Since we started to document wholesaler Jae’s journey back into wholesaling, we have reached out to other professionals in the area who could share their knowledge as well. We went onto our Facebook Group and asked people to volunteer their story, regardless of how new they may be.
We believe its important to cheer everyone on who is starting or trying to get to the first level of the game. Since our last post, we asked for and eventually found Carmen Russel. She was open to sharing her story and experience trying to become a real estate investor herself.
As you will see, Carmen is a very smart and driven individual. She is taking action and has a clear plan of action for what she needs to be doing to succeed in doing wholesale deals, especially here in Chicago.
Hopefully if you are new yourself, this is a good look into what someone should be thinking and doing for their real estate aspirations to become realities. While Carmen is still in the beginning phases of this journey, she is very realistic and is taking action steps towards making it happen!
So, How long ago did you start with real estate and what got you started?
Sounds good. I started real estate 8 months ago. My first experience was investing in an educational program that provided me with step by step instructions and access to online classes, webinars and general paperwork needed for real estate transactions.
Have you done anything like this before? What got you interested in wholesaling?
I’m pretty much taking a ground up approach as I’ve never worked in this field before. I chose to start because I was always interested in rehabs and rental properties.
What areas are you focused on and what actions have you taken to ensure your success?
I work in Chicago and mostly the surrounding south and west suburbs. Thus far I’ve done yellow letters to expired MLS listings and I’m currently working on bandit signs. I’ve also been doing quite a bit on networking so I’m building up a decent buyers list.
Do you have a degree?
My degree is in business. Don’t know if that helps any!
I know its only been 8 months, but is real estate your full time thing right now?
Real estate is not the only thing I do. I am a full time hair stylist, so I currently have about 10 hours to spend on my business each week.
What obstacles have you overcome since starting out in real estate?
The hardest part of getting starting was finding the confidence in
1) Believing that I can really do this
2) Gaining enough knowledge to do it effectively
What has surprised me so far is that it really is easier than I thought. It really just comes down to networking and constantly gaining knowledge through interaction with others that are more experienced. What I think I need right now to really get going as a wholesaler is money for better marketing and a really good team to help get things done.
I agree, not many people consider up front capitol for marketing when they start!
If you were to advise people interested in getting started, what tips do you have?
If I was advising someone else on wholesaling I would say 3 things:
1) Get a good team in place
2) Keep your eyes open for deals in the most unlikely places
3) Research everything! Don’t just discount a deal if it doesn’t fit an immediate criteria, it may work in a way you didn’t expect.
Wow, absolutely great info Carmen!
If someone is in the areas you are marketing, what is the best way to contact you?
The best way to contact me is via email at carmen@quickbucks4homes.com, or visit her site: http://www.quickbucks4homes.com/
