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Renting vs Owning: Why Homeownership Creates True Freedom (with Jimmy Lomeli)

By September 5, 2025Real Estate Pros Show


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Show Summary

In this conversation, Jimmy Lomeli shares his journey into real estate, highlighting the importance of homeownership and the challenges faced in the industry. He emphasizes the need for strong relationships and networking, as well as his commitment to helping renters transition to homeowners. Jimmy outlines his goals for growth in the coming year, aiming to close more deals and expand his presence in the market.

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    Investor Fuel Show Transcript:

    Jimmy Lomeli (00:00)
    so I bought a brand new build it was originally supposed to sell for $315,000

    Why got it for 285,000? And I sold that home, my wife and I sold it ⁓ seven, eight months later for $400,000. And we didn’t really sell it to cash out because everything was high. So we bought low and we sold high, but we also bought high. So we didn’t really get to keep that money. But anyways, we ended up getting out of the subdivision home and buying a home on five acres.

    So we, you know, just kind of expand. I’ve always wanted property. Being a veteran, I like to shoot on my property and stuff like that. So it got me the opportunity

    Michelle Kesil (00:01)
    Hey everyone, welcome to the Investor Fuel podcast. I’m your host, Michelle Kesil. Today I’m joined by someone I’ve been looking forward to chatting with, Lomeli, who’s been making serious moves in the real estate space. So excited to have you here on the show today, Jimmy. I think listeners are really going to take something away from how you’re approaching growing your real estate business. So let’s dive in.

    Jimmy Lomeli (00:01)
    it.

    Hi Michelle, I’m glad to be here.

    Michelle Kesil (00:29)
    Awesome. So for those people that are not familiar with you and your world, can you give a synopsis of what your main focus is?

    Jimmy Lomeli (00:39)
    So my main focus is first time home buyers and military first responders and blue collar workers. I’ve been a blue collar worker my whole entire life. 40. So since I was like 14, right? ⁓ So I tend to really click with them and vibe with them. So people in those fields and I’m prior military as well. I just know how to talk to them and.

    work with them a lot better than I do a lot of other people. So it just comes more natural.

    Michelle Kesil (01:11)
    And what markets do you operate in?

    Jimmy Lomeli (01:14)
    So I work in, my main focus is Bastrop, which is 25 minutes east of Austin. So that’s my main hub. And then I do go into Austin and you know, it’s right here. So Bastrop, Austin area here in Texas.

    Michelle Kesil (01:31)
    Okay, awesome. What’s the key to keeping your business running smoothly?

    Jimmy Lomeli (01:37)
    The key to keeping my business running smoothly is presence and just getting it known that I’m a realtor. So any chance I get, I’m telling people, hey, ⁓ I’m a realtor. Is there any way I can help you? ⁓ Also kind of infiltrating groups, Facebook groups, social media, any type of presence I can to join them.

    and keep marketing their hey I’m a realtor you know always there’s always people looking for rentals there’s always people looking to buy and sell so anytime any chance I get I’m checking Facebook for example marketplace people are always putting ads out hey I’m looking for this I’m looking for that well there I am you know letting them know that I’m here so definitely presence and ⁓ I guess advertising

    Michelle Kesil (04:29)
    Yeah, so what got you into real estate? What’s your story and background of wanting to join in this space?

    Jimmy Lomeli (04:38)
    So what got me into real estate was at first it was extra money I was working Blue-collar work I was working as a lineman so I was an apprentice lineman and You know in order to make really good money as a lineman you got to work a lot, right? So I’m like, well, how do I not work 60 70 80 hours a week, but still bring in that extra money Well, you know, I knew a few realtors

    I started talking to him. Hey, so like what’s the deal? How’s this? How’s that just kind of really picking their brain and the opportunity there ⁓ stood out so I decided to get my real estate license here in Texas and after that I just started telling everybody you know like being especially the ⁓ the lineman world sorry Especially being in the lineman world ⁓

    You know, people are always looking, they make decent money, right? So it just got me the opportunity to tell people, hey, I got my real estate license, you guys ready to buy? And just knowing that renting is not the way to live, right? I saw, especially COVID, I think we all saw this. People were moving everywhere and the price of homes were tripled, quadrupled even, like literally.

