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CORI: How Uber Drivers Can Become House Flippers

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Uber drivers often don’t make enough money to survive off of that gig alone. Even if you drive full-time, you may not be able to make ends meet as an Uber driver. That’s why so many Uber drivers take on additional jobs. Many drive for multiple companies (Lyft, Amazon, etc.) Others take on extra Uber work, such as delivering Uber Eats. And some are taking advantage of a brand new opportunity to assist a real estate company, doing work for them at the same time that they drive for Uber.

What is CORI?

CORI Corporation is an Atlanta-based real estate investment company. It appears to have just launched this year. It’s headed up by CTO and co-founder Eric Richner who also manages The Richner Group, and We Buy Crappy Houses. Although based in Atlanta, they also work with real estate in Virginia Beach, Chicago, and Minneapolis.

CORI is a company that locates run-down homes, buys them, fixes them up, and sells them. In other words, they are a company of house flippers. They specialize in finding homes that aren’t already on the market. The home is disrepair, but the owner hasn’t moved forward with selling it, yet. They just need someone to approach them and make the right deal. That’s what CORI does.

CORI’s Deal Finders: How Uber Drivers Can Make Money with CORI

What does any of this have to do with Uber? Well, it turns out that Uber drivers are particularly well-suited to finding great homes for CORI to invest in. Uber drivers are out there on the road, all day, every day, driving up and down many different streets. They see homes in disrepair. They see homes that someone could easily fix up and flip. It’s easy for them to provide leads about those homes to CORI.

In fact, CORI has specifically marketed to Uber drivers to get them to do just that. They have a program called Deal Finders. Although they don’t have a main CORI website (the URL just sends you to their Facebook page), they do have a page for their Deal Finders Elite program. Uber drivers can head to the site and sign up to become a Deal Finder, through which they can provide CORI with housing leads.

As you’re driving around picking up and dropping off your Uber rides, you just have to keep an eye out for good houses for the program. As you get used to how it works, finding the right types of houses should become easier and easier. If you’re good at it, then you can earn decent money for your leads. You make money when CORI sells a house that you’ve pointed them to with your leads.

How to Use CORI’s Deal Finders Program

Once you go to the website, you’ll click on the big yellow button that says, “let’s do this.” That will take you to a page that tells you that you’re signing up to do “Driving for Dollars.” What does that mean? They explain:

“Driving for Dollars is the term used for locating and logging properties, that are either in bad shape or vacant, while using any method of transportation.”

So, you don’t actually have to be an Uber driver, or any type of driver at all, in order to become part of the Deal Finders program. If you’re a flaneur who enjoys walking the streets of your city every day, you can sign up to become a Deal Finder with CORI. That said, they’ve explicitly marketed to rideshare drivers because of how convenient it is for them to incorporate house-finding into their existing work.

After entering your name, you’ll get a little bit more information about the job. You’ll learn that your job is essentially to find houses that are in disrepair. You’ll photograph them and log them into the system using a unique mobile app. Then you’ll add tags to help the flippers understand more about the house. For example, you might tag that it has fire damage or that it’s a vacant building.

How Much Money Can An Uber Drive Make with CORI?

According to the site, you receive payment whenever you provide a lead that turns into a closed property deal. In other words, if you provide terrible leads and CORI doesn’t buy, then sell, the houses then you don’t make money. However, if you excel at providing leads, then you can make some cash. In fact, the more good leads that you provide, the more money you can make per lead.

They call their payment on closed property deals a “performance bonus.” You get your performance bonus when the sale happens. So, first, you provide the lead through the app. Then CORI may buy the house, fix it up, and sell it. You earn money based on the amount of profit CORI makes with that sale.

If the sale’s profit exceeded $15,000, then you’ll get a $1500 performance bonus. If the deal was for between $5000 and $15,000, then you’ll get $1000. And if the deal was for less than $5000, then you’ll still get $500. In other words, you more or less get 10% of the deal price on average.

Moreover, if you successfully send 3+ good deals that close, then you are guaranteed 10%. For example, if you send them a lead that results in a $40000 profit for CORI, then you’ll get a $4000 performance bonus. You would have only gotten $1500 if you hadn’t already sent some great leads, but if you’ve sent more than three successful leads, then you get this better-guaranteed price.

If you really love this work, then you can make even more money. “Deal Finders that send over 50 properties will be eligible for payment of $1 per approved lead, for every 50 leads.” Therefore, you might make a little bit of cash even when it doesn’t lead to a property sale.

You can receive payments via check, Paypal, Venmo, or “cash app.”

