Looking to leave your nine-to-five work environment? Learn how Randy Guevarra went from a 911 operator to becoming a successful real estate investor.
In this blog, we will dive into Randy's journey into investing. After discovering real estate investing, Randy made $10,000 on his very first wholesale deal. His story is inspiring and shows how real estate wholesaling can provide financial freedom and flexibility.
Without further ado, let's dive into his story.
Randy's Background
Randy was working as a 911 operator and EMT. He was working long hours - 50-70 hours per week - but felt stuck because there was no room for advancement. The job was stressful and taking a toll on him.
One day, on a whim, Randy went to see a psychic. The psychic told him that a big opportunity was coming his way and he needed to take action on it. This was the push Randy needed to start exploring alternate career options.
Around this same time, Randy got married. However, his non-traditional work schedule was causing strain on the relationship. Randy realized he wanted more freedom and financial growth.
Getting Into Real Estate Investing
Randy came across real estate investing and decided to take a chance. Specifically, he learned about wholesaling through a training program.
Wholesaling real estate involves putting a property under contract and then assigning that contract to an end buyer for a fee. It allows you to make money in real estate without needing to provide financing or renovate.
Randy started taking action by sending out direct mail postcards to find motivated sellers. He and his team went driving for dollars, taking pictures of properties to find leads.
Closing His First Deal
One day, while Randy was at the gym, he got a call from someone who received his postcard. The seller wanted Randy to look at his property.
Randy asked the key questions - condition, timeline, price, motivation. He gave the seller a cash offer on the spot.
The property was under contract for $187,000. A comparable property had recently sold for $275,000 after renovations.
Randy sold his contract for $197,000 to an end buyer, making a $10,000 assignment fee on his first deal!
Growing His Business
That first check was a game-changer for Randy. He had tasted success and knew that the key to escaping the relentless demands of his old job lay in scaling his newfound venture. Wholesaling real estate. It was no longer just about the money; it was about crafting a sustainable business that could thrive without his constant supervision.
Randy focused on building systems and repeating the process. Organization is key to building any successful process.
Another part of that is fine-tuning strategies and determining what works in your market and not. So every action you take does not have to be perfect, but what's important is acting and learning from the outcome. Over time, through massive imperfect action, he grew his business.
Some key strategies Randy used:
- Networking with real estate agents to find off-market deals
- Offering agents referral fees
- Putting out bandit signs in Spanish to expand his reach
- Following up consistently with his network
Randy was later able to close a $53,000 wholesale deal by thinking outside the box.
Lifestyle Changes
It took 2-3 years of hard work before Randy's business provided him with lifestyle flexibility. But now he has the freedom to:
- Spend more time with family
- Travel to places like Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Hawaii
Randy is confident about providing for his family's future. He doesn't have to answer to a boss anymore.
While entrepreneurship isn't for everyone, Randy believes that with the right mindset shift and commitment, you can create the income and lifestyle you want.
