in 3 to 5 years. There was a thread that got fairly long and got a little bit off subject started a day or two ago. The question was whether anyone had retired on real estate after 3 to 5 years. I answered yes. I decided additional information was needed with several disclaimers.

I accomplished this in the 1970s when the real estate market was significantly different. I was one of those real estate guru's before that was even the the definition. I was also a real estate syndicator before syndication was the name. They were called, limited partnerships, and had significant differences from a syndication.

I was in the right place at the right time with inflation running rampant. Huge benefit.

Properties were easier to purchase without institutional financing by adding a second, or third, or fourth mortgage to the property, as well as the ability to sell it on contract.

Most of the posters on bigger pockets are relatively new. I have over 5000 posts, but the majority of those are over four years old. A member of bigger pockets is still able to go back and read those threads and learn how I accomplished an early retirement.

In a nutshell it consisted of three things:

Buying single-family residences with very little down payment or assuming FHA or VA loans..

Obtaining a real estate broker's license in California and Colorado and having salespeople in both locations bird-dog to find commercial buildings the owner was willing to sell. There are some cool threads telling how that was done.

I put many real estate limited partnerships together. Rather than needing the investors to invest more cash to pay my commission, I was willing to take a note even though it might be a third or fourth trustee. That is the way things were done on large apartment complexes. I simply let inflation do the rest.

My main office was in Fullerton, California. When I felt I had enough money to retire on, I sold the California office to my wife's brother and the Colorado office to a dear friend.

When I retired, I owned quite a bit of real estate, some of that free and clear, and notes totaling $1.6 million. In that day and age, ( 1970s) notes had an interest rate of 10 to 12%. Before I walked out the door each morning, I had approximately $180,000 income on notes and easily $200,000 annual income.

My original level of retirement was to move to central California, to a town called Nipomo and builda home on 4 acres. It was nothing gaudy, but a very nice 3000 ft.² single level home. I had four children at the time and the home was very adequate. I would call it a level II retirement location on a level I retirement income.

I have continued to buy real estate and build homes, but for all intent and purposes, I was very financially independent at that time. I have no idea what $200,000 annual income would be today. It was more than enough.