Tom OBrien
Founder of First Responder Investor Network (FRIN)
As a former Philadelphia police sergeant turned full-time real estate investor, I’ve weathered the impact of clocking in exorbitant hours on off-kilter schedules during my 15-year career. Days blurred together, forced overtime became the norm, and date nights with my wife often fell victim to unpredictable work extensions. Holidays with my family were scant, and vacation requests were routinely denied due to manpower shortages. Like many First Responders, I confronted and conquered numerous emotional challenges stemming from the daily, sometimes traumatic grind.
Then came the 2020 riots in Philly. That was the breaking point. Weeks of mandatory 12-16 hour shifts, every precious weekend off snatched away one after the other. It hit me like a ton of bricks.
There was a financial and mental ceiling hindering my growth. That ordeal propelled me into another financial dimension when I discovered the potent potential of real estate investing.
My intuition urged me to seek mentorship in navigating this new terrain, to flatten the learning curve. It turned out to be one of the wisest decisions I ever made.
I set an unwavering goal: to completely replace my income within a year. There was no backup plan, just a relentless pursuit of Plan A.
With the guidance of multiple mentors and cultivating relationships, I not only achieved my goal in less than a year but also tripled my monthly income within the following year.
And that’s not counting several substantial cash transactions, one of which surpassed my entire annual police salary.
I now possess and oversee multiple cash-flowing properties across various states: PA, DE, GA, SC, FL, and NJ, comprising a mix of long-term rentals, short-term rentals, and owner-financed deals.
