Hi, I'm Corey Martin

Melvin* had a sum of money that had been sitting in a CD for a long time. It made very little money. There was no risk to this sort of investment, but the return was horrible. He decided to contact us to help him explore options and get advice about the real estate investment world. He had always hesitated to dive into real estate because he felt there were headaches and obstacles that came with owning investment properties. After we met with this client, we cleared much of the confusion and gave him the information he needed to pursue this avenue if he chose. In short, we found a set of duplexes that were priced well and grossing a recurrent income. After we helped him buy the properties, our companies took over the property management duties seamlessly from the previous owners. We then evaluated the rental market, and as units became available, we helped guide him into receiving the maximum rent possible. In less than a year, we took this client from averaging $400.00 monthly rent per unit to averaging $550.00 per unit. Now his money is getting monthly returns that would have taken the CD years to produce.

Bob* was referred to us from another of our investors. He bought some foreclosure properties that were in need of many repairs before they could even begin to hit the rental market. When he came to us he was just looking for a management company to assist in the legalities, day-to-day marketing, and collections of rent monies. He asked for some options to get the property ready to be rented. We were able to prepare bids through our maintenance division to paint, install cabinets, install new doors, put new flooring throughout, and deep clean the property. Since his first purchase, we have helped this client buy, remodel, and manage multiple properties in three different cities. He now has plans to continue to add to his portfolio of properties and we intend to help him grow and maintain it along the way.

Jack* and Jill* came to us in need of only one property to be managed in the Ruston area. We managed this one particular property for about a year before adding a second property. Little did we know, these clients had amassed more than fifty properties over the years! A majority of their properties were set up for Section 8 housing. Since we had offices in both West Monroe and Ruston, and accounts already established with the section 8 offices in North Louisiana, it seemed we were a perfect fit to handle their new additions as well as their existing properties. We were able to take over most of their maintenance issues plus the normal day-to-day operations that come with management. Since our first contract with these clients, we have grown with them to manage properties from Shreveport/Bossier to Rayville.

John* and Susan's* story is an interesting one because we have actually never met face to face! (I actually have a handful of clients like this.) We took over managing some duplexes for them since their current manager had decided to retire from the management side of real estate and referred them to us. They explored other companies beside ours before deciding to contract with us. The main reason they chose us was because of our online portals and technological capabilities. We not only offered them the management portal to view and explore reports and data 24/7, but we also have video conferencing, online payments, and direct deposits to multiple accounts as needed. We have even taken videos and pictures of their properties and shared with them online as requested. We now have the ability to do an onsite walk through of properties while talking with clients in real time.

Kim* came to us to explore renting her property over a period of three years. She planned to leave the country and return after that time. So instead of leaving the property vacant or having to rely on someone to monitor the house for her, she decided to make a little money while she was gone. We found a family to move into the house and actually rented it for several years as she requested. At the end of the 3 years, this client decided not to come back to the states to live. She decided to sell her home and stay overseas. We worked with her from afar and marketed the house to be sold. This client had a 12 hour time difference from us, so we had to correspond via email mostly. If we needed to speak we would set up a time early in the morning (our time) which was close to midnight for her. When we got a contract on the house and moved closer to the closing, I became her power of attorney to allow her to remain overseas. This option saved her a lot of time and money! She has since started buying properties overseas with the funds from the sale of her property here. She said she learned a lot and was very grateful for the advice and experience she received while working with us.

This story encompasses multiple clients. Over the years we have picked up several clients that had to move out of town, out of state, or go overseas for one reason or another. One thing they all had in common was that their house had not sold and was sitting vacant and costing them money. Some searched us out while others were referred to us. In all cases we were able to help them find ways to make money to offset the expenses of the house while it was either on the market or vacant. In many cases the clients decided to take the house off the market to receive the rental income that could be made. This allowed time to pay down debt and eventually make a bigger return once it sold a few years down the road. Others decided that since we were handling the headache of showing, marketing, and maintaining the property, they didn’t mind having it as an investment after all. Most of these clients were not originally investors. They just owned one home and had to move away quicker than they could feasibly sell their house. Most had never thought of having investment property until forced into owning an investment property. The ones who needed to sell were helped toward doing so. The others that wanted to test the rental market were guided down that path. The main idea with these clients is that we were understanding of their needs and helped them get to the desired outcome.

ABC Investments, LLC* are also similar to a few clients we have had over the years. They sold some inherited property and had to reinvest the money into something within a certain time frame in order to defer tax penalties. These clients had never had any real estate investments other than the property they inherited. So, over the course of many years, the value of what they sold was very high. This was a good problem, but at the same time an issue. They needed a way to reinvest the funds to make a good return on the money. They came to us to explore real estate investment options. We started searching for properties to fit what they wanted. Their list started very long and we narrowed it down quickly as they picked what areas, sizes, and types of properties they wanted. These clients decided to have a mixture of apartments and single family houses. Once they decided on the properties they wanted to pursue, we started doing the math i.e. we would look at the current rental market and the growth potential of the rentals in the areas. Next, we ensured the offers made would be a good investment immediately with the current income potential in each situation. Then, we would do another analysis to see the maximum rent value in the areas. By doing this, we would guarantee they would cash flow easily at the current offers, but if we could get the properties to maximum value, this would increase the net income and eventually the equity and value of the properties all together. This is daunting task for someone who does not understand the market, and it is a service we provide free to our clients who desire to buy or sell properties. These clients have invested all their funds and actually considering future purchases.