My Life as Realtor

Hi guys, More info on the market and of course some quotes!

Market thoughts...

Sales of existing homes rose 3.1 percent in July, easily beating Wall Street’s expectations, as buyers snapped up deeply discounted properties in parts of the country hit hardest by the housing bust.

The National Association of Realtors reported Monday that sales rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5 million units. Sales had been expected to rise by only 1.6 percent, according to economists surveyed by Thomson/IFR.

If we look further into the data we see that in the West 9.7 percent. This means buyers are snapping up housing that is under priced.

Many Realtors we speak with continue to mention that buyers, especially investors are moving to pick up inventory in today’s market. We experience that right here in Utah with homes selling at a steady pace.

Yes we are off the rocket-ship ride of the past few years, but homes are moving. And prices for homes are also rising. Again not at the break neck pace of the past, but they are rising.

We encourage you to tell your buyers that this is the market they have been waiting for. Get them qualified and into a home. While there is a bunch of inventory on the market, deals are out there to be made.

The Bonds

We are still riding the roller coaster. You may have noticed an uptick in negative economic news world wide. This will continue to drive investors towards quality, which is bonds. So, bonds should rise and rates should fall. But we aren’t seeing that happen as much as it should. We’ll keep you posted.

The quotes!

"No amount of ability is of the slightest avail without honor."
-- Andrew Carnegie, Industrialist

"I think what separates a superstar from the average ballplayer is that
he concentrates just a little bit longer."
-- Hank Aaron, Baseball Star

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity"
-- Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist

"Four short words sum up what has lifted most successful individuals
above the crowd: a little bit more. They did all that was expected of
them and a little bit more. "
-- Lou Vickery, American Business Writer

"Help others get ahead. You will always stand taller with someone else
on your shoulders. "
-- Bob Moawad, Business Speaker

"Luck is when preparation meets opportunity."
-- Brian Tracy, Author

"The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little
'extra'."
-- Jimmy Johnson, American Football Coach

"Nothing is more dangerous than an idea when it is the only one you
have."
-- Emile Chartier, Philosopher

"A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way. "
-- John C. Maxwell, Author and Speaker

"It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan."
-- Eleanor Roosevelt, Former First Lady

"Successful people form the habit of doing what failures don't like to
do. They like the results they get by doing what they don't necessarily
enjoy. "
-- Earl Nightingale, Motivational Speaker

"Many things difficult in design prove easy in performance."
-- Samuel Johnson, Writer

My Life as a Realtor

FED Rate Change Update

Holding Pattern…

After having lowered the FED Funds rate at seven consecutive meetings the FED has again left the rates in a holding pattern. Citing ‘uncertain’ inflationary signals in the marketplace and the FEDs desire to let the market forces continue to work they are standing pat with their current rate.

What this means is that mortgage rates will continue to be mainly influenced by the overall market. If the FED had chosen to raise the FED Funds rate, mortgage rates would have reacted to the downside, since raising the FED Funds rate is an anti-inflationary move.

Remember, Mortgage Bonds and Mortgage Rates have an inverse relationship. So, we need to focus on what moves the bonds to anticipate how rates will react. Therefore with a status-quo move by the FED we should see bonds stay in the holding pattern as well.

However, bonds will also be pushed and pulled by the broader economic market. That is why today we see them sell off because Freddie Mac reported a larger than expected loss.

We’re watching the reports and tracking the FED. We’ll let you know what information pops up that will impact rates in the long term. But for right now, if you have borrowers who think rates are going to fall in the near future our advice would be for them to lock sooner rather than later.

With changes to FHA in the new Housing Bailout Bill, and now the FED holding steady it is time for buyers to get off the fence.

Here are the quotes!

