Ready, Set, Go Full Time!

[Justin Sheley]

Well my fellow BP’ers it’s official, as of this week I am a full time real estate investor! I thought I’d take a second and relay the events the led to this transition, and hopefully it can help anyone going through something similar.

My wife and I started investing just over two years ago, and at the moment we have 15 units. A couple properties ago we passed our very frugal freedom number, and decided that my very demanding job as an athletic director was ultimately slowing our progress down in real estate. So since we truly believe real estate is our future, I let the school I work for know that I wouldn’t be coming back next year, but would finish my current contract through July. We felt pretty comfortable with our projections for July as far as our saving and number of units.

However, in a twist of fate, the school decided to just let me go a week after I told them. They claimed they needed to let someone go due to a budget restriction, and it may as well be me because I’m moving on anyway and clearly have something to move into. This was hard to swallow and a bit of a punch in the gut after working there for 5 years, but it’s already turned out to be the biggest blessing I could’ve asked for. I was able to buy our 15th property the day after they let me go, and I am able to put 100% focus into rehabbing the house and working on our business systems.

So goodbye W-2! I hope I never see you again, and although things will be tight for a bit, I am so grateful for real estate and the life it affords for my family and I. If your an investor around Rockford, IL and want to get together and talk real estate let me know. And at the core of all this, be encouraged if you are going down the path of real estate, or if you haven’t bought your first property, jump on in! Because you never know what life is going to throw your way, and real estate is the only investment vehicle that I’m aware of that can actually replace your monthly income while providing hope for the future. I know I’m singing to the choir here at BP, but I’m excited to join the full time ranks, and we’ll see what the next year and beyond holds for us.