If someone would have told me one year ago that I would be a full time real estate investor together with my husband and flipping houses for a living, I would have laughed at them! To be totally honest, real estate was never a passion of mine and I hadn’t given it much thought until I read “Rich Dad Poor Dad.” That got the wheels turning and when Matt (the hubby) discovered the niche of real estate we now love best…. Wholesaling… it seemed too good to be true! I was a total skeptic, but in the end, there were a few things that changed my mind and made me want to take the Plunge! In less than one year, we’ve flipped 44 properties totaling over $1,000,000. We’ve attended meetings almost nightly during the week, networked our rear ends off, attended classes, and met a lot of people. What we’ve discovered is that “taking the plunge”is often the hardest part for people even though they despise their jobs and know that real estate could be their vehicle out of the rat race.
So, what changed for me you might ask? How did I go from skeptic to believer and what does it REALLY take to make the plunge and ramp up a full time real estate career? It may not be for everyone, but for those who really want it… continue to read because I’m going to share my tips for“Making the Plunge!”
In the beginning, something that got me motivated to take charge was thinking about my financial future and looking at the statistics of the average American at retirement. We were barely making ends meet as it was, despite the fact that we were both working full time. The average American retires at 62 years of age and 95% of them are either dead broke or DEAD by that age! I couldn’t tolerate the thought of being a work horse for the remainder of my life only to pass on debt to my children and be a bother to them during the last years of my life. I didn’t know HOW this would all work out, but I was ready to look at some “other options!”
Needless to say, this thought was one of my WHYs… which is first and foremost on my list of things to help you take the plunge. WHY do you want to embark on this real estate journey in the first place? For many people (and I know this to be true for me) it’s not because they just LOVE real estate (it may be for some) but it’s about what Real Estate Investing may afford you. For me, it is the lifestyle and being able to spend time with my loved ones whenever and however I want. It was important for me to know that when we have children, we can spend as much time with them as possible. I also didn’t want to report to a boss or have caps on the amount of money I could make. Everyone’s WHY will be different, but it’s important to determine it and have it clear in your mind because it will be the driving force that keeps you going full speed ahead when times get tough!
Next, you need to start ELIMINATING EXCUSES! You can intentionally create the life you want or you can continue to make excuses, but you can’t do both! You must eliminate all excuses RIGHT NOW! If you’re excuse is that you have a family and children, then, you need to turn that around and think to yourself… “That’s exactly WHY I NEED TO DO THIS!” And make it happen FOR THEM!
Third, take action NOW! When you’re paralyzed by fear or feeling a little lazy with the whole process, just take ONE step. Come on…eat the elephant one bite at a time. Just doing one small thing a day CONSISTENTLY over time will yield more results than you ever dreamed possible. In the beginning, we were both still working full time jobs, so we made time at night and on the weekends to market to sellers and start setting up our business. We stopped going out on Friday nights and used that money towards bandit signs and marketing materials. You may need to make a few sacrifices in the beginning, but it’s SO WORTH IT!
Next, stop treating your real estate investing obsession like a thing you do on the side and start setting it up like a business! Define yourself as a Real Estate Investor and act the part. Just fake it until you make it! Attend as many REIA meetings, Meetups, and Networking events as possible and tell as many people as possible what you do…even if you haven't done a deal yet!
This leads directly into my next tip, which is to meet as many people as possible who are doing what you want to do and become friends with them. Start doing what they’re doing. And figure out a way to ADD VALUE to them. Don’t just ask them a million questions and be a bother! Ingrain that one in your mind… it will help you go far!
Lastly… work your tail off! Nothing worth having comes easy…YOU have to hustle here! There’s nothing like knowing that you busted your tail, it paid off, and now you can live life on your own terms. Stop worrying about what other people think. They will tell you you’re crazy and this will never work, but just stay steady my friends…keep your big WHY in the forefront of your mind and JUST DO IT!
“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” -Yoda
“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.” -Buddha
To your success,
Courtney (Mrs. Quickflip)
