In this special episode of The Real Estate Ride, Annie and I had the pleasure of joining Andrew Lucas on the REI Deal Finders podcast to share our full real estate story — from humble beginnings to building a diverse portfolio of over 50 rental units. We reveal how a need for more space led to our first rental property, how creative financing and an old-school library hack helped us scale, and the mindset shifts that kept us moving forward even when the bank said “no.”

We also pull back the curtain on the operations behind our business today, including our short-term rental strategy, how we’ve grown a self-sufficient construction team, and why helping people is still at the heart of everything we do. Whether you’re new to investing or ready to expand, this episode is loaded with real-life wisdom, practical tips, and a few fun throwbacks to how we got started.

Timeline Summary

[0:00] - How an overcrowded house sparked our real estate journey

[2:45] - Realizing real estate wasn’t as scary as it seemed

[5:07] - Why we decided to rent instead of sell our first home

[10:34] - The library hack that unlocked creative financing strategies

[14:38] - Our first lease option deals — and how we asked for them

[17:07] - How networking brought us our first off-market properties

[21:07] - The marketing tactic we still use today (and it’s free)

[22:25] - What our real estate business looks like now, 20+ years later

[25:43] - Why helping sellers shaped our growth and reputation

[26:31] - The best advice we’d give ourselves if we were starting today

5 Key Takeaways

1. Start with what you have – Our journey began by renting out the home we already owned. You don’t need everything figured out to get started.

2. When the bank says no, get creative – A trip to the library introduced us to lease options and creative deal structures that didn’t rely on bank approval.

3. Network intentionally – Our first real investment deals came from friends and acquaintances once we started telling people what we were looking for.

4. Keep it simple – We still find deals today just by asking, “Do you know anyone selling a house?” on social media. No fancy marketing needed.

5. Real estate is a people business – At every stage, focusing on how we can help others has opened more doors than any strategy alone.

If you got value from this episode, be sure to rate, follow, and review The Real Estate Ride. Share it with someone who’s thinking about getting started — or who just needs a little nudge to keep going. Thanks for riding along with us!