"Necessity is the mother of taking chances. "
-- Mark Twain, author

"Follow your instincts. That's where true wisdom manifests itself. "
-- Oprah Winfrey, Talk Show Host

"One person can make a difference. You don't have to be a big shot. You
don't have to have a lot of influence. You just have to have faith in
your power to change things."
-- Norman Vincent Peale, Clergyman

"A leader, once convinced a particular course of action is the right
one, must have the determination to stick with it and be undaunted when
the going gets rough. "
-- Ronald Reagan, 40th U.S. president

"No one can defeat us unless we first defeat ourselves."
-- Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States

"If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember this whole thing
was started by a mouse."
-- Walt Disney, Animator, Film Producer

"Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs.
Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do
the little jobs well, the big ones tend to take care of themselves. "
-- Dale Carnegie, Author

"The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become
obvious. "
-- John Sculley, Former CEO of Apple

"Winning isn't everything. Wanting to win is."
-- Catfish Hunter, Baseball Player

"Perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things, but in doing
ordinary things extraordinarily well. "
-- Angelique Arnauld, Abbess of Port-Royal

My Life as a Realtor.

What a great Life we have!

Yesterday was great! We got or DOG! Mojo is in the building. At 8 weeks old he was 18 lbs and he will be huge!

I just thought I would let you all know. Now on to RE!

We just picked up a smoking deal on a home. We are willing to asign it for 130K. It has a tax value of 184K with renters that are willing to pay 850 monthly. If you know of anyone that wnts a cash flow property, call me today and I will give you all the back story.

Here is some facts on the bonds. The bonds determane mortgages.

This week brings us the release of only three pieces of economic data that are likely to affect mortgage rates. However, the biggest event of the week will be the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting Tuesday. We may see some pressure in bonds today as investors prepare for the meeting, but most traders will likely make their moves post-meeting Tuesday.

The first important release is June's Personal Income and Outlays data Monday morning. The Income & Spending report helps us measure consumer ability to spend and current spending habits. Forecasts called for a decline of 0.1% in income and an increase of 0.5% in spending. Results were an increase of 0.1% in income and 0.6% increase in spending.

Bonds bounced lower on the immediate news but have rebounded off the lows of the trading session. What this means is that mortgage interest rates will rise as the bonds continue to fall.

The FED is meeting right now discussing the economy and any changes to the FED Funds Rate. Analysts are predicting a 93% chance of no change to the rate. Inflation remains the major topic of concern with the bonds reacting negatively to the better than expected news. Read The News section for more information. Bonds look to stay on the roller coaster for now.

Here are some quotes!

"No man who continues to add something to the material, intellectual and
moral well-being of the place in which he lives is left long without
proper reward. "
-- Booker T. Washington, educator

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more
important than any other one thing. "
-- Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

"Success is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. "
-- Jim Rohn, Motivational Speaker

"Do more than is required. What is the distance between someone who
achieves their goals consistently and those who spend their lives and
careers merely following? The extra mile. "
-- Gary Ryan Blair, Author and Motivational Speaker

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
-- Eleanor Roosevelt, Former First Lady

"People never improve unless they look to some standard or example
higher and better than themselves. "
-- Tyron Edwards, American Theologian

"People with goals succeed because they know where they're going"
-- Earl Nightingale, Motivational Speaker

"If you only care enough for a result, you will almost certainly attain it."
-- William James, Psychologist

"People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things. "
-- Sir Edmund Hilary, First to reach the summit of Mount Everest

My Life as a Realtor!

It is one hot summer! I mean Temp and Real Estate! We have gone from a 11.5 month inventory in the Market to less than 9. That means in a couple of months we will be back at a regular, strong market. There has been a new bill signed by Bush. He inked the bill this morning. On top of the government bailout on the sub-prime mortgage and good hardworking people who got a bad mortgage between Jan 2005 and Dec 2007, they will be able to refi into a government loan such as a FHA. If you need help with this, please call me today!

With this bill that passed there will be a stop edge with the no money down program. What this is a gift from the seller to a 3rd party non-profit such as Nehemiah, AmeriDream and Heart. If you miss the deadline of Sept. 30 2008 you will need to come up with your own money down. But still FHA is only 3% of purchase price. If you act now we can still get you the full 6% from the seller. 3% for down payment and 3% for closing cost.

