In part one of this article, we discussed five pros of running a home-based business. Here are five cons that you also need to be aware of.The Cons1. Having a Dedicated SpaceWhile you might not have all the expenses of a conventional office, you now have to manage where you want to work. You will definitely need a place that will separate you from any distractions while you are working. You don’t want to hear the neighbor’s kids screaming in the background, or their lawnmowers, while speaking to a potential customer.2. Test the watersWhile being able to test the waters and taking your time making a decision is definitely a positive. If you take too long procrastinating, you may well miss some very lucrative money making business opportunities. Be decisive and make smart calculated decisions, but also be willing to take a risk.3. Be your own bossWhile being your own boss is great position to be in, along with that responsibility comes all the tough decisions you must make regarding your business. For example, knowing how much you can afford to invest in your new home-based business opportunity, and how much time you’re willing to devote to the business. In the beginning, you will need to set aside enough time to get the business up and running. Being in charge means you make all the decisions, and the success of failure of your business falls on your shoulders.4. Set your own scheduleSetting your own schedule sounds wonderful in theory, but finding the right balance is often challenging. If you work endless hours on your new venture, it may be to detriment of other things you need to do. Creating balance needs to be done right at the onset.5. Spend more time with your familyEstablishing your family priorities should be an important part of your scheduling. It’s easy to get so caught up in your new home-based business, especially if it is an online business, that you easily lose track of time. Make sure that you don’t put your family relationships, especially with grandchildren, in jeopardy in your eagerness to make your business opportunity a success.Running a home-based business is a wonderful and very freeing experience, so long as you understand the pros and cons. But, it is a business and you need to treat it as such. Plan your strategy carefully, set realistic goals and objectives, create the right working environment for yourself, and set yourself on a path of success.

On a sunny afternoon in Florida, an energetic crowd gathers on the lawn of a high end luxury estate. A loud and eager banter between an auctioneer, a group of bidders and bidder assistants fills the air. For several minutes the auctioneer asks for the next highest bid and the bidders respond. Suddenly the bidders grow silent. The high bidder holds his breath in anticipation of winning the auction. The auctioneer calls for one more bid. In a loud clear voice which rolls over the audience he says, “Fair warning, last chance” the auctioneer pauses, “SOLD!” And in less than 10 minutes another multimillion dollar estate has changed owners.

Successful real estate auctions like the one above are happening all over North America and the Caribbean. Recently real estate auctions have been on the rise, the increase in popularity is partly driven by growing inventories and fading buyer confidence. Properties that were selling in weeks using traditional methods are now languishing on the market unable to attract buyers even as seller’s lower prices. Many say the real estate boom is over but savvy buyers and sellers are profiting from real estate auctions.

Real Estate Auctions Work in Up or Down Markets.

Regardless of trends or market cycles, real estate auctions provide an open and transparent process for buyers and sellers. Properly conducted real estate auctions attract ready and willing buyers and motivate them to act now.

The auction method removes the “wait and see” attitude which serves to further depress real estate values. Buyers are always concerned about overpaying. Buyers gain confidence with their purchases at real estate auctions because they can see what others are willing to pay.

When market demand is high and inventories low, real estate auctions can deliver selling prices well above what a willing seller would have accepted in a negotiated private treaty sale. In good selling climates many property owners using traditional real estate methods; negotiating with one buyer at a time, leave thousands of dollars of equity on the table. During up markets real estate auctions are the best way to establish top market price.

Evaluating Your Real Estate for Auction

Not every property or seller for that matter makes a good candidate for auction. First of all sellers must be ready to sell now and for the current market value. Also a real estate auction will not fix problems caused by a downturn in market value of your property, if you owe more than a willing buyer will pay, be prepared to come to closing with your check book.

Properties that do well in real estate auctions have a high uniqueness factor. Ask your self, “What makes my property different from most others?” Maybe you own a resort property or high end luxury home, commercial properties and land do very well at auction. Real estate auctions thrive on uniqueness. If your property is like everyone else’s, the best thing you can do is offer the most competitive price.

Most importantly sellers must be reasonable about setting a minimum bid. A seller must look at the lowest, most current comps and price below that to generate the interest and urgency necessary for a successful real estate auction. Once the auction begins and qualified bidders start competing against one another you can watch the selling price increase.

