Brain Dump - Thinking About a Career Change

Brain Dump - Thinking About a Career Change

Brian AsaroPro Member
San Diego, CA · Member since 2022 · 19 posts · 13 votes

My wife and I are house hackers.  I've been house hacking since 2005.  I scream the virtues of house hacking to anyone who will listen.  Especially, those who complain about money. Then I keep talking until I'm told to shut up.  It's the easiest way to get into RE investing.  Moreso, here in San Diego where the cost of entry is enormous.  It has allowed my family and me to have and do many things that those around me aren't able to have and do.  We've been called "rich" by family members.  Hardly.  They don't realize that contributing very little to the monthly mortgage is a huge help and a catalyst to more investing.  They don't think long term.  They think about only the bad parts of which I have experienced many.  In fact, when I first met my wife, I was in the midst of some repair that required a 401(k) loan.  She did not like the idea of rental at first and It took years for her to realize how beneficial our RE investments are.  Now, she is diving in head first.  She schedules showings, deals with contractors, wonders how long it'll take us to get our money back on capex projects, etc.  I couldn't be more proud and the help and participation is a huge stress reliever.  I would really love to get more people house hacking and on their way to a life where others call you "rich".  I started reading The Investor Agent.  It talks about being an agent strictly for investors and specializing in house hacking.  This got me thinking...I love talking about RE investing and house hacking.  Why not try to help people who think the same way get in the game.  I ran it by my wife and she's actually on board.  She agreed that I like to talk about this subject.  I contacted an agent from The FI Team here in San Diego but he's a little spotty on answering questions.  I wanted to get an idea of his experience with the group.  Their broker is eXp Realty and I wanted to ask questions about that as well.  If anyone has any advice on this career change or if you just want to chat, leave a comment or hit me up.

-Brian

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  • Jason WrayPro Member
    Banker · Nationwide · Member since 2020 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    1mo

    Brian,

    Your head is in the REI game and you have a foot out the gate already which is good. On the surface it sounds like you could benefit from exapanding your Network and get some coaching. Most investors know how to get the first property funded but may or may not be focusing on all the right angles. Cash flow, Equity, ARV potential, Rent style, Highest and Best Use, Value Add and the actual BRRR steps.

    If you want to expand feel free to check out my profile and send me an email be happy to talk REI and talk about some loopholes out there that can be missed.

  • Jimmy LieuBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2019 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    1mo
    Quote from @Brian Asaro:

    My wife and I are house hackers.  I've been house hacking since 2005.  I scream the virtues of house hacking to anyone who will listen.  Especially, those who complain about money. Then I keep talking until I'm told to shut up.  It's the easiest way to get into RE investing.  Moreso, here in San Diego where the cost of entry is enormous.  It has allowed my family and me to have and do many things that those around me aren't able to have and do.  We've been called "rich" by family members.  Hardly.  They don't realize that contributing very little to the monthly mortgage is a huge help and a catalyst to more investing.  They don't think long term.  They think about only the bad parts of which I have experienced many.  In fact, when I first met my wife, I was in the midst of some repair that required a 401(k) loan.  She did not like the idea of rental at first and It took years for her to realize how beneficial our RE investments are.  Now, she is diving in head first.  She schedules showings, deals with contractors, wonders how long it'll take us to get our money back on capex projects, etc.  I couldn't be more proud and the help and participation is a huge stress reliever.  I would really love to get more people house hacking and on their way to a life where others call you "rich".  I started reading The Investor Agent.  It talks about being an agent strictly for investors and specializing in house hacking.  This got me thinking...I love talking about RE investing and house hacking.  Why not try to help people who think the same way get in the game.  I ran it by my wife and she's actually on board.  She agreed that I like to talk about this subject.  I contacted an agent from The FI Team here in San Diego but he's a little spotty on answering questions.  I wanted to get an idea of his experience with the group.  Their broker is eXp Realty and I wanted to ask questions about that as well.  If anyone has any advice on this career change or if you just want to chat, leave a comment or hit me up.

    -Brian

    Great post, Brian! Your experience as an actual house hacker could be a huge advantage if you decide to become an investor-focused agent. You already understand the things investor clients care about that a traditional agent may not think about right away: rents, cash flow, financing, repairs, CapEx, value-add opportunities, and what it's actually like living in an investment property. I'm a big believer that firsthand investing experience makes those conversations much easier because you can help someone look beyond just bedrooms, bathrooms, and finishes and think about the property as an investment. Before choosing a brokerage or team, I'd focus less on the name and more on whether they'll actually support the niche you want to build. Ask about mentorship, lead ownership, splits and fees, investor-specific training, marketing restrictions, and whether you'll have experienced people available when an unusual deal comes up. If house hacking is something you genuinely enjoy talking about and teaching, specializing there sounds like a natural direction rather than trying to be everything to everyone. Happy to connect and answer any questions you have!

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