Quick Summary: Real Estate Investment Success Story
Malcom & Merry’s Investing Journey
The Starting Point
Malcolm and Merry’s real estate investment journey began in 2013 with powerful advice from Mark Kohler: “Purchase one property a year.”
That simple strategy introduced them to Kathy Fettke and RealWealth in 2017. But like many aspiring investors, they didn’t jump in right away. They spent time learning, researching, and—if they’re honest—wrestling with fear.
In 2019, they finally took action. They didn’t wait for the “perfect” property or the “perfect” market. They just started with one property.
“What we did in 2019 is we started small. We just kind of put our foot in the door and started in Jacksonville and got a property for about $100,000. Then kind of went from there.” ~Merry
That single turnkey rental property in Jacksonville, Florida, wasn’t a life-changing investment on its own. But it was the catalyst that proved they could do it.
Quick View: From Fear To Financial Freedom
First Steps: Overcoming Fear
Investing: From 1 property to 12
The Goal: Never Stop Learning
Why Fear Almost Stopped Them
Malcolm and Merry faced a challenge that stops many would-be investors in their tracks: fear of taking the first step.
They had the knowledge. They had the strategy. They had access to RealWealth’s vetted teams and resources. But there was a two-year gap filled with research, planning, and overthinking.
Their biggest regret today?
“Don’t base your decisions on fear—just do it. We wish we would have started a lot earlier than we did. So just bite the bullet, do your due diligence, and go ahead and purchase your property.“ ~ Malcom
Understanding Real Estate Investing Takes Action, Not Perfection
Malcolm and Merry spent two years researching before buying their first property in 2019. Then they quickly added 11 more investment properties to their portfolio in the next five years.
“It was awesome. We started there and we just kept going.” ~ Merry
Looking back, they see clearly what those two years of hesitation cost them: 2-4 additional properties they could own today.
“Don’t base your decisions on fear. Do your due diligence and just do it.” ~ Malcolm
Florida Portfolio:
Ohio Portfolio:
Building Real Wealth Through Diversification
Malcolm and Merry didn’t just buy copies of the same turnkey rental property. They built a thoughtful, diversified portfolio across multiple markets.
“There’s a market for everyone in RealWealth. If you’re looking for cash flow or if you’re looking for appreciation in your assets, there’s basically different choices—a wide variety of choices if you’d like to participate in this network.” ~Malcolm
“We really hope to network with other people, other investors, and basically learn from them. We have 12 properties, but we met people that have 200 properties. What are they doing? What is our next step as investors so that we can grow as investors ourselves?” ~ Malcom
“We want to share our experiences with others who are just starting out and let them know where we started and where we are today to help them move forward.” ~ Merry
Why do they keep attending realWealth events?
Ready to Start Your real estate investing Journey?
Whether you’re curious, cautious, or ready to take action—your real estate investing journey starts with one simple decision: showing up.
Malcolm and Merry wish they’d started in 2017 instead of 2019. Don’t let fear cost you two years of growth.
Discover how education, community, and proven strategies can help you build lasting wealth through real estate investing. Joining is 100% free—Join RealWealth!
