I drove down, the same as last time and stopped in Boise, Idaho halfway through. The drive was hotter this time, but it felt shorter which was a good thing. With temperatures down here in Las Vegas reaching 40°C it sounds a lot hotter than you would think. I am not saying that it isn't hot because it definitely is, however if you compare 40°C in Las Vegas compared to 40° in Vancouver, you would die in Vancouver with the humidity level that they have there.

In any case I've been working online and pushing forward. I will be contacting the realtor I deal with down here in Las Vegas, and possibly will be purchasing another condo or two while I am here.

The property management company that I have been dealing with is great, so far no problems, and I don't expect to see any in the future. I have actually been receiving checks, instead of dishing out money every month like I had to with the properties I owned in Winnipeg three years ago!

Buying a condo for $64,000 and then renting it out for $795 per month, just can't be beat. The properties down here require very little maintenance because they are new, so right out of the gate you have much less problems, less repairs and less headaches if you are dealing with the right property management company.

Personally, from what I can tell it looks like the prices of properties here have stabilized and has been that way since I was here and purchased here last October in 2009. No, the prices in Vegas have not gone up very much, if any yet. Obviously, Las Vegas is in a recession, and it still is. But, so what? Las Vegas will bounce back it is just a matter of time. And, in the meantime if the property is being rented out with positive cash flow, what's the problem?

I am making money every month off of my rental, while I wait for the market to rise. Even if it takes three years to rise, I don't really care. All I care about, is that I got the property for a good deal and I am able to rent it out to cover my costs and make some money on the side. This place is a no-brainer for any real estate bastard. If you have the money, and you have the balls this is the place to invest. I have said it many times, but you will see a blog post from me, when the prices rise and the profit of selling one of my condos becomes possible with a nice chunk of cash in my pocket.

On another note, I have to say that people tend to exaggerate everything. I was a little worried that coming to Las Vegas in August was going to be too hot. Yes it is hot, but as always friends and family, and anyone else always tend to jump in and put their own opinion resulting in fear and leaving you scared of the unknown. Never take anyone's word for it, learn for yourself. What is hot to some people, is warm to others, and vice versa.

Anyways, I'm having a great time down here in Vegas, enjoying this time, working and just enjoying my relaxing work vacation. I am so grateful that I purchased the place down here as a vacation home I can't even begin to explain it. I will have this place for many decades to come, even if the prices to rise.

Member whatever you focus on will expand. What does that mean? Well if you are continuing to think about how fat you are, you will get even fatter. If you continue to think about how sick you feel, you will continue to get sick. You're a thoughts will become your reality. Think about ways to make more money, and you will make more money. If you think about ways to get out of debt, you will create more debt. Think about what you want, not what you don't want. The Law of attraction is always at work, even though many times I find myself thinking negatively it is still working for me just in the wrong fashion. Training your self to be positive is the only way to have a happier life, I see this in myself all the time, and I work on improving myself all the time.

Have a great day, I'm off to the pool!!

I’m back in Vancouver looking at the rain outside and wondering why the f*ck we even came back to the “most beautiful city on earth” (Vancouver?!). In any case now I can focus on the work tasks as hand with no distractions of nice weather, LOL. Driving wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, 20 hours to get there, with a night in Boise, Idaho in between Vancouver and Vegas.

Now it’s to get off my lazy ass and make some money!

I don’t like not making my goals and it seems the last time I blogged about getting back to my $1500 profit per day it didn’t happen. Why not?

