nobody takes me seriously today! :-) - Posted by Anne_ND

Real Estate Investing Mobile Homes & Mobile Home Parks
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Posted by Anne_ND on September 04, 2003 at 10:31:57:

Bill,

I take your point, I was at least half-way irritated that the teller assumed I wasn’t a businessperson and the guy thought I couldn’t be the person with whom he’d deal with on finances.

The point of the post, and what kept me from really fuming about it, is that we should not make assumptions about someone’s abilities or seriousness of purpose based on superficial attributes.

That is something I need to remind myself of constantly, as I too have prejudices and biases of which I’m not aware, that undoubtedly stand in the way of my accumulating greater riches.

My favorite Eminem quote (equally unoriginal) is “You can do anything you set your mind to, man”.

good investing,

Anne

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nobody takes me seriously today! :slight_smile: - Posted by Anne_ND

Posted by Anne_ND on September 02, 2003 at 18:33:42:

It has become increasingly clear, after a skinny summer (and unfortunately I mean my wallet was skinny, not me) that full time investing in real estate is going to work for me. Bills will continue to get paid, cats will not have to go without food (or, more importantly, kitty litter) and certain important financial milestones will be met.

This recent realization, and the purchase of 2 more mobile homes this weekend meant that this morning I was feeling all right.

It was going to be a good day… No vacancies, all the rent checks came in early, and a whole buncha folks calling about my new mobile homes.

After showing one very young couple a mobile home that I’m having resided, the guy turns to me and asks when he can speak to my husband about buying the home. This happens fairly often to me, so I just smiled and said “I’m an employee who is qualified to conduct all negotiations without a husband present”.

Later that day I was depositing a fairly sizable check at the bank, and decided to go through the drive-through rather than go in the bank. I headed for the commercial window, deposited my check and as I was leaving the young woman gave me a nice smile and said “by the way ma’am, this window is for commercial accounts only, next time go to the personal window”. I pointed out to her that I had just made a deposit to a commercial account and she got very flustered and apologized.

What is it about me that screams “person who does not make important decisions”?

Do you think it’s the fluorescent pink tie-dyed t-shirt?

I love being self-employed! Have a great day!

Anne

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Re: nobody takes me seriously today! :slight_smile: - Posted by Dave

Posted by Dave on September 03, 2003 at 18:40:48:

I found your posting interesting and amusing. How many of those high paid bank employees whould ever imagine that tee shirt wearing truck driving lady was a millionaire? Great wealth hides in interesting spots!

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Dumb is smart, smart is dumb and… - Posted by Philip

Posted by Philip on September 03, 2003 at 16:50:28:

if people discount you because you don’t dress like a high roller…great. It is the same as Lonnie’s “blue jeans and a pickup truck” idea.
I, by the way, have been told the “dumb is smart,smart is dumb” tactic is one I am very good at…my wife says it seems sooo natural…almost like I am not acting at all!
Philip

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Re: nobody takes me seriously today! :slight_smile: - Posted by Chuck-NY

Posted by Chuck-NY on September 03, 2003 at 14:49:11:

Solution: Take man (who wants to buy MH ) to meet teller. They date, get married, have 7 kids (or 2 goats) and you feel much better. Now what’s this about people not taking you seriously?? :sunglasses:

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Re: I know I take you … - Posted by Greg Meade

Posted by Greg Meade on September 03, 2003 at 06:57:38:

seriously and know of several others from FL do also. You always have a kind word when people (me) make bonehead moves. I’ve read everything you post and you seem to be wello n your way to meeting all your goals…I can’t wait to see you post that you just bought your first MHP! As for the other, let it go. There are all kinds of folks out there with traditional ideas…have a female handy person and get all kinds of flak about that! We just laugh. Good investing Anne.

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Re: nobody takes me seriously today! :slight_smile: - Posted by Joe C. (AR)

Posted by Joe C. (AR) on September 03, 2003 at 24:03:55:

Find ways to use this situation to your advantage. I know it’s a cliche, but I also know a very competent woman who gives off the same vibes. She hides behind an LLC and a “ficticious” boss. When rents are late she explains that she would like to give people a break on late charges, but her “boss” won’t let her.
When she wants some time to consider a situation, she says that she’ll go back and present it to the “powers that be”. When the terms of a sitution are unfavorable she says “I’d like to but, our policy is…”.

