​I QUIT MY JOB THIS WEEK!!! (with help from BP, at 31yo ;)

[J. Martin]

Say it with me: “I QUIT!!!”

As Bigger Pockets’ motto says, “Life wasn’t made to be lived in a cubicle.”
So I’m not going to any more!!

Been a Wild Ride!!
Going from nothing - to buying my first foreclosed 4plex with an FHA loan, partnerships buying poorly maintained single family homes and 2-4 unit buildings from foreclosure, probate, off-market (or combination), several partnerships and loans to and from local BP members, furnishing apartments for 1-3 month stays, several cash-out loans, >$1MM in RE, $250K in gross rents, organizing a big RE Summit, discovering all the amazing data out there, having some challenges along the way, giving back to the community and volunteering, and having the opportunity to give back and help other investors with my experiences – has been a wild ride!!!! (See my BP profile or signature link for more details privately.) And I actually enjoyed my job, but I'm going to enjoy this more!!!

From Nothin' to Somethin'
I started with no cash, negative net worth, and a pocket full of dreams. My goal was to be able to wake up whenever I wanted, wear flip flops every day, and do some traveling :) After a lot of hard work, help from others (mostly on BP!), some leverage, and a stroke of luck, I was able to build a portfolio of high cash-flowing properties in the San Francisco Bay Area, along with another profitable real estate venture with a lot of additional opportunity. This income, along with my frugality – coupled with a business that allows me to operate remotely – will let me travel around the US and world, work on my own schedule, and follow my dreams, wherever they should take me! These goals were instrumental in building my business – because I didn’t want to have to show up to make money!!! :) *think about this when growing your business!*

BP (and the people on it) were Instrumental!!
Bigger Pockets forums, podcasts, and the people I have met here have opened my eyes to knowledge, wisdom, and opportunities I would have never thought possible. But I wouldn’t have come to where I am today if I hadn’t started posting and interacting on the forums, connecting with other local investors online, and meeting them face to face (eventually starting my own RE meetup in SF, and snowballing into a big RE Summit with so many great folks from BP). But BP was the start of it all. Before that, I was wandering around by myself in the desert, learning bit by bit, without a network of amazing people to lean on for advice, and ultimately do great deals with, borrow and lend funds, and most importantly, make some great friendships :)

Shout Outs!
I have to give a big shout-out to  @Johnson H. for first introducing me to BP, and a lot of investors down in Silicon Valley and San Jose. A big thanks to @Account Closedundefined