grow this business, which is why I wrote this book. It's my "why". The industry was upsetting me. It bothered me that only 13% made it and that only those who had at least $5,500 saved up in the bank had a chance. I wasn't one of them. It bothered me that I had to borrow money to join a NAR membership because I couldn't find a broker who wasn't a NAR member, and when I did, it upset me that I wasn't allowed to list a house for what I felt was fair or give a buyer a rebate because it was against NAR's "code of ethics." It upset me enough to make a change, and that passion hasn't gone away. That's why I opened RE Property Services LLC (RePros) and am dedicated to helping my agents prosper. Besides the reason I opened RePros, I also had a 'why" concerning the reason I began in real estate. You see, I believe that owning a home was indeed one of my most significant accomplishments in life, shy of having a family and being able to provide for them by the grace of God and hard work. To me, my home is one of the defining qualities of the "American Dream:" the ideals that include opportunity for prosperity and success and upward social mobility for the family and children, achieved through hard work. Homeownership is undoubtedly ingrained in the United States as one of the most robust representations of that vision — 66% of Americans own their own home, and more hope they will or wish they did. Something about home ownership plucks a strong chord with Americans. Financial security, permanency, status, and pride are values many of us seek. For me, it's security in knowing that when I die (as people tend to do), whether sooner or later, my wife and children will have a home. A home is not a financial investment; although real estate is and can be, "my home is where my heart is."
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