All Forum Posts by: Erik Stewart

@Riley Way

Thanks for sharing! Growing up in a low-income family definitely leaves an imprint on the mind. I sometimes wonder about the differences on how kids are raised with or without financial literacy lessons from their parents. Childhoods really do shape the rest of your life, and I'm glad that you were able to hit that reset button and join the Navy. That's such a difficult but pivotal decision for young person to make. I'm sure you could write for days on experiences and lessons from the Navy!

I love that you are using that driving passion cultivated from the military and applying it to every facet of your life. Even being in the beginning stages of your real estate journey, as long as you are following the plan you set for yourself and it's fulfilling your needs, then disciplined action will get you to your goal!

Thanks again for sharing!!

@Justin Polston

Hahaha this is amazing! I imagine there is ton of opportunity to continue this little enterprise all through elementary school since kids cannot get enough sugar, ever. Just some quick math and that's about $4,000 profit per school year assuming no summer school lol. What an awesome lesson to be able to internalize at such a young age. It took me much longer to even theorize about that and longer still to implement and internalize LOL I guess I'm a late bloomer.

Just checked out your profile as well, and looks like you are pretty active in flipping, buying holds, and being an agent! When did you discover real estate and can you describe a little bit about how your first deal or two progressed? I love the light bulb moment in everyone's story when they realize real estate has the power to change lives!

@Roger Bremmer

Keep at it! That's the whole point of starting this thread was to find people who succeeded even in the most unlikely scenarios. Hopefully these stories can help show even one or two people that it's not impossible! Keep educating yourself, create a strategy that fits your needs, and then apply at least a little effort every day towards your goals and I have no doubt that you will get your first property in no time! Best of luck!!

@Caleb Johnson

Thanks for your post! This one it's home for me as well. My dad is a huge motivator for me to find financial success. He did his best raising us kids and now I'm doing my best to be in a position where I can help him financially or spend time with him as needed. My dad is 56 and works in a wood shop making custom HVAC grills for homes. And even though he's only got his GED, he's still had custody of three crazy kids starting at 5 years old and younger and raised us to be good people and always encouraged us to go to college. Now my sister has a great job in sales, my brother is an electrical engineer, and I am a full-time real estate investor. I like to think that he was indirectly responsible our careers but directly responsible for our success due to his sacrifices and parenting style.

I also started off with the house hack just like you. Actually did two back-to-back for a total of about 7 years. It's a great way to start and I recommend it to basically everybody that will listen.

Good luck on all your future deals and if I'm ever seriously looking at investing in Mesa or even if I'm just there on vacation to get away from the Fargo winters, I'll shoot you a message for sure!

Thanks again!

@CJ M.

Wow!! Thanks so much, awesome story! When you got that house for 26k, "$h** what did I just do!??" That is hilarious and had me cracking up! That's too real!!!

Rich Dad, Poor Dad really does a number on us investors, doesn't it? All that security we feel working for generous employers is great until it's gone unexpectedly. If security and predictability are the main reasons for working for someone else, and that security can often times be an illusion, then I see self employment and real estate investing as not only better options, but essential!

Your story is also a great example that it's ok to start later than you might like. It's ok to have to completely start over. I have to believe with enough persistence, over prevails. Each set back and failure will be a fun post some day on a bigger pockets thread about underdog stories!

Love the pointers at the end, calling out all the help you have received and the bigger pockets episode specifically.

I am actually going to go back and re-read your whole post, thanks again, I very much enjoyed the authenticity and willingness to share!

@Tucker Cummings

Hey Tucker, thanks for your story! My 2 siblings and I were raised by divorced parents as well. Not that I have anything to compare it to, but in my case, I think of it like having 2 great parents who happen to live 3 hours apart.

There's a lot of psychology to unpack in these stories, which is very interesting to me! The journey one takes to gain success and forge a lifestyle with intention is especially powerful when it comes from within. That's probably why stories like yours and all the others here are so great; it shows that the power to change one's life is in reach for everyone. Ok I'm getting on a tangent. Thanks again and please feel free to share any other major obstacles you've overcome!

@Joaquin Camarasa

Thanks so much for sharing! What a journey so far! Congrats on your first couple deals! The first couple are challenging but you learn so much. How did you discover real estate investing and what did you look for in your first deal? Would love to hear more about it!

@Jim K.

Thanks for the feedback!

I think it helps people just knowing that there is a path from where they are now to where they want to be. It's up to each of us to forge that path but just knowing that it's possible and others have paved the way for us to emulate makes such a huge difference. It makes it more attainable to the average person.

@Darius Ogloza

Exactly. That's probably there biggest piece of advice you can give someone: step out of your comfort zone and work hard. Those two things generally have a tendency to separate a person from most other people. I would think it's easier to do when one is young and has less to lose but taking risks is a necessary part of any investing. I personally think that half the time when people say they can't afford to get into real estate investing, I tell them that they can't afford NOT to do it!

@Logan Vierstra

Keep it going!!

I hear this and I think exponential growth!! If you can continue to improve every year, even incremental improvements, then in a very short time you will have a very successful real estate business. The hardest and toughest sledding seems to be at the very beginning when you have the least amount of knowledge and money. For me it was that first fix and flip that was a success. That changed my entire mindset because I got to see firsthand that it was not only possible, but that it was actually easier than I ever thought. Armed with that information and confidence, a person really feels like a world of opportunity opens up that was just not able to be seen before.

What made you want to get into real estate investing and what would you say the hardest single thing has been for you so far?