This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Lawrence Guerguis, a 24-year-old based in Orange County, California, who started investing in real estate in the Midwest while still in college. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I always thought I’d go into investment banking and work on Wall Street. During my sophomore year of college at the University of San Diego, I homed in on finance as my major.
One weekend during my junior year, I went out to the bars. We went out to this pizza spot that my friends and I usually go to, and I ran into this guy who was sitting there acting a little odd.
I was like, “Hey, is…
