Switch good idea or not

I have been reading the post started by Lenora. I am currently taking the real estate course have done all of the 20 mini exams, passed and just have to write the final exam.
In Canada the housing market is sliding, but not like the US. Not sure if it will stay this way, approx. down 11%, listings are at an all time high. It's a buyers market although people are sitting on the fence waiting for the prices to go down more. Prices where I lived have more than doubled in the last five years.

My problem. I work on contract for a company that is not the greatest. I work on commission and do ok but want/need a change. I thought real estate would be a good fit for me as I am already in sales and have been for years. My plan was to keep my current project and sell real estate as well.
It's very expensive to start up as you have to join all the associations and that costs $$$.

Recently I began to wonder if I should do something else and hold off until the market improves. I don't have any extra to carry me while I sell a house. It could take months or even longer.

I attended a meeting at a cruise type travel agency and there is a cost but you can sell cruises on commission, there are no desk fees and the support is incredible. I receive no support at my current position. My plan would be to do both and this is possible as my current position only needs attention approx. 2 hours per day.

I am torn. Should I continue on with the real estate with the market the way it is. Or should I get involved in a new career that may or may not have more potential?
Is anyone on this forum in the travel industry or know anyone who is in it? I have heard the travel industry has slowed down but the cruise industry is booming, especially with boomers.
What do you think?

Kate

You may want to touch base with Princess Lenora. She is new to real estate and may have soemthing to share.

I know you're in Canada, so it's a different story, but in the US, realtors who have been practicing for years, are hurting.

Kate, be cautious about thinking you can make money selling cruises. How would you get customers? You'll run out of friends and family very quickly; cruises are too expensive for most of us to take very often.

The big companies advertise heavily in the online market and in print travel magazines. It would cost quite a bit to get in on that market, I think. Does the cruise company send you leads?

K

PS: Just got back from a short Mon-Fri cruise today! Will post pics over the weekend.

The company has a retail outlet and I can work in the office which they encourage. Of course they hope that you will let your friends and family know. It appears that they are a very supportive company that advertises and their flyers, brochures etc. don't cost you anything. You also get your own website. You don't have to sell just cruises but that is what is most popular in this particular office.

I already have a job so this would be for me to make some extra money. With extremely high rents in the city I live in, I just don't make enough to support myself and my kids. That is why I chose real estate. I planned to work in it part time and keep my current position. Then if things changed I would go full time into real estate. With the market the way it is now, I thought I should try to get into a second job where there is the potential to make some extra money quicker than waiting for a house to sell.
I could just get a part time job in retail but the pay is not very good.
I'm searching for ideas. Have an appointment with the cruise office next week. They want to interview me to see if I would be a good fit for their office. They have more than a few people interested. I plan to check it out anyway and ask more detailed questions.
Kate
(would love to see your pictures)

KAte, I'm going to begin a post callel Profitable Part-Time Jobs. Perhaps others have soem good ideas.

Look at the Finances forum.

Kate, welcome back.

Victoria and VAncovuer are very high real estate markets in Canada. I suspect Victoria is now on par with Toronto.

I bet the residents in nice, good lifestyle cities of Kingston (Ontario), London (ontario), Ottawa are just having it good with much lower real estate prices. You should be there...i know, i know ...you have children..

Hi Katebcca,
Your story sounds like a carbon copy of mine. I'm from Vancouver. After working 10 years in finance (60 hours per week +), I thought it is either the money or my health (or sanity). I had tried recruiting two years ago which I liked but the company I worked for had this goal to become the top company in the world so their agenda was not my agenda. I went back to finance. Now I'm burned out again. I just joined the cruise ship consulting industry here in Vancouver. I'd say any job where you get paid commission will only work if you are full-on committed and you really know your stuff. There are a dime a dozen consultants out there in both industries and I think one can only succeed if really good at it. I am willing to give it a shot. If it does not work, I can always go back (heaven forbid!!). However, I am a bit flexible on finances for a bit. But if you are going to do either part-time, you can see if you like it. I did the recruiting for six months and knew that that particular scenario was not for me. I did not regret that decision but know I have to do something (for the next 15 years)...unfortunately too young and not rich enough to retire....
Hope all goes well. These are really hard decisions to make... it is like jumping off a cliff. I just did it and we'll see how it goes. Being optimistic and working hard is a good start to anything.
Good luck.
SH

