Originally published at https://voyagela.com/interview/hidden-gems-meet-sammy-lyon-of-sammy-lyon-real-estate
Today we’d like to introduce you to Sammy Lyon.
Hi Sammy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I got hooked on real estate totally by accident when I heard about something called “house hacking,” which means you buy a property and rent out units or rooms to make it more affordable. I got obsessed with real estate while still working in a decade-long career in education and started investing in out-of-state rental properties before being able to buy a house hack in LA. Now, I’m a full-time realtor in Los Angeles. My goal is to achieve FIRE (financial independence, retire early) by age 40! I help people get into real estate investing, level up to their next property, or buy their very first home.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I really didn’t want to become a realtor. I first got into real estate in 2018 as an investor with the idea of retiring early. But the grant funding my position at the school wasn’t renewed, and as I was looking into another job, I was encouraged by my career coach, Aurora Meneghello, to take a breather if I could. That was amazing advice! In those 6 months, I chose to pivot and got a certificate in construction management, as well as started taking real estate classes. I was able to work for a small general contractor and an affordable housing developer and do some cool projects in LA while I continued my own real estate investing. It was a winding road before I ever got my license, but these different experiences allowed me to hit the ground running. I had already done 13 transactions before I ever worked as a realtor for someone else! I made a lot of the mistakes on my own dime first, so it’s been a great way to share the dos and don’ts with my clients.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m known for breaking down the real estate jargon and hopefully making it as simple as possible along the process. I LOVE working with first-time homebuyers and showing people that it’s possible to start building wealth through real estate – even in expensive cities like Los Angeles! Buying a home is a big deal! I specialize in helping people think outside the box in a market like LA, where many people are priced out of their dream home. This could look like finding the right fixer-upper to put finishing touches on, exploring a move-in ready “turnkey” home in a new area, building an ADU, or learning how to “house hack.” My job is to help people find the perfect next step for them in their unique situation, not just to sell you a house! Honestly, I wish someone had explained the home-buying process to me earlier, as I never thought I was “ready” due to misconceptions about real estate in general. Once I understood what goes into a real estate transaction, I realized there was a lot I could be doing to prepare before ever even making an offer! I’m an educator at heart and want to open this possibility up to more people now by approaching home buying with innovation and creativity.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Just be myself! I was scared to take the leap into real estate because I was nervous, I was moving from social justice education to “the dark side,” but honestly just getting to stay my authentic self has been key. I also learned I just LOVE running my own business and having 100% creative decision-making power over how I spend my work time. As much as I love collaborating, I love being in charge of my own time, goals, and priorities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.buyahouseinla.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/lyonideas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lyonideas
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sammylyon
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@lyonideas
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sammy-lyon-real-estate-los-angeles-2
- Other: https://lyonideas.com
Originally published at https://voyagela.com/interview/hidden-gems-meet-sammy-lyon-of-sammy-lyon-real-estate