If you have received the proper training as a real estate investor, you realize there is no such thing as a “bad” real estate market. The real estate market fluctuates cyclically, driven mostly by the laws of supply and demand. As you probably learned in grammar school, supply and demand drive prices and opportunity based on availability and desire, and this is true in most areas of business. Therefore, in the real estate market, when there is a greater supply of real estate than there are buyers demanding it, you have a buyer’s market. When the opposite is true and there are a number of buyers demanding property and few for sale, you have a seller’s market.Unfortunately for the typical self-proclaimed real estate investor, the media drives his or her decisions based on reports that are unfounded and full of sensationalism and hype meant to drive ratings. On the other hand, a real estate investor who has the proper training will ignore what is said on the news, following the trends and using his or her own wits to make important decisions. Of course, the fear that the media can strike into the hearts of the uneducated can easily lead to your profit as a skilled investor.Take, for example, the occurrence of a buyer’s market. What this means to the uninformed is that, because there are too many homes on the market, the value of their property is going to plummet due to a lack of interest. Therefore, in order to get out from under the property before they “lose money”, they will be willing to sell the real estate for what you can offer. This means you can get into some great properties at low prices all because of media hype.Had these individuals received proper training as a real estate investor, they would have realized it would have made more sense to sit on the property and wait for the real estate market to cycle again, creating a seller’s market in which they could have demanded any price they liked for the property or get better trained from qualified sources on how to move properties in a slow market.As a savvy real estate investor, you have several options. You can sit and wait for the next seller’s market, demanding a high price and turning over a large profit on the property, or you can set up the property in a manner that allows you to turn it right back around, even in a buyer’s market, and make a profit. While any real estate investor can come in and buy up properties during a buyer’s market, it is still quite difficult for the average aspiring homeowner to purchase a home, especially since the majority of potential buyers don’t have what it takes to qualify for a traditional mortgage loan. Therefore, you can offer lease purchases and seller financing options on the home, both of which actually draw a higher price for the property than straight financing.Such an option offers a solution to someone who can’t get the help they need elsewhere and allows you to draw income from the property. It’s a win-win situation, one which was created because you made use of what the media felt should be dubbed a “bad” real estate market.

Because of where our world is headed with technology, kids are going to have to use their whole brain, not just the logistical side, to be successful.A three-year study by The Arts Education Partnership showed that involvement in the arts triggers the right side of the brain, which is used in making connections, problem solving and developing social skills. The study also showed that schools that have art in the curriculum (this includes visual art, music and drama) also have higher attendance and better behavior. Some argue that art class gives kids a break from the school day, but any teacher will tell you their art class is time for students to apply what they’ve been learning.Take something as simple as making a model out of clay for example. It’s science, because they [students] learn that it’s made through erosion. It’s social studies, because every culture has used clay at some point, and it incorporates language because it’s expressive.Out of all the arts, there is compelling evidence that music is the most important skill. Learning an instrument gives children a voice they would not normally have. Music is a way for people to express themselves. With no music programme, students who have trouble expressing themselves in words would be totally lost. They would fall through the cracks of our education system. Music can often provide the bridge to an education for underprivileged children.Listening and team-building are also two important musical elements that are valuable to students, because students have to listen to the music as a whole. Students have to listen to how their part fits into the big picture. This is something they would not learn with any other subject.
Without the arts, education is boring! A bored student is incapable of learning anything. They switch off. Music is well known for turning people on.The 21st century is looking for people who work as a team. It’s not just about the individual, but it’s about a group of people working together to create something. Consider this concept to be a bit like an orchestra. Not all instruments need to be loud. Not all soft. Everyone has their part to play to make up the whole. We learn that perceived weaknesses can be used as strengths. Everyone is unique. No one is insignificant.You don’t need to spend a fortune on music education. It only takes a trip to the library or a download of a CD online to introduce your kids to quality music. If there’s a festival on, take your children along so they can experience free live music for themselves. Stand near the stage or go up to the musicians after the performance and introduce your children to them. It only takes a few minutes. Remember, you are sowing a seed. You never know when it is going to sprout.