Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharon Conour.
Hi Sharon, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am one of those women who always, – secretly – wanted to run my own business. This wasn’t something that was acceptable in the life to which I was exposed, so when it happened, it was somewhat by accident.
Mine was not an overnight success story. From up close it felt like it was barely moving.
For slow decades I had a regular career in tech, And in my thirties I began doing some real estate investing on the side.
The real estate investing I did (primarily Single Family Rentals) was ok, mostly. It sure was’t the way the Gurus describe it on the podcasts. Based on my calculations, the cash flow we were making was never going to retire my husband (and that was my primary goal).
In a separate, fortuitous accident, a friend of mine asked to borrow money to do a rehab on an investment property. And I you’re never supposed to loan money to a friend, right?
Doing everything they tell you not to do might just be my main business model.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wish I had better news about this. Even though entreprenuership is the best thing I’ve ever done professionally – the struggling part is the norm. If you’re struggling right now, you and I are together in that.
Every single time I do something new – create a new type of loan, invest in a few type of commercial property = I suffer. I doubt myself. And I fail (sometimes small fails, sometimes not so small).
Just one example of many “struggles”: I did a loan on a property for rehab. The borrower did not use the funds to repair the house. I ended up having to fight him to sell the property, start the foreclosure process. I made no money on that deal and I invested a lot of time and $90,000 in funds.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I provide Private funds to Developers, Builders, Rehabbers and other real estate professionals.
I specialize in funding “weird” projects – they have good profit upside, and yet banks don’t like them (too short term, too rural, too complex).
I am most proud of the Community / People-first orientation of my business. My clients are my friends and my friends are my clients.
My first priority is to solve problems, and I believe that can be done while making a safe profit.
There is one specific deal that is my favorite right now. Recently a realtor reached out because her client needed help. The client needed to fix up a vacant ‘hoarding’ house” in order to sell it for top value.
I loaned the funds to fix up the house, which allowed this client to sell for $300k+ more – and fund his Assisted Living bills.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I do love my nerd books
Self-Directed IRAs: Building Retirement Wealth Through Alternative Investing by Richard Desich
The Power of Zero, Revised and Updated: How to Get to the 0% Tax Bracket and Transform Your Retirement
Book by David McKnight
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.weirdlending.com
- Instagram: @WeirdLending
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WeirdLending
