My REI Journey

Welcome. I wish you the best in REI and am looking forward to hearing about your journey.

Lea
SPR Property Solutions, LLC

Welcome to the DG Family! Congrats on starting your RE journal and on rejuvenating your passion for REI! You have found the greatest place there is to gain knowledge and support along the way.
Looking forward to hearing great things as you step out into what is the start of "taking lunch when YOU want to". LOL.

God bless,

Rina

Thanks Lea. There will be more to come in a couple of days. I appreciate the encouragement!

Lisa

Rina,

Thank you for the warm welcome. I can't agree with you more... Dean's program really is the best! I have read several other books and had purchased programs in the past. His book alone gave me more information than I expected; and the resources that are available on top of that just can't be beat. Half the time I am so excited that I can't even concentrate. I have to calm down before I can get anything done. I just know my first deal is just around the corner. I can feel the change coming and I can't wait to share it with others.

Take care,

Lisa

continued from previous post... So before I finished the first book I was looking for properties. The experience was something like trying to build a house without laying the foundation first. I knew what I wanted to do and had an idea of how to get there but I didn't really have a plan. Then one night in early October, I received a call from someone who wanted to know if I was interested in enrolling in a coaching system that would provide coaching support as I embarked on my REI career. Did I mention that it was not Dean's team I received a call from first?

That's right. I had received a call from another investor's team who's book I had purchased. He tends to focus on flips. Now they wanted me to make a decision right then and there, but given the amount they were asking I told them that I wanted to look over the contract and consider it. After all, this was a business decision and wouldn't they expect to do the same? Well, let me just say that there were a few things that didn't sit well with me and when all was said and done, I did not enroll in their system.

Within a week, I received a phone call from Dean's Success Academy and I enrolled on the spot. I knew from talking with the representative and reading his book - and I still hadn't finished the first one at this point- you see I highlight and take notes- that his system was going to be something I could sink my teeth into. It wasn't going to be a lot of fluff- and I was right! So on October 8th, 2009 I enrolled in the DG Success Academy. WOOOOHOOOO!

I just finish Dean's book and so excited to build my new investment business. I have talked with someone at the Success Academy to get coaching and will be ready by next week to move forward. I have been checking advertisement for property and may have spoted what i am looking for. My goal is lease/option deals. My goal in the next two week is have results from my action.

You are on your way! Congratulations and welcome to the DG family!

Lisa

Well, I can't believe it has been 10 weeks since my last post. As I said in the beginning, I'm not very good at journals. But here is what has been happening. I started my LLC, got my tax people and bookkeepers in place, found a super realtor and submitted my first offer tonight- well really, you might say I submitted my first 13 offers! As I had discussed in previous posts, I had already started looking at properties before I finished Dean's first book- which by the way, I have finished.

Backing up to where I left off in my last post in October... As I mentioned I had started looking at properties before finishing the first book. While I was looking at a bank-owned property, a neighbor came out. We got to talking and I found out that two other nearby houses were empty as well. The lady of one had passed away and he had seen family coming over to take care of the place. Of course I asked, "Did you happen to get a number", and do you know what he said? YES! I couldn't believe it. Before the words came out of my mouth, I thought, "This is a longshot", but he actually said yes.

So within a couple of days I called the relative. I left a message saying I was sorry for her loss and that I was an investor and was interested in the house left behind. I left my name and number and asked if she could call me back one way or another. That was it. A couple of days passed and I got a call back. I found out that her Aunt had passed and although her grandmother is the heir, she is the executrix- something new I learned- an executrix is the female version of executor. In our conversation I discovered that not only was the family interested in selling the property, but that her Aunt had also been an investor and she left behind 16 properties, all of which the family wanted to sell!! I thought I was dreaming!

So, I found out there were 16 properties: 5 vacant lots along a river, one vacant lot where the house burned down, and 10 lots with single family homes. Well, as the holidays approached, we were both so busy that we had decided to wait until after the first of the year to try and make anything happen. I was still trying to get my ducks in a row with the LLC and would be out of town throughout December. She also had felt overwhelmed with the estate and wasn't in a hurry at the time.

