- Joined
- May 27, 2011
- Messages
- 77
I really meant get this done a few weeks ago, but after the REIN meeting last night I thought I'd really better get going on it. I joined REIN in September of 2011 and set my first goal based on the 17-3 program to get my first 3 properties in my first year. I have celebrated all along the way at each accepted offer, closing and signed lease but I had said I would really say I had a success story when I had bought and rented 3 properties. I closed on the 3rd property at the end of September of this year and the tenants moved in in December.
Along the way I have gone from knowing nothing about RE to become confident in analysis, geo specialization and negotiation. I have learned to focus on a property type and become comfortable with buying houses needing renovations to make the suites real good quality homes that I can be proud to rent out. I have built a team I rely on and have total confidence in with a realtor, inspector, lawyer, banker, renovators and property mangement. In December not only did I get that 3rd place rented, I closed on my fourth suited house and now have eight doors. I am so grateful to REIN and the REIN membership who have given me advice and encouragement along the way, James Knull my realtor, and Jared Hope whose company provides my management services. They haven't just worked with me but they have helped learn along the way and provided help and advice way beyond what I would have expected. I know I still have lots to learn but my proudest moments now are when I can share what I have learned and offer encouragement go other REIN members. Last night I received the BC Rookie of the Year award and besides just the honour of receiving it, I was rewarded with the chance to talk to several newer members and to be able to say yes, it is possible. While I am very comfortable speaking to groups, one on one networking is the hardest thing for me. To everyone who stops to chat with me thank you. This year I plan to Joint Venture now that I can show that I have a successful model and those chances to talk and share at REIN help me become comfortable in talking about my success and practicing attraction.
Meanhile if you want to know the story of how it all started, read on.
For many years I had imagined or wondered about Real estate investment but never did anything about it. In May of 2011, at work I was feeling that I had to keep sacrificing family time and needs to to hold a
job that was regularly threatened to be pulled out from under me
whether I did it well or not. I took a good look at my RRSPs and said how much longer was I working and was not at all happy. I wanted to reach the point where I worked because I wanted to do the work I was doing, not selling my soul because I had to hold on to the job for the family's future.
Something needed to change but I still didn't have a plan. I had always wondered about RE and decided I was going to learn about real estate investing and here was where the universe took an active hand. I am sure I could easily have become one of the seminar grads Don talks about but for what happened soon after. I picked up some oddball business tabloid that I had never seen before nor since and somehow noticed a tiny little 2 column by 4 inch ad for some meeting about real estate put on by some investment group I had never heard of. My first thought was "ah-a here we go". I really didn't know what or who the ad was describing, just that it was about real estate (seminar grad here I come). But then I looked and it was "all the way" in Surrey (I live in Coquitlam) and was the next day. So I thought " I can never get organized for that, it'll be to hard to arrange to get tickets" (the excuses we make). However, when I got home from work I found an email from someone I had met briefly months before. The email was sent to several contacts saying she had a few tickets for the same real estate investment event in Surrey the next day. So I said, "OK this is too weird. I have to go to this thing."
My contact met me there and pointed out the keynote speaker and asked me if I wanted to meet him. I had no clue who he was but I said sure and as we waited to talk to him I saw there were a few books on the table about investing in real estate and decided to buy one. I was introduced to the author who offered to sign the book. He wrote in it "live your dreams". I moved on and the event started. Eventually the keynote speaker came on, he talked about the investment climate in Surrey, how different cities are better at supporting investors etc. and began to talk about economic fundamentals. Wow, such clarity, insight and sense. Suddenly this thought that I could I invest in RE became real and tangible and hey there was a way to do it without guessing and speculating. I am sure you guessed by now that speaker was Don Campbell and the book I had picked up was Real Estate Investing in Canada. My photo here on myreinspace is me holding that book at that event.
I read that book in a hurry - twice. By September I was able to attend my first REIN meeting as a guest. The initial adrenaline rush had worn off and some skepticism had crept in. Did real people really do this, I thought? Although one on one networking is harder for me than presenting to a roomful of people, I did it and I was astounded. People were doing it, they were sharing all kinds of information with me and encouraging me. I joined that night and soon after attended the ACRE in Edmonton.
