Wednesday 1 November 2017

Free Chapter ― Professor M.S.Rao’s Upcoming Book “Secrets to Achieve Your Financial Freedom from Real Estate Investments”





Dear friends,

I am excited to share with you that I authored a book on real estate and financial investments. It is tentatively titled, “Secrets to Achieve Your Financial Freedom from Real Estate Investments.” Here are the details about the book with a free chapter. I would appreciate if you could share your thoughts about this book on social media channels including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.

About The Book
“Real estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried away. Purchased with common sense, paid for in full, and managed with reasonable care, it is about the safest investment in the world.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt
This book is based on author’s personal experience to buy his dream home. It contains case studies, anecdotes, striking stories and investments in real estate business to strike rich with a limited capital.  It deals with real estate business, explains the process of buying your dream home and achieving your financial freedom. It unveils tools and techniques about investments and outlines steps involved in buying your dream home, the process of negotiation, and building connections to lead your life happily. It
  • Explains fundamentals of real estate investments.
  • Equips you with financial freedom.
  • Emphasizes the philosophy of ‘buyers first, sellers second, and financial institutions third.’ 
  • Implores stakeholders to serve with passion and purpose to make a difference to the world. 

This book serves as a basic guide to every homebuyer from searching to shifting to their dream home. It is a short course on real estate investments offering immense guidance, inspiration and actionable content that can be referred to again and again. You can easily toss the book into a briefcase or purse and read here and there as time allows. It is a quick reference guide to real estate consultants, builders, sellers, buyers, bankers and investors.     


“Look at market fluctuations as your friend rather than your enemy; profit from folly rather than participate in it.” — Warren Buffet


Globally growing population creates a greater need for housing. There are immense opportunities in real estate business to become rich. If you have the passion to serve your customers with a purpose to make a difference in their lives, you can earn money and goodwill. You can build great connections to grow quickly not only financially but also personally, professionally and socially.

Indian real estate market is unregulated where builders flout the norms and agents operate without any license. It needs to be revamped to protect the home buyers. Usually, it is a practice for both sellers and buyers to go through referrals and connections. In contrast, the market in developed nations is highly regulated with a little scope for ligation. All stakeholders including buyers, sellers, agents, consultants and financial institutions are protected.


Games Real Estate Agents Play

Although I am 54 years old, I don’t have my own house. I still stay in single bedroom rented apartment. I sold a piece of land that I bought more than 10 years ago. The value of the land appreciated. I sold it to fund for my younger son’s overseas education. I still have little funds to purchase a 2BHK flat. I began searching for flats within my small budget.

I have come across real estate agents who are ruthless in their approach. They applied all kinds of pressure tactics and marketing strategies to purchase the flat else I would lose the opportunity. I kept cool as I understand the human psychology and the techniques marketing people deploy and employ to push their sales.  Some agents keep extra margin without revealing to the buyers. Some agents make a short-term agreement with the sellers and sell the property to the buyers for higher rate. Some agents don’t allow the buyers to talk to the sellers. They allow both buyers and sellers to meet only after the deal is finalized. Most agents create artificial demand to create panic in buyers.


Do’s and Don’ts to Buy Your Dream Home

Here are some do’s and don’ts to observe before buying your dream flat:
  • Look for genuine real estate agents through connections and references.
  • Be in the good books of agents who can inform you about the sellers in need of immediate cash. 
  • Avoid the sellers who are adamant and rigid in negotiations.
  • Check websites offering genuine information about properties.
  • Don’t buy on impulse. Take your own time to purchase the property. There are always better opportunities waiting for you.
  • Don’t worry if you miss to buy the property you liked. Remember that everything happens for a reason.
  • Keep cash with you ready, if you have. It helps you buy your dream home at lower price. 
  • Build a good credit record to persuade your banker when you go for loan.
  • Network with bankers who can give you loans. Additionally, network with auditors and lawyers.
  • Maintain cordial relations with your neighbors to live happily and peacefully. 

