Exploring Real Estate: From Watching Listings to Running Numbers

by Henrik Bacilieri

For the past year and a half, I’ve had my head down—learning the markets, managing portfolios, and experimenting with crypto. But lately, a new idea has been knocking at the door louder and louder:

Real estate.

Not flashy house flipping. Not HGTV-style projects.
But real, stable, long-term property ownership—something that pays you month after month while the asset (hopefully) appreciates in value.

It started, as most things do for me, with curiosity.

🏠 Why Real Estate Now?

I’ve been managing other people’s money for a while now. Stocks, ETFs, savings systems, and lately crypto.
But if I zoom out and ask myself: What builds generational wealth?
The answer, across nearly every story I read, includes real estate.

There’s something timeless about owning land or property.
It doesn’t vanish with market crashes. It provides shelter, income, and leverage.
It appreciates (most of the time), and it’s tangible.

I realized that if I’m serious about long-term wealth, this is a path I can’t afford to ignore.

🔍 What I’m Researching Right Now

I’m nowhere near buying anything yet.
But here’s what I’ve been diving into:

  • The BRRRR strategy (Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat)

  • Cash flow vs. appreciation models

  • Single-family vs. multifamily pros and cons

  • How to evaluate a deal: cap rate, cash-on-cash return, ROI

  • The realities of property management (and the horror stories)

Every night I spend at least 30–45 minutes reading, watching, or taking notes.
BiggerPockets has become a rabbit hole I gladly fall into.

📊 Running Numbers Like an Analyst

What’s interesting is how much my finance background helps here.
Underwriting a rental property isn’t all that different from evaluating a stock—
you’re just looking at cash flow instead of dividends, maintenance instead of volatility.

I’ve already built a few Excel models to simulate:

  • Monthly cash flow

  • Loan-to-value ratios

  • Different interest rate scenarios

  • Long-term compounding over 10–20 years

It’s fun. And more than that, it’s practical.
This isn’t abstract finance—it’s wealth you can walk into.

🧱 My First Investment Will Be Local

I’ve made a decision: when I buy, it’ll be here in Ohio.
Somewhere I can drive to. Touch. Manage if I need to.
It won’t be glamorous. Probably an older duplex or small multi-unit with reliable rental demand.

And I’m okay with that.

Because this isn’t about “exciting.”
It’s about effective.

💡 Why This Matters

Crypto might be volatile and exciting.
Stocks might be the steady engine.
But real estate?
That could be the foundation.

I’m not rushing it.
But I am committed to learning and making a move in the next 12 months.

This is the next phase in the journey—and I’ll keep documenting it as it unfolds.

Henrik Bacilieri

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