Seph, Meet Your Parents – Back Then

Joseph David English, welcome to the world!  By the time you’re able to read and fully understand this letter, your parents, Joe and Ashley, will be wealthy real estate investors who, it will appear to you, have nothing better to do than travel the world having fun while constantly interfering in your life. 

I’m writing this to you, Seph, because it’s important you know that your parents weren’t born with silver spoons in their mouths.  Their success wasn’t due to luck or a winning lottery ticket.  Your mom and dad’s success was a worked-at, strived-for thing.  In the early years of their marriage they sacrificed greatly.  They lived like no one else so that one day, they – and you – could live like no one else!

You were born on Friday, August 24, 2012 at 11:57 p.m., at the Gordon County Hospital.  There to welcome you was a waiting room full of joyous family and friends, many of whom were real estate investors.  You may think that there’s no such thing as a born real estate investor, but trust me on this, Seph – you are one!

How tough is your mom?  On the morning you were born, while she was in labor, Ashley closed her first Short Sale deal!  We’re talkin’ one heck of a tough woman!  At the same time, everyone around Ashley sees her as an angel walking.  She has one of the sweetest souls we’ve ever met.  Kim and I love her very, very much and think of her as a daughter – though Kim won’t put up with you calling her Granny!

When you look at pictures taken the night you were born, you can’t help but be blinded by your dad’s 100-megawatt smile.  When he first brought you into the viewing room, we all had to put on sunglasses.  From that day to this, no one on earth loves you more or is more proud of you than your dad.

Here’s a great quote that perfectly describes Joe: You can’t beat a man who won’t quit.  As I write this, your mom and dad have been investing in real estate for about two years.  They had their share of bumps, bruises and wrong turns in the beginning.  Still, they managed to do three deals their first year. They’re now full-time investors and have done a total of ten deals!  As you can see, their success won’t be denied! 

Your first home, Seph, was on Holcomb Road – it was a subject-to deal your mom and dad moved into about a month before you were born. Days before your birth, they sold an investment property on Tom White Road with owner financing.  A week after you got here, they sold a flipper deal they’d bought on Lynnwood Drive. Seph, you attended your first foreclosure auction about ten days after being born – it was the September 4, 2012 sale in Gordon County, Georgia.  How were your folks able to accomplish all these things right around the time of your birth?  Like I said – determination, persistence and sacrifice!

How did we meet your mom and dad?  We were conducting a real estate investors meeting.  The next day, Kim and I had plans to clean out a rental property.  As you know by now, it’s a nasty, dirty and un-fun thing to do.  Your dad said, “Let me help y’all.”  We explained that we couldn’t pay him.  He said, “I don’t care about getting paid, I just want to learn how to be a successful real estate investor!” 

The next day Joe worked his tail off.  With his help, we cleaned up two properties instead of just one.  Because your dad was willing to pay the price in order to earn success, we knew he and your mom were a different sort of people.  That day, they endeared themselves to us forever!

Seph, your folks love you more than words can ever express.  Because of this love, and because they want you to have all the benefits life has to offer, they’re doing what it takes to succeed as real estate investors, and they’re doing it in the worst real estate market this country has ever seen. 

Simply put, Seph, your parents are amazing folks – you picked the perfect mom and dad! 

Bill & Kim Cook are a husband and wife real estate investing team. They live in Adairsville, Georgia and have been investing in real estate since 1995. They specialize in buying single-family homes, mobile homes and mobile home parks. They also run North Georgia REIA and teach folks how to successfully invest in real estate.