In case you didn't read about my job loss and our real estate plans that came to a screeching halt the day they were actually supposed to take off, you might want to take a read to catch up before you continue on...
I have spent the last month trying to figure out what kind of job is going to fit my family's needs, my wants, and most importantly get us back on the saddle of pursuing house flipping ASAP. My requirements for a job went as such in order of priority:
Flexible hours or part-time - I want to spend as much time with my husband and children as possible
Remote work (or a flexible hybrid to an office that is within 30 minutes max) - I am still nursing and would love to keep Jane out of daycare. It's been fabulous having her home with me and I didn't have that privilege with Callie so I refuse to lose it with Jane.
In the world of Real Estate - My brain can only be split so many ways. If I am working for a toothpaste company but also flip houses, DIY my own home, and blog about everything home-related, then this toothpaste gig is just a distraction that does not enhance the other activities that I'm actually passionate about. If I'm working in the world of real estate I will be able to significantly consolidate some brainpower. And heaven knows my mom-brain needs that! Ha!
I found some job titles that fit my skill set/experience and began the job search from there. However, they almost never matched my #1 priority: Flexible hours or part-time. So for a couple of weeks, I entertained the idea of dropping my first priority and going back to work full time (remote). Sure this would mean juggling kids and work would be tricky, and trying to flip a HOUSE on the side (for the first time!) while starting a new job would be quite daunting, BUT it would give us more than a little financial cushion to pursue our flips. And maybe it would just be 6 months to a year of working full-time! Not too bad right? Except, every time I applied for a full-time job (even if the job itself excited me) I felt a piece of me die inside. Something just didn't feel right. It was as if I was submitting a piece of myself. And that piece was time with my family. It stung, and I hated it.
This past week my feelings about my career plans came to a head and I discussed my hesitancies and anxieties with Tyson through many tears. I've wasted almost a month already, I just wanted a quick solution to help bridge a small financial gap so we could jump right back into our flipping plans as soon as possible, but nothing had stuck yet, and deep down a part of me kind of didn't want them to stick. The other option was to lower our flipper house purchasing price and work with a smaller budget. But a smaller budget = smaller profit margins. Smaller profit margins = less room for error. None of that felt right either considering this would be our first flip, I needed all the extra margin for error I could get. All in all, I had spent the month of January looking at houses in a lower price range with no luck and looking for jobs with no luck. I felt defeated, confused, and unsure of how to best move forward. Neither of these plans felt right or even looked right. Something was missing and I couldn't see it!
I went and took a long shower. I don't know about you but, taking a shower in our house can often mean "Keep the kids away while I enjoy some much-needed alone time, please." For me, even just the sound of my children on the other side of the house can derail the best life epiphany. Luckily, this time the girls were both down for a nap - exactly what I needed on such a day. Silence and an uninterrupted place to think and ponder.
While in the shower, my eyes were opened a little wider, I saw our long-term goals and the puzzle piece that was missing. I finally let myself reconsider a plan I actually had all along. You see, in 2021 I almost pulled the trigger on getting my real estate license at least half a dozen times. But I never really had a plan, I wasn't ready to quit my job, and I wasn't sure if I really wanted to assisted people buy and selling houses. I was just drawn to the wealth of knowledge it would provide! I wanted that - I craved it. Knowledge is power - and I believe that to my core. After thinking about it further, we decided we would flip a few houses till I was comfortable with the flipping process, then peruse a RE license so I could sell my own flips and keep the commissions. Cut out the middle man and make more money. Sounds smart right?
I met with a house flipper shortly after Jane was born in the Spring to kick-start our pursuit of house flipping. When I inquired about a license, she actually advised me against it. If something is wrong with your flips (whether you know about it or not), and you are taken to court by the new homeowners, you will ALWAYS lose. I guess the court just holds RE Agents to a higher standard. This immediately turned me off to the idea! That sounded terrifying!
In fact, after selling our first house we were threatened to be sued and harassed for quite some time regarding an issue with the home. It was sickening and we hated every second of it. We paid for a lawyer and learned they had no leg to stand on and we had nothing to worry about. Nothing ever came of the empty threats except a nasty experience and a horrible taste in our mouths. (The realities of real estate at its finest.)
Needless to say, when she mentioned a RE license might not be the best idea, I took her word for it and never looked back. No RE license for me. No, No, No way!
Since I have been surrounding myself with RE agents and asking a lot of questions over the last 8 months in preparation for flipping our first house, I learned the odds of running into such issues are actually very unlikely and every other agent has advised the exact opposite - to go get my license if I want to flip houses.
So, as I stood in the shower and reconsidered my original plan, I remembered all the exciting aspects of being a licensed agent and very quickly my fears melted down to a more realistic perspective:
My work experience and skill set have set me up for this
Even better, I would be putting my two favorite things together: working with people and working with houses - how fun will that be?!
I LOVE educating and helping people achieve their goals
I will have the option to sell/buy houses for clients to make a solid income OR for myself as an investment
I will have all the tools I need right at my fingertips, and the knowledge and experience to make smart personal real estate investments all on my own - much quicker and more efficient to cut out the middle man
I get to write about the realities of real estate right HERE on the-do-over-necks.com! I get to share everything I learn with YOU! All the tips, tricks, and in's-and-out's of real estate! An endless world of content I, personally, can't wait to dive into and in turn, share with others!
Not to mention ALL 3 of my top employment priorities are met!
I was literally smiling to myself at the irony of this solution, plan, career move (whatever you want to call it!). It was my plan all along! DUH! And then I started to think of all our long-term, wild audacious goals, and dreams and it just made sense! Of course. Ha!
So, there you have it! I registered and paid for classes last night and I officially have skin in the game!
I am going to be a real estate agent.
The question is, who saw that coming? Haha!
As of right now, the plan is to put flipping on the back burner (I NEVER thought I would say that and actually feel good about it!) until I get my bearings with the buying/selling process and we have the extra funds/financial cushion to feel comfortable hopping back on that saddle.
One of my goals for 2021 was to invest in myself. Though I perused a house flipping opportunity and closed the year ready to pull the trigger, I couldn’t think of a better way to invest in myself than this license and coinciding career choice. I know this will open the door to a long hall of opportunities that looks a little cleaner and more put together than what I originally had planned.
This is a long-term solution, not a short-term fix, and we are in this for the long hall. I hope you are too!
Sincerely,
