THE ROAD TO WEALTH Previously published as “The Challenge” ROBERT G. ALLEN In Memory of Dr. Blaine Lee Jr. 1946-2009 Introduction This book contains the true stories of a group of people selected from the unemployment lines of St. Louis, Missouri. They were selected to help me prove that ANYONE, regardless of their current financial circumstances, can start on the Road to Wealth and achieve financial success in a short period of time. You might be wondering how this story came about. As you might know, I’m famous for my many media challenges. My first and most famous challenge took place with the Los Angeles Times. To help promote my New York Times bestseller, Nothing Down, I had said: “Send me to any city in the United States. Take away my wallet. Give me $100 for living expenses. And in 72 hours I’ll buy an excellent piece of real estate using none of my own money.” Well, little could I have imagined that the Los Angeles Times would take me up on my challenge and drop me in San Francisco with an LA Times reporter. On the front page of the LA Times business section a few weeks later the headline exclaimed: Buy Home Without Cash: Boastful Investor Accepts Times Challenge and Wins. The article describes how I bought not just one property, but 6 properties, all in 57 hours and gave the reporter $20 back in change. But as I shared this success story with other members of the media, they were still skeptical. They assumed that I could do this, but that no “ordinary” person could do it. So I made the following statement: “Send me to any unemployment line. Let me select someone who is broke, out of work and discouraged. In two days time, I’ll teach them the secrets to wealth. And in 90 days they’ll be back on their feet with $5,000 cash in the bank, never to set foot in an unemployment line again.” The book you are now reading is the result of that challenge. You’ll walk through the process of how I selected the 3 candidates and what they were able to accomplish in a very short period of time. As you read these pages, you’ll recognize immediately that the prices of real estate have dramatically changed over the 25 years since this story took place. However, the principles in this book are still true and timeless. Real estate is still the fastest way to wealth for the average person (despite what the media says.) There are more bargains today that there have ever been and all you need to do is to find 10 to 20 great real estate deals to retire comfortably. This book will teach you how to do just that. You’ll also learn how valuable it is to have a mentor to watch over you during the beginning stages of your investing career. Some of our “unemployed” students passed over deal after deal because they were still learning how to recognize a good deal when it was right in front of their eyes. With time and coaching they were able to spot these “diamonds in the rough.” And so will you. Enjoy the story. I wish you well on your journey to wealth. Prosperously yours, Robert G. Allen, bestselling author of…. Nothing Down Creating Wealth The Road to Wealth Multiple Streams of Income The One Minute Millionaire Multiple Streams of Internet Income Cracking the Millionaire Code Cash in a Flash: Fast Money in Slow Times COPYRIGHT ©1987, 2000, 2003 BY ROBERT G. ALLEN ALL RIGHTS RESERVED MANUFACTURED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1 3 5 7 9 1 0 8 6 4 2 LIBRARYOF CONGRESS CATALOGING IN PUBLICATION DATA Allen, Robert G. The Challenge. 1. Success in business—United States. I. Title. HF5386.A543 1987 650.1 87-43 17 ISBN: 0-671-52618-9 Lyrics on page 14 © 1965 Warner Bros. Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Lyrics on pages 29-30 ©1982 WB Music Corp., Easy Action Music & Holy Moly Music, Rude Music. Used by permission of Warner Bros. Music. All rights reserved. 6 CONTENTS PROLOGUE The Secret Edge of Millionaires 7 CHAPTER 1. Teach A Man To Fish 10 CHAPTER 2. Nothing To Lose and Everything to Gain 12 CHAPTER 3. Looking for a Few “Go-Getters” 24 CHAPTER 4. The Blue Vase Team: “We Will Not Be Denied” 36 CHAPTER 5. Climbing the Money Mountain 44 CHAPTER 6. Opportunity: How to Find It, Fund It, Farm It 60 CHAPTER 7. From the Ivory Tower to the School of Hard Knocks 90 CHAPTER 8. Sweat Your Way to Success 107 CHAPTER 9. Experience Is the Best Teacher 114 CHAPTER 10. The Big Picture 126 CHAPTER 11. “If They Can Do It, You Can Do It” 139 CHAPTER 12. Crossing the Frontier 152 CHAPTER 13. What Are They Biting on? 163 CHAPTER 14. Digging In for the Long Haul 179 CHAPTER 15. Behold, a Sower Went Forth to Sow 200 CHAPTER 16. Serendipity: Falling into Good Deals 215 CHAPTER 17. Down for the Count 229 CHAPTER 18. Time’s Up 239 CHAPTER 19. Getting Ahead 251 CHAPTER 20. The Challenge Never Ends 260 CHAPTER 21 Tying It All Together 267 7 “THE QUICKEST WAY TO BECOME A MILLIONAIRE IS TO BE TRAINED BY A MILLIONAIRE.” — Ron McMillin Prologue THE SECRET EDGE OF MILLIONAIRES If there is one universal truth everyone seems to acknowledge, it is that there are loads of money to be made from dealing in real estate. Many of my students have been interested in real estate for