Check out this article.

If you or any of your buyers are planning on buying FHA with the down payment assistance, get moving! As of right now the last day for the down payment assistance will be October 1st of 2008 – after that they must have a 3% down payment or a gift from a family member. Pass this along to your friends.



Down payment assistance: Soon a thing of the past

The housing rescue bill, soon to be a law, bans down-payment assistance programs such as the ones offered by Nehemiah and AmeriDream. The ban goes into effect Oct. 1.

Down payment assistance programs took advantage of a loophole in the way the FHA treats down payments. To get an FHA-insured mortgage, the homeowner has to make a down payment of at least 3%. Homeowners don't have to save even that much; the 3% can come as a gift from family members or nonprofit organizations.

Regulations don't allow the home seller to provide the down payment money. That's where down payment assistance programs come in. They are nonprofits. That allows the seller to give the 3% down payment money to Nehemiah or AmeriDream, and then Nehemiah or AmeriDream can turn around and "give" the down payment to the home buyer as a "donation."

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac don't allow sellers to indirectly give down payments to buyers. But the FHA has allowed this type of transaction for years. The FHA has long complained that down payment assistance programs artificially inflate house prices and that loans using down payment assistance are more likely to default. But prominent congressional Democrats have protected the down payment assistance programs on the grounds that they allow many minority families to become first-time home buyers.

House Democrats wanted to keep the loophole open, and Senate leaders wanted to close it. With this law, the Senate won.

I will make sure you are taken care of in this trying time. You need someone to trust. Trust me to take care of you. Let me know if I can help you today!

Here are the quotes!

"The fixed determination to have acquired the warrior soul, to either
conquer or perish with honor, is the secret of victory."
-- George Patton, General

"One's only security in life comes from doing something uncommonly well."
-- Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

"It is a peculiarity of man that he can only live by looking to the
future. And this is his salvation in the most difficult moments of his
existence, although he sometimes has to force his mind to the task."
-- Viktor Frankl, Austrian Neurologist

"The most delightful surprise in life is to suddenly recognize your own worth."
-- Maxwell Maltz, Surgeon

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls
and looks like work."
-- Thomas Edison, Inventor

"I will study and prepare, and someday my opportunity will come."
-- Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States


"Of course you want to be rich and famous. It's natural. Wealth and fame
are what every man desires. The question is: What are you willing to
trade for it?"
-- Confucius, Philosopher

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one
persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all
progress depends upon the unreasonable man. "
-- George Bernard Shaw, Playwright

"In the end it is important to remember that we cannot become what we
need to be by remaining what we are."
-- Max Dupree, Author

"The difference between intelligence and education is this: Intelligence
will make you a good living."
-- Charles Kettering, Social Philosopher

"The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a
man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher."
-- Thomas Huxley, Biologist

"The difference between intelligence and education is this: Intelligence
will make you a good living."
-- Charles Kettering, Social Philosopher

My Life as a Realtor!

Hi again. I've got the stats for the State of UT. If you want them then you have to ask! We had several spots with a deprecation and many with appreciation! Sandy went up by 19%! Isn't that awesome?

I subscribe to many different RE publications so you don't have to. I will always try to give you the most updated information that I can find! If you have any questions, please call me!

Here is a forecast from Adrian Van Eck's Mortgage and Property Hotline.

AS YOU NO DOUBT HEARD YESTERDAY EVENING OR AT LEAST WHEN YOU AWOKE THIS MORNING, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EARLY LAST NIGHT FINALLY PASSED THE BIGGEST HOUSING AND BANKING RESCUE PLAN SINCE THE 1930'S. BOTH THE SENATE AND THE WHITE HOUSE HAD EARLIER AGREED TO THE TERMS OF THE BILL IN WHAT BECAME A GRAND COMPROMISE. IN A BILL LIKE THIS ALL DEBATE IS STOPPED. IN ITS PLACE THERE IS AN AGREEMENT THAT GOES LIKE THIS: YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT IN THE FINAL BILL AND I WILL ADD IT IN. IN RETURN I WILL TELL YOU WHAT I WANT IN THE FINAL BILL AND YOU WILL ADD IT IN. I PROMISE NOT TO TOUCH A WORD OF WHAT YOU WANT ADDED IN.

