Busted!

[Dean Julie]

Got an "encouraging" email today from my boss at work that I've been making too many personal calls. Of course, these are for working real-estate deals. Usually, I'm pretty subtle, and when I have to be more specific, I go out into the hallway with my cell phone. As does everybody else at my work. Its not unusual around my workplace for 3-5 people to be out in the hallway during any 1 hour time period doing their personal calls. Granted, I'm probably the only one doing real-estate deal making calls. *chuckle* Real real-estate is done during business hours, so its kinda hard to do this stuff part-time after work, thus, I have to make calls during the workday. I try and be discrete about it, but it was bound to be figured out eventually. I haven't gotten questioned about all the time I spend on Bigger Pockets, and other similar places, but I could see that coming up somewhere down the road.
Anyways, anybody else trying to do real-estate investing while being clocked in from 9-5? Share your on-the-clock stories.

( P.S. Anybody spew any of that Kiyosaki crap about J.O.B., I will hate you and call you an idiot, so just don't. I don't wanna hear it. :nono: )

[Timothy W.]

Originally posted by Stephen Leblanc:

Originally posted by Tim Wieneke:

What are you doing that requires so many phone calls? You could probably 80/20 that down and increase your phone efficiency while making your boss happy.

Most of the calls I get between 9-5 are tenants calling with their problems. Not stuff I can avoid. When purchasing new properties, I can get most of that done on lunch breaks.

Examine your own words. Tenants are calling you with their problems. They are requesting an interruption of your day for their problems. You need to prioritize this in respect to your time.

Send a letter out to your tenants instructing them to call only between the hours of 4 and 6 p.m. Then change your voicemail to reflect this. Finally, if they call outside those hours, don't answer. If the house is burning down, 911 has been dialed and there's nothing that you as the landlord can do about it. If the pipes have burst and the house is flooding it's already an insurance claim and there's nothing you as a landlord can do about it. That's why you have insurance. If you must give them a means of emergency contact, tell them to text you. You're a landlord, key word "lord'. You're not a 24/7 on call employee to them.

I've had tenants call me 8 a.m. sunday morning. Guess what happens when I get those calls? Nothing until Monday. If it's a disaster you can't stop it and insurance will get you back into shape. Learn to let some "bad" things happen.