SOME OF THE BEST MLM COMPANIES TO CONTACT Most of the companies listed in this section do not have a monthly purchase requirement. Many MLM companies require distributors to make a personal purchase each month -- either to remain a distributor or to be paid commissions. Such requirements can be a major hurdle to those who are trying to build a business with little money to invest. The Power of Residual Income Have you ever fantasized about writing a hit record or a best-selling book then spending the rest of your life collecting fat royalty checks? Unfortunately, for 99.9% of us, that's a fantasy that will never come true. Network marketing has something just as good as royalties. It's called "residual income," and basically means that for the work you do today, you can earn money today, AND for many years to come. Top corporate executives and time clock punchers alike are leaving the nine to five routine in record numbers. Home based business is being called one of the few hot spots in today's business climate. Multi-level sales are expected to exceed 100 billion dollars this decade. Minneapolis businessman Irwin L. Jacobs is at the vanguard of this business explosion. Irwin says almost everyone dreams of owning his or her own business, but obstacles like lack of start-up capital, high inventory costs or inexperience are keeping most people mired in jobs they don't like. Multi-level marketing, he says, offers a way of eliminating those obstacles. Irwin Jacobs is President of Watkins Incorporated, one of the oldest direct marketing businesses in the nation. Of the hundreds of network marketing companies we've reviewed, Watkins stands well above the crowd in all vital areas. Security starts with a good foundation and Watkins has been successfully building theirs for 125 years. That's a track record of rock-solid stability that only a handful of companies in the world can match. The founder, J.R. Watkins, came up with a very innovative idea in the 1870s. He decided to imprint a line into some of the bottles his products came in. Customers could use the product down to this line. If at that time they decided they weren't satisfied with the product, Watkins would provide a courteous refund. It was the first ever money-back guarantee! The ample financial resources of Watkins also gives you security; Watkins is owned and vigorously backed by one of America's wealthiest men, multi- millionaire Irwin Jacobs. Another important issue affecting your long-term security is legal soundness. Once again, Watkins is extremely solid -- proven over decades. With Watkins, the monthly income you build today is truly residual and can continue, and even grow, indefinitely. In fact, the income you create with Watkins can continue beyond your lifetime, because it can also be willed to your children or other loved ones. One important point to consider about residual income. What good is it to create residual income, if the company is not around to collect it from? Again, this is why the proven stability and security that a company like Watkins gives you is so very, very important. If you truly want long-term success and security, you need a stable, proven company with the resources, the integrity, and the experience to continue far into the next century. Watkins definitely delivers in this ultra-vital area. You never have to handle products because Watkins takes care of all product distribution for you. They stock, ship and deliver every order directly to your customers and your networking associates from their 54,000 square-foot shipping facility. The size of that shipping facility gives you an idea of the kind of strength they have to back your efforts. Most network marketing companies have forced monthly sales quotas of $50 to $200 (you buy the required minimum amount of products whether you want them or not). Watkins has no monthly sales quota (frankly they don't need to -- natural high demand for the company's products generates millions of dollars in sales every month). Tupperware is a great product -- but it never wears out. Mary Kay comes closer to being consumable, but it can be used by only half the population. Watkins is unique because it is something which everyone can and must use -- groceries are a major part of the product line, along with vitamins, spices, sauces, aspirin, cough syrup, aloe vera, shampoo, mouthwash, household cleaning products and many, many more. The single most important ingredient of success for a network marketing company is its product line. First, unless you want to severely limit your market base, you'll want to represent a company with products that everybody uses. Fad products or products that offer little chance for repeat business are also extremely restrictive. Again, Watkins scores extremely high in this category with its diverse line of highly-consumable, mass-appeal products. Watkins products are, in general, competitively priced (in fact, many actually provide a money savings), and recent surveys have shown that the average American family already uses over $80 a month of the same products available through Watkins. That's an ENORMOUS market. Today, over 350 different products display the Watkins name. That kind of diversity is extremely rare in a network marketing company and is a big plus. Another big plus and rarer still, Watkins research & development team delivers a minimum of two new products to the market every month -- each accommodating the special needs of today's society like environmental sensitivity and sensible nutritional formulations. As a Watkins marketer, however, clearly the most important aspect of the product line is that it features numerous products that everyone uses and consumes regularly. Hence, every person you meet is a potential lifetime customer. There are many ways to make money with Watkins. Watkins places few restrictions on how you sell the product. A few ways you may want to investigate are: party plan, fund-raisers, selling in