Sell Your Photos On line Fotolia Dreamstime Shutterstock Big Stock Photo

Sell Your Photos Online!

You might get rich and you might not

But you can sure get famous!

Here is Shutterpoint's Pitch!  Read on, there is more where this comes from...

1. Open an Account Anyone can become a member on ShutterPoint.com and start selling stock images. Join now and become part of our stock photography agency / photo sharing service / social networking community! ShutterPoint accepts virtually all image submissions - we support artistic expression. 2. Upload Images Decide which images you want to sell on ShutterPoint.com. Check out What's Selling and Marketable Photography Guide to see what types of images are in demand. Batch Upload tool makes it extremely easy to upload many images at once. Set your own prices for Full Image Licensing and you are all set! 3. Earn ShutterPoint offers THE highest payout rate online: 85% for Full Royalty-Free License, and 70% for Standard Royalty-Free License. Payouts are delivered by check or through PayPal whenever your earnings exceed your minimum payment amount. Minimum payment options start at $50. shutterpoint

Any serious photographer knows selling your own shots is a dog eat dog world!

The first part of the problem is, anyone with a few bucks can afford a camera.

The second part of the problem is, many people don't know rotten work, good work and great work!  So they don't know how to spend their money!  A few bucks a Sears and anyone can become a professional photographer, right?

Not really.  Good photography is like anything else that is good.  It takes a lot of hard work and after it is all said and done, the hard work usually pays off.  Meanwhile, the guy who was going to get rich quick in photography is taking his phto gear back to the department store to get his credit card paid down!

There is new money in photography today.  The internet!  In the old days, a private studio was a difficult proposition.  It still is.  But now, the studio is the world!  There are a lot of people tuning into the net who are looking for quality work, or something unusual.  All you have to do is make it!

"At least you could make $37,500! for a simple black and white"

If this sounds good to you it is time to do your research.  How about 52 ways to monetize your photos?

This is a great site to get some ideas.  How about taking celeb shots?  That is a detective degree alone.  If you are in the right place at the right time you could become a millionaire!  At least you could make $37,500! for a simple black and white shot taken at just the right moment!

You will certainly want to join plenty of photography blogs like fotolia  and check out your competition.  25 of the best photographer portfolio web sites  was a good one.  I liked martinlawrencephotography mostly because I am an boat and and nature buff and his lead photo has a bit of both!

Of course, there is plenty of web advice, if you look.

My Stock Photography on Shutterspace says:

"Stock photography is photography or imagery that can be licensed for specific uses. Its use is very popular with designers, graphic artists, art directors, advertising agencies, and marketing professionals, in magazine ads, websites, and marketing brochures. Instead of hiring a professional photographer to create an image, a buyer licenses an image and the photographer is paid a commission. you can make a mint selling stock photography!"

They go on to say:

No digital noise, please…
Make sure your photos are clear, crisp, nicely composed, well lit and most importantly free of digital noise

- No snapshots or tourist-like photos, please…
Do not ever think that you’ll earn lots of money by selling your snapshots or tourist-like photos. This is not a get rich quick scheme.

- No logo/copyrighted material, please…
When you’re submitting photos to the microstockphoto agencies, make sure they don’t have any company logos, trademarks, third-party images and brands.

- Ask your model to sign a model release..
Unless if you’re submitting editorial images, you must provide a model release for any recognizable person in your image.

 It helps if you can find a niche.  Anyone who has been a photographer during the past century has learned how to wedding pictures.  Doing them on line is another thing!   America's favorite funny pictures was a good one.  I think one of the biggest niche markets is themes for bloggers!  I could probably use one of those.  Here are a Gorgeous dozen free photo themes.

"Just like me, at least you get your name out there!"

If you can't sell your photos you can at least give them away!  Free digital photos.net.  There are some benefits to a few freebies...right now that is what this web site is, for example.  Just like me, at least you get your name out there!

I could make this a five part article, and maybe someday I will.  Suffice it to say, there is a lot more money than meets the eye in photography these days.  If it is your thing, why not go for it!
.
Oh, and be sure to get a Model release!  You don't want your model claiming the big bucks you should make just because she became famous!

