Did you ever hear about the "Okie from Muskogee?" Well, its true. I was born in Oklahoma. We lived on a tiny farm not far from Muskogee. You learn how to survive in those humble conditions. No, I did not have to walk to school going uphill both going and coming. We had a school bus back then. You just hoped that it did not get stuck in the mud when it rained on the dirt roads. During the Dust Bowl Days, my mother's family had made it to California. They wrote back home telling us of a land where people had indoor plumbing and public electricity. We had to see for ourselves. In 1951, we put a sign, "California or Bust" on our old tired worn-out farm pick-up truck. The six of us, Mother, Dad and my sister in the cab and me and my two brothers in the back. We headed west. It may seem humble by today's standards, but, we were very fortunate. Our old truck broke down a few times. After some time and a few precious dollars, we were able to get back on the road again. Sadly, we saw signs of those who were less fortunate than us. Our old truck passed countless broken down and abandoned cars at the side of the highway. Our journey brought us to Cypress, California. The city motto: "A friendly zone to build your home." My aunt Ruby worked for an old farmer in Buena Park. She asked him if he would hire a farmer from Oklahoma. The old farmer, Walter Knott,said he would hire my Dad. Dad worked for the next 10 years at Knott's Berry Farm. He was just happy to have a regular pay check. It worked out pretty good because within just a few years he was able to buy a house and before long he was even able to buy a brand new car. When I was about 8 or 9 years old I remember going with my Dad one evening. We went to visit an old man. Scotty Mc Pherson was his name. He lived in a small trailer house. It had an attached tin awning. The trailer was probably about 15 maybe 18 feet long. We never went inside. We just stood outside underneath the awning. The sun was setting as we stood looking across the road. There was a construction project underway. Orange County had bought the ten acres across the road and was making it into a county park. Scotty got all riled up about the price of real estate. He was disgusted at what Orange County had just paid for that 10 acre parcel of land. Scotty said he remembered when you could have bought that land for $100.00 an acre. But from what he had heard, the County had just paid $1,000.00 an acre. That price made ScottyUpset. He said it was just crazy. Now, he was getting upset and he was on a roll. He said, "Why who knows, some day I guess it will sell for $10,000.00 an acre, why I suppose some day it will even bring $100,000.00 an acre." He stopped. I guess he was not yet content that he had made his point, he then continued his tirade, "Well who knows some day I guess it will cost $1,000,000.00 an acre!" Old Scotty was complaining, but, you know what? He was right! Today land in Orange County is selling for $1,000,000.00 per acre. As a young boy his tirade impressed me. I asked myself, why not buy all of the land you can? During his life, my Dad bought and sold a few houses. He was not an investor or business man. He had a simple country way of explaining it to me. He said that every time he bought a house, he always paid too much for it. But on the other hand every time he sold one, he always sold it for more than it was worth. I guess in those days, our motto could have been, "We ain't rich, but we're happy." Our family was always very active in our church. There were the usual activities,Of course there were pot-luck dinners, summer camp in the mountains and everyone helping and caring for those in need. I remember the preacher preaching while I tried to whisper to my friend Jerry. The church bulletins were very important to me. I always wrote on them. Sermon notes? No! Sketch art. I became good at sketch art during Sunday sermons. We were just regular working people. Douglas Aircraft Plant was the biggest employer around. Soon construction would hit Orange County. Dairies, chicken ranches, orange groves and vacant fields were replaced with housing tracts. The construction forced dairies to move all the way out to Chino! Chino? Where? Sure, go through Corona turn north to Norco, then head out into the country and you will find it. Reminds me of old Scotty's tirade. He taught me to believe in real estate. I always wanted to get some for myself. I understood that real estate is and will always be a solid investment. Who would ever have imagined that some day that land all the way out in Chino could sell for $1,000,000.00 per acre. Since the county was growing, the church leaders asked my Dad to lead in the formation of a new church in Westminster. He agreed to lead the project. We moved to Westminster. It was my senior year in high school. The new church was very small. A teen age girl started attending our church. She became a Flag Girl at the high school and later on, she became my wife. Pauline and I got married over 40 years ago. We now have 3 children and 7 grandchildren. In school I was into sports, football, wrestling and track. After high school, I went to Orange Coast College and was on the wrestling team. After I got my A.A., I took several years off before finishing my Bachelor's Degree. During the gap, I took some business classes in real estate. The information has helped me in the acquisition and management of my own rentals. Over the years, I have worked in various fields. I was Telephone company cable splicer, then a machinist, a Deputy Sheriff, I've been a salesman, I taught school and I even pastored a church. For a time we had a very successful multi-level marketing business. But, whatever else I did for a living, it seems like I have always been doing something in real estate. During the 1980's I was working in my church. I made some bad business decisions. We fell on hard times. We had trouble even buying necessities. We had to start all over again. Even with virtually no income, we were able to buy a small rent house. Today we personally, and with some partners, own several rental properties. I believe that the lessons I have learned will enable me to help other people to reach their own positive goals. I don't care if you just lost your house or went bankrupt. There is hope. If someone is interested in owning a home we can discuss possibilities. I can see hope in cases where most people give up. If you are an investor who wants to move to the next level, two minds are better than one. Let's talk. Pauline and I enjoy spending time with our children and grandchildren. Our two sons who live in Southern California work in law enforcement. Our daughter's family lives in New York. The web cam keeps us face to face from coast to coast with her family. I guess you could say that we are a somewhat athletic family. I jog, Pauline hits the gym regularly, Randy is a runner, he inspires the new recruits at the police academy to stay physically fit. Kevin is a certified licensed racketball teacher. Christie likes to take Sedona, our youngest grandchild for walks in the park. I believe owning a home is an important ingredient in the building of a family legacy. Because we frequently moved, our family unit is not tied to a specific house. We have many fond memories of various neighborhoods and many new friends. But the house is not only a place for building memories, it is also a place to create a nest egg. Pauline and I have moved frequently. We have made new friends in each new neighborhood. The one pass time activity that Pauline and I both enjoy doing together is house hunting. We love looking at models and touring the open houses. I think the Realtors see us as "Lookie Loos." Well, that's OK. We feel that owning rental property is a realistic method of creating a solid financial future for ourselves. I look forward to working with people who also see that real estate is an important piece of their future plans. I started my law enforcement career as an Orange County Sheriff's Deputy. While there among other things, I taught a class "Introduction to Law Enforcement" at several Orange County High Schools. During that time, I picked up the tagline from the students. They called me, Deputy Dave. I still go by that. During the years that I worked in police work, I learned to drink coffee. I look forward to visiting with new friends over a cup of coffee. Care for a cup? Who knows, we might even discuss some real estate ideas over a nice yummy good, freshly brewed cup of hot coffee. Give me a call, I'll even BUY the coffee. Just call: Deputy Dave, at cell: 951-217-7301
(Retired San Bernardino County Sheriff Department) David Allen, Realtor DRE License #01852925 Century 21 Olde Tyme Norco CA 92860 |