Survival In An Urban Environment

I find myself here in Houston, Texas the 4th largest city in the United States, it is a sprawling vast urban landscape located some 40 miles from the backwaters of the Gulf of Mexico. I am 43 years old, slightly out of shape and with precious little money. It is summer so the temperature here is hot, the environment humid and place filled with the confounding action you would find in any major city in the world. Cars, traffic and congestion are the rule, life is fast and the people can be crazy. It can be a dangerous place with crime and the social ills of any U.S. city. You have to keep your head up and your eyes on the prize. I intend to show you how to survive in such a place and possibly even flourish.

A word or two about myself are in order, suffice to say I've been in real estate and real estate development for the past 8 years. I've developed and built condos, townhomes and houses through out the inner city and a few in Angleton, Texas. I was born, raised and educated in this city, have experienced the best clubs and social engagements and the lowest dives. After a series of devastating losses I find myself now ready to move forward, but it's going to be a tough go of it. With no steady income and an expertise in a field that can be a rich man's game, I will try to show you and possibly myself how to get ahead in such a place. But I warn you, I'm starting from a point that can best be described as "dead in the water" so it might ( probably will ) get ugly at times. Fear and panic can be mortal enemies in a situation like this, but I've seen more than a few pitches come over the plate so I plan on using my expertise, experience, contacts and intimate knowledge of this city to stay focused and do the one thing I truly love - building.

Along the way a certain cast of characters will come and go, some are social friends, others business related, and some lifelong friends, oh and a few lady friends. Urban survival depends on a complex social networking of all and sometimes can mean the difference between losing or keeping your head about you. Highs and lows are commonplace in a setting like this. Here for example I'm exiting my friend's new Porsche after a robust test drive. My own mode of transportation can only be described as basic, but more about transportation and surviving the city later. All that said, with hard work, a little fun and some luck, I hope to document my attempts at getting back in the game. I invite you to come along, and promise it will not be boring.