Dear Brokers et al, 

WTF.  WTF.  WTF. 

My first purchase  was in 1997 or 1998.  My Broker-Agent felt a little sleezy.   My HUD consultant provided budgeting services that were only 50% under budget. My Title company Attorney was a "great guy", until  he got disbarred a few year later for being absolutely loony tunes. That was only after he had totally flubbed a specific performance lawsuit for me, and before I started writing Bar Complaints. Somebody else got to him first, and I didn't know enough to be dangerous back then. 

My second and third purchases weren't much better.   However, I was buying homes to be gutted, so most details simply weren't  relevant. 

Then I got licensed as a Real Estate Agent in 2002.  I  can still remember the day in my Licensing Training course when the "ah ha" moment came related to "Disclosure". 

"If the BUYER didn't know the defect existed at time of Contract Ratification, the defect can NOT exist at time of Deed Conveyance. It must either be repaired or accounted for.  The Previously Agreed upon price was for a home without that defect and that is what must be conveyed.  "

This isn't rocket science. Not even close. 

However, the level to which the marketplace was corroded even back then prevented me from participating full time as an Agent.  I wanted to, but I couldn't.  I couldn't figure out how to navigate the ethical dilemmas with the lesser amount of care required to be successful in a lower stress manner were beyond my grasp back then. 

The shear volume of Manipulators, Frauds and Charlatans made it difficult if not impossible to try to do it even "close to right". 

As an Agent and Small Time Investor, my transaction count pales in comparison to many of you.  Maybe a total of 30 or 40, but over 20 of those were for the purchase or sale of my own properties and that did make a  HUGE difference as to the way I learned about details and approached things. 

I can still remember meeting with two Coldwell Banker Agents in my basement office in the early 2000's, I asked them if they'd be interested in starting an independent Brokerage. I was shocked they weren't.  Who wouldn't want to take home more money? That was back then when the Brokerages took a lot more of the pie than most do now.  

What I realized then was that those who were wed to the big machines were wed that way for technology and office support, which were skills I possessed.  

What I also realized was that I'd never be overly competitive as an Agent or a Broker, because I tried to pay attention to too many details.  

Even with my eyes closed, my  head in the sand, and a tiny number of transactions to my credit, I can reel off a handful of stories related to Brokers, Agents, Loan Originators and Title Companies that are all just numbing.  

The level of disrespect for the money of others wasn't measured in $100's or even $1,000's of dollars per grift.  They were often times measured in $10,000's or more?!

We all have our own threshold for ethics and morals.  Every  time I'd think about doing more transactions for others, there was no way I could play without having to constantly explain away the confusion the rest of you were using to have a good day.

May those memories  wash away with all of you today. 

Regards