All Forum Posts by: Shea Gajewski

Personally when I am looking for investments for myself or others, I am looking for value add opportunities.  This could be anything from major repairs needing to be made, or just cosmetic work.  With my first property, I was specifically looking for a duplex with good "Bones" that needed cosmetic upgrades and I was able to find that property. I was able to add equity and raise rents by quite a bit to turn it into a great investment.

 @Jeff Pasmore Thanks for the Response. I totally agree with having to act quick, especially in competitive markets.  This is something i didn't quite understand before I first invested.  I quickly learned when I lost out on a deal that was ideal for my situation by waiting an extra day to reach out.  When I did end up closing on my first deal, reality quickly set in when I realized I now had to get to work to get rehabbing done in a timely manner. Surprises set in left and right while doing the work and just going through the motions for the first time.  When these situations would arise, I would get through them by just understanding that I had no choice.

I'm a young real estate investor, and I've quickly realized that real estate investing can be full of unexpected twists and turns. I'm curious to hear about your biggest surprise when you first started. What caught you off guard?

If anybody says that 25k isn't enough to invest in real estate, do not listen to them. You can house hack with an FHA loan on a duplex in the 200k range and do just fine. You will be able to save money faster with the other half rented out allowing you to buy your next property sooner. Depending on how hard you work, this process could take a couple years or 6 months. The longer you wait to invest, the longer you could be setting yourself back financially in the future. If you surround yourself with the right people, you can make anything happen!

Lets connect!

Hello, I own some real estate in the southeastern Wisconsin area, and I would say its somewhere to look into. That area consists of the Greater Milwaukee Area, Racine, and Kenosha.  Racine is a unique market.  The City has a population of about 80,000, and is located right on Lake Michigan.  I have noticed that the property values in Racine are low compared to the amount of rent you can receive from the property, allowing for good cash flow.  Kenosha is very similar, with a slightly larger population. Milwaukee is a much larger city with many opportunities to make money.  If you would like to connect to talk more on the southeastern Wisconsin area, I'd be more than happy to! 

Hello, I would recommend the South Eastern Wisconsin area.  I personally own in Racine, and I am expanding my portfolio into Milwaukee.  In the city of Racine, I have noticed the the property values are low compared to the amount of rent you can receive. For example I purchased a duplex for 165k and put about 20k into it, and I am going to receive $2500 a month is rents if not more.  If you'd like to talk more about the area, I'm happy to do so. Just send me a message. Thanks!

thank you!

Hi all, I'm Shea. I'm 20 years old and currently own a Duplex in Racine, Wisconsin. I'm actively searching for my next investment and would appreciate any advice from seasoned investors and developers. What strategies do you recommend for scaling my portfolio? Send me a message – I'm eager to learn! 

Hello Kaleb, I am from the southeastern Wisconsin area and I can tell you that it is a great area for you to look into.  There are many lucrative deals on the market in Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha.  If you area interested, I am happy to talk with you more on this.  Thanks.

Investment Info:

Small multi-family (2-4 units) buy & hold investment.

Purchase price: $165,000
Cash invested: $20,000

I bought a duplex in Racine that needed a lot of cosmetic upgrades. Both units are spacious 2 bed - 1 bath units. The units were in rough shape before we worked on them, but after the work was complete it turned into a good first investment.

What made you interested in investing in this type of deal?

I needed to buy my first investment and also needed a place to live.

How did you finance this deal?

Adjustable rate mortgage, 10% down.

How did you add value to the deal?

I added value by rehabbing both of the units inside the property

What was the outcome?

I gained equity in the property, and I got higher rents which lowered my living expenses while living there.

Lessons learned? Challenges?

There were many lessons learned in the process of my first investment. I learned I could have negotiated better on the property. I learned new things to look for during inspection, and I also learned a lot about the overall process of buying a investment, and what I could do better the second time.