Meet Mark Kreditor: Renaissance Man of Tin Pan Alley Music, and Real Estate Lyrics

Had a fun time last night listening to the man who probably owns and manages more rent houses than anyone else in Dallas play the piano and sing Tin Pan Alley at Chabad of Dallas. Mark H. Kreditor is a well-known fixture to any realtor — he teaches MLS classes on rental property management at MetroTex and at Champion School of Real Estate. He is the owner of a Dallas property management company called “Get There First Realty” which manages more than 1600 residential rental properties. And yes, if you lease one of his units, Mark Kreditor will check your credit!

Can you even fathom what his in-box looks like?

Many in Mark’s family were teachers. Champion Teacher of the Year, Kelly Logsdon-Rush tells me he begins all his classes by saying, “don’t invest in real estate!” Kreditor moved to Dallas 32 years ago from Boston, where he took elective classes in music and performed five nights a week at Lilly’s, a popular Boston sing-a-long bar. Music is his passion, along with real estate and he teaches his “Jews of Tin Pan Alley” classes at Florence Melton School Yavneh Academy and many churches and synagogues across the country. All this and he is a marathon runner, too. Mark gave us bios and played music by Irving Berlin, America’s most successful popular song composer; Jerome Kern, the father of modern American theater music; Harold Arlen (whose twin died at birth), America’s second Stephen Foster; George Gershwin, Tin Pan Alley’s symphonic composer  who died tragically at age 39; and of course Dean of the American musical, Richard Rodgers.

“I always say I have more fingers on one hand then real estate investors I’ve met who actually make money,” says Mark. “Over 20% of tenants skip, values rarely rise in the areas most invest in and generally, with the exception of nice properties, people lose their shirts in real estate. My job is to help my clients lose less money. I spend my day, my life listening to people complain about having to fix things or clean up skips. I hope you can see why I get so much more enjoyment with training, educating and playing music.”

Absolutely! Mark shared his real-estate Landlord lyrics that he writes for the National Association of Residential Property Managers. Hum “These Are A Few of my Favorite Things” by Rodgers and Hammerstein from The Sound of Music and pop in these lyrics – sound familiar?

“MY FAVORITE THINGS” by Rodgers & Hammerstein 1959

I want Southern exposure, and I want bedroom bay windows, 3 baths and 2 halves is all to me you should show, attic and basement and a Jacuzzi for me, these are a few of my favorite things.

I want Good schools and no crime and lots of rich neighbors, lawns great and fresh paint and colors that I favor, hot tub and sauna just there for my flings these are a few of my favorite things.

I have no cash, do you give terms, my credit is not OK, and oh did I tell you the ten kids I have please just get me moved today.

Please say you’ll help me I’m good for your rent roll, my friends they need housing there’s many due for parole. Let’s talk and make deal a house key on my ring, These are a few of my favorite things.

You can show the house if it does sell, oh just be a stud, and now that you’ve said yes your under arrest you see that I work for HUD.