Jason Crouch has this great idea for a contest. So here is my entry.

The Early Years

When I was six months old (January of 1972) my parents decided to move out of Brooklyn and move the Poliandro family to Long Island. The idea was that the city was no place to raise children and they wanted some land. They bought a raised ranch on 5 acres of property at the top of a hill. 286 Long Island Avenue in Holtsville, NY to be exact. It was a busy road, but we were so far above it that it didn't matter. My brother was born at the end of 1972 and the family of four was complete. 

The late 70s

Now that I watch all the specials on the 70s; I see them talking about Studio 54 and the like. My memories of the late 70s were cashing in $2 bills and Kennedy half dollars so I could play video games at the local deli. Needless to say, there is no longer a deli in that spot. I went to Waverly Avenue Elementary school and still remember the school song. In 6th grade I was the spelling bee champion. My name was on a plaque 20 years ago when you first walked into the school. I'm sure it has been thrown away by now.

The 80s

My memories are not as much about the house; although I do remember the big back yard and the fact that we had two kitchens and a walk out basement. The house was basically divided by the staircase in the center of the house. This came in handy as my parents went through a bitter divorce and my brother lived downstairs with my Dad and I lived upstairs with my mom. This process took up the majority of the 80s from 1981 until my parents officially divorced in 1988.

They say that when kids are going through stress at home, sometimes they put on weight.

Here is a picture of me from 7th grade. (You have to admit, the picture is funny)

In 1985, I convinced my Mom to move out of the house with me. We rented a home at 103 Webster Avenue in Lake Ronkonkoma.

This move was good for my psyche as I lost a ton of weight that summer. Here is a picture with my brother at my 16th birthday party. Ironically, I thought I was fat then. As you get older

Real Estate Factor

Sign of the Real Estate Times. My Dad bought out my Mom by paying her $110,000 for her half of the home (which they had purchased in 1971 for $65,000). He certainly overpaid, but it was a victory for him to keep the house. In all the chaos from the divorce each attorney received at least $50,000 each. The mortgage on the home was $332.50 per month. My Dad struggled and struggled as the Real Estate market was in the tank. Finally after two years of not being able to make the payments on the house he was faced with foreclosure. He played the cards until the very last day. He was able to secure a buyer for the property for $125,000 the day before the Sheriff's sale.

The investor who bought it was a genius. He subdivided the property, sold off the 4 acres as buildable lots for $250,000 and left the house with an acre to go into foreclosure. He made a quick $125,000 profit and was only involved for a short period of time. My Dad on the other hand, was forced into bankruptcy and it took him 10 years before he could get even a credit card.

There is tremendous irony in this story. Had my Dad been able to hold on another 10 years, he would have been able to sell the five acres for at least a half a million dollars and could have retired to Florida. Sometimes all that we need is right in front of us. I sometimes wonder, all they had to do was stay married, cut the grass and pay off their house. My parents could have lived the American Dream. Instead, my Dad was forced to play the foreclosure hand.

Sorry my story isn't all happy, happy. Lemonade is currently being made with the lemons of my childhood. I have three children and a lovely wife.  Remember, every experience in your life happens for a reason. I have tremendous empathy for people going through divorce and/or facing a potential foreclosure.  

My story doesn't end there. There is a much more redemptive part; I'll wait for Jason to ask for "The Rest of the Story"

Get Educated.  Get Empowered.

For more information on this or any other topic, call Sal Poliandro, Broker Associate, Realtor, Marketing Advisor,

Short Sale Specialist and CDPE, Certified Distressed Property Expert

ePRO, SRES at 201-259-2187, visit our websites: www.SalAndDawn.com or  shortsaleguy.org

Follow me on Twitter: @salanddawn

Sal can be reached by snail mail at RE/MAX Properties 73 East Allendale Road Saddle River, NJ 07458