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BlogsI was meant for this!Here and Loving It!

Posted over 12 years ago

Here and Loving It!

I can't tell you how happy I am being part of this business. Forever I was involved in a Family Building Business, where we were building over 150 homes per year and then the recession hit. The sales team was not selling homes so they left and I filled some of the void by working at a new home community in a model home handling sales or lack thereof. The market for new homes sunk lower and I had to be a full service realtor. For five years I struggled and hated work.

Life was great being involved in the building business as it was rocking and rolling. Made great money and then nothing. Any money made on homes went to pay the land loans. I couldn't sell a heater to an eskimo, I grew up handling all aspects of new home construction. I could build a home with my eyes closed.

About two years ago I started seeing different flips in the MLS and it caught my eye. But like everyone else, I was afraid. Eventually I went to a teaser 3 day Armondo seminar in Philadelphia and what the moderators kept on saying to me was why aren't you doing anything about it. With all your experience and you are PLAYING Saleman!

That was the tipping point. Within two weeks I purchased two homes. The first was a half of twin built in 1905 two blocks from the Hospital and four blocks from the schools. This was an estate home. The next was a foreclosure cape cod built in 1974 a 4/1.5 that I made a 4/2. I will talk later about these.

But this opened my eyes to a great business that I am so excited about. I get excited about the good the bad and the ugly. In the last year I bought 8 properties at $1.2 million in a buy and hold strategy. I will buy at least 10 in the next 12 months. Life could not be better and then you top it off with this site and it doesn't get much better than that. Thank you Bigger Pockets!

Comments (6)

  1. Looking forward to your blog posts. If going to one of the gurus seminars is what it took to get you going it was well worth it.

    Jessica H., over 12 years ago


  2. One of the good tips about being an out of the area landlord. Let's say you own a four unit building and have someone local manage it The rents charged tell you immediately who has paid, so unit one pay $801, unit 2 pays $802, unit 3 pays $803, unit 4 pays $804. That way you can look at bank statement and know who has paid. Big tip--- just do it.

    Martin Zawarski, over 12 years ago


  3. Martin. That's cool that it helped you over the hump to get those houses. what were some of the good tips you learned there?

    James Wise, over 12 years ago


  4. Hi, Martin! It is so great to read your success story! We are really excited to have you as part of the BiggerPockets community. Keep us up-to-date about your ventures!

    Account Closed, over 12 years ago


  5. Was the seminar any good? I seen that guys show a couple times. Pretty entertaining show but I hear bad things about him.

    James Wise, over 12 years ago


    1. James, The Armondo seminar was good. They really have a way of motivating you and get you all excited and pumped up. I really enjoyed it and they are very hard closers. I did not read anything about them prior to the seminar but did after . I was concerned about what I read, but I did not sign up nor did I even give it a thought to. That was October/November 2012. With a couple weeks I bought two properties. I am currently working on 3 homes at the same time and I am managing, but it is a juggling act. About hearing bad things, yeah, it sounds very very shady. But I did learn a couple things and IT DID GET ME TO BUY MY FIRST INVESTMENTS!

      Martin Zawarski, over 12 years ago