You may have hear that the Mid-Atlantic States got a bit of snow last week. Two blizzards back-to-back that dumped anywhere from a couple of feet to almost 40″ depending on where you were and how the wind was blowing. The first phase was the one that hit hardest. 18 hours of straight snow and, for my wife and I, a long driveway in order to get to the road after it was over.
But we started shoveling. About 2 hours into it we still had a long way to go and at the end of our driveway was about five feet from where the snow plows came down the road. It was not a pretty sight. Along came some enterprising entrepreneurs who offered to help…for money. After a little back and forth, we struck a bargain and they began to work on the rest of the driveway.
It was the perfect capitalist, free market transaction. They has something of value — strong backs, a willingness to work and snow shovels — and I had something they wanted — cash. I don’t know how many metric tons of snow they moved with two snow shovels but it was a lot. The worked steady and hard for the next three hours. When they were done, the driveway was clear, I had easy access to the road and my wife’s car had been de-snowed (is that a word?). All was right with the world.
I gave them the cash. They thanked me and left. What really impressed me other than the work they put in was that they didn’t ask for the money up front or even a “deposit”. I can’t count the number of vendors who target real estate professionals that want to know they’re getting paid before providing anything of value.
What’s This Have to do with Immigration and Real Estate?
By now you might have guessed that my entrepreneurial friends were not your run of the mill, white bread Caucasian (like me). They had a great grasp of the English language (one a bit better than the other) but it was obvious they were Latino, Hispanic or whatever the PC term is for Spanish speakers. I didn’t ask for proof of citizenship or a Green Card. Who would? I didn’t care if they were sending the money back home or putting it in a bank account on the Cayman Islands. I just needed my driveway shoveled out and they were willing to do it.
Much has been made of how immigrants, especially those who are undocumented, will do the work that “regular Americans” will not do. In exchange, they are preyed upon by foreclosure and loan mod scam artists, predatory lenders that take advantage of the language barrier, steered toward homes that are overpriced and in poor condition. People say they are using services and draining available resources away from true blue, patriotic Americans. I say, get a life. People come to this country for opportunity and are willing to work for it, buy a home to enjoy with their family and do a whole lot better at saving money (even if it’s in a coffee can in the back yard) than most folks.
I’ve always been inclined toward a liberal immigration policy but this past week bought it home for me. In my own home.
