Quit Buying Stupidity! Warning may be Offensive

I have been extremely busy over the past few months and haven't been on BP. When dealing with a 8-5 J.O.B. then trying to flip property, it leaves little time for anything else.  Educating myself through actions, taking notes, researching and actually physically working in property flipping. What I didn't do is buy into guru sales pitches about what I am interested in. I just worked.

I try and pride myself that my J.O.B. Is my steppingstone to my future. It requires many things and being very well versed in these many things (like property tax laws). To the point, where I have become active in assisting in the interpretations of the actual property tax codes and laws that affect my office. Meaning, it has become my responsibility to decipher the legality of some of my offices actions or reactions to issues that have come about. 

This leads me to my gripe or to my point....

In the last week on two different occasions, new investors have argued with me at length over these very laws that I read, re-read, verify their meanings, translate to others, and interpret for elected officials. If, I mess up, I get into large amounts of trouble at my office. Basically, I must know my stuff, especially if politicians are willing to listen to me.

So, why is it, that someone who buys a course in props tax investing thinks that they are the next guru, and smarter than I am in these areas? Your investment didn't give you more knowledge than I have in this subject (tax auctions, tax liens, tax deeds and excess proceeds), instantaneously! It most likely didn't even tell you where to find the resources that they themselves are selling, to verify their information! What your investment gave you was stupidity.  Often in the form of I am smarter than you attitude; "my guru says this so nothing else can be true!" Well guess what? That just pissed me off and turned me into Mr. @-ho!e. 

Why? Simply put, I have become an expert in this topic, by dealing with it day in and day out for years. Twice in one week, I received the same F-u attitude from two individuals who openly admitted and showed me their stupidity course and where it said I was wrong. The last one took it so far as "my guru is right and nothing you say means squat, since you are a lowly government worker" (the guy actually said this to me in another not so nice way). He got a very quick lesson in F-u right back with the law books we use in our office, backed with judicial, and appellate rulings listed in those books. 

There is a reason that I tell you to be nice to the clerks. It might be me you're talking to across the counter. I respond better and I am often nicer to polite, courteous customers. If you come to my counter and begin to argue with me, you better know your facts! Because, if I bother arguing with you, it's because I am right. I know I am right and I can prove it. Which only makes you look stupid, gets you angry with me, and doesn't resolve your issue. Also, I won't even bother offering you a solutions on your problem, unless you quit being blinded by the stupidity that you bought and start being nice.

How do I know you bought a guru course?????

Besides you saying that you bought the course; there are several key phrases, actions, questions and stupid statements that you most likely have committed. Serious investors don't begin a conversation by introducing themselves as serious investors, Seriously! Serious investors know when, where and how to pay for their properties. They also do their research and know what to expect. They learn by watching others who are successful doing what they want to do. You are asking me how to do these things, and not taking notes (a big key). 

To give you other ideas of what I mean; You will argue with me over what happens with xy or z items from the sale. One quick question? Do you work for the department that handles that? The two people that argued with me over excess proceeds from the previous tax sales on property that they bought, caused themselves a quick lesson in doing your homework. Tax laws state, the the money goes to prior owners; not the taxes outside of the judgement.  While the opposite may be true in other states, it's not true in Texas.

I had three people come in and ask to buy tax liens "over the counter." They really did said, "I would like to buy over the counter tax liens." This is a guru phrase!  Texas is a tax deed state! There is no such thing as buying tax liens over the counter in Texas. I had had probably a dozen or so people ask " How much can I expect to pay for properties that are for sale?" Get a freaking clue....IT IS AN AUCTION, there isn't a set amount! There isn't an average amount, largely because we have no clue what will sell to whom, and for how much?

The key here is....

Quit buying stupidity (guru courses)! Use that money and buy something more valuable like actual real estate, your education, and your time!