you want without getting ripped off?

Five tips that will sell your jewelry at the price that you want for it, not what they want to buy it for.

Tip #1: Before selling an item, be aware of a fair price (based on the going rate) to ask for your item.

We haven’t talked about the price of gold. The economy has pushed the price of gold to $1643.00 per troy ounce as of April 24, 2012. (A troy ounce is part of the imperial system and is the way to gauge the weight of precious metals.) Thus, if you want to sell your gold, know that it’s worth something and don’t let them pay you an insulting price. On the other hand, don’t offer them an insulting price, either.

Tip #2: Haggle, haggle, haggle!

If you have a unique piece and have done your homework, don’t stop with the second – or even the third – offer that you receive from the buyer. Buyers will often negotiate four, five, six times if they really want something. Don’t be afraid to negotiate, but don’t be afraid to hold your ground, either.

Tip #3: Don’t fall for any excuses. Don’t fall for compliments. Don’t fall for anything.

“The price for this ring is too much; I can’t afford even afford groceries right now.” Tears well up in the buyer’s eyes. “This is for my dying mother and so important; can’t you find it in your heart to come down a little in price?  You are obviously such a good person, I know that you understand my problem.”

Okay, let’s rip this one up.

Number one: If he’s buying it for his dying mother, then she’s not going to be getting much use out of it, is she?

Number two: If he can’t afford groceries, why is he looking at a diamond ring?

Number three: “You are obviously such a good person.” You could have just bought him lunch and tickets to the Knicks (although they aren’t such a hot commodity this year; I digress.), but you have just met him; how does he know what kind of a person you are, or how much you understand about any problem, let alone his?

Don’t let yourself be led to the slaughter. At best, you’ll be humiliated. At the worst, you’ll have cost yourself a lot of money.

Tip #4: Don’t mail any of your jewelry to anyone unless you know them or you have their money.

Unless you know them, know their reputation, or have gotten the payment (cleared), don’t mail your jewelry out to anyone. There may be exceptions to this (I don’t know of any), but once it’s literally out of your hands, you may never even see it again, and possession is nine/tenths of the law. (It still is, right? Everything’s changed so much…)

There are a lot of places that will “pay all delivery costs, insurance, etc. once we receive your jewelry” and maybe they will, but can you really afford to find out by sending it out with no money up front or knowing of their reputation as a buyer?

Tip #5: Know who you can sell to and who you are selling to.

And on the heels of tip #4, who are you selling your jewelry to? Are you selling to an establishment that can be trusted? A relative that is known for not paying anyone back? And where are you going to sell you jewelry? Has the neighbor down the street been eying the turquoise bracelet you wear but secretly hate? To sell your item(s) for a great price, think of all sources that you know and trust, and try them all.

Five tips to ensure that you buy your jewelry for what you want to pay for it, not what they want to sell it for.

To buy jewelry at the right price is fairly easy, believe it or not. Forewarned is forearmed; if you know what you’re doing, you’ll end up being very happy.

Tip #1: Ask questions.

If you go to a jeweler, make sure that you ask for credentials. Any jeweler worth his weight in gold (really big pun not intended) is licensed to sell jewelry in your state, and should have been in the business for at least a few years.

Tip #2: Try to avoid “cash for gold “places.

Cash for gold places do not pay anywhere near what your gold is worth. Period. If you really feel like you’re getting a good deal, go to the BBB’s website and look up the company.  You’d be amazed how many people complain that they were paid a lot less than they should have been.

Tip #3: Never buy from the first person you deal with.

There are many, many, many fish in the sea, even if times are hard right now. In tough times people always want to go to the movies and buy jewelry. Well, maybe that’s not entirely true, but there are a lot of people out there selling jewelry. Don’t feel like the first platinum bracelet you “absolutely have to have!” is going to be the last,. Don’t ever impulse-buy with jewelry.

Tip #4: Think about all the costs the seller has to pay before he sells his first piece of jewelry.

If he’s the owner of a free-standing store, then he has overhead, salaries, insurance, and all that good stuff that goes into owning a business. Now think of those costs in terms of what you are buying; how far is this guy marking this stuff up? (Don’t forget the markups that start at 100 percent and go all the way to 1000 percent.) No matter what you are paying for your item, it has been marked up. A lot. Which brings us to…

Tip #5: Haggle, haggle, haggle!

If you don’t feel comfortable doing it, bring along someone who does. Most people don’t know that any retail establishment – from restaurants to retail stores to expired coupons at Burger King– will work with you on price. You know why? Because times are tough, and any money is better than no money! Remember that the next time the jewelry salesman doesn’t pull his price down and makes you feel like an idiot because you tried.

