← Real Estate Rookie
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- [00:00]
Ashley Kerr
One of the challenges a rookie real estate investor faces is finding the right market to launch their first deal. You might want to look at economic factors like job growth, population growth, and price to rent ratio, just to name a few. But you also need to feel comfortable with the challenges of managing out of state properties.
- [00:20]
Tony J. Robinson
And our guest today did just that. He built a 10 property portfolio with the intent of finding financial freedom for his family. And he used the burst strategy and has weathered contractor dilemma and evictions, all while selling managing from an entirely different state.
- [00:39]
Ashley Kerr
This is the Real Estate Rookie podcast and I'm Ashley Kerr.
- [00:43]
Tony J. Robinson
And I'm Tony J. Robinson. And let's give a big warm welcome to Lorenzo. Lorenzo, thank you for joining us today. Brother.
- [00:49]
Lorenzo Decaria
Thank you for having me as a guest. Super excited to be here.
- [00:52]
Ashley Kerr
Lorenzo, let's start before you even knew what real estate investing was. What was your life like and what, when was the moment that a switch really flipped for you figuring out real estate investing?
- [01:05]
Lorenzo Decaria
I start as a software engineer. I've been in this industry for 18 years. I've always been an employee. And as you know, that means trading time for money, right? You trade your time for, for a hourly rate, which can be very high if you are skilled or if you are in a solid industry as software engineering is. But still, it kind of feels capped. It kind of feels you have a, you have a cap. So I've always been looking for, you know, a way to scale independently from, from the time I put into something. And I've tried pretty much everything as everybody else out there, right? I tried stock investing, I tried day trading, I tried any other kind of businesses, but it's kind of hard to scale and disconnect from the actual time that you put in. So I started to analyze how all the wealthy people that I know, what they have in common. And that is when real estate started to feel like the common denominator among amongst them all. I know a few wealthy people, like even personally, and they all started or got into real estate. And that feels to me what is the actual key for their success. So I thought if you want to be like somebody, you have to do what that somebody does, right? So that's how I approached real estate. My first steps were I have a pretty analytical approach. So, like being a engineer, maybe that's like my professional deviation. But my, my method was, okay, I'm, I'm gonna, I'm gonna start documenting myself as much as I can. Like, I started reading forums and that's how I found biggerpockets. Which has been like a great resource for me. I of course started reading the Brrrr method book and that was like a. Okay, this is what I need. That was my really aha moment. So that's how I got started. Yep.
- [03:15]
Tony J. Robinson
And Lorenzo, I know Covid played a big role in your investing journey as well. What, what was that moment? And, and how did that shape your, your investing journey?
- [03:24]
Lorenzo Decaria
That was pretty much like a, a big slap in my face that I got from the, from the situation. During 2020, I was still on a visa because I'm, I can, I think I can guess from my accent. I'm. I'm a foreigner. So I was on a visa and my visa was about to expire, I think like literally a few months before COVID So my green card was in the process. And because of COVID everything was delayed. Right. Government was shutting down and all the processes were delayed because of, because of the pandemic. So that set me back along with the shrinking demand that there was in the. Pretty much in all the engineering, software engineering fields, including mine. So my company was cutting resources. And these combined with my visa status, I could not change employers because my visa was tied to the company that sponsored me. So I could only work for one employer, which wasn't giving me work at all. So I was like, what am I going to do now? My wife was not working either because her visa was expired as well. So we were like staring at each other every day and it felt like looking at a candle that was burning and there's really nothing you can do because you have no resources. In that moment, it was like, I need to do something. I cannot do this. I cannot let a W2 job or an employee decide for my future. I have to be self sufficient. So that is when I really felt that I needed to step my game up. And I really wanted to start with real estate. The problem was that whenever I felt like I needed to take some actual step, you know, social media feel like they're full of like people that are already like great, successful people, like Grant Cardone or, you know, Robert kiyosaki. They're like 15,000 properties. And I'm like, I'm like 15,000 steps behind. I'm never going to get there. You feel like discouraged because you feel like I'm, I'm too far behind. And on the other side, there are those self proclaimed, proclaimed gurus which are like, yeah, I'm gonna teach you the method. You're gonna achieve passive income like overnight. And at the end of the Day all they wanna do is like sending you their course. So it's like, I don't trust this. Maybe I'm just mistaken. Once again, I'm just like, maybe this is just another wrong thing that I picked right? So I felt discouraged until, and this was 2023, I met one of my best friend's brother in law. It was my friend's 40th birthday and I met his brother in law and you know, chit chatting about what you do in life. And it was the first time I met him. So he told me, oh no, I manage rental properties. Oh, cool. What a coincidence. Tell me about it. And he told me he had 16 properties at the time. And he was like an average guy, like I am. I think it was like a scuba diver prior to that. So it really felt like something real is materializing before my eyes. And I was like, okay, this is what I was waiting for, like a regular guy, like a very normal person that made it so. Tell me everything, you know, tell me about it. And we started chatting a little bit deeper about that. And I felt like this was really something that I could do myself because now I had met somebody that started where I started. Okay. And this is how I got started. This is how I got started.