If you have made mistakes in decision-making, don’t regret. Take feedback to improve yourself. Failures are the learning lessons in life to make you more confident and competent to make better decisions in future.


Career in the Real Estate

There are plenty of opportunities to pursue a career in real estate as there is a huge demand for it globally. People need food, cloth, shelter, and medical facilities. Hence, it is better to acquire basic knowledge about real estate before entering it. It is also advisable to work with some experienced people to learn the ropes in real estate. The basic principles of real estate remain the same, but the rules and regulations vary for country to country. It is desirable to understand the taxation and legal aspects before entering it.


Conclusion

There are several ways to strike rich in business. One of them is by venturing into real estate business which offers tremendous opportunities because there is a strong need for homes especially in populated countries. The planet will be occupied with more people with homes. Hence, there is a huge potential for self-occupancy and rental incomes.  To summarize, real estate is a great business and has a huge potential in future. There is always appreciation of land prices globally. Hence, it is advisable to enter this profession to serve and make a difference. 

Note: Here is the link to purchase my bestselling book ‘21 Success Sutras for CEOs: How Global CEOs Overcome Leadership Challenges in Turbulent Times to Build Good to Great Organizations’ http://www.amazon.com/21-Success-Sutras-Ceos-Rao/dp/162865290X


Life is great!

Professor M.S.Rao
Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants India




Thanks for reading!

Kindly share your thoughts and comments below, I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.


Copyright©2017 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


This is a nonprofit blog to share Professor M.S.Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog and redistribute by email or post to the web. The use of this material is free provided copyright is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.in.  This material may not be sold, or published in any form, or used in the provision of business services to a third party without permission.

Tuesday 24 October 2017

My Personal Experiences while Buying a New Flat/Apartment





“The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” — Maya Angelou


When I decided to buy an apartment/flat, I had lots of concerns about funds, prices, new location and community. I stayed in a single bedroom rented apartment in a place for almost a decade. Hence, I developed an emotional attachment to the place. People revered and respected me a lot in the locality despite being a tenant in a single bedroom apartment. I always minded my business without interfering into others’ affairs. However, I helped people whenever they approached me by offering career guidance free and inspiring them with appreciation.


My Personal Experience to Buy a New Flat

“Make sure everyone who works with you or for you, feels the need to tell others about the incredible experience.” — Chris Murray

I experienced unique emotions and feelings when I was planning to buy my dream flat. I realized that I love to be in the comfort zone. I know that I stay in a mass area where there is no scope and appreciation of property. But I must move in my life to another location permanently one day. Hence, I decided mentally to move to another location.

I researched about the areas I wanted to move based on my economy budget. I searched online to find out the properties falling within my budget. I physically went to the locations to search the properties. I came across real estate agents with many false promises with wrong information. I shortlisted a few agents. I moved along with them physically to search the properties. I shortlisted a few properties. I went to the buyers to negotiate. I found that the prices given by some agents wrong. As a result, the negotiations failed. In some cases, the properties are litigant. Some of them are not Vaastu compliant. Once again, I searched new properties. The agents talked about the properties from other locations falling within my budget. I physically went to see them. Most times I found the information given by the agents is different from the information shared by the sellers. I did not appreciate such irregularities. In some cases, the sellers did not want to pay commission to the agents. They wanted to have a direct discussion with the sellers which is not possible always.


Dos and Don’ts in Buying Your Dream Home
  • Be clear who pays the commission to the real estate agent or broker whether the seller or buyer.
  • Negotiate directly with the seller.
  • Check the documents physically and get them verified by professionals and legal experts.
  • Check and recheck the facts and figures to avoid ending up in a fiasco.

