Finish What You Start with LandAcademy (CFFL 0285)
Finish What You Start with LandAcademy
Jack Butala: Finish What You Start with LandAcademy. Every Single month we give away a property for free. It’s super simple to qualify. Two simple steps. Leave us your feedback for this podcast on iTunes and number two, get the free ebook at landacademy.com, you don’t even have to read it. Thanks for listening.
Jack Butala: Jack Butala with Jill DeWit.
Jill DeWit: Hello.
Jack Butala: Welcome to our show today. In this episode Jill, and I talk about finishing what ya start with Land Academy. We’re not one of those people, or those companies that make you pay us to finish what you start. (laughs)
Jill DeWit: (laughs)
Jack Butala: Great show today, Jill. Before we get started let’s share something interesting that happened to us recently.
Jill DeWit: You know what’s funny? I wanted to share what we were picking up on recently as we were riding our bikes on the strand. It’s so funny, and it’s so easy to get caught up a little bit in a Driving for Dollars scenario. Boy that’s loud coffee there, Jack. (laughs)
Jack Butala: (laughs)
Jill DeWit: Golly. What the …
Jack Butala: [crosstalk 00:00:41] Hey, listen …
Jill DeWit: You know what would be really funny? It’d be funny if I would’ve said, “Close the bathroom door.” (laughs)
Jack Butala: (laughs)
Jill DeWit: [crosstalk 00:00:49] What it sounds like.
Jack Butala: Jill, you’re on your own. I’ll be back in 15 minutes.
Jill DeWit: Exactly. (laughs) [crosstalk 00:00:53]
Jack Butala: (laughs) Want to know a secret? Listen. We film … We record all the shows for the week at once, so it’s still early in the morning …
Jill DeWit: It is.
Jack Butala: … Early in the week. Even though it’s Tuesday this show will air on Tuesday. Anyway go ahead. I am going to pour some more [coffee 00:01:08].
Jill DeWit: It’s okay.
Jack Butala: You want some?
Jill DeWit: No, I’m good. (laughs) I’ll wait for the break to do mine. (laughs)
Jack Butala: (laughs)
Jill DeWit: Don’t let us stop you. Don’t let us keep you, Jack.
Jack Butala: This is just like …
Jill DeWit: This is just a show right now.
Jack Butala: This is exactly what happens in the company. It’s like, “Yeah, it’s fine. He’s the owner.”
Jill DeWit: Exactly. (laughs)
Jack Butala: “Yeah, he’s weird.”
Jill DeWit: He’s going to do that.
Jack Butala: “I know. What’s he going to do next?”
Jill DeWit: “We’re in the middle of a meeting, he just walked away. What is that?” [crosstalk 00:01:31] “Don’t worry. He’ll come back. He got it.”
Jack Butala: If I did that I’d get fired probably.
Jill DeWit: That’s right. (laughs)
Jack Butala: (laughs)
Jill DeWit: That’s exactly correct. “Don’t worry about it. He’ll be back, and he’ll read the memo later, so he’ll know what we talked about.” What was funny was that I noticed that it’s so easy, and I know most people in listening now are in our little real estate world, I’m guessing. Or you have some interest in real estate, so you do this too.
Jack Butala: Or you have really low standards in what you listen to.
Jill DeWit: Yeah. Or you really have a lot of spare time on your hands, and …
Jack Butala: (laughs)
Jill DeWit: … You have nothing, nothing else. You got tired of watching the grass grow, so … (laughs)
Jack Butala: (laughs)
Jill DeWit: … Here you are. It’s easy to … We were on our bikes doing it. You drive around, you go, “Look at that. It’s boarded up,” or, “God, look at all …
Jack Butala: I can’t help it.
Jill DeWit: … These homes on this block.” They’ve all been redone, but that one.”
Jack Butala: Or like a zoning change.
Jill DeWit: “Oh, what would you do on that one?”
Jack Butala: My favorite is like a zoning change or a notice. It’s like a … “I missed that deal. I didn’t get there first.”