offices, and recruiting sales agents. For example, you can combine the last two on that list. Recruit receptionists in large offices. Everybody knows the receptionist and they will naturally share the catalog with everyone in the office. Fundraising is another possibility. You can sign up a church, club, or other group as a Watkins distributor itself, and let them earn commissions on all orders placed by their members. Since Watkins products are things used by families everyday, they can support the organization through their normal purchases. They don't have to buy some special fundraising item during a one-time fundraising drive. Your customers can place their catalog orders directly with Watkins -- and you still receive the commission on all of their purchases. Everyone can build a Watkins business to fit their own needs. You can share the business opportunity with others and build your business to the size you are comfortable with while earning a good override commission on your group's sales. Or you can choose to be a sales force of one, since it is not necessary to sponsor other representatives to make good money with Watkins. But if you don't plan to sponsor anybody else, what tends to happen over time is that other people ask you how they can be representatives too. It is nice to be able to profit from their sales instead of having them become your competitors. Part of the beauty of this company is that the opportunity spans the entire spectrum, from those who simply want to purchase products for their own use at a wholesale price, to those who want to build a multi- million dollar business. The only limits are what you choose to place on yourself. Group health & life insurance, designed especially for entrepreneurs, is available through Watkins membership in the Direct Selling Association, after you've become a representative. Enjoy legal tax deductions, just like the ones taken by large corporations (a home office can be especially tax advantageous, allowing you deductions for gas, electricity, phone, etc.). Every year Watkins offers you the opportunity to earn an exciting all-expense-paid trip as a bonus. For more information on Watkins send $3 with your name, address, & telephone number to: Doug Slaton 15311 E. 15th Ave., #B Veradale WA 99037. The package you'll receive will contain various brochures, the business plan presentation, the Watkins mainline catalog, a sign-up application, a product sample, a coupon for a free copy of Watkins' "Reach For Tomorrow" video, and a $1 off coupon for a Watkins order of $10 or more. Doug Slaton is a full-time Watkins marketing director. Watkins has a Canadian company also. Representatives in the U.S. can sponsor representatives in Canada, and Canadian representatives can sponsor representatives in the U.S. In 1995 Watkins launched Synergie -- a unique skin care line. The product launch video (available for representatives to use) features a major Hollywood star, Pamela Bellwood, star of the hit television series Dynasty. She is joined by several friends, aesthetician Pat Schverven, and plastic surgeon Dr. Charles V. Pledger. This product line is likely to appeal to many who have had experience with Avon, Mary Kay, or similar cosmetics companies -- giving you an opportunity to recruit even more Watkins representatives than ever before. As with all Watkins products, there are price savings advantages to the customer as well as unique benefits from using the products. Watkins has developed excellent sales tools to go with the Synergie line. Network Marketing Without Fees or Tricks Entrepreneurs are always looking for new products for multi-level or network selling companies. Some people hate network marketing, but others have made fortunes with it. The general rule of thumb is to avoid companies that have any sort of high monthly fee or minimum purchase to stay in the program. Once you've earned a commission, or a bonus on the sales of somebody under you in the organization -- that money should be yours no matter what. If your commissions are dependent on your personal purchases or sales, the efforts you made to recruit others are a gift to the company. If profits are based on people making minimum payments, pretty soon you have people buying products because they are afraid they will loose commissions if they drop out. Before long the whole company is doing that, and nobody is really selling products. After awhile such companies fall apart, as people get tired of paying for a dream of profits that never come. So it is always a pleasure when there is a metwork marketing company with both a new product to market and a compensation system that is fair. MagNet has come along with a magazine subscription sales company that is intriguing because it guarantees the lowest price on subscriptions to over 400 of America's most read consumer publications. Last year, over 540 million magazine subscriptions were purchased in the United States through a wide variety of costly marketing techniques. These include television and radio advertising, direct mail campaigns and high-pressure telemarketing. Millions of dollars in sweepstakes giveaways and TV celebrities salaries add further costs to these already expensive methods. This also means that magazine publishers can afford to pay high commissions to sales companies like MagNet, who only have to be paid for results. MagNet utilizes word-of-mouth advertising and a network marketing program that eliminates many of the expenses attributed to subscription sales. MagNet's representatives have an opportunity to earn commissions, overrides, and bonuses and they can also participate in a company profit sharing program. Subscribers also win because they get their favorite magazines at great savings. MagNet has no distributor fee, no membership fee, no inventory, no deliveries, no collections, no bookkeeping, no monthly purchase requirements, no need to change anyone's buying habits, no product knowledge