some time. Some have already purchased other Creative Real Estate programs or attended seminars. They have a vague understanding that real estate is something they should be doing. A number of our students have watched late-night infomercials talking about how to become financially independent through real estate. Many people understand some of the basic concepts and techniques, but something is still missing. It’s like learning all the dance techniques from a video, but never dancing in public or watching those golf instructional videos without ever hitting a golf ball. You can know all the steps and techniques, but if you don’t have the personal experience of having a coach or personal trainer to lead you through them, your odds of success will not be as good as you would like them to be. There are two ways we learn in life: (1) The School of Hard Knocks; or (2) Having someone who has the knowledge and experience to show us. Studies have shown that my highest achievers (or those seeking to be) are increasingly looking to experience working with mentors to help them navigate the roadway of success. Working closely with someone who has already been there is always the best way to collapse the time frames associated with any new endeavor. Our personal coaching programs have been carefully formatted to help those who have a strong desire for success in the areas of Real Estate, Stock, Internet or Info-Preneuring investing to achieve their financial goals. We are proud to offer Coaching programs that are customized for the individual. New students are taught our methods quickly, enabling them to make more money in a shorter amount of time, with fewer costly mistakes. They work one-on-one with their personal coach until they develop the confidence to enter the world of investing on their own. 8 Often, having a coach or mentor who has already been successful in that business can make the difference between success and failure. Yet, I am amazed at how many people skip this critical step. Intermediate and advanced students are able to take their investing to the next level by having personal coaches who assist them in developing an action plan and teaching them processes that will produce measurable results. Our personal training and coaching programs are a competency-based approach to learning. We train students through closely-monitored learning experiences. I have extensively trained my coaches and they each have excellent communication skills, are great listeners, have a depth of knowledge and have trained students from all over the United States and Canada. They have worked with students from all walks of life, at every level, and in every part of the country. These coaches are passionate about helping our students achieve financial success. The five reasons coaching works so well include: 1. Knowledge – Knowing what to do in any given endeavor is the primary step toward success. Personal coaching delivers information in step-by-step increments over an extended period of time. This ensures that participants become competent in all aspects of the principles being taught. Knowledge is the first key to your success. 2. Application – Personal coaching allows for the customization of the material being learned in real world application. Each participant learns by doing thus taking the guesswork out of the “how-to.” 3. Accountability – Personal coaching creates a strong relationship of accountability between the coach and his students. Objectives are established, goals are set and commitments are made and followed-up. My coaches hold our students accountable to the goals they set for themselves. Coaches require tangible evidence of progress so that personal goals are accomplished. 4. Motivation – Personal coaching produces a drive to learn and change. As participants apply principles and experience new behaviors, motivation shifts from external to internal. This motivation enables the participant to continue utilizing new skills and habits for the rest of their lives. 5. Time – Personal coaching gives participants enough time to internalize the concepts and principles as skills and habits. Through the repetition of successful completion of assignments and activities, long-lasting habits are formed. These skills are then utilized as subconscious, competent behaviors at critical moments of impact in business, sales, negotiations and in life. Time is the cornerstone of the coaching process. Everyone needs a little push now and then to keep going and to set the bar higher. The results aren’t often measured accomplishments, but rather the freedom to work smarter because of greater insight or the simple pleasure of staying No. 1. Like the rest of us, as Michael got older, he couldn’t play basketball as he once did but, because he had continuous coaching, he made up for his shortcomings by developing ten times the skills he had when he was a youngster. Now that he is retired, he has numerous golf coaches to help him with his golf game. Personal coaches will help you use your strengths to get ahead and not allow your weaknesses to hold you back. 9 Since I have only a