Overcoming Odds: Alfredo Rodriguez’s Journey to Real Estate Mastery

Kristen Knapp (00:00.833)
All right. Welcome to the Real Estate Pros podcast. I’m Kristen Knapp and I’m here with Alfredo Rodriguez. Let me redo all of that. Hello. Welcome back to the Real Estate Pros podcast. I’m Kristen Knapp. I’m here with Alfredo Rodriguez, real estate investor and in Tampa Bay, Florida. Thank you so much for being here.

Alfredo Rodriguez F (00:09.294)
It’s all good.

Alfredo Rodriguez F (00:22.894)
You’re welcome, you’re welcome Kristen.

Kristen Knapp (00:24.577)
Yeah, this should be awesome. So tell me just a little bit about your journey and how you never took no as an answer.

Alfredo Rodriguez F (00:31.042)
yeah. So when I first started in this career, I started as a realtor in the Tampa Bay area. So, you my job was basically to help others buy and sell real estate. And I started doing that and I was doing pretty good. So I realized that, you know, there was a lot of opportunities to as well to help others just build wealth and throughout real estate. So I started doing just that. you know, first of all, my first year in real estate, I was helping an investor basically, you know,

He buy houses off market and he was actually fixing it up. So I was the listing agent who after he was done, you know, I put that property on the market and sell it for him for top dollars. So I remember myself trying to, you know, tell this guy, hey, you know, I’m gonna save some money whenever I’m ready. Please let me know. Let’s go ahead and start some business together, which unfortunately he never did. So I’m like, okay, so if doors doesn’t open for me, I have to open my own doors. So I went ahead and, you know, start saving some money. I was coming from…

from a divorce before I met my wife and you know I didn’t have no credit no money I’m actually original from Cuba so I’m a foreigner too so I you know I was like okay so what do I do so you know I remember I had like $30,000 in debt and I’m like okay so I started saving some money and at one point I had like $35,000 save up and I told my wife should I pay my debt or should I use my money to invest into real estate

And she’s like, well, you talk so much about investing. Why don’t you go ahead and start investing? So that’s how I started as an investor once again, because my main purpose was not to be an investor. I was just helping people buy and sell real estate. But I have some money saved up. So now I needed to find a lender who was willing to actually lend money with no credit, because I didn’t have no credit. So I was able to find a hard money lender here in town who was able to lend me some money. And that’s how I started doing my first flip. And that’s how my story started as a real estate investor, pretty much.

Kristen Knapp (02:21.911)
Wow, that’s amazing. And then that probably helped you get out of debt real quick once you started getting that rolling.

Alfredo Rodriguez F (02:24.267)
Yeah, thank you.

Alfredo Rodriguez F (02:30.124)
So the funny thing is that our first deal was a 9711 Hidang Oaks. It was a property here in Tampa. And when we bought this home, to be honest, I ended up buying it, but I didn’t have the money to fix it. So I went ahead and spent every single penny that I had just to buy this house. How I this opportunity was because I had a buyer who wanted to buy this property. The house was listed on the market for $260,000. And I told my buyer, I’m sorry, but you can’t buy it. The property needed lot of rehabs. So it needed to be with a hard money.

So, you know, at 260 didn’t make sense because the ARB of the after repair value of this property was like 300 grand. But I was able to negotiate, you know, I found my bar and another home and I was able to negotiate this property for us for like 140. So the lender gave me, I think it was like 120 or something like that. by the time we close, you know, I had like $35,000 save up. So I had no money. So I’m at zero now. I have a house. Congratulations. I have no money to actually fix it.

So, you I went and talked to one of my friends. He’s a contractor. I’m like, hey, his name is Junior. I’m like, hey, Junior, why don’t we partner up? You you handle the construction side. I already have this home. You talk about flipping so much. Let’s do this one together. And by the time we’re done, you know, we split 50-50 on the commission, on the whatever profit that we make. And that’s exactly how we did it, you know. So we were able to actually finish it. It took us eight months to finish because we ran out of money multiple times. But at the end, you know, we make a $30,000 profit. And, you know, my wife is like,

So you do all this job, all this work, a month, and you only make 30 grand? And I’m like, yeah, but you don’t understand. I learned how with not money, a little bit of money, multiplying my money, and that’s how I started as an investor, as my career. And that was our first deal.