- [07:05]
Ashley Kerr
Lorenzo, that example really shows the power of networking and just, you know, asking what people are doing, telling them what you're trying to do. And you probably learned so much just in that little conversation. So from that point in time, when did you actually do your first deal?
- [07:23]
Lorenzo Decaria
My first deal happened three, four months later. I was stuck for two years reading books and finding resources. And. And then when I felt that blockage that I had, when I felt that it was gone, it was like, I need to do it, I need to do this. Like, so it was. We were on a vacation in Italy actually. That's where I met him. And when I came back, we connected again. And I asked him to introduce me to his real estate agent. And so he did. I started speaking with his real estate agent, but he was in a different city that I meant to invest in because we decided not to invest in the same city. Of course, not to step on each other toes. You know, I picked a city that was like 30, 40 minutes away from him and I started sending deals to this agent. And I was asking him, can you go take a look, tell me what you think and I'll jump on this property. And maybe due to the distance of this city, this real estate agent was not really prompt to follow up. Right. So after three Four missed deals. I was kind of, you know, a little bit discouraged again. And that's when he actually came up and told me that he was up front. And he told me, maybe I'm not the right fit for you because I live in a different city. It takes me like, three days to go check on a property. I'm gonna send you a contact of another real estate agent that operates in the city you're looking at. So he did. And this real estate agent I met, he's a great human. He's a great person. I love him. Uh, he's a really a great person before being an excellent real estate agent. So that's what I liked. We. We had a. A very good connection from the very first call. And I told him what I was looking for, and he started sending me deals, like, one after the other. And I was like, just, just, let's pick one, let's pick one. It doesn't matter. Like, as long as numbers pan out, I'm. I'm all about it. I. I was itching, like, really to get started. So the first Property was a two bedroom, one bath that I acquired for $43,000. It was all cash. It needed a Springfield, Illinois. So this property was in a pretty good conditions, not excellent. I'm not looking for, you know, ready turnkey properties. So this property, I think I put in like, something less than $3,000. I remember I repaired the back door in the patio. Like, a few hinges were like, broken or, or, or worn out. Another thing I did was something in the kitchen. Like a couple cabinets had the same problem. Like, the doors were like, kind of falling off. So I was like $3,000 in even less in repairs. So that puts me at less than 46K. Right. When I refinanced it, it appraised for 54. So that means that when I left the 20% in as a down payment and I basically got my money back, I got almost all my money back. So that gives me a infinite ROI because I left no cash in it. And I was, like, blown away with this first deal. I was. I don't know if it was like beginner's luck or maybe. Yeah, no, because, like, it felt like everything aligned perfectly. So I was just like, I need the second one.
