Today we’d like to introduce you to Karriem Cherry.
Karriem, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started out as a 9-5 Property and Casualty Insurance Agent. I’ve been in the business for about five years before I discovered my calling. August 2009, I was getting bored with Insurance, decided I wanted a career change but wasn’t sure what. I enrolled in school online. Kaplan, made the deans list in my first semester. During that same time, I was still figuring out what to do for a career change. One night at home, I have seen an infomercial about real estate investing. Since I was sorta already in the business of insurance, I did have a little insight into the real estate market. The infomercial was all about real estate investing without using your own money in thirty days.
I was really interested, I wanted a change but I didn’t want to quit my job and I didn’t want to leave school just yet. I wanted to get fired from my job receive unemployment so I can try out this new field. I guess the higher powers heard my prayers. November 2009, the supervisor at the insurance agency gathers all together for a company meeting, he informs us that as of December 2009, our debt is being closed and we’re all being laid off!
There were about ten people in the meeting, some were crying and some were upset asking a lot of questions. Me, I was shocked and happy at the same time. I looked at this as an opportunity.
Long story short, I followed the real estate course. I got a property under contract, listed it on YouTube found a buyer within two weeks and made a whopping $10,000 on my first deal. I did give $2k back to the buyer as credit, I didn’t want to be greedy on first deal. So, I walked away with $8,000 on first deal done in less than 45 days from start to finish. From that day forward I knew I didn’t want to do anything else but be involved with real estate as an investor.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road to entrepreneurship is not an easy road at all and there has been tons of obstacles and barriers to overcome. Primarily, starting with income. Real estate is a commission only job, if you’re not producing or being active you don’t get paid. Another obstacle was finding the properties and values. Coming to this new career of being a real estate investor you realize, you need tools and systems in place, not just as easy as 1,2,3. Sometimes, the cost of those tools and systems come with a price and how can you afford it if you’re not making any money in the beginning as newbie investor? How about a mentor? I found out you really need someone in your corner to help guide you through this business. There is so much to know and going on and if you try to do it all yourself, it can take you some time.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The name of my company is CherryPickingProperties, this I’ve heard numerous times coming up in the real estate business. How lucky for me my last name is Cherry, so to create a company name from that seemed to have fit just perfect. We are a full-service real estate brokerage that helps clients buy, sell and rent real estate in the “M.E.N.S” section, that is Middlesex, Essex, Norfolk, and Suffolk counties. As long as my team and I can get there in 40 minutes or less, we’re doing business there. We specialize and maybe really known for assisting homeowners in very distressed situations such as Foreclosures, Bankruptcies, Estate Sale, Auction and Vacant Property. We look to assist these homeowners by helping them with the sale or purchase of their property.
I’m also happy to say through making the right connections starting out in my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to partner with North Shores best real estate investors and appear in a few episodes of A&E hit tv show “Flipped Boston.” It’s a spinoff of their previously popular tv show “Flip This House.” Where a group of real estate investors find ugly, beat up properties around town and fix and flip the house.
I think one thing that we try to do to set ourselves apart from other investors or brokerages and really living up to the “customer service” experience and really helping these homeowners out of their situation, basically putting them first instead of ourselves, not worrying about the money and doing what’s right for the client.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I believe I was smart enough to keep myself out of trouble and stay with the right crowd. I moved around a lot from New York to Boston, From Boston to Lynn, which is where I’ve settled today. Graduated high school, hung with the popular kids, but didn’t really know what I wanted out of life yet, wasn’t till the mid-’20s and had my first daughter to figure that out. I love to laugh and make other people laugh so that was always in my personality, always make light of any bad situation, Stern in my ways, but not military I consider myself to be very personable friendly. I’m a NY sports fan living in Boston, so that can be a challenge.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1 City Hall Square Suite 9
Lynn, MA 01901 - Website: www.newenglandrealestatesolutions.info
- Phone: 781-996-3696
- Email: contact@cherrypickingproperties.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/cherrypickingproperties.com
- Other: www.cherrypickingproperties.com
Image Credit:
Pics of Desiree Taylor-Agent, Mr.Moe-Contractor, Former Lynn Mayor Judy Kennedy
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