There you go. You are now armed with the correct tools and their results and can  go out and buy and sell your jewelry with confidence. You educated yourself on the practices of jewelers and price mark-ups. You now know really and truly what your jewelry is worth.

And you didn’t even use an appraiser.

That choice is completely up to you.

To be honest, you can do both. But when it comes to the latter, you won’t have to worry about being in jail. When you aren’t in jail, you need money. When you need money, you can flip cars. 

There’s actually not much to it.

And by it, I mean using auto auctions.

It’s a straightforward process that can make you a quick four figures, what with Craigslist, eBay and all. If you’ve never thought about it, here’s your wake-up call and manual all wrapped into one easy-to-grasp ball.

When it comes to live auto auctions, there are two kinds. The first is the dealer auction. Don’t go there; it’s full of people you are trying to avoid.

The second is a public auction. That’s exactly where you should be. In fact, it’s the only one of the two you can attend. But just between us, prices tend to be less expensive at public auctions.

So they’re easy to use, but what makes a car auction so great?

The first thing is the deals. Forty percent below retail. Enough said.

The second is you don’t have to deal with car salesman (it bears repeating). I once got a call for six mornings straight from the same guy. After I told him I’d already bought a car. Go to an auto auction, and you probably won’t get a call for six mornings straight.

At least not from a car salesman.

The third are the gold mines of cars you will find. It’s not uncommon for auctions to have over 200 cars to bid on, all from a variety of sources.

You could get the shiny, repossessed Toyota of a guy who couldn’t pay for it. Or you could get a Benz from a guy who lost it to back taxes. Heck, you could even have a vibrant-colored Cadillac that belonged to a (former) drug dealer. Used government vehicles frequently make appearances as well.

Really, it doesn’t get much simpler than the world of auto auctions. Flipping cars for profit comes down to three phases.

• The preliminary search
• The auction
• Re-listing

In other words, before, during and after.

Find the auction and cars

Before you go to an auto auction, you need to find an auto auction. One of the knocks on buying cars at auctions is that they are hard to find.

They aren’t.

A simple Google search with the name of your city (e.g. Cleveland) plus “public car auctions” should get you started. Any major cities will have at least a handful. Many lots hold auctions on a weekly basis with entirely new sets of cars.

Imagine the possibilities.

You’ll errantly come across online auctions as well. If they mention “shipping,” move on.

If that online search doesn’t pull anything up, check your spelling (and then move out of Savannah, Georgia). Or you could call your local police station. Their used vehicles likely go to car auctions.

Check out a handy online resource like Gov-Auction.org if you are desperate or would like even more choices.

Next, you want to find the goods. You should be able to find a listing of the cars, among other things. For a quick turnover, look for cars that meet these criteria:

• Priced between $4,000 and $10,000
• Quality reputation (Honda, Toyota)
• Extremely low mileage (less than 8,000 per year)

Find some, and then figure out how much those cars should be going for (aka their trade-in value). I like three sites to figure this out: Kelley’s, Edmunds.com and NADAGuides.

Take the three numbers, give them to your fifth-grade son and tell him you need the average by the end of the day. Check his decimals, and since it’s an auction (the price should be lower), take forty percent off that price.

Come prepared, and that’s exactly how much you’ll pay.

***

What to expect at an auction

You need to have at least $1,000 on you, or be able to pay that with a card. Know your options beforehand.

The money is for the down payment you need to pay immediately upon buying a car. Or you can buy the whole car, depending on how you feel about procrastination.

During the auction, you’ll have to pay attention to four terms that will be given in regards to the car. They’ll provide additional information to help you make your best decision. In order of safest choice to most dangerous:

• Good Operating Condition (Buy)
• No Title (Buy)
• Announced Condition (Walk)
• As is (Walk)

Good Operating Condition means the owner is giving you his word. These are the best people to do business with. If you haven’t already learned that, there you go.

No Title only means that the car you are buying is titleless for now. Auctions can deal with banks in other states who might take their time waiting for you to give them money. Whatever the reason, you usually get your title in days. If you don’t get it for 30 of them, there’s a refund in it for you.

Something is wrong with the car, and the owner wants to tell you. That means there is an Announced Condition. You know the condition. If you know how much it is to fix the condition, good job. If not, walk.

As is means the owner doesn’t want to tell you anything about the car. Unless you are a mechanic, or have one with you, you might as well leave your wallet on the ground.

