Investor Profile

Building a Legacy as a Real Estate Entrepreneur

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“Do the Uncomfortable Until it Becomes Comfortable” Michael Lewis is an independent business owner with HomeVestors® of America, Inc. in the Fort Worth, Texas market. He started his business, Morning Glory Investment Group, Inc., in 2012 after a successful and lucrative career as a real estate agent with RE/MAX and Keller Williams. His wife, Ashley, is a former pastor and chaplain at a children’s hospital. His 15-year-old son, Walker, is an aspiring professional motocross athlete. Life Before HomeVestors While still in high school, Michael lied about his age so he could get a job working in a health food store. Health and fitness became a passion for Michael, and he got into body building and nutrition, the income from which he was able to go to college. One of his fitness clients worked for Coldwell Banker and sparked Michael’s interest in real estate. Two weeks before the World Trade Center collapsed, Michael got his real estate license. He went to work at Coldwell Banker and after an unsuccessful first year he moved to RE/MAX. Under the mentorship of a successful agent, Michael learned how to become successful, and subsequently worked at Keller Williams selling over a hundred houses per year and eventually managing the sales team. “It was all about speed,” Michael explained. “It was an all-or-nothing pursuit, never home, no time to pursue my true passions, and definitely no time for family. Something had to change.” Fortunately for Michael, the landlord for one of his commercial properties was a HomeVestors franchisee and convinced Michael to give HomeVestors a call. Becoming a HomeVestors Independent Business Owner “I called the HomeVestors corporate office and spoke with a gentleman by the name of Larry Louwagie,” remembered Michael. “That was in August of 2012. I bought my franchise and started training in October.” Having been a successful real estate agent, Michael did not see the need to follow any of the HomeVestors programs or systems. “I had an ego and I had a pride issue,” Michael recalled. “And I failed.” “Then a very successful HomeVestors franchisee by the name of Chas Carrier became my mentor. He insisted I follow the already-proven program and within the next six months I bought around 19 homes.” Twelve Years Later Today, Michael owns two franchises and is focused on building his legacy. “Flipping homes is a great life and financially lucrative, but flipping homes is a high-paying job. Building a real estate portfolio allows you to build a legacy. I want my business to serve me, so rentals have become my primary focus. I currently have 51 rental properties with a goal of 100 and I have a full-time property manager on my payroll along with a maintenance team.” One of the things that Michael does with his rentals is charge below-market rents. As Michael explained, “All the rents in my portfolio are below market value and my real soft spot is for single mothers. If a single mom needs a great place to live to bring up her children, I will charge her what she can afford. It’s just the right thing to do.” “I love HomeVestors. They have allowed me to have a wonderful journey where I can follow my passions. And my biggest passion, outside of my family, is having a ministry for young athletes. I currently coach and minister to a professional motocross race team called “Next Level Racing” where mentoring is the primary focus. Advice from an Expert “My advice for anyone getting started in real estate investing is simple.” • Always do the right thing • “Swim upstream” (go the extra mile) • Jump in with both feet • Do the uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable Homevestors What exactly does it mean to be a HomeVestors® business owner? Owning a real estate business is life changing and naturally comes with risks! When you become a HomeVestors business owner, you get immediate access to motivated seller leads, financing resources for qualifying purchases and repairs, one-on-one coaching with your local Development Agent, proprietary software for analyzing properties and deals, and access to a nationwide network of coaches and peers. Your house-buying business is yours and you run it as your own venture with a focus toward your individual business goals. 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.

How to Become Successful Real Estate Entrepreneurs?

