Genma Speaks

Entrepreneur/ Writer/ Radio-Host

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Angels with Tattoos and Their Acts of Kindness

The rain poured from the sky. It came with such a force that I was dreading the ride home after spending the day at a retreat. Before buckling in and turning on the ignition I called my family to let them know I was headed from downtown Nashville. I also called a friend who was driving back to DC to check in with her. The weather was on both of our minds.


Getting on to the interstate proved to be tricky as I navigated streets that appeared to be ready to be declared closed due to flooding. I thought to myself, "Good thing I am up high in a jeep." The little beat up car I drive around town would have had water up to the seats. I managed to file into the long line creeping out I-40 East. Several cars sped by as if they were rolling on dry payment. The closer I inched out East, the more wrecks I  noticed. Being a slow driver anyway, I was not in a rush to out run mother nature. Steady but nervously, I made my way home.

As I was passing wreck number four on my drive, it had stopped raining as I started exiting off Hermitage A's lane near the Percy Priest dam. Less than two miles from home and feeling upbeat, I was not prepared for the sudden horror that I was about to experience. In all my years, I have never been in a car wreck. One hit from behind when I was pregnant with my Marine son 26 years ago but that was it. Not even a speeding ticket on my driving record. My record would suddenly change on Saturday with a gust of wind and a slippery patch of highway.

In a split second, I was hurling through the air slamming into a concrete wall like I was a feather blowing in the wind. One roll after another, the jeep I was driving flipped over and over and over. Six times I rolled, I was told much later. As I was rolling, twirling like cars in the movies during a pretend tornado, I thought, this jeep is not going to stop so maybe it will turn into a transformer car that Grand Price, my grandson, talks about so much. Please transform I remember thinking because there are nothing but cars waiting to run over me if the rolling does not stop.

When it ran out of rolling juice, the jeep popped upright as if it had burped. I began bracing mentally to be hit by another vehicle not knowing if I was dead or alive as the jeep filled with smoke. I did not know if I flipped onto the traffic below on I-40 or if I was dangling from the overpass. I heard a weird noise but I could not open my eyes. I managed to pinch myself to see if I could feel anything. When I felt nothing, I wondered if I had broken my neck or if I was a goner. As soon as death entered my head, I realize I did not scream Jesus' name. Or did I? So this is how it ends; in my son's jeep. I heard that weird noise again at that exact moment and started thinking about Grand Prince. Who is going to read to him? He is going to be raised without me. A loud popping sound invaded my thoughts and I heard voices yelling to get me out.

While I was musing about Grand Prince, a hand reached in through a broken window and touched me. Another hand touched my hand and I squeezed it. I manged to mumble "help." A voice said, "Don't open your eyes, you have glass all over you. It is going to be okay." As a total stranger's hand held my hand,  I could feel tears on my face. Another voice said softly, "I am a nurse. You are going to be okay. " I could feel her touching me. When she asked me if I could talk, I said, " I think so." My eyes were still closed. More voices were heard. One even said, "Mrs. Holmes stay with us." Where am I going I thought and how do you know me? God, you are here with me? Right? The reality of the shortness of life was engulfing my thoughts with every breath I was taking.

What seemed like an eternity, the door was finally pulled opened. Two big hands reached in and gently felt my arms for broken bones and then asked if I could move my legs. If my neck is broken, then that would be impossible right? Right. I moved my feet slowly. Ah ha! They moved. A big shout from the big hands person letting everyone know. I heard sirens blasting and then that weird noise again. The nurse said, "I am answering your phone. Someone has been trying to face-time you." Is that what that noise is I asked myself? The nurse told the caller I was in an accident. I heard crying and knew right away it was Grand Prince and then I heard my daughter voice and her gasp. Hearing their voices made me determined then to get out of the jeep. I opened my eyes a wee bit and could see tattooed arms assisting me. As one tattoo after another reached in, I thought these tattoos are works of art. Picasso came rushing into my thoughts. My ears were tuned to the voices working together to help me out of the vehicle. They all sounded like a choir as they worked in harmony to get me out of my mangled metal and glass tomb. When I was finally unbuckled, I heard a voice say, "She's wearing her seat-beat."