1. Part of it really has to do with me and my relaxed work ethic. Psychologically I think I am happy with the success I have achieved so I don’t work as hard as I should be or did in the past.
2. I don’t push myself like I used, the end result is lower income.  Another reason is feeling sorry for myself because I’m not making as much (stupid I know…). Money screws with your head, when you making tons of it you want more, when it comes in less amounts you get pissed off, angry etc..  Human beings are strange creatures, always wanting more and more, never being satisfied or happy with what they have already.
3. Lastly the internet is constantly evolving and changing and many opportunities that I made hundreds of thousands of dollars from in the past aren’t there. Competition comes in and pretty soon you aren’t making money. Google chances how the rank websites and your AdSense earning dry up and so on. Surprisingly I still make about $1,100 month from Ad Sense, from informational websites I built in 2003-2006. I haven’t touched them in years since at least least 2006. $1,1000 isn’t a ton of cash but I get check for doing nothing. Back to the changing Internet, I found loopholes in search engine like Google, Yahoo and MSN that allowed to get very cheap targeted traffic to my sites and made a killing for years. Most of those loopholes are now closed unfortunately, however the money I made from these tactics has been invested in real estate safe and sound.

I made at least 2-3 million dollar in revenue  from many, many loopholes that  I found that will be forever closed. I am very grateful for being in the right place at the right time in many situations for many years. I basically milked every idea I had as long as I could, and still milking some now as I write this. Being resourceful has helped to cement my financial freedom for as long as I am alive and my kids (and grand children) will be taken care of long after I am gone 50-60 years from now, for that I am so VERY grateful for! I feel like  I have done my duty as a provider, and it feels great to have achieved it.

Don’t count me out yet though, not even close. I still have some tricks up my sleeve I’m not going to slowdown and retire. I have too much energy to stop!

As for the local affiliate marketing I tried it with a local plumbing company, I made a website for them, I set up phone tracking so my client (plumber) knew that these calls were coming from me. So far from what I know he got 1 customer from it in about 1 month.

1. The problem is this, he doesn’t answer the call every time because he is busy being a plumber, if he calls a few hours later then that potential customer may have gotten another plumber lined up for the job.
2. I am paying for all the online advertising, so I get screwed because he isn’t on the ball!
3. Also some plumbing  jobs are just too small for this plumber to do, for instance changing a leaking faucet isn’t really worth it to him. I get 10% of each job, but it hasn’t worked out too well.
4. Traffic for local marketing campaigns is much lower than a dating site where you can target millions of people. For instance for this plumbing client, I get anywhere from 5-13 clicks a day. This is enough to get a job per day you would think but apparently lots of the phone calls are people asking questions more than booking jobs.
5. He has poor communication skills and takes him forever to call me back (many days usually).

I’m not too bummed out on this because I knew there were be problems that I wouldn’t be able to foresee until I actually had a campaign running. Local affiliate marketing definitely does work, because I track the phone calls the plumber is receiving. He is getting the calls but a factor of a few things really isn’t making this deal work out for me. Currently I lost around $250 roughly on this test, you live and learn. I don’t regret doing this project at all, I learned lots and I can use what I have learned on other clients that will pop up. I will be pausing the phone tracking as well as all my online advertising for this client. I wasted enough of my own time and money to try this out. If the client doesn’t want to put in much  effort then I have no alternative. I don’t like chasing clients for their input or money. There are way too many other people who would love an opportunity to have a chance at expanding their client base and only pay for actual clients. Whatever, you live and learn…

Watch this video below it is very inspirational Will Smith is the man he is a driven man, so awesome!!! He never gives up he would rather “die on a treadmill”. This is how you achieve success, so simple but yet SOO POWERFUL. He understands the universe and a crazy work ethic. AWESOME. This video sums up how I feel…

heading out on the 20 hour drive from Vegas to Vancouver

stopping for gas in some Nevada desert gas station

through the Nevada desert..

cool rock formations in the Nevada desert..

Nevada highway patrol

creepy little town in Nowhereville, Nevada USA

ditto

Once you get to Western Idaho, it all changes and looks like Vancouver…

cool looking winding road…

Almost home!!

Take a look at the Chevy Trail Blazer SUV below. You would think from the photos some thieves came by and stole the rims of this SUV, not so.  This house is being foreclosed on because the owner couldn’t pay the mortgage, my guess (and it’s a good one) is the owner vacated the premises and also left SUV because he couldn’t make payment on it either. He took of his custom rims and sold them probably on Craigslist to make a  bit of money. I can almost guarantee I’m right because when I got my place I had to buy new wash/dryer, as well as my fridge because the previous owners took them and sold them to make some extra cash.