    ⁓ You know, maybe not quadrupled in California where like a one million dollar home all of a sudden became four million But when you’re looking at like Montana where you know a ranch might have been, you know a million bucks well now that same ranch is literally probably four million or Outside a lot of the rural counties like where I’m at Pre-covid an acre could have been five grand, you know, that’s that same acre Acreage could have been at one point

    $80,000 right people were buying big plots of land for so much money. It was incredible and even me my first time ⁓ my first home I bought in 2020 ⁓ September October for 285 and that was the downfall right nobody was buying COVID it hit for like eight months people were panicking

    so I bought a brand new build it was originally supposed to sell for $315,000

    Why got it for 285,000? And I sold that home, my wife and I sold it ⁓ seven, eight months later for $400,000. And we didn’t really sell it to cash out because everything was high. So we bought low and we sold high, but we also bought high. So we didn’t really get to keep that money. But anyways, we ended up getting out of the subdivision home and buying a home on five acres.

    So we, you know, just kind of expand. I’ve always wanted property. Being a veteran, I like to shoot on my property and stuff like that. So it got me the opportunity

    to get out of a subdivision and really buy some land. But anyways, that goes to show the power of real estate. Within seven or eight months, my property increased $115,000. And that was just kind of when it started to go up. That, you know, that was what, 2021, I think. Prices still rose for quite a while. And then they plateaued later.

    And then we come down and we’re about where we’re at now, a buyer’s market. ⁓ But yeah, just seeing the opportunity for investment, for ⁓ not having to worry about rent going up, like a lot of people, ⁓ my rent went up, my rent went up. Well, why are you renting then? You know, you got to try to educate buyers or educate renters, right, on the importance of

    Hey, don’t go out and buy a truck for $1,000 a month. Like, do you wanna work forever? Like, now you have to work overtime, you have to do this. Why not put yourself in cruise mode, save up, buy a cheap, affordable vehicle, and, you know, buy a home? Because guess what? When you get locked into a 30-year mortgage, you know what doesn’t go up? Your mortgage rate. If you’re locked in at a $1,500 ⁓ mortgage payment for 30 years, the only thing really I think might go up would be, ⁓

    like homeowners insurance and property taxes, right? But for the most part, mean, the rest of it, everything else stays the same. And that actually decreases if you don’t put a 20 % down, because you’re not paying mortgage insurance and stuff like that. But that’s one way to mitigate the cost of rent going up every year, right? So that’s what got me into real estate was just seeing the power of homeownership.

    Michelle Kesil (10:03)
    Yeah.

    Yeah, thank you. That’s so valuable and important. So I love that. And how long have you been an agent?

    Jimmy Lomeli (10:50)
    So I’ve been an agent for a year and nine months.

    Michelle Kesil (10:57)
    Awesome. So everyone I know in their business has moments where things get real. Maybe a deal goes sideways or you have to make a fast pivot. Would you mind sharing a moment like that for you and your business?

    Jimmy Lomeli (11:12)
    Yeah, so real estate isn’t always as smooth as some people think. ⁓ Deals always go bad. Deals always fall out of contract. ⁓ Like for example, when I quit my 9-5 job, my W-2 job, I had two solid buyers ⁓ that I was working with. I had one under contract. I had actually one of my own homes under contract.

    And then I had another buyer of mine that we were looking to get her into a home, right? Well, all those three didn’t work out. So my personal home that I had under contract, the same day I quit my nine to five, ⁓ the buyers were unable to get financed, so they pulled out of that. ⁓ My buddy that I was helping buy a home,

    The sellers had to do some repairs and they were not made They signed a contract stating that they were gonna do repairs and they didn’t do them in a timely manner I couldn’t get a hold of the the listing agent to even check on the status of them, right? so I’m like I had no idea I didn’t hear from him from like a week and No matter how much I need the money. I will never put any of my clients into a bad deal. So I’m like, hey This this guy’s lagging. I don’t like his

    Lack of communication on RN because my client would ask me questions. Well, I only know so much because it’s not my house, right? So I’m reaching out to the listing agent and I don’t hear from them. It makes me look bad. You know, like, hey, Ben, like, cool. would, man, I have any type of question. Cool. Hey, if you got a few of them, you’re going to ask, them to me all at once so I can shoot them all over. So I do that and I don’t hear from the listing agent for days. Hey, what’s up? You know, I got my client.