As my legs were being pulled from under the crushed dashboard, I heard a firm voice reassuring me. "Do you think you can stand up," I was asked. The voice was one of the paramedics who had arrived. He took over as the nurse stood aside while continuing to answer calls that were pouring in. As if I was child following Peter Pan, I reached for him and noticed right away the huge tattoo on his right forearm. I glance at my nurse and noticed even my nurse had a tattoo too. Letting my 'palmist' hands go I grab the arms of the paramedic and prayed with all my might as my feet touched the ground. At that moment, my eyes were fully opened and I could see a clear sky and cars backed up for miles as they strolled past the wreckage . There were eyes peering from cars looking back at me. Trying to connect voices with faces, I realized I was surrounded by an army of mostly strangers. In my dazed and shaken state, I  did recognized a few neighbors who pulled over after seeing me. Even two customers faces were in the crowd. An officer was making his way through the crowd as I was being helped one tiny step at a time to the ambulance that was waiting. The short walk to the ambulance seem like a thousand miles.





As I was being put in the ambulance, my daughter and Grand Prince managed to make it the scene. Her face told me she was terrified. I could hear my sweet grandson crying from somewhere in the distance. My body was numb from shock as I tried to give the nice officer my name and the details of the accident. With each attempt at trying to tell him what happened, I could only managed a 'Dear God, I am alive." I finally gave up trying to tell him anything. The first voice that I heard when this saga begun belonged to a young man who held my hand. He wore a spiked hair cut and looked to be no more than a teenager. When he handed me my purse, I saw his tattoo and looked at him and smiled. He had gathered all of my items from my purse that were that were thrown everywhere and put them back in my purse. I whispered 'thank you so much' and he squeezed my hand again and left without saying word. My daughter identified me as her mother and shared my information with the officer. She group texted team Holmes and someone contacted the Wolcotts to let them know.

As the paramedics took my vitals, they kept looking at me then each other. As they were watching over me, I was looking at both of their tattooed arms. I broke the silence by saying through a teary voice, "I love your tattoos. I will never forget them." They both laughed. I heard one say as if he was my dad, "You walked away from a really bad accident. You are going to be sore for sure tomorrow. Do you want to go to the hospital?" No. I just wanted to go home. When he pressed that I go to the hospital, I pushed back and insisted on going home. The big armed paramedic touched my hair to rid it of a piece of glass and said as an after thought. "You were covered in glass. And you have no cuts." His counterpart started helping him remove more glass from my hair as they gave me instructions on how to use a paint brush to help get rid of the rest.

Summit Hospital was a stone's throw from the wreckage. But the thought of going there was too much. The paramedics kept me a few more minutes and asked for forms to be signed stating that I declined going to the hospital. As I sat in the ambulance, the Holmes cavalry arrived. The looks on their stunned faces told me everything. I lived. I had no words to say but to ask about the insurance. Later, as I was helped into my daughter's car, Grand Prince tears had dried but he had the look that all of the Holmes were wearing; confused, bewildered and thankful. He immediately reached for my hands as I sat back in the backseat with him still in a state of shock. My daughter shared as we were waiting for the wreckage to be cleared away, "Mom, out of the blue he started saying your name and was trying to face-time you. He just kept dialing and dialing you as if he knew something was wrong. Then I got the call. Can you believe that?" Yes, I thought to myself.  I believe.


On the short drive home, questions galore came rushing at once. What happened? Who were all those people? Where did they come from? Where did the go? How do I say thank you? Did anyone get the nurse's number? The young man? Who are his parents? Were the paramedics with Engine 32? Will I ever see them again? Each question was followed by a thank you prayer.




