86: 112 Units Without Syndication with Ann Belter

People come across real estate investing and discover financial freedom through all sorts of ways. In the case of Ann Belter, it was on some drunken night during a vacation with friends from work over some margaritas. Right then and there, she and her husband were introduced to Rich Dad Poor Dad and upon returning home, they decided that they were going to pursue financial freedom through real estate investing.

Fast forward a few months, she and her husband (boyfriend at the time), each purchased their own 4-plex with an FHA loan at 3.5% down. They were able to purchase two owner occupied homes simultaneously because they were not married yet. This was 13 years ago. As of today, they own 20 properties totaling 112 units, have retired from their W-2 jobs, and are financially independent. 

If you did your math, you may have recognized that Ann and her husband got started investing during the peak right before the Great Recession. Unlike many investors at the time who were scared to invest because home values were rapidly declining, they were looking to gobble up as many properties as they can because of the great deals being made available. 

What separated them from other investors? They invested for cash flow, not appreciation.

Some key takeaways from our conversation with Ann: 1) Relationships are key. Whether it’s during market downturns or to find off market deals, having and maintaining relationships with homeowners and other real estate professionals is what will propel you forward when times are tough. 

2) Know your criteria. There is an abundant number of strategies and deals to be had in real estate, but that can also lead to your own downfall. By sticking to one (or a select few) strategies at a time, you are more likely to produce consistent results and create winning systems. For Ann, her criteria includes being in a close vicinity from her other properties and excludes high crime areas. 

3) Establish credibility by creating win-win situations. All it takes is a book or two to learn the basic terminology and know-how to invest in real estate. By doing so, you are able to set your criteria which you can use to create meaningful relationships. Only then can you leverage these relationships and advance in your business. And that is what makes you an authority. 

If Ann could go back and talk to her 16 year old self, she’d tell her, “Keep learning… It’s not about just getting by.” Read for knowledge and not only for leisure.

An unexpected benefit of real estate investing, Ann said, is the amount of time she is able to spend with her family and the opportunity to teach her children new things.

A piece of advice Tiffany would tell her friends looking to get started in real estate would be to “learn at least a little bit about real estate, read as much as you can, [and] don’t wait to get started.”

Ann uses Google Suite to be able to use a business account, have business meetings, and store her business remotely in a cloud (to be later accessed anywhere in the world for when she is on vacation).

She recommends reading Multi-Family Millions: How Anyone Can Reposition Apartments for Big Profits by David Lindahl to help you get started investing in Multi-Family real estate.

If you’d like to get in touch with Ann, visit: www.belterassociates.com or find her at BiggerPockets or Facebook @ Ann Belter.