Real Estate Investing
I love investing in real estate. It is a tangible asset. It is a long-term play, but if done right it will only appreciate. The number one reason I believe I love it, is because I am an interior designer. You know how some people love shopping for clothes? I love shopping for art, furniture, furnishings, plants, and real estate. I love visiting open houses as a hobby! I am a real estate aficionada.
What I do
I feel I can revitalize the block. I can’t control myself when I see a property, residential or commercial, that needs love. I immediately start brainstorming the endless ways I would revive that dilapidated house or that boarded up commercial property. I have always had a fondness for architecture that grew into an urge to transform neglected properties into something fabulous, giving it a new life and in the process improving the neighborhood.
Transforming an entire road and hopefully gentrifying an entire neighborhood. It just takes one property to inspire others to do the same! I lived abroad for almost 30 years of my life, and it was my goal when our family relocated to the U.S., to start fix & flipping, or as someone coined the word “flixing”, and doing enough flixing that I could start to “BRRR” – buying, renovating, renting, and repeating the process.
A good reason to BRRR is to potentially offset inflation. I look at investing in real estate as a future passive income generator and an opportunity to grow my interior design portfolio or a combination of both with tax efficient returns.
Flixing (Fix & Flipping)
I decided that the best way to enter a new market was by flixing (fix & flipping). Being new to the U.S. and Utah, the fastest way forward was by partnering up with local investors who know the market more than you do, those that have been successfully flixing for longer than you have.
As an interior designer, with a good track record doing project management, as well as being a savvy construction and finishing materials buyer, I know I offer other investors like me a set of skills they may lack. I might just be an asset for some investors who love the buying and the selling part of this business but not the actual process, which in turn, I love!
For some it might be more about the destination, whereas for me it is about the journey. The destination is the cherry on the top! Many investors just want to make passive income and can’t be bothered with the day-to-day. They just like the returns, and they don’t need and don’t like to get their hands dirty! Their interest lies elsewhere and therefore we complement each other, making for a great partnership.
Since March 2020 I have formed numerous relationships with other investors, I have provided many with hands on help when they needed the most to demonstrate our skills and slowly but surely, as my name got around the investor community, I have managed to foster successful partnerships.
Portfolio
In my portfolio of real estate investments, there are 5 properties that have been fixed and flipped successfully with 3 different investment partners in a 50/50 partnership agreement. My partner(s) and I invest our own cash and we leverage our assets and our good credit to raise money privately or we find lenders to invest in us.
Ben Kjar
Ben has flipped nearly 200 properties all over the U.S. and in the past 6 years he has compiled a rental portfolio of almost 100 multifamily rentals and multiple storage unit complexes.
In January 2022 Ben, my husband and I entered a partnership and since then we have successfully remodeled 3 properties together. Besides being partners I continue to provide interior design services to Ben for all his higher end properties, helping him implement his vision for his projects and elevate his design choices. Ben is one of the most unique people I have had the pleasure to work with and for. He has so many skills. He is a super good human, with great people’s skills, he walks his talk-and that is to be taken to heart.
He is Utah Valley University’s first-ever NCAA Division 1 Wrestling All-American and has represented the USA team internationally and continues to wrestle and inspire others by holding wrestling camps throughout the nation. He is also an international professional speaker and has told his story growing up with Crouzon’s syndrome to millions around the globe, in front of crowds of up to 10,000 people. He is also very versed in real estate investing and chooses to give back by sharing his wisdom to several investment groups throughout the nation.
There is so much to love about BEN! I am truly grateful for his partnership and for his trust in my interior design and project management skills. All our properties have been completed successfully and sold with a healthy profit to date.
My Curated Team
Since March 2020 I have been building my own team of subcontractors. Being in construction means not giving up on finding the right professionals. It is a constant battle for the gold nuggets who say they can do it and do it well for a reasonable price in the timeline that they were given.
At present I have a handful who work solely alongside on all my own investment partnerships and on my interior design projects. These remarkable tradesmen and tradeswomen are the reason why I manage to deliver on incredible property transformations. Nothing is too crazy or too difficult or impossible for them. They get me! Without them it would be all in my head and not implemented.
These unique individuals are my greatest assets. They work meaningfully and purposefully and wear their hearts and souls on their sleeves. They turn the projects swiftly, usually in 4 to 6 months, allowing my partners, clients, and I to capitalize on their deliverables.
Construction Foreman
Gomes Handyman, Adilson, from Pro 5 Remodeling, has been my right arm since we met in June 2021. He helped me out with my very first remodel and since then Adilson is the Foreman for all my projects. He manages the direct and indirect workers and performs miracles daily. He is too, a good human and a hard worker. Principled, honest and a true partner in construction. We talk daily. At times I feel I talk more to Adilson than my own husband. The universe has given me the opportunity to meet Adilson. I now have him as a partner and a dear friend. We connect on many levels. If he knows it, he says it. And if he doesn’t, he says it, too.
He is originally from Cape Verde, Africa and has over 20+ years of experience in construction as a General Contractor. I am originally from Brazil, South America, and have over 25+ years’ experience in interior design & décor, the last 10+ years flixing around the globe. Portuguese is our mother tongue, and we speak it daily. He has an awesome mind for space utilization. He is my sound board.
He gives me valuable advice on all levels of the construction process and takes care to lessen my frustrations. I am a perfectionist, so I get easily frustrated when things are not quite the way I envisioned them to be. And I am a stickler for organization and cleanliness. Adilson has his hands full! I am a better person and professional working hand in hand with Adilson. No one is perfect so when I feel I come short, he complements me and vice versa. “For every successful man, there is a woman behind.” I know I am more successful as I have Adilson behind.
New Partner
If you are a potential new partner, an interested client or a lender reading my REI background, rest assured, you would be investing in me and my small tribe of people who love what we do and because we know what we are doing and we pour our hearts into it, we do a fantastic job.
We are professionals who are willing to do what it takes to deliver on all our projects, no matter what the ups or downs of the markets are. We have a track record of creating equity and turning profits. We honor all our financial commitments. No excuses. We are proud of our principles, and we honor a handshake.
We are people with a sound financial track record, whose intent is to grow a reputable and profitable business making YOU more profitable and eager to give us your business repeatedly and, in the process, enjoying doing it.
Projects
Real Estate Investment
Me and my small tribe of people will help you make the most informed decisions when it comes to investing in property. We analyze market trends to ensure you get the best return on your investments and maximize potential profits. With our expertise and experience, you can trust us to provide you with the best advice and guidance when it comes to real estate investments. We will also help you with the planning and implementation of any renovations or improvements that will enhance the value of your investment.