Another thing I want to add...you've already done much of the work in the real estate area...switching gears right now would mean you would lose that knowledge and momentum in the field.

Also, you already have a sales background...that is a huge benefit. That was my biggest hurdle. I sit in an office surrounded by papers and add numbers. Although I'm a social butterfly, having to talk to people I don't know...major stress. I took Toastmasters to help me out. So you have a couple of things in your favour already.

Hey, if you don't try, you'll never know.

SM

We are getting the brunt of the finance crisis in the US. Stock market is down, and people are hesitant in investing. Therefore, I think those with money will continue to invest; but in real-estate.

I am selling smaller apartments more than ever before. The houses are stagnating, but hey; three apartments are equivalent to one house sale.

I think stick to your guns on this. You can do rentals as well, if sales don’t go.

I had a friend that did cruises. She worked with a travel agency, and not only organized the cruises but went on them as well. It was a stress full job with little pay. Her employers thought they were doing her a big favour on letting her go on the cruise for free. Right, and listen to hundreds of tiny complaints per day. She would have preferred the money.

This is really food for thought. I have done a lot of work already with real estate. Just have to write the exam but find the math really difficult. I failed the first try at it and it was due to the math.

I love to travel and am really bored at my current position as I work in an office alone. My job is basically cold calling. I'm burnt out. I thought a nice change in the cruise industry would be interesting but maybe I shouldn't switch gears so soon. It's just that financially I am in a stressful situation like many.

I don't make enough at my current position to make ends meet so I pay what I can and then use my credit cards. I have three kids, two at home but I help out my eldest as he has an addiction. See my story under children. He has just gone to another treatment center (number 10) He is a real drain on me financially and emotionally.

The rents where I live are very high and my rent takes more than half of my monthly income. I actually pay less than most but it's too high. It's $1350.00 a month not including utilities. Most houses in my city rent for over $2,000 a month. When I moved in over 4 years ago you could rent houses for $1200.00, since our real estate prices have doubled over the past 5 years, the rents have gone way up. I can't move as everything is more expensive than what I pay now. So, I need two jobs. The one I have now, and another one. I work on commission at my current job and do have time during the day to take something else on, but what.

If I get my license and work in real estate it will be commission with lots of money going out in expenses. I can't afford this at the moment. My other thought was to work a part-time job for the next six months to get out of debt, and then write the exam.
Kate

Your first year OR TWO of being in Real Estate, it's more going out for fees' etc. then is coming in. Unless you can afford to support yourself totally for at least six months, I would wave bye, bye to real estate. This is a FACT!

Get a part-time job to go with what ytou're doing now and when you are more secure then try your hand at Real Estate. I know of not one R.E. Brokers that hires part-time help.

You might also want to keep an eye out for a less expensive place to live...

Yes, I get this. I have heard it from many real estate agents. Nothing but money out.

Offices do hire part-time agents where I live but it is not the best. Part-time anything in sales is difficult. You need to be on call 24/7.

Looking for a less expensive place to live is a great idea but I can't leave my Mom at 83 and leave town. Also teens are entrenched in high school and their friends. It's also very expensive to move. There is nothing cheaper really unless I move over 100 miles away.

I think working at another job part time will be best so I can bring in extra money. At least for the immediate moment.
Kate

Well bless your heart and I will pray that you find something you like that pays a decent amount of moula, and that it helps. It is never easy for we women though is it, having to worry about everyone else along the way.