THIS IS THE WAY THINGS HAVE BEEN DONE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. SINCE THE EARLY DAYS OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC. (THE ONLY TIME AMERICA STOPPED FORGING GRAND COMPROMISE BILLS LIKE THIS, THE UNION BROKE APART AND A NEARLY FOUR-YEAR LONG CIVIL WAR RESULTED. THAT EXPERIENCE TAUGHT POLITICIANS THAT IT WAS BETTER TO SWALLOW SOME THINGS THEY DID NOT LIKE IN ORDER TO GET SOME THINGS THEY DID LIKE. PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, WHO HELPED MAKE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BIGGER AND MORE POWERFUL, CALLED THIS PROCESS LOG-ROLLING. THIS EXPLAINS HOW A GOVERNMENT THAT STARTED OUT SO SMALL AND SIMPLE AND INEXPENSIVE IN 1789 HAS GROWN TO BE SO BIG AND COMPLICATED AND COSTLY IN 2008.

I EXPECT THAT THE SENATE WILL SPEEDILY VOTE AYE AND THE PRESIDENT, AS HE PROMISED IN RETURN FOR GETTING WHAT HE AND THE TREASURY SECRETARY WANT FOR FANNIE MAE AND FREDDIE MAC, WILL ADD HIS OWN SIGNATURE TO THE BILL AND TURN IT INTO LAW. I ASSUMED ALL THIS WOULD HAPPEN, SO I STAYED UP LATE INTO THE NIGHT YESTERDAY AND RESEARCHED THE VARIOUS DRAFTS OF THIS BILL, STUDYING ALL THE ITEMS GRAFTED ON SINCE IT BEGAN TO TAKE SHAPE IN CONGRESS WEEKS AGO.

NOT THAT IT MATTERS AT A TIME LIKE THIS, BUT I THINK YOU KNOW BY NOW MY OWN SENTIMENTS REGARDING THIS GRAND COMPROMISE OF 2008. I HAVE STUDIED THE ACTUAL SITUATION IN REAL ESTATE AND BANKING FOR MANY WEEKS, AND RECENTLY I REALIZED THAT WE WERE QUITE CLOSE TO AND MAY HAVE IN SOME REGIONS OF AMERICA HAVE ALREADY REACHED A NATURAL BOTTOM IN THE RECENT TROUBLES. IN OTHER WORDS, IF THIS WAS NOT A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION YEAR OR ANY ELECTION YEAR AT ALL, EVENTS MIGHT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO MUDDLE THROUGH TO A BASE AND TURNED UP ON THEIR OWN.

YES, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PAIN AS WE RUSHED TO THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT. SOME BANKERS AND MORTGAGE LENDERS WHO WERE RECKLESS AND EVEN FOOLHARDY IN THEIR CONDUCT WOULD LOSE THEIR JOBS AND EVEN SEE THEIR CAREERS IN FINANCE TERMINATED. SOME SHYSTER TYPES WHO CUT CORNERS TO MAKE AN EXTRA BUCK OR TWO WOULD BE EXPOSED AND HUMILIATED AND WOULD FIND IT HARD TO ATTRACT NEW SUCKERS. SOME OF THEM MIGHT EVEN GO TO JAIL. SOME DEVELOPERS AND BUILDERS WHO SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER BUT WHO ALLOWED SPECULATORS TO SIGN UP FOR TWO OR THREE OR FIVE OR MORE SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES OR CONDOS BEFORE THEY WERE EVEN STARTED, THINKING THAT BY THE TIME THEY WERE FINISHED THEY COULD FLIP THEM AT INFLATED PRICES AND MAKE LOTS OF EASY PROFITS, WOULD FINALLY PAY THE PRICE AND POSSIBLY EVEN GO BROKE.