necessary, and no conflict with any other business. This last point is especially important to people already involved in network marketing, because it allows them to add MagNet to their existing distributor organization to increase their profits with minimal extra effort. You receive a complete catalog with detailed descriptions of all magazines. Selections range from comic books to Cosmopolitan, from Prevention to Sports Illustrated to Newsweek. Every time one of your customers, or a customer of a representative you recruited, buys or renews a magazine subscription through MagNet, commissions, overrides, bonuses, and a contribution to the company profit sharing plan is paid. If you would like information on MagNet International, send a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) to: PNS Associates Attn: MagNet Brochure 3650 Silverside Road, #1046 Wilmington DE 19810. A special approach that might work well for you is to look for small stores where the owner might join and put the brochures in a "take one" display on the counter. MagNet has developed several specialized brochures that can make this easier, such as sports magazines for a sporting goods store, or women's magazines for a beauty salon. Another point is that this is the only multi-level plan we've seen that will accept a representative under age 18 (with parental consent of course), so it could be an excellent way to help one of your children become an active entrepreneur. And they earn residual income on renewals and downline activity, which is much more profitable than the couple of dollars commission on the subscription sales plans usually available to youngsters. MagNet also accepts organizations as agents. This offers some nice fundraising possibilities for any project, plus an ongoing income stream for the group instead of just the one time cash they normally would make from a candy or cookie sale. Plus by signing up the group, you also will be making commissions for a long time to come. This type of strategy is the way to build large sales fast. How To Turn A Few Hours A Week Into A Lifetime of Wealth Would you like to work a few hours a week, and receive residual income for the rest of your life? Commissions on the customers you sell today can continue indefinitely, and so can commissions on the sales of agents you recruit -- for up to seven levels under you. Rodney Dangerfield has been signed as the company spokesperson. He is appearing in national advertising designed to expose the company name to the general public as well as the network marketing industry. And there are NO monthly purchase requirements -- you don't even need to be a customer yourself to earn this money! The product is both domestic and international long distance services, and the company is Net-Tel. The international part lets you sell services in other countries, and recruit agents in other countries, creating an opportunity to build a truly global source of income. We'll come back to the international aspect in a bit, but first, lets examine the opportunity and the commission structure. It costs less than $100 to become a Net-Tel representative. Net-Tel is multi-level, and you earn a 5% commission on the long distance services you sell yourself. These services include residential and business long distance, 800 numbers, international callback services and pre-paid calling cards. For the basic services Net-Tel is an agent of LDDS Metromedia, the fourth largest U.S. long-distance company, with peak time rates generally 20 to 30% lower than AT&T, MCI, and Sprint. Because the commission on these services goes on for as long as your customer stays with Net-Tel, the work you do in the early years can give you a lifetime of commissions. Your customer does not need to become a Net-Tel agent -- the multi-level aspect only comes into play if you want to recruit somebody as a representative. If you wish, you can simply sell long distance services to individuals and businesses without ever recruiting another person as a representative. But if you do want to recruit others as representatives, the income potential multiplies dramatically. The commission structure then pays you on agents you recruit, and the agents they recruit, for a full seven levels under you. Commissions are paid on all sales, unlike some companies that only pay after your agents have achieved a large volume of business. On the agents you directly recruit, you receive 2% of their sales. At the third level -- the agents they recruit -- you receive a 1% commission. The fourth level pays 1%, the fifth and sixth levels pay 1/2%, and the seventh level pays 1%. Net-Tel lets you recruit non-profit organizations as independent representatives, in which case the group will receive the full 5% commission and you will receive the 2% override commission. And Net-Tel will even pay the agent fee for groups with IRS-approved tax-exempt status! In the past few years, an international discount telephone industry called "callback" or "third-country calling" has been growing rapidly. (The name "callback" for these services is because most of them use a computer system to automatically call back to the customer's foreign number when the computer has been called.) Net-Tel has now entered this industry, providing an opportunity to recruit agents in foreign countries as well as make direct sales worldwide. "Callback" primarily serves people outside the U.S. who need to call the U.S., or call between two foreign countries. Since discount telephone services are not available in most of the world, an industry has developed to serve these markets by channeling the calls through the U.S. American telephone rates are so low that it is cheaper to route a call through the U.S., even though that means paying for two separate calls. In addition to callback services, Net-Tel offers another international service -- a prepaid card that can be used for international calling, thus making international telephone services