How to keep it legal how to keep what you make make money on the net

How to keep it legal and make money!

As I make my way around the net one thing I have noticed: A lot of people are cheating at making their fortune and they are getting caught! Part of making money on the internet or anywhere else is figuring out how to make it and keep it, which usually requires utmost honesty.

For example, one of the easiest places to cheat is in the real estate area. This story is about a real estate investor who gets cash back at closing by over stating the value of the property and inflating his income. He gets to think about what he has done for several years. Meanwhile, the legal problems have certainly devastated his pocket book!  Because the Mortgage Fraud Task Force takes a dim view of cash back at closing in real estate, one should be careful before getting involved with cash back closing scheme.

"There is nothing wrong with making a profit!"

Another real estate investor got his tail in hot water by doing short sales. He was not honest with the seller he represented. He convinced the seller the property was worth a pittance, bought it using a straw company. Even though he held the property for a long time he got his chops busted. He, too, has plenty of time in the 4X6 cell to think about what it costs to cheat. Tax cheats go to jail!  While there is nothing wrong with making a profit, fi you take advantage of a person in the process you might cough it all up.

A fake tax scheme got one would-be-rich-person jail time. This person was sending off returns, inventing social security numbers and fooling Uncle Sam. The scam worked for awhile until she got caught and now gets free room and board.

The Canadian Bar Association, albeit across the border, has some great advice on dishonest business practices. They say the practices can be broken down into two categories, those that are illegal and those that are unconscionable.

The illegal part is usually pretty clear. If it does not feel quite right, if it leaves someone much worse off than when they met you, if there is a potential victim, think twice. Get a legal opinion.

"These kinds of schemes happen with the elderly"

If the act is unconscionable, it means it is so shocking to the conscious as to be subject to a set aside by a judge. Maybe the contract is 100% legal, but it puts the other person into such a bad position he or she is gong to be taken advantage of. The deal is so one sided and unfair the court will un-wind it. These kinds of schemes happen with old people and the disadvantaged.

The long and short of it is, don’t break the law. It is not worth it. Make an honest deal. There is nothing

want to think twice. It is so hard to generate money these days, who has time for law suits that may result in the entire deal being set aside.

A good place to start if you want to make it in the real estate market is my real estate investments - How to turn a small amount of money into a fortune! 

You can make a million bucks without getting involved in the short cuts and riff raff.  Keep it legal and keep it.  Break the law and give it all back. It is always up to you!

The big bust! Balloon notes go BAM!

Don't put a stick of dynamite

under your real estate bubble!

I recently wrote about why adjustable rate notes were a risk to your mental and financial health. The post was so popular http://richuncletim.blogspot.com/2009/12/why-using-adjustable-financing-is-bad.html I am writing a follow up, why balloon mortgages will blow your investment portfolio out of the water like a stick of dynamite!

In a sense, a balloon mortgage is nothing more than an adjustable rate mortgage with a fire cracker on the end of it. They get you to go along with it for the rate. But after the balloon period is over, usually 3 to 5 years, not only does the note adjust, but the entire foundation goes 'boom'! In simple terms, the entire note is due and payable.

"What happens if you can't pay the debt in full?

The note holder forecloses!"

What happens if you can't pay the debt in full? The note holder forecloses. If they don't get enough money for the property at the foreclosure sale, they ask for a deficiency. That means if you have other property they get that property too! If you don't have other property it gets even worse, they follow you until you can pay off the deficiency. In the mean time, no real estate investing for you!

So why do people agree to these dangerous financing devices? We usually encounter balloon notes in one of two situations. The first is owner carry deals. The second is in commercial deals. Either way they are risky business, but in both cases somewhat of a necessity.

Owner financing. The seller wants to sell and you want to buy but the seller does not want to pay all of it out in taxes at once. I say at once, because seller financing does not usually save taxes. It just postpones them. So maybe instead of doing a 1031 exchange the seller decides to finance the deal. He only pays taxes on the money he gets each year. That spreads out the taxes over time.