FF to January: I left a message for the executrix saying that I understood how busy she was and asked for addresses so I could drive by the properties to see if I was interested. She called me a few days later with a short list of properties in which she thought I would be interested. Over the next month we continued to email and talk, but mostly email each other. We just kind of clicked and have built a relationship. A few weeks ago, she gave me the keys to the houses so that I could go through the homes. She also gave me the mortgage statement for the one house that has a mortgage. Did I mention that all properties are mortgage free except one, however, all the mortgage free properties are delinquent in taxes. Anyway, she also gave me the last tax bills. From there I was able to access the tax info online.

From there I discovered that some of the properties could be listed on the tax sale list this spring. I let her know that she could lose some of the properties soon. Suffice so say, it has been almost a year since her Aunt died and she has been draining accounts just trying to keep up with other bills, which she has been unable to do. She is ready to sell and get from under some of the debt. So, yesterday, my realtor and I started to draw up our offer. In fact, tonight I submitted two offers. Last night I met with the executrix to give her a heads up. I had already submitted a spreadsheet that showed the dollars to be spent to repair and upgrade all the homes. I let her know what I would be offering and why the two offers. She seemed pleased, so I hope it goes well.

I have made one offer for 13 of the properties, the 5 vacant lots on the river and 8 homes. One home is already rented and I have 3 other renters waiting for the other homes. I have given her until the 11th to make a decision. For the last few weeks I have done nothing but think about this deal. I would wake up thinking about it and go to bed thinking about it. I have had contractors in the homes, met the renters and crunched numbers. If either of my offers is accepted- it will be without using any of my own money- and most of the payment will be made by the current renter.

Tonight was the first time in weeks where I did not obsess over this deal. It is out of my hands for now and so I await an answer. I will keep you posted...

In case you are just tuning in: I submitted 2 different offers 2 weeks ago on 13 properties. Well, I knew that the fact that these properties were part of an estate left behind after the owner died would make it a little more challenging and would mean that the wheels would turn a little slower. I had no idea that not even the lawyer would be unaware of the expiration of a submitted contract. So the the expiration time came and went and I heard nothing- which was unusual since the executrix and I had communicated regularly until I submitted the offers.

Come to find out, she thought the lawyer would basically handle it from there. And he does not deal with real estate regularly. He basically handles bankruptcies and has a lot of clients. So I submitted another offer- and again, the deadline came and went. So then the executrix and I spoke on the phone and we discussed what was happening. She told me to email her the offer and she would make sure that the deadline was met. She is definitely intereseted in one of the offers I made. So tomorrow I meet with my realtor to make some changes and I will be re-submitting the offer she is intersted in. This time the executrix, Christina, does not want to take any chances so she asked if we could meet on Tuesday so she could hand me the signed contract. I am giving them until Wednesday at 5pm. I have to admit that some of the wind has been taken out of my sails. I'm not going to get too stoked until I have the signed contract in my hot little hands, but when that happens- I will be jumping for joy!) Then the work really starts. All of the improved properties need rehabbed...

I will post again in a few days.

Lisa

I just discovered your journal, and have enjoyed reading it start to finish! I have bookmarked it so I can follow along....I'm on the edge of my seat now. WOW - what an amazing deal you stumbled upon....this business is so incredible! Its amazing to read stories like yours where this great opportunities really happen to real people! Cant wait to hear what happens next....you are doing a super great job. I hope that if all goes well you will share a bit more about the negotiations and how you came to decide on your offer - that would be very interesting!

Laura-

Thanks for reading my journal and adding me to your bookmarks. I have hard time sitting down to write everyday like many of the DG family. I'm not really superstitious but some part of me feels like I might jinx it if I reveal too much before it actually happens- probably because it feels too good to be true!! I will definitely reveal all the details when the contract is signed, which I am fairly confident it will be by this time next week.

