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Strategies & Market Trends : The Residential Real Estate Crash Index -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Don Green who wrote (14556)	10/27/2003 1:45:01 PM
From: Tradelite	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 306849

Don & Steve.... I couldn't agree more with Don's comment about certain occupations in our society being underpaid. For one thing, I come from a long line of military veterans, reservists and current active reservists. Lost many friends in the Vietnam War. Almost have lost my uncle and my nephew in other conflicts. However, I think it bears mentioning that each and every person in this country can succeed in certain allegedly overpaid professions by applying the time, effort and determination to pursue them. Real estate does not require military training, a college education or anything other than what the occupation requires. It's open to anyone who wants to pursue it. If they make any money at it, it's by working very hard for other people who value the services. The services are valued by what the market has been willing to pay. The market decides....the workers don't. I would consider it a waste of my time and emotional energy to judge other working people as overpaid. If I need and have to pay for their services, I have to pay the going rate. Some people think lawyers are overpaid. I've got a lawyer for a sister, and I know how long and how much work it took her to get where she is. Opportunity abounds in the U.S. to become something in whatever field one chooses. Meanwhile, please know that I pay my taxes and paid a REALLY high amount of taxes while selling real estate as a self-employed taxpayer. I hope some of my little contribution made its way into your pockets as military personnel. You deserve it.

To: Don Green who wrote (14556)	10/27/2003 3:16:30 PM
From: Mr. Sunshine	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 306849

"Steve I am retired from the U.S. Navy and feel in general terms the military, along with school teachers, city bus drivers, nurses and other hospital workers, and most importantly food handlers are all underpaid." Don, always nice to meet a new shipmate! Do not take this too personally, but... Navy? Bingo, that explains a lot. I have been in the Navy for 22 years - 4 in school, 4 on active duty, and the rest in the reserves where I am very active in various military organizations and spend 8 to 12 weeks a year in uniform - much more than the typical reservist. I spend considerable time explaining the military (and its compensation system) to civilians, and many of my clients are military. Understanding the military compensation gives me an advantage in San Diego real estate, especially in obtaining mortgage loans for active duty and vererans. That being said, I have seen and been on both sides of the fence. People who have never been in the military tend to be pretty naive about the military (you will probably agree with me on that much!) and conversely, the military tend to be pretty ignorant about many aspects of the non-military business world, especially commissioned sales. Of course you feel the military is underpaid, and real estate agents are overpaid. Why do I suspect that you would feel the exact opposite if you had chosen a career in real estate sales? I could write a fairly comprehensive apples to apples comparision between the two vastly different sets of compensation - military v. commission pay - but do not have the time right now. In summary, the military is undercompensated in basic pay - but it is more than made up for in benefits. Most commissioned salespeople may seem to make a lot - but when you take out the expenses and lack of benefits, it is much, much less. Since you feel the Navy is underpaid, perhaps you could explain to the board some of the benefits most civilians do not know about, such as: tax free housing allowances; 30 days paid leave (vacation)per year; 50% retirement after only 20 years (many military retire at age 38 to 40!); lifetime medical benefits; discounted recreational facilities; free schools and training that is argueably the best in the world; and job security.