by
Patrick Ogungbola
MD/ CEO, BLUEHEDGE REALTORS
We wish you a Happy New Month!!!
Hmmm …. This is September 2018; the month that ushers us to the much dreaded ‘Ember months’. I don’t know if it is universal, but in this part of the world, ‘ember’ months are usually the most fearful months of the year; it’s been reported that this period often witness the highest number of deaths caused by accidents and other means. The major prayer points in almost every religious centres at this time will be prayers against the blood-sucking demons, witches and wizards that does not want us to see the end of the year. As a matter of principle, some people don’t travel long distance during this period. As expected, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) will soon commence their ‘ember months’ campaign on safe driving and the need to be considerate to other road users. As noble as these intentions are, it is the humble opinion of this writer that the kind of emphasis being paid to this period should be extended to every month of the year. Accidents should be prevented to the barest minimum at all times, and not at particular periods of the year.
But come to think of it, when did we wish each other ‘Happy New Year’, it seemed just like yesterday; and in about three months from now, we will be preparing to say farewell to the year 2018. Indeed, time waits for no one. Time will forever continue to do its own work – counting time, but are we doing our own work? Whether we do something or we do nothing, clock will continue to tick, and the more it ticks, the more we age, that’s the sad reality. This is the more reason why we need to appreciate time because it is indeed a very scarce resource – we all have limited time to spend here, and how we utilize this time will determine what we will get out of it. It is very expedient to periodically evaluate our life and take inventory. This will be a personal moment where you will be left alone with yourself, and to thine own self, be true, as William Shakespeare once said.
The result of the above exercise will spur one to ask certain questions? Where was I about 5 years ago? Where am I now? Where will I be in 5, 10 or 20 years’ time? Our life moves in the area of our dominant thought. About 5 years ago, this writer was part of a counselling team, and we were talking to a young man who doesn’t seem to have direction about life. We inquired what he had passion to do, he responded by saying, he has passion to go into furniture business. He was advised to go and find out what it takes to learn the business and be an expert in it. He came back a week after to give a report, he said, ‘Based on his finding, it will take him about one-and-a-half years to learn the business, but according to him, that period is too long’. That single statement was an eye opener to us – it clearly showed to us that he is not yet serious about what he wanted to do. Medical Doctors spend about 7 years in school to be an expert in their practice. Lawyers spend 5 years in the University and another 1 year in Law School before they are fully qualified. To become an Estate Surveyor and Valuer will require 5 years of practical and theoretical study of Estate Management in the Tertiary Institution, and another 2 years tutelage after graduation. This process applies to almost every profession in the world. So, how can someone say one-and-a-half years is too long to learn a lifetime business?
Sadly however, 5 years after, our friend who considers this period too long to learn the trade has turned himself into a nuisance, practically begging to eat, with no sense of identity or work. 5 years of his life have been wasted without knowing. Failure may be indeliberate, as you may not need to do anything to fail; however, success must be deliberate – conscious efforts and actions must be taken to achieve it, you must desire it. Someone had said that, ‘A life without a purpose is an experiment, and life is too short to be used as an experiment’. Certain mistakes we make in life can never be remedied; this is why we need to think ahead about the likely effects of our actions and inactions. Don’t do today what you will regret tomorrow.
The clock is fast ticking – what improvements are we making in our life. A wise old man once advised a 30-year old man to go back to school and study law; the young man vehemently opposed the idea and told the old man that if he goes back to school, he will be 35 years old by the time he will be graduating. The old man interjected and asked him, if you decide not to go for the course, how old will you be in 5 years’ time? The young man became mute; because, he will still be 35 years old, but without a law degree.
It is very important to do what we need to do when we need to do it. Everything has its time and season. One of our most valued clients once advised that, ‘It is always good to do things when others (especially, your colleagues/ age mates) are doing it, as you may not have the money, time or energy to do it later. This man attributed his success in life to this philosophy. Psychologists have discovered that in life, people regret more about the things they did not do (which they had the opportunity to do), than the things they actually did. This is why we need to live a planned life; we are not expected to live by chance.
