All Forum Posts by: Jack Pergola

Hey everyone — I’m a 20-year-old junior in college (Economics major at Binghamton University), and I’ve been obsessively learning about real estate investing. After digging into strategy, leverage, and long-term wealth building, I’ve put together a game plan I plan to execute starting now and would love feedback or insight from more experienced investors.

🏡 Background

My parents own a home currently worth $2 million, bought for $500K

• There’s still a mortgage on it, but they have ~$1.8+ in equity
• My goal is to partner with my family and responsibly borrow against the house to start building a rental portfolio
• I live at home, have almost no expenses, and want to reinvest aggressively

💡 The Core Strategy

Finish college with minimal debt

1. Land a solid W-2 or commission-based job out of school (sales/consulting/real estate)
2. Convince my parents to give me partial ownership of the house or structure a joint borrowing arrangement
3. Take out an initial $300K–$600K loan against the home (not the full $1M+ possible)
   
• Use 25% down strategy to control $1.2M–$2M of real estate
• Buy 3–6 rental properties in cash-flowing markets
• Hold ~$50K–$100K in reserves to avoid overleveraging
4. Rent pays off all property debt + covers most (if not all) of the home loan
5. Use job income to fill any short-term gap (targeting break-even or net-positive cash flow by year 2)
6. Reinvest profits + refinance gains into new properties every 12–24 months
7. Eventually scale to 10–20 doors, pay off the home loan, and build a family portfolio

🧠 Long-Term Vision

Create a multi-generational wealth plan with my brothers

• Build an LLC or family trust to manage properties
• Use smart leverage + cash flow to retire early or buy full freedom
• Teach my family how to compound together
• Eventually pass on millions in property to our kids — no debt, just systems

Why I’m Posting

I don’t need hype — I want honest feedback

• What would you improve?
• What risks am I underestimating?
• Any tips on structuring family involvement and responsibilities?
• How would you scale this without going broke?

Thanks for reading. I’ve got the vision, the drive, and the family advantage — now I want to execute this intelligently.

Let me know your thoughts. 🙏