How are we finding the experiences?
I am delighted to be sharing another true-life story on this page with you, I hope you are take these lessons serious. You will be glad you did. Remember you can also call on us for further counsel and assistance.
“I am Mr. Victor Ogundipe, a vice principal of a secondary school here in Lagos. I lived in Abule-Egba area of Lagos for 16 years as a tenant.
It was an interesting experience because I happened to have a landlord then that was good natured and always at peace with his neighbours. For being a nice tenant, my landlord then made me the official caretaker with the mandate to oversee the general cleanliness of the entire compound, undertake minor repairs on the house and collect rents on his behalf.
But the visit of my brother in-law from Germany in Europe opened my eyes to the fact that no matter how benevolent my landlord was the fact remained that I was still a tenant in the house and could be asked to vacate the house one day.
It all started like a joke in January 1996 when I wanted to pay my rent for the year, my brother in-law looked at the money I had counted to go and pay the landlord and said, ‘Do you know you have built this type of house for this man somewhere without knowing?’ He asked me to estimate how much I have paid as rent all the years I had been living there as a tenant. When I did, the figure was staggering. Right there, I discovered that I could also have a house of my own if I should start to do something towards that direction.
I could still remember that he explained to me that if it were in Europe, the building could later become my own property through what he called a rent-to-own arrangement. Unfortunately, that type of arrangement is not available here. No matter the money you pay on a property as a tenant, you remain a tenant forever if you cannot build a house of your own.
The way out was for me to look for a plot of land to buy in Abule-Egba area where I lived. Unfortunately, plots of land people bought for N250,000 when we newly packed into the area had gone beyond the reach of a teacher like myself. To get a plot of land there you will be ready to cough out more than N4 million.
I decided to tell some of my friends who are into real estate business to help me to look for a plot of land to buy. After about three months one of them told me he had found one at Ofada, in Lagos-Ogun State axis for N550,000 per plot. I looked at the distance, I looked at the money, who dash teacher N550,000? I became confused the more.
But I summoned courage and decided to go for the inspection of the land. What I saw was alright, given the proximity of the land to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
It is a major link to so many areas of Lagos. All I could express was interest on the land but there was no money to back it up. In order not to lose the land to another buyer, I approached my brother in-law in Germany to buy the land, because we discovered that it was a genuine land with the real owner as vendor.
Instead of sending the money, he asked me how much I had that he would lend me the rest to be able to pay for the land. I told him the amount of money at my disposal and he also made good his promise by sending me the balance through Western Union Money Transfer.
So immediately, I went to pay for the land and the land owner issued a receipt of payment and another agreement note that bound the seller to me, two other people also signed as witnesses and we took copies of the agreement each.
Thereafter, I discovered that building with cement is a thing of the poor. Although it may be expensive, it gives you the opportunity to develop the house little by little overtime without losing what you have put on ground. Rain cannot destroy the structure even though you leave it for years, the day you have money you start to build on it.
It was in my own case I discovered that except God builds for you all efforts for man to build for himself do not succeed. At this period, my brother in-law started sending fairly used items and motor parts for me to sell for him. He would give me the price to sell them for him, whatever comes over the price automatically became my own proceed from the transaction.
I made some money from this and paid him the money he lent me to purchase the land and started building the house.
It was my wife, a house help and I, so, naturally, I did not need a gigantic structure to solve my shelter problem. I did not see any wisdom in going to design a big house that I could not finish. It does not matter what anybody would say, you make your suit according to your cloth.
I settled for a two-bedroom apartment with all the facilities needed for my comfort included in the design. The plot of land was well utilized to contain a major building at the front of the plot while this two-bedroom building occupied the rear part of the plot.
It was a simple design that was easy for the building supervisor to produce. Within a period of two years, I completed the building. The finishing was superb. I started living there with my wife and two kids. Anytime we had visitors, my wife would leave her room and relocate to my side.
When the children were now growing up, I knew it was time to do something on the remaining part of the plot so that we can all live comfortably.
My income had increased. I was no longer a poor teacher, the emolument had increased and goods were also sent to me from oversea countries to market for people. That was when I built the four flats of three bedrooms at the front of the house.
The message I want to pass across in this testimony is for people to plan to become landlord with what they have at present. You do not need a mansion to solve your shelter problem.
It does not make sense for a very young man who is newly married to be looking for a six bedroom duplex to live. That is where the problem lies. They want to prove to the world they have arrived. At the end of the day their properties are thrown to the street. It is better to plan with the resources at your disposal by building a simple design that would address your need. As your life improves, you build bigger building.
Omo-oniles problem cannot stop anybody from building. You give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and move on. Land speculators are every where. Ask questions on how to settle them and you jump over the challenge.
I am a landlord today because I dreamt, planned and was committed to the dream and plans. From a humble beginning, you can save yourself from the hassles of tenancy and the moment you do that, you will be more focused to do better things for yourself.”

Need I say more? See you next edition for another interesting experience.
To your success!

I know as a formal student, the word “Test” does not sound too pleasing to your hearing because it conjures some strenuous memory. Not to worry, the test I am recommending for you here is not exactly like the type in schools. This is real life and it will be administered on you by a trained personnel. For the purpose of this article I will like to call it the First Home Ownership Barometer. It is being designed to be able to predict when the person taking the test will be able to build his first house, where and size of house depending on the financial abilities of the person, the untapped but “monitisable” resources he/she has and other factors.
I am presently working on the parameters of the Test Kit and should be ready to demonstrate it to the public by the end of the second quarter of the year.
Something sent me on this voyage and made me decide to recommend taking the test to you as soon as it is available. First be rest assured, you will not have to pay any money in order for you to take the test and it will be administered by specially trained personnel when the time comes. They, the administrators will be able to guide you through the test and offer tangible advise thereafter on what to do with the result. The result is actually my goal. For a long time, I have being cracking my head on how to be able to tell a man almost precisely what to do to be his own landlord or at least have a built apartment to his name somewhere. This should tell the size, location and how long it will probably take to achieve it and what the resultant effect will be on his life thereafter. I figured if people can know this in advance, it may help my one man crusade against Nigerians reliving the story a typical Nigerian Landlord. Remember the story? Sorry if you don’t, I will repeat it some other time, just stay tuned or check out some of our past editions.
Put simply, you will be able to determine when, how and why to “Sack Your Lanldlord!” when you take this test.
Would you like to take the test then? Kindly let me know what you think about this idea by sending an email to realtypointoffice@yahoo.com about your willingness to take such take. Tag the mail; Sack Your Landlord!TM Barometer. I will be expecting please.
May be you are like some of us who wouldn’t want to wait for a time before engaging in the right thing to do. If you think it’s time you Sack Your LandlordTM , So do we at Realty Point Limited. And we can make it happen for you. Take a simple step now, join Prime Estate Housing Co-operative Multipurpose Society Limited. That’s the platform designed to make you a landlord starting with just N5,000 joining fee. This is a friendly advice, take it, call Miss Gloria James on 08035181138, 07028023009 or email primecooperative@yahoo.com for more information.
To your success.
Send me mails if you still need further information.