Just like at the auto dealership,…“Make an offer and I’ll take it to my manager”… That is a negotiating technique.

Remember “Colombo”. He was always underestimated because of his appearance, his simple demeanor, and his references to Mrs. Colombo. I realize that was fiction, but it was based on human behavior. Like Sonia said, there are situations where you could use it to your advantage.

I also know that pride comes in to play, and what happened at the bank and such may seem dis-respectful. Just remember that they do those things because that’s what their boss “tells them to do” or because that’s their “company policy”.

Make it another tool in your bag and find ways to capitalize on it. The only real scoreboard is your bank balance.

Just my .02
Joe C. (AR)

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You’ve got to be kidding! - Posted by Philip

Posted by Philip on September 02, 2003 at 22:43:21:

Until I started to look 40ish people always assumed I was just lost and had gotten to the bank by accident.

I used to paint and wallpaper and some of my checks were big…but I looked rough. Some of the tellers would turn their nose up at me.

So their is always something.
Gender, appearance, prejudice…etc, so on, and so forth.
You seem to do very well so have fun.
Philip

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Re: nobody takes me seriously today! :slight_smile: - Posted by Sonya W.

Posted by Sonya W. on September 02, 2003 at 20:48:54:

I thought it was just me. I find is frustrating that someone assumes because I am female that I have to ask my husband about whether or not “he” will accept a price on a mobile home or any other property. I just want to say, “he checks with me, not the other way around”. This is more evident when it is older people. However, I occasionally use it to my advantage and say “oh my husband would never accept and offer like that” when it is below what I want.

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The world is your oyster!!! - Posted by Doug (Alabama)

Posted by Doug (Alabama) on September 02, 2003 at 20:22:08:

We all have had similar experiences. I have personally had the bank commercial thing happen to me. Even after showing the commercial account slip the guard said next time use the other drive thru unless the owner was making a deposit. This was a few years ago, before grey hairs started showing up, but it hurt my ego just a bit that day.
Good luck and let us hear how things are going up in the north country. Seriously!!
Best,
Doug

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You’re not serious, right? - Posted by LeBron

Posted by LeBron on September 02, 2003 at 18:58:25:

nt

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Re: Dumb is smart, smart is dumb and… - Posted by DDD

Posted by DDD on October 07, 2003 at 11:29:05:

If you saw my dad on the street you’d try to give him money. He’s aquired millions in real estate from people
who underestimated him. Looks like he’s going to repo
a acre that 350k has been paid one by one of them.

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Re: I know I take you … - Posted by Anne_ND

Posted by Anne_ND on September 03, 2003 at 09:07:30:

Thanks Greg and thanks to the other respondees as well.

I was somewhat tongue-in-cheek about my post (hence the emoticon). The advantage of working for myself is that I get to wear whatever I want, but the downside is that people don’t always take me seriously. As was pointed out by Joe C. this can be a good thing.

The other day I went in to upgrade my cell phone. The person selling me the phone told me about one feature: I could set the phone to show a different color on the screen so that when my boss called I could be alerted (presumably so I could ignore it). No worries about that anymore.

enjoy that MHP, Greg!

Anne

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LOL! - Posted by Anne_ND

Posted by Anne_ND on September 03, 2003 at 09:02:23:

thanks for the laugh this morning Philip (“…just lost and had gotten to the bank by accident”)!

Anne

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Re: You’re not serious, right? - Posted by Philip

Posted by Philip on September 02, 2003 at 22:39:33:

Very funny. And very clever!

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Re: Dumb is smart, smart is dumb and… - Posted by DDD

Posted by DDD on October 07, 2003 at 20:18:32:

I recently read a review of a book based on the correspondence of Ronald Regan that appears to show that he was far shrewder than we would have thought. It appears that he intentionally led others to underestimate him to his advantage.
As I am a resonably intellegent and educated person who comes across as a complete idiot on a regular basis I could learn from this. I suppose it’s from a lack of confidence since I do fine in situations I have experience in.

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Re: Dumb is smart, smart is dumb and… - Posted by Philip

Posted by Philip on October 07, 2003 at 15:04:09:

I believe it. Now, I don’t have a lot of net worth, but it sure never helps to let the other person think you do!
Philip

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Re: I know I take you … - Posted by bill_cfl

Posted by bill_cfl on September 03, 2003 at 19:37:41:

" A lot of truth is said in jest" Eminem 2002