For Air Force veterans Jacob and Cassie Warren, it all started with paying off their first house. Now, the young couple holds a real estate portfolio worth over $650,000. Navy veteran Sergio Bazan started his foray into real estate by becoming a loan officer. He now sits atop of his own $2 million real estate empire. Marine Captain Juan Cristales took a risk on a $400 investment in a real estate class. After a decade of deployments, Cristales created his own military transition plan by acquiring a multi-million- dollar real estate portfolio.
For nearly a year, I’ve had the privilege of serving as a writer for the Veterans Buy America initiative. As a Marine veteran of Iraq myself, I’ve been fascinated by just how many veterans are coming back home from war and building transformational wealth through the power of real estate. More than fascinated, I have to admit that I write with a touch of regret because I didn’t follow a similar path when I returned home. Thanks to Andy Williams and Veterans Buy America, veterans like myself still have time to get in on the action.
Veterans Rebuilding the Homefront
Real estate investor and multi-billionaire John Paulson once famously said, “If you don’t own a home, buy one. If you own a home, buy another one. If you own two homes, buy a third. And, lend your relatives the money to buy a home.” What I learned by writing about veterans who thrive in the real estate space is that it truly is the key to transformational wealth. Nearly every veteran I interviewed left for boot camp with little more than the change in their pocket. All of them served honorably while some deployed and others did not. Yet, once they got involved in real estate, the result was always the same — prosperity.
I find something beautifully poetic about the phrase, “veterans returning home to buy a piece of the land they fought to defend” if for no other reason than the fact that I am the writer who crafted the phrase. However, another consistent theme that I have noticed when veterans buy the land they fought to defend is that they seem to care for it with a certain patriotic zeal. There are indeed veterans out there involved in multi-million-dollar luxury deals, but the majority of veterans I’ve seen in real estate are investing and revitalizing communities that need it most. It is as if they genuinely love America and they are putting their money where their hearts are.
Benaisha Watson
Juan Christales
Jacob and Cassie Warren
Sergio Bazan
Veterans Leading by Example
Veterans Buy America was founded by Marine veteran and real estate thought leader Andy Williams. Andy hired me as a writer to spread the word about Veterans Buy America without expecting any monetary return. I have not seen him try to monetize the initiative nor cash in on his fellow veteran in any way. Being truly invested in veterans and their individual journeys as real estate entrepreneurs, Andy built a community to address the affordable housing crisis through community revitalization. I have seen him introduce his fellow veterans to unprecedented capital they would not have otherwise had, and he has done all he can to spotlight their work to serve as a beacon to other veterans. The simple fact is that Andy has made his wealth in real estate and he is simply trying to show other veterans the way.
I recently asked him specifically about his end game. He stated, “I’m investing in the veteran. The community is the collateral.” Having seen this initiative in action, I’m convinced that building a community of like-minded veterans to grow viable businesses and enter the real estate space is good for the country, individual communities, and most importantly, the veterans and their families.
As Veterans Buy America nears the end of its research stage and prepares for nationwide launch, the opportunities for veterans are unlimited. If there was any time to get involved in real estate, it is now. Personally, I’ve spent 2019 writing about veterans who are making a killing in real estate with a touch of regret because I was not doing the same. I have no plans of spending 2020 with the same regret. The time is now to build transformational wealth and it is beyond poetic to say that those who fought for America deserve to own a piece of it. I encourage all veterans with an interest in real estate to visit veteransbuyamerica.com and join the initiative. Andy is ready to lead the way; he’s just looking for a fellow veteran ready to make the breach.
This content is sponsored by Recon Realty and Andy Williams.
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