Newbie from the thumb of Michigan

Newbie from the thumb of Michigan

Member since 2020 · 1 post · 3 votes

Hey everyone, my name is Angelo. I live about 60 miles north of Detroit, MI. I worked the past 7 years as a law enforcement officer in Detroit and Flint, MI. In late 2018 while still in law enforcement, I started a landscaping business that has grown to a few employees and servicing roughly 100 customers a week. During our business startup I started listening to BP Podcasts and caught the multi family bug immediately. We purchased our first 4 plex in June 2019(complete gut). Full rehab completed. Dec 2019 purchased a 6 unit with the same rehab process. We recently picked up another 4 unit, same deal as the others. This will be our winter project along with a SF house that we picked up for cheap for a flip. 

After the last 4 plex purchase I resigned from my law enforcement job (it was the plan all along) to focus solely on the lawn care business and the investing. Fast forward to today, and things are trending in the direction that I want them to, for the most part. I’m in the phase where I’m grinding every single day, swinging the hammer, making sure our helpers have the materials they need at the job site before they get there in the mornings, billing at night, putting out fires on the lawn care side of things (lots of fires...). Besides a few handymen helpers and a few kids for demo phases, I’m it. Which is good to an extent, but now I’m at the point where it consumes my entire day and I’m not working ON my businesses anymore, I’m working in it. 

Things I’ve learned already in my short journey so far; MF investing is my absolute passion. I love the thought of playing the long game and building generation wealth. I’ve also learned that I was never passionate about the lawn care side of my income, it was just a way to provide for my family. So a major goal of mine is to eventually phase out the lawn care business. It’s a JOB. 

Issues that I'm dealing with right now; moving forward finding deals. I have been very fortunate to receive help on each deal from a family friend that I'm close with. He has done 5% / 30yr loans on each deal we've done, which has been great. They are set up on promissory notes and it's very simple and personal. But now we're at the point where that avenue may be drying up, and I need to start getting creative with other purchase options. When I hear things like no money down, partnerships, and doing BRRRR's on my properties, I get excited, but pretty confused as well. So I'll be here learning now! I look forward to connecting and learning from you all. Thanks!

3Reply
31 views

5 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Member since 2019 · 248 posts · 248 votes
    5y

    Sounds like you are on a great path Angelo!  Keep grinding - plenty of money to be had out there.  Feel free to PM me, I might be able to help with some things.

  • Specialist · Plano, TX · Member since 2020 · 2k+ posts · 861 votes
    5y

    Hi @Angelo Brown. Welcome to BiggerPockets. Thanks for sharing your journey with us. Keep up the track you're on and congratulations on your successful landscaping business. 

  • Rental Property Investor · Flint, MI · Member since 2018 · 16 posts · 9 votes
    5y

    @Angelo Brown Hey, welcome to BP! I’m in Flint, and also run a lawn care service! Would love to connect!

  • Rental Property Investor · Flint, MI · Member since 2018 · 60 posts · 43 votes
    5y

    @Angelo Brown Do you have an LLC or business set up with the properties in it? You can do a cash out refi or get a commercial line of credit (we use ELGA credit Union). They will appraise the property and give you 70% of value. Since you have rehabbed the properties, you should be able to pay your promissory note, or just recycle his note to you and get another property. We also have an investor money friend and do the promissory note as well.

  • Member since 2018 · 46 posts · 12 votes
    5y

    hello angelo! welcome.

    feel free to contact me, i'd love to hear more about your businesses and what you are looking for in a partner/investor.

    as for the lawncare business, get out of the job by hiring a manager/foreman. you are the owner, not the worker. are any of your current employees a possibility to promote? that would be a good place to start looking.

Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.