- [10:50]
Tony J. Robinson
Well, Lorenzo, I mean, congratulations on, on the first deal. And I, I think kudos to you for taking action because you said you had that chance encounter and just a few months later, you found your first deal. But I think something that's really important and I'm glad You brought up that meeting with your friend's brother in law because sometimes all the, all it takes is one chance encounter with the right person to make you feel like it actually is possible for you to do this thing called real estate investing. And you can listen to the podcast, you can watch the YouTube videos, but sometimes until you actually meet someone, it's hard to really believe it in yourself. And I think that's why it's so important for Rickies to get out and talk to people. That's why it's so important for Ricky's to get out and go to conferences. The Bigger Pockets annual conference, bpcon, right, that's coming up. You haven't been to that. Make sure you guys go. But because at places like that, you might meet that person. That does change the entire trajectory of your life. So I think that's, that's amazing. And then the, the second thing you mentioned too is about the, the agent Lorenzo. And I think that's a, a challenge that a lot of other rookie investors also have is that they, they go to their family friend or maybe they go to the agent and sold them their, their primary residence. And those folks aren't quite as equipped to help investors find good deals. And I'm glad you found someone. But for all of our rookies that are listening, head over to BiggerPockets.com agent finder, BiggerPockets.com Agent Finder and we'll get you guys connected with investor friendly agents who actually are willing to do the things that investors need their agents to do. Because a lot of times it is different from a, from a primary residence type realtor. So you crush the first deal, Lorenzo. Clearly 43,000 appraises for 54, which sets you up for, I'm assuming, your second deal. But before we go on, I just want to know, what does your entire portfolio look like today?
- [12:45]
Lorenzo Decaria
My entire portfolio today is 10 properties, two of which are duplexes. So that's 12 doors currently.
- [12:54]
Ashley Kerr
Lorenzo, we have to take a short break, but when we come back, we're going to get into that next deal, so stay tuned.
- [13:03]
D
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- [14:32]
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- [15:11]
Ashley Kerr
Okay, now let's get back into the show with Lorenzo. After that first deal, your portfolio actually grew pretty fast. You went to 12 doors in two years. So what strategies actually helped you grow to get that next deal and continue on to grow your portfolio?
- [15:29]
Lorenzo Decaria
As I said Before, I'm a W2 employee, so my only source of income is my salary and savings. Okay, so at the time I started I think I had slightly less than 100k in savings. So there is a good chunk of money that probably not everybody can be able to set aside. Right. So I consider myself lucky to have a good job that gives me good saving. But that was relatively easy to put aside during the pandemic due to mainly reduced spending. Right. So I knew I had this thing in the back burner. So that gave me the motivation to really save. So salary and saving are what currently funds my deals. And as I scale, I hope that I can. What I'm actually doing now is I'm reinvesting all the proceeds from. From the business into the business itself. So that is at the point now it is a. At the point where it is self sufficient lunge.
- [16:32]
Tony J. Robinson
I just want to ask, are you still buying around that same price point, like sub 100k properties now I'm at.
- [16:38]
Lorenzo Decaria
A point where I slowed down a little bit and I can explain why. First of all, because I ran out of funds. Yeah, seriously, the market has shifted a little bit. I think last year it was much easier for me to find gems. And for some reason this year is the market is lower, there's less, less availability on the market. So even this real estate agent is telling me the same thing. But this gives me the chance to do two things. First, stabilize the portfolio. Because I acquired like crazy last year and I had four properties to rehab and I'm finishing the last one like as we speak. End of the month it should be ready. So that gives me some breathing room because I cannot continue to acquire properties if I have three or four that are being rehabbed at the same time and at the same moment. Really. I feel like I'm not saying I made a mistake in acquiring so much, but I probably should have been a little bit more organic and sustainable in the growth. But in that moment, it just felt like deals were falling on my lap and I couldn't say no. So I really, I purchased the property that I'm rehabbing now is the last one I bought and I think it was around September last year. It's a duplex and there was a striking deal. I couldn't say no. I swear to God, I had I think 70 something thousand dollars on my bank account and I got the duplex for like 70. So I was left with $3,000 and I need to wait my, my next paycheck, like really eating noodles. No, I'm joking. But that I told my real estate agent like I need to get this deal because it's like a striking deal. I paid 70, I'm 12, maybe $15,000 in in rehabs. But that property, once it is finished, it's a duplex. So it's going to be rented for combined, I think at least 2300 combined with the two units. And it's probably going to appraise for 130. So I'm going to have, like, a little bit of sweet equity there. And all. All the income is going to be. All the rental income is going to be like, income because there's no mortgage on it. I got cash. So these numbers are like, crazy to me. And. But I'm glad now I have to slow down a little bit so I can stabilize the portfolio. I'm. I'm starting to have the first items that are breaking in either properties, you know, water heater, a furnace to be serviced, other things. So I'm glad that I now have this cash FL that I can reinvest in the business to self. Self upkeep. Right.