ANOTHER 400,000 OR MORE HOME BUYERS – SOME OF WHOM SIGNED UP FOR VERY EXPENSIVE MCMANSIONS WAY ABOVE THEIR INCOME LEVEL, THINKING THE HOMES WOULD KEEP GOING UP 20% A YEAR IN PRICE AND BY NOW COULD BE SOLD, MAKING THEM A 50% PROFIT - AND ALSO MANY PEOPLE THAT WERE RECRUITED FROM WELFARE ROLLS AND INVITED TO BUY THEIR FIRST HOME, WITH NO ABILITY OR EVEN INTENTION TO MAKE MORTGAGE PAYMENTS FINALLY WOULD HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME. BUT NOW LOBBYISTS AND POLITICIANS HAVE COMBINED TO WIN FEDERAL MONEY TO TURN THE CLOCK BACK AND RESCUE ALL OR MOST OF THE PEOPLE DESCRIBED HERE.

I NOTE THAT LATE NIGHT TRADING IN A LIST OF STOCKS SHOWED THE GRAND COMPROMISE IS BEING WELL RECEIVED. SO MAYBE WE CAN ALL STOP TALKING ABOUT A NEW DEPRESSION AND FACE UP TO THE FACT THAT THERE ARE NOW MANY POSITIVE ELEMENTS IN THE WORLD OF REAL ESTATE AND BANKING, EVEN WITHOUT WASHINGTON'S HELP. FOR ONE, THE SURGE IN EXPORTS IS BRINGING MANY BILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO AMERICA AND THIS IS ACTING LIKE A MASSIVE BLOOD TRANSFUSION. MORE NEXT WEEK HERE AND IN OUR UPCOMING MONTHLY LETTER. ADRIAN VAN ECK.

This is some great information for anybody! I also subscribe to edsforecast.com. here is what I got from him!

Should I Buy or Rent? Should I Sell my House and Move Up?

You can ask just about anyone these days whether it is a good time to buy or sell and if they are not an experienced investor they will say it is best to hold off since most markets are slowing or decelerating. Well I am the first one to say this is absolutely incorrect and a very dangerous assumption. It is an assumption that costs a prospective buyer a LOT OF LOST MONEY. So to convince anyone who is a skeptic, I decided to provide a financial calculator that displays easy proof on how a delay in purchasing is almost always costing you. USUALLY A LOT OF MONEY... Hundreds of Realtors are using this calculator on edsforecast.com. This really is an eye opener.

http://info.edsforecast.com/Newsletters/0708buyvsrent.htm

Best Regards,

Ed Ross, Best Selling Author, and president of Edsforecast.com

I hope you enjoyed the read! I hope to have more next time for you!

Here are the quotes!

"Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success. "
-- Henry Ford, automaker

"Success is the maximum utilization of the ability that you have."
-- Zig Ziglar, Motivational Speaker

"My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my
life there."
-- Charles Kettering, Social Philosopher

"If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough."
-- Mario Andretti, Car Racer

"Kind words do not cost much. They never blister the tongue or lips.
They make other people good-natured. They also produce their own image
on men's souls, and a beautiful image it is."
-- Blaise Pascal, Writer

"You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be
the best thing in the world for you."
-- Walt Disney, Animator, Film Producer

"Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. "
-- Vince Lombardi, Football Coach

"No one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourself."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson, Poet

"An amazing thing, the human brain. Capable of understanding incredibly
complex and intricate concepts. Yet at times unable to recognize the
obvious and simple."
-- Jay Abraham, Marketing Expert

"Nurture your mind with great thoughts for you will never go any higher
than you think."
-- Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield

"Goals are dreams with deadlines."
-- Diana Scharf Hunt, Author

If for any reason you are unhappy with the content on my blog, please call me!

Check out my name on Google Brian E. Betts Thank you so much for you trust and loyalty!

All "Betts" on Brian! The only Realtor you want!

My Life as a Realtor!