Jill DeWit: Yeah. We were just noticing … Here we are just riding our bikes on the strand in southern California, and we see some of these homes. I’m like, “Jack. That’s been sitting there since 1920. It looks like they [crosstalk 00:02:49] …
Jack Butala: Yeah, literally.
Jill DeWit: … What’s the story there? God, what could we do with that?” We catch ourselves. It’s easy to get caught up on that. We know better. We know that if we send a mailer out to this whole block, that one’s … There’s some issue with that one, and we don’t want it. The house two doors down that we wouldn’t have considered …
Jack Butala: It looks brand new.
Jill DeWit: Exactly. That’s the one that the people want to sell, and they want to get out of it. They’ve had a change in their life, whatever. That’s the one that they really want to sell, and they will sell, so you can’t get caught up in it. I just thought was just funny, because we still catch ourselves.
Jack Butala: I sent a letter … A mailer out very recently, because we … Jill and I are looking to buy a very large boat for one-tenth of what it’s really worth or less. A guy called me back and said, “Look. I made a mistake. I bought this boat. It’s a gorgeous boat. I made a mistake. I bought this boat, whatever, like a year ago, a year and a half ago. I used it twice, and my wife doesn’t know about it.” That’s the whole reason. He’s like, “Look. If we can get this whole thing done at this price it’s fine. I don’t care what the price is. I just … She needs to not know about this.” That was his whole motivation. I’ll tell ya the boat, on either side of it, I’d probably be four times what I’m paying for this one. It’s just … Fall in the water.
Jill DeWit: I … It happens …
Jack Butala: It’s just you nailed it.
Jill DeWit: Yeah, that’s …
Jack Butala: It’s so … It’s just biological to look at a piece of property falling down, and want to fix it.
Jill DeWit: Exactly.
Jack Butala: Like men … Like women want to fix me.
Jill DeWit: (laughs) Yeah, right.
Jack Butala: (laughs) Don’t worry.
Jill DeWit: Do you know what we could do? If we put …
Jack Butala: I can fix ’em. I can work with this.
Jill DeWit: If we put better shoes on that guy …
Jack Butala: (laughs)
Jill DeWit: … Cut his hair, and him a nice watch, he’d look like a million bucks.
Jack Butala: Put some tape on his mouth.
Jill DeWit: No.
Jack Butala: (laughs)
Jill DeWit: (laughs)
Jack Butala: Lose 20 pounds, put some tape on his mouth …
Jill DeWit: No.
Jack Butala: … Change his eye color.
Jill DeWit: One girl did that by the way in a … What was it show? The New York Show, Carrie Fisher? Shucks. I can’t think of the show that … For a long time that was on it. It was on …
Jack Butala: Carrie Fisher like that.
Jill DeWit: HBO.
Jack Butala: Princess Leia?
Jill DeWit: Carrie Bradshaw.
Jack Butala: Oh, right.
Jill DeWit: Carrie Bradshaw.
Jack Butala: Yeah. Sex in the City.
Jill DeWit: Yes. One of it’s … One of the girls did that. She found a guy, and dressed him …
Jack Butala: (laughs)
Jill DeWit: He had a lot of money, but he looked awful, so she got him all cleaned up, and paraded him around. It was hilarious. (laughs)
Jack Butala: That’s perfect for her. It’s for girls.
Jill DeWit: Yeah. Changed his wardrobe. Everything. It was …
Jack Butala: There’s a reason I [inaudible 00:05:08] know what you’re talking about. I have never seen that episode. (laughs)
Jill DeWit: That’s all right. That’s funny.
Jack Butala: You ever seen season three of The Walking Dead?
Jill DeWit: Oh, gosh.
Jack Butala: Exactly. There’s men, and women stuff out there.
Jill DeWit: It’s okay.
Jack Butala: (laughs) Well said. It’s, “Oh, my gosh.”
Jill DeWit: Oh, my gosh.
Jack Butala: (laughs)
Jill DeWit: Not my thing. (laughs)
Jack Butala: (laughs) Hey. Before we get into it let’s take a question posted by one of our members on successplants.com, our free online community.