- [19:29]
Tony J. Robinson
And Lorenzo, were you continuing to burr.
- [19:31]
D
Throughout all of those deals?
- [19:32]
Tony J. Robinson
Like, the plan was to burr every single one of those. And is that what you did?
- [19:35]
Lorenzo Decaria
Yeah. In fact, the property that I acquired before, this duplex that I just mentioned, is a single family home, three bedroom, two bathrooms, and I got it for 25,000. So that was another, like, incredible deal. And that was pretty rough, trust me. When I bought it, I was like, did I really do the good choice here? I was really skeptical, but I trusted a handyman that I had at the time, and he told me he would fix it for 15,000. So that would put me at 40 all in. And the projected resale value based on my realtor analysis was 65, maybe 70. So I was like, I cannot pass. I'm sorry, but I cannot pass. I have to take this.
- [20:25]
Ashley Kerr
Lorenzo, I want to touch on real quick that handyman aspect of it, because that's actually one of the hardest parts of fulfilling the BRRRR strategy is getting a reliable contractor that you trust that can give you an accurate estimate and perform the work to have it appraised so high. So how did you find your handyman and what. What does the process look like when you do purchase a property using the handyman?
- [20:52]
Lorenzo Decaria
Yeah, I'm glad you bring this point because for now I've only talked about the ups. Let me talk a little bit about the downs as well, because it all feels like roses and flowers. But it's not always like that. I found this handyman through a referral. It was referred to me by the. Actually the realtor. He had been working with this handyman for a while, so he recommended him to me. He started, I want to say, pretty good. We had two or three small projects that he delivered pretty well. I think you have to understand, and you have to be at peace with the fact that handyman, by definition are or tend to be unreliable, and they're not great at communication. So if you get mad at that, and if that is a frustration point for you, probably you have to switch your mentality around that, because that happened to me as well. So until you accept that is a fact, you cannot expect them to behave like. Like you want them to. Right? You have to be at peace with the fact that they are unreliable. They don't pick up the phone. They have their own time, they have their own schedule. So you just have to work around that. What happened with me was he delivered a little late on his original estimate. Fortunately, that didn't cause me, like, too big of a problem. But especially for this deal that I just mentioned, the. The 25K one, something really, really unfortunate happened. He was really late on his initial estimate. And when I started to inquire about, I think something happened in his personal life. He never. He never opened. He never spoke to me of that. He was never really transparent. And that is when I started being skeptical because I felt he was keeping information from me. And then all of a sudden, he calls me. I think it was around Thanksgiving last year. He calls me on a Sunday morning and is like, hey, I have a bad news for you. Pretty much all the material that was in your house was stolen. Your property was burglarized, and pretty much everything is gone. Like kitchen cabinets, flooring, pretty much everything. And I was like, okay, how did that happen? And then, of course, I don't have any proof, right? But I kind of know what happened because speaking with the real estate agent kind of has the same hunch. And of course, I have no proven. I have no intention to. To prove anything. But I'm not saying that people are evil by nature, but when something happens in their lives, they turn into their survival instinct. So I think that was just his parachute, you know, so that was his last resort. And I was. I think it was in January that I flew in town and I met him in. In person. And I was like, of course I can approve what happened, but I had a good idea. And I'm sorry that you had a. You picked the choice. You picked your choice to sacrifice the relationship you had with me, the good. The good partnership you had with me in favor of this. And of course, I cannot trust you anymore. Right. Of course. Now we have closed this chapter, and I'm still convinced that he didn't do it out of, you know, a bad intention. I think something just bad happened in his life and that was the, the only resources that he was able to pull to get himself out of the rabbit hole he was in.
- [24:43]
Ashley Kerr
Well, that's too unfortunate. But thank you for sharing that story with us of that, how that happened in your property and just something to be aware of as an investor with anybody you're, you're working with of something that can happen like this. So I guess let's go and look towards something that's hopefully a little more positive. But this is. What is your buy box going into the future? Are you going to be looking towards the same type of property that you purchased or will it be something else?
