Page 39 - EQ Mag-issue 5

REAL ESTATE INVESTORS RESOURCES (Cont’d)

enough money to more than cover the cost of the the leisure was nice, but I knew long term I wasn't
required 200 copies. In fact, he raised enough money to going to be satisfied with that living.”
cover the cost for 3,500 copies so each regular member
could have one. The Greek Directory, as the list was Another significant marker occurs. Children. Albert
now called, became a coveted little black book. Albert knows that in order to support his family how he
sold $3,000 more than he needed to print the directory. wants, he's going to need more than the $30,000 the
He was given a task, make the copies, and cover the publishing business was generating. While strolling
cost of printing. The cost of the project was covered, through an outdoor market, Albert saw a 30 day Tony
and Albert made the extra money. Robbins program. The kind that was sold as an
infomercial back in the day and retailed for $200-$300.
In the 1980s tuition at LSU was about $300 a semester.
You could pay your room and board and your tuition Albert shared how he remembered viewing the
for about $1,200 a semester. Albert was able to pay for infomercials and knew that if he purchased the
a whole year. When the semester changed, people program, it would likely just sit on his shelf unused.
changed roommates, so he asked if an updated copy of This time he rationalized, “Seeing it at the flea market
the list was needed and Chris, in charge of the project was like, oh, what's 12 bucks? I'm probably not going
said “Yeah, yeah sure if you're willing to do the work." to listen to this one either, but you know, it's only $12,
Albert went back out, sold more ads and his profit so I'm not wasting that much. I bought the course and
margin consistently increased. So much so that by the took it home. I knew it would take an effort to not
time he graduated, he was generating $30,000 a year wake up in my 50's still slinging coupon ads for a living.
working only three months out of the year. He I said, okay, I'm going to at least dedicate myself to this
expanded this new publishing business with a coupon and listen to this 30 day tape course and do the
book, known to most of us as the entertainment book, homework. I popped the tapes in and began digging
which he distributed at three neighboring universities. into the work.”
After distribution Albert was off again until the next
semester. Albert responds very differently from when he was in
college. This time he completed all the exercises. One
At the end of a six and a half-year college experience, of the things that stuck with Albert was writing down
Albert graduated with a bachelor's degree in finance. ten things he would do if he had ten lifetimes. Real
Special note, this included a one year expulsion, but estate was on his list. He even considered becoming a
that's a story for another article. In a reflective tone, real estate agent. But, after speaking with a local real
Albert shares, “You can't pigeonhole someone based estate agent and considering his plan, he decided
on their circumstances or current performance investing as an individual would provide more latitude
because, for all intents and purposes, was a college and ability to purchase properties without having
misfit by their standards, and on the other hand, in real property owners think he was taking advantage of
life extremely successful and self-sufficient. As an them. Pellissier started going to open houses, seeing
entrepreneur, I was a business owner making ridiculous over fifty properties to get a sense of the market. He
money for someone that age, at that time. So, success knew what he did not want to take on complicated
just depends on whose criteria you're using.” renovations. He was aware of his abilities and
limitations.
Albert graduated college. He got married, even
became a homeowner and continued to run his His first opportunity presents itself when he is strolling
publishing business. Albert now in his 30's starts the neighborhood with his then 2 year old daughter. A
thinking about his future. While he had been able to for sale by owner duplex within two blocks from his
support his wife and himself on his publishing business, own home. The price was within his budget at $40,000.
in his words “Your mid 30's, you start to feel you're At first sight it looks like a lot of work. However, he has
definitely an adult. And, with your 40's on the horizon, a real estate agent that he trusts and asks her opinion
your life is you know, the path is sort of revealing itself. on the investment property. What happens next is
Right!? And, I remember just thinking to myself, if I unexpected. Follow Albert Pellissier’s journey into real
wake up at 50 years old and, all I'm still doing is just estate investing in Mastering the Lazy Gene, The Real
hustling coupon advertisements, I'm going to be Estate Investor, Part 2.
disappointed in myself. This was all I'd ever done, and .

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