Nearly 19 years ago, I embarked on my real estate journey, but truthfully, it wasn’t about real estate at all.
It was about proving something to myself and to others.
It was about making money.
At that time, my girlfriend had just broken up with me.
She said she wanted to date someone with “status,” someone who “makes money.”
I was heartbroken, but more than that, I was angry.
For anyone who knew me during that period, I wasn’t much fun to be around.
I was the hardest-working person I knew, yet I was still broke.
I worked every possible hour of overtime I could manage.
I cashed in my vacation days every year, taking the money instead of the days off.
I worked two jobs and grabbed every chance to work on Saturdays and many Sundays.
Despite all this, I had nothing to show for it.
I knew I had to make real money if I ever wanted to win her back.
Back then, my TV was always on.
My apartment was tiny—300 square feet—and rent was $275 a month.
The TV room was also my bedroom.
One night, an infomercial came on: “How to Get Rich in Real Estate Flipping Houses.”
Somehow, this guy on TV convinced a broke guy sitting in a small apartment that he could get rich flipping houses without any money.
I bought the books and paid extra for express delivery.
I was so naive that I believed I could do it.
I read those books over and over again.
Then, I took action.
In my first year, I did 12 deals.
The second year, 10 deals.
The third year, 19 deals.
By the fourth year, I did 52 deals and finally quit my job.
Free at last.
In the fifth year, I did 102 deals.
In the sixth year, I completed 250 deals.
From there, things got crazy.
By 2013, I owned 450 houses in my portfolio and was flipping and wholesaling dozens per month.
Those first few years in real estate are my favorite.
Not because it was easy—because it was the hardest thing I’d ever done.
I felt like I had accomplished the impossible.
All because I was heartbroken and pissed off at the world.
I worked tirelessly and didn’t think twice about all the “no’s” I got or how hard it was.
I didn’t get the girl back, but I did become the person I was supposed to be.
The lesson here? Don’t give up on yourself.
Life is too short.
You are a work of art.
You just have to chisel away at all the BS to show the world your true potential.
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