EP 1: GO FISH VILLAGE - HOW I BECAME AN ACCIDENTAL MILLIONAIRE!
Updated: Jan 31, 2021
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As the Chinese proverb says, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime!"
If I can do it, so can you! I affectionately call myself an "accidental millionaire" because becoming a millionaire was never the goal. About a year or so, I was seeking a preapproval from a lender to purchase another multifamily when my banker asked me to complete a "Statement of Net-worth." In a nutshell, this document calculates your net-worth by adding up all your expenses, and subtracting it from your assets. I was blown away to see that mine exceeded one million dollars!
My first property was a 3 unit building on the south side of Chicago; you'd be surprised, purchasing a multiunit building is easier than purchasing a single family or condo because lenders allow you to add the rents from existing tenants to your income, thus supporting the purchase. In my first purchase, my tenants rent covered all of the taxes, mortgage, and interest. I just had to pay the utilities and maintenance, roughly $700/month! I know what you're thinking..."this spot was probably on skid row, lol.." Nothing could be further from the truth, the building is located in Chicago's Chatham neighborhood. Google it! It has a rich history and many prominent residents. To add to that, the building also sits on a double lot, has a 2 1/2 car garage, driveway, and each unit is 1,200 sq feet... what more could a bachelor ask for?
Having child was a total game changer! Even with dual income, the expenses are crazy...child care, food, clothing, college...the list goes on. Even though I was married, I was just getting comfortable being an adult...and now I'm someone's father. Nonetheless, a responsibility that I fully embraced and thank God for; my son was born 3 months early, 2 pounds and 4 ounces...this forced me to be intentional about my finances. It started with changing my mindset, sacrificing, budgeting/investing, planning, and executing.
With out spoiling future episodes, today I own 7 units of real estate, which pay all my household's essential bills. By the start of 2021 I should have a contract on another 4. My goal is to get to 50 units within the 5 - 7 years and grow Go Fish Village into a world wide brand. I founded the Go Fish Village movement and became a Realtor (Chicago Premiere Real Estate) because of my passion for financial literacy, which is a long standing problem in my community. Too many of us are living check to check, working 40+ hours a week, with little or nothing to show for or pass down. Through a series of podcast interviews/testimonials, boot camps, forums, meetups, and more, I'm on a mission to educate and hold accountable everyday people on how to use REAL ESTATE to achieve financial freedom and leave legacy for their loved ones!
If any of the aforementioned resonates with you, I want you to be a part of Go Fish Village! Need an accountability partner? We got you! Want to learn from the successes and failures of everyday people as well as industry professionals and seasoned vets? We got you! Topics include mindset, goal setting, sacrifice, negotiation, building a team, finding/analyzing a deal, financing, vetting tenants, exit strategies, tax benefits, scaling, and so much more! Follow Go Fish on social media at @gofishvillage (follow me at @josh4realestate #shamelessplug) or email us with questions at gofishvillage@gmail.com. Need a realtor in the Chicagoland area? Contact joshuamercer.realestate@gmail.com or visit www.listwithmercer.com.