José Acevedo, owner of A&D Investment Properties.

by Kimberly Hunter

The American enterprise — I love it! No matter how much downsizing, economizing, corporate takeovers, new business start-ups, or going-out-of-business sales —- I love American enterprise! It represents the opportunity to dream big, pursue those big dreams, succeed or fail, and then turn around and do it again. However, entrepreneurs are a different kind of risk taker; perhaps even a different kind of thinker.

José Acevedo, owner of A&D Investment Properties, is a thinker who understands business and life in the most practical terms. If you ask him if his practicality and ingenuity are the secrets to his real estate success, he may likely reply, “The only success is to be ready for change and able to adapt to that change.”

José is a native of Puerto Rico. He moved to the mainland and received two college degrees, one in finance and the other in accounting. He soon learned that the name “José” did not generate return calls and interviews with companies in his industry. Rather than griping about it or becoming upset, he sustained his family by accepting other jobs outside his college majors. Over the course of a few years, José maintained his job with his initial employer, even after another company tried to recruit him (and offered more money).

He says he was never frustrated during those years not obtaining work in his field. “I never felt that any job was beneath me; if the toilets needed to be cleaned, I cleaned them. If the floors needed to be mopped, I mopped them. I make the job, I am not going to plan my life based on what someone else thinks of me,” he says with a smile.

Eventually, José applied for and was hired for a position in an accounting department. So he packed up and moved to Asheville - only to be fired after five weeks. As a result, he changed careers to marketing and almost simultaneously began purchasing homes in Western North Carolina to either rent or flip. He spent the next 14 months working at his marketing job, and purchasing homes until the marketing company he was working for was sold and everyone was fired — including José. By then, he had a plan: he began to sell the least profitable properties so that he maintained a healthy cash flow.

In 2001, José formed A & D Investment Properties, which has grown to include a real estate portfolio of rental units, vacation rental property, and self-storage facilities.

He is bold, “out-of-the-box-funny” and realistic about real estate. “If I want to spend $100,000 in the stock market, I must have the $100,000 to invest, and have no way of influencing the market to go up or down. In real estate, I only need a percentage to purchase something which could have a direct impact on my investment. Rather than place my money in an unsure market that may deplete my investment, I would rather invest my money into something where I can directly influence or enhance the value,” Jose shared.

What tips does he have for those who have an interest in purchasing rental properties but don’t know where to start?

“Anybody can do this,” he very quickly responds. “However, it takes discipline, common sense, and the ability to use basic math skills. Do you want a great plan for retirement? From age 30 to 65 purchase 30 houses; then make a decision to keep the best 15 houses, and sell the rest. You will have enough income to live comfortably in retirement.

People will always need a place to live. And because needs change, houses sell - and people move, there will always be houses to buy, houses to sell, and people to rent to.”
He continues, “My final advice is to take a look at what you really need and then refuse to live beyond your means. All you have is today, so now is the perfect time to save, invest, and live below your means.”

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