In most seller financing deals, even though finanicng, the seller wants his money sooner than later. Buyer and seller agree to a balloon payment and the seller assures the buyer, off the record, the seller will renew the note if the buyers can't pay it when the balloon comes due. The seller is such a nice cat the buyer agrees.

The seller turns out to be a nice cat. It is the shark who bought the note from the seller who turns out to be difficult to deal with. Usually, he bought the note at a discount. So the buyer pays top buck for the property in exchange for seller finance terms. The investor shark bought the note for a song, and note-investor shark often ends up owning the property for that same song, because he isn't going to extend the note.

"It is hard to get a bank to go out very long on a commercial deal."

Commercial deals. The second type of balloon payment comes in commercial financing. It is hard to get a bank to go out very long on a commercial deal. Unlike residential mortgages, commercial money is hard to sell in the secondary market. That means the bank does not want to take the interest rate risk with you for very long. However, when it comes to commercial deals, not only is the bank not taking the interest rate risk, they are adding a huge burden onto the buyer's back with their ability to call the note.

The bank wins in several ways. Obviously, the bank can increase the rate at the end of the balloon, so you have an effective adjustable rate note. Worse, the bank can usually increase the note rate a lot, often over market, because it costs a fortune to refinance a commercial deal, if the financing can be found at all!

"Imagine how many faces go pale"

Imagine how many faces go pale when the bank says,

"We aren't going to raise the rate when your balloon payment on your $1,000,000 shopping center comes due, Mr. Jones. We just are not going to renew!"

"Hubba hubba, but the loan market has dried up! No one is financing these properties" the investor replies.

"Precisely!" says the banker. "And neither are we. Too risky."

If the investor is lucky he kisses the banker's feet, cries and then begs for an extension. After the investor grows lots of gray hair the bank finally agrees, way above market rent plus points, plus processing, plus, plus, plus.

So what do you do?

When it comes to the owner carry deal you need to be more picky. If you must agree to a balloon, try to find the guy who was going to buy the note from the seller at a discount. They call these hard money lenders. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_money_loan Offer this hard money guy a higher interest rate, a lot higher. http://www.hardmoneyfunding.com/borrower.cfm Here is one hard money source.

"Then offer the seller all cash"

Then offer the seller all cash. A lot less cash. Not cash from your pocket. Cash from the hard money lender's pocket. Buy the property cheaper. When the thing finally goes up in value you will make real equity gains and not be worried about how you are going to pay your balloon.

When it comes to a commercial deal, try putting the terms out as long as you can. I think a fully amortizing loan is a good idea, even if over a shorter period. It forces you to be a better buyer, too, since you will have to buy it cheaper to make it work.

If you must agree to an interest rate jump, agree to what ever you have to agree to, rather than an interest rate jump and a balloon payment. The adjustable rate is enough. Save yourself some fees with your counselors for nervous breakdowns and don't agree to a short term balloon!

The estate sale approach to eBay!

Make money on the net


Buy wholesale~~Sell retail!

eBay is a wonderful venue for making money on the net! Lots of people can't make it work. How to sell products and market on ebay? How to make your Internet store work?

It is obvious, there are many ways to make a buck on the Internet. This is only one idea. Don't forget on line ads, blog lists, classifieds, yard sales, and even used clothing stores and used athletic equipment stores! If it came to it, there are even pawn shops!

Which products sell the best online? Cars, boats and RV's? Jewelry, antiques? How about used tools? Furniture, clothing--even including designer underwear! equipment, land and maybe even Timbuktu!

How do you buy it cheap enough to make a profit? How do you buy wholesale? The answer is simple.

BUY ESTATES!

There are many heirs to estates who don't want to mess with crowds tramping through the house, endless hours at the yard sale, carting off left overs to the Good Will or charitable deduction guys, while grieving a loved one at the same time!


