Success through BP: 3,000th Post: 4 years, a Summit, $1MM+ in RE, 1 wholesale probate deal, 8 rehabs, 1 master lease, 50 Airbnb guests, & 100 tenant headaches later..

[J. Martin]

As I noticed my last post tick over to 2,999 posts since I joined the site, I thought back to reflect on my introduction to Bigger Pockets so many years ago, what it has done for me, and my biggest mistake  :)  What has BP done for you?

When I first joined Bigger Pockets on March 14, 2011, I had:
- Negative Net Worth (Credit card debt accumulated during college)
- No Real Estate Assets (let alone any assets of any sort)
- Only enough cash on hand to live on (w/ a decent government job)

Since then, I have:

- purchased and held onto 4 good deals with 12 units,
- rehabbed 8 units,
- got 4 additional units under a master lease,
- hosted 50 Airbnb guests,
- threw a big Summit with some BP greats,
- started and operate the biggest Real Estate Investment Group in San Francisco,
- volunteered to help the neighborhood, and met the Mayor of Oakland in the process
- helped mentor other investors and was assisted by others,
- dealt with 2 tenants who didn’t complete their leases,
- 1 clogged toilet I plunged myself,
- 1 police visit to a property,
- some water intrusion & an insurance claim,
- and some tenant headaches.. 
 And they were all totally worth it!!!

@Johnson H. inspired me to sign up on BP, and that someone in my similar circumstances could go out there and make it happen!

My biggest mistake: Not getting active on BP sooner! I didn’t realize the valuable wealth of information and exchanges going on, and floundered around by myself for more than a year still, when I finally bought my first 4plex. I think I could have picked up an extra $1MM+ in RE in this last downturn if I would have boosted my knowledge and connections with BP earlier! And be retired by now!

Since I got more active on Bigger Pockets, I have received help from amazing investors from San Jose to San Francisco and beyond. I am in a long-term RE partnership with another BP member now, and purchased a wholesale deal from another BP member. I have borrowed money from several BP members. I have learned things I never thought possible about RE investing, and have the knowledge resources and capital in my network to get almost any great deal done.

As of today, I have:
More Net Worth! (at least a few hundred thousand in just the last 3 years.)
Over $1MM in RE Assets! (my share) b/t 5 addresses at 4 properties in the Bay Area (4plexes, duplex, SFHs)
Enough cash reserves to cover risk, and have still a bit more to invest.

My Advice to Every Investor Out There:
- Get more active on BP!
- Meet more investors face-to-face locally!
- Help other investors, and you never know what will come back around!

A big shout-out to @Brandon Turner, Josh, and all the amazing folks at BP – especially all the other investors out there! Without this site, I wouldn’t be where I am today, and if I would have been active on it sooner, I think I would be retired by now! Here's to BP! :)

What has BP done for you?