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5 Key Tips for Making Money Online

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making money online

Earning extra cash doesn’t require you to get a part-time job or log more hours at your current one. You can make money off your existing belongings by selling them online.

Long gone are the days where consignment shops and garage sales were the only ways to unload your goods. The Internet has created several avenues to sell items, whether it’s through a marketplace or social media. Thanks to advanced technology and mobile apps, it takes little effort to showcase your belonging and rake in the extra cash.

But not every venue will be a success. Just like there are niche stores in the physical world, the same applies to the Internet. Figuring out what to sell, how to price, and where to list it will ensure you’re successful.

5 Steps to Make Money Selling Things Online

1. Gather Your Inventory

Before you can get to the business of selling your used belongings, you have to gather your inventory. The first place to look is in your home. Undoubtedly, there are a lot of coveted items collecting dust. The more of it you can uncover, the more money you stand to make.

Gather small electronics — such as unused mobile phones, digital cameras, or portable hard drives — as well as gently used clothing and toys. You can sell pots and pans, decorations, and shoes. Pretty much anything can be hawked online, granted it isn’t stained or damaged and is in working order. Take the opportunity to categorize the items as you rummage through your home. You’ll likely sell your electronics on a different venue than your clothing.

When deciding whether to keep or sell an item, ask yourself when is the last time you used it. If the answer is more than a year, it should go in the sell pile. Your belongings have sentimental value, but if you hold onto everything, you won’t have an opportunity to make extra cash. Take a picture and file it in a memory box instead of clinging to the physical item.

2. Choose the Correct Venue to Sell Your Belongings

Once you’ve amassed your merchandise, you have to choose where you want to sell it, which can be tricky, especially on the Internet. Different target markets use the Internet differently. For instance, eBay may work for some items, whereas a mobile app like LetGo — where you sell in-person — may work better for other belongings.

To narrow it down, research the different apps or websites to gauge what types of items sell the most. Let’s say you have a lot of electronic equipment to unload. Tech-focused websites, which attract the right audience, are better venues than a general marketplace platform. Clothing and toys may sell better with a mobile app in which you meet the buyer in person, while designer clothes will sell more effectively on websites that focus on used apparel.

If you have any bulky items that will cost you money to ship, you’re better off sticking to local websites where the buyer is expected to pick up the item. And although it’s one of the older sites, Craigslist is still a popular platform to sell used furniture.

Be mindful of fees when choosing a website to sell on. They will vary and will eat into your profits. Be sure to factor in the likelihood of the product selling quickly on each website. You may be willing to give up a little profit if it means you get the cash sooner. If you need quick cash and are sitting on an old cellphone, there are third-party websites that will buy them from you. You won’t get as much as if you sold it in a private transaction, but it’s a quick and effortless way to shore up a little extra money.

3. Price Your Items Accordingly

A surefire way to see your used goods languish online is to price them incorrectly. It’s tempting to want to get the most money possible, but if you price your items higher than your rivals, you may not get any buyers at all. You may have been willing to pay $200 for a pair of designer jeans but that doesn’t mean anyone will pay $150 for them used. Anytime you sell used goods, there are emotions involved. But you need to keep them in check. The goal is to make money, not to keep the item forever.

Pricing your item too low can also hurt your sales prospects. People may wonder why you’re so cheap, assuming something is wrong with the item. That’s not to say you can’t price it attractively if you are looking for a quick sale, just don’t go too much below your competitors.

To figure out your range, check out the competition. Take the average of your rivals and start there. If you think you’re sitting on something slightly better, then price it a little higher. If it’s more worn than the competition, price it lower. Ultimately, you should price your items based on your desired outcome. Do you want to sell your item fast and take what you can get for it? Or, are you willing to wait until you can sell the item to the highest bidder?

Make sure you include a product description that is accompanied with photos when listing your items for sale. Be as descriptive as possible, including a list of all defects and imperfections. People want to know exactly what they are buying. The more details you provide, the smoother the transaction will go. You don’t want to get a bad rating because you weren’t honest in your product description. That could harm repeat business.

4. Ship Quickly

E-commerce can be impulsive, but it lacks immediate gratification. It is your job to give your buyers as near instant gratification as possible. To do that, you have to ship any items you sell quickly. If you sit on an order, you may end up in a situation where you are backed up with orders. Procrastination could also set in — an order placed a day earlier may not get shipped out for a week. That is not acceptable if you have more items to sell. Your reputation is everything when selling your products online. If your items arrive quickly and securely, customers will appreciate it, and the positive word-of-mouth will spread.