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Always Do What You Say You Are Going to Do and Do it With Integrity Tim and Melissa Swartz are independent business owners with HomeVestors® of America, Inc. in the Columbus, Ohio, market, and Melissa is currently serving as the Ad Council President for that area. The couple started their HomeVestors business, HumbleBee Properties, LLC in 2017 after each having successful careers in business and education administration. Their driving factor is their family—to have the ability fully enjoy and support their three children through their formative years. Life Before HomeVestors After graduating from Ashland University in 2007 with a degree in political science and government, Tim became a commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps serving as an attack helicopter pilot and operational planner. He left the Corps in 2016 and attended The Ohio State University where he earned his MBA. Upon graduation, he first worked for JP Morgan Chase and later transitioned to help grow a small insurance technology company called PolicyFuel. It was during his tenure at JP Morgan Chase that they bought the HomeVestors franchise. Melissa met Tim while both were attending Ashland University. After graduation, she attended the University of West Florida where she earned her master’s degree in higher education and administration. For 13 years, Melissa worked in universities focusing on compliance, specifically with issues related to student conduct and sexual assault. It is in this trying environment where she developed her passion for helping people. Becoming a HomeVestors Independent Business Owner “We bought our HomeVestors franchise because we both had an entrepreneurial spirit and we also saw the business as a way of helping others,” Melissa explained. “In fact, the very first question we ask a prospective seller is, ‘What can we do to help?’ Much of the time we don’t buy their house, but we find some other way to get them through whatever difficult situation they may be in. Though most instances do not end in a financial reward, the intangible benefit of doing right by people is what makes us truly proud of what we do.” True to their backgrounds in compliance and military planning, from day one they fully embraced the proven HVA process and focused on execution and operational flexibility. “In our first year, we concentrated on wholesaling and a few quick flips to establish a good cash base, giving us the ability to shift to building a rental portfolio, which we did,” Tim said. “We have completed 55 deals since we started, and we currently have 13 cash flowing single family rentals in suburban neighborhoods with good school systems. Today, we are concentrating more on fix-and-flips until interest rates cool down but are looking forward to getting back to growing a substantial, long-term portfolio to provide lasting financial prosperity for our family.” The Swartz’s Crystal Ball When asked what 2024 has in store for their business, Tim and Melissa are quite optimistic. Columbus, Ohio, is a very competitive and very hot real estate market and it is the fastest growing metro area in the United States. The housing supply remains historically tight but is also very profitable. Tim elaborated by stating, “Interest rates will come down but not nearly as low as we’ve enjoyed in recent years. At least not any time soon. However, Columbus will do just fine and there will continue to be strong growth in prices.” Melissa added that they are boosting their ad spend this year to bring in even more opportunities. She is especially optimistic because “we are all in now.” Tim left his job in June 2023, and they are both now 100% focused on the real estate business. Advice from an Expert “Our advice for anyone getting started in real estate investing is simple.” • Always do what you say you are going to do and do it with integrity. • Have confidence in yourself. • Be humble. Homevestors What exactly does it mean to be a HomeVestors® business owner? Owning a real estate business is life changing and naturally comes with risks! When you become a HomeVestors business owner, you get immediate access to motivated seller leads, financing resources for qualifying purchases and repairs, one-on-one coaching with your local Development Agent, proprietary software for analyzing properties and deals, and access to a nationwide network of coaches and peers. Your house-buying business is yours and you run it as your own venture with a focus toward your individual business goals. 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.

