This is the view from my backyard right outside Los Angeles. Oddly enough, I have gotten used to the beauty. My Aunt and I were in Costa Rica a few years ago and she shrugged at one of the many beautiful vistas and said “looks like your backyard”. It is true. However, when I bought my house I bought a view that needed a house. There was a house of course. It was a house that when I toured my husband around I talked a lot about potential. Frankly, there was nothing but potential. The walls were blue as was the carpet. The bathrooms were bubble gum pink. The previous owners had birds that flew around inside pooping everywhere! Wisely the sellers planted some pansies in the garden. I plunked down my money and off to Home Depot I went. The house needed everything! At the time I had no funds and lots of energy. I went to the free tile class at Home Depot and little by little installed beautiful Chinese slate floors in my house. Mind you, I am 5’4″ and female. I was the only female in my tile class. It took a very long time to finish the floors. Some days I would only accomplish a 5X5 area. The first day, it was only the inside of a closet. This was a metaphor for how my real estate career started. One piece of slate at a time with great determination and no experience. I had an art school background but 15 years later I am a millionaire. My greatest tool was a great stubborness and a refusal to fail. That is it! If I can do it anyone can. I will add that lots of humor and patience helps. Stay tuned….