Locate a Qualified Real Estate Auctioneer

Start by checking with the National Auctioneers Association, the best real estate auctioneers belong to this organization. These real estate auctioneers are well trained and adhere to a standard of practice and a code of ethics. Many attend the annual International Auctioneers Conference where the latest techniques and innovations in the real estate auction industry are presented.

Find out if the company you are interviewing is a full time real estate auction firm. Many real estate agents are getting auction licenses yet have no experience with the auction method of marketing. Conducting a successful real estate auction is nothing like (private treaty) traditional real estate sales. Go with a real estate auction pro.

You’re probably better of with an auction house that specializes in real estate auctions. There are many qualified auctioneers who have generations of experience selling personal property; furniture, dishes, lawn equipment and the occasional rare painting. Selling real estate at auction is a complex matter that should only be attempted by full time experienced real estate auction professionals.

Commissions and fees may vary, sellers must pay all marketing expenses up front and buyers typically pay 10% of the sales price to the auctioneer of which a share goes to participating real estate agents.

Types of Real Estate Auctions

Auctions are effective because they create a seller’s market. Professionally conducted real estate auctions create urgency, a reason to buy today and competition for the property. Terms and conditions of sale are established ahead of the auction. Real estate auctions will follow one of these three approaches:

Absolute Auction

The property is sold to the highest bidder regardless of price- using this process often returns the highest sale price.

Minimum Bid Auction

Seller agrees to sell at or above a published minimum bid price – this method is useful for internet auctions.

Seller Confirmation or Reserve Auction

With a reserve auction, the seller “reserves” the right to accept or decline any bids usually within 48 hours of the auction. Reserve auctions are used when there is a lien on the property from a lender or a court ordered sale with a minimum selling price.

Maybe you’ve tried some home-based business ideas or maybe you’re just thinking about getting something started. Either way, if you’ve spent any time researching your options, you will have by now seen many different schemes that promise to make you money. Some of these are undoubtedly good ideas from reputable companies, while other offers are suspect at best.In any event, one thing is for certain – there are no magic bullets. No matter what home-based business model you choose to pursue, you will need to be prepared to apply yourself and roll up your sleeves to do the work that is necessary to make you successful. A lot of people don’t want to hear that. They want to hear that there is an easy “set it and forget it” scheme for making lots of money. But I’m not going to blow that kind of smoke at you. So if you’re willing to use a little elbow grease, please read on.Now that we have that little bit of reality dose unpleasantness out of the way, let me get to the point of this article. I would like to submit to you that leveraging the best investment tools is the basis for the ultimate home-based business opportunity. You might be thinking, “Wait a minute, investing is something I do after I’ve made money with some other home-based business model.” But the truth is, you should approach investing as a business. You need to apply the same kind of focus and discipline to investing as you do to any other business you might manage.By “investing” I don’t just mean buying some stocks. Investing opportunities encompass a wide variety of things such as real estate, Forex, and gold – just to mention a few. Keeping in mind this idea that investing opportunities are vast, these opportunities have some distinct advantages over many of the other home-based business ideas you may have considered – or even tried.1 – There are powerful tools you can leverage to increase your chances of successWhen it comes to investing, one of the biggest obstacles to overcome is the sheer amount of information you need to process to make good and timely decisions. The good news is that computers and software can process a lot of information very quickly and help you make decisions. A lot of the knowledge the pros have used for years is coded into these software solutions.2 – Many pros are writing How-To guides to walk you through their investing systemsIt is easier than ever to publish and deliver information over the Internet. Many investing pros are creating How-To products that expose the knowledge they have acquired and succeeded with in investing. Rather than reinvent the wheel or learn by trial and error, you can benefit from their hard learned expertise right out of the gate.3 – You don’t need to find customers; You are your customerTo be sure, there are some investments that include customer relationships – such as investing in commercial real estate. But there are many investing opportunities that only involve you. The only person you have to sell to is yourself. You may be your toughest customer, but that can be a good thing.I’ll leave you with a final bonus reason why using the power of investing tools is the ultimate home-based business model; investing is something you can get into without quitting your day job at first. Imagine yourself trading currencies at midnight – or placing an order for some gold bullion coins. You can have the satisfaction of managing your own home-based business without a lot of the baggage that comes with other schemes.