I typically do not write commentary on movies.  While I do enjoy movies and have a respectable DVD collection, I do not usually go to movie theatres and critique movies.

Recently, I had the occasion to see two very extraordinary movies.  Unlike many movie critics, I don’t actively look for things wrong with the movie or dissect it unreasonably.  I look to have a stimulating and entertaining experience.  And if I happen to be moved and inspired along the way, all the more better.

I think we are a product of what we listen, watch, and believe.  The inputs shapes us in strange, subtle ways.  With inspirational movies, it doesn’t have to be subtle.  It can be can be overt and impactful.  I love those kinds of movies which motivates, inspires, and empowers people.

The two movies I am referring to are “The Pursuit of Happyness” and “Freedom Writers”.  Both of these movies are exceptional movies especially to those who are part of the empowerment, motivational, and inspirational communities.

Like great movies before them, these movies are about overcoming incredible odds to achieve meaningful success.  And the nice thing about these movies is that they are based on true stories!

“The Pursuit of Happyness” is about Chris Carter who, over twenty years ago, was a homeless single father struggling against incredible odds to support his son and become a stock broker which eventually lead him to starting his own firm and ultimately becoming rich and influential today.  When I watched this movie, there were many funny parts.  But in putting myself in the character’s shoes, I wondered if I could have done the things that were portrayed to overcome life’s obstacles.  I came out of that movie inspired and moved that nearly all obstacles can be overcome with enough work and determination.

“Freedom Writers” was an unexpected movie for me.  I was interested in the movie based on Hillary Swank (a favorite actress) and her character’s challenge of dealing with troubled and underprivileged teens.  Little did I know, it was based on a true story!  It was based on English teacher, Erin Gruwell, and her passion and determination to make a difference in these troubled teens lives through the power of written journals.  For many years, I never thought I would ever become a writer, author, or publisher.  And yet, along the way, I learned the power of self-expression through writing.  It truly is an experience like no other especially when you realize other people are reading your work.  For the students, they knew their teacher were reading and listening privately.  And this, I believe, served as a catalyst for the release of inner frustrations, fears, insecurities, anxieties, these teens felt.  Through writing, they could release these emotions in a healthy and even therapeutic way.

I never liked English very much as a subject in school but I did learn enough and appreciate it enough to know that I had to learn it to be respected in society.  I saw the negative perception and consequence of people who did not adequately learn written English.

Erin Gruwell started the Freedom Writers Foundation.  While I do not yet know much about the foundation itself beyond what the website says, I was moved enough by the movie to read the website.  I have never met Erin Gruwell but I can say she has proven you can make a difference in this world if you put your mind to it.

Too many people say they do not have enough money and time to help.  What a crock of shit when I hear that.  Everyone can contribute in their own way to the world.  Money is not the only currency in this world.  Passion, love, and lots of action carries a lot of weight also.

First off, a disclaimer.  I have no financial incentive whatsoever in making the following statements.  I have no Microsoft stock and I am no longer involved with them in any way except for being a customer.

Having said that, I am excited about the upcoming release of Microsoft Windows Vista.  Although, I don’t have a good idea which version I will be choosing.  It looks like it is a toss up between the “Business Version” or the “Ultimate Version”.

I have no false illusions Windows Vista will be perfect when I do upgrade and install it.  However, I am looking forward to many of the new features.  Some of it will be the “cool factor”.  But I am also guessing there will be some features which will be very helpful and make my computing life easier.

Clearly, I am not a Microsoft or Windows hater.  But there are plenty of those people out there.  I find a lot of those folks a bit irrational and nonsensical in there reasoning for “hating”.  First, it is a waste of emotional energy.  Second, operating systems and software is not a religious war.  They are simply business and personal computing tools.  This is one reason I got out of the I.T. industry.  Many are far too distorted in their thinking to get a healthy perspective of it because many are purists and don’t always take a pragmatic view of life.  To those people, I say, don’t buy it.  If you want to gripe and write negative reviews, fine.  But I tend to look foward to new and exciting things.

I am a practical guy.  If a different operating system came into prominence and really became significant such as a desktop Linux operating system or even the Mac OS, I would simply change out of a sense of practicality, not because of this irrational hate of a successful company.

Windows Vista comes out in a few short days.  And while I do not plan on being among the first in line at midnight to buy and install it within my personal and office computers, you better believe I am prepared to start using it and using myself as a guinea pig.  If it does all the good things, Microsoft says, I will be upgrading the computers that can run it.  The rest, I will leave on Windows XP.