My neighbors were sweet as they stopped by the next day. My closest friends are a phone call away.  Texts from friends in the medical field letting me know when to come into their offices for appointments were responded too. The Holmes crew has been understanding and patience with me. My Grand Prince has told me a thousand times how much he loves his "Bam Mom." The voices of total strangers are still being heard during my naps and moments of silence. And angels with beautiful tattoos and their random acts of kindness shown toward me will remain in my heart and seared in my memory. Forever. Phil. 1:3



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Saturday, August 20, 2016

A Leiper's Fork Homeowner On Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

Join Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes as we profile organizations, leaders, and volunteers who lead by example. With extraordinary acts of kindness and charitable giving that help countless lives daily, these organizations, leaders, and volunteers  embody, "Be the change you want to see in the world."


A Leiper's Fork homeowner will join us to discuss the pros and cons of selling a home in a cyber world. Selling a home a few years ago was simpler  but definitely required the personal touch. Listen to a homeowner's lessons learned while trying to sell her home.  Unfortunately, not everyone who sets up an appointment to view a home is actually there as a potential buyer.


Hear tips on how to spot an imposter posing as a buyer and when not to engage an offer based on one seller's experience. Listeners will hear how one crooked couple from Colorado has been determined to take sellers on an emotional roller coaster ride. No one knows why they have picked the Leiper's Fork area as their playground for their con-games but eight families have been snarled in their tangle web of lies and offers to purchase their homes.

This show will give potential buyers a list of items needed before searching for the perfect house to call home whether looking for a modest price range or multi-million dollar property in the Williamson County, Tennessee. This show promises to give insight and thought to purchasing a home if you a first time buyer or selling your fourth house!


Living Your Best Life is heard on 760AM in the Nashville-Middle TN Region, Inspirational Networks, in military homes, and Ustream.TV worldwide.



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Sunday, August 14, 2016

Realtors: Beware of Crooked Couple Posing as Multi-Millionaires in the Leiper's Fork Community


My previous post about the Kimberly (Kim) and Phillip W. (Phil) McDowell has generated many emails. And tons of commentary. More and more agents are coming forward stating they crossed paths with The McDowells in the last few years. From Colorado to Tennessee, the behavior of Kim and Phil McDowell was consistently odd and eerie.

Several agents made snap decisions and decided right away, this couple is not going to waste my time and dismissed their inquiries about viewing homes for sale. In Tennessee, the homes The McDowells were fond of viewing were immaculate multi-million dollar homes with every amenities imaginable on sprawling acres of land in Willamson County. The homes Kim and Phil McDowell put contracts on were off the beaten path, isolated and quite in the Leiper's Fork community.


The agents who were not dismissive of The McDowells found themselves being not only realtors trying to broker a multimillion home sale but in need of impromptu therapy after trying to help this "uber wealthy" relocated couple navigate life altering challenges one after another. From Kim's sudden diagnosis of cancer, the day before closing, to their estate lawyer being in a car-wreck on the way to a closing with all of their paperwork to the federal government freezing millions of dollars in an off shore account, The McDowells had agents, buyers and sellers, wishing their inner voice that said 'something is not right' had been louder. Much louder!



Some agents who engaged The McDowells commented that when dealing with the public, one should never judge a book by its cover. True. But The McDowells are not books. They are depraved conartists who claim to be from Wales, England  (Kim) and Littleton, Colorado (Phil) with staff to help them mange their imaginary McMansion. And in this day and age of craze and deranged individuals being the new black, everyone in the business of selling goods and services to the public, must be extra deligient in protecting themselves (and clients) from individuals whose brazen petty crimes maybe an indicator of other hidden deviant activity or the beginning of them escalating into more sinister acts. By sharing The McDowells' con-games with the public, these posts are meant to not only inform sellers and agents but the public as well.

I am in the service business. Without the personal touch of face to face interactions, my 80% referrals from customers would die on the vine. But I have had a few encounters with potential customers that made my skin crawl. And made me grateful for the prayers of my grandmother covering me.

