Archive View (July 2009)

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that curiosity is a good way to stay stimulated and informed as well as young. Ever notice that children are curious about everything? That’s how they learn and the same thing should apply to adults. People have often commented that I ask a lot of questions, which is true, and it’s one way I’ve learned a lot. I can remember when I was deciding on what type of bathroom sink to install in a new property, so I kept three samples on a sofa in my front offices. I would ask everyone who came more...

I can remember when someone asked me where my confidence came from. I thought for a moment and realized that a lot of it comes from discipline, and from having a firm foundation. My father always told me “Know everything you can about what you’re doing”-- in  other words, cover your bases, be thorough. This sounds very simple but it was very good advice, and I have followed it. It has obviously worked, and I remain grateful to my father to this day. His advice and mentorship gave led to my entrepreneurship success. Another thing about being thorough is that it can more...

The following question was submitted to "Ask Donald Trump" by a Trump University member. Question: I have never studied management but am interested in learning real estate property management so I can manage my own real estate investing properties. Where do I start and what are the basics I need to know about property management?  Study everything you can about it. In The Art of the Deal,  I talk about how I learned from my father and had my own experiences with property management. It’s worth reading about. You’ll see that it takes a lot of insight into human nature, so all your experiences more...

We’re not going to be discussing Rodin and his famous statue today, but Edward de Bono. For those of you who aren’t familiar with him, de Bono is worth knowing about. He is an author, a physician, an inventor, an entrepreneur and a consultant. He has degrees in medicine, psychology, physiology, and design and holds many professorships throughout the world. He has written 62 books and he invented the term ‘lateral thinking’ with subsequent work on parallel thinking. In using lateral thinking, you can provide a possible solution to problems through a creative and indirect approach. Trying harder and in the same more...

On Wednesday I was interviewed by Neil Cavuto and we discussed issues pertaining to the economy. I said that things seemed to be looking better, and that very importantly, people seemed to be confident that the economy is improving. Considering the situation awhile back, there are indications that the market is coming back and along with that we see confidence returning. That’s a very good sign in itself. Neil asked me what I thought about the idea of raising taxes. I think that’s a dangerous thing to do. This is a fragile time, we have a delicate economy and it wouldn’t take more...

I learned a great deal about business and life from my father, Fred C. Trump. I learned from watching him and working with him. He was unable to attend college himself, so it meant even more to him for his children to be well educated and well read. I will always be grateful to him for emphasizing the importance of education, and reading is still an integral part of my daily life. To make sure it’s part of yours,  here’s a list that has the variety that life presents to us. Being good at business means having a broad base of more...

The New York Post ran an article on Monday about a letter I wrote to Governor David Paterson about his choice of a lieutenant governor. As a citizen, I felt it was my duty to point out a few things that I knew about the man he appointed, which included his strengths and weaknesses. I decided this would be a good lesson in objective assessment for my readers at Trump University. It’s always important to be circumspect when it comes to business, politics, and just about everything. I had carefully thought about the pros and cons before writing my letter, and realized more...

The following question was submitted to "Ask Donald Trump" by a Trump University member. On several occasions you pay tribute to your father Fred C. Trump. We only see a small glimpse of him as a family man and as a business person. Anything in the works to do an inside biography of your father and his early years? My first book, The Art of the Deal, gives background information on my father and how he started out in business, and about our family life. It’s a good source. Related Posts  Focus On Business Donald Trump's Biggest Challenge Real Estate Investing more...

Recently, I was asked to recommend a summer reading list from my own books. Over the years I’ve written a lot of business books and even one on golf. Why do I write? I’m a bit of a teacher by nature and I feel writing allows me to organize my thoughts and experiences in a way that I can provide lessons of wealth building wisdom in an easily accessible format. It is my sincere desire to help you by sharing my own experiences and life lessons and I hope you’ll take some time this summer to catch up on your reading. What are your favorite more...

Last week I spoke with Greta Van Susteren on Fox News, and we covered topics that included the economy, President Obama, the banks, health care, and OPEC. OPEC deserves our attention because it’s a situation that is too often overlooked, and it has had serious impact on our country and our economy. OPEC openly laughs at the stupidity of our country as they raise oil prices. They are draining and sucking the life blood out of this country. They like to blame it on speculators. The speculators are peanuts compared to the power of OPEC. OPEC hires lobbyists in Washington and they more...

Many in residential real estate investing found that in a buyer's market, the buyer's have a buffet to choose from and the sellers are always looking for new and innovative ways to stand out as the better choice in the line. Sometimes, offering creative ways of financing can open the property up to a new consumer or offer attractive financing terms the competition may not be offering.  Below are a few examples of these creative financing terms. Rent with the Option to Buy.  Commonly known as a Rent-Option, this type of financing usually has the buyer sign a lease to rent the property, more...