Even if you know the defects, do a thorough check of the car. That is, sometime before it goes up for auction. Here is a brief rundown of what to check for:

• Start the engine. Remember knocking and rattling aren’t good.
• Try the AC, heat and power options (windows, sunroof).
• Shift into drive and reverse. A good engine won’t lunge when you shift gears.
• Check for dampness under the rugs and seats.
• Look at the oil stick. If the oil has white bubbles, pass. The same if it’s too pasty or dirty.
• There should not be any transmission fluid on the ground. Nor should it be dark brown.
• Look at the paint on the car. Do you see rust or air bubbles? Does the paint match?
• See if there are any welding marks near the trunk or the engine.
• Check all the lights and turn signals.

Budget some money for small repairs. Few cars will come perfect. But most shouldn’t need more than $500 to get to great mechanical condition.

But what if you do buy a clunker?

First of all, the odds of that aren’t great. Most cars are run through an inspection before hitting the auction block. Though, instead of dropping it off in Grandma’s backyard for the next 6 weeks, you can give it back and have the same car auctioned off again immediately.

It might be at the pain of a few hundred dollars, but still a low risk.

* * *

(Re)Selling

Once it’s all said and done, this might seem like the easy part. Provided you get the right car for a short stack of cash (almost never fails).

Using Autotrader or Craigslist, see what the retail prices are for your new car. Once you are “in the know” on what they sell for in your area, there are two ways you can price it.

If you have the time, put the car up for $500 to $1000 more than its going price. That should be two or three thousand more than your buying price. On a car with extremely low miles, that could still be a little low.

Meet some new people, wait it out, and sell at your price.

In case you want to sell it quick, go closer to the retail value. For example, if most 2005 Civics are being swapped for six grand, go a few hundred above that. If you’re really in a hurry, you could even go a hundred below that.

If the car doesn’t go in a week, think about dropping the price. In the best scenarios, you can earn an extra four thousand.

***

One important thing to keep in mind when doing this that there’s a line between selling a car and selling a car for profit.

It’s a government thing.

But just make sure you’re aware of how many cars you can sell before you need a license. The number is different from state to state. In California, for example, if you sell one car “with the intent to make a profit,” you could be breaking state law.

It sounds stingy. The rules are often lax, however.

If every car you sell is in your name, you won’t exactly be on The Man’s radar. Stay somewhere in the area of six a year. Still a nice chunk of change if you can make $2000 on a vehicle, and that’s the low end.

Although, if you want to become a dealer and be allowed to sell unlimited cars, all you have to do is pass a test at the DMV.

But then you also have to deal with zoning laws while getting a location. And then you’ll have to give donations to the DMV. And then…

Forget it. The point is to make money.

And via auto auctions, it’s not hard.

P.S. A GREAT website to access over 4,000 car auctions with prices is gov-auctions.org. They got auctions NOT searchable elsewhere on the Internet and as you will see on their website it’s not dream to get cars at up to 95% off their real price (sometimes making $8K-12K in pure profit!).

• Tenderness of the jaw muscles, neck or upper back?
• Grinding your teeth, including in your sleep?
• Headaches, often when you wake up?
• Pain or difficulty in chewing, yawning or opening wide?
• Jaws that “get stuck” or “lock”?
• Popping or clicking of the jaw?
• Pain in or around your ear, without an ear infection?
• Dizziness or ringing in your ears?

If you do, you could be suffering from a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, grinding of the teeth and jaw clenching (called bruxism), or even whiplash, which can occur when a sudden distortion of the neck brings on headaches, neck pain and other related symptoms like the ones above.

If any of these symptoms are plaguing you, you’re not alone. It’s estimated that as many as 10 MILLION PEOPLE suffer from jaw-related disorders, and 80% of them are women!

Yet despite the staggering numbers, 40% of TMJ sufferers do nothing to treat their teeth grinding or TMJ.  The remaining 60% who do use ineffective over-the-counter medications and mouth guards… that don’t solve the problem!

What’s more, according to Sandra Carter, medical researcher and author of TMJ No More, “The conventional TMJ treatment methods which are commonly used make TMJ WORSE in more than 92% of all sufferers.”

Why?

Because many medical professionals who treat TMJ:

• prescribe irreversible treatments and surgeries that don’t work
• only treat symptoms of TMJ, not the root cause
• don’t consider solutions outside their specific field of study
• use a piecemeal approach to treatment, instead of  a complete program

Dr. Robert O. Uppgaard, an expert on TMJ pain, whiplash  Fibromyalgia and Other Related Disorders, says, “TMJ disorder is a head-to-toe problem, not only physically, but also holistically involving the mind, body and spirit.”

