I was in the rental business for seven-years, made 1.3 million dollars the first five years, got ill, and had to get out of it slowly, but had the money to do it. I could have made five million had I stayed in another five years. But my point in is this: I watch TV, on all these quick ways to make money, and people really belief this crap. I mean, I owned seven buildings, but I worked 24/7. Ended up in court a dozen times; fought with the State over this and that. I mean, you don't get it for nothing like these TV fantasy folks would have you belief. Just buy this and that and don't invest, and you'll make it. First of all you need credit. Second, if you don't have $20,000-in the bank, if a furnace goes out, or your gas pipes go out, or whatever, who is going to pay for it? What can happen, will happen; the fantasy people forget to add that little equation into the formula.

But why do people fall into this group? I thought about it, and being a licensed counselor, I met a lot of people who fell into this gap. I call it the fantasy gap. Everyone herds to them like wild geese. These TV folks tap into your fantasies. Easy to do, even Hitler said: "It is easier to fool the masses than the few." He also was tapping into human nature. That is where the fantasy festers. Make a romance for them, and quick to the fantasy, and find the needy, shake it up, and you got your clan.

What some people do is create a reputation, and then live on the momentum it has. For instance, I could go around saying: look at me, what I made from rental property. I can show you how to do it. Buy my book, and so forth and so on. And when you review my background you will say: yup, he has what he says he has. Now I got you buying my book, and I look good from my reputation, and I did make the money. But the fantasy is: you can have the gold for simple minerals, like an alchemist would have you believe. Not much work involved, just sign your name, and claim the goods. It is not like that.

A confirmed reputation, and now I got your money to show you I got wealth. Many of us fall stupidly into money needs, and think a miracle will happen. That is not the way it works. You cannot cajole the devil and expect to come out on top. If you fell into bankruptcy, it is because of your mismanagement of your money, it is as simple as that.

These phony goofballs on TV, do not demand the truth, as I am doing, reality is not prepared to pay the handsome price they want, truth is not part of the fantasy, lies are the fantasy, nor will it draw you to them to buy what they are selling. But gold that is made from sand will catch your attention. Like the man says on TV, jus sign your name here, and you'll make $30,000 in 30-days. If that was the case, what's he selling books for.

Author/writer Dennis Siluk, has written in counseling magazines during the l990's, as a licensed counselor, and looks now at how people fall into the fantasy gap in real estate. He lives in St. Paul, MN, and Lima, Peru http://dennissiluk.tripod.com