Jill DeWit: Luke … I put in here not that Luke, because we have a couple of Lukes in our [world 00:05:39], so this …
Jack Butala: Look how big our little family’s getting.
Jill DeWit: I know. We have a couple of Lukes.
Jack Butala: Multiple first name people.
Jill DeWit: This is Luke number two, not Luke number one. Luke number two knows who, and Luke number one knows who I’m talking about. Luke asks, “I sent out a mailer of 400 letters to Western Oregon. I’m pretty sure I priced it way low, but I’ve not heard back from anyone at all, and it’s been 10 days since I was supposed to have …
Jack Butala: Oh.
Jill DeWit: … It was supposed to have been mailed.”
Jack Butala: It’s way too soon.
Jill DeWit: “Is this abnormal? Do you guys often have mailers with no response? I did a second mailer of 1400 mailers … 1400 letters a week later.
Jack Butala: (laughs)
Jill DeWit: We’ll see how that one does.”
Jack Butala: Then brace yourself. (laughs)
Jill DeWit: (laughs) I know. Yeah, right. It’s coming.
Jack Butala: Yeah. It’s about three weeks. You need to wait about three weeks, and time it that way. That’s what we do. We send out letters once a month, but … We … You can … It’s on a calendar, so we should share that calendar. It’s about three to four weeks is when you’re going to really start to get some calls back. The first few calls that you get, and some stuff in the mail, they’re going to be like, “What the heck you talking about? $100 an acre. That’s not going to work for me.” Then in-between those, and the calls back where, “You know I’ve been thinking about selling this,” you’re going to get some mail in the mailbox with signed offers.
Those are the ones you want to do in my opinion. Because he’s obviously … Look, I think you’re brand new. Do the easiest deals you can first time around, so you have a real good experience. I see many, many, many people, brand new investors on … Mostly in bigger pockets saying, “What did I do wrong? This whole thing fell apart.” Not so much with the land, but with houses, and then they get turned off with REI in general. They just never go back, and I don’t want to see that happen.
Jill DeWit: You’re right. [crosstalk 00:07:19]
Jack Butala: Do the easy … Pick the easiest ones. Even walk away. Walk away from a few of them if you need to. If they’re slam dunk … You want to do the slam dunk ones easy. The first time wouldn’t you say Jill? The first time [deals 00:07:28].
Jill DeWit: I keep track of ’em too. If you’re … If it really pains you to say, “Oh, I think I could do this,” that’s fine. Put it aside, and come back to it. Like Jack said, pick the easy ones. You run into the bank, everybody’s alive and well. It’s just a no-brainer. They’ve owned it for 20 years, and they’re not going to retire there now. Do those.
Jack Butala: You know that feeling when … We’ve all this conversation where they sell, “I’m going to break up with this person tomorrow …
Jill DeWit: (laughs)
Jack Butala: … It kills me, because …
Jill DeWit: What?
Jack Butala: … She’s so hot, but it just … There’s … I can’t … There’s … I don’t even like her. It’s killing me.”
Jill DeWit: Oh, my gosh.
Jack Butala: That’s what you want to do with some of these deals.
Jill DeWit: What the heck?
Jack Butala: (laughs)
Jill DeWit: I would …
Jack Butala: There’s just … It’s the right thing to do.
Jill DeWit: I want to break up with her tomorrow, but she’s so hot.
Jack Butala: She’s so hot I’m going to maybe stick this thing out for another week.
Jill DeWit: Oh, my gosh.
Jack Butala: I know we have nothing in common, and I don’t like her that much, but …
Jill DeWit: Oh, my gosh.
Jack Butala: Just like you said, I would parade him around. It’s not a gender thing.
Jill DeWit: (laughs) That’s hilarious.
Jack Butala: (laughs)
Jill DeWit: Oh, my gosh. Wait, I got to wait for one more office party. Then I’m going to let her go. (laughs)
Jack Butala: You want the deal … The first deal that you do you want it to be the girl next door who you have everything in common with, and every time you see her it’s just … It clicks, and you have fun, and everybody says stuff like this right to your face, and behind your back. God, those guys are great to ya. That’s perfect.
