I Love It When Good Things Happen to Good People!

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Greetings from Albuquerque, NM…..

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Yesterday I told you that my buddy Michael Ouellette (aka “Mikey O”) made the news with his passion to serve those in need as a real estate investor. Today, my friend and business partner, Steven Maxwell is featured in December’s issue of Reader’s Digest. Steve and I are business partners in Grassland Investments. Steve is actually the CEO of Grasslands. Steve is a natural leader and his business intellect surpasses any real estate guru I know. I am proud to call Steve a friend and thankful to have him as a partner.

If you want to read the article in its entirety, click below. If you just want Steve’s story…keep reading.

Article on Steve Maxwell in December’s issue of Reader’s Digest

When Steve Maxwell graduated from college, he had an engineering degree
and a high-tech job—but he couldn’t balance his checkbook. “I took one
finance class in college but dropped it to go on a ski trip,” says the
45-year-old father of three, who lives in Windsor, Colorado. “I
actually had to go to my bank and ask them to teach me how to read my
statement.”

One of the biggest obstacles to making money is
not understanding it: Thousands of us avoid investing because we just
don’t get it. But to make money, you must be financially literate. “It
bothered me that I didn’t understand this stuff,” says Steve, “so I
read books and magazines about money management and investing, and I
asked every financial whiz I knew to explain things to me.”

He
and his wife started applying the lessons: They made a point to live
below their means. They never bought on impulse, always negotiated
better deals (on their cars, cable bills, furniture) and stayed in
their home long after they could afford a more expensive one. They also
put 20 percent of their annual salary into investments.

Within
ten years, they were millionaires, and people were coming to Steve for
advice. “Someone would say, ‘I need to refinance my house—what should I
do?’ A lot of times, I wouldn’t know the answer, but I’d go find it and
learn something in the process,” he says.

In 2003, Steve quit
his job to become part owner of a company that holds personal finance
seminars for employees of corporations like Wal-Mart. He also started
going to real estate investment seminars, and it’s paid off: He now
owns $30 million worth of investment properties, including apartment
complexes, a shopping mall and a quarry.

“I was an engineer
who never thought this life was possible, but all it truly takes is a
little self-education,” says Steve. “You can do anything once you
understand the basics.”

….Steve Maxwell, the finance teacher, looked at a $1.5
million home but decided to buy one for half the price because “a house
with double the cost wouldn’t give me double the enjoyment.”

Until next time……rob

• Buying a Fixer Upper with an FHA 203k Loan
• Some Foreclosures Cannot Be Helped, Says Treasury Dept. I Agree, And Nor Should They Be.
• Housing Continues To Get Worse