Nineteen years ago today, I closed my very first real estate deal.

Back then, I didn’t dream of making millions—I just wanted to prove to myself (and maybe someone else) that I could be more.

My journey started with heartbreak.

My girlfriend of four years broke up with me, saying she wanted to “date someone with status, someone that makes money.”

At the time, I had no clue how to make money.

The Turning Point

One sleepless night, I turned on the TV and stumbled across an infomercial about flipping houses with no money down.

Something clicked.

“This is it! This is my chance,” I thought.

I was living in a 300-square-foot apartment, paying $275 a month in rent.

With about $700 to my name and zero experience buying houses, I decided to go all in.

The Sacrifices

I sold everything I owned to fund those first deals:

• My TV
• Furniture
• Motorcycles
• Truck
• Four-wheeler

When my apartment was empty, a friend gave me an old bed from his grandma’s garage so...