readily available to travelers, people without a telephone of their own, and others who may have occasional needs but not need the full callback service. And you'll be getting a percentage of all those calls if they're sold through the network of representatives that you've built. While the market is foreign, that doesn't mean that Americans can't make money from this service. Some of the markets you might consider are international travelers, and companies that have representatives traveling overseas. Anybody with family members overseas who call frequently is an especially good prospect for this service. Who do you know who has a relative on an overseas military assignment, or a child spending a year at a foreign school as part of a student exchange program? The key to making big money with the international portion of this opportunity is finding good distributors in foreign countries and signing them up under you. The person you sign up now in another country might go on to build a network of agents throughout that country. To get an application form to become a Net-Tel representative, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Network Marketing Group 3712 North Broadway, #502 Chicago IL 60613-4105. To assure professional and knowledge agents, once you have signed-up as a Net-Tel representative you will be able to participate in free training sessions that Net-Tel schedules around the country, to learn about each of the products in detail and be able to answer your customer's questions with confidence and assurance. Earn Big With Your Own Mortgage Reduction Business! Homeowners across America are paying big money to save $50,000 to $100,000 or more on their mortgage interest costs. Working from your home or office, you can earn a six-figure income by offering the Equity Acceleration Program with no previous experience or license required. The Equity Acceleration Program saves homeowners up to $100,000 or more in mortgage interest, reduces a 30 year mortgage to 20 years, builds home equity 2-3 times faster and can be transferred to future mortgages. With the deferred payment program and a low minimum price, you can sell in volume. The lifetime program requires no refinancing or credit checks, and works within the client's existing mortgage agreement. U.S. Mortgage Reduction is the nation's largest loan acceleration company. They hire and train more agents than any other company in the industry. You can become an agent for the company and either direct sell their money-saving program or hire other agents to sell for you. If you prefer just to hire other agents to sell for you, they will help you hire a successful network of agents and pay you large commissions on their sales. You won't even need to direct sell, handle money, or manage people. They do it all for you. They earn their money through a larger sales volume. You can hire agents through employment ads almost anywhere in the U.S.A. with their proven system. Would you like to learn more about this incredible sales and/or management business? Or why U.S. Mortgage Reduction has now become the number one mortgage reduction company in the United States? Call the toll-free number below and they'll send you a complete information package absolutely free. If you are interested in earning a seriously large income on a full or part-time basis, now is the time to call. For a free information package by mail, call 1-800-365-7550, extension 70021. Be A Bank Deposit Broker Here's a really unique opportunity. BankNet lets financial professionals sell FDIC-insured bank certificates of deposit (CD's). If you are not in a position where you would be able to sell such investments yourself, you can still make money by recruiting financial professionals in your area to represent the BankNet program. Every month hundreds of millions of dollars are invested in CD's by individuals who will only put their hard-earned dollars in a safe investment. How often has an insurance agent or other financial professional reasoned with a client about the safety and advantages of an annuity or single premium life policy only to lose his commissions to the local bankers' certificate of deposit? It happens all the time! BankNet puts you in the business of negotiating CD's, and no license is required. Do you know who the only other ones are that have this opportunity? They are the banks, credit unions, and security firms. And the cost to open your own bank, credit union, or securities firm would be astronomical. By contrast, you are in business with a minimal capital outlay; you don't need to purchase or lease expensive office space if you don't want to; no staffing is required; no inventory is necessary. For example, insurance agents can do extremely well by advertising CD's in their local papers along with a brief reference to "CD alternatives." When appointments are set to discuss the CD's, the agents present the advantages of their annuities or single premium life policies and often times convince the client to take the life insurance product. When they don't, they sell a CD! Some bank's long-term CD's have an average annual yield of 10% As a BankNet agent you will have immediate access to the highest paying CD's in the country, updated daily. Over 2200 banks that pay commissions under special contractual arrangements are scanned each week to insure that you are able to offer your clients the highest paying FDIC-insured CD's. BankNet is an FDIC approved brokerage agency. There is no fee for this service. Think of BankNet as a travel agent who arranges airplane tickets for you. The travel agent gets the best price for you on a selected airline that directly pays the travel agent a small fee for their service. BankNet is paid by the banks in the same way, and shares those commissions with its agents. This service has been available to institutional investors for over 9 years. Last year alone BankNet sold over $100,000,000 in CD's. Now it's available