So I put years of work into renovating a couple run down buildings to provide apartments for people, did all the work myself and then was laid off my job.

Since then I've been pursuing this dream of being self employed before its all over. I have 5 units in total and can't afford any more.... but have found since with tenants its just been one crisis and drama to the next endlessly.
They come and go like musical chairs. I just had one bolt mid lease leaving huge amounts of garbage I have no way to dispose of.

As I'm struggling to clean up and renovate hers, the guy in the apartment next door tells me he's moving to 'a better neighborhood' because someone broke into his car out front. He then proceeds to say the tenants upstairs have 'destroyed' that apartment and it will need to be gutted when they leave, hey says they are filthy and have brought in roaches. I paid for an exterminator I say. Well they're back.
Who can tell people how to live? They won't listen, and they won't clean and I'm not their maid.
I background checked extensively, this was a big surprise. But they're the only ones staying and paying rent! And I had put so much work into their apartment, new carpet, painted, fixtures and on. Now its destroyed.

The amount of take home pay with the 5 units is practically Taco Bell wage after all the taxes insurance and expenses.
I know well I need to do more; I'm just getting by but can never get caught up.
I have big items backing up now like a garage roof tarped I can't afford to reshingle, a back fence falling apart at my own home, leaning trees that need taken out.... All waiting until I can start a second income, but where is the time?
Now I have to renovate two more apartments which will set me back two more months.
The family is merciless they tell me to 'go get a job' if I have money problems, friends act jealous.... and everyone on line hates landlords. My family has no tolerance for my wanting to be self employed, to me going back to a full time job is giving up and they completely ignore that. But I can't find anything else I can do on the side for income that is self employed, that works.

How do people deal with the discouragement? I have no choice but to go on but its just so discouraging doing all this alone. And what are people doing for additional money, besides just going back on the wheel and working for someone else. Because to me if I have to do that, I may as well give up on all this altogether as a failure and go back and sit in an office cube until death, lol.

Joliet, Illinois

0 Votes