Tell us about your first real estate deal.

[Andrew Cornstubble]

I sort of had an epiphany the other day when my little 1br/1ba nightmare that I was ready to just give away finally became my first true asset.  I hired handyman.  After 5 years I finally conceded.  I am a sub-par handyman at best.  So, rather than working 11 hours at my day job and then repairing water damage for another 6 hours a day for 3 days or so I called in someone that not only knows what they are doing.  But can do the repairs during daytime hours while both of my tenants are working.  Now I'm not worried and they aren't inconvenienced at all.  I guess I'm pretty thick headed.  But looking back on all of the time I have spent inside and under that house cursing I can't stop laughing.  Rolling around in 6 inches of water in a freezing rain storm, the only way I got through it without renting a bulldozer was to tell myself that all of the work would be worth it one day.  All I had to do was call a handyman.  

I won't even get into the mistakes I have made with tenants.  But, lessons learned I guess.

If you haven't done any deals yet jump in.  It's worth it.  If a two time community college dropout like me can have 3 houses while shopping for a 4th anyone can do this.  Don't doubt yourself.  Don't take a bigger risk than you can afford.  And just go for it.

So, what's the story of your first deal?