From Homemaker to Breadwinner
How to Make It BIG in Real Estate Sales
Myra Nourmand
From Homemaker to Breadwinner:
How to Make It Big in Real Estate Sales
Copyright © 2012 by Myra Nourmand
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, expect by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.
Although the author and publisher have made every effort to ensure the accuracy and the completeness of the information contained in this book, we assume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or any inconsistency herein. Any likeness of people, places, or organizations are unintentional.
First edition 2008
Library of Congress Control Number 2007904425
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-0701-2
Production coordinated by Lawrence Ineno
Cover design by Howard Nourmand
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
Published by Nourmand & Associates Inc.
421 North Beverly Drive, Suite 200, Beverly Hills, CA 90210.
Acknowledgments
For my parents Yetta and Arnold, whom I watched and from whom I learned, and who instilled the belief in me that in America, anything is possible.
To my husband, Saeed, my teacher and mentor. Thank you for your unflagging support, which I can sum up with your words: “You sold me, Myra—you can sell the world.”
My three shining diamonds—Nicole, Howard, and Michael—who have given me more happiness than stars in the sky.
To my countless family members whose trials and tribulations have taught me to maneuver through life’s complex family situations.
Thank you Victoria Peters and Wilma Winer, whose organizational skills and incredible dedication keep me running in the right direction.
And special thanks to Lawrence Ineno. Your collaboration and expertise have been invaluable to this project.
This book is dedicated to the late Robert K. Nourmand,
my father-in-law, whose charm, laughter, sense of family, and
strong work ethic have been my inspiration.
Introduction
From Buffalo to Beverly Hills
Everyone has 24 hours in a day. Not even the President of the United States gets 28 or 30 hours. So delegate and prioritize intelligently.
— Saeed Nourmand
My husband is passionate about real estate. An engineer turned entrepreneur, Saeed has lived and breathed it since 1976. Once in a while, he’ll spot a house that he thinks I would love to live in. Without even looking at it, I always tell him no. I attribute my aversion to moving to my childhood. From my birth in Germany until Saeed and I settled in Los Angeles, I had moved 11 times. I felt like I had done enough moving for a lifetime, and it also explains why I’ve lived in the same house for the last 26 years.
Although I was born in Germany, my time there was brief. At the time, my parents were living there partly by choice but mostly out of necessity. After being liberated from the Nazi concentration camps in their native Poland, they relocated to Germany. It was there that my parents, Henry and Yetta, met. Henry was fifteen years older than his bride-to-be. He was tall, handsome, and debonair. As they dated, he promised Yetta that once they were married, he would take her to the United States where he would provide for her, and together they would realize the American Dream.
In 1946, the couple married, and they immediately focused on their mission: Move to the United States. For them, this country was a place where they could leave behind the horrors of Hitler’s Final Solution and begin their new lives.
Meanwhile, my mother’s aunt was living in New Jersey. Tanta Minnie, as I called her, was taking care of the paperwork that would allow my mother and her family to immigrate to the United States.
When I was 22 months old, Tanta Minnie’s hard work prevailed. She became the legal sponsor of the newlyweds, and they gained entry into this country. Yetta and Henry packed their belongings, which were few, considering that the Nazis had pillaged their possessions. Then, with their infant daughter, they set off for the United States. So begins the story of recovery, renewal, and success despite staggering odds.
Six Years in the United States
My parents were strong people. They had survived one of the most horrific events of the 20th century and lived to talk about it. The experience of being in a concentration camp motivated them to rise above those whose goal was to annihilate them. Once in New Jersey, they immediately found work, which meant that they had to send their baby daughter to day care. At the time, this was something uncommon for Eastern European parents to do.
My father’s first job was in a dairy. Meanwhile, my mother worked in a factory sewing dresses. Before her morning commute by bus, she took me to day care. Because she didn’t drive, she pushed a stroller through snow, rain, or heat, and dropped me off at the childcare center. From there, she waited for a bus that would take her to the factory. At the end of the day, after hours of intense work, she would repeat the process: bus ride, day care, and then a walk home.
From the beginning, my parents lived frugally because they were intent on purchasing a home. Once they saved enough, they invested in a two-story property. The three of us lived on the first floor while a family rented the room upstairs. Little did I know that my parents’ understanding of the benefits of homeownership would guide my career choice many years later.
As a result of his success, my father bought his own dairy business. At home, we had what seemed like an endless supply of eggs, milk, butter, and cheese. By the time I was five, I had already consumed a lifetime’s worth of dairy products, which probably explains why I don’t care for them today.
The business grew, and he took on a partner to share the responsibilities. My parents were reaching their goals and became respected members of society. In 1954, all three of us became naturalized citizens. My father then secured a driver’s license and declared his fulfillment of the American Dream by buying a car—a shiny, new black Buick.
My father had kept the promise he made to his wife several years ago in Germany. They were established in their new country, and he was a successful entrepreneur.
