Inspiring Conversations with Julie Martinez

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Martinez.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I took a leap of faith in 2017, investing all of my husband’s and my savings into our first real estate purchase in Whittier; a 2 unit property in need of complete rehab. At which time we moved into my mother in laws house while we completed rehab with the intent of occupying one of the units. The process was stressful as we took on a lot of the work ourselves while still reporting to our 9-5 job. A lot of evenings and weekend work consumed us all while still trying to raise our firstborn, age two at the time. Project completion happened quickly over 2 months for one unit to have rental income and almost one year of completion for the second unit which we did not end up occupying. Rather we sacrificed another year living in one 9×10 room at my mother in laws to keep saving for our single-family home in my dream neighborhood East Long Beach. Yes, we welcomed our second baby girl in January 2019 and were now 4 to a room.

In Summer of 2019, we met a great agent at an Open House and found a quaint 2 bed /1 bath home in East Long Beach, yet another fixer. Clearly, we hadn’t had enough with the Whittier project, though not as extensive we moved in a couple of months later. We continued to make improvements while living there and established our roots in our what we thought would be our forever home. I had project after project for my husband excited for the design and process of each one. We planned to add another bed / bath in the future as we would need it to accommodate our growing family. We had our third and final baby girl Summer 2021.

Our Whittier investment and sacrifices had set the financial foundation that helped us into what lies ahead. By fall 2021, we were ready to make our next investment interested in another 2-unit property, our search with our great agent commenced. Along the way, my husband and I agreed if we came across a single-family home that met our needs and wants that we would move forward and rent our current home. By thanksgiving 2021, we were in our new home four bed 2 ba pool home near el dorado park in East Long Beach.

Early 2022, I had an AHA moment while doing my La County remote work. I talked to my husband and expressed interest in obtaining my real estate license with the following motives in mind:

– Continuing to build our real estate portfolio to create financial freedom and leave a legacy for our girls.
– Flexibility to build my own schedule and dedicate more time to our girls in the years that matter most.
– Build relationships and provide an elevated real estate experience tailored to clients’ needs and dreams by leveraging my real estate experience dating back to 2017.

2022 was in full swing with real estate courses, exam prep, test day…I was licensed to sell September 17, 2022, closed my first deal January 2023 and just opened a new escrow February 28th. Did I mention I am still working 40 hours a week as a Workforce Development Analyst with LA County? It has been an adjustment to manage two careers, three daughters, a husband and a household. Nonetheless I am thrilled for what lies ahead.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some of the struggles included:

Financial hardship during our Whittier project.

Finding a balance between my county work, real estate and dedicated time for my family.

Feeling of doubt or being defeated in my journey to achieve financial freedom and have more time for my beautiful princesses.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a licensed Realtor since Sep 2022, however I have been a homeowner since 2017 and have continued to expand my real estate portfolio. I consider myself a highly experienced realtor who has extensive knowledge of the local market and an excellent understanding of the real estate process inclusive of basic loan eligibility and have established relationships with seasoned loan officers who are a call away to be of service to my clients. I am extremely personable and make sure to provide the best possible service going above and beyond in any possible way. I’m known for my excellent customer service, attention to detail, and commitment to helping my clients achieve their real estate goals.

What sets me apart is that I work hard to ensure my clients get the best deal possible when buying or selling their homes and provide personalized advice and guidance throughout the process. For example, I provide my clients with a timeline table on what to expect, deadlines and responsible parties and provide step-by-step guidance for each action item.

Brand-wise, I am most proud of my real estate banners that are posted at my daughter’s elementary school entrances at Patrick Henry Elementary. These banners contributed $750.00 to their enrichment programs such as STEM.

I am an expert with the BRRRR method in real estate (buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat) a great method of house hacking, helping clients in finding ways to generate more income from their home and continue to build their real estate portfolio. I currently have three rentals and a 4th one in the works.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My in-laws and parents for being our support system as we got through our first investment. They each contributed in different ways that helped us get to where we are today.

My husband Eddie Martinez, he has put out an absurd amount of manpower in our investments and he has also been my supporting rock through all my projects, business ideas and has been an amazing husband and father.

My daughters have been my cheerleaders and engaging in my house hunts, giving input on project designs and have also asked a lot of questions about the process. Investors in the making.

My sphere of influence, friends and family who have supported me in this journey…inclusive of my brokerage Vismar RE, team leads Daniel Hernandez for the support and guidance as well as loan officer Jorge Nila.

Contact Info:

• Website: JulieMartinez.vismarre.com
• Instagram: Realtor_juliemartinez