I’m engaged to a girl in law school. Obviously, love has made me blind, because I can’t stand lawyers and she knows this. I think when they’re in law school they have a magic machine that sucks out their brains and they replace it with some goo that makes them totally uncreative and makes them want to threaten or sue everyone they come across.
Trust me on this. My fiancée just had a bad experience at the doctor and as soon as she came home she cited the 1,200 ways she could sue him and that he violated code xyz, yadda, yadda, yadda.
However, as real estate investors we have to deal with lawyers often and we need to remember that we’re the boss and that they work for us. I realize this may be hard for you to understand but if you want to be really successful in life and not let people intimidate you, read Robert Ringer’s book Winning Through Intimidation. It’s one of the top ten business books of all time.
If you’re brand new in this business…
And you have to find your first lawyer (you do need one on your power team) ask the other investors in your local area who they use and trust. Then you set up a time where you interview him. You make sure he knows you expect to get your phone calls returned in a timely fashion. You also need to pick his brain and ask him if he’s familiar with lease options and subject-to’s. (Most are not).
And if he isn’t willing to play ball and give you the customer service you deserve then walk out of his office and keep looking. Lawyers love to make money as much as anyone else, so believe it or not, they’re going to try hard for your business.
In case you haven’t noticed, I’m in a bit of a bad mood as a write this…
(No my fiancée isn’t talking to me again about some lawyer stuff). But I’m getting ready to look for a new real estate attorney. Mine hasn’t been giving the service I want lately, so I’m getting rid of him even though I’ve been using him for years.
I already know who I’m going to use so it’s not a huge deal, but it’s just annoying that someone who used to be so good and reliable has gone downhill. But that’s the way life works. In your real estate business many of your “vendors” such as attorneys, handymen, and home inspectors will all have to be replaced as the years go on.
But heed my word of advice above. Remember that you’re running a business and should get exceptional service from those who work for you. And just because some guy thinks he’s a hotshot because he spent 3 years getting his brains sucked out, don’t forget you’re the boss and you set the terms of the relationship.
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