to independent financial professionals to offer to their clients. They have structured additional overrides to be paid to independent agents by letting you be paid on the business of new BankNet agents for several levels below you. For more information, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Atlas Financial Services Group Attn: BankNet Information 822 Guilford Avenue, #119 Baltimore MD 21202. Before sending for the literature, however, we do want you to be aware that it does cost about $300 to get started, so this won't work if you can't afford an initial investment of that size. The BankNet literature you will receive is targeted to insurance agents, but remember that anyone can sell the CD's, either as their only business or as part of a professional practice such as investment advising, accounting, law, or real estate. A securities broker license is not required. And anyone can recruit financial professionals in their area, earning override commissions on the sales of those they recruit. Selling Legal Service Plans Can Mean Steady Profits Most people have never heard of legal protection plans, which are to attorney fees what prepaid medical plans are to doctor and hospital bills. With a legal protection plan you can have continuing access to preventive legal care. As simple and as necessary as they are, legal protection plans have not become available in the United States until quite recently. Legal protection plans were introduced in Europe about 70 years ago, and over the years have become very common and popular in Europe. Statistics indicate the average American faces a greater risk of being in court than in the hospital. Annually, millions of lawsuits are filed in the United States and over one third of the population experiences problems with legal ramifications. Unfortunately, most consumers in the greatest need of legal services do not seek help because they do not know how to select competent legal counsel and fear the cost of that counsel. Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., formed in 1972, pioneered the legal plan industry in the United States. Their products are to attorney fees what prepaid medical plans are to doctor and hospital bills. The plans are designed to help middle-income Americans get quality legal assistance without having to first make a financial sacrifice. The company offers plans which make services available through a national network of independent attorneys under contract with the company. In most states services include unlimited telephone consultations, legal correspondence on your behalf, will preparation and maintenance, legal document review (to protect you before you sign), motor vehicle violation defense, vehicle damage recovery, trial defense in civil actions, and IRS audit protection. Depending on the state and the coverage available, costs are in the range of $9.95 to $25 per month. Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. is a public company with its stock listed on the American Stock Exchange. It has enrolled more than 750,000 consumers. In addition to individual clients, they have group plans offered by employers, and have considerable experience serving the needs of health care facilities, law enforcement associations, firefighters, city, county and state governments, banking institutions, school systems, and retailers. The opportunity to buy a legal plan would be useful information for our readers by itself, but there is also an opportunity to make money marketing the plans. For a one-time fee of $49, you can become an independent sales associate of Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc. Excellent commissions are paid weekly. The amount of money you can make depends solely on you. You are also paid renewal commissions. You own the business, and you can even will the renewal income to your children. For more information, send $3 for the "PPLS Information Package" to: Choyo Gomez P. O. Box 1160 Pomona CA 91766. Be sure to let him know if you just want information on buying a plan, or also want information on becoming an associate. The PPLS plans sell especially well to individuals in business, since legal advice on business matters is included in the program. There is also a special program for commercial drivers, such as truck and bus drivers, and some agents have done well by specializing in this market. Profiting From Calling Cards Hospitality Services Group is a ten-year old corporation with an unusual telephone calling card program that offers you a profit opportunity. The calling card is free, and is a stand-alone card, meaning that a person using the card does not have to change their long distance service. For those people who use calling cards, it will save them up to 68% over the leading competitors. The card has a flat rate of 17.5 cents per minute for interstate calls, anytime, anywhere in the country including Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. There are no surcharges, no monthly fees, no minimum monthly billings, and international calling is also available. The company sells through independent dealers, who distribute brochure/applications. They pay a 5% commission on domestic calls, and 2% on international calls. Your dealer code is on each of the applications you distribute, and you receive a commission on all the future business from your customers. You can also make money by sponsoring other dealers, and then you receive a 1% commision (0.5% international) on the business generated by their customers. The cost to become a dealer is under $50. Because the calling card program does not affect a customer's home long distance service, and does not require them to change carriers, you can sell this service even if you are already selling another long distance program. The method of selling becomes very different also, since you are distributing brochures to people who travel a lot. Putting up "take-one" displays at heavily traveled locations such