09/18/2021
I started closing real estate deals in 1997 at age 22. I worked for a company called Transcontinental Title for a little over a year. I was extremely fortunate to have a boss (Kristin Chucko) that was always on the ball and knew how to run a branch that employed over 20 people and consistently closed over 100 deals a month. I was also lucky to learn how to do the actual closings from the best closer in Nashville (Eddy Lowe). He taught me how to relate to people whether it was a $70,000 transaction or a $700,000 deal.
In 1999, I had a mortgage company owner (Aaron Wimsatt), tell me that he would let me borrow the money from him to start my own title company. I had closed many deals for him and he had faith in me so I went out on a limb and did it. So on September 7th of 1999, after having my first child on the 1st, I started All-Star Title.
In that first year, the big company I had worked for sought to put me out of business by threatening to pull all of its business from a mutual supplier (Fidelity Title). The bluff worked and I was in limbo as my only supplier cancelled our contract.
So there I was, a scared 24 year old with a newborn, a new business, new debt owed to a friend, and employees that were older than me and we're counting on me to provide for their families. I tried other suppliers but it was very hard to convince another supplier to insure an escrow account that could get into the millions that was being managed by a 24 year old.
Enter Lawrence Vogan. "Larry" was an attorney who was set up with a supplier already and after meeting with him, he agreed to come aboard and bring his contract with the supplier with him. He brought the credibility I needed to get established and was a very intelligent man who helped mentor me. He stayed with me several years until he decided to work for the government in other pursuits.
We cruised along with the staff growing to as many as 12 people. In 2005, we averaged closing 105 loans a month. Things were great and then the mortgage crisis of 2008 hit. We lost about 50% of our business when two large companies pulled out of Nashville. That's when it got tough again.
I had decided when I started the company that I would treat employees the way I wanted to be treated. This meant no non-compete contracts, I paid 100% of their health and dental insurance, and I paid them well. I had one employee making over 100k and another couple right at 70k. On top of everything else, I enjoyed working with these people.
Without getting into too many hard feelings, I will say that I had one employee look me dead in the eye and lie to me about where he was going to work. This was after I had let him stay on many days past when I really needed to cut him. Then I found out he had gone in with one of my customers and started a title company!?! How did I find out? We were friends so a week after he left I was passing through were he said he would be working and called him to see how he was and asked him to lunch.... It went downhill from there. Others I let go also took business with them. It was hard to swallow at the time, but looking back on it, they were scared too.
I hung in there and with the help of my wife, I rebranded and added home and auto insurance as part of what I offered. Without Rose's help, I'm not sure where I would be today. She is the most intelligent person I know... and not bad on the eyes!
That leads me to current day. I have had conversations with several people: my kids, nephews, nieces, guys I play ball with. I get asked "How do you know God is real? How can you trust in something you can't see or hear?" I see things on media discounting that there is a God and that there is a scientific reason for everything.
That's when I think about the people I've mentioned above. I have no doubt that God put those good people in my life to help me. He keeps putting people in my life that help me too. Last year Drew and Kelly Napier joined me on the insurance side and are doing terrific!
This week, I hit my 20,000th title order. I started at 1 way back in 1999. I've been getting excited thinking about it and thought about how I could really make it a big deal. 20,000! I may not have closed every one, but I've been involved some way. And at the same time I celebrate, I want to thank God, all of the people named above, my family, past employees, and all of the clients, realtors, and loan officers that have trusted me to oversee their transactions over the last 22 years. Thank you!
