Posted by SusanL.–FL on December 24, 1999 at 08:34:47:
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What I learned my first year of investing - Christmas Story - Posted by Jen NE
Posted by Jen NE on December 23, 1999 at 13:16:32:
Hello… I haven’t posted in a while as I’ve been very busy trying to get this real estate investing off the ground. Back in January when Bill Bronchick set up my RE company, I set the goal to do at least 1 deal a month since I was working a full time JOB. Well, I beat my goal, but I also learned something else after this first year of investing that I did not anticipate.
I’ve done mostly Lonnie deals and a few houses, but for the last six months I have gotten into preforeclosures thanks to Jackie Lange’s advice. I try to help them refinance (and get a cut from the mortgage broker on the loan) or I make an offer for the house. Everyone says that most real estate deals can be done where it’s a win-win situation. Well, that may be true, but most of the people I dealt with were in desperate situations or very uneducated, etc… Thus, it really turns out to be a win situation only for the real estate investor most of the time. I realize you keep them from filing bankruptcy or ruining their credit, etc… but most of the time they lost their home when they didn’t want to. Well, I’ll tell you what happened to me… I became and educator for these people.
My heart simply went out for some of these people. Some deserved to be in foreclosure but you could tell the ones that didn’t (lost job, medical bills, sick child, etc…). I knew I could convince some of these people to simply turn their house over to me, but in my heart I knew I could help them save their house. I would spend a lot of time on the phone educating them (some couldn’t even spell) on how to improve their situation or I would call their lien holders on their behalf if I thought they were getting the run around. I just yesterday helped this old man save his house. He (Wayne) was uneducated yet very nice and trusting the wrong people. My mortgage broker and I thought we were going to be able to refinance him, but the lender fell through. We could not find another lender. Wayne was just sick that he and his 2 little girls were going to lose his only home (which was a very poor house with only wood burning heat) just after Christmas. I was sick too. He did everything I told him, yet we could not refinance nor did I want to take his house. My husband was like ‘you are not going to loan him money!’. Wayne has trouble speaking so I personally visited his original lender and convinced him to allow Wayne to bring their home current with what little money his mother had wired him. It’s amazing sometimes how a lender will budge when someone if vouching for another person. Granted I lost out on a deal and time, but the reward was amazing. Wayne just visited me this morning at my JOB with his little girl. He told me I was the nicest person he ever met and his little girl had made me a Christmas/Thank You card that was so touching. They were both extremely grateful and although there would be no money for gifts this Christmas, they still had a home.
Although I made no money on the deal, I would not have done it any other way. It comes back tenfold. Sometimes it’s great to make money and other times it’s great to just help people.
Hope you all have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Jen
Shame on you! - Posted by Jeanne
Posted by Jeanne on December 24, 1999 at 11:37:41:
Jen,
Shame on you for making me cry “on the job.” It is wonderful that you have figured out how to make money and help a stranger at the same time.
Jeanne Roach
Re: What I learned my first year of investing - Christmas Story - Posted by Phillip
Posted by Phillip on December 24, 1999 at 01:58:08:
Jen,
The very place called “Heaven”, itself, I am sure smiled approvingly on what you did to help this man and his young child. That kind act will not be lost in the universe, the good cosmic forces surrounding us will repay it TO YOU a thousandfold over in even better deals,or suddenly finding yourself in the right place at the right time soon becomes more than “good luck”, if you get my drift.
Your story was richly written with wonderful texture and yielded a clear picture of your genuine concern and active participation to help. This simply made my day!!!
Consider this…
“If you help others, you will be helped, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps in one hundred years, but you will be helped. Nature must pay off the debt. It is the mathematical law and all life is mathematics”
…Gurdjieff
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year
Re: What I learned my first year of investing - Christmas Story - Posted by Stew
Posted by Stew on December 23, 1999 at 20:35:16:
I am also in Nebraska. I rented my first home in August to a couple in there 50’s who never had a home. I hate to say it but they keep the Home better than we did. I am originally from the East Coast (Richmond Va). I retired from the Air Force in 1995. I decided to stay because of the people. I am an African-American and sure there are racial problem here in Nebraska as everywhere. But…there are signs of Hope that I didn’t see anywhere else in the states (I have been all over the US during my 20 years in the service). Here is a concrete example. I got off work at about 2am one night. I had to stop and get gas because I was very low (I usualy wait until the next day). I walked in to the store and there was a middle age white woman at the counter…alone. (By the way, I look younger than my age of 42) She looked at me and I tried not to do anything that would make her want to shoot me. After I paid for my gas and was walking out she hollered for me to stop. I turned around not really knowing what I might be facing. She said., "Mister, I need to go to the bathroom in the back, but I don’t want to leave the register and store unguarded, Could you watch it for me? I said sure…and I remembered why I was proud of the American on the end of that African. Merry Christmas to all.
Re: What I learned my first year of investing - Christmas Story - Posted by phil fernandez
Posted by phil fernandez on December 23, 1999 at 15:51:14:
Jen,
Very nice story.
Jen also knows how to make money. Last year we had a creative ideas contest and Jen placed third. Her creative idea can be read in the Money Ideas section of this site. Then click on Money Making Ideas Contest, Third Place.
Re: What I learned my first year of investing - Christmas Story - Posted by Darlene
Posted by Darlene on December 23, 1999 at 15:09:00:
Jen,
What a wonderful story. This probably be your best Christmas ever. It’s wonderful to be able share of oneself to others.
You said in the beginning of your story that you do mostly Lonnie deals. Is that Lonnie Scruggs deals? How is that working out? I’m thinking of doing it myself. Just a little scared and need some feedback. Have a great Christmas and a wonderful New Year.
BRAVO! - Posted by Bill K. (AZ)
Posted by Bill K. (AZ) on December 23, 1999 at 15:02:19:
Jen,
That’s exactly what this business is about…ALL YEAR LONG!
I hope that your kind spirit continues to pay dividends well into the future.
Bill K. (AZ)
What a GREAT story! It made my day! - Posted by SusanL.–FL
Posted by SusanL.–FL on December 23, 1999 at 15:00:41:
That ‘helping’ hand can be ‘far-reaching’!
Keep up the GOOD work
Re: What I learned my first year of investing - Christmas Story - Posted by Benny
Posted by Benny on December 23, 1999 at 14:01:20:
Jen,
So happy to hear your story in this joyful season! That’s true! Sometimes the reward cannot be evaluated using money, and what you did to that family was BIG Christmas gift to them, and I think, a memorable and meaningful gift to yourself also!
Merry Christmas
Benny