Those pictures below show how bad it is down here, new subdivision and there is a 2 year old SUV on concrete blocks.

The Mirage volcano show, every night at 8 pm, it looks pretty damn real…

really vibrant cactus flower plants at Lone Mountain (3 blocks east of me)

If you ever have watched Pawn Stars, then you know who Chum Lee is. For the rest of the world he is just some dude who became famous because he works at a pawn shop in Las Vegas. The pawn shop just happens to also be a reality show, and now he’s famous just because he works there. Isn’t life funny that way?

The old man always looks half asleep, and he does sleep half the time (watch the show to see what I mean…).

This chapel was in the film called “The Hang Over”, funniest movie ever!! You go watch it now!

Vancouver graffiti from “Hoser”

caught in front of WalMart in North Las Vegas.

These clouds look insane, like a bomb blew up. They are shaped that way for no reason at all, except that Mother Nature wanted it that way.

ditto..

ditto..

ditto..

graffiti tunnel in Burnaby, B.C.

This condo is located just down the hill  (literally 20 second drive ) from my own vacation om here in Las Vegas. which is kinda nice in a way. If you’re thinking of investing in Las Vegas the timing  could not be better, with the Canadian dollar worth more than the US dollar (last time I checked), and such low prices combined with people looking to rent because they have lots their homes it’s a win, win, win situation, for real estate investors.

This is an opportunity that will not be around forever, and then you will kick yourself when you didn’t do it. Easier said than done, I know however you need to push yourself if you want to get ahead. Nothing comes by watching TV, go out and make your life happen.

Action = $$$$

sincerely,
Cosimo

the entrance is located on the side of the building. My rental condo is right across from the clubhouse that has a full gym as well as an outside pool

living room

dining area

view of kitchen from outdoor deck area…

view from patio of Lone mountain…

view from patio of parking area…

view of kitchen area…

view of wrap around kitchen area (the stove is gone, need to buy one)

view of closet

view of bathroom in master bedroom

view of tub in master bedroom

view of the washroom in the master bedroom

This condo cost me $64,000, is that insane I think so!! Every time I think of Vancouver real estate I just shake my head (still doing it now)….

The drive from Vancouver to  Boise, Idaho was 10 hours, we  got to redneck Boise at 6 pm. We stayed the night in a really nice hotel that was basically brand new, and it only cost $63. We stayed in a town called Meridian which is a suburb of Boise. I found the hotel on HotWire.com and it was a 3 star hotel that had free wifi through out the hotel, as well as a complimentary breakfast for the whole family! It was well worth the price. If you want the best possible deals on hotels as well as airfare, then check out HotWire.com. I’ll get the name later, can’t recall it right now.

I should also mention that every few hours my son would have a meltdown and start crying, so he would be let out of his car seat. He would cry for at least 30 minutes sometimes, and he cries really loud, lol. We did try to stop and give him what he needed (breast milk, diaper change or just comforting), but it wasn’t always an option. I knew driving 20 hours with small kids isn’t the easiest way to travel, but what the hell I like taking chances! Overall the kids were pretty damn good, I must say. The DVD players playing “How To Eat fried Worms” on the backseats might have something to do with their overall good behavior, lol.

The drive from Boise to Vegas started to drag the last few hours, since I just wanted to get there, unpack and relax. As we kept driving south in the desert towards Las Vegas the temperature kept creeping up and up.  By the time we got into Vegas the temperature was  27°C, it was perfect. Now I can relax in the sun for a month, work and not worrying about the rain.
Oh yeah for gas, I spent around $250 from Vancouver to Las Vegas which is pretty damn good considering I drive a V8 Escalade  that isn’t really economical. Gas in the USA is at $0.80 per liter compared to Vancouver that is at $1.12! Being Canadian we play allot more for gas, housing, you name it, compared to the Yankees. Now I can tell people I drove through Idaho, wee I am so proud, haha.

