Investor Vernon, CT, Tolland County, Hartford County, Connecticut

[Jacob Brigandi]

Hi, my name is Jacob Brigandi. I am a long time follower of BiggerPockets but new to the forums and the community. I’ve been reading the forums and found the information very helpful, so I wanted to introduce myself and share my story.

I started investing in real estate in 2014 by purchasing a duplex in Vernon, CT. I bought the home for $190K using an FHA loan with 3.5% down. The home is not a standard duplex though. It is a 4 Bed, 2 Bath house, with 1600sq.ft. Detached from that, is a 1 bedroom 1 bathroom in-law apartment with 700sq.ft. The house needed some work, but the in-law apartment was brand new. My plan for the property was to live in the in-law apartment and rent out the house. Renting out the house would allow me to bring in enough rent to cover the mortgage and expenses while I lived for free next door!

I closed on the property and spent the next two weeks renovating the house with friends and family. When the house was in a presentable state, I listed it for rent on Zillow, Trulia, and Craigslist. After about a week on the market, I had an offer…BUT…as a first time landlord, I made the classic mistake of not properly screening my tenant. I’ll spare you the details, but it ended with a full eviction process, and although they did not fight the eviction, it still cost $1K in fees and expenses to get them out, and about 3K in lost rent.

After the first nightmare of a tenant, I was hesitant to rent to another family. I will be honest, I felt a little defeated. I decided to pivot and start renting to UConn students. Renting to students turned out to be quite a bit easier and the house has been rented nonstop ever since! Renting to students is also bringing in a higher rent.

Including all expenses, the house is now bringing in about $100 a month in profit. It is not much, but I am living for free next door so I can’t complain.

I want to spend some time mentioning the expenses that first time homebuyers might not consider…or at least that I didn’t consider

1. Sewer Bill – $52 per month
   • Don’t forget to include this. It is mandatory if you don’t have Septic
2. Lawn Care – estimated $40 per month, ended up being $60 per month
   • This is just for mowing; it does not include any type of pesticide or other chemicals to keep the lawn healthy. That would be an additional $120 per month for my 1 acre yard.
3. Snow Removal – although I rarely pay for this now, when I move out it will be $80-$100 per snow removal. The driveway is huge, which is a great selling point for renting to students with multiple cars, but when I move out, I will be unable to maintain the driveway.
4. Boiler Insurance – $200 per year
   1. This is the best $200 I spend in a year. It includes an annual tune up to the boiler as well as free 24/7 service anytime an issue arises. I would highly recommend this to anyone. It has come in handy multiple times.

Overall, my first home purchase has been enjoyable. I am not making a lot of money at this point, but living for free has helped me rebuild the money I need to keep moving forward. I would highly recommend house hacking to anyone looking to purchase their first home. Now I am looking to continue purchasing rental properties in the CT as well as make connections with the BP community in the area.