There are few rewards to being first to embrace a new operating system.  But I can promise you that being among the last on a learning curve will not score you any points in a world that rapidly changes.

As I write this post, I am staying a long weekend in the Atlanta area for 2 seminars.  One of those seminars starred Rudy Giuliani, Larry King, and Colin Powell yesterday.

It was one of Peter Lowe’s huge stadium-packed, traffic-clogging, ”Get Motivated” seminars where he brings in these huge star speakers to speak and teach.  I have to admit I couldn’t resist.  The thought of watching and learning from these heroes of mine was too irresistable to pass up.

Rudy Giuliani’s presentation was a bit short at 35 minutes.  However, he did make an impactful speech of how his leadership role model came from President Ronald Reagan.  Rudy believed that Ronald was a fan of “big ideas” and holding true to them no matter what public opinion was.  Being true to what you believe was a big theme in Rudy’s speech.

Rudy Giuliani also believed that leaders must inherently be optimistic and decisive.  He related his experiences of 9/11 and what carried him through.  It was very inspiring to hear his leadership style.

Larry King was very entertaining.  I was disappointed he was not on the Atlanta stage.  However, he did appear through a satellite link talking to our audience.  He was funny and told some great stories.  However, the life lessons were less obvious.  As I listened to him, I felt he was very modest but despite this, he subtly mentioned how willing he was when he was young to try all kinds of things such as broadcasting, newspapers, radio, etc. before he found his stride as an interviewer.

Last but not least was Colin Powell.  I can honestly say, Colin Powell was my favorite.  He is a complex, multi-faceted man.  He was a soldier, diplomat, author, and now a venture capitalist, speaker, innovator.  So many sides came out as he spoke.  I was busy scribbling down notes of many of the comments he made on leadership and management.  I was inspired, humbled, and listening intently.  I knew his time of teaching was extremely limited and my chances of meeting him in the future live would be very slim.  Nevertheless, I felt I learned some life lessons from the wisdom he gleaned during his career.

Colin Powell was impressive, thoughtful, and insightful.  He made us think of the world as many of us never did before.  And for me, he left some ideas that I hope will resonate for years to come.

Because of backed up traffic, I never got to hear Michael Eisner.  Zig Ziglar and Tom Hopkins were also in attendance to speak. 

All in all, it was a very heady day listening to some of my real-life heroes speak to us in the huge audience.

My new program, “The TurnKey Investor’s Property Management & Landlording Success Secrets��? has finished production and currently available for sale!

This introductory audio program describes the Success Areas every Property Manager and Landlord must learn and master to succeed in Property Management and Landlording.

This Audio Program is listed for $12.00 and available on Amazon.com, TurnKeyInvesting.com, and AscendBeyond.com

Kirkus Discoveries recently reviewed my book “The Intrepid Way”.  I would say the review was mostly fair.  However, I would say that including details was not part of the agenda of this book.  There is no way any one book could contain all the details of everything I was explaining.  Because the subject matter challenges conventional wisdom in an extreme way, I was pleasantly surprised that the review was not worse.  Kirkus Discoveries is one of the book reviewer companies known for hard-hitting reviews.  The Intrepid Way appeared to get through relatively unscathed. 

An entrepreneur shares his formula for success.   

Chan (TurnKey Investing with Lease-Options, 2004, etc.), once an in-demand technology consultant, found his career path too limiting—like most professionals, his income was dependent upon how long and how hard he worked. He could charge higher consulting fees, but he could only work so many hours in a day. If he stopped working, his income would stop. To break free from this daily grind, he embarked on a new path, along which he developed the philosophy contained here. The fundamental principle of “The Intrepid Way” focuses on achieving personal freedom, which includes not only financial freedom, but also freedom of time. His strategy is based on income layers, which generate continuous income with little or no work or oversight required; many of the author’s revenue streams involve real estate and the Internet. Rather than outlining specific methods for creating income layers, however, Chan describes his own journey toward personal freedom, and how he can maintain the same level of success working as few as ten hours per week. He discusses the reactions of his friends and family to his decision to quit his job, and the emotional and intellectual support systems he had to create when others abandoned him. A thought-provoking introduction to an alternative way of conceiving wealth and work, The Intrepid Way meanders through the development of Chan’s philosophy and repeatedly rails against the narrow-minded people he’s encountered along the way. But readers will likely be disappointed that the author only briefly touches on a few concrete methods for creating wealth. To learn more, one must read his “TurnKey Investor” books. 

