you ever had the feeling that, literally, YEARS of hard work was paying off, or about to pay off? yea. i have that feeling now. i wont jinx what i'm working on by delving into specifics, but i will say that i feel extremely close. close. close. close to reaping some goddamn benefits of this grinding, aside from knowledge. knowledge is great, but i can't retire off of knowledge.

my company, Capital A Enterprises (and yes, the A is for motherfucking Alexander), has been in the game for years, with no significant closings to date. recently, i was cut out of a very very very very large real estate transaction thanks to shady brokers and agents, and...am still pressing on. this deal would have allowed me to retire. seriously. but, i cried, my mom cried, and i move the hell on. i've often spoke of conference calls, "meetings" and the like, and lots of people always wonder what the hell i actually do.

i started off in real estate. initially, i helped other established investors by locating discounted properties (residential/commercial/land, etc) that fit their criteria. that afforded me the chance to learn the industry while working closely with experienced players, and getting paid for it.

then, i progressed into what's called Bulk REOs. selling/trading bulk portfolios/packages of bank-owned properties. From several thousand into the billions, at times. As merely a broker/consultant, 100% of the time, i/you could deal with property you'll never see. In the instance that you were working with a local/smaller seller, there may be a small amount of properties that a buyer could drive around and check out individually. however, most times they never SAW what they were purchasing, but relied upon provided data to verify the existence and profitability of what they were purchasing. they used established exit strategies (rent/re-sell/trade/demolish,etc) to displace the properties. for my work, i'd just collect a fee. i merely introduce buyers and sellers, directly or indirectly, and don't have to actually have money nor product. again, no significant closings here, but a WEALTH of knowledge from meeting and dealing with all types of people.

when i happen upon a good chunk of paper, i also plan to purchase and hold/rent real estate locally, as well as in NY and other profitable markets. i'll start small, and work my way up to apartment buildings, commercial property, and other holdings. fear has held me back for quite some time. i have been waiting to take this leap for years. no REAL excuse, as it's completely possible to purchase real estate without a dime of your own money/credit. anyway...

now, i'm working on these same products, plus commodities. fuel (over a half-dozen types exist), diamonds, gold (in its many forms), banking/financial instruments, etc. again, i'm a "consultant." i meet someone who knows someone who works for a buyer with millions/billions to spend. or, i may know someone who knows someone within an oil refinery selling a shitload of fuel that my buyer is seeking. and an infinite amout of other possibilities. again, not my money, not my product. i make an introduction, push paperwork, talk it up on conference calls/skype/email, and 99% of the time, have NEVER met anyone i deal with. some of these people i've been communicating with for years, and have no damn clue how they look. whatevs.

anywho, in general, it's a largely unregulated business. yes, there are laws in place to regulate the buying and selling procedures of these things. but it's the PEOPLE that are often unruly and untrustworthy. essentially, any motherfucker with an email account and a fax machine can represent themselves to be the legal representative of a huge oil refinery or billionaire buyer. which is why you must always be on guard. there's lots of fraud. lots of time-wasting. it can be and has been very discouraging at many times. closings and, in general, purpose can appear as elusive or rare as quality programing on BET, but in the instance that you actually locate both a legit buyer with verifiable funds and a seller with legit, verifiable product, you're in a very good position.

that is where i find myself this week. in a beautiful position. i may soon be seeing some payoff from all these conference calls, wasted minutes, computer paper, and SEVERAL hundred hours that i'll never get back.

got great news tonight. so, tomorrow morning, shit really gets cracking. i'm going to bed with a clear mind, my day is written out. my to-do list is impecable. i'll be up before the sun, to accomodate my east coast contacts, and it'll be on and popping until i close a deal.

i haven't told my parents this, but i REFUSE to get a job out here in Los Angeles. between dancing and business ventures, something WILL happen before my money runs out. it's not an option. if i have to be an extra on a bunch of television and movie sets to get buy, so be it, but i would rather sell my (great) body than be anybody's employee. can't.do.it.

anywho, just wanted to explain all of that. got a few "what the fuck DO you do?!?!" questions today, so...there you have it, nosy bitches. :)

off to make this hair shiny and new, and make another bad food choice.

stay tuned.

~chris.alexander.