as airports and stations would be one way to start. Who could you sign up as a dealer? How about a store in the airport? A travel agency? A rental car agency? An airline employee? A truck stop? An airline? The shoe shine guy at the airport? Hotels? The prospects are endless, because the product can be of benefit to so many people. For more information and the forms to become a dealer, send a self-addressed stamped envelope and $1 to: Jose Baisa 2 West Read Street, #141 Baltimore MD 21201. Software for Sharing -- and Profiting The most effective software for your computer may not be the most expensive. Many people prefer low-cost "shareware" programs. Low-cost shareware programs can do the same things as most $500 word processing programs and $700 spreadsheets sold by commercial software firms, such as WordPerfect or Lotus 1-2-3. Shareware programs are software programs that can be distributed and copied at little or no cost and without breaking any copyright laws. In fact, the computer programmers who create and distribute these programs want others to make copies of the software and give those copies to friends, relatives, and neighbors, because they lack access to conventional software- marketing channels. Shareware procedures can be effective in putting a new program into users' hands. Then, as distribution widens and the use of the shareware increases, users' experiences can lead to refinements in the program. After they have been used and improved over time, shareware programs sometimes are sold to conventional software-marketing companies. While they are in the shareware-distribution channels, however, such programs can be welcome cost savers. But you don't have to write computer programs to profit from shareware -- in a moment we'll show you how you can make money selling these programs. Among the companies using shareware programs are Caterpillar, MCI Telecommunications, DuPont, Ford Motor Co., The Los Angeles Times, and Texaco. Shareware is distributed in two ways. Programs can be copied from program diskettes borrowed from someone such as a friend or a computer club, or they can be obtained for a small charge from mail-order companies that specialize in shareware programs for as little as $2 to $5 per disk. If you have tried a shareware program and decide to use it, you are expected to register with the software company that created the program. The registration fee is typically $10 to $129, depending upon the complexity, quality, and popularity of the program. The shareware user receives support and manuals like those that come with the more expensive software packages. If you decide not to use the shareware program, you simply keep the diskette; no registration needs to be paid. So you are only out the minimal cost of the diskette, which you can erase and reuse. Matrix Software Company has chosen to market it's shareware club memberships through a network of individuals who distribute their Automated ShareWare Catalog -- a diskette listing programs available. Matrix charges $24 per year for a membership (a 3-month membership for $9 is also available) and members can then buy programs for as little as 89› per disk. As a software club member, you are invited to sign up as a sponsor and earn money from distributing copies of your catalog disk. There is no additional charge to become a sponsor. But you do not have to become a sponsor -- you can simply join the club and get programs at the member prices. However, by sponsoring members, you earn 7% commissions from their dues and from their shareware purchases, as well as earning commissions on those they sponsor for nine levels down from you. This can add up to a substantial amount of money if you are willing to put just a small amount of effort into it, as Matrix says average purchases are just under $4 per member per month. Just passing out the catalog disk is sufficient, since you are automatically credited with orders that are placed from the disks you hand out. To get a catalog disk and membership information, send $3 for postage & handling to: Lewis Sierra 51 McDougal Street, Suite 192 New York NY 10012. Be sure to specify whether you need a 3-1/2 inch or a 5-1/4 inch diskette. Get Your Own Home -- and Profit from Showing Others How What may be the most fantastic government giveaway ever began in late March, 1995. The Clinton administration expanded the "203k" mortgage program -- formerly a small remodeling loan program -- and turned it into a program that gives: * First-time home buyers the ability to acquire a house with no down payment. * Nonfirst-time home buyers the ability to finance a dwelling that's bigger than the current appraised value of the property. For example, you might have an "as-is" appraised value of $100,000 and walk away with a mortgage of $120,000. * Investors the right to stack the full costs of renovating a fixer-upper property on top of the regular acquisition costs of the house -- all for a 15% down payment that the investor can get back with substantial profits in a matter of months. The 203k program allows borrowers to combine the as-is price of the property and the cost of the future renovations into one loan at the time of the purchase. Then it extends highly favorable FHA down-payment terms to the entire package. Though that frequently can mean a down payment of just 5 percent, the new 203k program takes the low down payment concept a step further. For what the government defines as "first-time buyers," the required down payment can go to zero. First-timer for 203k, doesn't necessarily mean you've never owned a house before. Rather, you simply cannot have owned a home during the three years immediately preceding your 203k loan application. And if you've been divorced or separated less than three years, you qualify as a first-timer as long as you no longer have an ownership interest in a home. For small real-estate investors there are also great deals to be had. For example, a small-scale