All 13 properties are deliquent in taxes and although they are not yet up for a tax sale, it is just a matter of time. There is one more property that I am interest in as well, but it has a mortgage and really isn't worth what is owed. I have already discussed the possibility of a short sale with the executrix and the estate lawyer and they are open to it. We will concentrate on that after this deal is done:) That property is probably the nicest of the properties.

I will definitely keep you posted.

Thanks again and take care,

Lisa Stafford
Clean Slate Property Solutions, LLC

First of all nice to meet you in this great DG Family! and I must say you are "Doing the Damn Thing!" with those hot little hands of yours. lol. There is something about your demeanor and delivery that says Savy all over it. I learned a lot from you in the few entries you have posted.
-Like presenting a spreadsheet of the repairs and other cost with the offers. Maybe I was suppose to know that but thanks to you.
-Also the two offers strategy is brilliant in my opinion.In this way you do not give your seller the opportunity to tell you No. If you present one offer its more than likely either yes or no. With 2 offers you are asking the seller or even the buyer for that matter which one? it does not matter to you because they both drafted for a win-win.

Well I think you are awesome no matter how this particular deal works out and you keep rocking and rolling. Through your delivery I can feel the exact foot steps you are taking and makes it a pleasure to read.

Best Regards,
Shane Gore

Shane-

THANK YOU so much for your kind words!! I don't know how savy I am; all I know is that I truly enjoy doing this REI thing. The executrix I am currently working with has told me she is so happy to be working with me and she would rather sell the properties to me than anyone. She has thanked me numerous times and I can't help but feel great about helping her while getting a good deal. We both believe in honesty and not "playing games" to get our own way. Even if this deal doesn't work out- I still have learned so much! And if it does work out, I'm going to learn a heck of a lot more -- and best of all- it will be a WIN for both of us:)

I'm glad that my ramblings have helped you;) Sometimes I feel like I'm writing too much, but I also know it helps to know details. I didn't expect that my story would help someone so soon. I was really surprised. I'm glad it did. Thank you for letting me know.

As for the two offers thing: There are some drawbacks- you probably shouldn't sign both deals if they are in regards to the same properties. If you notice- a typical realtor's purchase agreement states that a new contract basically voids previous contracts, so it would be contradictory. In my case, it was a way to find out which way worked best for her and build from there. I didn't sign either one.

Thanks again for reading my journal and keep up the great work.

Take care,

Lisa Stafford
Clean Slate Property Solutions, LLC

Hi Everybody-

On Saturday I submitted the contract to Christina and her lawyer for the 13 properties left in her Aunt's estate. Since it is an estate, there are a lot of hoops that the sellers have to jump through, and me too, to some degree. For instance, did any of you know that properties left in an estate can't be sold until the estate petitions Probate Court? I didn't before this deal:).

So now I am waiting to hear the verdict, no pun intended;). This is my 4th offer on these properties, all of which are significantly behind in taxes. Right now I will be happy just getting a written response, but I am also fighting the clock. I have let the sellers know that this will be my last bulk offer- at least with the terms I am proposing at this point. I certainly don't want to buy the properties without having adequate time to make sure they aren't listed for a tax sale.

I have given them until Wednesday at 5pm. Normally, I wouldn't give the sellers so much time, but these are not normal circumstances. It is an estate and everything just moves slower. So now I play the waiting game.

While I wait, I am going to visit the city's government offices to find out what kind of permits I need to pull, find an insurance company that insures properties through an LLC, build my buyer's list, send in the final draft of my business plan, enter my tax information, send in my January receipts and organize my office- again...

I don't know about the rest of you, but the paperwork- the office stuff, not the offer stuff- is the hardest for me- probably because I just dread it. Once I start it, I do fine- it is the anticipation of doing it that is killer, and I often find myself doing everything else but that. So tomorrow is basically an office day. I'm just glad I got the bookkeepers and tax people that the DG Success Academy pointed me towards. I have learned a lot through their webinars and am thankful I don't have to do it all:)!