- [25:13]
Lorenzo Decaria
My buy box is currently single family homes, rarely duplexes. And this is for a simple reason that I know that there is the rule that less than over four units can still be considered residential. Over four units has to be considered commercial. So I don't feel I'm quite ready yet to scale to commercial. So for now I'm sticking to single family properties. No apartments for now because I think I still want to prefer Section 8 as a rental strategy. So apartments are not really suited for, for that. So my current buy box is still single family homes and duplexes. Yeah. That can be acquired under market value due to any kind of problem that they have. It could be maintenance, it could be financial distress on the owner. It can be rehabs, like bad tenants. Anything, anything that gives me the chance to acquire under market value for me is, is what I'm looking for. Yeah.
- [26:20]
Tony J. Robinson
Lorenzo, are most of your current rentals under the Section 8 program or rented through the Section 8 program?
- [26:25]
Lorenzo Decaria
I started with pretty much 100 of my rentals as Section 8 until I got to the point where first I don't want to put all the eggs in the same basket. And Second, because Section 8 has a quiet, cumbersome process, they have to inspect the property. They have like a huge backlog, inspections to be done of tenants that they apply. So I started having Section 8 as 100% target. But then sometimes it took me months to get a property rented. And that is what kept me a little bit back. I'm like, I found out that I can rent properties the traditional way faster just due to these like slow process that Section 8 has. So I got to the point where I had three properties and then I started renting the others conventionally until one of my section 8 tenant had to be evicted and I replaced her with a traditional Traditional tenant, non section 8 tenant. And that is another point that I want to bring up. Like when I talked about the downs, even evictions are another thing that you have to be aware of. Yeah. You have to consider as an investor.
- [27:47]
Tony J. Robinson
Yeah, I want to. I want to talk a little bit about the eviction as well, because I know that's a fear for a lot of rookies. But before we get into that, there's some talk with the administration about making some pretty big changes to the Section 8 program, which could potentially impact investors like us who are renting houses out through section 8. So with that being the case, I guess. Do you have any backup plans or what's the plan that you have with your current rentals if those changes were to actually take place?
- [28:15]
Lorenzo Decaria
Yeah, that is a topic that I read about and that is circling back to what I said before. I'm glad that I didn't put all the eggs in the same section 8 basket just because of this reason. I know that the current administration wants to reduce fundings towards Section 8 allocations. So I think now I only have two. Two properties that are Section 8, so that wouldn't impact me as much in regards to that. I just want to mention. I want to mention something you said before about like, having the right mindset. If you feel like any change like this, any. Anything that can happen externally can really derail you and your business and you fear that and you react or overreact to that, that's going to cause a lot of headache for you, like sleepless nights and all of that. And nobody wants that in this regard. I remember something that another friend of mine told me. He's a very successful entrepreneur in the restoration sector. And he told me once, when you run a business, you don't think of what you can do if something goes wrong. If something goes bad, you have to think of what to do to make it go right. And that is what I'm planning to do. Like, I. I'm not gonna cry on myself. Oh, the current government is cutting Section 8 funds and I'm gonna cry on myself. Oh, there's nothing I can do. I want to be prepared for that. So I'm already thinking, what can I do? Like, of course, my. My first intention would be renew the lease, if possible, with the current tenants if they are re approved with the current rules. Otherwise, fortunately, I have all the other properties that generate sufficient cash flow to cover vacancy. Should that happen for, I don't know, a month or two or maybe three, should something really bad happen. To those properties, and I'm not able to get them rented for, you know, let's say a quarter. Okay. So I'm keeping some stash aside. Some. Some. Some cash for. For this occurrence.
- [30:26]
Ashley Kerr
Yeah. And for anyone listening that hasn't heard about this yet, you can go to biggerpockets.com blog and we have a blog post up there. We'll also link it for you guys in the show notes too. And it goes over what these potential changes are and how they could impact you as an investor. Along with some ways, like Lorenzo said, some of the ways he's going to be proactive are mentioned in there too, so you can check it out. So, Lorenzo, hopefully that doesn't happen, that your tenants stop paying rent. But as of right now, what is the cash flow on your properties?
