Depending upon where you live, it may be time for you to rethink your investment strategy if you're a real estate investor, because many areas of the country appear to be on the verge of a price downturn. The indicators are there, beginning with the fact that it's taking significantly longer to market homes when compared to last year. When coupled with rising interest rates, it's likely that the recent real estate boom may be coming to an end.
One of the most startling statistics can be found in Los Angeles, where the median home currently sells for ten times the area's median income. That trend can't continue, regardless of interest rates or the kinds of creative financing options banks come up with.
LA's trend isn't unique, however, and home prices will probably continue to fall as 2006 progresses, and will decrease even more dramatically in 2007, especially if interest rates continue to rise. That trend will be more pronounced in areas of the country that have seen dramatic price increases in recent years. Some economists even predict double-digit declines in Miami and Las Vegas, two of America's hotspots during the recent real estate boom.
However, those sorts of declines aren't expected to be countrywide. Some areas of the country may actually see real estate values continue to grow, but at more modest rates, including most of the Midwest, parts of Texas, and even some larger cities like Atlanta.
As an investor, you'll need to be aware of the trend in your area and invest accordingly. For example, if you're a builder, the combination of higher home prices, higher interest rates, and higher gas prices will make it harder to sell high-end homes that are built some distance away from major cities.
Homes are also getting smaller, after increasing in size for the past thirty years (peaking at 2,430 square feet) and the things people want to see in their homes are changing. For example, luxury kitchens and deluxe bathrooms have gained in popularity while the demand for formal dining rooms has decreased.
If you're an investor who depends on flipping houses, your profit margins may be shrinking and your flipping time may be increasing. Therefore, you may want to begin thinking in terms of income and not capital gains. Although being a landlord isn't for everyone, if real estate values continue to decline and on-market times continue to increase, you may want to think about renting your homes as you wait for the market to improve.
You may also want to look at properties closer to downtown areas, since many renters are attracted by easy proximity to their jobs and to the amenities offered by cities. Rental units near office complexes or near several main highways can be especially attractive investments in a market that is showing signs of slowing down. If you're really not cut out to be a landlord, you can always turn the details over to a property management company, assuming you make enough on the rental to cover their 5-10 percent fee.
Regardless of your previous real estate investment strategy, you may want to begin rethinking your options as the real estate boom begins to slow down in most areas of the country.

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher
No matter what the real estate market does, you can always make money investing in real estate if you follow proven strategies. Author Jeanette Fisher offers FREE real estate investing teleseminars and ebook reports at http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com

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Are you worried because you are up against a huge company with millions of marketing dollars? Do you have competitors who have MBA Marketing Degrees? Are you worried that you cannot compete? Well if you are let me tell you right now; Don’t be! You can out market anyone and win over your customers.
How do I know? Well, our company did this in every city we went to over and over again. We flat won markets and we smoked the competition with huge advertising and marketing budgets and yes they were ALL MBAs and had degrees in marketing.
In fact, I can remember competing against many of them in many regions and well, they blow money like it is going out of style and it is free? Silly really. I once had a franchisee in our company; Carwashguys.com whose father in-law was a war planner for the Pentagon and retired and he came to visit my home in California once. We had maps all over the wall and he said to me; My God we invaded countries with less information than you have here? I laughed and he said; No, I am serious.
Then I got quiet and it finally hit me, no wonder no one could ever compete with our marketing teams, what we were doing was miles apart from anything that they teach in school. Of course what we were doing was what we learned worked thru trial an error and we were efficient and we focused on one thing; Winning! This is an unclassified glimpse of what I am talking about
; kind of another way we use to do it;
http://www.truckwashguy.com/vegasexpansion.shtml
I can tell you this, we never missed a beat, we slaughtered the competition; they did not have a prayer. But it was kind of fun to compete against kids with unlimited budgets from Corporate America, if they were really smart they would have simply hired me to show them how? No disrespect to the business schools, many are quite good actually, but you know there is time when the rubbers need to meet the road you see? And that is when the talk stops and winners race on!
"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