Take care and I will post again in a few days.

Lisa Stafford
Clean Slate Property Solutions, LLC

I am learning so much through this process with you Lisa - thank you so much for sharing it with us! I know you are smart and doing your due diligence - so if its meant to be it will. I sure hope so for you! Its a huge deal and you are very courageous diving into it!

Thanks Laura! I do try to plan for contingencies. Even my realtor asked if I was sure I wanted this to be my first deal? I think a little fear is good. It means you are working outside your comfort zone, which means no matter the outcome, you WILL GROW as a person. Even bad experiences can teach us something. Sometimes it just takes telescope to find the positive aspects in negative experiences:).

And I have to say, I got lucky by finding a super realtor on my 2nd try. Now that I have her, I won't use anybody else in this State. But I can't pass this deal up- and when I finally reveal the details of the deal you will all know why. I just can't bring myself to "put it out there" until I get that contract:) It have never worked out for me in the past, so the story will have to wait a day or two...

Thanks again for all your help!

Lisa

Hi Everybody-

Well, I am still waiting to receive the contract, although I did hear from Chritina (executrix) and her lawyer. There were a few questions about details and how to procede. Other than a few changes, it sounds like they are going to accept my contract. She is going to fax it to me at lunch tomorrow, at which time I will be RUNNING to my realtor's office to review it.

So while I've been waiting, I went to the city Building Inspector's office and had a chat with them about the properties. They are familiar with the properties and are interested in having the properties repaired and updated. They gave me a lot of information and told me they would be happy to help me- just to let them know. It was a great 1/2 hour visit and I know my first steps once I have properties. They also provided specific information about a couple of the properties and the neighbors. Then they showed me a website where I can look up the county plats, and the building inspector gave me his business card. In fact, I found out he lives right on my street! They were all very personable and informative! It was a great experiece:)

I also had an opportunity yesterday to look at some building materials that are going to be sold at a discount- things like closet doors, outside doors, folding attic ladders, etc.

Oh, and remember when I said that I usually put off the paperwork stuff- well, I still have to finish it... but I did find out about permits. So tomorrow, will be an office day- except when I run to my realtor's office:))

Tune back in tomorrow to find out what happens- and keep your fingers crossed for me!

Til tomorrow,

Lisa Stafford
Clean Slate Property Solutions, LLC

Exciting posts!!!!! I'll be checking my computer regularly to see what happens, and cant WAIT to hear the details of the deal!! I am so proud of all you are doing and learning on your first deal quest And with your contacts at the inspectors office now thats awesome. I've learned that sincerity and honesty in speaking with people about what you're doing takes you really far and opens so many doors - and you are proof of that. I've got my fingers and toes crossed

Hi DG Family-

Last week a friend of mine went to the doctor and was talking to a nurse and found out she was going through some issues with the bank that held her mortgage. She told her about me and then told me about her. So yesterday, I went to the doctor, had my blood drawn and got the same nurse. I asked her if she remembered talking to my friend and she said "Yes, in fact I was just thinking about her today." So I proceeded to find out what her dilemma was. Here is what I got from a 3 minute conversation:

She is located in Calumet City, IL. Her husband lost his joba while back. Her and her husband purchased the house 8 years ago for around $76-$80,000 (she couldn't remember). Their mortgage had a variable rate and was fine in the beginning, but then it went up to like $1200 a month. They spoke with the bank and got a modification loan, so it dropped significantly. But now they are getting letters from the bank mentioning foreclosure. Their bank is Chase Bank and she is not too happy with them. She says they still owe around $75,000. The husband says they should let the bank take it, but she would rather not move. They are near family and have roots there. They don't have good credit or money, so they are very limited. I gave her my card with the foreclosure hotline and told her to listen and give me a call. She said she also had family that were talking about selling their homes, so I gave her more cards.