Ok that’s enough for now, time for an espresso.

driving through Washington, rain and more rain….

someone watching a DVD, with a lollipop..

driving over some bridge in eastern Washington…

A house on the move!

Idaho = farm country & potatoes for miles and miles.

Yes, there was still snow all over Nevada mountains

We stopped in this creepy little town in South Nevada, to get some gas. I swear to god everyone was in bred lol.

Having some food at the gas station…

little town of horrors….

I drove that truck for 20 hours in 2 days. I’m still tired thinking about it! I would never make it as a trucker!

creepy town, USA.. Horror movie anyone? Reminds me of that cheezy movie called “House Of Wax“, with Paris Hilton in it.

miles and miles of scenery like this..

Palms trees in the middle of no where. Palm trees are not native to the desert FYI…

Today, however I am preparing for the big road trip down to Las Vegas. The whole trip is a 20 hour drive from Vancouver and going through potato county (Idaho) and then to Las Vegas . We will be stopping in off in Boise, Idaho for the night and then be in Vegas by roughly 3-4 pm Friday. I am super stoked since the temperature is a nice balmy 28 celcuis! I can’t wait!

I have a whole list of people coming to visit, from my brother and his family, my mother in law, as well as my wife’s aunt and uncle.  I have another friend going to down to Vegas who we will be meeting up with, as well as my 3 cousins and their spouses. It’s a full house. People from Vancouver love going to Las Vegas, it’s a cheap, quick get away.

Of course being the workaholic that I am, I will be working  by the pool courtesy of the free wifi available from the clubhouse  in my complex. I can’t wait to work by the pool, wee.

Well that’s about it for now. I need to do a bit of packing, then register a new domain name for the new local client that I will be doing online marketing for.

I took a screen shot from Google Maps of the exact route we will be taking to get down to Vegas. This is the 20 hours driving route, I could have taken the 1-5 route through Oregon and cut across Cali but I would rather save the 4 hours an drive through farm country.  I can always take the scenic route on the way back if I want to.

Next post is from Vegas, ciao!!!!!!!

Since there are so many foreclosures and short sales in Vegas it can and has taken me months to finally close on this condo.The banks are swamped with work.  So now I have possession and I have gotten a local property manager in Las Vegas to rent out the place for. I’m hoping this doesn’t turn out to be another Winnipeg… I’m pretty certain this is the beginning of more condo purchases down in Vegas, it’s hard to resist when you can get such amazing deals. Rents should be between $750 – $900US a month, so it’s all cash flow baby, according to Jeremy (my property manager). I am not buying anymore places down there until I see how this first rental in Vegas does. I sure don’t want to buy  a bunch of condos and have them all sittingempty, so this one is the test. I have a great feeling and I have done my homework so  I’m certain it will be awesome but just to make sure I won’t buy anymore until I see results.

The Secret

I have been watching The Secret DVD over and over to help me get back to my healthy self and I can say it has worked once again! I feel great and I am working harder than ever to get my sales back up and they are showings signs of life again, HAHA.

Always remember, what you focus and think about always come to life, so focus on what you want and not what you don’t want! That is the best advice I can give anyone, who is feeling lost or depressed. The law of attraction!

Escalade

Also I am without my beloved Escalade, as the body shop fixes a few scratches on the front and rear bumper. They are installing new factory fog lights since the lens cover fell off both of the ones on the truck in the last year (don’t ask). Any my Cadillac emblem on my rear tailgate look like hell so I bought a new one that they are installing as well. That should make my SUV look brand newish again! I’m am driving down to Vegas (instead of flying) next month and I want it to look nice and new. I did the calculations and I should save at least $1500 each time I go, if I don’t fly and don’t rent a car when I’m down there.  I thought about buying a car but if I did it would have to be some minivan, and I don’t feel like paying $10,000 or whatever to have a minivan sitting in my garage in Las Vegas. This way I can have my own car down there and save big $$.