    Hey, what’s up? Did you ever like, no, I’m sorry. I’ll reach back out, you know, so it being in the military communication is key number one in any type of business, right? Not just military, but business. ⁓ So yeah, guess I, and so I quit, had, you know, three commissions, right? Or not really commissions on mine, but I have a good amount of equity in my home that didn’t go through. And then the other two buyers, well, we’re still looking for him, you know, and one of them decided to wait.

    And the other one, ⁓ we’re still actively looking, but there’s a certain home that he wants. So those three deals, you know, all within a week or two of me quitting my nine to five, it would have given me a nice little cushion. Guess what? So yeah, I can say, you know, that definitely went a little sideways for sure. Kind of had to pivot and do other stuff.

    Michelle Kesil (14:00)
    Yeah, that’s really what tests you and makes sure that you’re in this for the long-term game versus those short-term results.

    Jimmy Lomeli (14:09)
    Yeah, for sure. And ⁓ even since then, I’ve had a couple buyers of mine that I’ve pulled out of homes when we realized this or that, hey, updating this might be a little more money than we thought. It’s not going to be a good investment. ⁓ It’ll take you a lot more time to get your return ROI. ⁓ Let’s pull out and find something better. And just, it doesn’t matter to me.

    the sense of that quick money, like some people, right? No matter what business, whether it’s real estate or whatever, they want that money. But I want that return business. I want that money two years, three years, five years. I want the referral, right? Like, hey, Jimmy won’t put you in a bad deal. He’ll get you out of the contract if it turns out, you know, something is gonna cost a little more money than we thought and it’s not gonna work out.

    You know, so I, you know, and so I’m still actively looking for a home for that client too. He’s looking for like a one to four family, multi-family ⁓ unit or complex or property. ⁓ We haven’t found anything for him, but guess what? It doesn’t matter because I’m not going to put anybody in a bind just so can make a little bit of money.

    Michelle Kesil (16:04)
    Yeah, I think that that’s important because relationships are really everything in this space. So yeah, speaking on relationships, what has made like the biggest difference for you when it comes to growing your network?

    Jimmy Lomeli (16:22)
    So yeah, it’s really important as a realtor to reach out and give people ⁓ free advice or help, right? So we make our money on closing day when the deals close. Well, I have friends of mine or clients or people that always reach out, hey, can you look at this? Can you tell me how much this is worth? They’re always reaching out for advice or…

    you know, questions regarding real estate. And so always being there without, you know, they say without anything in return, well, instantly, right? I’m hoping that they remember me every time they’ve called, I give them advice or I take the time, even though I’m not charging them right now. ⁓ You know, like some businesses like you pick up the phone, that’s like 200 bucks or whatever, right? Well, my in real estate, like literally the long

    The long-term play could be a year or two or three years out or five years. But it’s about being there, you know, because people are skeptical. People don’t want to spend three, 400,000. It’s a big investment. So it’s about offering advice. And, know, like when you ask for advice, know, somebody might tell you and you think about it. okay, cool. Yeah, that makes sense. And then, you know, you might think about another question three months down the line. I’ll ask Jimmy. So it’s always about being there.

    ⁓ without wanting something instantly, but knowing that playing my cards right will have something down the line.

    Michelle Kesil (17:59)
    Yeah, I think that’s very valuable and important advice. So let me ask you this, what are you most focused on solving and scaling next in your business?

    Jimmy Lomeli (18:15)
    So.

