New Financial Route

Hello everyone,

I wanted to spend some time doing some reflection given that today (okay, the 16th) was my birthday. Goodbye 27, hello 28! I didn’t publish a post on Monday as I’d hoped, but I’d still like to make one in order to gather my thoughts. I thought I’d divide my post into two parts: my accomplishments over the past year, and my goals for the next.

My Accomplishments

As those who have been following my blog over the past few months know, I’ve been able to acquire two investment properties: a triplex and a single-family home. I am in the middle of rehabbing the triplex now, and hoping to start with the other property soon. The triplex rehab is going well so far..slower than expected, but no major unexpected issues have arisen.

I also started this blog around the same time when I went under contract for my first investment property, as well as a corresponding Instagram account. To me, this was an important first step in marketing and networking. I’d been thinking about content creation for a while now, so I’m glad that I finally pulled the trigger!

I’ve gained a lot of knowledge over the past year, both professionally and personally. I’ll spare you all the personal details, but I’ve learned about different loan products, investment strategies, construction and more related to real estate investing.

However, that isn’t to say that there weren’t challenges as well. Off the top of my head, the most notable difficulties have been:

• Finding contractors to work on properties.
• Finding funding for renovation projects, specifically with the single-family home (more on that in another post.)
• Finding a good balance between managing rehab projects, a full-time W2 job and time for family and friends.

My Goals

My goal for next year is to take over the world!

…or at least get as close to world domination as I can 😉

On a more serious note, I’d say my plans for the next 12 months are fairly ambitious. But I’m setting my expectations high so I can show myself just how much I’m capable of doing.

In terms of real estate investing, I’d like to acquire at least four more properties, with at least one of them being a commercial property (it’s important to note that an apartment building with 5 more more units is also considered commercial). A lot of money can be made with single-family homes and small multifamily properties for sure, but commercial real estate is more scalable for business growth.

Of course, real estate investing isn’t just about what you do or what you buy — it’s also about who you know. That’s why I’m going to make a focused effort to network (both online and offline) and increase my online presence. I would love to grow the readership of this blog, and increase my following on social media.

I should make it clear that for me, growing my community isn’t just about making business connections — it’s also about sharing knowledge and building friendships.

I would also like to exploring businesses outside real estate if I have the change. I’ve done a bit of research on Amazon FBA and retail, both online and brick-and-mortar. Opening a store that sells discount goods is an exciting idea for me. With that said, I would like to focus on real estate for now. I may come back to this idea within the next year depending on the success of my real estate investments.

And from a personal standpoint, I want to find more time to life outside of work (yes, even with all my ambitious goals!) I’m going to have to be more strict with the time I spend on social media so that I can focus on hobbies like gaming. Birthdays remind me that I’m not getting younger, that I need to focus on what’s important to me now, not later.

I’m also hoping to take two trips out of the country. Will need to get a passport first though!

Final thoughts

I’ll stick to the goals I’ve written down here over the next year, and I plan to write another view next October on my birthday as well. I’m going to try like hell to succeed, and I hope you — the readers — will stick with me through my journey. Thank you for your support! I look forward to hearing from you soon.

— Omari