My story is no different than most investors. They decide they want to invest in X, in my case it was real estate, they take the plunge, works briefly and they get burnt; springboarding their way into learning and researching everything they can about their chosen industry and BOOM they make it.

I decided I want to be a real estate investor back in 2009 however it took me 3 years to take the plunge and begin investing in real estate.  

WARNING: AN INVESTOR WAS HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS POST

2009

Back in 2009 I decided I wanted to invest in the property/real estate market. Having no or little knowledge, I looked in local real estate windows and viewed several properties, not knowing what I truly wanted. Eventually, I got a better idea of what type of investment I wanted to make. However that took 3 years!!!

    

2012

So on the 20th of January 2012 I got the keys to my first rental property, a large 3 bedroom apartment conversion in a grand Victorian manor house.
After 2 weeks of owning it the boiler stopped working and this was in the middle of Winter in England.Part of the deal when I purchased the property was that the dishwasher and washing machine were to be included along with a wardrobe - all for an extra £500.00. 2 months after owning it, I found out that the dishwasher didn’t work. I contacted the lawyer used to purchase the property and asked if I had any legal rights to claiming the £500 back. To which he informed me “No because when signing the deal, we didn’t actually ask if they were working appliances” - GREAT!I lived in the property briefly then a year later I decided it was the right time to rent the property out, I employed a local managing agent and promptly rented out for £650 per month (approx $843) within a week of listing it. Happy doesn't come close to describing how I was feeling after 2 years of battling with the place.

2013

In the Easter of 2013 the hob stopped working, so I had to get an electrician out and replace it, however this took longer than it should with it being Easter Bank Holiday. My tenant wasn't happy, despite me doing everything I could to rectify the problem.Over the 2 years my tenant was in there we had issues with the electrics (due to him having too many electrical appliances plugged in at once, inc an electric guitar and amps), squirrels in the roof several times and more hob issues. All issues were sorted immediately however I began to feel like the property was cursed.

2014

I became a member of a “Property Mentoring” company paying £2,700 for a 2 year membership.
6th June 2014 - NLA Possession Course - Nottingham £95.00 + accommodation, travel + food
30th July 2014 - NLA Foundation Course - Leeds - £105.00 + accommodation, travel + food.
December - Reserved 4 local BMV properties found by a “buy to let specialist” for £16,000

2015

January/February/March - Lost 4 BMV properties due to poor customer service/negligence by the “buy to let specialist”

As I was making a loss and renting out the property was no longer viable, in March 2015 I decided it was time to evict my tenant, make extensive improvements and put it up for sale ... and that's what I did ...I replaced the wooden windows, installed a brand new bathroom and kitchen, redecorated, upgraded the central heating and installed a log burner, total spend was £30,000 (approx $40,000)

2016/2017

Now my partner and I live in it whilst the property is for sale. We love it, it’s so unique to the area and it such a luxurious place to live in.
Although, it has all turned out ok with the property. I have had so many sleepless nights fearing what was going to happen next, what my tenant was going to do next... If I had done my due diligence and thoroughly researched the area, I wouldn’t have bought the apartment in the first place.
Grimsby doesn't really have a huge demand for high end apartments/flats, it’s mainly houses for working families.

Due to this “FAILURE”, I spent the past 5 years, researching, reading, watching everything that could educate me for my next investment, I didn't want to make the same mistake again. I went on property investment courses to gain further education and be involved with a network of property investors ... and again ... that was a mistake.

Like I said, I’ve spent/lost £11,500 - £2,700 annual membership fees and “training” and £8,800 to their sourcing company who provide BMV properties for sale. I paid the sourcing fees for four properties that were luckily in my local area, however somehow over a period of three months I lost every single one of them, so I had no money and no properties (and more sleepless nights and stress)

After being part of a property mentoring company, I have now gained the knowledge that I really didn't need to be part of a company like that. There is plenty of information out there that is readily available, for a lot less money than what I paid.So after all these “disasters” I have learnt the following:

• Don’t rely on anyone to make your investing decisions for you. If you don't fully understand something then do not invest. Wait until you are clear.

There are plenty of “sharks” waiting to snatch your money out of your hands and into their bank account. I have had over £8,000 “stolen” from me. It was more, but by blood sweat, tears and sleepless nights I managed to claw some of it back. However the two companies involved have stop returning any communication and they have liquidated one of the companies and set up an exact same company offering the exact same services just with a different name.

• Research the hell out of the property investment game - learn and understand the fundamentals
• Research the hell out of your local area
• Understand how the 80/20 rule applies to property investment. It’s 80% mindset and only 20% action.

I began this article by saying that an investor WAS harmed in the making of the article. You’ve probably guessed by this point, that investor was me.

Who Am I Now?

I am a self confessed control freak with a touch of OCD. I love to create order and structure things as they “should be” and researching and finding investment deals indulges just that. I have a become a pro at that bit.I’d love to say I have hundreds of investment property and I am a property millionaire ... but I am not. I own a handful of investment properties which I earn a good living from but I am primarily a property investment investigator.

I have dedicated the past 5-6 years of my life to find out the truths, myths and downright lies of the property investment industry. I have spent countless hours on forums, reading books, taking courses, watching videos, watching cheesy episodes of Homes Under The Hammer and just getting my hands on anything that will grow my property investment knowledge.

Where Am I Now?

After recent real estate tax changes (section 24) I had no other option but to move from sole trader to a limited company.

I know exactly what my investing strategy is; the type of property I want to invest in, how much profit per calendar month I want to make, what type of tenants I want and the annual ROI.