All Forum Posts by: Gabe Lazurka

Phillip, are you doing most of the work yourselves are utilizing contractors? Finding a good contractor is one of my main concerns. In all of the books I've read and podcasts I've listened to, the challenge of finding a dependable contractor seems to be a common theme. Any tips with us being in such small areas? Have you worked with anyone who does good work? Good luck on your next deal!

Phillip, it certainly does sound like we have similar goals and past experiences. Thanks for passing along your experience in San Antonio. Have you been able to successfully rehab a property in your local area yet? With your local area being so small, I'm curious to hear what kind of challenges you ran into i.e. availability of good contractors, ability to resell and make a profit, or anything else you can think of. Rick, thanks for your input as well. I want to make it out to SA at some point for a meeting. I know $3-4K is a pretty lofty goal but to be honest, if I'm able to get some small wins, learn, and develop some systems and processes in the meantime, that would be good enough for me. Thanks for reaching out!

Good evening everyone,

My name is Gabriel (Gabe) Lazurka and I currently live in Del Rio, TX.  I originally hail from the thumb area of Michigan but my career in the Air Force took me first to Charleston, SC and now to Del Rio. 

I first became interested in investing in real estate back in 2009 after reading everyone's favorite, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad".  While stationed in Charleston, we became "accidental landlords" when we moved out of our primary residence and decided to rent it out rather than sell it.  To date, that is the only rental property that we have but we've decided that moving forward we want to start growing our portfolio with the goal of supplementing our income, growing a business and eventually, obtaining financial freedom.  In other words, we are in it for the long haul.

My goal is to replace at least half of my military income so I have the option of separating and investing full-time in March of 2020. I want to start small by BRRRRing 1 SFR in 2018 and continue building a financial runway (thank you, Scott Trench). This would be my first true investment property but I'm hoping to learn a lot so I can develop my own systems and processes to apply to future deals. My options in Del Rio are very limited so I'll be looking to buy in the San Antonio area (2.5-3 hours away). If there is anyone in the Del Rio area who would live to sit down and chat about real estate, please let me know. While my wife is onboard, her eyes tend to glaze over when I start talking about ROI and Cash-on-Cash Returns. I really don't get it.

I'm thankful that a community like BiggerPockets exists and I look forward to connecting with you all in the future.  

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone reaches their goals in 2018.