All Forum Posts by: Chris Merz

From Tech to Real Estate Freedom: Scaling Fast with Smart Strategies 🎤
Live at the Portland REI Event | October 29

💥 What if you could grow your portfolio from one door to seven—in less than a year—using creative financing, house hacking, and design-driven renovations?

Join Marla Gomez, tech executive turned real estate investor and CEO of Serene Haven Homes, as she shares how she applied her career skills and relentless learning to achieve explosive growth in real estate.

What You’ll Discover:
🏡 How to leverage your professional background to accelerate REI success.
💡 The power of design thinking in increasing property value.
💰 Creative financing and house hacking strategies that scale fast.

Who Should Attend:
✨ Aspiring Investors — Learn how to start strong and think strategically.
📈 Busy Professionals — See how to apply your career skill sets to real estate.
🔥 Growth-Minded Investors — Gain insights to scale faster and smarter.

Don’t miss this inspiring session — RSVP today!
Sponsored by PadSplit, the nation’s largest coliving marketplace.

From Rentals to Freedom: Mastering Mid-Term Investing 🎤 Live at the Portland REI Event | September 24th

💥 What if you could boost cash flow and financial freedom without the constant turnover and stress of short-term rentals?

Join Shona Lepis — investor, educator, and mid-term rental expert — as she shares her proven system for building profitable, hassle-free rentals after 16+ years in the business.

What You’ll Discover:🏡 Why Mid-Term Rentals are the sweet spot between long- and short-term strategies.🛋 Step-by-step tips for furnishing, marketing, and attracting high-quality tenants.💰 Systems to maximize cash flow without the headaches of constant turnover.

Who Should Attend?✨ New Investors — Discover an easier entry point into real estate investing.📈 Experienced Landlords — Learn how to transition into higher returns with less hassle.🔥 Anyone ready to simplify their rentals and scale smarter.

Don’t miss this game-changing session — RSVP today!

Sponsored by PadSplit (PadSplit is the nation's largest coliving marketplace).

From Engineer to $15M Portfolio: How Creative Investing Built Financial Freedom🎤 Live at the Portland REI Event | August 27th

💥 What if you could turn your first few deals into a multi-million-dollar portfolio by 25?

Join Trevor — investor, educator, and founder of Vesta Solutions — as he shares how he went from managing nuclear reactor projects to building a $15M real estate portfolio using creative financing, smart deal analysis, and bold action.

What You’ll Discover:🏗 From Engineering to Investing — Lessons learned transitioning from a high-stakes career to full-time real estate.💡 Creative Deal Structuring — Financing strategies to grow without traditional limits.📊 Investment Analysis Mastery — How to spot high-return opportunities others miss.

Who Should Attend?✨ New Investors — Learn how to start fast and smart.📈 Experienced Pros — Discover creative financing tactics to scale your portfolio.🔥 Anyone ready to break free from career constraints and design a life of choice.

Don’t miss this powerful session that could redefine your investing journey. RSVP now!

🎤 Live at the Portland REI Event | July 30th💥 What if your first house could retire your spouse and 5x your income?

Join Sorcha — investor, educator, and founder of a thriving furnished rental business — as she shares how buying one Portland home launched a journey of financial freedom, global travel, and a business that now helps others do the same.

What You’ll Discover:🏡 Short-Term Rentals 101 — How to turn your home into a high-cash-flow asset.🚀 5x Your Income — The steps Sorcha took to retire her husband and escape the 9–5.🌎 Invest for Lifestyle — Using real estate to fund freedom, flexibility, and purpose.

Who Should Attend?✨ New Investors — Want to get started without waiting for “someday”?📈 Growth-Minded Pros — Ready to scale with furnished rentals and lifestyle investing.🔥 Anyone stuck in a job that’s draining their dreams.

Don’t miss this powerful session that could reshape your path to freedom. RSVP now!

From Legos to Livable Cities: How Eric Thompson is Reinventing Infill Investing
🎤 Live at the Portland REI Event | June 25th
🏡 What if overlooked city lots could become your next big opportunity?

Join Eric Thompson — founder of Oregon Homeworks and the Snug cottage home brand — as he shares how a childhood love of Legos evolved into building over 250 homes and influencing Portland’s residential zoning changes. Eric’s creative, real-world approach to infill development offers a fresh path to profitable, sustainable investing in today’s changing housing market.

What You’ll Discover:
🏘️ Infill Strategies That Work — How to turn underused land into high-value properties
📏 The RIP Advantage — What Portland’s Residential Infill Project means for your deals
🔨 The Snug Approach — Why small, smart homes are a big win for modern investors

Who Should Attend?
💡 New Investors — Want to start with realistic, buildable opportunities?
📈 Growth-Oriented Pros — Looking to scale in a tight housing market
🌎 Impact-Driven Investors — Interested in housing that creates lasting value

Whether you're just getting started or scaling up, this is a must-attend session for anyone looking to invest smarter in Portland and beyond. RSVP now!

From One Home to Financial Freedom: How Short-Term Rentals Changed Everything
🎤 Live at the Portland REI Event | June 25th
💥 What if your first house could retire your spouse and 5x your income?

