This is a YouTube video titled "Buying 7 Rentals in 2 Years While Being A Firefighter in Hawaii" containing an English conversation recorded in December 2024. The discussion features CJ Kalio, owner of WN Properties, interviewing Kepa IO, a firefighter from Hawaii who is also an active real estate investor. They talk about Kepa's journey in real estate, balancing his firefighting career with property investments, the importance of finding one's motivation, and the challenges and rewards of investing while working full-time.
What's up, everybody? CJ Kalio here, owner of WN Properties. I'm here with one of our active rock star mentees. Yo, Kepa IO. Kepa, you want to tell everybody where you're from and what you do?
I'm from the big island of Hawaii and I work for the Hawaii County Fire Department.
Do you want to leave your job?
No, not necessarily. I mean, it's been my dream since I was a little kid in the fourth grade. So it's not. My goal is to leave your job. Leave my job.
So how does real estate play a.
Role into all this? Good question. For me personally, it's just going to give me the freedom to do more of what I want, which is work for the fire department. I mean, I get paid really well for what I do and I enjoy that and I want to continue to do that and not have to worry about, you know, injury or whatever. Whatever life throws at you. Real estate will be the driver that allows me to have the freedom to just do whatever I want, which is work for the party.
So from my understanding previously to being a part of our community, you were.
Also part of other groups.
Can you tell everybody a little bit about that and what made it different for us here?
Yeah, so I was a part of some mainland based group, kind of did the same thing. They're educational, they taught you different strategies, whether it be tax lien, tax feed, flipping, wholesaling, commercial. And I guess I really never got the one on one or the connection with other people in that. In that space. And even the company itself, like with W. I mean, you guys are the owner. I'm sitting talking with you. We just went over my portfolio, you know, with you and I guess the more personal ass. Not personal aspect, but just a one on one time with everybody in the group and the mentors and owners, I think that was the biggest difference for us. And I mean, the Hawaii based group here, Nahoy ties out. Yeah, always. You know, and I think that goes for everybody wherever you're from.
So how long have you been a part of our community?
Just under 18 months.
Yeah. What kind of results have you created in 18 months?
Shoot. I mean, a lot. I think within the first 60 days we closed on our first property ever and with the help and motivation and you know, the little push, you know, from everybody within the WN space and. Yeah, and then we kind of just kept rolling from there and I think we are up to five and closing on number six, so.
So if you were to give somebody who's in Your position. Maybe somebody doesn't want to quit their job, they like what they do, but they want to get into real estate. What would be one tip of advice you'd give them?
Good question. Shoot. I gotta think about that biggest tip. I think I might have to go with the biggest one. I mean like most common and find your why. Why would you. Why would I take time away from doing what I love, which is working for the fire department, being in Hawaii, to come out here and you know, take the risk and invest in out of state properties would just be find your why. For me, that's my family to provide my job is a little risky what we do. So if I do get hurt or injured or incapacitated in any way where I cannot provide, I've created something that, you know, kind of backs. Backs my, I guess W2 or my main source of income.
Like an insurance policy.
Kind of like an insurance policy. I guess that's a good way to put it, you know, and it takes that worry off of my shoulders and I can kind of just be happy, be free, take a little bit of risk. Yeah.
So what about activity level for somebody that loves their job and that works full time, yet putting time away to do real estate, how does that look?
I mean, I'm not gonna lie. It's not. It's like you said the other day, and I like this. I never heard anybody say it's simple, but it's not easy. There's two. That's very different things. Because if it was easy, everybody would be doing. The theory of what we do is simple. But yeah, it's not easy. So again, it's up to that person on how fast or how far, how much they want to scale. And you kind of got to go from there and how much work you need to put in. Right. It's different. Like we talk about commercial. It's bigger numbers, bigger everything, you know, bigger raises and all of that. And that takes more time and more effort. So I think you got to just figure out kind of what your goal is. And for me personally, I'm handling. I do invest a lot of time per week. If I had to put a number on it, I mean a few hours a day, you know, you just make it work. I get up early, it's. What is the time difference?
Five hours.
Five hours, I'll get up early, you know, four. Because it's what, eight, nine o' clock here and you kind of, you have your work day there, do all the real estate stuff and then I do whatever else I do. Yeah.
So it's simple to network with another company or another person out of state. However, the not so easy part is being disciplined.
Putting in the work. Yeah. I mean, and that's going to be on the person. Nobody else can do that for the investor.
And it takes it back to your.
Why if it's not strong enough.
Yeah, you'll find a way.
Yeah. Cool.
Well, I mean, massive action taker. He's already Talking commercially is 18 months in created results in less than 90 days. Active, guys. If you get anything, it's active.