Jill DeWit: (laughs)
Jack Butala: Just makes sense to me. That completely makes sense to me. That’s the deal you want to get.
Jill DeWit: You think they say that about us?
Jack Butala: I don’t know what they say.
Jill DeWit: (laughs)
Jack Butala: I don’t know.
Jill DeWit: (laughs)
Jack Butala: I wonder what they say.
Jill DeWit: I am curious. I would like to know. I’m going to bring back those forms. We used to have those forms at Success Plant. We had silly things like that we should say. [inaudible 00:09:02] bring back some silly stuff like that.
Jack Butala: I was thinking about that too. There’s some funny stuff on YouTube that I think we should … We have a YouTube Channel called Land Academy. God, it sounds like a commercial again. There’s a little sub-category that I put in the back, and it’s just … It’s called, “Don’t Let This Happen To You.” The first video I posted was this (laughs) … A video of this … These Japanese kids singing John Denver songs …
Jill DeWit: Oh, you put it on there?
Jack Butala: … In Japanese.
Jill DeWit: Oh.
Jack Butala: It’s a source of comedy. We … As a family we’re crying, rolling on the floor a couple of nights ago.
Jill DeWit: We were out for Sushi …
Jack Butala: It’s the funniest thing.
Jill DeWit: … We overheard. Then like, “Wait a minute everyone. Is that the song I think it is?”
Jack Butala: It’s John Denver.
Jill DeWit: Yeah.
Jack Butala: Country Road in Japanese …
Jill DeWit: It’s hilarious.
Jack Butala: … With a video.
Jill DeWit: I love it.
Jack Butala: If that doesn’t make you laugh then this Land Academy business is not for you.
Jill DeWit: (laughs)
Jack Butala: (laughs) You have to have a sense of humor don’t you?
Jill DeWit: You do.
Jack Butala: Ya got to have a sense of humor when someone calls and says, “I going to find you. Because you offered me $100 an acre for my property, and I think it’s worth 14 million.” (laughs)
Jill DeWit: Hold on, everybody.
Jack Butala: Think of that Japanese group when that happens, and … (laughs)
Jill DeWit: Hold on, everybody. Let’s not take it all this …
Jack Butala: “What’s he talking about now?”
Jill DeWit: … Seriously. Yeah, I know. It’s heavy. It’s killing me right now not to … There’s a saying, and I’m not going to …
Jack Butala: Oh say it, say it, say it.
Jill DeWit: Captain Random.
Jack Butala: (laughs) Is that what I’m doing?
Jill DeWit: (laughs) You are.
Jack Butala: Is it just all over the place?
Jill DeWit: You know what’s so funny? My brother came up with that, and was calling my mom that, Captain Random, one time.
Jack Butala: Just say whatever comes to your mind?
Jill DeWit: Yeah, exactly. Like it’s out like, “What?”
Jack Butala: I’ll stay on topic.
Jill DeWit: What? (laughs)
Jack Butala: I’m sorry. It’s just funny for me.
Jill DeWit: I know. (laughs)
Jack Butala: (laughs)
Jill DeWit: Again, funny for you. (laughs)
Jack Butala: I’m subconsciously avoiding talking about land investing.
Jill DeWit: Okay, good.
Jack Butala: Today’s topic …
Jill DeWit: No, it’s not.
Jack Butala: Today’s topic: finish what ya start with Land Academy.
Jill DeWit: Yeah, this is good.
Jack Butala: This is the meat of the show. This topic came up, because a couple of people very recently reached out to us and said, “We really want to do this, but what’s the catch? It seems like, what’s the deal?” I’ve been involved in these things before, and people, they say, “I bought this thing, and it’s half complete, and I’m half-educated, and now you want $50,000 to complete my education.” Jill and I, long before now, more than a year ago, set out to not do that. Because It’s just silly. This is not Harvard. This is not some Hilton …
Jill DeWit: Conference, whatever.
