Tiki's First Letter to us
My name is Tiki. I subscribed to
"Simple Man's Guide to Real Estate" about 4 ½ years ago while I was
living in Massachusetts. Since receiving your material (and after lots of
delaying for fear of the unknown), I ended up purchasing a "fixer upper" in
Lowell, MA and sold it for $40,000 profit after owning it for only 15 months.
I got out of MA and moved to Vermont where I dedicated the funds to a nice
duplex in Burlington where I live now with my fiancé. We bought this
place under market value (AKA instant equity), with enough cash at closing
to show we were "serious", have tenants who pay our mortgage, and were able
to take a trip around the country.
I place a
lot of value on the material I bought from you and have lugged it around the
country with me to keep my mind clear on real estate concepts. It has
inspired me to the point where I am now comfortable financially with the will
to build a "nest egg" of properties in order to gain financial independence
from the job. I thank you for opening the doors to this exciting "new" hobby
for me!" Tiki
Archambeau, Burlington VT
Tiki's Second letter...
Hi there! Tiki Archambeau here. I'm the one listed first in your "Testimonials" section of your website. It has been a while since I have contacted you guys so I am hoping you remember me.
As to life in general, here's my January 2006 update: I now
live in a modest single-family home only 5 blocks from the heart of downtown.
I own 2 other duplexes also close to downtown and recently bought a 4-unit on
Cape Cod (MA), bringing my total number of apartment units to 8 - a very modest
yet
manageable number.
In terms of assets, my current net worth in terms of property
market value is $1,280,000.
Our current home sits next door to one of our duplexes. From the
moment I bought that duplex, I started mowing the greenbelt in front of my
neighbor's home. This became especially important as the new owner moved in as
he did not own a lawnmower. Before long, he was borrowing mine to do his small
lawn. We established a relationship in which I told him I'd be interested in
buying if he was selling. In a matter of a year - after he made loads of
renovations - he was having financial troubles and wanted out quick. I was
there to cushion his fall and allowed him to close at his convenience for
about $30,000 under market value.
Now I own two adjacent city lots only 5 blocks from downtown.
It is now possible for me to now look into developing new condo units on the
footprint of the two lots in this low-vacancy city and walk away with the
proceeds.
That's all for now. Hope all is well!
Tiki Archambeault
Burlington VT