Join Sorcha — investor, educator, and founder of a thriving furnished rental business — as she shares how buying one Portland home launched a journey of financial freedom, global travel, and a business that now helps others do the same.

What You’ll Discover:
🏡 Short-Term Rentals 101 — How to turn your home into a high-cash-flow asset.
🚀 5x Your Income — The steps Sorcha took to retire her husband and escape the 9–5.
🌎 Invest for Lifestyle — Using real estate to fund freedom, flexibility, and purpose.

Who Should Attend?
✨ New Investors — Want to get started without waiting for “someday”?
📈 Growth-Minded Pros — Ready to scale with furnished rentals and lifestyle investing.
🔥 Anyone stuck in a job that’s draining their dreams.

Don’t miss this powerful session that could reshape your path to freedom. RSVP now!

From $500 to 34 Doors: How Seller Financing Can Change Everything
🎤 Live at the Portland REI Event | May 28th

💥 Ever wonder how someone can buy a triplex for just $500 — without a trust fund or a bank loan?

Join Mel Dorman — social worker turned millionaire investor — as she shares the exact strategies she used to go from zero to 34 rental units using seller financing, and how you can do the same to build wealth outside Wall Street.

What You’ll Discover:
🏠 Seller Financing 101 — How to buy real estate without banks or huge down payments.
💸 Financial Freedom Fast-Track — How Mel reached six-figure freedom in just five years.
🌍 Wealth With Impact — Why building local wealth matters for our neighborhoods.

Who Should Attend?
✨ First-Time Investors — Ready to break in without breaking the bank?
💼 Seasoned Investors — Looking for creative ways to scale your portfolio.
❤️ Community Builders — Curious how real estate can strengthen local communities.

Don’t miss this game-changing conversation that could transform how you think about money and investing. RSVP now!

From Passion to Property: How Art, Community & Real Estate Collide
🎤 Live at the Portland REI Event | April 30th

🎨 Curious how personal passion, creative community, and commercial real estate can come together and turn a profit?

Join Paul Troiano—artist, investor, entrepreneur, and co-founder of Metrognome—as he sits down with real estate leader Chris Merz for a powerful conversation on transforming empty office spaces into thriving artist hubs in the heart of Portland.

What You’ll Discover:
🏢 Office-to-Artist Conversions – Real-world insight into turning underused commercial space into vibrant creative communities.
🎶 Purpose-Driven Profit – How doing right by your city can align with strong returns.
💡 Creative Meets Commercial – Paul’s journey blending art, music, and real estate into a scalable business model.

Who Should Attend?
🎨 Artists & Creatives – Looking for space that supports your work and your vision?
🏘 Real Estate Investors – Discover a new kind of adaptive reuse with both impact and ROI.
🌍 Community-Minded Pros – Explore how to build with heart and hustle.

🎗 Give Back While You Learn!
Every ticket sold supports the Children’s Cancer Association, making a meaningful impact in the lives of young fighters. Your contribution truly matters.

Don’t miss this inspiring, behind-the-scenes look at real estate done differently. RSVP now!

From Mergers to Millions: How I Built a High-Growth Investment Firm

Join Ryan Sudeck for an Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes Look!

🚀 Want to scale your real estate portfolio and maximize returns? Learn from Ryan Sudeck, CEO of Sage Investment Group, as he reveals the strategies behind his firm’s rapid growth—managing 2,400+ units with 1,600 more on the way!

REGISTER: HERE

What You’ll Discover:

🔥 Insider Secrets to Explosive Growth – How Ryan went from M&A deals at Amazon and Samsung to leading a high-performing investment firm.
🏗 The Power of Adaptive Reuse – How hotel-to-apartment conversions are reshaping the market and creating strong investor returns.
📈 2025 Investment Playbook – Where the best opportunities are and how to position yourself for success in the coming year.

🎗 Give Back While You Learn! Every ticket sold supports the Children’s Cancer Association, making a meaningful impact in the lives of young fighters. Your contribution truly matters!

Don’t miss this rare chance to gain direct insights from a top industry leader. Seats are limited—register now!

Are you serious about growing your real estate business? Join us for an exclusive Portland Real Estate Investor (REI) Meetup, where we focus on business planning, goal-setting, and accountability in a small-group setting. This event is designed for investors, realtors, and industry professionals who want actionable strategies to scale their success.

🚀 Get ready to define your goals, measure success with key performance indicators (KPIs), and find accountability partners to keep you on track!

REGISTER: HERE

🔑 What You’ll Get from This Meetup:

🔹 Small Group Collaboration

🔹 Business Planning & Goal-Setting

🔹 Daily, Weekly, Monthly, and Quarterly Action Plans

🔹 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

🔹 Accountability Partnerships

🔹 Networking & Strategy Sharing

🎯 Who Should Attend?

✅ Real Estate Investors (Beginner to Experienced)

✅ Realtors Looking to Scale Their Business

✅ Real Estate Agents & Brokers

✅ Wholesalers, Flippers, and Buy & Hold Investors

✅ Anyone Looking to Build a Sustainable Real Estate Business

Plus, every ticket sold supports the Children’s Cancer Association, helping to make a meaningful impact in the lives of young fighters. Your contribution is truly appreciated!