Let's Try This Again

When I was a kid there was an Asian dude on TV who had this informational video on how to invest in real estate. This guy was not subtle, he would drive all these fancy sport cars, show off a huge house and hang out on a yacht with a bunch of bikini clad girls. I was a very impressionable young man with a bad entrepreneurial streak, I also had zero money. But wait! this man was telling me that the path to mansions, Ferraris and bikini clad girls required NO MONEY DOWN!! Fortunately I had NO money, not even enough to buy into the guy's spiel.

After more than 25 years in the real estate industry I can tell you that building a real estate empire with "no money down" is extremely difficult, if not impossible. However, I think it is possible to build a nice portfolio beginning with little if you have the right tools.  

This blog will be educational in nature. If you have a question regarding real estate I can probably answer it. If I can't, I'll try to direct you to someone who can. Real Estate is a thriving industry in South Florida, probably the best industry around.  We don't have technology, we don't have entertainment, we don't have investment banking, we have tourists and real estate.  While the industry encompasses management, leasing, sales, title, etc, I will focus on small investments.

By the way, I fell into the real estate industry by chance, got a job in a title company when I was 18, owned by two real estate attorneys. Since then I've worked for two management companies, as an accountant and financial analyst, got a mortgage broker's license, a real estate sales license, have done residential condo conversions, industrial condo conversions, bought land, dealt with various government agencies for all sorts of things from eminent domain to environmental issues to public-private joint ventures. Since 2008 I've bought over 100 properties in the Clerk of Court foreclosure auction and I manage my own rental portfolio. I also got a Bachelors degree in Real Estate and Master's Degree in Real Estate, from FIU.

Tony Vu selling....real estate?