Somebody has to say it!

We all come from somewhere; we all have a story to tell.  To understand where I am today and why I feel compelled to share the following, you just gotta know where I came from!  It was 1983.  Dustin Hoffman was starring in "Tootsie" and "no frills airlines" were all the rage!  I was 29 and decided that I would go from the insane world of teaching speech, drama and debate to the "sedate routine" of teaching 7th grade English.  Stop right there--somebody has to say it, seventh graders are generally confused and hormonal. This was a lesson I could learn in one short year.
 
So began my quest for a new, more rewarding, career.  I chose real estate.

Yes, I chose real estate, but nobody told me the truth.  Now, 25-plus years later, I can say real estate has been good to me, but it has not been what was presented DAY ONE.  Armed with an Oklahoma Sales Associate license, I went from broker to broker to find the perfect office.  The managers in each office looked a little different, some male, some female, their overwhelming message was "do what I tell you and you will have success in 30 days."  Stop right there--somebody has to say it, "success does not always equal a paycheck!"  Remember it is 1983, Reagan was King and Penn Square Bank  failed the previous year, interest rates were in double digits and rising, while unemployment was hitting all time highs.  Does that sound like the best time to learn a new career so heavily dependent on the world's economy?  Well, as the old saying goes, "what you don't know won't hurt you."  Three months into this rich and rewarding career, I received my first commission check for $3,000!  That was 3 times my monthly take-home for teaching!  So, 3 months into this thing, I am down about $2000 in costs and fees plus 3 house payments at $600 each.  Let me see, $2000 plus $1800 is $3800.  Not bad, I am only under water $800, BUT I was top sales associate for the month, and leading for Rookie of the year!  Does my "success" tell you what somebody, should have said???  Read between the lines, it is all there!  Somebody just has to say it!

So what's the real lesson here?  Let's start with the fact that I am still in the business 26 years later, something must have worked for me.   So, to state the obvious:

1. Lesson #1 -Real Estate is Good and it Works (said me)!
2. Lesson #2 -To every thing there is a season (Ecclesiastes III 3:1).  Some mentor/trainer should have asked about my financial preparedness and my understanding of the timing of the first payday.  I learned this lesson alone.  Was it really my "season?"  Today, as I speak to young recruits, a true financial discussion tops the conversation; because, well somebody has to say it! 
3. Lesson #3-Money Grows on Trees; ya just have to pick it!  This Lesson can be applied to any career.  Picking or harvesting is not the same as waiting for the fruit to fall to the ground.  If you are to be successful in real estate either as a Realtor or an investor, you must be pro-active.  You must seek the truth; find the best ways to do things and continue learning as the years pass.  Your education in real estate is never finished.  It begins new each day with the many advances in information availability and technology.  Whether you are 20, 40, or 60 years old, you have something new to learn. 

There I said it!