I thought that this statistic was pretty impressive. We hear all this doom and gloom about the Market. Everyone is in Foreclosure and the world is coming to an end. On the flip side to this we hear that you can go out and find a foreclosure on every street in the nation. This what I heard today might change your mind. I have been telling you that there are not a lot of homes in foreclosure for months. Now RealtyTrac has my back.


Foreclosure Numbers For May!


RealtyTrac reported their May Numbers for foreclosures nationwide. And it is not pretty on the surface. According to them, “foreclosures were up 48% in May from the year earlier to a record of 261,255- which is up 7% from April. That represents 1 in 487 homes.”


And if we just listen to the headlines we think, WOW, this is bad. But do the math for a minute, divide 1 by 487-you get .21% right? That means 2/10ths of 1% of all homeowners in this country are in some stage of foreclosure process. That number is surprising isn’t it?

Yes, 99.8% of ALL homes nationwide are NOT in foreclosure! WOW.

Can you hear me now? GOOD!

Now I'm not one to gloat, but I Told You So! If you are the one that is in some sort of the .21% let me know so I can help you out before it gets to late to save you and to keep your home out. You know you can trust me.

Here are the quoats! Have a great day.

"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their
commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor."
-- Vince Lombardi, Legendary Football Coach

"How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young,
compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant
of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been
all of these. "
-- George Washington Carver, Botanist

"No matter what accomplishments you make, somebody helped you."
-- Althea Gibson, Tennis Player

"There's only one direction you can coast."
-- Brian Tracy, Author

"All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with
another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change
you. The only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you when you are
looking for external reasons to explain your unhappiness or frustration.
You may succeed in making another feel guilty about something by blaming
him, but you won't succeed in changing whatever it is about you that is
making you unhappy."
-- Wayne Dyer, Teacher

"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look
things in the face and know them for what they are. "
-- Marcus Aurelius, Emperor

"If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astonish
ourselves."
-- Thomas Edison, Inventor

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have
imagined."
-- Henry David Thoreau, Author, Philosopher

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly."
-- John Kennedy, 35th President of the United States

"There are risks and costs to a plan of action. But they are far less
than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction."
-- John F. Kennedy, 35 President of the United States

"A good plan is like a road map: It shows the final destination and
usually the best way to get there."
-- H. Stanley Judd, Writer

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it. "
-- Henry Thoreau, Author

"Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success. "
-- Henry Ford, automaker

My Life as A Realtor.

I've been a busy boy this last week. I have over 3 mil in inventory and 675k under contract right now. I have been trying to contact some old leads that I have been working in the past and getting homes sold. It's going to be HOT today we are looking at 100!

We had a great, but busy, weekend. Sat. I went fishing and caught many catfish. Went to a wake. Deb you are so strong! We love you. Then went to a Birthday party for one of my clients oldest daughter. Happy Birthday again! We had a blast and got home a little late. Rested on Sun.Back to work on Mon.

Let me know if I can help you in your Life.

All "Betts" on Brian! The only Realtor you want!

Here are the quotes!


"Worry is interest paid on trouble before it comes due."
-- William Ralph Inge, writer

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."
-- Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist

"Nothing will ever be attempted, if all possible objections must first
be overcome."
-- Samuel Johnson, Essayist, Lexicographer

"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is
the man who will win."
-- Roger Bannister, Runner

"The man who chases two rabbits catches neither."
-- Confucius, philosopher

"Many of us spend half our time wishing for things we could have if we
didn't spend half our time wishing."
-- Alexander Woollcott, Critic and Commentator for The New Yorker magazine

"Fix your eyes forward on what you can do, not back on what you cannot change."
-- Tom Clancy, Author


"Cherish your visions and your dreams, as they are the children of your
soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements. "
-- Napoleon Hill, Pioneer of Personal Achievement Philosophy

"The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word "crisis." One brush
stroke stands for danger, the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be
aware of danger--but recognize the opportunity."
-- John Kennedy, 35th President of the United States

"Success is often achieved by those who don't know that failure is
inevitable."
-- Coco Chanel, Fashion Designer