Neatness also matters when shipping your items. So does personalization. Take the time to ensure your orders are packaged correctly and include a handwritten note. Wrapping the item in nice tissue paper or a specialty box can also go a long way towards boosting goodwill.

Keep in mind that consumers like to shop with sellers who have 100% positive feedback. Delayed shipping can make a bad impression and hurt your ranking. If you use USPS, check to see if shipping Priority is just as cost-effective as standard first class shipping. Even if it costs a few extra dollars, you can significantly improve your reputation as a seller.

5. Value Your Seller Feedback Rating

Customer service is everything, particularly on the Internet where consumers can’t touch the product or interact face-to-face with the seller. That’s why it is imperative that you maintain as high of a positive rating as possible. The aim is to maintain a 100% positive rating, or close to it. Consumers tend to gravitate toward the sellers who have top ratings, good reviews, and who are quick to respond to customer complaints. If they make a mistake, they always overcompensate to take care of the buyer. That means paying for return shipping costs, being quick to respond to any issues or concerns, and ensuring products arrive quickly and in one piece.

It’s important to respond to all customer complaints or requests, both online and offline. Pay close attention to your account so you can respond whenever an inquiry comes up. This is just one more way to keep your feedback rating high and ensure that you get the sale. Even if the customer is rude, keep your composure and remain calm. The more receptive and helpful you are, the more repeat business or favorable reviews you’ll get from that person.

Final Thoughts

Once you’ve become well-versed in selling items online, it’s a good idea to track your results. This is particularly true if you plan on selling more. Time is money, and if you’re wasting it on the wrong website, it will cost you. Make sure to gauge your shipping costs, the time it took to sell the product, and the price customers were willing to pay. This information can be used to improve your strategy the next time around.

In your zest to make extra cash selling your stuff online, remember that it is possible to lose money. Shipping costs and packing materials can add up if you aren’t careful. Don’t price your goods too high, but make sure you make money off of your efforts. Anything you can’t sell can be donated, usually for a tax deduction.

Have you profited from online sales? What are your best tips?

Brian Miller is a freelance writer and entrepreneur with over 10 years of experience. He writes about e-commerce, fitness, and personal finance for dozens of websites. He lives and works in Michigan.

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How to Make Over $60K Working from Home

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60k working from home

Thanks to technological advances, more jobs can be done from home than ever. Between telecommuting employees and freelancers, about 8 million Americans (5.2 percent of the workforce in the U.S.) work from home at least some of the time, based on 2017 US Census Bureau data. Plus, some of the positions are quite lucrative, crossing well over the $60,000 a year mark.

Jobs That Can Be Done From Home—Make More than $60K

If you want to join the ranks of the home-based workforce, you first have to understand that not every skill or profession will help you get there. You won’t be able to do it if all you are doing to filling out surveys; that just isn’t realistic.

Some of the highest paying work from home positions are in the tech sector. Many IT professionals don’t need to interact directly with customers and can communicate with their coworkers online. Plus, logging into systems remotely is pretty simple with the right tools.

Many of these tech roles do require a substantial amount of knowledge and experience. Additionally, most will consider a four-year degree (or beyond) a must-have. But, if you already work as a software developer, business intelligence analyst, help desk/tech support, or something similar, transitioning to a home-based job might not be very challenging. And, when you do, getting a salary above $60,000 a year is pretty plausible.

WFH Jobs—Accountants, Bookkeepers, and Social Media Managers

Accountants and bookkeepers can also do pretty well in work-from-home arrangements. While you will need some education and credentials as well as the right software to start, it is possible to earn a strong salary. In the US, work-from-home CPAs make an average of almost $64,000 a year.

If you are adept at social media, becoming a social media manager could also help you secure a $60,000+ annual salary. Some freelance writers can also pull in at least $60k each year, though that depends on your skill level and if you have expertise in a particularly profitable niche. Some transcribers and translators can also each that salary point.

However, some options don’t require as much experience either. Some people earn over $20 per hour teaching English as a second language even without a teaching degree. If you manage to secure a full-time schedule and qualify for additional incentives or bonuses, hitting the $60,000 mark isn’t out of the question. If you have skills in a particular field, you might be able to tutor in other areas online too, giving you a different path to pursue.

Tips for Landing a Great Work-From-Home Job

As with any job, you want to proceed with caution. Googling work-from-home jobs will give you some decent results, but there will also be some scams in the mix, so you need to be diligent.

If you want to be a remote employee for a company, then heading to sites like Indeed can help you find positions with reputable employers. Just make sure to focus your search on your profession and filter it only to show remote jobs.

