How I even got here...

I've always been a person interested in business. In fact, at college, I majored in Finance. During that time, like a lot of people, I read Rich Dad Poor Dad.  This was around 2004.  I was inspired by the book and read Cash Flow Quadrant. I had a dream to be a B or an I.  I was so inspired that I used $3000 of my college tuition to purchase a Rich Dad coaching course. Been there? Could I have done something smarter? Probably, but I didn't know about BP then.  Do I regret it? No.  That experience, I believe, was the foundation of my passion about Real Estate Investing.  I remember having phone conversations with the coaches and looking for property in my area.  Many things they told me to do I didn't end up doing.  The truth is, as excited as I was, I needed way much more education that lasted beyond the coaching period (which is why they have the next course and the next...haha). Poor college kid didn't have any more money so I moved on.  I still have the cash flow game and I learned a ton from it.  

Shortly afterwards, I interned for an entrepreneur friend from church, and he was investing in Real Estate at the time. I shadowed him searching for properties and analyzing deals. I even bought "We Buy Houses" signs in my name and fielded calls.  Later, I learned that I was doing what Wholesalers do; except, I wasn't familiar with the assignment contracts, etc.  I was just interning. Haha.  That experience gave me a world of knowledge and built that relationship deeply.  A year later, I learned about 100% financing loans.  I got a realtor and purchased my first house. I'm 19 at this point.  In hindsight, I should have crunched the numbers.  I bought the house at market value and didn't even know what the rent was in the area.  My goal was just to have my own house instead of renting. Renting is throwing your money away right? 

Well, if anyone reading this had a house around that time, then all I have to say is "2007" and that eliminates about 3 more paragraphs to this blog.  I held the house for 5 years! I lived in it with room mates some, rented to 2 disastrous tenants.  Well, I was the disastrous one because I had no idea about land-lording.  God totally saved me from being sued or something worse. What made matters worse, is that my partner bailed on me. Describing that experience will take it's own blog post, but it was rough.  Eventually the house was short-sold to an investor who made some major upgrades.  They kept the fence I built though!!! 

These pictures will always act as inspiration for me through this process.  The house was short-sold in 2010.  It is 2017 now  and I'm ready to act on my dream again.  My set back during college tainted me a bit and I didn't really have that drive to continue to pursue Real Estate Investing.  Now that I have more knowledge, resources and money, it's time to get back in the game.  My lovely wife is "vlogging" her career pursuit this year as well, and she inspired me to take this on. My prayer is that looking back at these blogs after 3, 5, 10 years, I can truly see and appreciate the lessons God has taught me and and blessings that come with hard work, perseverance and faith!