My Life and 1,000 Houses; Failing Forward to Financial Freedom – author interview – Mitch Stephen

My Life & 1,000 Houses Virtual Book Tour

Mitch Stephen has been a full time investor since March ’96. He’s flipped over one thousand properties and is author of the book, My Life & 1,000 Houses.  In 2007 Mitch was honored by the San Antonio Real Estate Investor’s Association (SREIA). Despite the fact that he’d never been on the board or held an official position, the president and sitting board voted to dedicate the offices in his name. This author is also an avid songwriter, taking honors at the 2005 Tejano Music Awards, winning “Crossover Song of the Year” for his part in co-writing the song “Who’s That Gringo” performed by multiple Grammy Award winner David Lee Garza and group Los Musicales; Co-writer Billy O’Rourke. Hear much of Mitch’s music at www.MitchStephen.com -over 45 original songs!

My Life & 1,000 Houses;
Failing Forward to Financial Freedom

ISBN: 9781419698545        Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4524-9996-3   e-Book
ISBN:  9780615305561       Audio CD version

Also Available on Kindle, Nook and e-Audio Download.
Find all versions at www.1000Houses.com

Find Mitch at his tour page at Pump Up Your Book

About My Life & 1000 Houses

My Life & 1,000 Houses: Failing Forward to Financial Freedom by Mitch Stephen is an exhilarating autobiography of an amateur entrepreneur who stumbles upon the long standing revelations of business, money, love and life while struggling to find his own financial freedom. This journey eventually culminates into the purchase and sale of over 1,000 properties but make no mistake, this book is about falling down and getting back up.  As thought provoking as it is entertaining, this memoir and motivational story of self-empowerment will touch the gamut of your emotions; laugh and cry, but more importantly, be inspired to never give up.
Interview

Q:  Give us an example of a typical writing day.

 

A:

Lots of orange juice.

A bag of chips.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Phone turned off.

Beautiful view.

No clock.

Q:  Do you write on a computer or with pen/pencil and paper?

 

A: I write best on a computer. The cut and paste functions serve me well. I like to write about anything and everything and just whatever comes to mind first. Then, I go back and put things in the write order or write to bridge two concepts together. I don’t work with outlines all that often. I let the story go wherever my mind takes me and straighten everything out with my editor later.

 

Q:  Do you work from an outline?

A: I may write a loose outline but I prefer to go wherever my mind takes me.

Q:  Biggest Pet Peeve about the writing life.

It’s always difficult to deal with the amount of time it takes to get a book out. I think I may go digital downloads from here on out because it is simply so much faster and affordable.

Q:  Biggest Career Surprise

A: First and foremost, I was overwhelmed to see my work in print – finally! Second, I greatly underestimated the respect one garners once they become an “Author.” People bend towards you. Being the “Author of a book” gives instant credibility. You may find it interesting to know that while the sales of my book were slow (as an unknown), I raised about $1.7 million from private individuals that read my book and wanted to invest with me. You see, for the most part, I buy properties with “Other People’s money (OPM).I buy boat & mini storages with my money.

The book gave me a tremendous advantage in the department of rising private money because; The hardest part of gathering investors is finding the time for someone to know you and to know your entire history. It’s hard to tell your life’s story and why your strategy works over lunch or even over an entire day. The book did all of that for me for the most part.

 

How did I celebrate? I simply had the pride of knowing that I had accomplish something that many dream of and never do. After experiencing what it takes to publish a book, I understand why. It is a tremendous accomplishment.

Q:  Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

 

A: On a beach in paradise somewhere…white sand and crystal clear blue water.

Probably more a result of my investing than my righting however,

 

Q:  What’s next for you?

A: Since I’ve published my book people want more from me. Mostly they want to learn EXACTLY HOW I did things. This has opened the door to sell informational products in the areas of my expertise; creative real estate investing. At my site http://1000Houses.com I am offering educational materials on very specific aspects of buying and selling houses; How to choose an effective and far reaching name. How to use plastics to generate leads when you’re on a tight budget, how to find bargain properties, How to sell houses quickly and make a profit, etc etc. The book is the mouth of a funnel that pours clients into my storefront.

Q: In writing your book/novel if you could do it again what would you do differently?

 

A: I would have made my book into 2 books instead of one 400 page book.

Q:  Where do you write from?

A: I write from my home office most of the time. I live in Canyon Lake, Texas and I have a huge view of the Texas hill country. I have also been known to make a deal with my wife. “Honey, I’ll fly us to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico and stay for 10 days if you’ll let me write all day long, as much as I want.” My wife likes sitting by the pool and reading a book in paradise…so she always agrees. I take writing vacations when I really want to focus on getting large junks of a book completed.

Q:  Time Frame: From start to finish

 

A: My Life & 1,000 Houses; Failing Forward to Financial Freedom is a 400 page book. It took my 3.5 years to write but understand; I wrote over 800 pages and then carved the book out of that bulk. I think I may have the follow-up book already written. I don’t suggest doing it this way but I had my own personal reasons why I did it this way this time. It was either write a book or pay a shrink. You’ll understand if you ever read the book for yourself.

 

Q:  Have you ever abandoned any books/novels in progress?

 

A: Yes, I have done it several times but it’s getting old. Books usually get abandoned when the idea loses it luster or the reason why you want to write that particular book goes away.

If you would like to schedule a virtual book tour contact me at rebecca.camarena@yahoo.com