How many times does it take the average person to learn something.? We’re not talking calculus here, just a life lesson. In the first years we were married Doug worked selling new homes in Houston. He was good at it, really good. The builder would move him into an area where the sales had died. Like a human defibrillator he would breathe life back into a dead subdivision. He even got people to buy the houses next to the water tower or sewage treatment plant adjacent. (I wouldn’t have bought those houses no matter what incentive was offered me.)
The salespeople working for the builder usually worked out of the garage of one of the model homes. It was converted to a large office with two desks and assorted chairs. The salespeople hated to see Doug come through the door because that meant one of them was being fired. Genex Homes had a lot of spec houses on the ground that they needed sold-fast. They offered a trip to Hawaii for the person with the most closings that month. He kicked it into high gear and was scheduled to close 11.
Back then, it was not uncommon for people to use “gift” funds from a relative for part of their down payment. One afternoon, just before closing our buyer said that his gift funds were not coming. No wait-they were coming, but they’d been delayed. This house had many upgrades in it and it had to close and fund today-No ifs ands or buts. This was the early 80′s in Houston. It wasn’t uncommon for people who bought big homes to move into their new homes and find a new Cadillac in the garage with the pink slip in the glovebox- courtesy of the builder. Doug’s buyer was $1200 short that day. In spite of my protests, Doug loaned him the money with a promise he’d get it back that next week. It’s only been 25 years now. I know he’ll come through with it. Doug said so. (This was number 1.)
About 20 years ago Doug started building custom homes. He handled sales and initial design. His partner, who we’ll call “Bob” was in charge of the financial end of the business- paying the trades, the vendors, dealing with the title company- basically all the stuff Doug didn’t want to deal with. The business was started on a handshake. During the last three months of the company Doug didn’t take a dime from the company. He said something didn’t feel right to him so we lived off our savings. If there was something shady going on he didn’t want to be accused. As soon as he had time he was going to take the books to an accountant to get things straight. Then he’d go from there.
Not a week after that talk with me, Doug’s mom called. His dad was being put in hospice. We left the next day and were with him the last 10 days of his life. Watching his dad die of lung cancer saved Doug’s life. It was the worst thing I have ever seen, but Doug quit smoking, thank God. On Easter day we were back home and went to Bob’s house to see what had been going on. He hadn’t been answering the phone.
Surprise, surprise, surprise! There was a moving van there! Bob walked out and proceeded to tell us that he closed the three homes that were due to close in another month. The gist of the conversation was like this- “Yes, I closed those homes. They funded and I have the money. You’ll never get a dime. ***you!” Doug stood there with a stunned look on his face, saying nothing at first. I went crazy and kicked him hard in “that very special part of a man’s body.” He fell to the ground rolling around and yelling “Call 911. ” I laughed. EMS never showed. ( I probably made his special part much bigger and didn’t even use Extenze.) Since it was all done on a handshake Doug was without options. (This was #2.) This hurt big time. It was $35K.
Fast forward twenty years. Our next door neighbor is in a bind. She’s an ICU nurse whose house was falling down around her ears. Having built homes, Doug told her that he could help. I printed an estimate for her to sign before starting. In rode Doug on his white horse. “No need for that. She makes good money,” I’m told. Doug and Nate work together, replacing one side of her house with Hardiplank, then totally redoing the front bathroom. I patch and paint her front bedroom and hallway. (Thank God she at least bought all the materials.) So far, she has paid just over $1000 for all that work. Her house just went into foreclosure. (This would be #3.)
My mother-in-law has never mentioned to me that Doug was dropped on his head when he was an infant. ( Perhaps that might explain his inability to learn from past experiences. ) So what else could it be? My guess is that this is part of the “worse” that’s mentioned in wedding vows. Oh well, life goes on..