From there it was a matter of sticking to my commitment and keeping moving. I know how many say the first is the hardest. It wasn't with all the support I had (number 3 on the other hand...). If I can say one piece of advice it would be to just get started.
John Rogers
[email protected]
Along the way I have gone from knowing nothing about RE to become confident in analysis, geo specialization and negotiation. I have learned to focus on a property type and become comfortable with buying houses needing renovations to make the suites real good quality homes that I can be proud to rent out. I have built a team I rely on and have total confidence in with a realtor, inspector, lawyer, banker, renovators and property mangement. In December not only did I get that 3rd place rented, I closed on my fourth suited house and now have eight doors. I am so grateful to REIN and the REIN membership who have given me advice and encouragement along the way, James Knull my realtor, and Jared Hope whose company provides my management services. They haven't just worked with me but they have helped learn along the way and provided help and advice way beyond what I would have expected. I know I still have lots to learn but my proudest moments now are when I can share what I have learned and offer encouragement go other REIN members. Last night I received the BC Rookie of the Year award and besides just the honour of receiving it, I was rewarded with the chance to talk to several newer members and to be able to say yes, it is possible. While I am very comfortable speaking to groups, one on one networking is the hardest thing for me. To everyone who stops to chat with me thank you. This year I plan to Joint Venture now that I can show that I have a successful model and those chances to talk and share at REIN help me become comfortable in talking about my success and practicing attraction.
Meanhile if you want to know the story of how it all started, read on.
For many years I had imagined or wondered about Real estate investment but never did anything about it. In May of 2011, at work I was feeling that I had to keep sacrificing family time and needs to to hold a
job that was regularly threatened to be pulled out from under me
whether I did it well or not. I took a good look at my RRSPs and said how much longer was I working and was not at all happy. I wanted to reach the point where I worked because I wanted to do the work I was doing, not selling my soul because I had to hold on to the job for the family's future.
Something needed to change but I still didn't have a plan. I had always wondered about RE and decided I was going to learn about real estate investing and here was where the universe took an active hand. I am sure I could easily have become one of the seminar grads Don talks about but for what happened soon after. I picked up some oddball business tabloid that I had never seen before nor since and somehow noticed a tiny little 2 column by 4 inch ad for some meeting about real estate put on by some investment group I had never heard of. My first thought was "ah-a here we go". I really didn't know what or who the ad was describing, just that it was about real estate (seminar grad here I come). But then I looked and it was "all the way" in Surrey (I live in Coquitlam) and was the next day. So I thought " I can never get organized for that, it'll be to hard to arrange to get tickets" (the excuses we make). However, when I got home from work I found an email from someone I had met briefly months before. The email was sent to several contacts saying she had a few tickets for the same real estate investment event in Surrey the next day. So I said, "OK this is too weird. I have to go to this thing."
My contact met me there and pointed out the keynote speaker and asked me if I wanted to meet him. I had no clue who he was but I said sure and as we waited to talk to him I saw there were a few books on the table about investing in real estate and decided to buy one. I was introduced to the author who offered to sign the book. He wrote in it "live your dreams". I moved on and the event started. Eventually the keynote speaker came on, he talked about the investment climate in Surrey, how different cities are better at supporting investors etc. and began to talk about economic fundamentals. Wow, such clarity, insight and sense. Suddenly this thought that I could I invest in RE became real and tangible and hey there was a way to do it without guessing and speculating. I am sure you guessed by now that speaker was Don Campbell and the book I had picked up was Real Estate Investing in Canada. My photo here on myreinspace is me holding that book at that event.
I read that book in a hurry - twice. By September I was able to attend my first REIN meeting as a guest. The initial adrenaline rush had worn off and some skepticism had crept in. Did real people really do this, I thought? Although one on one networking is harder for me than presenting to a roomful of people, I did it and I was astounded. People were doing it, they were sharing all kinds of information with me and encouraging me. I joined that night and soon after attended the ACRE in Edmonton.
From there it was a matter of sticking to my commitment and keeping moving. I know how many say the first is the hardest. It wasn't with all the support I had (number 3 on the other hand...). If I can say one piece of advice it would be to just get started.
John Rogers
[email protected]