Kristen Knapp (04:13.165)
Wow, and what was your, you know, when you were grinding, trying to get that deal done, and then after when you kind of learned the ropes, what was your mindset before and after? Like, how did that help your confidence moving forward?

Alfredo Rodriguez F (04:25.429)
So, know, what helps me a lot, to be honest, is the fact that I come from nothing. You know, like I was telling you, I’m an immigrant, I come from having nothing. So nothing was given to me. So, you know, of course there’s times that you doubt yourself and you’re like, what the heck am I doing? Of course, right? And, you know, there’s times that you think like, it’s all things going to fail, right? But you have to keep that in my mindset is basically every day I try to be thankful and I say,

I talk to God all the time. You might say I’m crazy, but I’ve been talking to him all day. say, hey, thank you. Thank you, God. You’re guiding my steps. I’m going in the right spot. I’m going in the right place. I believe he put the right people in front of me to do things for me. And even though it doesn’t make sense at the beginning, everything ends up being fine. So that’s why we talked about earlier, I think. I was telling you about the controllables, right? So the things that I can control are the things that I actually focus on. In my case, I can control eating right. I love eating right, exercising, waking up.

the earliest I can, I slack on that sometimes. And there’s things that I can’t control that I can’t control at the point, but what I can focus in is just finding investors. In that case, I was finding my friend to help me fund this deal and I knew he had some money. So I’m like, all right, so I talked to him. If I talk to him, yes, I got to give 50 % of my profit to him. But guess what? At the same time, he has more experience than I do fixing this deal up. So my mindset is always to be positive, just to focus on getting things done no matter what’s happened.

Kristen Knapp (05:22.659)
Thank

Alfredo Rodriguez F (05:49.186)
when it comes your way, found my way, you know?

Kristen Knapp (05:51.915)
You definitely have that abundance mindset because I feel like a lot of people, you know, doing that first deal and maybe not netting as much as they would have liked would have been like, well, this is pointless for me. But you saw that as a learning opportunity. You saw it as a stepping stone, which is really awesome.

Alfredo Rodriguez F (06:07.275)
Of course, yes. And not only that, you know, we, you know, after doing this flip, I learned a lot just in the first one. Of course, I’ve done like 20 or 30 right after that. I’ve a lot of houses. I don’t know exactly how many, but I finished more than $40,000, 40 flips throughout my career. But what I was telling you is like, I see every challenge as an opportunity. And that’s the way I try to save people. Because some people, like you’re saying, they just give up too easy or just give up too fast.

And sometimes I think that losing money is not really the challenge. The challenge is not learning. Because we’re taught in school that if we fail, if we made a mistake, then we’re doing something wrong. And reality, if we made a mistake, it’s an opportunity for us to learn. So just switching that mindset is what allows you to I think, win in business.

Kristen Knapp (06:58.723)
I think it’s so important and I think that’s probably a big reason for your success. think that having that abundance mindset is so important and that’s something you still practice today, I assume.

Alfredo Rodriguez F (07:11.816)
Yeah, yeah, it is every day as a matter of fact, believe it or not. I don’t believe I don’t believe I’m successful to be honest sometimes. I was talking to I was talking to a buddy to a friend of mine the other day and I was telling him like because we end up buying a whole bunch of properties last year’s and that’s a story we can talk about in a minute too. And I’m like, hey, man, like, you know, I feel like I feel like I’m messed up. feel like I did all this stuff. We bought all these homes and now I’m still fighting trying to get out. And he’s like, Alfredo, I mean, look at yourself. mean.

You come from nothing, you have a family, you have, look at all the good things that you have. And I think all of us are the same. All of us, we have the tendency to focus on things that we don’t have, and we don’t realize how much we do have, right? So if we focus on what we have and who we are, I think we can definitely understand, like, hey, we can be an example for someone else out there who’s struggling. And there’s always somebody doing worse than you. That’s what Mom used to say, and it is true, so.

I’m grateful to be who I am and I’m grateful to continue to learn because the only thing I know, I know nothing. That’s what I said.