Sandra carter, a top medical researcher of highly successful unconventional  treatments, nutritionist and author of  tmjnomore.com  says:

“…In fact, only 5% of those using conventional TMJ treatments actually find relief – the other 95% continue to suffer with the same annoying and painful symptoms (or worse) again and again!”

Conventional doesn’t work in this field, and the sooner you get this the sooner you will solve your TMJ problems and other related symptoms.

That’s right, it’s a holistic problem.  Therefore, the cure for TMJ disorders is a holistic SOLUTION, one that heals not just the jaw, but the entire body, using proven techniques to:

• Strengthen the Body
• Relax the Mind
• Fortify the Spirit

Not only is a holistic approach the ONLY one that WORKS, but it’s:

• NON-INVASIVE—no bite-changing mouth guards or oral surgery required!
• INEXPENSIVE—absolutely NO medications or therapy treatments! Zero cost to you!
• SIDE EFFECT FREE—forget the common side effects of surgery, dental work and medications!
• FAST—you’ll experience immediate relief to the face and head area, and within just a few months time, be free of TMJ disorder completely!
• EASY—say goodbye to difficult, painful medical treatments!
• SAFE—no drugs, no surgery, no gimmicks, just a healthy procedure that works!
• CURE FOCUSED—this isn’t a relief program, it’s a cure program because your TMJ, teeth grinding and other discomforting symptoms vanish…for GOOD!

And it’s a matter of…

Just – 3 – STEPS!

So ask yourself…are you ready to…

• Banish the tension, agitation, and exhaustion that often accompany TMJ and other related jaw disorders?
• Achieve permanent freedom from jaw, neck and facial pain; teeth clenching and grinding; headaches and other TMJ related symptoms?
• Feel happier, calmer and more energetic?
• Enjoy a better quality of life because your life won’t be centered around painful symptoms that are bogging you down?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, read on!

STEP 1: STRENGTHEN THE BODY

There is no medicine that can cure TMJ and its associated discomforts.  None.

Prescription and over-the-counter medications can alleviate the pain, but they won’t rid you of the condition. So why take drugs that mask the pain when you can learn the techniques that will make it disappear forever?

There are two things you can do that will have an almost immediate effect on your jaw pain.  And—because these things get your pain under control quickly—your quality of your sleep will improve… and THAT will increase your concentration and boost your energy levels in just a matter of days!

**Eat “Jaw-Friendly” Foods and Avoid Those That Aren’t

Adjustments in your diet are an ideal first step in curing your TMJ.  Dr. Eddie Siman, TMJ specialist, says, “Perhaps the most difficult daily function to undertake when afflicted with TMJ disorder is eating.”

Since TMJ can be brought on by wear and tear of the jaw joints due to biting and chewing, it makes sense to focus on a diet of soft, healthy foods packed with nutrients that keep muscle joints lubricated and cramp-free. (And no, a soft food diet doesn’t mean you must avoid solid foods altogether and go on a baby food diet.)

Avoid foods that require excessive chewing, and foods that stimulate and make the body tense (which can lead to grinding and clenching!) 

The Good Suff:

Water (6-8 glasses a day)                                            

Dairy Products (for calcium)

Nutrition-packed soft foods like whole grain

rice and pastas, soft breads, mashed potatoes,

cereal, applesauce, steamed veggies and eggs

Non-chewy red meat (for zinc, iron, B12)

Beans (for magnesium)

Soup with meat and/or broth

made from animal bone (for hyaluronic acid)

Foods & Stimulants to Live Without:

Chewing gum, caramel, taffy, etc.

High sugar foods

Nuts

Hard rolls and bagels

Popcorn and other crunchy foods

Corn on the cob

Alcohol

Caffeine

Nicotine

(For more soft food ideas, see http://www.squidoo.com/SoftFood or go to Amazon.com for a host of soft food cookbooks.)

You may also want to consider supplements that promote joint health like a calcium/magnesium/zinc combination pill (taken with meals), Vitamin C (2000– 4000 mg) and Vitamin A (1000 IUs).

**Do Jaw Exercises that Stop Joint Pain and Muscle Spasms 

Research has shown that jaw exercises eliminate pain and prevent TMJ symptoms from worsening. Simply resting the jaw can help ease tension! What is a rested jaw?

The jaw is relaxed or “rested” when your lips are together but your upper and lower teeth aren’t touching.

