Over the years I have written a number of articles around this topic and they always seem to be quite popular. Many people want to find a genuine home-based business. They want the freedom of working from home, enjoying their families, setting their own hours, etc. The problem is that so many people capitalize on this in ways that are far from honest and genuine. So how do you go about picking out the programs that are worthwhile and those you want to run a mile from?Genuine Home-Based Businesses Should Have a Good Track RecordI admit that there may be some new up and coming business opportunities with great potential and honest owners but when a business has been around a couple of years and has a history of regularly paying people and they haven’t done a hit and run then you can be more certain of their potential. I know some people want to be in the forefront of any opportunity and not wait years to get in but a good track record certainly speaks for itself.To Pay or Not to PayPersonally I think that if a home-based business is genuine then you should not have to pay to start earning. As someone said, ‘why pay someone for my salary?’ If you have earned the money by selling products, promoting someone’s website, etc. then you deserve to be paid for it. There are times when I will consider paying for a program but generally I think its better to find free opportunities, get involved and then if you believe in the program perhaps invest something into it in terms of money.ProductAnother important thing to consider when looking for a genuine home-based business is the product. Before you even get involved you should be able to find proper information and details on what it is you will be selling. These programs that refuse to tell you what you are selling before joining are immediately suspicious.Do Your HomeworkBefore joining any home-based business you should do your homework. See what people are saying about it online. Admittedly you may find some people giving negative reviews of programs that actually are honest often out of pure jealousy or simply because it didn’t work for them whereas its worked for millions of others. Be wise in determining which reviews to listen to and which to ignore. Think about what people are saying and why. Thoroughly research the business itself – find out about its history, its products, its compensation plan, etc.Finding a genuine home-based business opportunity isn’t always easy with all the scams out there so do your homework. Find a free program where possible and one with a good track record. Make sure that you feel comfortable with the product they are promoting and once you are satisfied then sign up.

The vast majority of buyers are searching the Internet to find the real estate they are looking for. The figure keeps changing but somewhere between 85 to 90% of all buyers use the Internet as their main tool for property search.

In these economically challenging times most professional real estate offices (including the large national franchises) have cut way back on their budgets for print advertising in the newspapers. In real estate offices this is known as a BLACKOUT on advertising and it is happening all over the country.

The other reason why real estate agents and offices heavily utilize the Internet is because it costs next to nothing and it works! Plan and simple it works.

The Internet has changed the way real estate is marketed forever and agents have accepted it. Print advertising is extremely expensive and the Internet has now made print advertising passé.
This is not a bad thing. Agents place their efforts and energy on what works and now so can you!
Right now is the perfect time for the average home seller to learn this truth and use the Internet to sell their property without the expense of a listing real estate agent.

One of the best-kept secrets around is that for peanuts and very little effort, sellers can put their property on the Internet without an agent or a real estate broker.

If you have a digital camera and have ever used or seen eBay then you can figure out how to post your property on the Internet. It’s that easy. Fill in the blanks, download some pictures and your property is out there for the world to see.

Oh sure, you are comfortable with the Internet. Maybe you have sold a car on it or have bought and sold other items on eBay or Craigslist. Or perhaps you are quite leading edge using all the latest technology. But this is real estate and it all seems a bit complicated. What about all the other steps that are involved in the real estate transaction?

Relax! This is not rocket science and most professionals in the real estate business are not scientists.

Use of the following 12 steps and it will make your transaction very manageable.

THE12 PRINCIPLES FOR SUCCESSFUL INTERNET REAL ESTATE SELLING is not only a guide for using the Internet to sell real estate online but also a formula for protecting and securing the seller throughout the entire transaction.

1. Be brave and set the price. The seller always has
2. You must perform all inspections before you market the property
3. Honestly represent the exact nature and condition of the property
4. Hire an Attorney. Do it early on in the sales process
5. Get proof of insurance from everyone
6. Anything you say can and will be used against you. So zip it!
7. You need to cooperate with and pay buyers brokers and agents
8. You can sell directly to buyers without an agent. If they don’t have one
9. Online advertising is cheap
10. Showings are easy
11. Be effective and follow up
12. All information concerning the property becomes the property of the property

If sellers will follow these principles they can sell their real estate online with the confidence that they can accomplish this important transaction from beginning to end.

For a full explanation on each of the 12 PRINCIPLES FOR SUCCESSFUL ONLINE PROPERTY SELLING go to [http://www.askjamesjoseph.com] for your free copy. In my new book REAL ESTATE 3G. HOW TO USE THE INTERNET TO SELL YOUR PROPERTY AND SAVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN COMMISSIONS I explain many of the changes and conflicts of interests that take place and have a negative impact on the sellers of real estate and how so many Realtors are actually counterproductive and harmful to the Seller’s cause.

I have more than 25 years experience in the Real Estate Industry as a Broker, Builder, Developer and Investor. I have bought and sold many, many properties directly without the use of MLS or listing Realtors. In fact I have sold entire subdivisions with very little involvement from the Realtor community and I can show you how to use the Internet to sell your property without wasting your money on a listing Realtor.

Sellers do not need the negative outdated services of listing real estate agents. I will show you how to work directly with buyers and cooperate with the type of agents that are entirely worthwhile, the buyer’s agents.

What are some ways a person can generate passive investment income? There are a number of ideas about it. Everyone has his own ideas about which one can be a passive investment income. We should have our own choice of investment. The wealthy, the marginalized, and the middle class people differ in their own preferences about investing their money. Now, let’s compare ways and opportunities according to some considerations such as safety, profitability, and also liquidity.

