Show notes
Download This Awesome Podcast: http://bit.ly/2VOC5Zt Thomas was born and raised in Ruston, Louisiana and received a B.S. degree in Marketing from Louisiana Tech University. He was blessed to marry Cindy, a native of Chattanooga, and they have called Chattanooga home since 2004. Thomas and Cindy have been further blessed with the privilege to adopt three children; one domestic and two from Uganda. An active member and Elder at Hixson Presbyterian Church, Thomas is involved with teaching Youth, outreach opportunities, and strategic planning. Professionally, Thomas’ experience includes over 20 years as a Sales Account Manager for several distribution companies.In 2004, Thomas began his journey in real estate to earn additional income, but it quickly turned into a passion. Thomas has successfully invested in Chattanooga real estate for over 10 years. During this time, he has managed the acquisitions and renovations of new properties, as well as the property management portion of his business. Thomas is also an agent with Keller Williams Realty. When Thomas isn’t looking at houses or talking about real estate, he enjoys time with his family, mountain biking, trail running, hiking and exposing his kids to the extraordinary beauty and diverse environment that Chattanooga offers. GETTING STARTED: The catalysts: 1) “We read Rich Dad Poor Dad and started with buy and hold properties.” 2) “My father, one of the things he instilled in me was an investment mentality. He taught me investing early on, stocks, obviously owning tangible assets. He was a gold guy. So physical assets were what he always really preached to us.” 3) “When I was in college… We rented houses as students and we were paying our own rent… So I would see these old guys that all they would do is they had several rental houses. It looked like a really cool lifestyle.” DID YOU START AS AN AGENT OR INVESTOR: “We started as investors… I classify people as ‘I want to sell’ or ‘I need to sell’ and these people wanted to sell but they didn’t have a need. They weren’t distressed. They weren't in a financially crisis. So at the time I didn’t have a solution for them. So I called my agent friends… and I didn’t get a good response. …I’m a people pleaser and I like to help people so I was frustrated that I didn’t have a solution for them. … So I got my license. ACTION STEPS: “You have to take ownership in what you are doing. You have to out work everyone else… Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.” WORD TO LIVE BY: “First Corinthians 10:31 ‘Whatever you do, do for the glory of God…’ I have that in my office because it goes back to the over arching theme of I want to be a good steward of what we've been given.” BEST WAY TO FIND THOMAS: www.ibuychattanoogahouses.com