My LLC is registered in IN but not IL. Since they don't want to move, I thought it might be possible to purchase the property as a short sale and then sell it back to them on a lease-option or similar method. The problem is I'm not registered in IL and since I haven't yet done a deal, I'm not ready to start in another State.

I haven't really focused on this type of deal, so I could use some advice. Is this a valid idea? Is it possible to lock up a contract with a bank on a short sale in IL with an assigment clause?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance:)

Lisa Stafford
Clean Slate Property Solutions, LLC

I just came across your posts and am in awe of what you have been doing ! Also when I started reading, I thought I was reading my own life... I have been exactly where you have been. I am just getting back into the swing of it all.It seems life,naysayers and fear do like to get in the way?
I will be sure to bookmark and definitely keep up with what happens next. Best of luck to you girl.
Lisa

Thanks for the encouragement:) I'm glad you are getting back into it!! It is awesome! So far, my worst moment in REI has been better than my best moments in a J.O.B. I love working for myself, even though I haven't made any money yet- I know I will!

I was laid off almost a year ago and didn't see Dean's commercial until August. I wish I had seen it sooner, like when I had an income coming in;) I would have been that much more ahead. Not having an income though, kind of forces me to seek alternative financing and alternative solutions. It forces me to face the unknown and come out on top.

It's awesome and I know you can do it too. I know the naysayers can get in the way. I have always been entrepreneurial; and the naysayers always put in their 2 cents worth. Not this time. I haven't told the naysayers. I know Dean says tell everyone that you're in REI- and I will eventually- but some of them won't hear about it until I've done something with it. It is funny how human nature often causes the people who know you best to cut you down when you start changing the mold of who they think you are.

Just remember- they have let fear keep them from trying new things. That is one thing I have never been afraid to do- and some of my friends have stated they are jeolous of my ability to do so. I don't require a lot of money. Personal freedom is my biggest motivator. The reason really successful people succeed is because they are willing to take risks others are not willing to take. Now that doesn't mean to go out and make foolish decisions. They should be calculated. But you have to take some risk- even if it just means going outside your comfort zone. You can do it. Don't let the naysayers get you down.

Good luck and I keep me informed.

Take care,

Lisa Stafford
Clean Slate Property Solutions, LLC

You guys are both awesome, and doing fabulous taking charge of your own futures! Honestly - reading your stories remind me of myself too!
So Lisa S...as far as your request for info above, i cant say I have first hand experience in this area to give advice as far as the short sale. But your theory of buying on short sale and leasing back to them does make sense. Just remember - if they have fallen behind enough to be threatened with foreclosure, how will they be able to make payments to you? As far as your LLC, mine is based in NJ where I formed it, but I have registered it in Wisc where my other properties are. That only cost me 150.00 and some time in paperwork. So you could check into possibly just registering it Il. in order to do transactions there. I'll be interested in learning along with you if this moves forward.
Any word on your bulk purchase?

Hi Laura-

Thanks for the insight. I haven't heard anything back from the IL people, although I did have a hangup from IL on my 888 number, different city though. I'm really concentrating on this bulk deal at this point. I haven't needed to put out signs or use the foreclosure finder since this deal. It has kept me really busy. Speaking of the bulk deal---

Yes, I got my contract back today, but it has some contingencies added to it. One of them is that the mortgage that the estate will be holding will balloon in 2 years instead of 5 (which is what I expected), but they also added if it doesn't balloon in 2 years it will be in default. I'm not sure how exactly that would work out since we are asking for a special warranty deed for each property. I could sell some of them off before two years goes by. When we wrote it, my realtor wrote it so it stated we would balloon if financing was available. She wants me to have some protection when it comes to the balloon.

Do you have any suggestions on how best to word this section?

They have also added contingencies dependent on a waiver of beneficiary (the beneficiary is in a nursing home) and approval of probate court. I thought the attorney had handled these two items before we got to this point. The thing is that the title search and inspections are to be done immediately (which I've asked the seller to pay for), so if either of the contingencies does not go through, they have just paid out a ton of money for nothing. I'm not sure the best way to handle that. I want to do right by the seller. I've left her a message to give her a heads up- so we are not quite set yet, but we're close.