Lacks detail, but motivated self-starters may find a few nuggets of wisdom. 

G.A. Bixler recently submitted her latest book review of one of my consistent selling books, “The TurnKey Investor’s “Subject To” Mortgage Handbook”.

Matthew Chan’s latest book for TurnKey Investors is for experienced investors who “wish to expand their financial repertoire by utilizing the ‘subject to’ mortgage” (p.5) This review is based upon that guiding principle inasmuch as I, myself, am not one of those experienced investors, though my background was in directing lease management for a major educational institution. I therefore have a basic understanding of the logic behind and in real estate activities.

I believe this is an important point to emphasize.  Why?  Because as I began to read, I found myself uncomfortable with the concept being presented.  Specifically, “subject to” mortgage investing is a method of acquiring property by taking title and possession of real estate, but leaving the seller’s existing loan in place—a form of seller financing.  It is to the author’s credit that he immediately identifies this as a problem for inexperienced readers.

Therefore, Chan confronts the issue!  After explaining the primary fundamentals or activities of acquiring property through this process, in Chapter 3 he provides an excellent source of references for readers to confirm the “legitimacy” of the process, including examples of forms used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Having read several of Chan’s reference books and after sufficiently negating my earlier qualms, I settled back to be “trained.”  Certainly Chan has the intelligence, experience and knowledge to write books in his professional field.  However, I have found that Chan has also developed an excellent teaching skill by which he uses his writing for effective training purposes.  Investors or property managers should feel comfortable asking their own staff to learn and begin using the “subject” to mortgage transaction based upon using Chan’s handbook. 

Let’s see what he has to tell us! First, knowing that this is a little-known and little-used process, Chan advertises its availability “we buy houses fast.”   This catches the eye of those needing to sell their hours fast!  What that means is that a target audience is usually available.  Why?  Because there are always those individuals who have just changed jobs and therefore need to relocate quickly.  Or there are those individuals who sadly face divorce or the loss of a loved one and find that they can no longer pay the high mortgage costs.  For whatever reason, needing to sell property quickly is oftentimes a traumatic experience.  And, for many, waiting for financial institutions or real estate agencies just isn’t the answer. 

Having personally been in this situation, I must admit I looked favorably at this option once I realized how it worked.  Because I had lost my job and knew I could not keep up my mortgage payments as a single professional woman, I immediately posted my home for sale.  It was a nightmare as I first had to “fix” one thing after another and then wait for someone who might “happen” to come along and want to buy my home.  It was just serendipity that I was able to acquire a small cabin in a nearby state and maneuver each activity to be able to both sell and buy another home as well as relocate within the time allotted; i.e., by when I would receive my last pay check! Matthew Chan could have offered me a much simpler option!  And his book includes pictures of the wide variety of houses that they have acquired through the “subject to” mortgage process.  In essence, Chan’s company would have taken over my former home as property managers, using the loan I already had in place. 

Now, individuals considering this option would need to understand quickly that they would continue to have an outstanding mortgage loan in their name.  But somebody else would be paying that bill.  And somebody else would have total control of the property. In essence, then, the seller in the position of having to quickly relocate has a little-known option if there are individual investors willing to handle their property.  The Turnkey Investor’s program has the ability to do this…and then use your former property to enter into a lease-option activity with another individual. I’ve personalized this review to ensure that individuals who may hear of this process will understand its potential in their own lives. 

However, the book, for the professional, includes all the many details necessary to ensure that they are able to handle a “subject to” mortgage investment if or when the opportunity arises.  It takes a professional agency willing to help individual property owners. At the same time, the agency must have already invested sufficient research and experience in their field to make the process work within their agency. For those professionals wishing to consider “subject to” mortgage investing, this book is a must-read! G. A. Bixler 

Bettie Corbin Tucker recently completed an AudioBook Review of “The TurnKey Investor’s Rental Property Repossession”.  It is an extensive and thorough review. 

If you have deadbeat tenants who aren’t paying the rent on time or perhaps driving you out of your mind with lease violations, The TurnKey Investor’s Rental Property Repossession by Matthew S. Chan is exactly what you need.  My husband and I, as landlords, have experienced some very strange happenings with our tenants: one tried to grow marijuana on the property and another kept an alligator in the basement.  Evicting tenants via the court system can be a lengthy and costly procedure—one most property managers and landlords would like to avoid; however, many of them have been brainwashed into believing that eviction is their only option.