limited number of coaches, we want to work with those students who are the most serious and motivated. The current market has opened up a window of opportunity unlike anything I have ever seen in my thirty years of investing. There is crazy money to be made for those who gain confidence, understand the market, use proper strategies and, most importantly, take action. So, call 1-800-345-3648 NOW for your free consultation to see if you qualify for my highly- acclaimed, intensive coaching program. Also, be sure to get your FREE GIFT when you finish reading this book!!! 10 “GIVE A MAN A FISH AND YOU FEED HIM FOR A DAY. TEACH A MAN TO FISH AND YOU FEED HIM FOR A LIFETIME.” —Lao Tzu Chapter 1 TEACH A MAN TO FISH "Excuse me. You're an average American. How you doing financially? Are you making enough money?" "I’m doing OK." “Would you like to do better than OK?” "Sure, I'd like to be doing better! Who wouldn't want to get out of the rat race, travel, play a little golf, buy nice things for the family, be self-reliant, and have some extra cash in the bank? But let's face it; it's not realistic. How many people ever make it in America? One percent?" “Oh, so the American Dream doesn't work anymore?” “Maybe hundred years ago. But today? It’s all a matter of luck.” “What if I could show you that it's not just luck?” “I’ll believe it when I see it.” “Somehow, I had a feeling you were going to say that. Feel free to be skeptical. That's healthy. But try not to be negative just for the sake of being negative. In other words, don't shut the door. Leave it open a crack. Because I'm going to prove that the American Dream is alive and well and that anyone ⎯ including you ⎯ can make it happen.” "Yeah? How?" "Let's start with the challenge: Send me to any unemployment line. Let me select someone who is broke, out of work and discouraged. Let me teach him in two days the secrets of wealth. And in ninety days he’ll be back on his feet, with five thousand dollars cash in the bank, never to set foot in an unemployment line again.” "But why take an unemployed person? I'm an average American. What's the matter with me? I'll volunteer." “I'm sure you would. But I want to prove that ANYONE can make it in America. And 11 I’m willing to bet everything to prove it.” “Sounds kind of risky. You're rich. Why don’t you just stay home and count your money or, better yet, distribute it to the poor?” "Believe it or not, I thought of that. But if I redistributed my entire net worth to every man, woman and child on this planet, it wouldn't be more than a penny or two apiece. There's a better way. Wealth consists of much more than money. Maybe I could make a lasting impact by giving them my two cents’ worth instead -- my advice, my knowledge, my experience." The more I thought about the challenge, the more I was compelled to try it. Artists are compelled to paint. Musicians have to play. Entertainers must entertain. And I have a compelling urge to help people remove the barriers that stand between them and their dreams. If people from an unemployment line could actually turn their lives around in a few short months, what message would this send to the rest of the country? Wouldn’t it prove that success has nothing to do with luck or status or social connections? Wouldn’t it prove the American Dream is for everyone? This book is the true story of how I went to the unemployment lines of St. Louis, Missouri, and under the watchful eye of former St. Louis Mayor John Poelker, selected not one, but three individuals. First, there was Mary Bonenberger, an unemployed mother of two and wife of a Baptist minister struggling to make ends meet. Then, I recruited Philip Moore, a young black man born in the ghettos of St. Louis, with no skills, only a high school education, and no job to help support his wife and son. And finally, Nora Jean Boles came aboard, a single parent in her middle forties, behind in her mortgage payments, no job in sight. No hope. “So what happened? Did they make it?” “Come see for yourself. But don’t forget that this book is not just about three unemployed people from St. Louis. It’s about you. It’s about your dreams and your goals. With this in mind, I have provided special self-help lists and guidelines throughout the book to give you an even more powerful knowledge and motivation on your exciting adventure in success. But I’m getting ahead of myself. First, let’s go to St. Louis.” 