4 Facts of Life of Low to No Margin Real Estate Work

There are several facts of life I am learning about working in low to no margin real estate development. I could also just call this post "4 Things that Blow in Foreclosed Real Estate Development", but that's kind of crude.

1.) It can be lonely. By necessity, we have a very lean operation. Each person on our team wears multiple hats and we all work very hard. Although we like to cover the work as a team, often there is only one person available to do any given task, and that's how I often end up alone, overseeing the moving of model furniture, viewing possible acquisition homes or doing any number of things. Supervising the move of the model furniture from one house to another can be particularly lonely because once the movers leave, I am left in a very quiet house trying to set up accessories, put sheets on the bed and make the finishing touches on a home. The loneliness is amplified by the fact that....

2.) You can never find a place to pee. Foreclosed houses or houses that haven't been occupied in a while never have functioning plumbing. It may work if it's turned on, but most houses are winterized when they are abandoned so that means no running water, particularly in the bathrooms. Men don't have much problem with this. They just tinkle, tap and keep on stepping but it is not as easy for women. There's never any toilet paper and if there is toilet paper it's normally inexplicably stained or moist and ewww. Being by myself with a full bladder and driving all over G-d's creation only exacerbates the fact that:

3.) With or without GPS, count on being lost. I've been lost with printed directions; I've been lost when I "knew" where I was going; and I've been lost with the GPS calmly intoning the wrong directions in my ear, "At the first opportunity, please make a legal U-turn." Our days are so full that it is hard to leave early enough to get lost and still make it to places calm, cool and collected. So there I am, alone, mumbling to myself about how much I have to pee as I make endless U-turns. When I finally arrive at my destination and talk to neighbors or potential buyers, I find that even though I am working in the public interest, people are so jaded about real estate investors, brokers, and builders, that....

4.) No one trusts a word that comes out of my mouth. Neighbors regard me with cold shoulder distaste at best and loud mistrust at worst. Other people think I am trying to sell them something they could do themselves (go for it, honey) or that I'm involved in some other nefarious developer plan.

While this experience is sometimes trying, through all the complaints I love being busy, being out about away from my desk, the process of creation and the fact that almost every day holds a surprise. But I do think I will start traveling with toilet paper.