    Focus on solving renters. It sounds cliche and it really does. I want people to own their own home. The long-term financial freedom of owning your own home is untouchable or whatever the word is, right? It doesn’t compare to constantly being a renter. A renter, you know, and people that

    that like their own freedom, the tenant, you as a tenant, you have limited rights to the home you’re staying in, whether it be an apartment or a home. You can’t just paint the walls. You can’t just mount a TV, right? You can’t just go home and say, I think I’ll pull this up and plant this or change the front door or change the faucet or change the lights. You don’t, it’s not yours. You can’t do that. So my main focus is to get people

    and even first time home buyers is to get them into a home, a starter home. It doesn’t have to be a four or $500,000 home. Let’s get you into a $220,000 home. And yes, there’s still affordable homes like that here in Texas. Something that you can call your own. Something that if you want to come home one day and you’re like, man, I don’t like the color of that wall. I want to paint it blue or pink. You know what? You can because it’s yours, right? Or you you want to

    put a gym in the garage. Well, you can’t because it’s yours. You don’t have to. And as adult, my number one problem is having to ask people for permission. Like when I had my nine to five, you know, I have 60 days of vacation leave. Well, I got to ask for permission to use those. And I don’t like that. That doesn’t sit well with me. So, you know, I want to if I want to take my 60 days or 30 days, I’m going to take it right. So same thing as an adult, that should be everybody’s main goal.

    is to not have to ask for permission to do things. Have the financial freedom, have the ability to, you know, I’m gonna take my wife and kid, I’m gonna go. I’m gonna go to SeaWorld for the day, right? It just, whatever it is, have, and it’s not even necessarily about money, it’s about the freedom.

    Michelle Kesil (20:34)
    Yeah, I love that. That’s an really important thing for people to consider and set themselves up for in their life. Amazing. So is there any goal that you have maybe for the next year in your business?

    Jimmy Lomeli (20:55)
    Yeah, my goal for the next year is definitely to try to get, ⁓ right now I’ve got a work business plan to start selling next January, to start closing one home a month. So if I can do a dozen homes next year, that’d be pretty solid for me on my end for sure. So right now I’m gearing everything up right now with social media, with this.

    doing podcasts just kind of getting my presence out there and going to events and You know like there’s local events that you know just go and set up a booth and have you know your little flyer out there Hey, are you a homeowner asking people engaging with people? You know well if you’re not a homeowner why not you know can I ask you why you haven’t bought a home yet? You know just and just kind of getting the feel learning people so And everything

    Being a real estate agent is being a business owner. Me being a sole realtor, I’m on a team, but I own my own business, right? And it takes a while. You can’t just set up, go downtown and get a shop and throw clothes in there and just start selling $2,000 worth of clothes a day. You might not have business for eight months. Somebody might stroll in there once in a while, but will they buy? It’s kind of like me. Somebody might call me and inquire.

    But are they gonna buy right away? Not always. So I’m trying to gear up, trying to get my name out, and hopefully come January next year, close a home a month.

    Michelle Kesil (22:35)
    Amazing. That is totally doable. Sounds like you’re on the right track. So before we wrap up here, if someone wants to reach out, connect with you, learn more, where can they find you?

    Jimmy Lomeli (22:46)
    Yeah, sweet. So my name is Jimmy Lomeli. My Instagram handle is at living with Lomeli. ⁓ And yeah, you can call me 406-210-6072. If you’re looking to buy my niches, like I said in the beginning tailored towards military active duty and veterans, first responders, and blue collar workers. Even if you’re not, hey, I can still get you in a home buy sell. I help with apartments, right? I can get you an lease.

    whether it’s a home, apartment, duplex. As realtors, we also help with leases. yeah, ⁓ go from there. And even if you don’t fit into my niche category, like I said, I can still help you. That’s just my primary focus.

    Michelle Kesil (23:30)
    Perfect. Well, listen, I appreciate your time, your story and perspective. Thank you so much for being here.

    Jimmy Lomeli (23:37)
    Thank you for having me. It was a pleasure and I hope to spread the word to people that are renting to become homeowners.

    Michelle Kesil (23:44)
    Amazing and for those of you that are tuning into the show if you got value from this episode Make sure you’ve subscribed we have more conversations coming with operators Just like Jimmy who are building real businesses, and we’ll see you all on our next episode

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