For those who would rather freelance their way to $60,000 a year, starting on a freelancer job site could be a smart move. Upwork, Toptal, Freelancer, Guru, and Fiverr all have strong reputations, and they can help you connect with businesses and individuals looking for people with a wide range of skills. Just keep in mind, it can take time to build your freelancing reputation, so, unless you have a strong portfolio of work already, it might take a bit before you cross the $60,000 mark.

Do you work from home? Share your tips in the comments below.

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Begging On The Side Of The Road

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begging on the side of the road

By Brad H.

Have you ever seen those guys on the side of the road at freeway off-ramps or busy cross streets holding up a sign that reads something like “No Job. Hungry. Will work for food or money” and wondered who they were? At least some of them are like me because I was there once.

It was a few years ago when I had gone through a acrimonious divorce and lost my job at the same time. The combined result was that I found myself both homeless and penniless and wondering how I was going to survive.

I made the decision to stand on the side of the road with a sign asking for help. It wasn’t a proud moment, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. At the time, it was one of the few ways that I could earn money to advance myself to a better place.

Begging on the Side of the Road Isn’t Easy

When I began, I assumed that I would work for the food or money, but it soon became apparent that I would earn most of the money from people generous enough to give me a few dollars. Most days nobody would offer me actual work even though I offered with each donation given. It also became apparent that you could earn a decent amount doing this. I usually left with over $100 in my wallet after a day holding a sign.

I would get work offers from time to time and I always took these when offered them. The work varied, but usually was manual in some way. I always worked for what the person offered and most times this was fair.

Earning money this way came at a price. It doesn’t take long to realize that standing on the side of the road asking for help makes most people really uncomfortable. It may not seem like a big deal, but it takes a lot of energy and stamina to keep going when you know that most people would rather that you not be there and disrupt their drive.

I did not waste the money that people gave to me. I was able to save enough to get an apartment, get a job and get myself back on my feet.

I’m not sure I could have gotten out of debt without the help of others. I ended up doing something that I never imagined I would need to do, but sometimes when life throws curve balls you need to make tough decisions. I would never encourage someone to stand by the road if they didn’t need to, but I would also not discourage someone from doing so if that is what they need to get back on their feet.

Do you have a story about saving money or earning money that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear about it.

Photo credit: Steven DePolo

Unemployment Rate Drops to Lowest Level in Decades

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Unemployment rate

The United States job market continued to excel in April, adding 263,000 new hires. On top of the huge increase in jobs, the unemployment rate fell to its lowest point since 1969. It is now sitting at just 3.6 percent. That is the lowest level of unemployment the U.S. has seen in a generation.

The Unemployment Rate Has Plummeted Under Trump

The last time unemployment was this low was in December 1969 (at the time, it was 3.5 percent). If this job growth continues, it will be the longest economic expansion in U.S. history. Not to mention, job growth beat all of the Wall Street expectation. It was expected that payroll growth would be around 190,000 and the unemployment rate would be sitting at 3.8 percent at the end of April. Job growth was much larger at 263,000 new hires and only 3.6 percent of Americans are jobless.

Average earnings growth has held pretty steady over the past year, however, at 3.2 percent. The average salary in America sits at $27.77 and the average workweek hovers around 34.4 hours.

While the total unemployment rate is down, a broader gauge of the unemployed (including underemployed and people who have quit looking for work) still sits at 7.3%. That hasn’t changed since February, but it doesn’t have economists worried.

“Leaving aside month-to-month fluctuations, the labor market is still very strong, adding almost double the number of workers needed to keep pace with new entrants to the labor force in any given month,” said Eric Winograd, AllianceBernstein’s senior economist. “Wages may have been slightly tepid this month relative to expectations but are still growing at just about the highest rate this cycle, and the unemployment rate is at multi-generational lows.”

Where Are The Jobs?

Business and professional services saw an increase of 76,000 jobs in April, leading job growth during the month. Construction added another 33,000 jobs during the month (256,000 throughout the past year). As always, the health care field is booming. It added 27,000 jobs in April (404,000 in the past year).

Jobs pertaining to finance rose by 12,000 (mostly real estate, rentals, and leasing). Both manufacturing and social assistance saw increases of 4,000 and 26,000, respectively.

Unsurprisingly, the retail job market saw a loss of 12,000 jobs in April, as many retailers are struggling to keep up with Amazon.

All in all, job growth has been consistent under President Trump. Month-to-month gains have averaged at 205,000 jobs per month.

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Can You Drive for Uber With a DUI?

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Can You Drive for Uber with a DUI?