Jack Butala: … Conference where you get your credit card out. It’s the …
Jill DeWit: Let’s all up our credit, everybody. No. (laughs)
Jack Butala: We provide the tools and that’s it. There’s no more … There’s no second product, or third product, or fourth product.
Jill DeWit: That’s needed to do this.
Jack Butala: Yeah, this is it. Everything’s there.
Jill DeWit: It’s …
Jack Butala: You … Like the title says, “You finish what you start with Land Academy.” Ya don’t … We’re not going to charge you, or up-sell you, or any of that.
Jill DeWit: That’s … I love that about you, Jack. That’s always been your motto. If this works for you, and you want to learn how to do it, great. We’re happy to show you. If it doesn’t work for you, and it’s not your thing that’s great too. That’s fine. No one’s going to twist your arm, and talk you into it. If this is really what you want to do, and you’re serious about it, we will help you, and we’ll show you, and give ya everything you need. That’s it.
Jack Butala: That’s it. We’ll give you everything ya need start to finish.
Jill DeWit: If there’s something that, gosh, you’re really struggling with let us know, and we’ll … If we can make it happen, and help ya out with that we will. That’s where Deed Perfect came from …
Jack Butala: This whole thing.
Jill DeWit: … All these little things.
Jack Butala: It’s not a profit center for us. This whole thing is our way of giving back. We buy and sell enough real estate on our own with houses, and land, and the whole thing. We’ll get to houses next year. 2017. Land Academy says [crosstalk 00:12:35] …
Jill DeWit: We do make a little stuff of the thing, but it’s not the whole thing.
Jack Butala: That … If there’s any margin at all it goes to hiring new people to manage stuff.
Jill DeWit: Exactly.
Jack Butala: That’s what I mean. It’s not a massive profit center like land is.
Jill DeWit: Exactly. That’s what I think that people … This is not our main gig. Our main gig is our business. As a side thing now we’re teaching other people how to do a business like ours.
Jack Butala: It’s 6:30 in the morning, and we’re doing these shows, because we have to go to work …
Jill DeWit: (laughs)
Jack Butala: … At our main company eventually.
Jill DeWit: That’s very true. I’m having to hire people. You know what? That’s what’s funny is this is … To confirm what you just said, we’re having to hire people to run the land company, because we’re over here helping … Land Academy needs our help, and our people need our help. We’re having … We’re staffing up over there.
Jack Butala: If you have a question, or you want to be on the show, reach out to us on successplant.com. Either one of us, or any of the other members, they’ll help ya out.
Jill DeWit: Thank you. Our free online community. (laughs)
Jack Butala: (laughs) Join us in another episode where Jack and Jill discuss: how we use information, that’s me …
Jill DeWit: Inspiration, that’s me.
Jack Butala: To do just about anything ya want.
Jill DeWit: We use it everyday to buy property for half of what it’s worth, and sell it immediately.
Jack Butala: You are not alone in your real estate ambition. Good show, Jill.
Jill DeWit: Thanks. That was fun. That was really, really good. Good stories. We’ve had … Since we’ve been out here it’s been … We’re still in California right now, and it’s just so nice. We have … There’s a lot of material. You know what? My funny stuff. When I sit and think about something funny this year I have a lot of material I have to sift through. (laughs)
Jack Butala: (laughs) I know.
Jill DeWit: You know? Do you have that too?
Jack Butala: Yeah. We … Yes.
Jill DeWit: There’s something … I …
Jack Butala: There’s … Go ahead.
Jill DeWit: … Find something funny every single day.
Jack Butala: Oh, so do I. I think, but … I just … It’s amazing to me how well … Stuff that I have to sift through … Because before we sit down, and do the shows we look around, and check Success Plant, and find out what’s going on, and see how the deals people are doing, and look at our own. I look at our own deals that we’re doing, because I’m not that attached to it anymore. It’s just actually, when you take a few steps back, it’s amazing. Information and inspiration to buy undervalued property.
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