investor or renovator locates a rundown townhouse needing $20,000 worth of repairs. The as-is, unrestored price of the place is $70,000. Total acquisition costs are projected at $90,000. The investor puts down 15% ($13,500). If the investor were going to retain the property for rental, a $76,000 loan ($90,000 less $13,500) would be the maximum mortgage allowed under the program. However, if the investor planned to sell the renovated house to a first-time buyer, the loan ceiling could be considerably higher. Let's say an FHA- approved appraiser estimates that after renovations, the home would have a resale value of $125,000. Using what FHA calls the "escrow commitment procedure," the investor could then qualify for a maximum loan of $119,250. After completion of the renovation, the investor would allow a first-time buyer to take over (assume) the $119,250 loan for a no-cash down payment. The investor could either waive the $5,750 down payment altogether or take back a second mortgage note. The buyer, of course, would have to qualify financially to handle payments on that size mortgage debt. At closing, from the $125,000 sale price the investor would get the $13,500 he or she originally put down, plus a "profit" of $29,250 (the difference between the $119,250 ultimate loan amount and the $90,000 acquisition and renovation costs)! A national company is now making deals using the 203k program guarantees to secure the financing. They will arrange financing anywhere in the country. And even better, you can become an independent contractor promoting their program, receiving commissions for showing others how to get their house financed for an out-of-pocket cost equal to the closing costs. (Your own house could be your first deal, thus applying your commission to the package.) No real estate or mortgage banking license is required to sell the program, so this has potential for everyone. You can also earn an override commission on the sales of other sales people that you recruit. To make this most profitable, you'd probably want to divide your time between selling directly to homeowners and recruiting others. You could do especially well by concentrating your efforts on signing up real estate salespeople in your area, since they already have lots of contacts with people who can't get financing for the homes they want. The program provides homes to renters with nothing down. The total amount required is an amount equal to just their closing costs. This amount is usually not much more than a landlord would require with first and last months rent with a security deposit. This market is potentially 8 times larger than the market whose buyers have a down payment available, which should provide enough prospects to keep you busy for awhile. The program also includes assistance for those with poor credit, up to and including bankruptcy. To get more information on the marketing program, including an application form to become an independent contractor selling the program to homebuyers, send $2 for postage & handling to: Atlas Financial Services Group Attn: Mortgage Program 822 Guilford Avenue, #119 Baltimore MD 21202. Please understand that the information you will receive is on the specific program being offered -- it is not generic information on the 203k program. Just think for a moment what your response would be if you ran a simple ad in the "homes for rent" section of the newspaper, perhaps reading "Tired of renting - no down required - learn how to own your home free and clear in approximately 10 years with no more than you would have spent in rent during the same period." One new client from this ad will pay you $500 (based on a purchase price of $100,000) and this could be earned on your first day. Is there anyone you know who would want to continue renting if they learned they can buy their own home free and clear in approximately 10 years and it will cost them so little to buy? If they can afford to rent, they can afford to own. Making Money With 900 Numbers 900 number revenue is expected to exceed $3 billion this year -- last year it was about $2.5 billion. You don't have to be an industry giant to share in this revenue -- there's plenty of room for little people. Much of this incredible growth is the result of average men and women, who are starting with little or no money, and accumulating fortunes. You can do the same! 900#s are incredible tools that have generated millions of dollars for their owners. Now you can have your very own 900# absolutely free! Owning a 900# is like winning the lottery. A 900# giving business events and stock market activity is collecting 100,000 calls per month. The 900# credit improvement line is on its way to making over $40 million dollars for its owner in 12 months. And there are many more success stories. These cases are true and 100% fact. They are people just like you. Now, realistically, you can't make a million dollars overnight, and we're not saying you'll make the same kind of money your first month. But the average earnings for a 900 number manager are over $215,000 annually, and that's average earnings. When you manage a 900 number, you earn $1 for every minute a caller listens to your recorded message. The average call is 3 to 5 minutes long. The service bureau handles all the calls, and can handle over one million calls simultaneously, so no one will ever get a busy signal when calling your 900 number. Michael Forbes, founder and President of Information Brokerage Systems (IBS) is our insider contact in the 900# business. IBS is willing to give you a 900 number free, because they need creative individuals who are serious about making money to manage their 900 numbers part time from their home. Once you affiliate with IBS, your 900 number is yours forever. There is no time limit on when you use it, or how long you wait before you start. When you join IBS you'll be assigned your very own personal consultant to help you choose and implement the