12 “WHEN YOU AIN’T GOT NOTHIN’ YOU AIN’T GOT NOTHIN’ TO LOSE.” —Bob Dylan Chapter 2 NOTHING TO LOSE AND EVERYTHING TO GAIN 1. __________________________________________________________________ From all outward appearances, it was going to be just another ordinary day in St. Louis, Missouri. On Leduc Street, in a predominantly black neighborhood in the central west end of the city, all was normal. People coming and going. A few cars passing. The sound of a lawn mower. A dog barking. Some older children playing in the street. Nothing out of the ordinary. But just after one o’clock the tranquility of the afternoon was pierced as an old 1978 Buick screeched around the corner and slammed to a halt in front of a small two-story brown brick duplex—one of several on that street all sporting flat roofs and white trim. Out of the car jumped a heavyset black man dressed in a T-shirt and sandals. He hurried up the walk, bounded up the front steps and impatiently rang the doorbell to the upper flat. In his hand he clutched a single yellow sheet of paper. In the tiny upstairs apartment Philip Moore was just sitting down to a lunch that his wife, Karen, had made before she left for her part-time job as a medical records clerk at the hospital. At the sound of the doorbell, he went to the door. “Phil,” said the man excitedly. “I got something for you. You ain’t gonna believe it!” Philip was a bit put off to see that it was just Ron. A big guy, six feet three inches tall and not an ounce shy of 300 pounds, Ron was a regular visitor to the Moore residence, much to Karen’s dismay. It had been that way ever since Ron had been fired from his last job. Actually, the last time that either Ron or Philip had worked was at the same job: Popeyes Chicken—more than a year before. Ron had been the manager, and Philip was in line to be the assistant manager making minimum wage and doing all the dirty work. But the boss was a tough man to please, and Philip had quit in an indignant huff. Ron had been fired about a week 13 later. “Hey, Phil,” he said. “I got some good news. Look at this.” “What is it?” “I’ve been over to the unemployment office. And there’s this guy over there handing out this paper. It says. ‘Financial Independence can be yours.’ Man, this is for you! You’re always talkin’ about ownin’ your own business and stuff like that.” “Let me see that.” Philip’s eyes pored over the single paragraph in the center of the yellow sheet of paper. UNEMPLOYED?... Financial independence can be yours. We will provide intensive training for self-starters who are willing to work and learn. You must have a car and be available for at least 90 days. No selling or travel. Information and an interview can be obtained at a meeting to be held tomorrow morning at 9:00 A.M., Tuesday, June 5, 1984, in the Palladium Room, Cheshire Inn and Lodge, 6300 Clayton Road, corner of Forest Park, St. Louis. The meeting will begin sharply at 9:00 A.M.—don’t be late. You must be currently unemployed to qualify. You’ll kick yourself if you miss this. This employment opportunity has been reviewed by Missouri Division of Employment Security. “Where’d you get this?” Philip asked. “I told you, man. There was this guy at the unemployment office handin’ ‘em out to every one that came in the door. I went up to him and he says he’s working for a guy named Robert Allen who’s written some famous books on real estate.” Philip was more than a bit skeptical, but he invited his friend to come in. “I don’t know about this,” he said, still puzzled by the yellow paper as they sat down in the living room. “Well, all I know is the guy handin’ out the fliers said it was a chance to make some money in real estate. And I know you’ve been talkin’ about getting into real estate. So I thought this would be right up your alley.” “Yeah. Real estate. That’s a great job. I’d like that job.” “Well this isn’t exactly a job. The guy at the unemployment office said that this Robert Allen is going to pick some people off the unemployment line and teach ‘em how to get rich. Like how to invest and stuff like that.” “Sure. And what’s he gonna get out of it?” “The guy told me it’s kinda like a challenge. You know, to see if it can be done. I don't know. I still think it sounds like somethin’ worth checkin’ out. Want to go to the Cheshire tomorrow and see what's goin’ on? " After Ron left, Philip returned to his desk in the little room he liked to refer to as his office, which was, in reality, nothing more than a storage room with a window. He set the yellow flyer to one side of his desk and picked up the weekend classifieds to continue the process of job hunting. He'd been calling all morning with not much luck. There just didn't seem to be many opportunities for a twenty-four-year-old unemployed black man with few skills and only a high school education. Fry cook. Janitor. Car wash attendant. Handyman. Part-time laborer. Kitchen help. Ice cream salesman. Mostly minimum-wage stuff. Not much future. But he needed a job, so he kept on making calls. "Sorry, that position has been filled." 14 "Sorry, we were looking for someone with a little more experience." "Sorry, we were looking for someone a little older." "Sorry, we were looking for someone a little younger." After each rejection, he’d lean back in his chair and survey the bulletin board on the wall in front of his desk, where he had tacked up several newspaper clippings and magazine articles to remind him of some of his goals. In one corner was an article from Success magazine about owning your own business -- something he'd always wanted to do. A newspaper clipping carried the headline: "When Starting a Business You Can Have Fun or Money but Not Both." Nearby was another clipping: "Rehab Apartments Underway in Hyde Park Neighborhood." He had always been interested in real estate and planed to take