Making Moves

I've continued to make contacts in Vegas. The most recent was with Martha Chiriboga, a mortgage broker and investor. She responded to a job placement ad I posted in CraigsList. I'll add her to my network list.

I've got to look at my finances and plan my budget. I can get to Vegas with no problem, but I need enough in savings to live three months or so. This will be the biggest challenge. I've got to have enough money to live on until I get my business established.

As a writer and real estate investor, I've made a good living in the past. But this last year I paid off some debts and went through my savings (what littile I had). I unloaded a house I could no longer afford to live in, and moved to the small country town of Gainesville in north Texas to escape the big city. I also needed some time to recover from a two-year period of death, misery, financial loss, and other minor problems. I went into a self-imposed "rehab", moving into a cheap apartment and placing most of my belongings in storage. I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs. The kind of rehab I needed was more internal and spiritual than physical.

So now the time has come to look forward, not back. One day I was sitting at Starbucks and writing in my journal and I realized that I'm at the point in my life when I can do anything I want and live anywhere I want. "So why not move to Vegas and invest in real estate, become a freelance writer and work on that first novel, and play cards?"

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Making First Contacts...Building a Network

It's all about networking and developing relationships with people. Real estate investing success is dependent on knowing people, meeting strangers, developing working friendships. It's about team work. My success in this business is directly related to my success in building my alliances, my network.

One reason I chose "FreedomTree" as my business name is because a tree has branches, roots, and must continue to grow or it will die. Networking will keep FreedomTree growing, providing a healthy root structure, with branches reaching out to all kinds of things.

A major component of my move to the West is making contacts with people already living there. I need a network of working friendships to help me make the transition to a new life. So far, I've contacted:

1. Bill Guerra, an investor I met via the REIPLACE.com forums. He lives in Vegas and has been successful at it. We are in contact now, as he is beginning to seek investment opportunities in Texas since the Vegas market is in a downturn. His web site is WillBuyAnyHouse.com .

2. I emailed Trish at Century 21 Aadvantage Gold in Las Vegas. They are a large and successful franchise with numerous offices around the Vegas area. I could see working with them, especially in the early going while I'm getting settled. They will help me obtain my license in Nevada. They have a real estate school.

3. I emailed Pasha Rafat, a professor of art and photography at UNLV, and asked him about the graduate programs they offer. I'm interested in doing some studies at UNLV, either in photography or writing.

I'll continue to look for contacts, and seek those who might be willing to help a Texan make a move out West. I need a job, and a place to live. Should be easy enough.