Remember that land value appreciates while the construction value depreciates over a period of time. If you want good appreciation, invest in land, not in apartment. If you don’t have any flat, then buy one flat because owing your dream home is like feeling at the top of the world. Kenny Guinn rightly remarked, “There is something permanent, and something extremely profound, in owning a home.”


Conclusion

“In the real estate business, you learn more about people, and you learn more about community issues, you learn more about life, you learn more about the impact of government, probably than any other profession that I know of.” — Johnny Isakson

It was a great experience meeting new people, communities and understanding their perspectives. I built new connections and came to know the psychology of builders, agents and landowners. But I did not unveil my identity as an author of 36 books and a professor with a PhD in soft skills. I was concerned that people perceive me differently based on my professional profile. Hence, I disclosed everywhere that I served in Indian Air Force and am looking for a new flat to settle down in my life.


“The best time to buy a home is always five years ago.” — Ray Brown






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Life is great!

Professor M.S.Rao
Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants India




Thanks for reading!

Kindly share your thoughts and comments below, I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.



Copyright©2017 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

This is a nonprofit blog to share Professor M.S.Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog and redistribute by email or post to the web. The use of this material is free provided copyright is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.in.  This material may not be sold, or published in any form, or used in the provision of business services to a third party without permission.


Sunday 22 October 2017

Life is a Train, not a Station




“Our life is a constant journey, from birth to death. The landscape changes, the people change, our needs change, but the train keeps moving. Life is the train, not the station.” ― Paulo Coelho


We often hear that life is a journey and we must enjoy every moment of it rather than worry about the destination. It is fact that everyone intends to reach their destination but they sacrifice their present moments by thinking about the future. In a similar context, life is a train, not a station. When you think of only station you are confined to a particular moment of your life, not the life. The collection of stations become the process of train journey complete. You don’t know when you will step down from the train forever.

You are born to your parents and will be supported by them and your friends. You will meet strangers and known people in each station. Some will step down while some will travel along with you. But remember, you are born alone and die alone. Hence, do good to others; make others comfortable and happy; and make a difference to them to leave your legacy to your next generations. Life is great!




If you like this article, Like and share Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Professor-MSRao/451516514937414




Life is great!

Professor M.S.Rao
Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants India




Thanks for reading!

Kindly share your thoughts and comments below, I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.



Copyright©2017 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


This is a nonprofit blog to share Professor M.S.Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog and redistribute by email or post to the web. The use of this material is free provided copyright is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.in.  This material may not be sold, or published in any form, or used in the provision of business services to a third party without permission.

Saturday 21 October 2017

Worst Things Open the Door for the Best Things in Your Life





“Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.” — Oscar Wilde


Everyone has challenges in life. How you overcome them matters the most. Do you avoid them or address them? Avoiding them remains as a comma and addressing them becomes a full stop.  In this regard, we will discuss about addressing the challenges.    


Address the Challenges

“We all have problems. The way we solve them is what makes us different.” —Unknown

When you avoid challenges, they become crises. In contrast, when you address the challenges, you clear your mind and concentrate on other productive activities. Harold Hill once remarked, “You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.” Hence, address challenges earnestly and immediately to avoid empty yesterdays. To overcome challenges, write them on a paper to analyze and understand. It relieves your tension and anxiety and offers amazing solutions. Accept the fact that you are not alone to encounter challenges in this world. Everyone has their own share of challenges and hidden stories. Some express while some hide them. Develop a right attitude to address the challenges. What differentiates between the ordinary people and extraordinary people is that ordinary people suffer silently while the extraordinary people address them quickly to move to the next higher level.  Here are some tips to overcome your challenges:
  • Identify the root of the challenges to address them earnestly.
  • If you are upset, talk to your close friends about it. Expressing your emotions is the key to relieving your inner anxieties and feelings.  
  • Discuss with more friends and relatives about the challenges to seek their ideas and insights. Choose the best solution to overcome them.


