Realtor... Not sure how to take this.

[Tommy B.]

I contacted my realtor a few weeks ago to discuss my ideas. I've used her to buy and sell my first home and to buy my second home. Since then I sent her a couple addresses, which she never replied to. Then last week I get mail from her with a couple of business cards; one for a mortgage specialist and one for a financial adviser, whom she says is expecting my call. Then yesterday she leaves me a message asking if I have called him yet. I don't even know how to respond.

Does she think property investing is unrealistic for me? I don't want to pay someone to tell me how to invest my money. I have a pretty good idea how I want to do that.

[David Beard]

Tommy B. - clearly there is no need to be touchy over her actions, and I personally don't think you have been. I think your thoughts are generally accurate, and you need to move to a new more appropriate realtor with all due haste. She has indicated that at the very least she is not a good communicator, and if her business model is retail-centric, that won't work either. She won't even appreciate that you're looking for distressed situations offering good opportunity for equity capture and forced appreciation. This is a business for you now and you are the CEO, so you have to build and lead a team of the best, don't settle.

I also guarantee you that the folks on BP will know more about using a self-directed IRA/401k than a generic financial advisor who recommends stock and bond mutual funds in varying ratios as everyone's ideal investment plan. You've got to steer away from these conformists in the financial marketing world, they will not make you any money (unlike themselves).

Now down the road you might go to the financial advisor as an expert on various aspects of real estate, with a proposal for how his/her clients can earn 8-12% returns with you, and you are considering accepting new investors that are a good fit for your program. (This is only if he's an honest fee-based advisor. If he's a commission-based guy selling mutual funds, annuities, and whole life policies, forget it!).

Your financial discipline in being essentially debt free is very admirable and speaks volumes.