Real Estate and Finance has advantages that carry over to all business. I am a magician and constantly get magic requests online. I received two requests for magic this weekend that were clearly fraudulent.
The first person contacted me via text and wanted magic on a certain date for a "homecoming event and kids birthday party' for two hours a couple of days before Christmas. I don't text well and called the number and went to voice mail. Then I received another text from the person saying he is a 'Military Man' and on base and has to limit phone calls. So we emailed but he was never clear which arouses suspicion immediately for me. He sent an address and I looked the address up with a property profile. The house is very small and has a small lot and is in someone else's name and does not show as a rental. The event was to be for 75 people in the back yard. Well, it does not rain much in my part of California but it does rain in December. Then came the email that this person wanted to pay me up front but had a favor to ask regarding the photographer. I finally sent him an email simply saying "I cannot do magic for you". A day later he sent another email telling me his credit card had a problem and could I charge $2,000 more than the magic show and write a check to the photographer. I did reply one last time - "You are a fraud - Go away."
These emails were on Saturday then on Sunday I received another email from another person who wanted me to do magic for 50 people at his daughters birthday party. I was to do magic while the guests were arriving and enjoying "cocktails, etc and etc" Where I live 'enjoying cocktails' is not a phrase we use. I have never heard the phrase. This person had a event planner and also wanted me to do a favor. I sent an email same as for the first guy "I cannot do magic for you". He replied saying the schedule is flexible - when am I available. He has an event planner, etc and suddenly the date is flexible. I also looked that address up with a property profile; again not in the name of the person sending me the emails and not a rental.
Both people (same person on same group of people) had no concern with how much I would charge and wanted to pay up front, then they wanted a favor. We rent a vacation home and a few years ago a fellow booked and sent us a check for three times the cost of rent and then "suddenly" realized he sent too much and wanted us to refund him a lot of money. When we received the check we did not try to cash it because we saw his request coming. The check was written on an eastern University - we called them and they said they had had hundreds of calls about checks written by this person. We turned the check over to Chase Bank and never heard about it again.
Real Estate helps me because of some of the tools I have access to such as a quick property profile. I started my finance career in collections and very quickly learned to 'inspect what I expected'. In all lending we are taught to verify and prove everything. So Real Estate and Finance helps me in more ways than my real estate and mortgage career. Knowing real estate and finance helps me in every business (and life) aspect.
postscript: The frauders really should learn perfect English. When I questioned the person about the home he said "Yes, that house mine." Well.
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