"I’m doing a lot to learn about being a landlord and changing how I am with my tenants on the fly. I’m relatively new to this, not a seasoned landlord. I have amended my tenants’ lease: If you can make this payment by such and such a date, we will forgo late fees. I signed […]

"My properties already have a lot of repair needs. And I was hoping we could cover such expenses and even property taxes with the rent we receive. But my tenants are behind on rent. And I have to make the repairs soon to give my tenants a livable space. I don’t know what I’m going […]

The Strategist - I’ve been doing this for the past 15 years. I started doing this with a friend to strategically build wealth, and then, one property after another, here I am. This isn’t my primary source of income but more like my retirement plan.

The Drained - We’ve been investing in properties for a long time now. We used to have six properties with 33 units. We got to a point where all our job income and weekend time were going in sustaining our properties. We were exhausted and financially drained. We sold them off and only kept two […]

The Novice - "I became a landlord when I moved into a new place. It was serendipity. I bought another property right before the COVID. Bad timing. I’m not looking at this as a source of income right now—more like a future return on investment. Let’s see how this goes!"

We saw that small landlords play a crucial role in keeping people housed, in preventing homelessness. There is an opportunity to leverage these folks to continue to preserve affordable housing. How do we make their lives easier?

"My family has been here in Houston for over 100 years. My grandparents started with a boarding house in what is now EaDo. They rented it to immigrants. And I’m continuing that by providing affordable housing for low-income communities, primarily immigrants. It’s basic housing, but I try to provide the best services I can."

"I have been through a lot growing up as a Black man, raised by a single mother in Third Ward. I got into real estate to be able to give folks options for quality affordable housing. Really, my goal is to give people long-term homes."

"I am continuing the legacy of my grandmother. My grandfather owned 9-15 properties around the Third Ward area."

"I am trying to maintain optimism. I have put so much into real estate; this is my retirement. This is my 401(k). But I am not the average landlord."