She built a real estate empire with 1% down

Tyler Clark bought her first home in Chicago at 24. By 33, this 3D hair artist had built an eight-property portfolio. Here’s how it all began with just 1% down.

How she got started: Clark didn’t set out to become a real estate investor; she just figured her money was better spent on owning than renting. That mindset led to buying her first home in 2016 (for $230,000) and her first rental property two years later (for just $30,000). Now, she says, real estate has become “a way to build additional income streams” alongside her work as an artist and founder of Inspired By Tyler.

Her market’s pros: Chicago has that magic combo of low-priced homes and high demand for rentals. It also didn’t hurt that Clark snagged her first home through a first-time homebuyer program at Rocket Mortgage, that let her put down just 1% out of pocket. For future properties, she got creative. “I used a combination of conventional loans, personal savings, a loan from my IRA, and a home equity loan on my primary residence,” she says.

The cons: Illinois’ tenant-friendly laws have cut both ways for Clark. Most of her tenants have been great, but she’s also dealt with months of unpaid rent and drawn-out evictions. “It taught me the importance of screening and balancing empathy with good business decisions,” she says. Another curveball? A snake infestation. The tenants bailed (not that she could blame them).

Her advice: Don’t wait for perfect conditions. “Your first property doesn’t need to be your dream property,” Clark points out. “It just needs to be a step in the right direction.” Start small, learn the ropes, and resist the urge to scale too fast. She also stresses building cash reserves for the surprises that inevitably come with owning property, from critters to tenants who don’t pay up.

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