DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER!

We all tend to judge a person by how they look. We will also judge by the color of the skin, the tattoos on the arm, the way words are spoken, and a thousand other ways. When will we learn that we really are doing a disservice by judging a book by its cover. If I would have judged in the first year of my career, I would have missed out not only on a business relationship but also a fine friendship now for many years.

The whole family came into the high-priced Simi Valley real estate listing I was holding open. They looked like real schleps! Like they just threw on the clothes and tennies. Hair messed, torn jeans...I figured they were just open housing. Didn't get much chance to talk with them, but I kept in touch, heard about their business out of the garage in the first-time homebuyer tract and how they wanted to buy a high-priced home. How, I couldn't figure out, as they looked like they couldn't afford anything.

Guess what! These folks outgrew their home as their business in the garage needed a commercial property, they wanted to sell their little first-time homebuyer home and purchased a big, beautiful new home that is a Simi Valley luxury home. Who kept in touch with them throughout the years? Who helped them with their purchases when it came time to locate Simi Valley homes for sale? And who would have lost out on a friendship that has lasted all these years?

I didn't lose...I didn't judge a book by its cover.