All Topics / General Property / 200 Deals in the U.S. – What I’ve Learned (as an Aussie in the U.S. Real Estate
Hey all,
It’s been a while since I’ve posted here, but I’ve been a longtime lurker and student of this forum — and I thought it was a good time to give back.
I just closed my 200th real estate deal in the U.S., and wanted to share a few lessons from the journey — especially for any Aussies looking to invest internationally or take the leap full-time into property.
👋 Quick Backstory
I’m originally from Sydney. Years ago, I scaled a business in the tradie space (hipages Group) and eventually moved to New Orleans, USA on what was meant to be a short break. Fast-forward a few years and I’ve built a real estate investment company — Home Buyer Louisiana — focused on buying distressed properties in Louisiana, Mississippi, and now expanding across the U.S. South.📦 Our Business Model
Our core strategy is direct-to-seller marketing. We generate our own leads through SEO, paid ads, and inbound funnels.From there:
- We wholesale the properties that don’t fit our buy box or need major repairs
- We keep the lighter rehab deals and build our rental portfolio using the BRRR strategy
- Everything is structured to create consistent, repeatable cash flow
💡 Lessons from 200 Deals
Don’t copy. Learn. Then build your own path.
I didn’t just follow someone’s course. I studied podcasts (like BiggerPockets), went to REIA meetups, and constantly tested things to build a model that fit me. Learn from others, but don’t be afraid to forge your own system.Focus beats complexity.
Early on, I was tempted by shiny objects—commercial, new builds, Airbnbs. But the real momentum came from doing one thing really well: helping sellers solve problems and creating value from distressed housing stock.Marketing is the engine.
Deals don’t fall in your lap. We built strong SEO, automated follow-ups, and a great team to consistently bring in leads. If you’re not in control of your pipeline, you’re vulnerable.Team is everything.
I don’t do it alone. We’ve built a lean, local team with clearly defined roles—acquisitions, dispositions, ops. That’s what allowed us to scale.
The U.S. is a land of opportunity—if you localize.I’ve learned the hard way that what works in Sydney doesn’t always work in Baton Rouge. Every market has nuance. The more I leaned into local knowledge and partnerships, the faster we grew.
If anyone’s thinking about entering the U.S. market, wholesaling, BRRR, or building an investment business from the ground up — happy to share what worked (and what didn’t). Just wanted to give back a bit after soaking up so much here over the years.
Cheers from New Orleans
Stephen Keighery
HomeBuyerLouisiana.comHomeBuyerLouisiana | Home Buyer Louisiana
https://homebuyerlouisiana.comAussie entrepreneur investing in New Orleans houses
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