A Passion for Real Estate
By Elizabeth Dougherty
Long before I entered the
culinary world, I felt a true passion
about all things relating to real
estate. When I look back at that
special time in my life, what it really
came down to was helping people
fulfill their aspirations. After all, it is
the American dream to own one’s
own home and it is Fair Housing
Month.
Back in the mid 1990s, I met a
gentleman named Larry. Larry was
one of the most hard-working guys
I ever met. His face was craggy and
his hair sun-bleached from working
so many hours outside. Larry came to
my office one day and as he walked
in with his torn, faded jeans and
plaid shirt, I have to admit, I had
some doubts as to whether he could
afford a home. Then he told me a
little about his life.
Larry fixed lawn mowers for a
living. He and his wife and children
were living in a rented trailer. He had
no money for a down payment and
no substantial credit. The reason he
came to see me was he tried to buy
a house and people laughed at him.
Larry said he wanted a piece of the
American dream. Of course, I had
to help him. When I last checked on
Larry, he was still living on the plot
of land we helped him purchase, in a
trailer he now owns.
Then there was Lou. Lou was a
single mom with five children. She
drove a station wagon that looked
like it would fall apart any second.
When she came to see me, one of
her kids brought a picture she had
drawn of the home they wanted.
Crayons notwithstanding, it was a
great house. It even had the little
chimney complete with curls of
smoke. We helped Lou find a rustic
home with enough land for the kids
to have what they always wanted, a
swing-set with a slide.
The most emotional time I had
helping a client was Tammy, by far.
Tammy and her husband Elgin were
a couple very much in love. He was
a preacher. We would bring them
to see houses and in the particular
neighborhood (in Florida) they
wanted to live in, folks wouldn’t
open their doors to let us in. Why?
Tammy and Elgin happened to be
a different race than most of the
people that lived there. I had to go
preview homes for them and take
pictures. They ended up making
an offer on a home sight unseen.
When we finally put the home under
contract for them and took them to
see it, it was one of those tear-jerker
moments.
I guess my point in recounting
all these stories is to let prospective
homebuyers know that even when
people are having some tough times,
it’s still possible to buy a home.
There are lots of creative ways to
purchase a house, and many times
your credit is not as bad as you think.
Sometimes it may take a little more
work on your Realtor’s part if your
situation is a bit challenging, but
most of them don’t mind.
Realtors know this business
is all about you. Helping you fulfill
your dream is what motivates them
to go to work every day. When you
are ready to purchase a home, call a
Realtor. They will listen to your story
and before you know it, you might
have your piece of the American
dream.
Liz Dougherty has been a freelance food
writer and culinary consultant through
her company, Culinary Pursuits, Inc., for
the past six years. She trained under a
maniacal Swiss-German chef and later
received her Bachelor's degree, Magna
Cum Laude in Hospitality. Prior to that,
she was a licensed real estate broker and
mortgage broker with a total of over
ten years experience in real estate and
finance. She can be reached at
EADougherty1@aol.com
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