- [30:59]
Lorenzo Decaria
Currently, I'm around just shy of 6k in pure cash flow. Of course, that doesn't include all the things that break on a monthly basis. Right. I just replaced a water heater last week. Yesterday morning, another tenant called me with. He sent me videos about the kitchen. Like the entire ceiling fell off. So that's going to be another big headache I'm going to tackle this month. But best case scenario is like just shy of 6k per month and the projected is going to be around 8,500 when all the properties are stabilized.
- [31:36]
Ashley Kerr
Lorenzo, how does that feel to be able to cover these unexpected repairs and capital improvements that come up with the cash flow, does that provide you with kind of a sense of security? In a sense. And is cash flow your ultimate goal with investing in real estate?
- [31:55]
Lorenzo Decaria
Yes, for now, I'm more focused cash flow other than appreciation for the simple reason that I want this business to be self sustaining so that cash flow. I haven't taken any distribution. I'm in the business since November 23rd. So it's one year and a half, a little more. And I haven't taken anything out. I'm just reinvesting all the proceeds into the business itself to keep up with expenses, improvements, and yeah, stabilizing the portfolio. Which means. Exactly what you just said. Keeping up with the repairs, covering for vacancies, making improvements. Yep, that's how I'm doing now.
- [32:33]
Tony J. Robinson
Lawrence, I just want to give you some credit, man, because I think to. To get to that level of cash flow in 18 months, that is pretty insane. I think it's just like a testament to the hard work that you've put in. But I guess if someone who's listening wanted to replicate the success that you've had in the same amount of time, maybe even faster. What advice would you have for them?
- [32:57]
Lorenzo Decaria
Well, first of all, thank you. I think I. I did a very good job at getting where I am now in just like 18 months. One thing I forgot to mention is what gave me a really good push was the sale proceeds that I had from another property in. In Milano, Italy. I had this property for around 15 years, so I had a quite a lot of equity on it. And when I. When I started having my first deal or two, I realized that that property in Milano was not really keeping up with the numbers that I had in Springfield. So I was like, I'm better off if I just sell it and reinvest the proceeds into. Into these other properties. So that also gave me like a. A very good cash influx that I could reinvest. In terms of suggestion or tips that I can share. The message I really want to. Want to spread out is, as you said, it might sound cliche, but it's actually reality. Like, just get started. You have to put yourself in a discomfortable position at the beginning. Because if you're waiting for the perfect moment to say, I need to know everything. I need to analyze 100 deals before pulling the trigger. I need to be 120% sure about what I'm doing is right. I need to be sure that I'm capable. You're never going to do that. You didn't start walking as a baby when you were already confident. An average baby falls 400 times before starting, you know, to walk confidently. So I gave myself maybe not 400 mistakes to make, but I just said I need to do it. I need to step out of my comfort zone and just toss myself in the water and learn to swim as I go. And that's what I did. So the ultimate recommendation I want to give is start with money that you can afford to lose. Meaning if anything goes wrong, just be at peace with it. Okay, it was a mistake. You learn, right? And as I said before, just try to make it go well, other than thinking, what will I do if something goes wrong? So those are the two things that kept me afloat.
- [35:17]
Tony J. Robinson
Lorenzo, I love that advice on just focusing on taking action and focusing on taking action that's not too far outside of what you're currently capable of. And that just little bit of stretching yourself is, I think, the key for the success that a lot of the guests on the rookie podcast have had. So appreciate you sharing that. I want to get into what's coming up next for you, Lorenzo, and how you're stabilized in this portfolio that you have, that you've built. But we're going to take one last break. And while we're going guys, if you haven't yet, make sure you are subscribed to the real estate rookie YouTube channel. You guys can find us at Realestate Rickey. We'll be right back after this.
- [35:53]
D
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- [36:39]
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- [39:56]
Tony J. Robinson
All right, guys, welcome back. So, Lorenzo, you've got this portfolio. You've built up the last year and a half, 18 months. And you said that you really want to kind of optimize and stabilize before you continue to, to go through another growth spurt. So what exactly does that look like for you? How are you optimizing this portfolio?
