Imagine doing 50 real estate deals before buying your own home. That’s exactly what Andres did. He started as a renter with no savings, no experience, and no roadmap. But with the right mentorship and a willingness to take action, he built a real estate business that completely changed his life.

In this interview, Andres shares:

• How he closed his first deal without using credit or large amounts of cash
• The deal that earned him more than his annual salary
• Why mentorship accelerated his success
• How he scaled his business while still renting
• How he built a business in multiple markets
• What financial freedom looks like for his family today

From Lifelong Renter to Financially Free—Andres Story

Many aspiring real estate investors hesitate to get started because they’ve never purchased a home of their own. But one of our most remarkable students began his journey from that exact place. Before joining our program and learning the power of creative real estate investing, Andres had never owned a home. He was renting, working long hours, and unsure how to break into real estate without savings or experience. Fast‑forward to today: he has completed dozens of creative real estate deals, achieved financial freedom, and transformed his family’s future.

Meet Andres

Phil: Well, welcome, Andre. Thank you so much for being with Brian and me here today. We are looking forward to diving deep into your story and your experiences. But first, thank you for being with us.

Andres: Yeah, thanks for having me, Phil and Brian.

Andres Before Freedom Mentor

“I didn’t want to be sitting at a desk, and college wasn’t for me.”

Phil: Well, you have a tremendous success story with Freedom Mentor, but let's go back before that. Let’s get inside the world of Andres when you were first getting started—not only in real estate, but even in the world of business. Who is Andre pre–Freedom Mentor?

Andres: Basically, starting at age 18, I didn’t know what I wanted. The only thing I knew was that I didn’t want to be sitting at a desk, and college wasn’t for me. I started doing some side jobs, building small businesses like flooring and construction, and going out to new construction sites selling flooring and stuff like that. I was also buying cars at auctions, putting a little bit of extra money into them. I guess that was my first experience with wholesaling, right? Making little repairs, cleaning them up, putting them at the Walmart lot, and selling those on the weekend.

As I started to have kids, I needed a steadier income. So, I started working in a company as an assistant, and I went up the ladder and became what is called an operations manager—basically overseeing a couple hundred people during the peak season and managing and planning trucks throughout the entire DC metro area.

The Shift Toward Real Estate

Brian: What is it that brought you into looking at real estate?

Andres: Because I didn’t see a real future in my latest job as an operations manager. The only other step I could go up was replacing my boss, and I didn’t see that happening—at least not in the next 10 years. I remembered a couple of friends from high school who got licensed and got into real estate. I was hesitant about that at first. I looked into it and started going to local seminars, but everything required capital. I didn’t have the money to go buy a $300,000 house, renovate it, and then resell it for a profit.

Before Joining the Program

“I was just a renter”

Phil: Now, had you already bought and sold any homes since you were side‑hustling with cars prior to Freedom Mentor? What was your experience with real estate?

Andres: I was just renting. I was a renter throughout most of my life. Even with my parents—we were renters. My parents eventually owned a house, but I didn’t know anything about how to buy a house. I wanted to buy a house because we had our first kid, then our daughter, and my dad was helping me with some down payment money so I could probably qualify through FHA.

Around that same time, I was looking at some new‑construction townhouses. That was probably going to be my first ever house—finally settling in a place. But that never happened, because I ended up using some of those funds my dad had given me to venture into a new business idea, which was real estate investing.

Discovering Freedom Mentor

“If you can show me how to make half a million dollars, and if we need to split it 50/50, that’s fine with me.”

Brian: You came across Freedom Mentor, and you decided this was the direction to go. Did you have any apprehension as you applied before you joined—especially when you saw that big $500,000 deal split?

Andres: When doing some research, I came across Phil’s videos online—I believe it was through YouTube. He started explaining how you can do this with less money, using more creative strategies. I probably spent, I don’t know, a month watching all his videos before I even made the decision to join.

So, then I made a call. When I heard about the half‑a‑million‑dollar split profit, the first thing that came to my mind was: “Look, if you can show me how to make half a million dollars, and if we need to split it 50/50, that’s fine with me. Let’s do it.”

Joining the Program

“Just tell me what I need to do.”

Phil: It just shows that you are very calculated from the very get‑go, right? If you were going to put together a side hustle, the math had to make sense. The deal had to make sense. As you joined Freedom Mentor—we were excited to have you on the team—tell us: what was it like, that experience of working with us and our team?

Andres: First, I received a lot of materials to go through. I went through them. I started getting some coaching calls—personal calls with a coach. And I basically told my first coach: “Just tell me what I need to do. I’ll read the materials and I’ll get it done.” That’s how I’ve been my entire life. If somebody tells me, “This is the path, these are the steps,” then I just do it. I don’t hesitate—especially when you’re telling me there’s a lot of potential money to be earned. Then I’ll just go ahead and do it.

The Coaching Experience

“Asking questions was key for me.”

Brian: You mentioned doing a call with a coach directly. Were there some benefits to the program that maybe you weren’t expecting when you got started?

Andres: Yeah, I have to say it was probably the weekly calls. If I needed an answer about something, I could message somebody and I would get a reply. I remember the first three to six months—I didn’t miss any of the coaching calls. And every time I had a question, I would ask: “Hey, I have this… am I on the right path?” Asking questions was key for me.

Andre’s First Deal

“We signed the agreement at the kitchen table.”

Phil: What was the first deal like for you?

Andres: I went to a few appointments, had some good conversations. The very first deal was with a gentleman I sat down with for a couple of hours. At the end of the conversation, we sat at the kitchen table, started talking numbers, and we signed an agreement right there. He got very comfortable. We both did. He could tell I was sincere, honest, and a real person.