Offer the owner of the estate a fixed price for the entire household. All you need is one score and you will be in eBay heaven for weeks, maybe months! You will get every imaginable kind of item. Think about it, if you have enough items you can start the bid off at a buck! Stick postage and handling at $3.00 and you have all of your costs covered plus a small profit. How to buy estate sales to make millions...

Now the big stuff. When I say big stuff, I mean expensive stuff. Furniture, jewelry like gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, amethyst, then there are cars, (try ebiz autos http://www.ebizautos.com/art ),

you can also try consignment auctions, here is one in Denver, http://www.rollerauction.com/auctions.asp

then there are electronics, designer clothing like versace, Calvin Klein, Donna karan, guess jeans, how about Dewalt tools onan generators, air compressors, the list goes on and on.

What sells best on eBay?

This site will give you a great idea. If there is no hope, then don't waste your time! http://listings.ebay.com/

Size doesn't matter...on eBay. there always is a market for everything. Well almost.

"Size does not matter on eBay"

Where do you get your prospects? Sorry to say, the best place to start is in the obituaries. You should make initial contact within 7 days of the passing of the unfortunate person. Then follow up! It is the follow up that counts. Contact can be made in a variety of methods, but one good way is through a personal letter.

Dear (name of deceased) family,

I wish to express my condolences to you. The passing of a loved one is always difficult.

My name is (your name) and I buy estates. If you prefer to sell the entire estate or substantial portions of it, then I would love to have the opportunity to bid on the estate. If this is an option for you please call me at the following number.

(phone number)

Sincerely,

(your name or company name)

You can also advertise on the net, put your business cards out in the nursing homes, and don't forget bankruptcy estates! Sometimes the bankruptcy trustee would rather sell everything in a lump sum than spend his time selling item for item. Check the courthouse for current bankruptcy filings. Work the market and soon enough, traffic will head your way.

This is not a lesson about how to sell on eBay or how to sell on the Internet. Perhaps that will be a post for another day. Rather, this is a money making idea that works for eBay. It also works for craigslist, backpage, your web page...

Since this is not about how to sell, I am only going to give you one selling tip.

PRICE IT TO SELL IT!

The biggest reason for eBay failures is, the seller wants the item more than the buyer does! Price it to sell it and it will move almost every time.

The secret in sales is not in the selling. It is in the buying. If you buy it right, then you can sell it right, estates are the place to get lots of stuff at wholesale and make a big profit for your efforts! eBay, craigslist, backpage, yard sales... and even your web page are great places to sell and make money on the internet!

Feel free to email me and tell me how your estate buying efforts are going. Perhaps we can compare notes!

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Working for a living won't make you rich

Working for a buck

will make you poor

Most of us were taught to find a job, make some money and stick a few pennies away for a rainy day. Most of the advice our parents gave us was pretty good. This advice was horrible.

There are a variety of reasons for that. First of all, most people don't make enough money to ever really get ahead. An income of $100,000 a year might seem like great money to some. But by the time taxes are out, the kids go to school and mom has her new mink there won't be anything left.

"For some odd reason we outspend our

incomes no matter how much we have"

Then there is the keep up with the Jones'. The more money you make the more toys you have to have to be part of the crowd. Everyone else has a Verizon Storm, you need one too! Then there are cell phones for all the kids. Now you need a sweet set of wheels to impress the gang and take your husband out on the town. The more you have the more you want and all of it just costs more money, heck when does it end? The sad news for most of us is there is no end. For some odd reason we outspend our incomes no matter how much we have.

If you want to make money by making an income then you need a really big income. So be a professional football player and don't worry about investing your money. You won't be able to spend it all. If you are like me, being a professional ball player is not in the cards. Nor do I have the connections to be a hot shot CEO like Mark Hurd of HP. So making the big bucks by working every day is not the ultimate plan if one wants to retire on a sailboat. If you can't make a big income then what to do

"Better said, buy income producing property"

Buy land. They aren't making it anymore. Better said, buy income producing property. Land is one of the worst investments you can have unless you plan to develop it soon. That is because you don't get any income from the land while you hold it. Instead, it costs money for taxes, to protect it, to sit on it.