I was just taking a break and watching American Idol and thought of how I could word both without losing the deal. Here it goes...

I think I'm going to suggest that there be some kind of penalty for each month after the balloon period- that way the deal is not voided, as her attorney suggests, and she is compensated for the extra time. Plus it is an incentive for me, not that I plan on letting it go two years, but since I am unemployed, I want to make sure my business has time to show it is making money.

Next, I'm going to suggest that the date of closing is congingent upon the approval and waiver. That way again, it is not voided. I will have to set a deadline however, due to the tax issue.

I meet with my realtor tomorrow afternoon to make changes and re-submit, so I will keep you posted.

Take care,

Lisa

Hi DG Family-

I am sorry it has been so long since my last post! As the subject line suggests- I lost my "BIG DEAL". The day before Christina was to sign the contract and get it back to me, after once again passing the deadline, she emailed me that she was sorry, but would have to pass on the deal. It turns out, she was talking to her boss that day at work and was explaining the whole deal to him. Well low and behold, he says, "I always wanted to do that, I'll give you $20,000 more and pay all cash."

Now let me tell you, when I received that email, I thought someone had just hit me in the stomach with a telephone pole. You see, I had a verbal agreement on the price ($150,000) for 13 properties (5 unimproved lots on a river and 8 SFH) and we were just working out the terms (the estate was going to hold a mortgage for $100,000 while I paid the backtaxes and assumed responsibility for the unbilled taxes (roughly $50,000 for back taxes and 2009 and 2010 taxes on all properties). The estate still had to petition the courts to sell and the heir had to sign a waiver, plus the estate lawyer threw some details in that I discussed in previous posts.

So after 3 months of eating, sleeping and ----ting this deal, what do I have to show for it????? A WHOLE LOT OF KNOWLEDGE:)))!!!!!!! Don't get me wrong, I cried for two days-ok, maybe four -- on and off. It wasn't so much that I lost the deal, but once her boss made the offer, she wouldn't even give me a chance on any of the properties without going through them first. I don't think she wanted to rock the boat. The thing is that I learned so much with this deal! I went through most every house with a contractor. I met with a mold removal company and learned what they do and made a great contact. I met the city inspector and got the low down on what they need in different scenarios. I went to the courthouse and researched property details and got to know the different departments responsibilities. After not completing this deal- I feel like I can do most any deal. There were a total of 16 properties that I became familiar with in this deal- and each one had its own lessons. The funny thing is- I just saw Dean's video about probate deals this week- well, I had one in the palm of my hand- and I was able to manuever around the different obstacles without knowing anthing about it. Anyone can do it- they just have to be up-front with those involved and be willing to do the leg work.

Looking back, I don't think I could have done it any different. I couldn't get it locked up- because we hadn't ironed out the terms yet. We had been going back and forth for almost a month when her boss jumped in. I could have held my information back, and not given her a spreadsheet with the costs involved in repairs of each property or the back taxes, but I don't work that way. I got laid off because I trained my subordinate to do my job- and he made less than half what I did. It made sense for them to lay me off. And I have to be true to myself- and I believe in being open and honest and teaching others. She knew all along, this was a new business for me and that I just didn't have that kind of cash. I had planned on paying the mortgage off before the end of the year, but she had to do what she felt was best for her family- and I understand that.

