Erik Stenbakken

SHORT VERSION: I'm committed to real estate investing. Been at it 12 years. Before that, I was a commercial photographer & videographer (think B2B). Over a decade ago I bought a few homes and rehabbed them as long-term rentals. Then diversified into STRs. Now leaning into REI as full-time work, not a side hustle. I'm a licensed agent in Colorado (lic.# FA.100093227). Currently own & manage seven properties in two states. My real estate investing Instagram is @reiforthewin THE LONG VERSION: Real estate is my fifth career, depending how you count. I was a high school teacher briefly, then PR/ marketing/ editor at a small college. Then shifted from writing and printing words to making and printing photos, mostly editorial (back when magazines were a thing). Transitioned into commercial photography, and seven-ish years ago added commercial video to my toolbelt. Just before I got into real estate with long-term rentals, we had '08-'11. Photography took a solid hit. Businesses understandably cut back (way back) on media content creators. Not shockingly… rents kept getting paid. Hmmm. Still, I didn't shift all my weight. But what I *did* do was continue to buy in Northern Colorado. I had no idea we were buying into so much potential, but glad I did. Over the next few years, bought 5 long-term rentals (LTR). About 2016, we bought a short-term rental (STR) in the mountains. We loved the area, and were stoked to find that short-term renters were buying it for us. We had a great second year and we thought, "Let's do it again!" and built in the same area. Then sold a few LTR locally and bought a large STR out of state. Since then, we got three more out of state. I'm passionate about REI and STRs in particular. I've done a bunch of coaching of family and friends, getting them into some great properties. I'm currently working on a coaching process for others. Why did I choose "investor" for occupation when I'm an agent too? Because I'm an investor first, agent second. At the intersection of those two is right where I want to be for me, and where I can help others most.