Here’s a simple exercise from TMJremedyadvice.com that will strengthen your jaw muscles and prevent your jaw from clicking:

1. Close your mouth on your back teeth and rest your tongue’s tip on the palate, behind your front teeth

2. Reach backwards with the tip of your tongue moving on the soft palate as far as you can reach, without moving the teeth

3. Now, holding your tongue backwards on the soft palate, open your mouth till you feel a slight pull on your tongue. Hold for a few seconds and then relax. Do not pull or exert pressure on your tongue.

4. Repeat the steps for 5 minutes.

Sandra Carter’s industry leading eBook exposes quite a few great methods to relax the jaw, you can visit Sandra Carter’s website  tmjnomore.com.

STEP 2: RELAX THE MIND 

Many experts agree that the main causes of TMJ are EMOTIONAL stress (tension, anger) and PHYSICAL stress (car accidents and other sudden injuries). It’s no surprise then that mind-body relaxation exercises—the body’s de-stress mechanisms—are key components to getting at the root cause of your TMJ!

What IS a surprise is that so few doctors recommend these techniques. Instead, they opt for mouth guards and medications that don’t get to the source of the problem!

**3 Key Whole-Body Relaxation Techniques:

1. YOGA— According to Tias Little, licensed massage therapist and contributor for Yoga Journal, certain asanas (poses) such as Downward Facing Dog bring blood flow to the head, bathing the TMJ in blood. Practicing Upward Facing Dog into Downward Facing Dog flushes blood in and out of the jaw and face.

“The Shoulderstand and Legs-up-the-Wall pose will also send ample blood into this area, again bathing the joint in much-needed fluid,” says Little.  “You may wish to avoid Headstand (pose) altogether, as it can tend to put even greater pressure on the TMJ.”

2. MEDITATION—we all have the ability to bring our bodies and minds to a special state which lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and slows brain waves.  This state, meditation, is actually able to counteract the harmful physical and emotional effects of stress.

Seated meditation releases the tension locked into your jaw. Start in a comfortable seated position, close your eyes and focus on relaxing your tongue, eyes, facial muscles and neck.  Soften the muscles at the corners of your mouth. Observe that your lower and upper teeth move slightly away from each other.

Concentrate on breathing deeply and consistently, to stop “mental chatter.” Practice meditating daily.

3. BREATH WORK—we take over 24,000 breaths a day!  An important part of both yoga and meditation is breath work, but focused, controlled diaphragmatic breathing can in itself help calm the mind, and decrease heart rate, muscle tension, the perception of pain and much more.

Try this simple 3-part breath:

• Inhale slowly, expanding the belly, diaphragm and chest.
• Hold for a few moments before exhaling.
• Exhale slowly in reverse order.
• Hold for a few moments before inhaling again.

For more yoga, meditation and breathing techniques go to http://www.ehow.com/how_2068340_treat-tmj-yoga.html, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meditation/HQ01070 and other related sites.

STEP 3: FORTIFY THE SPIRIT 

You may wonder what your spirit has to do with treating teeth grinding, TMJ, whiplash or other head and neck pains.

It all goes back to the holistic approach to healing.  If the body is our physical form, the mind our thoughts and emotions, the spirit is who we are, our innermost “self.”

Does that sound too New Age-y?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the spirit, among other things, as “disposition of mind or outlook” of a person.  OUTLOOK, research has shown, can have a huge impact on how we deal with stress, combat illness and manage our lives! 

**Practice Living in the Present Moment 

According to Dr. Lori A. Leyden-Rubenstein, author of the Stress Management Handbook, living in the present moment is the number one stress reducer!

“When we allow ourselves to put all our cognitive, emotional, physical and spiritual energy into being in the here and now,” says Leyten-Rubenstein, “it prevents us from feeling guilty about the past or worrying about the future.”

How, exactly, do you practice living in the moment?

• Be aware at all times what you’re thinking, feeling or doing NOW (breathe work and meditation can help!)
• Concentrate on one thing at a time
• Quiet the negative self-talk that leads to guilt, worry and stress

**Practice Self-Compassion and Self-Love 

All too often we judge and boss ourselves into feeling unworthy, which can trigger stress and sabotage our health!

Simply put, self-compassion and self-love help us attain and maintain our spiritual connection with ourselves.

One of the best ways to have compassion and love for our “self” is to practice affirmations, such as:

• I love and respect all my natural abilities
• I deserve to be happy
• I’m willing to let go of judging myself and others
• I accept my faults and limitations

There are many other strategies for relieving stress and embracing the self but the principle is the same: taking care of the spirit is a vital component to maintaining and improving our health.

TMJ disorders, bruxism and other jaw-related conditions ARE curable. It’s just a matter of following the 3 steps that can lead to a more fulfilling life…pain free!