I can say that even those four days of being down and feeling betrayed- those 4 days are still better than my worst day at a J-O-B! And Christina felt bad about it also - She emailed because she had cried about it too and couldn't tell me herself. She also said that she would urge her boss to let me buy the the properties I really wanted - the 5 unimproved ones on the river and one across the street from them. And she kept her word- they called me this past Sunday to ask if I was still interested in them. Since I hadn't heard from them, I have made offers on other houses - and was supposed to close on one the 31st, but then I had the inspection- so we are asking for credit or repairs- so we'll see what happens. I am still interested in those properties, but have to see what happens. They want cash, so that they can use it to fix up the other properties. Just seems so ironic - they need my little bit of cash after paying cash for the properties:). I told them I would let them know by Thursday. They still haven't closed on the estate, so I'm still contemplating my approach. I mentioned them doing an assigment contract, but that I hadn't yet asked an attorney if if was legal in Indiana. I'm also not sure that I want to go that route until I know where they are in the tax sale issue. We'll see how my other deals go first -- I also bid on a HUD home today, so I should hear about it tomorrow as well.

So, DG family, while things may not have worked out as well as I had hoped- I may still get to purchase some of the properties at a good deal. I also have another investor I can add to my buyers and/or sellers list as well. I still have to ask them. I have also made a decision- since it didn't seem to help in keeping the details to myself until the deal closed, I will be forthcoming from now on. It would have been a killer deal- had it worked out. I just hope the new buyers do their due diligence. My numbers were based on bargain contract work- people I know who do great work- I hope they have the same kind of resources available-otherwise they could be in trouble. They made the offer before ever seeing the homes.

I aplogize again for it taking so long to get back to journaling. Rest assured, no other deals will hit me so personally as this one did. Also- I'm sorry this is such a long post but I wanted to catch everyone up.

Take care and remember- your first deal is just around the corner! As is mine!

Lisa

Hey whats going on Lisa. I just wanted to let you know that I know just how you feel and you have the right attitude and ability to take that batch of lemons and make a nice picture of lemonade. You keep it up because you are definately heading in the direction of success and I will look forward to seeing you at the TOP!

Shane-

Thanks so much for the words of encouragement!! I was just reading all the posts in your journal that I have missed in the last few weeks and all I can say is WOW. I know most people expect me to say "sorry about your job" but man, you have the best of both worlds: You already have another job lined up AND you have a lot of REI to do in the next few weeks before you start the new job- if you start the new job.

We both are fighting for that first deal and soon we will each have it in our "hot little hands" LOL.

Take care and keep on trucking -- or maybe not:).

Lisa Stafford
Clean Slate Property Solutions, LLC

I feel your pain my DG sister! RE is such a roller coaster of emotions...and working SO hard to lose it that way really just plain out sucks! Borders on unethical in the moral sense of whats right and wrong, really. But your moving on so will I haha...it just got me fired up. Looking at all you learned from it and taking that knowledge to your next deals is the way to look at it! And its kind of ironic that they are coming back to you now.....I hope your other deals come through for you in the meantime. And if the whole estate deal gets cleared up who knows - maybe you will get those houses you wanted. But if not - just keep on going! You are going to do GREAT in RE!

DG Sister- I am so glad it got under your skin as well! I've had a little more time to think about it, but believe me, I was hurt and angry at first. Then I thought maybe I was being petty and should remember the old addage "it's business, not personal". But the truth is I put my heart and soul in every deal- so it is personal. I was totally unprepared for how hard it hit me. I questioned if it was unethical as well, but I guess not everyone has the same sense of ethics. I had thought about countering, but I still could not put up all the cash up front. It may be a blessing in disguise. They have offered to sell me the properties I really wanted and I am going to take them up on it.

Thanks again for words of encouragement and "having my back". I thought I was wrong for feeling that I had been wronged and it is a relief to know that I wasn't over-reacting:).

Take care,

Lisa

With more experience we learn not to be too involved in the deals - and if the numbers dont work just move on. But this was not only your first - but it was HUGE and you put so much into it. Anyone would feel the loss I'm sure! But all that was lost technically was your time - and you can look at that as an educational experience. Just stay focused on your success and keep your eyes on the prize! Now you can hopefully own the properties you wanted and let them have all the headache and responsibility of clearing the estate and such! My guard would be up in dealing with them though....watch your back. Well, keep smiling my friend!