Michael Sgandurra

I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, and spent the first 24 years of my life there. After graduating from Ohio State in 2013 I moved to West Lafayette, IN and Lima, OH for my employer. In 2016, I moved to New Orleans, where I discovered BiggerPockets and real estate. While in New Orleans, I purchased my first home, a duplex in a gentrifying and desirable neighborhood in New Orleans. I house hacked my half, and until COVID hit, I ran a lucrative STR business in the other half. Once COVID struck, I transitioned the other half into a furnished LTR model, and later began catering to travel nurses. Being exposed to that breadth of rental experience provided invaluable lessons. I’m now in the process of selling this home. In April 2021, I purchased my first out-of-state investment property back in Columbus. It is 2/1 duplex that I will be converting into a 3/2 duplex without adding any square footage. It’s a BRRRR property that is currently undergoing a full rehab. All of my family and friends are in Columbus and I visit several times a year, which provides me a competitive advantage by having such intimate knowledge of the climate. In April of 2021, I also became a private moneylender by investing in a New Orleans gym that is now owned by two of my mentors. In May of 2021, I left New Orleans for Reno, Nevada where I work for Tesla. I’m currently searching for a primary residence in the area with both on-market and off-market deals. My goal with real estate investment is financial independence by 2030. By this time, I want at least 100 units that will provide over $10,000 in passive cash flow each month. After learning about BiggerPockets and the books/podcasts/seminars/website, I was hooked. Since 2019, I’ve invested thousands of hours learning real estate. I spent the first 6 years of my career investing heavily in my 401k retirement but knew there had to be something better. Not only did I want to be set for retirement, wanted to have to work until my 60’s in the first place. Life is too short, and nothing is guaranteed. BiggerPockets showed me the answer. My current investing goals are to purchase additional 2–4-unit properties every 6 months or less in the Columbus area. Eventually, I’d like to grow into larger commercial sized properties either with or without a 1031. In Reno, I will purchase a primary residence (SFH or MFH), house hack, force appreciation, and repeat the process. My journey is still in its infancy. That said, I have more people to thank than I can mention here. Some of them are BP members, some are not. I’ve been extremely fortunate to meet mentors, developers, agents, and countless other investors who’ve been able to guide and influence me along the way. I can't wait for the journey ahead!