Conclusion

“It isn’t what happens to us that causes us to suffer; it’s what we say to ourselves about what happens.” — Pema Chodron

When you want to grow in life, identify what is holding you back to address them. Life is a circus with ups and downs. Be prepared to encounter the challenges. When one door closes, you must open ten doors. Remember, worst things open the door for the best things in your life. Hence, be optimistic and confident to achieve all-round peace and prosperity in your life. Life is great!







If you like this article, Like and share Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Professor-MSRao/451516514937414




Life is great!

Professor M.S.Rao
Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants India




Thanks for reading!

Kindly share your thoughts and comments below, I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.



Copyright©2017 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


This is a nonprofit blog to share Professor M.S.Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog and redistribute by email or post to the web. The use of this material is free provided copyright is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.in.  This material may not be sold, or published in any form, or used in the provision of business services to a third party without permission.

Friday 20 October 2017

Everything Happens for a Reason – A Short Story





“Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.” — Dalai Lama

Most people think that they alone have challenges in their lives. However, the fact is that everyone has their own share of challenges and hidden stories. Some people unveil while some keep within themselves. In this post, we will discuss that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel and everything happens for a reason.


Everything Happens for a Reason — A Short Story

“We all have within us the ability to move from struggle to grace.” ― Arianna Huffington

When I was in Chennai (India), things got worse financially in 2006. I did not know what to do because things went out of my control. I tried to resolve them smoothly, but the challenges came in battalions. Finally, I was forced to leave Chennai in 2007 and relocate to another place in India along with my wife and two sons. I did not know what to do then but I took risk by moving permanently from Chennai. I was very confident of surviving in a new place despite financial difficulties as I was qualified with an MBA degree and being hailed from military background. Little did I realize that the MBA would be useful in my life during my tough times. Within a span of a month of my relocation, I joined as a faculty member to teach management subjects and soft skills for engineering students. I got positive vibrations from students and I thanked almighty for showing the right path when I did not know what to do. I was getting regular income and got my two sons admitted in schools to continue their regular education. From this, I came to know that everything happens for a reason. My services were not required in Chennai. Hence, problems came up and I was forced to relocate to a different place to pursue a noble career of teaching. I also discovered for my passion for teaching, training, research and consultancy. Whenever you encounter challenges in life, pray to God to provide you strength to overcome them. Never pray for an easy and calm life because leaders don’t rise when the sea is smooth.

When you are pushed to the corner, you must think creatively to raise resources and utilize your hidden talents and strengths. You must build new connections to overcome challenges and think creatively to work with what you have rather than blaming others. It is a fact that nobody leads an easy life. Everyone has a hidden story. In fact, there are four kinds of life ― private life, professional life, public life and secret life. 


Conclusion

“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.  Because it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” ― Maya Angelou

We cannot control everything in our life, but we can change our attitude toward life. Remember, tough times don’t last but tough people do last.  Life is great when it has peaks and valleys. God throws challenges to humans to make them stronger and winners. Don’t lose hope when your are forced to the corner. Fight to the finish to come out with flying colors.


“There is no need to run outside for better seeing…Rather abide at the center of your being; for the more you leave it the less you learn. Search your heart and see…The way to do is to be.” ― Lao-Tzu





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Life is great!

Professor M.S.Rao
Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants India




Thanks for reading!

Kindly share your thoughts and comments below, I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.



Copyright©2017 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.

This is a nonprofit blog to share Professor M.S.Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog and redistribute by email or post to the web. The use of this material is free provided copyright is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.in.  This material may not be sold, or published in any form, or used in the provision of business services to a third party without permission.


Wednesday 18 October 2017

Make Your Decision Wisely while Buying Your Dream Home/Apartment



“Real estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried away. Purchased with common sense, paid for in full, and managed with reasonable care, it is about the safest investment in the world.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt


We make several decisions in life. Unfortunately, some of them fail while some succeed. Despite rich experience, intelligence and availability of information, people fail due to external distractions and disturbances. At times it raises doubts in people whether something is wrong with their decision-making. In this post, I will share my experiences while buying my dream home.

