Dat first offer though!

Lot's of firsts today. First and foremost. This blog. I'm not a writer. I'm not creative. And I'm scared as he!! putting my thoughts out there. Fear of the unknown is what keeps us from acting. As a police officer, I have to push aside that fear, as I am required to delve into the unknown. Daily. 

Fear of the unknown can keep us from achieving our goals. Mine, for my family, is to retire at age 55, like my in-laws have. They've been retired for 20 years! They visit us often, and travel worldwide. When they want. And I want that for my family. 

I've been searching and searching for my first deal for a couple of months now. All of them out of Utah. This market just isn't, for my requirements, a good cash-flowing state. That's not to say there aren't deals here, there are. But for my goals and needs, I knew I had to look elsewhere. Michigan and Arizona seem to have been the two I've found. So I kept looking. And looking. And crunching numbers, And looking. And then I found it. A 15 unit apartment in Detroit. DETROIT!?! Yes, I can hear you yelling at your computer right now. 

I grew up near D-town. It's rough for sure. But man, it's got soul. And fight. And most of all, inexpensive properties which can bring in good cash flow. Now, I'm not going all-in on this deal and offering what they're asking. No way. I managed to reach the realtor who told me the owner is shoe-box record keeper. She said his dad did it, who why shouldn't he? Perfect, 10 points for Gryffindor (that's me :D )! I figured, since I was going to have to take the time to sift through his shoe box to find the records I need for deeper analysis, that's going to allow me to take some $$ off of my offer. 

The property has also been on the market for six months. My guess is because of the shoe-box. So, another 10 points for Gryffindor! I had already planned on offering $20k below asking, just because, that's usually how the game is played. But now, I have time and patience (the six months on the market, and I have an MBA/Accounting degrees which allow me the patience to look through his shoe box) on my side to allow me to reduce my starting offer. 

So yesterday, I offered. My first offer on my first property. I reached out to a local broker recommended to me on BP and got the ball rolling. My gut tells me, I may not end up with this property. As a police officer, "trusting your gut" is how we survive, and catch a lot of bad people. And I'll trust it now. Maybe my gut is wrong, and it's just last night's dinner talking. Who knows. But, I overcame my fear, and I put an offer out there. And that, that created enthusiasm I haven't felt since getting my job offer to become a police officer. To say I wasn't giddy would be a lie. 

If you're still reading this, thank you. And here's the takeaway. Fear sucks. We ALL have it. I guarantee you, even Dwayne Johnson get's scared. But it's what we DO with that fear that makes all the difference in the world. If you've been on the fence, analyzing deals (I have, 20 I think, in my BP tools file), and haven't pulled that trigger, PULL IT! You have plenty of outs before you sign that final contract. So making an offer isn't going to kill you. It will make you grow, and learn, and understand the entire buying process. 

So get out there killer, and start making your dreams a reality!