- [40:14]
Lorenzo Decaria
Yes, so as I said before, my, my goal for now is to get all the properties rented. That's what I mean by stabilizing the portfolio. I have this duplex that has been rehabbed and hopefully I can, I can get it stabilized around June, July maybe, with both units rented. And then this gives me like a couple of months to think about what is next. Although I have a pretty clear roadmap in my head, I just want to make sure that market conditions are aligned with what I'm looking for. So two things may happen around July, June, July. One is I start finding new deals. So I'm going to keep accelerating and using the cash flow to fund more deals. If nothing of that happens, I'm gonna reinvest those deals. Excuse me, those. I'm gonna reinvest those funds into more improvements to my current properties. I have, for example, the very first one property that I bought needs the garage redone. So, you know, that is one thing that's on the plate. And if I'm not able to acquire, maybe what I'm, what I'm thinking of doing is start paying off some of the debt that I have on these properties just for the simple reason that interest rates on those properties are pretty high. So I have that as a expense that's bothering me a little. And also it kind of gives me a peace of mind because if I'm able to pay off at least one mortgage on one of those properties, I have another one that is owned free and clear. So with no mortgage, so should anything happen, I have no monthly expenses on it. And also this gives me, it basically leaves the door open for any possible, you know, cash out refinance on a property that you, that you own free and clear. Maybe I need funds in the future. You know, I know I have this property that's paid off and should something really good materialize on the market, I can still use that property to, to get a cash out, refi and redirect those funds towards acquiring more. So what I want to do is like, optimize the economic aspect of my business in such a way that expenses are covered for. And yeah, as I said before, like, basically, I'm kind of paying down the bigger expense, which for now is high interest rates.
- [42:33]
Tony J. Robinson
Lorenzo, one last question too, because I know you're pausing to stabilize, but the goal is to keep scaling once you've completed all this. But you mentioned earlier in the show that one of the challenges was that just this year in general has been a little bit more difficult to find deals that were as good as what you've been buying the last 18 months. And I'm assuming most of those deals came on market. You said you were working with an agent. I guess. As you look forward, are you. Are you planning to change your acquisition strategy to kind of start finding those good deals again? And if so, what does that look like?
- [43:03]
Lorenzo Decaria
Let's say that half of the deals are deals that I sent to this real real estate agent and the other half were off market deals that this agent himself recommended to me, including the one that I purchased for 25k, that was an off market deal. So I'm going to continue pursuing these two avenues. The problem I'm facing now is really, I cannot source good deals on the channels that I used, like Zillow or Redfin, the traditional avenues that we know. And the same real estate agent is telling me the same thing. I'm having a hard time, like finding. Finding good investment deals because he has a lot of different kind of properties that are primary residence kind of deals, which it's not what I'm looking for. So what I'm looking to do now is kind of play by year. If I come across a good deal, I have the necessary funds to get the next one. But I'm not going to rush it. I'm not going to rush it because of what I said before. I still need to stabilize the portfolio. There are still things that are going to break in any of my units. Right. So I think I'm in a good position for now where I can pace myself a little bit. I don't need to rush. I just want to accelerate. But I'm fine where I am.
- [44:22]
Ashley Kerr
It gets addicting, acquiring properties. But Tony and I have both been there where we both needed to, like, take a pause and stabilize our properties, put systems and processes in place. The fun part is acquiring, acquiring. Acquiring. You get that adrenaline rush. But. But you really do need to focus on your systems and processes. So I do want to share with all the rookies listening a resource that we put together. It's@biggerpockets.com rookie resource. And I thought this would go in line well with some of the things Lorenzo talked about is to focusing on the upkeep in the maintenance and capital improvements of his property, really investing his money back into it. So on there we have a seasonal maintenance recurring tracker. So you can go there, check it out. And these are all things we recommend that depending on your property type, obviously these are things you should be doing monthly, annually, every couple of years to actually upkeep your property. So you can find that@biggerpockets.com Rookie Resource so, Lorenzo, thank you so much for joining us today. We really appreciated having you on the show. Can you let everyone know where they can reach out to you?
- [45:32]
Lorenzo Decaria
It's been my pleasure. It's been a honor being here. If anybody has question and they want to reach out, I'm on Instagram. You can just look for my handle is my first name, last name, which is Lorenzo Decaria. That's the best way to reach out to me.
- [45:46]
Ashley Kerr
Well, great. Thank you so much, Lorenzo. I'm Ashley. He's Tony. And we'll see you guys on the next episode of Real Estate Rookie.