From Successful Attorney to Real Estate Entrepreneur

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Find a Mentor and Get to Work Chandra Quaye is an independent business owner with HomeVestors® of America, Inc. in the Fayetteville, North Carolina, market. She started her HomeVestors business, Red Letter LLC, in 2017 after 16 years in the corporate world, both as an attorney and as a senior executive. Life Before HomeVestors Chandra graduated from Cornell University in 1998 and Duke Law School in 2001. She practiced law for nearly 10 years before transitioning into higher education—starting out as a faculty member at a private university—quickly advancing to Dean, Associate Provost, and finally Senior Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Academic Services. In 2017, Chandra realized she needed a change. “I hit a growth ceiling at my job and that killed my passion. Plus, it required a lot of travel that took me away from my kids. I wanted challenging, fulfilling work with unlimited growth potential. I also wanted to build generational wealth instead of having a set annual salary,” explained Chandra. Becoming a HomeVestors Independent Business Owner “I researched the HomeVestors opportunity years earlier but, I didn’t fully understand the possibilities,” said Chandra. “I initially started a property management firm as my venture into real estate. One of my property management clients was a HomeVestors business owner. Seeing his deals made me look at the opportunity more seriously.” Chandra bought her HomeVestors franchise without any real estate investing experience. Being a novice, she followed the HomeVestors program from day one and took advantage of everything the program had to offer. Her primary focus was on building a rental portfolio while also doing some fix-and-flips. “December, 2017 was my first month of operation. I got my first house under contract that same month. By the end of 2018, I had bought 15 homes,’ said Chandra. “I’ve increased each year except 2021 when I bought 14. In 2023, I bought 28 homes.” Chandra said that her initial goal was to have a 100-home rental portfolio, but that goal has quickly expanded. “The Fayetteville rental market is hot and home prices keep rising,” she added. “My philosophy is to rent for appreciation and equity rather than only cash flow.” Chandra explained that her work helps neighborhoods by removing dilapidation from the area, and it also helps prospective homebuyers and tenants by adding freshly restored homes to market inventory. She also proudly stated that she very much enjoys helping people who are in difficult and “ugly” situations. Chandra’s Crystal Ball When asked what 2024 has in store for her business, Chandra was very optimistic. “Home prices should continue to grow because more millennials are getting involved, inflation is tampering down, and interest rates are stabilizing. Meanwhile, housing supply remains extremely low. I only see upside in my business and my plan is to keep growing my rental portfolio.” While HomeVestors is still Chandra’s primary focus, she also started Quaye Law Firm, PLLC which helps other franchisees and investors with their real estate transactions, including contract review, title examination and document preparation. “HomeVestors is a family. We are not competitors,” Chandra said. “Everybody works together. The best decision I ever made was buying a HomeVestors franchise.” Advice from an Expert • Buy a HomeVestors franchise. • Leverage mentors and resources. • Hold yourself accountable to clear goals for your business. Homevestors What exactly does it mean to be a HomeVestors® business owner? Owning a real estate business is life changing and naturally comes with risks! When you become a HomeVestors business owner, you get immediate access to motivated seller leads, financing resources for qualifying purchases and repairs, one-on-one coaching with your local Development Agent, proprietary software for analyzing properties and deals, and access to a nationwide network of coaches and peers. Your house-buying business is yours and you run it as your own venture with a focus toward your individual business goals. 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.

From Chemistry to Real Estate Entrepreneur

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In Order to Succeed You Must Put People First Heather Anagnos is an independent business owner with HomeVestors® of America, Inc. in the Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, market. She started her HomeVestors business, Green Mountain Property Group, in Boston, Massachusetts, before relocating to North Carolina in 2022. Life Before HomeVestors Heather graduated from The College of the Holy Cross with a BA in Chemistry and worked as a chemist before switching to a career in medical device sales which she did from 2000–2014. During that time, she read Rich Dad Poor Dad which changed her perspectives on life, and she set her sights on starting a business and getting involved in real estate. Heather joined a local real estate association and started investing part-time in 2009 focusing on building a buy-and-hold portfolio. She took her investing career full-time in 2014. While her new career was getting off the ground, her source of leads “dried up.” As Heather explained, “During this time, everywhere I went I saw a HomeVestors billboard, so I decided to give them a call.” She immediately bought a franchise because of their lead sourcing, support, and proven operating systems. Green Mountain Property Group “When I started with HomeVestors, I needed to unlearn the traditional way of doing real estate and begin following the HomeVestors systems,” Heather noted. “My profits started going up and I was hooked. And I had two great Development Agents to help me along, Stephen Bowen and Michael Falotico. “In my first year, I continued to build my buy-and-hold portfolio while also doing fix-and-flips through HomeVestors,” Heather explained. “It is very expensive to buy houses in Boston, but you also make more money on the backend. In fact, there were years when I bought fewer houses and made the most money.” Initially, her company only consisted of herself and her subcontractors, but she relied heavily on the HomeVestors Ad Council, which according to Heather, is where all the “valuable ideas and sharing happens.” During this time, her husband was still working in Finance for a data marketing company in the wireless carrier industry. Present Day Heather lost both of her parents in 2020 and decided it was a suitable time to relocate for some new scenery. She found her new scenery in North Carolina in 2022. In contrast to the Boston real estate market, Heather now needed to buy more houses to maintain the same level of profit. With a new team in place consisting of one admin staff, a project manager, and rehab crews, Heather’s goal is buying 20 homes per year. “The other great thing is that I am now “hands-off” with contractors — I have a guy that does that.” “What works great for me is having a good rhythm,” Heather explained. “I always like to have two properties on the market for sale, two properties in rehab, and two properties in my acquisition pipeline.” Heather further elaborated, “I love being a problem solver, first and foremost. I get tremendous joy in meeting with homeowners and helping them solve their difficult situations.” Heather proudly says, “HomeVestors is a lifestyle. Investing is the new normal in our family. My daughters, Brooklynn, age 9, and Taylor, age 11, are enthralled with real estate and give me money they earn to invest in our real estate acquisitions. That truly makes us a family business.” “My advice for anyone getting stated in real estate investing is rather simple.” • Have liquid cash. • Put people first. • Find yourself a proven system — like HomeVestors. HomeVestors What exactly does it mean to be a HomeVestors® business owner? Owning a real estate business is life changing and naturally comes with risks! When you become a HomeVestors business owner, you get immediate access to motivated seller leads, financing resources for qualifying purchases and repairs, one-on-one coaching with your local Development Agent, proprietary software for analyzing properties and deals, and access to a nationwide network of coaches and peers. Your house-buying business is yours and you run it as your own venture with a focus toward your individual business goals. 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.