a course to get a real estate license as soon as he could scrape up the fifty-four dollars tuition. Could Robert Allen teach him what he needed to know? He glanced up to the mounted pictures of some of his heroes, wondering what they would do in his place. Martin Luther King. ("I think he was a great man.”) Jesse Jackson. ("I like his style. So much energy. He's not afraid of anything.") Malcolm X. ("He was a doer, self-taught, a family man. The media portrayed him as a strong-willed and hateful man. But he wasn't.") Frederick Douglass. ("I first read about him in the fifth grade. Before that I didn't even know that black people had a history. He was a pioneer. A good role model for me." He tried to return to his telephone prospecting but had a hard time concentrating. He kept looking at his bulletin board and then at the bright yellow flyer on his desk. The words kept popping into his mind. Financial Independence can be yours. "Sure, that's what I want," he thought. "But that's crazy. You've got to have money for that. I don't even have a job!" You must be currently unemployed to qualify. "Why does he want unemployed people? What's the angle? Unemployed people don't have any money." ... Intensive training for self-starters.. .willing to work and learn. "I don't believe it. Probably a scam. But the flyer says it's been checked out by the Missouri Division of Employment Security." You'll kick yourself if you miss this. "OK, I'll just go over there and check it out. If I see it's not for me, I can always leave." Financial Independence can be yours. That was the sentence that pounded over and over in Philips mind like a rolling surf. That's what he really wanted. He didn't want a dead-end job. He wanted to be his own boss. To be free. Not to take orders from anyone. To be in control. To call his own shots. But it was more than that. Financial independence was not having to worry about pink slips or that plant closing down. Or being on unemployment. Or having to beg for a job. And it was 15 having some security for his family. Being a millionaire never really crossed his mind. He just wanted to have fewer money worries. Maybe a few nicer things for people he cared about most in his life. A decent car. A wedding band for Karen. Maybe some new furniture. A trip. A vacation. Those were things he and Karen always wanted but could never afford. When Karen came home that evening, he didn't tell her about the flyer. Why get her hopes up with such a long shot? Sure, I'm willing to work. Willing to learn. But they’re never going to choose me anyway. I'm black. No education. No experience. But that night as Philip lay in bed, his hands behind his head and Karen lying asleep beside him, a rare, quiet confidence began to grow in him. Again he thought about all the good things he wanted for his wife and son. He thought about his own ideals, goals and dreams. Usually, when he had thoughts like that, he would get up and wander through the house, too restless to go back to sleep. On this night, however, he slept soundly, peacefully. 2. __________________________________________________________________ Nora Jean Boles sat bolt upright, startled by a jangling sound that seemed to come from far away... light-years away. The jangling intensified until it filled her head, jarring her into abrupt consciousness. She reached out and turned off her alarm. It was seven o'clock. Monday morning. "But this is Monday," she thought. "Why is the sun shining? Mondays I work at the donut shop. The sun is never up by the time I have to go to work at the doughnut shop. It's always dark." On a normal Monday, she would have been up at 4:00 A.M. to be at work at 5:00. From five till noon, selling donuts and coffee. Seven hours a day. Three days week at four dollars an hour. That was twenty-eight dollars a day. Eighty-four bucks a week, cash money. Cash because she wouldn't have to report it to the I. R. S. ⎯or to the unemployment office. If the unemployment office found out, it would surely cut her benefits. And that would be disastrous. The fifty-five dollar unemployment check wasn't much, but it made the difference between sinking and swimming. On the weekends she had another part-time job, bartending at the local Elks Club. Three nights of seven-hour shifts⎯another hundred dollars a week, counting tips; cash money under the table so no one would find out. She hated sneaking around like that. It was dishonest. It bothered her, but she pushed it to the back of her mind. You do what you have to do when you're desperate. Three daughters to feed and heating bills to pay and the payments on the house, which were already a few months behind. Then there was that four-thousand dollar bill for her unexpected gallbladder operation last year. And the attorneys fees still unpaid from the divorce. Bills. Bills. Bills. Yes, she needed that fifty-five dollars each week. She needed every cent. And then she remembered. The letter. "That's why the sun is shining and I'm not at work at the donut shop this morning. The letter." The letter lay on her dresser. She had received it on Friday. All weekend she had stewed