Wassup! (Real Estate Instructor from East L.A.)

“Wassup!” the real estate instructor from East L. A. greeted our Albuquerque, NM class of thirty would-be broker/owners. We were his for four days, 8-5, if we wanted a certificate of completion for the 30-unit “Brokerage Office Administration” course required for licensing. Jack’s “Wassup!” accompanied his exaggerated ghetto swagger right down the classroom’s center aisle. He was the only one dressed in a suit, tie and dazzling white shirt in the summer heat. On day three, he revealed his attire was out of respect for us. On day four, he wore a sport shirt – we became equals.

Marking his territory right away, the former Army Ranger laid down the rules. “You will be on time. Every morning. After every break. You play as a team. That means each one of you. You will have one-and-a-half hours for lunch to start with. For each person who’s late, I subtract fifteen minutes. When you’re not on time, you’re saying, F ___ Jack. Am I right?” Jack even fired his own brother, until his mother later intervened and asked him to reconsider.

In its recent “2011 Survival Guide,” Albuquerque’s free weekly newspaper, the Alibi, stated: “Albuquerque is a tough little piñon. Mastering Albuquerque takes street smarts. If you want to thrive, first you have to survive.” Jack was the perfect person to teach us how to survive as broker/owners of our own offices. He has real estate “street smarts.” Not only did he survive East L. A. and make it out of the ‘hood, he has also thrived.

Jack is an amazing amalgamation of contradictions. He could quote the entire 83-page New Mexico Real Estate Commission’s Rules and Regulations manual and real estate law by code number, paragraph and sub-paragraph (61.29-17.2), yet tell us how to watch the bottom line so agents working for us wouldn’t abuse the Pitney Bowes (postage machine) after hours. One culprit received a printout of guilt, plus an invoice, from Jack. Were his comments on “Clandestine Drug Labs” grounded in reality? Kaplan Professional Schools offers an entire class on the topic. I plan to take it. Thanks to Jack, I now know the town of Chimayó, just north of Santa Fe, is the heroin capital of New Mexico. It is better known internationally as the “Lourdes of America,” attracting close to 300,000 visitors a year. Believers claim dirt from the chapel in El Santuario de Chimayó can heal physical and spiritual ills.

Jack not only had us review current cases before the New Mexico Real Estate Commission for homework each night to identify the regulation violations and penalties, he also had a member of the commission come speak to the class in person. He made sure we knew the potential consequences for violating real estate law. On several occasions he mentioned what keeping company in jail with “Bubba” and “Bubbette” (a former Bubba) could do for us.

In some respects, practicing real estate in New Mexico is like working in the wild Wild West. Unlike California, where, in most transactions, the Realtor has an agency, or fiduciary, relationship of highest financial trust with clients, in New Mexico, the default relationship between 95% of clients and agents is “transaction broker” with the agent acting as facilitator only. In 1991, the New Mexico legislature passed the Real Estate (Non-?) Disclosure Act stating there is no duty to disclose the site of a natural death, the site of a homicide, suicide, assault, sexual assault, any other felony or if the owner/occupant had HIV/AIDS.

All the practical details of setting up a real estate office were covered. New Mexico has a gross receipts tax. Not only are goods taxed on sale in New Mexico, services, like real estate transactions, are also. You better know when, where, how to sign up for the program and comply with requirements. Jack saved us $3,000 by explaining the ins and outs of Errors and Omissions insurance. That tip alone was worth more than the cost of the course - $219. Street smarts.

Jack eased up on us as we approached the finish line, revealing his inner marshmallow by modifying the final exam to a student-generated discussion of what we learned, not demanding we show him our Policies and Procedures manual homework (he was happy to review it and provide feedback if submitted online) and giving us time off for good behavior. When it was time to fill out the course evaluation form, Jack reminded us the Realtors’ Code of Ethics contains a provision that we are not “to dis’ another Realtor.” I’d take a class taught by Jack any time. You don’t know Jack until you know Jack.