Safety means that your investment and the income are stable. The money that you invest could be prone to the changing market condition, economic slowdown, and social unrest. The point is that your passive investment income should always be there. In that case, it is safe to invest.

On the other hand, profitability is what we usually consider when we invest. We are supposed to believe that what is profitable is ideal. That’s right. But is it risky? Is my money stuck? Obviously, everyone would go for whatever gives them profit. Whenever we consider gains, the highest amount is always the best passive investment income. What we should consider here should not have been about the top gainers only. It’s should also be the safer ones.

Another significant factor that must be considered is liquidity. Let us suppose that we earn very attractively from our safe investment. What does that mean to us anyway? When you are ready to use your fund because you really need it and that’s the reason why you invested, is it possible to convert it to cash now? If there is no liquidity, our passive investment income is only an imagination. You would become wealthy only in your dreams. Liquidity is not only about the comfort of making a withdrawal. It is also about how smooth it is to invest.

Now, here are three kinds of investment we may consider whether which passive investment income is better for us. So, let’s talk about three kinds of portfolios such as business, stocks, and real estate.

Business is a personal activity that deals with economic factors that determines future gains. It is the chemistry of work and investment. This means that a businessman does not only wait for passive income, he should also work for it. Therefore, it is an active income and at the same time passive.

In the aspect of safety, business is not that safe. It is exposed to economic cycle. Businesses are under the supply and demand law. If the demand for their goods has been increasing, the price will also increase, and so will the supply. As time goes by, the demand will influence the supply to increase more. So if the supply is much greater, it will then influence the price to decrease. Consequently, businesses are getting more unstable and their future is turning gray. But, businesses may also get more resilient. As this type of investment is a little active, the active control of a businessman can manage a worse situation. Therefore, these two characters of investment regulate the cycle. Because of this, business becomes good. It is definitely a good example of passive investment income when it comes to safety.

In stock market, it’s the other way around. Safety is a very controversial issue here. Obviously, the risk involved here is very high. But the potential return is high, too. Passive investment income is more common in stock trading. Therefore, your income here is not the product of your active participation in the company. It is the product of your decision.

In the area of real estate, the lesser amount you invest, the safer it is. The bigger the investment you have, the riskier it becomes. But land alone is considerably not risky. The reason why real estate becomes a little risky is because the cost of structural materials is getting higher. Structural materials are also subject to the law of supply and demand. So, if we only rely on land for passive investment income by renting it out, our passive income will not be affected by any price fluctuation. Aside from that, structures depreciate over a period of time. Therefore, investing in real estate can be risky or safe depending on the kind.

In terms of profit, it is more attractive in business. In some businesses, you have to spend time before you earn regularly. Usually, the profit is negative especially if they are just beginning to operate. They should promote their brands and strengthen themselves in the market. When the consumers buy their goods, passive investment income begins. On the other hand, other businesses are doing well in the beginning of the operation. During the first stage, their sales shoot up. Subsequently, they grow very early. As time goes by, consumers get sick and tired of their goods. Consequently, these businesses reduce their passive income. Nevertheless, what is nice about business is the resilience to catch up with the competition. In business, the consistency of income is stable. One more advantage in business regarding this is the petty cash. Passive investment income in business need not come after a fixed cycle like that in stocks. There is always readily available petty cash.

On one hand, profit potential in stock investing is definitely high. As the character of stocks is risky, risk appetite causes the value of stocks to go up quickly. On the other hand, risk aversion and profit taking in the intraday trading can cause the value of stocks to go down quickly, too. Risk management in the stock market depends on the traders. Speculators enjoy their passive investment income from the price volatility while non-aggressive traders and investors get their passive investment income from dividends. Therefore, we can’t rule out the risk nature of stocks. When we gauge the balance between the energy we exert and the profit we earn, investing in stocks could be the most attractive one. We must not forget that passive investment income is an income that we could get without extra effort. If stock market really offers this potential, it must be a better option for passive investment income.

In real estate, how can we have a passive investment income? There is no doubt that one may enjoy his passive investment income in real estate without extra effort. The point is whether or not the ratio of profit is balanced with the investment. Surely, we can gain in real estate primarily because the usual investment is big as well. But always remember that you should pay the capital gains tax annually. This might explain why landlords do not solely rely on renting out their lots. Hence, land is usually developed to optimize the gains. Regarding the actual amount of gains, real estate could guarantee a better passive investment income. Therefore, we should really consider the ROI.

In terms of liquidity, it is somewhat less in business. Of course, liquidity still exists. However, much time is spent to put up a business, to start gaining, and even the time it takes to stop operating. Although the period of time executing all these can be determined according to a business plan, the process is still slower depending on the kind of business. Retail businesses are quite liquid whereas manufacturing industries are not.

Among the common types of investments known to many, investment in stocks is the most liquid one. You can open and close an investment account at your convenience. Moreover, you may select any available stock you wish to invest in. If you wish to have exposure in stock market, to take profit, or to pull out your investment, it won’t take that long. You may do so at any given time wherever you may be.

On the contrary, liquidity is a big problem in real estate. In business, there are still ways to determine it, but hardly in real estate. Usually, it is like a game of chance to sell even a small house and lot. Thus, investing in real estate, earning passive income, and even pulling out your investment will never occur overnight. It won’t matter if it doesn’t affect productivity. For instance, you have found a better opportunity that needs quick decision. Then, you think it best to change your existing investment into such a new one. Perhaps, before you are able to pull out your investment from real estate, your commitment to others will have already been canceled. In similar case, you might get stuck.

These are some ways a person can generate passive investment income. Whether you wish to invest in stocks, real estate, or business, you can always find an opportunity to generate passive investment income.