Imagine waking up every day wondering where your next meal is going to come from. What would you do to survive? I say lie, cheat and steal. After all, that’s what I did. I LIED to myself when I said: “you can’t do that” just because I wasn’t born with a silver spoon-it made me work harder to convince the voice in my head of how wrong he was. I CHEATED the odds that said my neighborhood and single-parent household would either land me in jail or a cemetery. And I would STEAL every opportunity to make something of myself. I grew up in Staten Island, NY in a housing community called Todt (pronounced like “toe”) Hill. I still get nostalgic thinking of roaches greeting me in the kitchen for a midnight snack. Some kids referred to Todt Hill as the “projects”, especially those who didn’t have to live there. But I was working on my own project in projects. As a teenager, I wanted to be a rapper (original, huh?) and spent my time writing, recording, and networking with people who had the money to make it happen. In 2001, I dropped out of college after signing a major record deal (not so farfetched now, huh?) and I was on my way. Maybe not the same way as say, Jay-Z, but I was on MY way. I had photos in magazines, my face plastered on a tour bus, and a little change in my pocket to prove it. And suddenly everyone was my friend. And just as suddenly, I lost it all. I went from a twenty something traveling the country to a dude pacing his mom’s attic aka my living quarters. This is what happens when you let people with a whole lot of money and very little industry expertise manage your music career. But I digress on my short-lived success. Bottom line is, it was time to stop stealing opportunities and time to start creating them. Getting to the point of how I got to this point, my dad was (is) a realtor with the Corcoran Group (yes, one of the Shark Tank investors owns this real estate firm, and no, not just any agent can go work there). Thankfully, I have an affinity for tailored suits, details, and conversing with people from all walks of life-turns out that’s a prerequisite for being a native New Yorker AND for working under the tutelage of a top producing agent in one of the largest toughest cities in the world. When I became an agent I was no secret. As a result of my hard work and ability to personally connect with my clients (high-end or otherwise), the money came and it stayed. But there are just some things that are hard to come by in New York, some things you can’t buy off of 125th street. A slower lifestyle is one of them. So I met and married my now wife, moved to VA, and worked in the non-profit sector for many years. Towards the end of those years, I continued to pursue real estate part-time (and ignored those who said I couldn’t). Then something magical happened that would change the course of my entire life-I lost my full-time job. Only then did I realize how much I’d hated being the mayor of office politics, how much I’d gotten comfortable, and how happy I was to now be able to pour 100% of my energy into my real estate career. An investment property, a strong network, and a couple of deals later, I’m thrilled to say that I’m selling what I love the DC metro lifestyle. The moral of the story is I jump-kicked, punched, and elbowed the obstacles of life. You will need to do the same when buying, renting, or selling a home…and I happen to have a mean left hook. 

Your New Accomplice,
Jason aka Mr. Results