Why do we have to deal with such uncontrollable volatility in our investments. We put our money in 401ks like we’re taught, but events far out of our control wipe out huge masses of it. Then we rebuild. This goes on our whole career, and we’re expected to live off it when we retire. How completely helpless we are. All we can do is buy and sell. No control, and we still have to pay those deferred taxes.

John Todderud found a better way, multifamily real estate. It was first only for his family but often we have to take a few steps before the next step appears. 

Income from cash flow. Tax deductions from depreciation. And appreciation from improvements and increasing income. What a completely foolproof 100% solution multifamily real estate is. Except when it isn’t, like a crash that decimates property values, makes buyers disappear, and sends renters back to their parents’ basements. How do you protect your investment from that?

Answers come from others more experienced than us. John found them and learned from them.

The biggest, most valuable and most fulfilling quality of real estate investing is the people. John discovered these qualities early and traded his skills for their experiences, learning how someone who owns just a few small properties can buy, manage, and grow much larger properties.

Teachers come in all flavors, and one of the most important skills we can develop is identifying the character in a person that tells us this is a person we can learn from.

John launched Cardinal Oak Investments in the Seattle suburb of Renton, Washington. During his software and technology career he began buying multifamily real estate, first smaller properties, and focused on finding vendors to repair, improve, and manage, before shifting his focus to partnering with other motivated and ambitious real estate investors to acquire larger properties. John is now committed full time to multifamily.

He has had his share of messy properties, threatening situations, and difficult people but challenges create opportunities and real estate investing is one of the most realistic living examples of that.

Now John creates opportunities for investors seeking stable, long-term passive income and tax-favored wealth building through investing in apartments. His team acquires properties in emerging markets where rental demand is strong, the community is growing, and smart renovations drive rent growth. The team modernizes stable but outdated apartments and creates clean, comfortable and safe residential communities.

John has degrees in Computer Science and Business. Much of his real estate education was from specific multifamily training, books, and close associates and mentors in real estate. These were individuals who tried, failed, tried again, and shared their experiences. They were teachers and John has always been eager to learn.

Cardinal Oak Investments was launched when John realized many of his friends and colleagues were interested in the benefits of real estate investing. Through his multifamily acquisitions, John could provide investment diversification, retirement planning, and passive income for his investors.

Cardinal Oak Investments creates those opportunities for greater rewards through investing in properties which are already mostly stable, but which have been left behind by their owners. They may not look that attractive, and may have old style interiors, aren’t tenant friendly, roof leaks, broken blinds, unreliable hot water, and other annoyances that mean the only way the tenant will stay is because the rent is low. Those are opportunities to improve lives by improving communities.