I stay in a single bedroom flat since I hail from a lower middle-class family. Most people think that I belong to an aristocratic or affluent background by looking at my profile on social media. In fact, I was born in a poor family and rose from humble origins without regular education. Fortunately, a piece of land I bought more than a decade ago appreciated and I utilized some of the money for my younger son’s overseas education. I decided to own a flat with the balance little money. However, I encountered several challenges such as wrong agents who pressurized me to buy the property. Some agents showed only two or three properties and pressurized me to buy. They did not show me more properties when I requested. When I clearly told my budget and location, they showed properties with legal litigations to trap me. Since I have the habit of gathering information from multiple sources before making decisions, I found them to be with irregularities and litigations. Some brokers pressurized me to buy property through their connections and by influencing my connections. But I did not succumb to such pressure tactics. In some cases, when I decided to buy property it was grabbed by other buyers. In some cases, brokers presented me wrong picture about the prices. When I enquired sellers through direct negotiations, I came to know that they did not fall within my budget. Likewise, I encountered several challenges to buy my dream flat.


Dos and Don’ts When You Buy Your Dream Home

“Find out where the people are going and buy the land before they get there.” —William Penn Adair

It is the dream of most people to own a flat or apartment in their lifetime. There are many precautions the buyers must take before buying property from sellers. There are lots of formalities and techniques involved in buying your dream home. Making a wise decision is key to own your flat. And making decision is not an easy one as your mind wanders from time to time depending on the available opportunities and the fluctuating prices. There are many channels involved in buying your apartment. Usually there is an agent or broker between the seller and the buyer. If you get a genuine agent who can serve as a bridge between the seller and buyer to clinch the deal with a win-win, you can accomplish your lifetime dream to buy your flat or home.  Here are some dos and don’ts to observe while buying your dream home:
  • Do research about the prospective areas for appreciation and good neighborhood.
  • Ensure that you have a good neighborhood to lead a pleasant and peaceful life.  
  • Check for quality of construction. Ensure that the builder complied with the rules and regulations and there is no deviation from the given plan to avoid paying any penalties to the authorities.
  • Look for communication and transportation facilities.
  • Look for legal aspects.


Make Your Decision Wisely

“You can’t have everything you want, but you can have the things that really matter to you.” — Marissa Mayer

When you want to buy your dream home there are certain factors that prevent you from moving forward such as fear of unknown, new location, finance, your emotional connection to the present house and concerns about the new neighborhood to name a few. If you accept the fact that change is the only thing constant in this world, you will take things in your stride to move forward aggressively to your new home with happiness and joy.

Make your decision based on your head, heart and gut. Don’t be sentimental and emotional. Wait for some time if thing don’t fall into place. Remember that everything happens for a reason. Buying your dream home requires patience and perseverance. Take a little longer time to buy your dream home as it is a lifetime investment. There are several costs involved while shifting your home. Hence, take all precautions and steps before buying your dream home and shifting into it.  Good luck!


“If you don’t own a home, buy one. If you own a home, buy another one. If you own two homes, buy a third.” — John Paulson, Hedge Fund Manager and billionaire




If you like this article, Like and share Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Professor-MSRao/451516514937414




Life is great!

Professor M.S.Rao
Founder of MSR Leadership Consultants India




Thanks for reading!

Kindly share your thoughts and comments below, I’m sure someone out there will find your story useful.



Copyright©2017 MSR Leadership Consultants India. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


This is a nonprofit blog to share Professor M.S.Rao’s passion and vision to build one million students as global leaders by 2030. Please don't cut articles from my blog and redistribute by email or post to the web. The use of this material is free provided copyright is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the Blog http://professormsraovision2030.blogspot.in.  This material may not be sold, or published in any form, or used in the provision of business services to a third party without permission.