Kristen Knapp (08:12.227)
Definitely, and I think that’s definitely a quality of a successful person is to always be wanting more and always be looking to the next thing. But do you allow yourself to kind of soak in some of your success, like enjoy it, or are you always on to the next thing?

Alfredo Rodriguez F (08:29.161)
So, you know, that’s very important you said it like that You know, I think that every time every time you have a goal and you get to that goal You always raise your goal you want to go to the next step and and I believe that that’s exactly what I do most of the time However, I’ve been thinking a lot because I’m you know, I’m getting a little bit more mature I wouldn’t say all because I feel I’m still John but anyway, so I’m thinking like, you know We should definitely saw the way of success and we should definitely think about okay. Yeah, we hit our goals

Let’s do something for ourselves. In my case, or my wife’s we love to travel. So every time we have the opportunity, we just go and travel and meet some other people, different culture. And that’s allowed us to basically learn. Even though when I’m traveling, I’m looking at bathrooms and finishes, and I incorporate that to my flips, whether you it or not. But I’m always looking at real estate, no matter where I’m at, because real estate is my passion. But yeah, we should definitely celebrate our success and our goals.

take a step back and realize how much we have accomplished in our life. 100 % agree with you.

Kristen Knapp (09:29.507)
And then what kind of drew you into real estate in beginning?

Alfredo Rodriguez F (09:33.224)
I’m sorry, what was it? couldn’t hear the question.

Kristen Knapp (09:35.043)
What drew you into real estate in the beginning?

Alfredo Rodriguez F (09:39.112)
So I always wanted to be in real estate. I’ve been in business since I’m 25 years old. you know, so like the first 14 years of my life, I came to the state when I was 16 years old. The first, until I was 25, you know, I was married. I had a normal life, right? I had kids. I have a house and everything was like kind of boring. I felt like I was dead for me. So I wanted to change that, right? So, and, you know, my first wife, she couldn’t understand.

because she was happy the way she was, but I wasn’t. I feel like I was missing something, right? So I have that entrepreneurship mindset. So I went into business by the time I was 25. I had a marketing company where I was servicing doctors and chiropractors and things like that to get patients. So I realized, you can make so much money out there just by helping people provide service for others. But I never knew how to multiply your money or how to have something.

that at a long time, a long term will appreciate like, you know, like an asset, like real estate, right? So I started studying about real estate and everything through me to real estate. I said, I strongly believe in God. So, you know, I met a guy who was a realtor and he’s like, man, you don’t understand, you know, you make so much money instead of spending all that money you’re spending. I was 25 years old. I thought I was making a lot of money. I thought I was bowling. I was making 25, 30 grand a month back then. I’m like, I’m bowling. So he’s like, you don’t understand, you know, if you

take that little money that you’re making little, like, I’m making all this money. He’s like, yeah, if you take the little money that you’re making right now and you put it into real estate and just leave it there for a long time, you’re gonna see in 20, 30 years what’s gonna happen to your money. I wish I would have listened back then, I didn’t. But I started learning, I started reading books, I started understanding and following up people that were in the business, so I fell in love with it. So I took my real estate exam back in 2014 for the first time.

Kristen Knapp (11:18.339)
you

Alfredo Rodriguez F (11:32.808)
and I was taking a class in Louisville, Kentucky. And when I was there, I remember my teacher said, real estate is like a train, it’s like a wagon full of money, it depends which wagon you’re gonna jump in. And I’m like, really? So I didn’t quite understand what he meant back there, right? Until now that I’m in residential real estate and I realized that there’s so much, it’s like a big ocean real estate, it doesn’t matter where you go, if you buy an asset and you’re able to hold it for a long time, it can definitely make you wealthy, right?

And that’s how I started my career and that’s why I started my passion.

Kristen Knapp (12:06.541)
That’s awesome. And then what’s unique about the Tampa Bay market that you’re excited about?

Alfredo Rodriguez F (12:11.623)
So the Tampa Bay market is a great market to be honest. You know, it’s a lot of growth down here in Florida as a sunshine state. Everybody wants to come down to Florida. As a business entrepreneur, I have the chance or the opportunity to travel throughout many states. I’ve been like three times in New York this year. I’ve been in Texas like a couple times this year as well. I went to Georgia this year. And I mean, I love United States and I’m sorry, I’m not sure where you guys are staying, but Florida is the place to be guys. I mean, at least for me, I love the sun.