Brian: What kind of deal was that?

Andres: It was a combination subject‑to. We cashed out the seller—basically all the equity he was asking for—and we took over his mortgage for about three to four months while we resold the property. We made the profit on the spread from there.

Minimal Repairs, Quick Turnaround

Brian: Did you have to put much money into the property?

Andres: Yeah, I think I spent a few thousand dollars on the closing costs and a few more thousand to put some paint on the house, clean up the carpet especially, and just a couple hundred dollars more to get it on the market.

The Breakthrough Moment

“We couldn’t believe it.”

Phil: What did that first win feel like? What was the initial reaction to all that?

Andres: My wife and I went to see the house for the first time the day after we closed—or maybe the afternoon we closed. And we couldn’t believe that we had just bought a house without using our credit, without using much of our own money… and it still had a lot of equity in it. I couldn’t believe it.

Brian: What kind of profit did you realize on that first close?

Andres: It was around $60,000 profit on the first one.

A Year’s Salary in One Deal

Brian: So, coming in, you didn’t own a home yet. You had some money from your dad toward buying. Suddenly you’ve bought a property, you’ve resold it and made that kind of money. What did that do for you in terms of understanding the power of real estate?

Andres: I’d never had so much money in my bank account. I couldn’t believe it until the wire hit my account. I showed it to my wife, and it was so much money. Back then my salary was like $55,000 a year—and making a deal for $60K… that was a full year’s worth of work.

Scaling Up and Graduating the Program

“We were still renting and saving so we could buy our first house.”

Phil: What did that feel like—to go from your first deal to then getting to the point where you had closed so many deals you became officially a Freedom Mentor graduate?

Andres: It was incredible. Once I learned how to do the first couple of deals, I was like, “Okay, I got this. I’m just going to continue doing it.” And if I had questions, I would still jump on calls, send messages, and ask. Up until this time, I was still renting. So when I graduated—I’m not sure how many deals we had closed, but it was many—we were still renting and saving so we could buy our first house.

Graduating felt like a little bit of relief, but at the same time, I didn’t want to be away from the program. I still wanted to be involved in some way. And sure enough, I’m still involved. We still talk to each other. It was just a blessing.

Building a Business in Multiple Markets

“Start locally and build your business model from that point.”

Brian: You mentioned you’re in the Northeast, and you built your business there. But in your case, you also built your business in another location—long distance. What’s your take on that? Is that a good business move for most people? Did you wait until you had a lot of experience before you ventured out of state?

Andres: Right. So, my venture started in the Northern Virginia area—I was local there. Then eventually we moved to Florida. But before I started investing in Florida, before we moved, I started doing a little marketing there to see what it was like. We finalized the move probably six months after learning more about the market and the area.

And I still kept doing deals in Northern Virginia because I know the area, I know the contractors, I know the realtors, I know the title companies. I have family who can help me out as well. And nowadays, you can just fly and be there in two hours if you need to. I don’t think that’s the right approach for just anyone starting out. You definitely want to start locally and build your business model from that point.

The Power of Mentorship

“I couldn’t have done it without the help.”

Brian: Andres, how important would you say having a mentor was to your success?

Andres: Definitely very helpful. I mean, I could not have done it without the help of somebody. Having a mentor is like having someone tell you, “These are the steps. Don’t do this. Do this.” You can eliminate roadblocks or navigate through the waters without getting stuck somewhere. It was definitely helpful—and the fastest path for me to learn and get to where I am.

Looking Ahead

“How do we continue building wealth so we can pass it on to our kids?”

Brian: What does the future look like for you?

Andres: We’re looking at the next five to ten years—how do we keep what we’ve built so far without getting crazy and just throwing money out there? How do we continue building wealth at this point? How do we do that so we can pass it on to our kids… or to our grandkids possibly? That’s the stage I’m in right now.

Advice for New Investors

“If you can follow instructions, you’ll be a great fit.”

Phil: Any words of wisdom for those considering Freedom Mentor, considering getting into real estate, looking at their nine‑to‑five job, trying to figure out whether they should embark on a side hustle like this?

Andres: If you’re the type of person who follows instructions and doesn’t mind spending some extra time after work—making phone calls, going on weekend appointments—if you don’t mind doing all of that, I think you’re going to be a great fit. You’re going to be on the right path with Freedom Mentor for sure.

Life After Financial Freedom

“We’re basically financially free.”

Phil: What impact has Freedom Mentor made on your life?

Andres: As of today, my family and I—we’re basically financially free. We’re pretty much set. We’re selling our house, we’re going to be buying another one. And throughout the years, we’ve been saving a lot as well. It’s been a game changer—having more time available for family. Today’s Friday, I’m at home. I’m going to do a couple hours of work, but I’ve worked my way to this point. It wasn’t always like this.

Sometimes I sit down with my wife and look back ten years ago—probably still being renters in the same neighborhood, making about the same amount of money. It was definitely a blessing for sure.

Every Successful Real Estate Investor Has a Mentor

Andres's story is a powerful reminder that your starting point does not determine your potential. With the right guidance, the right strategies, and the willingness to take action, anyone can build a successful real estate investing career. If you want to follow a similar path, our Apprentice Program provides the same hands‑on coaching and support that helped Andres build his business and ultimately achieve financial freedom.

Apply to the Apprentice Program here: Freedom Mentor Apprentice Program.

Questions for us, text FREEDOM to 305-315-8030 or post a comment below.