Feb. 2, 2009 Issue

HVA Franchise System Continues To Grow

Development Agents generating buzz for Associate Franchise opportunities By Jason Killough Jason Killough Since our update in the last issue of The Vestor’s Voice®, HomeVestors welcomed the following new franchisee: Kirk Johanson, Ft. Collins/Greeley, CO Development Agent News Our Development Agents (DAs) are also generating lots of interest in the new Associate Franchise opportunity. Stuart Miller recently conducted recruitment seminars with DAs in Boston, MA, Hartford, CT, Oklahoma City, OK, Philadelphia, PA, and Newark, NJ. As DA Rich McClain in Oklahoma City says about the seminar, “suffice it to say that things went well and, although I am not a betting man, I bet we get a couple of AFs out of this effort, and maybe more. Both HVA and Mull Properties will make some money out of this effort.” More than 20 AF prospects attended McClain’s seminar in Oklahoma City. HVA will conduct the next Development seminar in San Diego, CA – Monday, February 16. Be sure to send us any referrals who would be interested in attending this seminar by contacting Sherry Wallace in Franchise Development at 972.619.0089 or sherry.wallace@homevestors.com. New AF Discovery Day Webinar Every Wednesday As a reminder, HomeVestors offers a weekly Associate Franchise (AF) Discovery Day Webinar every Wednesday at 2 p.m. CST. The Webinar lasts approximately one hour. The AF Webinar Discovery Day helps a prospect alleviate travel expenses to Dallas for a Discovery Day. Discovery Day prospects must have completed a Request for Franchise Consideration (RFC) prior to attending the Webinar. If you want to refer a prospect for the Webinar, please contact Sherry Wallace at 972.619.0089, or sherry.wallace@homevestors.com. Franchise Development also offers a 30-minute overview Webinar for full service and AF franchises every Tuesday at 4 p.m. CST. To register, visit the "Own a Franchise" section of HomeVestors.com, and click on "Upcoming Events/Webinars." New Associate Franchise Referral Program Development is excited to announce that we are extending the $10,000 cash or ad credit promotion for each full-service franchisee that you refer in 2009. Development will also pay $500 cash or an ad credit to any franchisee that that refers a new Associate Franchisee. Please contact Sherry Wallace at 972.619.0089 or sherry.wallace@homevestors.com for details. You can now easily register your full service or AF prospects on our Web site. Click on the box (see below) in the upper right hand corner of the franchisee Web page to register your lead: . . .Jason Killough is VP of Franchise Development. He can be reached at jason.killough@homevestors.com.

HVA Launches Wealth Builder Network

Program brings new opportunities for franchisees By Leah Templeton Leah Templeton HVA franchisees know that now is a great time to buy a house. And now a growing number of new investors knows it, too, thanks to the Wealth Builder Network (WBN). Since HVA launched the new program on Jan. 14, nearly 150 members have joined. The Wealth Builder Network helps real estate investors, from novice to pro, learn how to build long-term wealth through real estate and in the process build a larger investor market for HVA franchisees. Here’s how you can benefit from the WBN: Franchisees may receive a one-year free membership to WBN, along with an “affiliate” status. Franchisees receive 25 percent of the monthly membership fees for every investor they signs up as a member of the WBN under their affiliate code. Payments to franchisees continue as long as the investor remains a member of the WBN. One question you may receive from potential investors is why they should join the WBN rather than another similar club. The benefits of the WBN to investors are many. Members receive:  FREE membership for the first two months A New Member Kit that contains:  Valuable report of investing tips from 30 HVA franchisees Copy of HVA President and CEO John Hayes’ new book “GET IT! Secrets to Cultivating the HomeVestors Millionaire Mindset” CD of The Best of the HomeVestors Real Estate Investors Hour Monthly membership benefits include: 48-hour advance notice on all property listings as they come available in that member's market Special vendor discounts – previously available only to HVA franchisees A monthly Webinar where members can hear the latest strategies about how to successfully invest in real estate A monthly printed newsletter with tips on how to build long-term wealth with real estate A monthly audio CD of interviews with real estate investing expert, hosted by John Hayes Access to a special Members’ Only Web site full of special reports, tips and additional webinars. The real advantage, however, is the access that members have to the HVA franchise network! As a local franchisee, you can provide members with access to local properties. In addition, you are there to offer as much or as little advice, assistance, and hands-on coaching as an individual would like. Local Ad Councils are encouraged to host meetings with WBN members to network and get to know franchisees on a personal level. HVA's Marketing Department provides support and tools for meeting planning purposes. These tools include a PowerPoint® presentation that functions as a shell for any meeting, sample e-mails and flyers that can be used to invite local investors to the meeting, and more. More information about the Wealth Builder Network is available at www.homevestorswbn.com. …Leah Templeton is an account executive with BizCom Associates, HVA’s public relations agency.

The Bible And Borrowing: Ancient Wisdom For Today’s Issues – Part 3

Franchisee J. Barry Watts concludes his examination of the Bible’s perspective on borrowing money By J. Barry Watts J. Barry Watts Editor’s Note: Please see previous issues of The Vestor’s Voice® for Parts 1 and 2 in this series of articles. We welcome your comments, which you can post on the Message Board at HomeVestors.com. Psalm 37:21 says “The wicked borrows and does not pay back.” In American culture a concept has emerged which was inconceivable during Bible times. In those days no government entity declared you bankrupt. You either paid back what you owed, or you didn’t, and if you didn’t the surety (property to secure the loan) would be taken from you or you might be imprisoned as a “wicked person who borrowed and didn’t repay.” It is inherently wrong to think that we’ll borrow money and not fulfill our promise to repay the obligation. That is a form of stealing by deceit. The deceit is promising, having someone depend on your promise, and then fail to fulfill the promise. We should be careful, considerate and sober-minded in taking on obligations (including loans) to be sure that we can repay them, and that if we can’t that there is security which will make the lender whole. My Personal Conclusion on Borrowing & the Bible Hopefully my personal position on borrowing is not inconsistent with the Bible. If it is, then I still need to learn and correct my course until my behavior is congruent with scripture. As with many topics there is room for some different perspective – even among Biblicists – on the topic of borrowing. Therefore, we must create room for every person to study for themselves and reach their own conclusion. Here are a few of mine. 1. Borrowing is less than perfect. If things were perfect we’d all be drowning in capital and wouldn’t ever give a thought to borrowing. But things aren’t perfect. Borrowing doesn’t represent faith, or lack of faith. It represents a need for capital – which I don’t have – in order to take advantage of today’s opportunity; nothing more or less. 2. It is foolish to borrow for things that depreciate in value or for things that are consumed. 3. I aspire to be a lender, not a borrower. I want to be the ruler, not the slave. But if I imprudently accept risks and attempt to get rich quickly through scheming I am likely to come to ruin. 4. Borrowing is a tool I use in order to run my business. I am circumspect in what I borrow, and have always paid back what I borrowed. I don’t use it to accelerate business growth at dangerous speed, but rather because it is better use of capital. You see, I am a lender, too. As a lender I profit on my capital. As a borrower, I profit on the capital I borrow. For me borrowing is a tool for capital utilization and profit maximization. 5. This topic, like all of life, requires wisdom. Most of us feel as if we are short-changed in the wisdom department. Green people in particular always want one more piece of information, and as a red guy who has no green, I usually still feel like I fall short in the wisdom department. Fortunately, James 1:5 says “If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Shall we pray?