All Forum Posts by: John Hauser

Hi Stephanie.  I came here and started hearing all these tremendous success stories.  I bought a place with two partners, and within weeks, one of them had bailed and we found ourselves with two terrible tenants.  It's easy to ask your self why some things seem easy for some and difficult for others, but really all you can do is DIG IN and keep fighting.  We got rid of the bad partner, got rid of the bad tenant, scared the other one straight, and now we're cash flowing a net of $1100 per month on the same place that six months before, had been a total disaster.  Keep plugging away and you never know when things can turn.  There is some great advice here for increasing your exposure to folks who know what they are doing, so keep us posted about how things turn out for you.  You will find yourself inspiring others!

John

Thanks for organizing Brie.  I have a job now that involves a lot more travel so I am really hoping I can coordinate a trip to Chicago and make one of these events.  Take care and have a fun time!

John

@Brandon Howliet please keep me in mind also.  Thanks!

Welcome @Toshia Booker-Blakeley . Check out J Scott's materials on flipping (he has a podcast too) to get familiar with this topic. Looking forward to hearing how it goes for you.

John

Welcome @Robbie L. . Great to hear that you can start your investing at such a high level. You might use a keyword alert on BP for a term like "million" to direct some traffic your way for people who are playing in the big leagues. Most of us are starting from the ground up, but your case is atypical in that you have lots of cash but not much experience. You might also do colleague requests with folks who done podcasts, since they are typically big success stories. Best of luck and be careful of sharks! Let us know how it turns out for you.

John

Welcome @Rob Fischer ! Sounds like you're off to a good start and this website will really help you dramatically expand your knowledge and contacts. If you haven't already, set up a keyword alert for "Chicago" and other topic areas that you're interested in, and you will start meeting people who can be a resource for you. There are plenty of local success stories out there, so let them serve as inspiration for you. Let us know how it's going for you. Good luck!

John

@Brie Schmidt congratulations! Sorry I am late to the game but I was busy with other stuff for a few days. Looking forward to attending one of your meetups and hearing more about your success in person! Great job!

Welcome @Steven Rhodes . There are lots of Chicago area investors here on the site. Set up a keyword alert for "Chicago" and you will meet us quickly. @Brie Schmidt has organized some investor meetups in the past and there is one on the 17th if you're interested. Take care!

John

Thanks for the tip @Joshua Burke ! I had not seen that before. What are some of the key indicators you look for in deciding whether to invest in a neighborhood?

Welcome @Matthew Freund . There are lots of Chicago-area investors on the site so do some keyword alerts and you will be meeting us in no time. In the meantime, check out the podcasts so you can get familiar with the basic concepts of real estate investing and hear some success stories. Good luck and keep asking questions and taking action!

John