FIRST REAL ESTATE EXPERIENCE
It was 45 minutes past the appointed hour. I really wanted to leave so what was I still doing there? It was a particularly run down part of town. Most homes vacant - boarded up. I felt anxious.
Then the family showed up. The nicest people you could possibly imagine - parents who wanted to buy a house for their son, his wife and their 2 little kids. They were using all the cash they had saved from the minimum wage jobs they had obtained as immigrants to our country.
We saw dozens of houses - one worse than the next. Hard hat areas, to be honest. Roofs that were caving in, debris on the floor that rivaled hoarder T.V.
The son was in construction. He felt sure he could fix it up. Boy, did he ever! About a year later, when I saw it, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was fantastic and it even had a little white picket fence.
That first house sold for $80,000. It was missing a whole house C of O. The Bank didn't care as the buyers were paying cash. The owners could be responsible for obtaining it, after the fact.
After everyone had taken their cut, I made a mere $800 on that first deal. The family came to me from one of those Referral Companies that advertises on the Internet. I wasn't even sure the company was legitimate. I'm still not. Interestingly enough, I first saw their ad on ActiveRain and decided to sign up.
That family holds a special place in my heart. I send them Christmas cards every year and have spoken to them, from time to time. They're on automatic email alert in case another great deal comes on the market. They were my first real estate experience.
I've never waited that long for a customer to show up again.
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