Juan Rodriguez, a realtor who works for Compass and grew up in Lynn, wants the city to know that there are endless opportunities and possibilities when investing in real estate. 

Rodriguez said he actively pushes people in Lynn to invest, and that he is often frustrated that people in the city are not aware of the value of investment.

“Because of the way we grew up, we’re not conditioned to invest first and think about creating wealth and not have to work and be able to retire yourself, your family, and your kids,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve been on a mission to get my community, my generation, my friends to open their eyes instead of, as soon they get money, buy a crazy car, buy designer clothes.”

Investing in real estate would make the lives of many in the community easier, Rodriguez said.

“I grew up on Section 8. When you’re less stressed financially, you own properties, and you can afford to give your kids a better life, you’re in a more stable position, there’s less chaos, there’s less need to do unreasonable things,” he said. 

He described his main objective as uplifting his community.

“I like to invest, I own real estate. I feel like the people I have sold a house to, it was the best decision they ever made,” he said. “It upsets me that my community doesn’t see that.” 

He said that while many people think they cannot buy a house, all that is necessary to do so is a two-year work history.

Rodriguez, who is 25, attended seven different schools growing up. He said he noticed a stark difference between his hometown of Lynn and Danvers, where he lived when he was in the fifth and sixth grades. 

“That time I took away from Lynn really opened my eyes to just get a glimpse of how other people were living, and it was a whole different experience,” Rodriguez said.

He has a passion for investing, and his goal is to “make it cool.” 

Rodriguez said he wanted to clear up some misconceptions many people have about homeownership. One is that it requires a large sum of money.

“You can literally buy a house, condo, anything with $9,000, $10,000. People think they need $100,000,” he said. “Of course, you’re not going to buy like a four-bedroom single family with $9,000.”

He said there are many first-time homebuyer loans and that the majority of purchases in the real-estate market are first-time homebuyers with minimum down payments. 

Another is that buying a home puts people in bad financial situations and is inherently risky.

Rodriguez described ways to prevent risk when buying a home. For example, he said a home-inspection contingency will guarantee a refund of the down payment if anything is wrong with the home — even a broken doorknob.

Real-estate attorneys will read over every document and can sniff out any inconsistencies or discrepancies, he said. 

Rodriguez said that generational wealth goes beyond just having money. 

“You could be wealthy physically, mentally, spiritually,” he said. 

Investing will provide peace of mind, he said. 

“A lot of us grow up in fight or flight mode, our parents can’t really make the bills, you’re overstressed, some people go down the wrong path,” Rodriguez said. “Once you own real estate, it’s your own savings account, instead of wasting money renting… on the flip side of that, you have a stable environment.”

He said property owners do not have to worry about rent increases, for example. 

He said that bouncing around from house to house as a kid made him realize the effect it had on his family. 

“I want to be a good husband, father, and son,” he said. 

You can acquire a lot through real estate in the long run, Rodriguez said.

“It can help a lot financially, and I feel like a lot of people from our community are good people, but financially they’re burdened and this is the best way to alleviate it,” he said. 

Getting approved for a loan, he said, requires the previous two years of tax returns, two years of bank statements, one month of pay stubs, and a credit score greater than 580. 

“You can make $20,000 and get approved for a loan. Is your budget going to allow you to buy something? That all depends, but you’ll qualify for a loan as long as you have a two-year tax return and a credit score above 580. That’s it,” he said. 

He said that there are outlets to get down-payment assistance programs to find the best avenue.

Rodriguez, who has sold homes in Lynn and owns Willy V Motorsports Auto and Collision on Commercial Street, described the real-estate market in Lynn.

“It came such a long way,” he said. “The market is hot, but Lynn is only going to get crazier. I’s going to be the next big city.”

When it comes to gentrification, Rodriguez said it is great for homeowners because it will cause the value of their property to rise, whereas renters will have to pay more.

Rodriguez said growing up in a diverse city has helped him appeal to different types of people. He speaks Haitian Creole, Portuguese, and is fluent in Spanish. 

“I know how to articulate differently around different people,” he said. 

Rodriguez is planning a first-time homebuyers’ seminar and encourages anyone interested to reach out to him at 781-417-9786 or [email protected]. His Instagram is @juanrodriguez.realtor.