Investor Interview with Trey Nixon

Army veteran and professional real estate investor, Trey Nixon, has completed several hundred real estate transactions in the past five years. His motivation for investing is ownership over his time. What the most important part of real estate investing for Trey? Finding the deals. “Don’t worry about the money, ‘find the deals, and the money will show up.’ That has always been true. The better the deal, the quicker the money shows up!!”

Here at Auben, we are proud to serve all types of people, from many backgrounds and schools of thought. From brand new investors purchasing their first property to seasoned ownership groups who are ready to expand their investment portfolio rapidly, we have strategies that are founded in experience and backed by our commitment to your success as an investor!

We also believe in sharing wisdom among investors. Keeping reading and you might just learn something new!

Here with tips and insight, is Trey Nixon, Real Estate Investor

Q: How many properties do you own?

A: This is a fluid situation… haha… I have a house buying problem. I have been blessed to be a part of several hundred transactions in the last 5 years. I have sold most of them, but I am grateful to have been able to keep a few dozen of them! More than what I own now, my goals are big… large multifamily, developing, and more! I am excited to keep learning and growing.

Q: Who was your first business mentor?

A: I spent 14 years in the Army and had some cool assignments. I did not even realize who my first business mentor was until years later. Tim Burnett was a civilian supervisor of mine at Fort Shafter, Hawaii . Those mandatory late-night stock, fund, investments, and life lesson lectures must have been so important to me, as I still recall them.

Q: Who was your first real estate mentor? 

A: Easy… Jim Hadden, local Augusta real estate agent and investor. I was still in the Army, and he spent a lot of time and energy helping me solve problems. He still spends a great deal of his time helping new investors become great!

Q: When did you start investing? 

A: Funny story… my wife and I bought our first investment property in Augusta while living in Honolulu, HI. We bought a sight-unseen HUD house that we planned to live in, fix up, and rent once we moved on from our temporary training assignment to Fort Gordon. Problem was, it was a full-on remodel in Barton Village that had been vacant for years and we bought it as “owner occupant” on HUD. We got an apartment down the street and no one got in trouble. That was my first intro into real estate. That house: We we’re all in at $32K, collected $30K in rent over 4 years, then sold it for $40K to buy our first flip!

Q: Why do you invest in real estate? 

A: Love it! More than anything, I love owning my time. Even if I am grinding 80 hours a week, its helping to improve my business, my family, and my wealth!

Q: What is the best advice you have received? 

A: Go find the deal and the money will show up! Hell, you find a deal and don’t have the money… call me!

Q: What is the best advice you could give a new investor? 

A: Buy something, but be careful just flipping and wholesaling. Buy a rental for every couple houses you flip. You will be in a much better tax situation.

Q: What is the most valuable lesson you have learned in real estate?

A: Another Jim Hadden gem… I remember sitting in a room with him and we had just a great run of flipping some houses, then we had found another one, a big one. He said don’t worry about the money, just “find the deals, and the money will show up.” That has always been true. The better the deal, the quicker the money shows up!

Q: Is there a place for you where time slows down?

A: Remote beach locations… I am so lucky that my wife is the best travel agent on the planet. Everyone that knows us, knows how we travel to some amazing locations. She is so great at finding little gems all over the world. I know that as much as I like to feel like I could just buy a bunch of houses and retire on the beach, I realize that I am only 39. I have 3 small children and a ton of people relying on me. That fuels me when I get a few days to relax on a remote beach… I love my down time and can do nothing for a few days, but cannot wait to get back and carpe diem!!

Q: What is a must-read book you would recommend?

A: Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek. You’re going to need a team and some time to scale this thing. You might as well focus on some leadership skills to help you build and maintain your team!

Q: Do you have a favorite podcast?

A: I don’t… I used to listen to some great stuff, but now I just talk on the phone in the car. It’s just what I do. If I have to drive 5 minutes away, I see that as an opportunity to conduct business and make a few calls. Every time I think, “yeah, let me fire up some Tom Krol or some Mindset stuff,” my phone rings. Robert Kiyosaki said it best: “Mind your business.”

Q: Do you have any hobbies? 

A: Talking real estate, cruising GIS, running Zillow comps, renovating houses, spending money on real estate, selling houses…

Q: If you weren’t investing in real estate you would be_______.

A: Corporate world… doing something that made someone else’s organization better! Even today, I try to help anyone I can. It always seems to come back twice as good.

Q: If you were to start over_______.

A: I would do it 10 times better!!!! I used to tell my wife all the time, when money was tight, “I think we should just bankrupt it if we have to. I feel like I could get it all back 10 times quicker and better!” She doesn’t think I am as funny as I do.

Q: When / how were you introduced to Auben?

A: I surrounded myself with people that were not going to let me fail and walked away from my 14 year job in the Army to do real estate investing full time (flipping, wholesaling, brrrr’ing). I initially took a job with Conrex as their Augusta Turnover Manager. When people moved out, I scoped the house, managed the contracting work, and gave it back to property management, rent ready. The company owned several hundred rental homes in Augusta and I thought that would be a great opportunity. Still today, turnovers make or break an investor with a few properties! Auben was managing a great deal of those houses and had strategic relationships with Conrex.

Q: I am happy I chose Auben because _______.

A: It’s great to do business with them. They have an amazing reputation, not just around this town, but around this region as being truly “investor friendly” and I can attest to that. Just a great group of people that will do whatever they can to help you!