MANSFIELD, Ohio – When most people see abandoned houses, they see a community eyesore. When Gary Cassady looks at abandoned houses, he only sees opportunity.
“Everybody thinks I’m crazy for coming to Mansfield and starting an investment type of company, they say there’s nothing here,” said Cassady. “But people are still buying and selling houses.”
Cassady is looking to help people in Mansfield capitalize on these opportunities with a new business, Mid-Ohio Real Estate Investors Association (REIA). His business will help new players in the real estate game learn how to buy and sell real estate for a profit.
“People are going to start buying up properties in the area to either hold or resell for value,” said Cassady. “It’s going to be a huge explosion. If you listen to any of the gurus they tell you to buy low and sell high, and I want to help people take advantage of that situation.”
Cassady’s fascination with real estate began in his younger years; as a student at Ontario High School he remembers looking at listings and wanting to get involved. Years later, Cassady bought and sold his first property within a week, with little money in his pocket, and profited more than $5,000.
“I was told by some wealthy guy one time that real estate was a good investment, but he never told me how to do it,” he explained. “It took me several years and several seminars to actually learn to take action.”
After first attempting to start Mid-Ohio REIA a year ago, Cassady said this time the company is gaining some traction, especially with connections to other REIA organizations on a national and local level.
Mid-Ohio REIA members currently meet the fourth Tuesday of every month at Old Bag of Nails Pub in Lexington, and all discussions are purely educational.
“There are lots of different techniques on how to make money in the real estate business,” said Cassady. “Every month we’ll have a new topic, all educational and how to become a better entrepreneur in real estate.”
The biggest education in real estate will come this weekend at the Mid-Ohio Real Estate Summit on Aug. 8 and 9 at the Holiday Inn in downtown Mansfield. In addition to Cassady, three nationally renowned speakers in real estate will be present to talk about profiting when purchasing property, dealing with difficult tenants as a landlord, and reducing taxes on investments.
In addition to turning blight into a booming business, Cassady’s main goal with Mid-Ohio REIA is to help out his community and neighbors.
“Everybody I’ve ever talked to in the real estate business or becoming an entrepreneur says, find a mentor, find somebody who has been successful,” said Cassady. “This is important for me to give back to people that can afford to get into that.”
For more information about Mid-Ohio REIA, contact Gary Cassady at 419-405-1289 or email Gary@MidOhioREIA.com.
