Rapper Turned Real Estate Investor with Andre Haynes

Today's Guest: Andre Haynes

Andre, also known as “Renaissance” is a real estate investor, author, content creator, and entrepreneur from the Ida B Wells projects on the south side of Chicago. Andre was adopted at age 6, and from 18 to 27 years old he was a struggling parent and hip-hop artist with no knowledge of credit and money. The only thing he knew was how to write songs and survive on the bare minimum. Andre stepped away from music, got a job in sales and marketing, and shortly found his way into real estate. He is a self-educated investor with a portfolio valued at over $1M and has recently been featured as a guest on BiggerPockets.

Highlights From The Show:

We begin the episode with Andre sharing his background story. Andre told me that he doesn't come from money and financial literacy. However, he couldn’t use that as an excuse not to be successful. After high school, he started pursuing his career in music as a rapper, but after 10 years in the game, Andre realized that it wasn’t what he wanted to do. He was living a fake lifestyle and struggling to take care of his family. He had not given up on his goal of being successful, but he had to pivot to find a different path. Andre stepped out of the music industry, got a job in sales making cold calls, and earned a regular income. This was not going to make him successful- Andre wanted more. He started researching how regular people could become wealthy, and this led him to read Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Money Master The Game by Tommy Robbins, which changed his life.

Next, we talk about how Andre started his career in real estate. According to Andre, once your mind is opened to the world of financial literacy and investments, your opportunities explode. When Andre discovered that he could use the money he was earning to leverage stock, real estate properties, and other investments, he became untouchable. The average person is not an athlete or on TV, but is one who is working in a job and investing their money to get wealthy. Once Andre discovered this, it gave him a purpose to get up each morning to change his life and help others change their lives with the same information. He started investing in real estate by giving up unnecessary expenditures and working overtime to save money for investment. When it was time, all the right doors opened, and he was connected to the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America (NACA) program, which helped him to make his first investment in a multifamily house.

We then discuss Andre's first multifamily investment and how he found the property. He shares that he went on the MLS and worked with an agent. This was back in 2015, and things weren’t as easy as they are today. Multi-units were a hot commodity, and they sold faster than single-family homes as many people are looking for cash flow. It took time for him to find it, and it came at a moment when he wanted to take a mental break. He was frustrated because he had pursued 10 to 20 properties and none worked out. The evening after speaking with his agent about taking a break, he found a great deal on the MLS, a multifamily house that was fully occupied, renovated, and with one unit for him to move into. Someone had listed it in the middle of the night. Andre called his agent, who wrote the offer for him, and he finally had his first investment property.

Next, we talk about Andre's book 5 Step Guide on Getting Your Shit Together. Andre shares that he wanted to give people the personal blueprint he used to get his life in order. The book is direct and to the point, and an easy read. It aims to spread knowledge on the benefits of a healthy mentality, personal financial responsibility, business, self-help, and most importantly, the help of others. According to Andre, writing a book is not easy, but you have to go through the process to get the results. It’s never going to be a straight line, and you’ve to sacrifice to succeed.

Lastly, we talk about how Andre makes money in real estate. He shares that he makes money through Peerspace and multifamily rental income. Peerspace is similar to Airbnb, but people don’t spend a night on the property. He has done it with his house, where he rents out space to people who want to shoot movies, throw dinner parties, and for entertainment. He also teaches various courses in real estate and has a ton of resources, including videos to help people get it right in real estate investing.

Make sure you don’t miss another amazing episode of the Just Start Real Estate Podcast with Andre Haynes and get valuable information on how you can start investing in real estate!