All Forum Posts by: Robert Wodogaza

Congratulations and good luck with all of your ventures.

@Michelle Tucker, welcome to the group.  I am originally from the NE Ohio area and most of my family still live there right outside of Youngstown.  My wife and I run our Investment business together.  I handle all of the property management aspects and she handles all of the financial aspects.  Her strength is management & finance and mine is management and construction/maintenance.  We both have good people skills which helps as well. So far in the 4 years since we started this business it has worked out great.

Ayodeji is right, read, read, read and educate yourself as much as possible.  And make sure you do your Due Diligence.  Taking the leap is scary and hard, but it must be done to move ahead.  I promise it gets less scary and a lot more easy as you continue to do it.

@Stephen Renehan, thanks for the welcome.  I believe I have seen and possible met Anthony at the meetings.  I will actually be attending the October meeting and maybe I'll see you there.

Rob

@Danielle Fattizzi, thanks for the great welcome Danielle.  Look forward to this group as a resource for advice, knowledge, possible deals and friendships.

Rob 

@Mike Calandrillo, the one thing I have is very little down time.  I try my best to balance everything, and for the most part it works like a fine oiled machine, but there are times when I start to drop some of the balls I am juggling.  I stop, take a deep breath, regroup and prioritize things.  My kids and wife always come first.  With the properties and business I find that you just can't do it all so it helps to have good trustworthy people around you to help out.  This team was built from years of being in the construction business, being part of the Rhode Island Real Estate Investors Group and trial and error.  They include a great lawyer, accountant, electrician, good plumbers, good handymen, these are the people I call on to help lend a hand when needed as well as my wife who handles all of the financial aspects of our business.  I do all of the showings, rentals and most of the repair work and maintenance on my properties, but when needed I call on my "TEAM" for help.  This takes a lot of stress of my shoulders.

As far as priorities for your first purchase goes, DO YOUR HOMEWORK.  Make sure you do extensive Due Diligence but don't get "Paralysis Analysis", the over analyzing of something which causes enough fear to  stop you from taking action and making a move.  That is the worst thing you can do.  If you are confident that you did your homework, asked enough questions of the "TEAM" and groups such as this one, and it looks good, go for it.  Once you do it once, they start to get easier.

Good Luck with your first purchase.

Rob   

@Daniel Hyman, Thanks  for the Welcome.  I am looking forward to learning from all of you as well.

Thanks Anthony, Have been buried in book reading since I started, always a good way to get educated.

Thanks for the welcome.

Rob

Just an idea, but what about business cards stating what you are looking for, your contact info and a short statement about a referral fee.  You can basically get the business cards for free or a very small price through a place like Vista print?

Beats having to keep writing out sticky notes.

Rob

I am new to the Bigger Pockets Community, but have been investing for around 4 years now.  I currently have 12 units (6 residential apartments & 6 garage storage units). We are currently on the lookout for a new property to add to our portfolio which will then yield us another 3-5 residential units and possible some more garage storage units. 

My wife and I started our company about 4 years ago and have slowly been building it up and increasing our holdings. Our goal is to increase our net worth, to help supplement retirement income down the road and to currently provide a stream of cash flow to enjoy some of the finer things in life.

We both work full time in professional careers and have so far found a way to manage careers and the real estate business while keeping up with two kids (15 yrs & 20 Yrs old).  As we grow we will more than likely start to consider property management companies, but we are not there yet.  I do have a background in building and remodeling so there is a chance that if we get far enough into this and can generate enough income, I may do this full time.  Scary thought!

One of the first things I did 4 years ago was to join the Rhode island Real Estate investors Group (RIREIG) which has been invaluable as a resource.  This group has taught me how important it is to connect yourself with groups of like minded people with the same interests and goals.  hence the reason for joining Bigger Pockets.

I look forward to exploring all that this site and group has to offer and hopefully be a good contributor to this group.

Regards,

Rob Wodogaza