When asked what damages have The McDowells done if they only skipped out on closings, the dollars added up in my head immediately. When agents engage The McDowells, they are helping them continue to string along homeowners. And others. In the selling of a home, it is several companies involved in the transaction not just the sellers and buyers. The agents, inspectors, title insurers, painters, lawn care, and lawyers. Oh, let us not forget the pest control folks! Most of the services provided are paid at closing. But some services are paid along the way.

When The McDowells entered into pretend contracts knowing they were not going to consummate the deals, others, unknowingly, are pulled in as well. Even when Kim and Phil McDowells' devious games are realized early, if you are a Realtor or service provider to homeowners, time has been wasted. For most individuals in sales, their time is their money. Wasting others' time is not crimial but it is sickening to know that they gleem pleasue out of the attention they get by pretending to be super rich and lying about buying multi-million dollar homes.


Agents have picked them up from Drury Plaza and drove them around Leiper's Fork to view homes for sale. WTH? Anyway, Kim McDowell called agents and became friendly by sharing stories about family, grandchildren, and life in England while constantly dangling the love of the property she is planning to buy. I have not known anyone who has ever been arrested for theft of time but entering into contracts with premeditated intent to defraud has given a number of folks a new warrobe of orange jumpsuits.

To date, a few who had dealings with The McDowells have contacted the authorities. Those who have shared information have been agents and sellers.There is an active investigation and the authorities need the public's help, especially realtors.


In the meantime, today is Sunday and realtors are about in droves showing homes. Please beware and be careful! The McDowells maybe calling you pretending to be a multimillionaires from a La Quinta Inn needing a ride to a view multi-million dollar listing!










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Friday, August 12, 2016

Sellers: Beware of Crooked Couple Wreaking Havoc on Leiper's Fork, TN Families


Follow up post can be found here.



Open houses are usually held on Sundays for those who are selling homes. Buyers set appointments with their agent or the seller's agent to view a home or property. In communities with multi-million dollar homes, home owners and their agents set boundaries regarding who can view their properties. It makes good business sense to pre-qualify buyers so they will not waste agents or the home owners' time by viewing properties that a buyer would not be able to afford or even purchase. Right? Right!

"Were the buyers pre-qualified?," has been asked over and over by the owners of  several multi-million dollar listings in the Leipers Fork Area of Williamson County, Tennessee who became entangled in a web of lies spun by a crooked couple from Colorado named Kimberly (Kim) and Phillip (Phil) W. McDowell. The McDowells have wreaked havoc on unsuspecting sellers by posing as multimillionaire estate buyers who sail from Wales ready to relocate to Middle Tennessee. After putting a contract on the house, The McDowells never appear for the closing. Games similar to a cat toying with a mouse are played with the sellers that have caused several to shell out thousands in upgrades to the their property that is never bought. The games have lasted a few weeks and some have dragged out for months. All of the deals ended with The McDowells never closing on the property but remaining in touch with the sellers through texts messages and even phone calls to "check-in" with the sellers they tried to scam.

Here is how one real estate deal went down with The McDowells.


The McDowells visited one sellers' home on the pretense of buying a horse that was advertised for sell. While there to see the horse, Kim and Phil McDowell mentioned they were also interested in purchasing a home in the area as well. Interesting, the couple's home was listed by agent for sell. How convenient? After inquiring about the house, The McDowells returned a few days later with their agent to view the home. The 12,000 square foot home was so intriguing that The McDowells were ready to make an offer right away. To sweetened the pot, they wanted to buy some of the furniture with the deal as well. You want the house and furniture too? Yes, they wanted it all. After the staff had seen the home. The McDowells did not just want to buy a house for the McDowells' family to visit from Colorado but any home they purchased had to meet the approval of a house manager, a property manager and a chef who has been on TV. Once the "staff" inspected every crack and crevice and made recommendations, the new owners, Kim and Phil, would be as happy as the Bristish drinking tea and eating crumpets. In the meantime, while waiting for their staff to fly in, Kim and Phil made an offer in February 2016 with a closing date set in March, 2016 two weeks away.


Hang on, crazy is about to go into over drive.