I’m the type of guy that I really, I’m originally from Cuba, so I come from a tropical island, right? And it’s so much growth because everybody that, no matter what state you lived in, everybody wants to actually live here. Also, no income tax state, so you don’t have to pay taxes for income tax for the taxes. So it’s a lot of advantages to invest in Florida. And when I first came to Tampa back in 2004,

I didn’t realize that it was going to be so much growth to be honest, but now it’s just like every day they’re building something new. The demographic is changing. A lot of companies from up north are actually relocating here. So there’s so much opportunities over here and still the prices are very competitive if you want to compare it to like South Florida market like Miami or anything like that. So a lot of advantages for sure.

Kristen Knapp (13:25.827)
Yeah, that’s awesome. mean, it seems like such a great place to do business. I mean, I love Florida. I love it over there. I’m in California. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This sunshine. mean, I am such a baby. I could never do anything other than this sunshine.

Alfredo Rodriguez F (13:32.135)
I like it too, yeah. What do you say if you don’t mind me asking? Oh, you’re beautiful state too, so yeah.

Alfredo Rodriguez F (13:44.134)
California you guys are spoiled too because you got a beautiful weather. I love California. Yeah

Kristen Knapp (13:47.723)
Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Well, what makes your business unique? Like when people, you know, are looking at people to work with, what would make your business stand out?

Alfredo Rodriguez F (13:59.558)
So basically the reason why I think we stand out is because we’re 100 % trying to help people like, you know, so I’m always identifying what is it that I’m missing on my business to make it better. So, you know, I work with a lot of Spanish people here in the Tampa Bay area. You know, I work with everybody, but you know, we work with a lot of Spanish people and a lot of Spanish people, really don’t know much about real estate at all. They’re like babies, right? So you got to teach them step by step to make them understand.

And there’s so much to learn in this that it’s overwhelming sometimes even for me. Even when I’m helping somebody just buy and sell real estate, it’s extremely important to take them by the hand and step by step show them what’s coming, how to do this, and show them a process, right? So what makes us different is that I’m always trying to identify understanding that I don’t do everything right, that I make a lot of mistakes on my process, and there’s always ways that I can improve this process. And I work constantly on helping and making that easier for everybody.

seamless, less stress. And that’s what I always try to do. that’s why when I think about real estate, I don’t think of I’m helping you buy or sell real estate, I think as a team, right? So in my case, for example, if we talk about strength or weakness, like I’m great, like I was telling you earlier, before we started in camera, I’m great, like meeting people, establishing new connection, but I’m not so good when it comes down to like paperwork. You know, I know how to rate a contract from right to left because I’m a real estate broker, but

I’m not really good writing that contract, so my wife will help me write that contract. We have an assistant that helps us send that contract to the buyer who never is buying or selling that property. So what really makes a difference is just the system that we have created would allow us to guide someone step by step by hand from the process of starting buying, whether you’re buying or real estate or investing, all the way to that closing table. It’s what allows us to make a difference, I think.

Kristen Knapp (15:52.567)
Yeah, it sounds like you provide a lot of education maybe to people who aren’t super familiar with the process and that must be gratifying to help people through maybe their first time purchasing or selling or whatever.

Alfredo Rodriguez F (16:05.689)
Yeah, it’s like I was telling you like something as simple as like Homestead in Florida I don’t know if you heard about it But if you if you buy a property in Florida and you lived in it You have the chance to apply for a homestead, which means that you know You don’t get taxes as heavy as everybody else, know, if you’re single I think it’s like $25,000 exception if you are Married up to $50,000 exception. However, there’s other exceptions that apply but I’m just giving you a general idea You know, you can tell someone 20,000 times. Hey when you guys buy this home, you got it

got to get a homestead and they’re still forget sometimes because there’s so much information throughout this process so we’re trying to create like little manuals and stuff like that that we can hands out and even go step by step and show them hey guys look here’s what we are here’s what needs to be done because people forget right and it’s it could be overwhelming if there’s something that don’t do every day so that’s what makes us different customer service and satisfaction and trying to help them out

Kristen Knapp (16:56.845)
Totally, and just because someone doesn’t know something doesn’t mean they’re not intelligent or educated. It just means they don’t know that thing. So I think that’s such a mindset or it’s a great way for your business to function because I know a lot of people don’t function like that. Maybe they talk down to somebody who doesn’t really know everything.

