How I Got Started Investing In Real Estate Shortly After Graduating from College, and How You Can Enter The Real Estate Market As An Investor Yourself

Becoming a Landlord: My Ten Year “Overnight Success” Story… and whether you are interested in investing locally here in Seattle, Washington, or you want to become a landlord out of state, let me know and I would be happy to help plug you in to my network to find profitable homes for sale where you can invest.

Real Estate Agent and Investor, Emily Cressey, Shares How She Began Her Real Estate Career as a Landlord And Investor… and How You Can, Too…

I have had the opportunity to share my real estate investing success story (which started when I was 23 and had just graduated from college) and was working a part time job. Rather than being a landlord in Seattle, Washington, where I grew up and now live, I got my start with landlording in North Carolina where I went to college. The nice thing about that market was that it was a relatively soft, flat market and it was easier to buy properties that would cashflow decently well, even though the interest rates were not that low at the time.

I know a lot of landlords like to share their success stories and it makes it sound like they were an overnight success. That was not the case for me, or at least not how it felt. There was a lot of hard work and marketing involved because I was buying property with no-money-down as lease options and subject to deals. It was a lot of fun, and I learned a lot.

The thing I really enjoyed the most was meeting with home owners who were ready to sell their houses, but for one reason or another, typically because they had no equity, they were not in a position to be able to just quit what they were doing and sell their houses the traditional way with a real estate agent. I did not have my real estate broker’s license at that time, so I was working solely as a principal, a buyer, and then as a landlord/seller, renting out the properties, and trying to help my tenants buy them down the road.

Along the way, I was invited to be a real estate success coach for aspiring investors, and ultimately had the opportunity to coach real estate investors and aspiring landlords from across the country who were interested in learning how to negotiate real estate deals. It was a lot of fun, like I said before, but there were so gross and difficult moments, as I was wearing all the landlord hats and doing all the property management and tenant clean out work as well.

Eventually I got into real estate syndication and now we only work with professional property managers on all our properties. It is a big relief. But I am glad to have had the experience working as a landlord because I know how important good property management is. If you are thinking of getting started as a landlord or real estate investor here in Seattle, Washington, or elsewhere, I would be happy to talk to you about how I do it, what tools I use and what professionals I rely on .

There are a a couple out of state markets that I especially like, but they are always evolving and I keep an eye out for locations where the real estate is appreciating, but the properties can afford to pay for themselves (for the most part) with a decent amount of cashflow on a 20% down loan.

Many people dream of building wealth through real estate investing. As a high school student, I was no different: starting to read my father’s library of personal success books including investing in stock and real estate. After starting the Bulls and Bears stock investment club in high school, I went on to become a real estate investor shortly after finishing college with a degree in economics. Like fish tales, real estate stories can sound more glamorous after the fact. At the time, there is a lot of uncertainty and going on trust involved. I was fortunate to have mentors to guide me.

Now as a real estate broker in Seattle, Washington, I hope to “pay it forward.” I love working with other investors and sniffing out a good deal. I have found that great deals are not just “found,’ they are negotiated. And the best real estate success stories are not told by “self-made-men” but rather by people who have chosen to work with teams of experts. if you need help getting started with real estate investing in Seattle, WA or are an experienced investor looking for a team player to help you with acquisitions, funding or syndication, I would love to talk with you about how we could potentially work together.

– Warmly,

Emily Cressey
Real Estate Broker With HomeSmart Associates in Seattle, WA