Becoming a Real Estate Success
“Always Do it Right”
Eddie Gant is an independently owned and operated franchise business owner with HomeVestors® of America, Inc. (HVA) in the Houston and Austin markets. He started his first franchise, Advantage House Buyers, in 1999 and subsequently started A2 Housebuyers, which focuses on the Austin real estate market. Today, he is a leading real estate investor in Texas.
Mississippi to Texas and Engineering to Real Estate
Born and raised in Mississippi, Eddie attended Mississippi State University before continuing his education at the University of Texas – Arlington, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Structural Engineering.
He worked in the field engineering department for Hilti for 4 years before moving into multiple sales positions. Eddie was later promoted to regional sales manager over South Texas and Louisiana.
Becoming a HVA Business Owner
Based on his experience and success with Hilti and later Structural, Inc., Eddie realized he loved the sales process. He left the engineering field and bought a HomeVestors franchise in June 1999, after seeing an ad in the Houston Chronicle and attending a HomeVestors seminar.
“At the seminar I met Ken D’Angelo, the founder of HomeVestors, and also Ken Channell, who was a former partner of D’Angelo’s and who would later become the co-president of HomeVestors,” Eddie explained. “I was the last person to leave the room that night…I wanted to do this and do it big right from the start.” From June through December 1999, Eddie bought 15 houses.
Throughout Eddie’s second, third, and fourth years as a HomeVestors franchisee, he would buy approximately 40 houses each year, before increasing to over 100 houses per year. Over the course of his real estate career, he has purchased, rehabbed or sold over 1,800 properties.
“The HomeVestors culture is based on the mantra, ‘Always Do It Right.’” Today, Eddie also works as a HomeVestors Development Agent (DA) to help train and support new franchise owners in the Houston and SanAntonio markets.
The Future
Looking at 2025, Eddie is adamant that interest rates need to come down to the 5% range. He predicts they will come down, albeit slowly and not in “leaps and bounds.” As for his own business, he says his ventures will see growth because typically, any market does not like “unknowns,” and many of the “unknowns” have been removed.
Quotable Quotables
“Always do it right!”
“A real estate investor should only work a half a day…they just have to figure out which 12 hours to work.”
“In two years, we will have another discussion on how real estate has changed due to technology. One thing that will not change is that real estate will always be a ‘people’ business.”
Advice from an Expert
“My advice for anyone getting started in real estate investing is simple, and that is to become a HomeVestors independent business owner. They have the best lead machine, mentoring, and coaching available. I would not be here after 25 years if it were not a great system. If you choose another avenue, get an education so you do not become a ‘one-and-done.’”
HomeVestors
Whether you are curious about real estate investing or you have dabbled in it and want to make it a full time job, HomeVestors helps entrepreneurs from all walks of life build their own real estate business. Our franchise owners enjoy independence while also benefitting from the famous We Buy Ugly Houses® brand and our best-in-class real estate investing tools, software, and mentorship.
If you are interested in a franchise, call 866-249-6932, email Sales@homevestorsfranchise.com or visit www.homevestorsfranchise.com. Each franchise office is independently owned and operated.
