Adventures in Real Estate: The Early Years

I started my adventures in real estate when I was 23. At the time there was a huge buzz about California and my dad was in my head selling me on a dream of moving from Texas to open a brokerage firm of our own. It didn't take long to realize that I didn't know too many people that qualified for a loan which required a six figure income. Not to mention that I wasn't going to be able to work with my Dad.

While I was obtaining my license in California I attended Rio Hondo Community College and went to The Mullhearn Academy. The Mullhearn Academy was run by a slew of California's brightest; including David Wick, Tim Rush, and the legal forms lady(I'll remember your name and come back to edit it!). Dave, as we called him, was a great teacher who taught us the day to day about being an agent. One of the funniest things he said at the beginning of the course was "Go get yourself into a world of debt!" This was very contradictory to what anyone has been taught. He immediately combated everyone's astonishment with "It takes a good reason to motivate people into doing what they have been capable of doing their entire lives!" At that time I didn't fully understand what he was trying to say!

Bruce Mullhearn was the man though. He had started his business about 20 years prior to that and told stories that would blow your mind! He was from Newcastle, England. He had an amazing model for a Real Estate Brokerage firm that spand across the Los Angeles Valley into at least 8 offices. I was able to work for Bruce in the evening as a Recruiter; I was able to learn his various techniques from educating prospective Realtors, to recruiting them, to arming them with appropriate tools and knowledge to become top producers. In California it was a bit to easy for the average joe to obtain his or her license. Simply attend a weekend crash course for three classes and a test review and if you were lucky you would pass. This realization left an unsettling feeling in my stomach, if not for any other reason but personal accomplishment. I mean how could anyone respect a weekend warrior as a professional in their respective field? Eventually I relocated from California to Austin Texas. I quickly realized that Austin was to Texas as Los Angeles was to California. On the other hand, Texas education was not for the weekend warrior. Here you have to pass five classes and pass two tests! Alas, an easy weed eater in my book. Yet still there are a few lucky folks that get through and embarrass the rest!