Alfredo Rodriguez F (17:02.733)
Of course not.

Alfredo Rodriguez F (17:17.125)
And that’s basically what the education systems have showed you, right? If you don’t know this, you’re not smart enough. And it’s not true. I mean, for the contrary, I think that everybody’s got their own talents and their own way. And it doesn’t mean like, because you’re not good at these things, you’re not good at something. So I think be mindful and respectful of others and don’t underestimate people. It’s actually awesome. And that’s something that I apply to my family, my kids, to everybody. So yeah.

Kristen Knapp (17:41.963)
Yeah, I think that’s awesome. And I think you’ve gone into your business really well. But if there’s someone listening who maybe wants to build something the way you’ve built it, because you have such great mindset advice, what would be a piece of advice you would give them?

Alfredo Rodriguez F (17:55.588)
Thank you.

So, know, like the only thing that I can advise people is just to, you know, like I say, be open to learn, be open to understand that no matter how educated you are, I always try to talk like a fourth language, fourth kid language. Like I don’t want to get complicated because like we can talk about, you know, ARB and what’s the LTV and all these terms in real estate that makes people so confusing and they don’t know. So real estate was written in a way that makes it confusing. So all the people don’t understand. I try to make it keep it simple. I say something, it doesn’t sound

It might don’t sound that right, but I say keep a simple, stupid kiss. Keep a simple, stupid enough so somebody understands that. And don’t think because you don’t understand that you’re stupid. For the contrary, I ask questions all the time. And I have fine listing agents that they think they know everything, and I talk to them like a fourth grader kid, and I ask them, hey, what do you mean by this? And ask questions. So ask questions is extremely important. If you want to be good in sales, the more questions you ask, the better results you get, no matter what.

Don’t think you know everything and just be humble guys and at the end let your success speak by itself. You don’t have to prove it to anybody.

Kristen Knapp (19:03.831)
Yeah, I think that’s great advice. So if someone was wanting to work with you or find you, where would be the best place to go?

Alfredo Rodriguez F (19:11.684)
So usually I’m on Instagram a lot. can find my first name is Alfredo, A-L-F-R-E-D-O, like Alfredo sauce. I’m sure you guys been eating some Alfredo sauce lately. Alfredo, last name is Rodriguez, which is a very popular last name. So Alfredo Rodriguez, R-O-D-R-I-G-U-E-Z, F, because like Spanish people, got like 100 names, right? But I got first name, second name, I mean I have my first name, my last name, and F stands for Fonseca, but just Alfredo Rodriguez F, underscore.

It’s my Instagram account, so you can find me on Instagram a lot.

Kristen Knapp (19:45.791)
Awesome. Well, I hope people, you know, check out your business. I think you have so much to offer and I think you’re doing such good in the community as well.

Alfredo Rodriguez F (19:53.789)
Thank you. Yeah, we’re about to start launching a small seminar here in Tampa where we’re going to teach others how to invest into real estate. think the name is going to be from immigrant to an investor. So I wanted to show people how you can come from nothing and start investing in real estate and start building wealth for you and your family and securing your future. Yes, ma’am.

Kristen Knapp (20:16.619)
I think that’s so great. That’s a really useful tool.

Alfredo Rodriguez F (20:20.119)
Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much, Chris. You say. No, I’m sorry, you can edit this part is Kristen Kristen Kristen Kristen. I’m sorry, Kristen. I just just may spell out your name.

Kristen Knapp (20:22.295)
So everybody follow, yes, sorry.

Yes, Kristen.

Kristen Knapp (20:32.119)
no, it’s okay. But everyone go check him out on Instagram and please subscribe if you love this podcast. And thank you so much, Alfredo. This has been such a great podcast. So, so inspiring.

Alfredo Rodriguez F (20:42.797)
Thank you. Thank you, Kristen. God bless you. Have a great day. Take care. Bye bye. Bye bye.

Kristen Knapp (20:46.871)
All thank you.