My name is Shaun Knowles and around 2yrs ago I came to a workshop about prosperity with property. Everybody in the entire class seemed to know far more about property than I, and I felt a little bit like a fish out of water.
2 years ago I had a decent job by most standards, working as an engineering manager @ a local bakery earning just under £40k a year. Sounds pretty good, unfortunately it didn't feel good. I felt empty, unhappy. Work was getting me down, stressed out and I was suffering badly from depression. I had arthritis, high blood pressure and my doctor wanted to put me on tablets for all 3 for the rest of my life. Petty little things used to get me down and I was going nowhere.
By December 07 I had taken a couple of courses but still hadn't taken any action, gripped by a fear of failure. Still depressed, decided to pack my job in and have a few months off to reassess my future.
I used to be kept awake @ night wandering what I had done and every negative thought that I could think off raced through my mind. Nothing but doom and gloom. Don't know how my wife put up with me!
On my 45th I thought enough was enough and decided to stop feeling sorry for myself, get a grip, take responsibility and get my life in order.
Started excersizing every morning, reading as many books as I could get my hands on that I thought might inspire me, motivate me, get me moving. Listened to CD's, working through Rich Dad / Whitney manuals from the courses I had attended
Almost immediately things started to happen in my favour. I accepted a as an engineer in March 08 only as a temporary measure until I became financially free through property. I booked my mentorship with a guy I'd never met before called Sean Thomson which was scheduled for June 08.
2 week Prior to my mentorship I was determined to prove my commitment so I went out to purchase my first buy to let property @ and auction @ Elland Road.
I ended up purchasing what initially appeared to be a dog. A steel framed house (Didn't even know they built them) I couldn't get a mortgage and ended up putting nearly all my seed capital to purchase it, just to stop me loosing the 10% deposit that I had already paid.
Then came the 3 days that transformed my life more than any other 3 days in my life................ MY MENTORSHIP WITH SEAN THOMSON!!! ......
My feet did not touch the ground.
The mentorship programme requires some preliminary work so that the mentor understands where you are coming from and where you want to go, but what I experienced was nothing less than awesome.
Never have I met anyone who has given such commitment to my cause. Sean seemed more committed to me being a success that I did. How embarrassing, Just the kick up the backside I needed.
On the mentorship I didn't actually buy any properties within the 3 days as the figures just didn't stack up in the area that I had chosen, property prices were @ the height of the boom period. Nobody had ever heard of the credit crunch, but it didn't stop me putting several offers in.
At the end of the 3 days I had a clear action plan on what I wanted to achieve, which was financial freedom within 12 months (£2k passive income pcm by June 2009) If I'm honest deep down I didn't think it was possible.
After the mentorship I was buzzing, advice I had been given was starting to take shape. Two offers had previously turned down got accepted. Credit crunch started taking hold. One of my goals for that year was to purchase a 4 bed home for me and my family but it looked like I would have to postpone that goal due to credit crunch. I didn't want to sell my property below market value but if I were to achieve my goal it looked like I would have to. My wife said one evening in November 08, out of the blue that she was fed up with living @ our present home, but we would have to stick it out as it was impossible to move in the present economic climate.
That statement got my mind working overtime. Within less than 6 weeks we were living in a 4 bedroomed detached house, ironically one that we had looked @ 18 months previously but decided it was too expensive and we couldn't afford it (£270k) I bought it for £185k. Icing on the cake was that we didn't sell the 3 bed detached home, we rented it out and the rental from that property paid for itself plus my new mortgage on the 4 bedroomed house.
Could never even dream that one up prior to the mentorship with Sean.
The steel house I talked about got re-valued @ £135k in January, (I'd paid £85k) which netted me just short of £46k. KEERCHING!
Another property I had bought for £55k valued @ £75k after spending just over £2k on a new kitchen and flooring which netted me £19k in 3 months KEERCHING!
Yet another was purchased @ £50k and turned around in 3 weeks to value @ £65k. Another £10.5k in my back pocket KEERCHING! I have just bought 2 properties one for £53.5k and the other for £55k (£3k work required in each) will value up @ £75k+ each.
By the way I finished work Saturday 6th June. Started the night shift and half way through just got up said my goodbyes and never went back. In actual fact I could have left a lot earlier as I reach my passive income target of £2k pcm by Mid April.
Today I have 10 houses all cash positive and I am generating just over £3k income per month.
I have got a good team of people I trust and I have built up invaluable relationships with Estate agents, one in particular who makes sure I get first choice of any good deals. I have valuers eating out of my hand and just know they'll work with me to get to the figure I need
No more pain with arthritis, blood pressure normal and, I am not depressed. I know that I will be a millionaire. I don't think, I don't wish, hope or dream I will. I know!..........
In fact the feeling is so powerful that I already feel like a millionaire. The funny thing is that the money side of the transformation fails into insignificance compared to the changes that has occurred in my mind.
I am more confident
A better father
A better husband.
Food tastes better, colour look brighter and the air smells sweeter
I am booked on the Lease Options course in November and looking forward to gaining even more knowledge so that I can expand my business @ even greater speed
I now play golf 3 times a week, walk the dog every morning and can't wait to see what the future holds for me and my family.
