All who have accomplished great things have had a great aim, have fixed their gaze on a goal which was high, one which sometimes seemed impossible....

May 17, 2008

Why I have been M.I.A.

I haven't been posting as much as I would like in a LONG time. I created this blog because it is hard to keep in touch with everyone that I would like to. A blog is an easy way to keep friends and family members up to date on what is going on in your life and I have been neglecting mine.

My life has taken some unexpected turns. Good and Bad. The last few months have been a whirlwind. I contemplated putting Real Estate on hold because I landed a great job out of no where. I had to try and prioritize. I wasn't sure what to do. I had contracts I had to finish out and figured as soon as I did, I would put my license in referral. I was uneasy about the decision but I knew I couldn't take on too much. Real Estate is my passion but frankly the Real Estate and Mortgage Industry sucks. Clients were being dropped from loans right before closing and Sellers are losing their homes to foreclosure. When I entered into this business it was fun and fulfilling. Now it's depressing and my career as an agent was turning into something I didn't want it to be.

My main passion when I started Real Estate was to be involved in investing. Whether it be helping a newly-wed couple find a fixer upper and watch them turn their starter home into a gorgeous upscale property by doing a little sweat equity or working with investors/contractors to rehab and flip homes and make communities better. This was what I wanted to do. I don't mind helping someone find a already perfect property, helping them build their new construction home or helping someone find their forever home but my passion lies in the Investment aspect of Real Estate.

Investing has always been my dream but it isn't easy. You constantly battle other investors for properties and when you don't have cash to pay for a house, that's hard. After losing the St. Charles house we decided to hook up with an Investor and let them by the house and we would do the work. We then met Annette. She is an Investor from California and she bought a home here in Missouri to rehab. We met her at her property and Josh put a bid in on the job. Annette excepted our bid and we started work. 2 months later the house is almost finished. Annette has turned into family. It's been an amazing experience. Together we turned this almost unlivable home into a gorgeous property!

But now that the house is done, what were Josh and I going to do? We had incurred a little debt due to the Boyd house that we were not smart about paying off. We used the profit up before the debt was paid off. We had to make the decision to either use some of our savings to pay off the Credit Card or use it all to buy a house...Ugh...We could rent or buy again but with only being pre-approved for 90% we didn't want to go in anymore debt to buy a house. 3 years ago we would have qualified for 100% financing and now 100% loans are scarce and come with high interest rates. We would have to pour all the money we have saved up the last few months into a house. I hated the thought of it. So we figured we would rent for awhile and get away from the stress and wait for the mortgage industry to soften up.

A few weeks ago my life changed dramatically. Josh and I were in the middle of getting the home we live in now, ready to go up on the market and rent. We were looking through rental ads and found an ad about owner financing with no down-payment. We figured we'd just call. They had some homes in our target buying area for some really good prices. Our call was answered by Ted Coyle of Bellington Realty and Eighteen Investments. Our prayers were answered!

Bellington Realty is located in Clayton and ran by Michael Litz. An amazing man with more knowledge of Real Estate, Investing and Renting than anyone I have ever met. We sat down with Ted and Michael and put in an low offer on a cute little property in Maryland Heights. We negotiated up and our offer was excepted right then and there. Paperwork signed and closing set for 13 days away. No faxing offers around, no hassle, very minimal closing costs, no down-payment, no commissions and we walked away with a $640.00 payment. Almost $400 less than our max on a rental.

As of the 23rd we will be the proud owners of a cute 3 Bedroom, 1 Bath home with a full basement on a cute corner lot. I think it's fate. This home was meant for us. It's an almost complete gut but Josh and I are up for the task. We have decided to live in this home for awhile and possibly pay it off and rent it out. It's really up in the air and after almost 9 months of not having our OWN home, it's going to be nice to be home owners again. I really thank my Aunt for letting us live in her second home but it's never been "ours". It's time we move on.

On top of that I have been offered a job at Bellington Realty by the President himself. It's my dream to work on the Investment side and that's exactly what I will get to focus on at Bellington if I decide to make that move. I am so impressed with Michael and Ted and how Michael runs his company. I can't imagine putting Real Estate on hold and can't believe it even crossed my mind!

That's my life as of now in a nut shell. I feel like things are finally working themselves out.

Josh and I are very blessed. I am really excited to start this new venture.

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