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There is a new book out called "Think Niche and Grow Rich" and although I have not read the book, the title is very catchy as it is mimicking Napoleon Hill's famous book titled; "Think and Grow Rich." Nevertheless, beautiful ice is very good if you market to a niche you should be able to charge a higher price and specialize. This will allow you to build brand name identity without specific niche and concentrate on walking in your customers and walking out your competitors.
So how do you market to a niche? It is really simple, all you have to do is find a group of people that have a specific desire for a product or service and then you modify custom tailor your product or service to fit their needs, wants and desires. For instance, my brother owns a coffee shop that is right outside of a college campus and all the college students nearby have a choice to go to his coffee shop or to the local Starbucks both within a block of the college.
The university students to use his coffee shop because he caters to exactly what the students want. He has free WiFi, he gives out free dog treats and he is open 24 hours a day during finals week. He has the bulletin boards wall of fraternities and sororities can post items about upcoming events. He lets the student government have their meetings in his coffee shop. You can see he is marking the coffee shop to a specific niche. He is able to slam the competitors because they do not understand his niche. Something to contemplate in 2008.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

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Perhaps you have seen the Mountain Dew Brand soft drink? It's actually a Pepsi Brand and it is a hot seller indeed. The Code Red Mountain Dew has more caffeine in it than any other regular soft drink except for the "power drink" category. The Green Mountain Dew still sells quite well with the older crowd "30 Something's" that grew up on it, but the Code Red line extension has really taken off.
Now the Mountain Dew marketing team is trying something new. In the soft drink market you either adapt or die, as has been the historical case. What is the Mountain Dew marketing magic this time? Well, they are managing their popular items; Green Mountain Dew and Code Red, which are both ultra successful. But now they are seeing a little competition from the V-8 Fruit Drink Lines and they do not wish to lose market share to a fruit drink. So, they are working on making a fruiter drink of their own, actually 3 of them.
One of these new fruiter drinks is the Mountain Dew "Super Nova" which is a berry tasting drink. "DEW with a Blast of Strawberry Melon Flavor and Ginseng" as the can states. This seems to compete well with the V-8 Berry Drinks with antioxidants. Mountain Dew or Pepsi Marketing Groups realize that they have a much loyal drinker.
Next, the Mountain Dew marketing guru's state that they have 3-new drinks coming out and ask that their drinkers try all three and vote on which one they like at; DewMocracy.com or by calling a toll-free number. Basically, this puts the soft drink lover in the driver's seat, making them a Super Delegate! Three choices, one winner, sound familiar? If I were not retired, I'd hire the Mountain Dew Marketing team members to work for me!

"Lance Winslow" - Online Blog Content Service. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance Winslow's Bio

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Many small businesses do not have the experience they need to make their business a success. Just because you set up a store does not mean people will come and buy. Just because you give great service does not mean that the word-of-mouth advertising will bring you to your projected ROI, no matter how realistic your business plan proforma is.
Even those with MBAs make this mistake, spending huge amounts of money on various advertising, which brings in so few customers. Now then, in my retirement I do a little consulting and most of the time business people wish to make their businesses more efficient and they wish to bring in more business. This means I spend a good amount of my time helping small businesses learn how to market themselves.
If you were to ask me for one sure-fire technique to help you succeed your small business marketing, I would have to say; "Fly Google!" In other words check out Google Earth and all the areas within a 10-mile radius of your business. It's just like flying over the city. You can see the areas where your customers live and work and figure out where your target market is.
Next, pick the areas where you believe your best customers are, make a list and then for god's sake go out and talk to them. Introduce yourself, give them a coupon, invite them in. Explain your products and services and ask them how you can serve their needs. Ask them for referrals. Hit your highest profile customer targets first and work from there. Think on this.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Blog Content Service. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/.

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