"Put the money in, rent the thing out, collect your check"

Income producing property on the other hand can make you rich. Put the money in, rent the thing out, collect your check, how much time did you spend working? If you have the right kind of rental and a good tenant you won't be working much. How long does it take to deposit the check and chat with your tenant once a month?

So what is the right kind of rental? Here are the numbers. If you can put nothing down, rent the property out, pay your mortgage and have money left over, then it is probably a good investment.

Note, the words, "if you can put nothing down". I didn't say put nothing down. We base our good investment vs. bad investment decision on a zero down investment plan. That gives us a good hedge and a good value meter. The decision is based upon 100% financing every time so it is easy to compare numbers. When it is time to refinance and pull money out you know it will work because you based the purchase price on 100% financing.

Your next step is to buy the property and put plenty of money down. That gives you equity and positive cash flow. Fix her up, paint, carpet, clean, new appliances, tile the floor, add a bath or fix the one that is there, whatever it is that makes the property more valuable is the job for you. Since you owe less on the house, your payments are lower and you can afford to give your tenant a good deal. Qualify your tenant well, take the deposit and first month's rent and go home and rest. You have a long day working tomorrow! It takes a lot of effort to wait for that rent check!

"Use the formula and find another property"

Once the property is stable then it is time to refinance and pull your dough out. Now use the formula and find another. One property at a time, one deal at a time, one brick to your financial freedom at a time, build your estate. Meanwhile, every time you make a mortgage payment you are paying down the debt. Don't be afraid to cut the bank out of a some of the profit by making a larger payment then you need to make and paying the house off faster.

Let's face it, you won't get rich quick. But you will get rich if you stick with it and use your head. Sooner or later, let's hope sooner, the positive cash flow from your rentals will fund your retirement. So mom was partly right. Getting a job was a good idea. Keeping the job was not. The job is just a means to get into the first properties. After that, the job is to run your real estate empire, and let someone else play keep up with the Joneses.

Why using adjustable financing is bad for your health

Your variable rate mortgage

is someone else's future real estate bargain

Using variable rate mortgage money is a recipe for disaster. It is a way to make banks rich and put a stick of dynamite in your investment portfolio.

The Federal Reserve Board has figured out as long as we are printing money at the rate of a billion bucks a day in Iraq, raising interest rates on the money the government is borrowing is risky business. At the same time the US buck is worth less, heading towards being worthless. The ultimate solution is to raise rates which increases the value of the dollar.

"The banks know it is a matter of time before interest rates increase"

The banks know it is a matter of time before rates increase. They are happy for borrowers to take the risk on long term rates. So long as the economy is slow the banks get their pretty penny. When the economy picks up they will make out like bandits on the higher rates, or they will take your pretty house.

Banks make money on the backs of those who bear the interest rate risk for them. If your adjustable interest rate doubles and your payment follows, the bank will be happy to take your house if you can't pay. Investing in real estate during a rising market is a sure way to get rich. The cheapest way to buy houses is lend money on them and then foreclose. Meanwhile, the guy who agreed to the adjustable rate will feel pretty bad when his friends talk about an improving economy. They boast about the new car they bought while Mr. adjustable loses his house.

The long and short of it is, don't agree to these low rate notes even though the bank offers incentives to do so. If you must go along with these kinds of schemes, do so only when you have lots of equity in your property. It is a lot easier to refinance a property with a 50% loan to value than one over-mortgaged and in foreclosure.

In the old days there was relationship banking. Large banks like Wells Fargo wanted your business and they would do what it took to help you with an adjustable rate note gone wild. Not so today. Banks will do anything to make a buck. Decision making is by someone on the other side of the cell phone tower. They don't know you, don't care, and your personal banker has no power.

"There are exceptions to every rule"

There are exceptions to every rule. If you are sure you have one of those exceptions feel free to email me. I will give you my point of view. Otherwise, if you do the deal don't bitch when someone else gets a great deal on your investment property.

Tim Paynter usautosdirectllc@gmail.com