Training and more training

Thursday, Friday and Saturday were all spent in training. Only on Saturday did Mama and I get out of the training before 5 pm. It was a lot of very valuable information. There was so much beyond the information. Mama and I got to meet and interact with some wonderful people. We did not share contact information with too many because it is often difficult to maintain those contacts, but there are a few that we met there that we have a high probability of seeing in the future as we pursue this business. With the last expensive failed business model I got involved with, I was careful to let Mama lead the way on this one; not to suggest a strategy going forward or any hint at purchasing one for the offered mentorship options. We just listened and learned. Now I can tell you with confidence whether or not I can make money on any real estate deal - flip, wholesale, retail or rental.

The formulas given and tested on were easy to understand, easy to use and based on those who attended the training who have a background in real estate, were conservative in all applications. In other words, if Mama and I stick to using the formulas we were taught, we will generally be on the money or better off that the calculations suggested we would be. How to calculate rent in one simple calculation. How much it will cost to sell a house. How much per square foot it will take to refurbish a house – regardless of the planed use of the dwelling. All those were taught to me and Mama and then practiced in groups over and over until we really got it. That has always been the problem with real estate investing. How much should you spend? How much do you stand to gain? How quickly will you realize that gain? What do you do with that money when you do sell for a profit? It was a comprehensive, well though out training.

Every other business I tried, most of which involved selling a product or enlisting others into some sort of downline hierarchy, I have had to do on my own. Mama, although she could have been a help, was never so inclined. I have always looked for a business that Mama and I could do together. Something that sparked her interest. Something she felt not only comfortable doing, but that she had the skills to do well. When it comes to sorting lists, creating lists and shopping for things on that list, she is a master. We may have been led to the business I wish I had found twenty years ago. We will know in a week or two if we have found it; but I believe we have.

Victoria kept the farm going for us since Mama and I were out of the house by about 6:20 every morning. The hotel where the training was held was in just south of the airport. Traffic on Thursday and Friday was terrible. Thankfully we had a pass for the express lanes. That alone saved us thirty to forty minutes on each of those two mornings. It saved us far more than that on the way home on those evenings. We had time each morning to get breakfast before training started. The first morning was at Chick-fil-A; go figure. On Friday morning we tried Jack-in-the Box. We were looking for a Whataburger but did not see one. That is how we defaulted to Jack-in-the-Box. It was a pleasant surprise. We enjoyed it so much on Friday that we went back on Saturday. If you have not tried it, you should.

Since we had never been there before I asked the big black fellow in line in front of us what he normally got. He said, “I am in here every morning for a Number 26.” That was good enough for me. And it really was good. I tried something different on Saturday morning and enjoyed it too. We were served lunch on Friday and Saturday at the hotel. I am not sure what it cost the company sponsoring the training, but having dealt with that sort of expense, I would guess it to be between n $15-20 a head – and there were about 140 people in attendance; between two and three thousand dollars each day. All done so the instructor could have the class gathered on time after lunch. I was impressed.

We start implementing our training today.