Hello From Texas! Man I love this BiggerPockets Community!

[Gray Harrison]

Hello BiggerPockets World!!!

I’m very excited to be on here. The BP community is new to me and I have been nothing but been impressed with what I have seen take place on here thus far. There is a real since of community and giving on this site. I have read post after post of everyone willing to jump in there in help. The quality and type of materials available to the public by the BP folks is comprehensive and helpful to the new and the experienced. Big Thank you to Josh Dorkin for seeing this thing through. This is certainly something to be proud of.

So in keeping with Brandon & Josh’s quickTip on podcast #10… Introduce yourself on the New Member Introductions Forum… (I started with episode #1 and I am plowing through them… all have been very good and a lot of very relevant stuff even though they are a few years old).

I’ll start by introducing myself. I’m Gray Harrison and I live in Plano, TX. I’m a Texas native and was formally in the US Navy. After completing my service in the military and my wife finished her time in law school in Nashville, TN… we elected to come back to Texas to be with friends and family in a place that felt like home.

Coming home, I decided to work for my wife’s family business and have been working side by side with my father-in-law since 2006. He has been running a commercial real estate and development business since the late 70’s and early 80’s. The primary focus being on turnkey medical and professional office for owner occupants. That’s been the primary niche business the entire time… but we have jumped into other ventures as well. His turnkey model as a merchant builder has been very replicable and sustainable for many many years. He was actually one of the first people to commercially condo a property in the state… It has serviced us well since then.

Since being a part of the team, I have really been able to learn the business from the inside out. Starting from the roll of a superintendent and project manager… I was able to grow into support rolls, sales rolls, and eventually running full developments from start to finish. For some time, we were even a preferred developer for a few national kidney dialysis tenants. This was an excellent opportunity to learn, by cutting my teeth in doing ground up commercial free-standing developments from coast to coast. This certainly has given me a healthy respect on some of the challenges faced across the country in real estate, development, and construction practices. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate comparatively how easy it is to do business in Texas.

So… what brought me to BP now? Well, interesting side story. In 2007 our first-born son came into the world with many health challenges and ultimately needed a heart transplant at 7 days old. We were fortunate and blessed to find a donor. The very early years of his life were the most challenging for us as a family. His heart was just the least of his issues. Traveling the country to meet with specialist and to find the right way to stabilize his immune system was the biggest challenge. My wife, the brilliant attorney, stepped away from her carrier to focus on the care of our son. The single income and the focus on his care did not really allow us to consider much more about our financial life and security then just the problems that were presented at that moment. That day to day living lasted for years. I know many can relate.

I loved my job and I work to be the best husband, father and employee I could be… and doing that I really put off planning our financial future. Now at 41… I’m awake and ready. My oldest is 13… stable enough compared to where he use to be. My youngest daughter is an amazing 10-year-old who loves sports, school and video games. My wife isn’t back to full time work… but she has found a middle ground with training / coaching others and caring for us all at home. I finally feel like we are hitting a new normal pattern where I can focus on these things.

My best friend, who is in my industry as a Senior Construction Manager for a national hospital provider, started pushing me last year to begin helping him on the side with some of my development knowledge as a consultant. He said they routinely higher local experts to help hold the hands of their GC’s and subs to help routinely many matters. He really encouraged and pushed me to make the leap and start my own business. This helped light a fire in me to start doing things on the side… Things that could create extra income that I could use to invest…

Another key influence came from Robert Kiyosaki’s best seller, Rich Dad Poor Dad… (good one if you have never heard of it – jk). Funny side story. I attended the US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY, graduating with a degree in Engineering in 2002. Robert went to the same school in 1969… Funny he is one of our more famous alumni but not really for anything having to do with the school. The book had definitely gained steam by 2002 when the father of another North Texas Kings Pointer gave me a paper back copy as a graduation gift… telling me to read this and that he was a Kings Pointer too. I thanked him and asked him if this Robert guy was a “deckie or and engineer” (deckie – Ship’s Officer major) and the dad informed me he was a deckie… I laughed, thought to myself those deckie guys aren’t that bright and chucked the book in my sea bag to not pick it up again for more then 18 years! Man… is that one of my bigger regrets in life!

Reading that book of the 2020 Christmas holiday absolutely lit a fire in me… I haven’t stopped either…

I went on to build a reading list that would help building my knowledge and help aid in my planning. I’ve been consuming them right and left since… Where I am currently at is:

• The Richest Man in Babylon – George S. Clason
• Think & Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill
• The Cash Flow Quadrant – Robert Kiyosaki
• Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing – Robert Kiyosaki
• The 4-Hour Work Week – Tim Ferris
• The Real Book of Real Estate – Robert Kiyosaki
• Loopholes of Real Estate – Garrett Sutton
• Tax-Free Wealth – Tom Wheelwright
• The Book of Rental Property Investing – Brandon Turner
• The Book of Managing Rental Properties – Brandon & Heather Turner

These books have all been great to be… I have a ton more on my list I am going to plow through. If you ever wanted me thought on any of them… reach out. Brandon’s books were my introduction to BP. If they hadn’t popped up in my feed on audible… I might not have been introduced to BP until much later. I have nothing but respect for what Brandon and Heather Turner have added to BP’s community with their books and Podcast. Those resources more then anything add the most for me. I will be eternally grateful to both.

So, my new journey is beginning. I am starting out with some of Robert’s advice. I’m going to get my financial house in order… I’m going to build a team… I’m going to stick to my goals and look at them every day. Real estate investing is something I know about… because I have been helping others “mind their own business” for years. It is time that I start minding mine. I have a lot of ducks to get in a row first and I want to be successful, so I am trying to organize the systems as much as possible up front.

I believe I want my focus to be on single family and small multi family. That really feels the best to me. The BRRR strategy is also something I would like to mainly utilize for a repair and hold strategy. Although I have not completely convinced my wife, I believe we need to set up our own management company too based on a few factors.

So here I am… I’m here to help too. I’m a huge believer in Karma. You’re Karma meter won’t go up unless you pay it forward. I am a big believer in listening… It’s the only way to learn and everyone, good or bad, has something to teach you. Look me up if I can be of assistance. I have built and developed all kinds of commercial property. I have a pretty varied level of experience… So look me up!  Believe me... I'm always ready to learn too!  I believe everyone has something to contribute!

Respectfully,

Gray Harrison - Plano, TX