Real Estate, Developer, Fireman, Pizza

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In Order to Succeed You Must Have a Great Team Frankie Herrera is an independent business owner with HomeVestors® of America, Inc. in Tampa, Florida. He started his HomeVestors business in 2014 with his wife, Vanessa, and cousin, Albert. As successful as his real estate business is, he still works as a developer, is a fireman, and owns a Little Caesars fast food franchise. His recipe for success: a phenomenal team. Life Before HomeVestors Frankie has a B.A. in Finance from the University of South Florida which he earned in 2007. He started his professional career with a development company as a project manager, and then in 2009, while still with the development company, joined Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. In 2009, he began his venture into real estate. Frankie worked with a banker who was willing to give him a chance. He bought his first two rental properties and then realized that he did not just want to be a landlord, so he sold both properties to figure out his next steps. Partners Associated In Development (PAID) by Herrera “I stumbled across HomeVestors at a franchise trade show. Vanessa and I did our due diligence on the company, called my cousin, Albert, presented him with the opportunity, and we bought our franchise in 2014,” Frankie explained. “I needed a franchise that had proven systems in place that I could trust, and HomeVestors met that requirement. We started our training in August of 2014 and immediately fell in love with it.” In the short period between August and December of 2014, PAID by Herrera bought seven houses. “We bought our first house almost immediately. It felt great to help someone, but then panic set in until we sold it to an investor,” Frankie reminisced. “It was at that point that I realized ‘One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.’” Frankie’s wife, Vanessa, a graduate of Saint Leo University and an Accountant, joined the company full time in 2015. Present Day The company buys an average 40 houses per year and to date has bought over 300 houses. “We focus on fix-and-flips, but we also have a rental portfolio of 30 doors; we tend to keep five houses per year in our rental portfolio,” Frankie said. Frankie, without hesitation, attributes the company’s success to his phenomenal team. “Keep in mind, I still work as a developer, I’m still a fireman, and we recently bought a Little Caesars franchise. I have a team that makes everything possible.” That team includes his partner and wife, Vanessa, who handles the accounting; Albert, “The Face,” who handles acquisitions; Sandra, “The Closer,” who is responsible for all day-to-day communications with the sellers and title companies; Chris is in charge of project management; and Michael handles sales. And of course, Frankie, who is the CEO, is responsible for operations. Frankie is also a Development Agent (DA) for Florida. As a team, before doing any deal, they always ask themselves, “If we do this deal, are we going to be able to put our head on the pillow and sleep peacefully tonight?” Frankie elaborated, “There will always be people out there who need help with their homes and getting out of undesirable situations. Our job is to sit down with them, listen, and try to help them. People first — closing the deal is second.” Advice from an Expert “I used to have a problem in constantly over-analyzing deals. Once I put trust in comparables and systems, my business changed for the better,” said Frankie. “Additionally, I would give the following advice to anyone getting started in real estate investing”: • Pay attention and listen. • Trust the process. • Pound the pavement. • Start by hitting singles and home runs will follow. Homevestors What exactly does it mean to be a HomeVestors® business owner? Owning a real estate business is life changing and naturally comes with risks! When you become a HomeVestors business owner, you get immediate access to motivated seller leads, financing resources for qualifying purchases and repairs, one-on-one coaching with your local Development Agent, proprietary software for analyzing properties and deals, and access to a nationwide network of coaches and peers. Your house-buying business is yours and you run it as your own venture with a focus toward your individual business goals. 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.