The sellers' agent drew up the contract for the multi-million dollar purchase while waiting for the information from the buyers to be sent over along with their proof of funding letter. The proof of funding letter was to be emailed while the earnest money was promised to be wired from a bank in London. Good to go, right? Nope. Don't pack yet!

The proof of funding letter that Kim and Phil McDowell produced had a 615 area code. The funds were never wired from the bank in Wales. As a matter a fact, their lawyer or cousin or whoever she mentioned every other day, stated their assets were frozen at one point and that was the hold up. After failing to show proof of funding and setting the closing date back for a few weeks for everyone to regroup, The McDowells, mainly Kim, began texting and emailing one bizarre story after the next explaining the delays. From "I have been in a car wreck" to "I have cancer and now need chemo," the stories, lies, kept coming. And so did her hired help.

In a three week period, the McDowells sent over or met with property inspectors, estate mangers, and even a Home Shopping Network chef, named Renee, who was hired to cook for the McDowells. These individuals who randomly visited the home shared they were ready to start working for The McDowells once the home was sold.

This is the condensed version of a very awful saga that is still being played out. Kim McDowell still claims the money is on the way in a text sent to the seller on Thursday, August 10, 2016. The home owners have long stopped believing anything these people say but the creepiness of it all shows why it is so important to know who is walking through your doors when you are selling your home. 

The McDowells has played this con game on many individuals. Some have come forward and reported them to the police but many will not out of fear or shame. Very few of us want to admit  when we have been taken for a ride. And there is reason to fear someone who would go this far.

Why string families along like this? No one has been able to figure that out but here is what we do know after many couples have compared their stories with each other since the real estate non mogals' games have been revealed;.

Kim McDowell speaks with a British accent. Not sure if the accent is real or not but click here for a recording of her leaving a message on a home owner's voice mail.

Kim and Phil McDowells have targeted a number of homes in Leiper's Fork including mentioning buying The McGraws' property. Really?

They cruise concierge sites to find estate managers to employ. Several families relocated to the Middle Tennessee Area by registering with staffing firms who The McDowells claimed to use. No one has been able to determine if the staffing services are part of the rouse and to establish if "staff" are actors or actual workers who visited the sellers' home.

Every family that has been pulled into Kim and Phil McDowell's make believe world of real estate buying have underage children. The wives are young and beautiful. In the land of beautiful people, pretty is plentiful in Leiper's Fork but I thought I would share that bit of info because several law enforcement officers took special interest in those similarities. Scary!

The McDowells have been picked up from hotels in Franklin like Drurys and La Quinta. They are driving an older model jeep with an expired Tennessee tag. The vehicle registration address is one of the families that relocated to Tennessee to work for them. That family have reported this to the appropriate authorities.




Kim McDowell is known for playing the cancer card often. When she is cornered or confronted, she tells the sellers she has cancer and needs chemo. (Sick, sick, sick!) Upon hearing this, many couples back up. Maybe this grace given is why they are not in jail for something.  They are also in lots of wrecks! If you fake cancer, you will fake anything!



Phil McDowell has been spotted working at Costco giving our food samples. His eyes twitch often. Phil was born in 1949 but there is no identification on Kim McDowell. When asked if background checks were run on the couple prior to bringing them in the sellers home by the buyers' agent, the details get sketchy.  But independent background checks by a seller's agent reveals Phil has had numerous issues that would deem him unqualified to buy a tree house.

Since open houses are big on the weekends, agents and sellers should be aware that this couple is still actively trying to buy multi-million dollar homes. The McDowells have not harmed anyone physically that anyone know of but they have caused much damage. Their real estate shenanigans can be traced back to Denver, Colorado.

If you have any information to who they really are or if you have had an encounter with them, you can share your information confidentially. One couple feared for the safety of their children after their encounter with The McDowells. The details of that encounter has been kept private but it does make the creep factor surrounding The McDowells sky rocket.


Part Two: Dissecting the Crooked Couple from Colorado
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