Investing in Distressed Property

In the property boom of the early 2000's, like many people I tried my hand at “flipping” a house. As a real estate broker, I had access to great information sources and my finger on the pulse of the market. I watched closely for a sensible opportunity, and when it presented, I was prepared to take action. I picked-up a “great” deal from HUD, feeling well-poised to make a significant profit – something to the tune of thirty to forty thousand dollars. That experience, especially the failure to make any real profit, was an eye opener. My exuberance, it seems, was – to quote Mr. Greenspan – “irrational”. The market was turning, time was flying, money was drying, and opportunity fading.

With the lessons leaned from that experience, observations made over my fifteen years in the real estate business, coupled with a new perspective on life gained from the physical disability that forced me out of the real estate business, were I to acquire $150,000 cash to invest in distressed property, my focus and objective today would be quite different, more fulfilling, and in the end hopefully more financially viable.

My objective would be two-fold:

1 Invest responsibly, with sound financial advice from trusted advisers (e.g. C.P.A., network of successful real estate investors, commercial real estate brokers, financial planners, etc.) to ensure a reasonable return on my investment. In essence proceeding with a stewardship mindset, as though the money was entrusted to me by socially-conscious investors who were relying on me to treat their money with utmost care, ensuring the best possible return.on their investment, both financially and civically.

1 Serve under-represented disabled individuals in the community.-- Seeking-out a project ...

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...I believe an added benefit would be in improving the value of the surrounding the property, and creating a pattern to be followed in other communities across the nation.

Thank you for your consideration of my scholarship application and essay.

My vision is to utilize the training I gain while completing the degree program I started nearly twenty years ago (then quit to raise my children), combined with my fifteen years of business ownership and management experience and firsthand knowledge of disability-related issues, to serve the disabled community as an advocate and pioneer in accessibility improvements, hopefully on a national scale.

Receiving this scholarship would greatly assist me in working towards my educational goals, and then on to pursuing my professional objectives, and giving back to the community. I am grateful for your consideration.