I Bought a Distressed 4-Plex for $20K - This Changed Everything

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How This $20K Property Launched My Real Estate Journey | St. Louis Real Estate Investing Story

Are you thinking about investing in real estate but don’t know where to start? In this video, I take you back to 2010, when I bought my very first rental property in St. Louis, Missouri — a *4-family (4-plex) building that changed everything for me.

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I purchased this property for only $20,000 invested around $80,000 in renovations, and turned it into a cash-flowing rental generating $2,000 per month in gross rent. Over the last 14 years, this one investment not only helped me build financial stability, but it also played a huge role in helping me and my family get settled in St. Louis — even before we bought our own personal home.

In this video, I share the full story — from how I found the deal, what the property looked like before rehab, what we spent to bring it up to rental condition, how we filled the units with tenants (including help from the St. Louis International Institute, which helps resettle refugee families), and what I’ve learned from owning and managing this building for over a decade.

🔑 *What You’ll Learn in This Video:*

How I found my first rental property deal in St. Louis
The true costs of renovating a distressed 4-plex
What kind of cash flow I generated from this $20K property
My experience working with the International Institute to place tenants
The ups and downs of long-term property management
Why I’m finally selling this building after 14 years
How this deal launched my entire real estate investing journey in St. Louis

🏡 *Why This \$20K 4-Plex Was a Game-Changer*

When we first moved to St. Louis from California, we were still renting our own apartment. This 4-family rental actually helped us cover our living expenses while we got settled. It wasn’t fancy. It wasn’t turnkey. But it was ours— and it taught me everything I needed to know about real estate: rehab costs, tenant screening, lease management, dealing with maintenance calls, and most importantly… how to create long-term cash flow.

This property gave me the confidence and foundation to eventually start *buying more rental properties**, launch my own **property management company* (**DreamWeaver Property Management**), and become a full-time real estate investor and licensed agent in Missouri.

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📈 *Who Should Watch This Video?*

First-time real estate investors
Anyone interested in *St. Louis real estate investing*
People looking to buy *multi-family properties*
Investors wondering if *\$20K properties* can really cash flow
Out-of-state buyers curious about *cash flow opportunities in the Midwest*
People who want to hear *real-life rental stories* with numbers, context, and experience

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📍 *Why St. Louis is Great for Rental Property Investing*

St. Louis is known for offering **affordable real estate**, solid **cash flow potential**, and unique opportunities in **B and C class neighborhoods**. Whether you're looking at **single-family homes, duplexes, 4-plexes**, or small apartment buildings, there are still great deals to be found here.

This property was located in one of St. Louis’s more affordable areas, but with the right updates and tenant base, it turned into a great long-term hold. I go over the **neighborhood type**, **tenant turnover**, **maintenance experiences**, and what kind of challenges you should expect if you’re looking at similar investments.

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💼 *My Real Estate Investing Journey Since 2010*

Since that first$purchase, I’ve:

Bought and managed dozens of rental units in and around St. Louis
Worked with Section 8 and market-rate tenants
Built up experience in rehabbing, leasing, property management, and sales
Helped clients from out of state find and manage their own rentals in St. Louis
Started a YouTube channel to share real-world real estate stories and advice

📩 Contact me directly if you’re looking to invest in the St. Louis market or want help managing your properties.

Keywords

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