From Telcom to Real Estate Entrepreneur

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In Order to Succeed You Must be a Constant Learner Mitchell Deminski is an independent business owner with HomeVestors® of America, Inc. in the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Area. He started his HomeVestors business in 2018 after years of being a real estate investor, broker, and owner of a property management company. Today, he is also a sought-after speaker traveling the country giving advice and sharing his expertise with other real estate investors. Life Before HomeVestors Mitch received his BSBA from The Ohio State University in 1988 majoring in Marketing. After graduation, Mitch worked his way into being a partner in a telecommunications company which he sold in 1996. Two years later, in 1998, he began investing in real estate and went on to start a brokerage in 2001. At this time, he also started a property management firm providing services for other investors, admittedly a very tough business. In 2017, Mitch decided he wanted more control over his life and more flexibility to spend quality time with his family. It was at this time that Mitch met his future HomeVestors Development Agent, Jeff Hotz, who was looking for a property management company to manage his portfolio. Jeff convinced Mitch to join HomeVestors, and in 2018 Mitch did just that and formed D1 Real Estate in Central Ohio. The Beginning of D1 Real Estate “I decided to become a HomeVestors independent business owner because of their proven marketing and operating systems, their well-established brand, and their outstanding reputation,’ explained Mitch. “Initially, I used HomeVestors simply to upgrade my own personal portfolio and to use that newly generated income to pay off the debt and mortgages on the properties I already owned. And once my existing properties ‘became free and clear’ I was in a great position to simply get lines of credit to purchase additional properties.” In Mitch’s first year of business, he bought and flipped five houses; in his second year he flipped 17 (and kept one); and in his third year he flipped 13 (and kept two). Present Day Mitch has leveraged his HomeVestors business into a part-time venture. He has a full team of buyers and contractors, and his wife Susie manages the accounting for the company. “To be clear, I am more of the owner but no longer an owner-operator,” Mitch clarified. “And this is what I was ultimately looking for when I first started… control over my life and more time to spend with my family. As an independent owner, HomeVestors lets you decide how to grow and run your business.” During this time, Mitch still owned his property management company, which has grown to over 550 properties under management and representing about 200 real estate investors. In September of 2022, he sold the company to Poplar Homes, a third-party property management company. Mitch works as a consultant for Poplar Homes helping them build out their Ohio market. Advice from an Expert “As I travel the country speaking at various industry events, I focus on three key pieces of advice: • Always be a constant learner. • Talk to people who are actually doing it and not just talking about it. • If you want to start investing, be well capitalized. Homevestors What exactly does it mean to be aHomeVestors® business owner? Owning a real estate business is life changing and naturally comes with risks! When you become a HomeVestors business owner, you get immediate access to motivated seller leads, financing resources for qualifying purchases and repairs, one-on-one coaching with your local Development Agent, proprietary software for analyzing properties and deals, and access to a nationwide network of coaches and peers. Your house-buying business is yours and you run it as your own venture with a focus toward your individual business goals. 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.