How long did you wait before becoming a real estate investor?

[Harrison Stevens]

I wanted to buy a house because the market had just crashed. I ended up finding a place and had a roommate at my current apartment who wanted to rent out the other room. Overall it worked out and when I moved out I rented the entire townhouse to a young couple

[Lexi Blocksom]

I bought my first personal home at 23 just for me. My dad died a year later and left me an inheritance, and at the same time my mother was looking to sell me her farm. I purchased her farm in cash and rented my old house out. I was also able to purchase a 3rd property, which was a 4-unit, and create an ADU on my farm. I have 6 rental units out of these 3 properties, all thanks to my dad. I plan on renovating my 4plex and in the next few years purchase a 4th property using owner-occupied loans.

[Krista Reuther]

Thanks for sharing your story, Lexi! I’m sorry about the loss of your dad, but I’m sure he’d be proud of how hard you’ve worked to build your rental property portfolio.

[Raveendra Singh]

Hi….. I wish i was fortunate enough to have something fall on my lap ….
I never thought i would invest in real estate in USA…. did some in the country i grew up.
I did buy my personals residence in Texas …. saw an amazing appreciation in the home value after covid ….. had to move, so sold the house…. Later when I stumbled upon podcasts , learned more about REI in Jan 2024, I thought selling my 1st home wasn’t such a good idea. Fast forward bought 2 duplexes this month, and now planning to self manage, learn and hopefully grow my portfolio.

[Krista Reuther]

Thanks for sharing your story, Raveendra! It sounds like you’ve worked hard, and I’m confident you’re in the right place to learn how to self-manage your rentals like a pro.

[RealEstate Jott]

I waited a few years before becoming a real estate investor. Initially, I focused on building my financial foundation, educating myself about the market, and gaining practical knowledge. I knew it was crucial to understand the risks, financing options, and market trends before diving in. Patience paid off, as I took the time to analyze potential opportunities and waited for the right moment. Ultimately, waiting allowed me to make more informed decisions, reducing the chances of making impulsive or ill-advised investments. The right time came when I felt financially stable and confident in my investment strategy. https://realestatejot.com/

[Tim Agnew]

Real estate had always been an interest of mine from the time I was a little kid. I purchased my first property in 2008 when I was just 23 years young. The market had just tanked, and I purchased a HUD home with only $100 down. I was young and didn’t have any money, but I jumped on it, fixed and/or replaced everything in that house over the next few years and ended up selling/ upgrading 5-6 years later for more than double what I originally purchased it for (not bad for a young idiot, who didn’t really know what he was doing). I should have kept it and rented it out, but alas you can’t go back and change things. The next house was a bit of a fixer and basically did the same thing…fixed and/ or replaced everything over the next few years, and once again sold/ upgraded roughly 5-6 years later roughly double what I had originally purchased it for. The 3rd house was a gorgeous 6 bed, 3 bath, 4600 sqft home that we (my wife and I) thought was going to be our forever home, it needed nothing, so we just lived in it for a couple of years. Then life happened, I hated my job and ended up quitting, my wife was ready for a change in her field too, so when an opportunity for her came along, we jumped on it. It was roughly 4 hours from home, so commuting wasn’t possible, a move/ relocation was necessary. We decided that we were going to keep the “forever home” and try to rent it out, just in case we ever wanted to come back. We moved out, she started her new opportunity, and we got the house rented. From there, the real estate thing really started itching again…I was out of work for a little while, so I spent a lot of (too much) time looking at real estate, talking to others that had invested, and really wanting to jump into the game more. My wife and I discussed things, agonized that we didn’t keep the first two houses, consoled each other that we didn’t know what we were giving up, and eventually made the decision to go for it. We had the “forever home” rented, and we’ve since dipped into our personal savings and purchased two more. I’m looking to buy 1 or 2 more in 2025, with the hope that I can eventually stop working and live off the rentals. My wife will likely never stop working, she loves what she does for the most part, but I would love nothing more than to simply manage our rentals on the day to day. It beats the heck out of working, and it’s something that I have always had an interest in doing.