Experience, they say, is the best teacher; but a wise man once said, “provided that experience is from other people”. It is always better to learn from the mistakes or undoings of others, in order not to keep reinventing the wheel on bad things. This reminds me on what a very close friend of mine, Tunde (not real name) shared with me sometime ago. Tunde’s parents (now retired) occupied top positions in well-established corporations in Lagos, Nigeria while in active service. They enjoyed the best of everything life could provide: lived in the mansion the company provided for them, drove brand new exotic cars of that time, went on annual holidays to countries of their choice, but today, after retirement, all those are gone, and sadly, they don’t have a single piece of real estate to call theirs; they currently live in rented apartment. Tunde told me that he still do ask his parents what they were doing when their age mates were buying lands in the choicest locations in Lagos such as Yaba, Surulere, Magodo, and Lekki. Although, Tunde currently lives in the United States, he has invested a lot in real estate through us because he doesn’t want to make the same mistake.
Early this year, Tunde called that he is trying to acquire a piece of land for his parents in the Ajah area of Lagos and that we should show them some good available plots. They came as planned, and in the course of the inspection, I could see disappointment written all over their face. I asked to know what was wrong, they opened up to me that just few years ago, they offered them some land to buy at ridiculously low prices in Lekki Phase One, but nothing looked appealing as at then, as the only thing they could see were ‘swamp’ called land, and so, they rejected the offer; “but today, we know better”, said Tunde’s daddy. The mother responded by saying, ‘A person’s morning starts the moment he or she wakes up’. That’s a good consolatory statement – it’s better late than never. However, how would you perceive someone who wakes up by 4:00pm when others are already returning from work?
Oh Lord, please teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom. The above true life stories are for our learning and example because most of our readers ‘still have the time’ to make decisive decisions about the future. Let us learn from the mistakes of others. No doubt, real estate is one of the best legacies to hold and pass over to your children and loved ones. It is still the best way to store and preserve wealth; a true measure of one’s wealth is tied to real estate assets under ones portfolio. Another interesting thing about real estate (also called real property), is that it is fixed in a particular location; you can import and export anything from any part of the world, but not land or houses – you’ve got to go meet them wherever they are located. This is one of the reasons we always advise Nigerians in diaspora to invest in real estate back home. You see, no matter how bad we may claim our country is, home will always be home, and as they say, there’s no place like home. Even if you have naturalized (became citizen of another country) and you speak other countries languages so fluently, the identity of the Nigerian blood in you can never be erased.
Having said that, we must acknowledge the fact that many Nigerians in diaspora and those at home have bought properties in major cities of the country, and in their hometowns. We sincerely commend their wisdom and thoughtfulness in this regard. We are also aware of others who had, at one time or the other, made effort to invest in real estate here, but got their fingers burnt, and have determined never to try it again. We understand how painful this could be, but this should be taken as a lesson on how not to do it, which will make you better and more experienced in the long run. Don’t deny yourself of the great future benefits that real estate investment provides. The problem of some other people is the difficulty in trusting anyone with their hard-earned money, since almost every Nigerian is ‘perceived’ to be a 419 (that is, fraudulent). Agreed, there are some bad eggs in the system, but today, there’s a new wave of transformation in the country as there many trusted Nigerians in various sectors and professions. You can get them through referrals from your friends and colleagues that may have engaged their services in the past. We can confidently say that 80% of our existing clients are directed to us through this kind of referrals, and because we have our name, goodwill and reputation to protect, you can be well assured to get the best service you can never get elsewhere.
The quality of our life is a function of the quality of the decisions we make on a daily basis. We are what we repeatedly do. Unfortunately, we all fall into the kind of deception which makes us to believe that we have all the time in the world to do what we want to do; this is indeed a fallacy. Let’s avoid the statement of the fools, which is, ‘Had I known’. As long as the clock does not stop to tick, we are aging per second. Let’s approach everything we do with a sense of urgency. Make hay while the sun shines; a stitch in time saves nine. Indeed, delay could be dangerous. If you want to feel lazy, just remember the Nike slogan, “Just Do It”.
As usual, we want to remind you that we care so much about you, and that when it comes to your real estate investment and advisory, we are always here to give you the very best service you can never get elsewhere. That is our promise, and will always be.
Meanwhile, please find below the powerpoint presentations of our current properties for sale in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Thank you.
Affordable Properties For Sale in LAGOS, Nigeria
Affordable Properties For Sale in ABUJA, FCT
Affordable Properties For Sale in PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE
