This Issue: Make It Happen in Your Life

"You cannot teach a man anything; You can only help him find it within himself." - Galileo

In a recent issue of Business Week magazine, I was voted, by their readers, as "the world's most competitive businessperson" and voted by the staff and writers of Business Week as one of the top 10 most competitive businesspeople on the planet. To me, that is a great honor. It also underscores why I emphasize taking the initiative in order to "make it happen in your life."

I am a competitive person and to me that's a good thing, because it's the opposite of being complacent. I've talked before how complacency can keep you in a comfort zone, which isn't always the best place to be. I also compete with myself, which is the ultimate form of competition. Trying to best yourself can make your aspirations even more significant.

For example, I have achieved great success as a developer. I'm the biggest developer in New York. Who do I compete with in that case? The answer is pretty simple: myself. I've mentioned the importance of self-motivation before, and that's one reason why. It's also a great way to challenge yourself and to keep your momentum where it should be-moving forward. I'm always looking for ways to do things better, no matter how much success I may have encountered.

Some people say that's a good way to never find satisfaction. Well, I don't believe in being self-satisfied, or for very long anyway. There's no reason we can't toot our own horns once in awhile, but hey, we all know that the world is moving forward quickly and keeping up with it is important. I like being on the cutting edge of progress. I don't like being someone who sits back and watches it go by.

Unless you plan to spend your time in a café, sipping cappuccino and watching life go by, I'd advise you to take some steps towards making what you want to happen in your life actually happen. The fact that you are reading this now gives me an indication that you're not a café type, but a person who is serious about success and achievement.

There is an old riddle that brings this to light: Five frogs are sitting on a log. Four decide to jump off. How many are left? Answer: Five. Why? Because there's a difference between deciding and doing. Think about that one for awhile and see if it pertains to you. Let's hope it doesn't, but if it does, there's still time to get going and start making things happen in your life.

The first step will be to find out what you love doing. As you know, I'm a firm believer that passion is absolutely necessary in order to achieve comprehensive success. I say 'comprehensive' success because in order to be truly successful, it's important that you feel fulfilled by what you are doing. Otherwise, what's the point? Empty success is success without passion. It's like going to school and tuning in just enough to pass so you can get out and do what you really want to be doing, or having a job that makes you watch the second hand ticking on the clock.

As Galileo said, a teacher's job is to help you find it within yourself to do what it is you should do. Then again, maybe you already know. We've all heard stories of how people bucked the system and defied their teachers and families, and became huge successes. They were persistent and steadfast, but above all they had tremendous passion for what they were doing. That made them indomitable. Michelangelo's family was dead set against him becoming an artist. He became one anyway, against great odds. Einstein wasn't a great student, but he had an amazing mind and he exceeded all expectations.

Either way, the point is to find out what you love and then take the steps to make it happen for you. Learn to compete with yourself and see how much you can accomplish. It's a great feeling to know you have the ability to make things happen in your life. In short, don't watch life from the sidelines. Get out there and go for it!

Donald J. Trump is Chairman of Trump University. He shares more of his advice for achieving ultimate success in the new book, Trump 101.

You can learn a lot in the school of hard knocks. But why would you want to enroll in the first place? Wouldn't it make more sense to make the best decisions on the first try? Of course it would, especially in real estate, where mistakes can be very costly indeed.

Take Robert, an enthusiastic young guy who enrolled in Trump University’s program in real estate investing earlier this year. Before he came to Trump University, Robert had gone to superhuman lengths to buy his first one-family fixer-upper. He borrowed money from his parents to make the down payment. He spent eight months painting and renovating the place, only to discover that he couldn't sell it for much more than he had paid for it.

Now he's renting it out and applying a fallback strategy that he learned at Trump University. But wouldn't it have been better if Robert could have analyzed and understood that deal ahead of time? Of course it would have.

With stories like Robert's in mind, I asked Trump University's real estate experts to create an entirely new kind of product for real estate investors. The goal we set for this new product was high. It had to let small investors analyze potential deals as capably as experienced real estate experts can. It had to give even first-time investors the tools they needed to accurately calculate the potential profits and pitfalls of any real estate deal.

This morning, on this post, I am announcing that this product, Real Estate Wealth Builder Software, is now available. It's not a course. It's a powerful, fully integrated software suite that allows independent investors to analyze potential deals as expertly as the "big boys." It is the new Gold Standard in real estate analysis products, because there is nothing else like it anywhere, at any price.

What can Real Estate Wealth Builder Software do for you?

• Its powerful analytical tools alert you to deals that don't make financial sense. You can quickly determine the maximum price you should pay for any property and accurately calculate your potential profit. If a deal doesn't pass muster, you can simply pass it by.
• Online data modules let you access satellite images of properties and neighborhoods you are considering, find comparable sales - even locate foreclosed properties. And you can do it all in minutes, not hours.
• The software's unique Property Tracker Module tracks everything and everyone associated with each of your properties or potential deals - the brokers, agents, attorneys, current tenants. It lets you crunch numbers on taxes, insurance, projected appreciation and more.

The Real Estate Wealth Builder Software also contains a comprehensive portfolio of ready-to-use legal documents and forms. It provides links to third-party services for running background checks on prospective tenants, obtaining property insurance and more. It even has a contact manager where you can store the addresses and phone numbers for all your real estate contacts.

I know I've gotten on my soapbox here this morning about our new product. But when you are introducing something unique, something you believe in, something that resulted from brilliant teamwork, you sometimes have to let your pride show. We are so confident that it will exceed your expectations and get you started on the road to real estate riches fast, we are making it available to you for a no-risk, 30-day trial evaluation.

Information you need today from Trump Mortgage

Of all the financial decisions you are facing today, which is the "make or break" one that will determine your financial security in the years ahead?

When I ask most people that question, the answers I usually hear are, "I better review my retirement accounts" or, "I have to pick the right place to retire."

Those are good answers. But if you want to guarantee your financial security in the decades to come, there is another critical decision that you have to make. You need to pick the right mortgage.

Of all the financial decisions that are on your plate, picking the right mortgage will have perhaps the greatest impact on your retirement, your net worth, and your family's future lifestyle.

So What's Your Game Plan?

Instead of comparing mortgage rates, the wisest way to pick the right mortgage is take a close look at your lifestyle and priorities.

If you plan to move or refinance within the next five to seven years, I would urge to you investigate Hybrid Adjustable Rate Mortgages, commonly known as Hybrid ARMs. These increasingly popular ARMS can offer the best of both worlds: lower interest rates (like most ARMs), but also a fixed payment for a longer period of time than most adjustable-rate loans.

You will also hear these loans referred to as 3/1, 5/1 or 7/1 ARMS. That sounds confusing, but it is really quite simple. For example, a 5/1 ARM has a fixed monthly payment and interest for the first five years. At that point, it converts to a traditional adjustable-rate loan, based on then-current rates for the remaining 25 years. It's a great choice if you expect to move or refinance before, or shortly after, that adjustment occurs.

If you will stay in your home for at least seven years, I would recommend one of these two classic options. They offer constant interest rates and monthly payments that will never change:

• A 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. As a rule of thumb, it may be harder to qualify for fixed-rate loans than for adjustable-rate loans. When interest rates are low, fixed-rate loans are generally not that much more expensive than adjustable-rate mortgages and may be a better deal in the long run, because you lock in the rate for the life of your loan.
• A 15-year fixed rate mortgage. This loan is fully amortized over a 15-year period and features constant monthly payments. It offers all the advantages of the 30-year loan, plus a lower interest rate - and you'll own your home twice as fast. Of course, the disadvantage is that, with a 15-year loan, you commit to a higher monthly payment. As another option, many borrowers opt for a 30-year fixed-rate loan and voluntarily make larger monthly payments that will pay off their loans in 15 years. This approach is often safer than committing to a higher monthly payment, since the difference in interest rates isn't that great.

If your income varies throughout the year due to commissions or bonuses, consider a negative amortization mortgage, also know as a "Neg Am" loan. This deferred-interest loan is very powerful, but it is also the most misunderstood mortgage program out there today. Basically, the lender allows you to make monthly payments that are less than the accruing interest. Therefore, if you choose to make the minimum monthly payment, the loan balance will increase by the amount of interest not paid on the loan. The power of this loan lies in your ability to choose between making the full loan payment each month, or the minimum payment - or any amount in between. So if your income varies throughout the year you can make a lower payment during the "lean times," and then make higher payments when funds are readily available.

There are other options available too, of course. If you'd like to know more, visit Trump Mortgage online. Our mortgage counselors (call 1-888-79-TRUMP) are also available to answer your questions about which kind of mortgage is right for you. And there is no obligation for calling, of course.

EJ Ridings is President of Trump Mortgage,a new kind of lending institutiondedicated to exceeding expectations for superior customer care, timely transactions and maximum value on investments. The Trump Mortgage team, part of the Trump University family, is wholly committed to making sure that every loan and every client receives nothing less than the full "Trump" experience-integrity, honesty, safety, and exceptional personal service.

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