You are a reactor if you have found all the reasons not to take action. “I’m too busy. It’s too risky. I don’t know enough. My friends and family say not to do it. It doesn’t work.” Or, “I heard a bad story about investing.” You are a responder if you took action to become an investor and bought that first property. Here is a quote I have cited in the past that I find very fitting: “Go as far as you can go, and when you get there, you will see farther.” This is a great way to overcome the unknowns of real estate investing. You will be shocked when you go as far as you can go—or as far as you think can go—and then see how much clearer the next steps are. The things that you don’t think you know how to do will be much easier and much more doable when you actually face those challenges or those tasks. The first investment property I ever purchased was a disas- ter. I overcalculated the value of that house—the after-repair value. I underestimated the repair cost. The house was van- dalized soon after I purchased it. It took forever to sell it after that. I even had title issues come back to haunt me long after I had sold the house, and it was owned by somebody else. So everything that could have gone wrong, did go wrong. If I had been a reactor, I would have given up at that point. Let me remind you that was the first house that I ever bought. I would have thrown in the towel and quit, but instead I did many of the things I have discussed in this article. I responded to that challenge. I kept advertising. I kept investing. I kept learning. I adjusted my exit strategies on future houses. I applied what I had learned. I could have gotten disgusted and said, “This doesn’t work,” and thrown my arms up and quit. But I knew I had to respond to the challenges of that first investment property with calculation and by being deliberate, determined and focused. I look back on that property today only recognizing and appreciating all the valuable lessons I took away from it. Reaction is a reflex. It’s not intentional. It’s not planned. It’s not controlled. And it’s not deliberate. Just like that political debate we talked about. Instead, be a responder. Response is calculated. It’s deliberate. It’s purposeful. It’s committed. And it’s intentional, just like the characteristics of the first responders in the 9/11 tragedy. When you do these sorts of things—whether you are get- ting ready to start or you have already started—you will find the success you are looking for in your real estate investing. • Kevin Guz is a Dallas, Texas-based residential real estate investor with more than 10 years of investing experience. He owns a Hom- eVestors (or “We Buy Ugly Houses”) franchise as well as the Clear Key companies, which focus on residential real estate wholesaling, rental property management and self-storage leasing. He also is a licensed real estate agent in the state of Texas. He enjoys sharing his ongoing personal experiences, perspectives and learnings from his start as a part-time or “weekend investor” and full-time corporate professional through his ultimate transition to a full-time real estate investor and business owner. You can listen to his podcasts at www.blogtalkradio.com/kevinguz.
86 | think realty magazine july :: august 2016
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