Matthew Chan, a real estate investor and property manager, personally convinced me in this audio program that there are other legal, as well as quicker, ways to get tenants to move out.  Listen with an open mind and learn from this excellent teacher. Although Mr. Chan specializes in lease options, his intent is to keep many properties without losing money because of non-paying tenants.  As a teen he gained much expertise in regard to leases, agreements, and business letters since his mother owned rental property.  This gave him a head start when he began building his own investment portfolio in 2000.  With the help of a partner, he continued to expand his business, and today, he is recognized as an expert in the field of real estate investing. 

This audio program came into being because Mr. Chan saw a definite need for property managers and landlords to have information on “unconventional” ways to deal with deadbeat tenants—stressing that sometimes diplomacy is easier and less expensive than the bureaucracy of the legal system.  When posting to a real estate message board on this subject, he had some very negative reactions.  One responder said the author was presenting a theory as opposed to fact.  However, the individual was wrong as Mr. Chan based his information on personal experience and an astounding decrease in his eviction rate by 80 percent.  With proven results, this is fact and not theory! Admittedly, there are times that an eviction may prove to be the only way to go; however, this should not be the first course of action.  The author lists the many glitches that property managers and landlords encounter with the eviction system—glitches that result in loss of money and time.  He also acknowledges to landlords that there are benefits to evicting, such as having the power of the law and state government on their side.  It is obvious that a decision has to be made, and Mr. Chan provides common-sense advice on how to determine whether or not to evict.  He also reminds students that they must know landlord/tenant laws in their state. The author stresses that if tenants are respectful, cooperative, and communicative, it is best not to evict.  In talking with tenants, he strives for a personal talk and not a personal attack, using negotiating skills with firmness and a clear approach.  In most cases he believes that tenants aren’t trying to steal but simply can’t budget their money or control their lives.

ForeWord Clarion of ForeWord Magazine fame has granted us permission to reprint their recent review of my book, “The Intrepid Way - 2006 Revised Edition”.  They have given the book 4-stars out of a possible 5-star rating.  I was pleasantly surprised at their positive review given their normally stringent standards of reviewing books. 

For middle-class, white-collar workers, it’s almost required to dislike one’s job. The daily grind seems boring and spirit-crushing. It offers no mental stimulation or fulfillment, and it takes time away from family, friends and hobbies. A person stuck in such a job may not leave because he or she values the regular paycheck and insurance benefits. For years, unhappy workers have wondered how to find personal freedom to earn a living wage while working a reasonable amount of time.

To address this problem, Matthew Chan offers The Intrepid Way: How to Create the Freedom You Need to Live the Life You Want! The book may look like a get-rich-quick scheme, especially since its cover promises that the reader can “escape corporate America forever��? and “retire in five years.��? 

Appearances can be deceiving. The Intrepid Way is written by a man with bachelor and master’s degrees in business administration, a successful entrepreneur by the age of 29 who has authored a series of how-to manuals on smart investing. With his credentials and motivational attitude, Chan provides the reader with a well-organized primer for the beginning entrepreneur.

Chan begins his book with an overview of The Intrepid Way philosophy. He drives home his point with a simple equation. Personal freedom (the goal) consists of two things: monetary freedom and time freedom. Basically, Chan believes that savvy creation and management of “income streams” (rather than nest eggs or hoards) allow a person to spend less time earning money and more time enjoying life. Chan gives readers a step-by-step plan to do so, with sections covering the philosophy and creation of “income streams,” the entrepreneurial mindset, and the importance of business and personal support networks. The logical set-up of the book ensures that The Intrepid Way is easy to read and accessible. 

Although Chan discusses finance, investing and starting a business, his tone remains lively throughout, never dry or boring. Chan’s use of anecdotes makes the lessons more interesting. When talking about the go-getter spirit of staking one’s claim, he refers to the film Far and Away, starring Tom Cruise. Cruise’s character immigrated into the United States to participate in the land rush of the late 1800s. “Tom’s character, with great drama and heroism, did in fact succeed in placing a wooden stake on a piece of land…. I see so much opportunity in the world today, yet so few people are able or willing to put their stakes in the ground.”

The Intrepid Way is well-written, spirited and straightforward. Its motivational messages are interspersed with loads of practical advice. Whether the reader wants to quit the rat race entirely or just start some lucrative freelancing on the side, this book has useful pointers. 

Reviewed by Elizabeth Allen