Back in 2017 we decided to switch our rentals over to lease options and we haven't looked back since.
Joe quit his job in early 2020 after realizing time and financial freedom was possible through creative financing in real estate investing.
Through seller finance, subject-to, lease purchase, sandwich lease purchase, wholesale and smart flips we're both able to work from home, spend more time with each other and most importantly, our kids.
This is our story...
If you follow us at all, (which you should because we LOVE sharing on social media!) you may see that Joe has been in real estate for over 20 years. He wholesaled his first house in 2000 and was instantly hooked! He performed a double close and back then there was no internet and the sellers were almost impossible to get a hold of. With no money out of pocket, he was able to make $15,000 at 23 years old. He decided to get into the car business for health insurance, as he has Crohn’s Disease. He worked in the finance department for 15 years.
I (Jenn) bought my first house in 2006 and actually “house-hacked” since a roommate moved in to help me pay the mortgage. Joe already had his own house too in March 2006. Come January 2008, we finally met and by the Fall bought our first fixer upper together. I thought Joe was nuts for getting a 3rd house, but it was the first step in our real estate journey together.
...while Joe worked his well paying job (aka had no time off!) In a few years we had 4 rental properties and didn’t love having to do the maintenance, repairs, and getting those phone calls on vacation that the new faucet was already leaking again. In the Spring of 2017, we were in the middle of a renovation on a house we bought on a short sale, and we decided then it was time for us to change our business model.
All four tenants in our rentals were offered the lease with the option to buy the home, but no one did. Come Summer, we had 5 available properties for rent to own. Summer 2017 was INSANE but we survived! We have never once regretted to offer a lease purchase and are SO much happier running our business this way.
With some direct mail campaigns, and sort of using Facebook, we started growing our portfolio. We bought homes on seller financing and another on a wrap around mortgage. We knew that one day our dream was for Joe to walk away from the car business and work full time in real estate together.
...while Joe worked his well paying job (aka had no time off!) In a few years we had 4 rental properties and didn’t love having to do the maintenance, repairs, and getting those phone calls on vacation that the new faucet was already leaking again. In the Spring of 2017, we were in the middle of a renovation on a house we bought on a short sale, and we decided then it was time for us to change our business model.
All four tenants in our rentals were offered the lease with the option to buy the home, but no one did. Come Summer, we had 5 available properties for rent to own. Summer 2017 was INSANE but we survived! We have never once regretted to offer a lease purchase and are SO much happier running our business this way.
With some direct mail campaigns, and sort of using Facebook, we started growing our portfolio. We bought homes on seller financing and another on a wrap around mortgage. We knew that one day our dream was for Joe to walk away from the car business and work full time in real estate together.
In February 2020 we joined a mentorship and had it in our heads that once September rolled around, our youngest would go off to Kindergarten and I would do this full time and amp up business so that Joe could confidently walk away form his full time job. Well, remember you get what you wish for and in March 2020 that dream of ours came true! March 12th was the last day my husband ever worked for anyone other than himself. Due to Covid-19, he could no longer go to work in a public space like a dealership. He takes a medication that lowers his immune system and if he got Covid, the doctors told him it could be fatal.
March 2020 was monumental for us; exactly how we were financially able to swing taking real estate full time is for another course, but I will say that without Creative Finance, we wouldn’t have a business right now. Without a W2, we can’t walk into a bank and qualify for a loan. With the systems and practices we are about to share with you, you too can secure financial and time freedom if you put in the work.
We do everything in our real estate business virtually. We also have both children (6&8 at the time of me writing this) going to school full-time virtually. We can’t hire any help inside our home, again due to Joe’s immune system, so we don’t have any childcare either. If we can make it happen, while maintaining all responsibilities in our home, such as cooking, cleaning, childcare, groceries etc. then so can you!
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