Episode Details

This show is all for your edification and today you can learn not only about the stock market, but about real estate.

Linda Pliagas became fascinated with real estate because her parents lost their home when she was 15. They went through a foreclosure and it was quite traumatic for Linda. She realized that when she was an adult she wanted to be successful and be able to take control of her financial future.

In order to go from a poverty mindset to get financially stable she thought she needed to work a lot of hours and be diligent. Later on she realized that instead of working hard she had to work smart. After this realization she went back to school. She became the first one in her family to get a Bachelor's degree. She had to work her way through school so it took her a little longer to get the degree but she did it.

When Linda met her husband, his family was full of savvy investors. They were first generation americans who had immigrated from Greece. They worked 16 hour days to save their money and then they began investing in real estate. By the time Linda came into the picture they had built a nest egg of residential and commercial properties. Because the topic of real estate was a part of family gatherings Linda became very intrigued by it.

Those around Linda who were active investors, whether it was real estate or stocks, were putting their money to work. Investors were living much better lives than those holding down regular jobs and spending most of the money they made. These people seemed to always be chasing that next beautiful object for instant gratification.

The very first real estate deal Linda did, she had no money. Linda came across a house that she fell in love with. She and her husband asked for assistance from her husband's family and they worked out a private loan that benefited both parties. A few years later, once they already owned one property, they were able to refinance with a home equity line of credit. They used that money to invest in another property. They were able to repeat this process a few times to increase their investments and their positive cash flow. Their second and third properties were both multi-family homes, which was better for their cash flow.

In the beginning, Linda did the property management herself in order to keep costs down. However, now she hires professionals and has luckily never had issues with tenants not paying rent. At the height of her real estate career she had six four-unit properties, a single family home and a vacation home. After Linda and her husband began to grow their portfolio, they created a cooperation to protect their personal assets.

Linda has been licensed as a real estate agent for 14 years. She began helping other people find properties in 2005 by referring them to her network of brokers and property managers. She received referrals fees from the brokers. Linda started putting on events and put together a magazine. It started out as a hobby but it is now her passion and of course, a business.

When you open your mind to the type of residual income there is in the universe, there is no limit.

Turn-Key Real Estate is a great option for people just starting out in real estate. Linda is lucky to deal with one of the most popular and wonderful turn key providers in the country. These providers will buy a property at a discounted rate, many of which are in distressed situations where the owners can't make payments or maybe a tenant passed away, etc. They will rehab the property, make it functioning and livable, which brings up the value of the neighborhood. After the asset is rented and the property is performing, they will get an investor to purchase the property. This is called a turn-key property. A lot of these properties are in smaller markets all across the country, so you can get started in real estate for much less than you would in New York or Los Angeles.

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