You don’t have to have a perfect driving record to drive for Uber. However, you do have to have a relatively clean driving record. In other words, if you have a couple of speeding tickets then most likely you’re still going to meet their minimum driver requirements. However, can you drive for Uber if you have a DUI? The short answer is no, but there is a little bit more to it than that.

Uber Checks Your Driving Record

To drive for Uber, you and your car both have to meet some minimum requirements. For example, you need to have a 4-door vehicle, rather than a 2-door car. Additionally, you need to have a minimum of one year of driving experience. Once you’ve met all of the minimum requirements, Uber will do a final background check on you. There are two parts to this background check: your criminal record and your driving record.

A DUI might show up on your criminal record or your driving record. Therefore, there are two potential chances for Uber to screen you out as a driver based on having a DUI. This is important to know because some people wonder if they can drive with Uber if they get their DUI expunged from their record. Doing so isn’t a bad idea, but it will only erase the DUI from your criminal record. The DUI will still show up on your driving record. Therefore, Uber will still see that DUI when they screen you as a potential driver.

If Your DUI Was More Than 7 Years Ago, You Should Be Okay

According to Uber’s official policy, they look at the past seven years of your driving record. Therefore, if you had a DUI 8 or more years ago, then it shouldn’t affect your ability to drive for Uber. Similarly, Uber checks your driving record for fatal accidents and a history of reckless driving. Sometimes people make mistakes when they are young, so if you have a very old DUI but haven’t had any issues since that time, then you should be fine.

That said, it’s unclear whether Uber strictly follows that “7-year rule” in every state. Some states clear your record after seven years. In other words, if Uber pulls your driving record in certain states, then all they will see is information for the past seven years. However, each state’s rules are different for how long a DUI remains on the record. In many states, including California, a DUI stays on the record for 10 years. Uber reportedly only checks the last seven years, but if they pull your California driving history, they’ll see a DUI on there anytime in the past decade. At least one Reddit user reports that they were able to drive for Uber in California with a DUI that was older than seven years but hadn’t expired off of the 10-year record, yet.

Some states have even stricter rules when it comes to DUI records. For example, in Florida, a DUI stays on your record for 75 years, which is effectively your entire driving lifetime. Similarly, DUIs never go off of your record in Alaska. That said, Uber probably isn’t going to reject a driver who had a DUI 20 years ago and has had a clean driving record ever since. After all, the reason they look at your driving record is simply that they want to make sure that their drivers are safe to be on the road.

A Criminal DUI May Never Go Away

There is one more important thing to understand about that time frame for getting a DUI off of your record. The laws are about how long the DUI stays on your driving record. However, they aren’t the same as for your criminal record. If you got convicted of a felony DUI, then you are legally considered a convicted felon. Uber has a policy against hiring convicted felons of any kind. Therefore, if you have a felony DUI on your criminal record, then you can’t drive for Uber, even if that DUI happened decades ago. If you have an old DUI like that and you want to drive for Uber, then it might be to your benefit to try to get that DUI expunged from your criminal record.

What if I Get A DUI While Driving for Uber?

If you are already an Uber driver and you get a DUI, then the chances are that you’re not going to be able to continue driving with Uber. They periodically check the driving records of current drivers. Therefore, they’ll see that DUI. It isn’t safe for their drivers to drive around drunk (whether or not they’re on the clock at the time) so they won’t allow you to keep driving for them if you get a DUI.

Of course, you may get a DUI then go to court and have the charges dropped. If that happens, then you can contact Uber. If you can prove that you never actually got convicted of a DUI, then it’s the same thing as never having had one, and Uber will likely allow you to resume driving for them. Therefore, it may be worth it to go to court if you get a DUI.

Uber Got In Legal Trouble For Allowing Drivers with DUIs

In the past, Uber has gotten into legal trouble for their failure to carefully screen their drivers for DUIs and other violations. For example, in 2017, they lost a nearly $9 million lawsuit in Colorado. State officials there found that the company had at least 50 drivers who violated the minimum rules including felony convictions, driving without a license and DUIs. This is just one example of a state where Uber has gotten in trouble for this. Therefore, they’ve cracked down more in recent years. They’re more careful with the initial background check. Furthermore, they check their driver’s current records more frequently than they did in the past.

DUI Rates Lower in Uber Cities

One of the things that Uber is quick to point out is that despite the legal problems with their drivers, Uber tends to reduce DUI rates overall. In 2014, they reported that DUI arrests were down 10% in Seattle since Uber came on the scene. The conclusion they draw, of course, is that if people can easily Uber home from the bar, then they won’t take the chance on drunk driving. Uber frequently offers deals, promotions, and collaborative opportunities to further reduce drunk driving on holidays including New Year’s Eve.

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