strategies that will bring you the greatest results. IBS will also help you get started by giving you a list of 85 proven successful programs to operate on your number, although you are also free to develop your own programs. Along with 900# managers, IBS is also recruiting mail order brokers. There are more people who want to manage a 900# business than IBS can possibly reach, so you could be in business instantly selling 900 numbers nationwide. Simply by referring a customer to IBS you will receive an immediate commission, and also receive 20% of the phone revenues generated by your customers every month. To get more information on becoming a 900 number manager and broker for IBS, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Information Brokerage Systems Dept. D P. O. Box 14038 Lenexa KS 66285. IBS has a financial interest in whether or not you're successful. If you're not successful, no telephone revenues are generated, and if telephone revenues aren't generated, IBS doesn't make any profits. So they will help you every step of the way. Can You Sell Astrology? Readers looking for a unique opportunity will be interested in Profiles Unlimited, a company which is offering both individual horoscopes and compatibility analysis (two horoscopes and analysis) through a multi- level sales structure. They pay 25% on direct sales, 10% on the sales of those you recruit, and smaller commissions on levels below that. You have a perpetual inventory of sales people; if one of your recruits creates a sale you are compensated. If you become inactive, you still will be compensated the same day the company receives revenue. The company does not have a package of standardized literature, preferring to have each individual develop their own market and delivery technique. This becomes your trademark and helps you develop a stronger business, since no two people sell in the same way. The company will pass on some of the means that have worked for them. For more information write to: Profiles Unlimited Suite 239A 4629 Braemar Place Riverside CA 92501. Are You Healthy, Wealthy and Wise? If you are not already wealthy and you want to give yourself a chance for a healthy, quality life to age 120 and beyond, then Longevity Associates of San Jose, California, will mail to you a summary and analysis of several different companies in the U.S. that could definitely help you to achieve wealth while improving your health and the quality of life. Send $2 to: Longevity Associates 1441 North Clovis Ave., Suite 62A Fresno CA 93727. It's a very interesting presentation which you'll find very helpful if you use or sell any health-related products. Longevity Associates has produced a comparison report on both multi-level and non-multi- level companies in the nutritional & health field. Join the Cell Tech Explosion Could you benefit by having more energy? Enhanced mental sharpness? A better memory? A positive and hopeful attitude? Better overall health? Would you enjoy being paid for having fun helping others improve their lives? Then Cell Tech says their Super Blue Green Algae is for you. For 13 years, Cell Tech has marketed a single, specialized product -- capsules filled with freeze- dried, blue-green algae. It has a 70,000-square-foot corporate headquarters, a staff of nearly 200 serving a field force of over 100,000 distributors, and sales just keep growing. Based on one of the earth's most nutrient-dense foundational foods, Super Blue Green Algae products are valued by professionals -- and anyone who wants to feel healthier and be more productive while sustaining a dynamic and enviable lifestyle. The distributors explain to prospects -- and present scientific documentation -- that the blue-green algae Cell Tech harvests from Klamath Lake in Oregon is the most nutritious food left on earth. To find out more, start by ordering the free audio cassette tape, "Who Stole America's Health?" by Dr. Erwin Gemmer. The tape tells you how to get: * more consistent physical and mental energy all day long; * greater mental clarity, memory, concentration; * improve your attitude and eliminate mood swings; * relax more and reduce your stress level; * look & feel better & have a greater sense of well-being; * improved digestion and assimilation of food; * loss weight by reducing junk food cravings; * heightened self-healing and accelerated recovery time; To get the tape, send $2 for shipping and handling to: Free Health Tape Offer 113 Elm Street Stoneham MA 02180. In addition to improving your health, you can make some real money with Cell Tech's marketing plan. Building Personal Power and Freedom Through Business and Networking Terra Libra has created a multi-level program called LifeMoneySuccess. The LifeMoneySuccess program (LMS for short) enables you to promote just one easy-to-sell program, while participating in 6 additional proven high-profit programs. In other words, YOU promote one program, which pays you commissions on 2 levels, and Terra Libra will promote the other 6 programs to your LMS downline at no cost to you! When they join, they are put under you in your downline -- which means that LMS develops additional income streams for you which grow automatically month by month. Meanwhile through your own participation in LMS, you will be receiving help with everything from marketing to taxes and investments. Terra Libra opened for business in May, 1993, and today has 8 full-time personnel and several part- timers, with thousands of satisfied customers in all 50 states and in 27 other countries. They've held four conferences, attracting leading nationally and internationally-known speakers, such as John Pugsley, Doug Casey, Harry Browne, Dr. Jack Wheeler, and many more. The whole LMS story, and details of the various programs, are more than we can devote space to, but if this is of interest to you send $1 for their brochure to: Wealth Builders Group Attn: LMS Brochure 421 N. Rodeo Drive, Suite 15-345 Beverly Hills CA 90210.