Investor/Agent Checking-In: Madison, WI
Hi Everyone -
Long time reader, but this is my first post. I hope to maintain a more consistent presence on the site after this one and try to give back to this great community.
A little bit about myself and background:
- I come from a family with a lot of real estate background (mostly in the capacity of agents), so I was always surrounded by it and very interested. I actually started obtaining my license in high school.
- First investment purchase was in 2010 (month I graduated College/started first real job). It was a Duplex that I "House Hacked" before knowing of that great term.
- Continued buying property (SFHs, Duplexes, and a 5 unit) as I worked in Healthcare IT. My job required that I travel most weeks, and slowed my investing down, but provided good income to save for down payments.
- As most local investors in Madison know, it can be a tough market to make the numbers work. I have focused on creative financing/deal structuring and high leverage to allow me to grow my portfolio quickly while managing the properties closely to maintain positive cash flow.
- I left my corporate job 18 months ago to focus on Real Estate. The decreased travel, and increased flexibility has been great! I spend about 60% of my working hours focused on being a Realtor (Assisting Buyers and Sellers of Investment Properties, SFHs, and Condos). The remainder is split about 50/50 between management and searching for my next deal.
Feel free to reach out, and I always enjoy connecting with local folks to learn what/how they are innovating and putting deals together.
Cheers,
Paul Haviland