Yes’ the drive isn’t short, it’s roughly 20 hours but whatever. It’s the best idea I could come up with. Ok, that’s all for now, it’s 11:38 pm and it’s time to get to bed.

This beauty eyesore was caught in the underground parking lots Planet Hollywood hotel in Vegas, ugh.

I like my booze what can i say??

False Creek and the Granville Street Bridge

False Creek and the Granville Street Bridge

Cooking our food at The Stone Grill. They supply the raw meat and veggies and the super HOT stone seen here and you cook it. It’s kinda expensive at $45 a person for this type of dining.  I would rather just go to Cactus Club instead…

All the photos were taken in North Las Vegas, where I live…

Close to Red Rock Canyon.

imagine waking up to that every day scenery, would be neat (house is on left..). This hoe in near Red Rock Canyon.

Crazy color but I actually think it works well in this environment.

This is what happens if you can’t pay your loans. This million dollar house is now foreclosed and bank owned, and it’s half done! Right across the street you have the pimping house below.  I can’t imagine waking up to this eyesore until the market turns around, could be years and years!

I found these foreclosure notices posted on at least 6 doors in my complex, that means another 6 foreclosures from my complex alone. Las Vegas is in such a huge mess it’s unreal! Good for people who want the bargain of a lifetime though, but damn…

Las Vegas is the foreclosure capital of all the USA, this is the center of all the damage from the U.S. recesson. Obama was here just last week and pointed that out.

there are some really beautiful places (some foreclosed…), all are only a few minutes from where I live.

desert landscape, don’t fall on the cactus!

I have been having a tough time focusing on my business, not very motivated at all. Once again, my earnings have dropped lol. See, it’s not that easy to work online, things change super fast on the web. One day you are making $5,000 and the next you are down to $500! It can be an emotional roller coaster ride to say the least.

In reality I can’t complain, I can retire right now if I wanted to but I really don’t. I have been working to get my profit back up, and I am having some success but not to the amount I have been accustomed to. If you had to get into affiliate marketing it’s much tougher now than it was when I first started.

But where there is a will there is a way. I like to feel sorry for myself for a bit then I bounce back. Right now the “feeling sorry for myself” process is almost finished and I starting to work a bit more to get things back up. Affiliate marketing takes a ton out of you. It is not a get rich quick deal, it’s super tough. Honestly sometimes I  don’t even know how I did it at all. Motivation is the key to success, without it failure is probable.

Time to get back to work, personal blogs make very little $$$.

Ok, here is the deal with these lollipops, they cost $25 each! These are basically celebrity endorsed by “stars” such as Holly  Madison, Kendra Wilkinson, Mike The Situation Sorrentino and all the rest of the “stars” with their photos on the Sugar Factory walls (see below). Then dumb teenage girls spend $25.00 to look trendy, douchebagettes!

These are twist on lollipops, you can buy replace tops for $5 each. The bling bling stick is reusable, and it comes in a plastic case, LOL. If I ever buy on of these then you will know I have become a FULL douchebag!

Endorsed by Carmen Electra, Brittney Spears, The Kardashians, Spice Girls, Denise Richards and all the rest of the “stars” that got paid to lick the lollipop…. Consumerism at it’s worst! $25 lollipops, yeah!

Looks like she got pissed at me for taking photos of $25 lollipops lol, OH WELL!

Now you know why Americans are all FAT, deep fried Oreos? Yeah, I’m sure you really need to eat those….

Deep fried twinkies of course, what else would you expect if you can get deep fried Oreo cookies!

Inside Planet HollyWood hotel, pretty cool

This is indoors, even the sky………

On the way to Red Rock Canyon, amazing scenery. It’s like the Grand Canyon (but much smaller) however it’s only l 12 minutes by car from my condo!

Beautiful rock formations…

Cheeeezy smile!

The wild west all over again…