10/13/2026
🏡 My Journey in Real Estate:
Long Before I Became a REALTOR®
My journey in real estate started long before I ever became a REALTOR®.
In 2008, my wife and I purchased our very first home for $50,000. It was a bank-owned foreclosure and, to put it nicely, a fixer-upper! With the help of friends and family, we slowly turned that house into our first home. Both of our daughters were born there, making it a place that will always hold a special spot in our hearts.
In late 2013, we sold that home for twice what we paid for it and planted roots in Bloomington. I remember thinking how incredible it was that we could live comfortably in a home for several years, start a family, make a few improvements along the way, and ultimately walk away with a profit when we sold.
That was the first time I truly saw real estate as an investment opportunity.
Our next home was a short sale that we were fortunate enough to find at just the right time. We purchased it for $215,000 in late 2013. I'll never forget the feeling of spending more than $200,000 on a house. We were terrified! Keep in mind, our first home had cost us just $50,000! 😅
Looking back, that home turned out to be another incredible opportunity we never could have planned for.
By this point, I had developed a genuine interest in learning the ins and outs of real estate. In the spring of 2017, I earned my real estate license and began selling homes part-time while continuing my career as a teacher.
Later that year, another opportunity came along: a home on a large tract of acreage. It was a tough decision, but we ultimately decided to sell our home and move a few miles north to pursue that opportunity.
After just four years in that second home, we sold it for more than a 50% increase!
Experiences like these continued to build my confidence in real estate as a long-term investment. Things started to click. I began to understand the possibilities that real estate could create for our family's future.
Today, we're living in our third home, where we've continued to add acreage, build equity, and invest in our future. Since 2018, we’ve purchased residential rentals, a commercial property rental, a short-term rental, all while working on several flip projects each year.
Through all of this, one thing has become clear: real estate has been one of the most rewarding investments my family has made.
That's a big part of the passion I bring to my career as a REALTOR®. I don't just help people buy and sell houses. I understand firsthand what it feels like to buy that first home, worry about making the right financial decision, build a life and a family, and discover the opportunities that real estate can create over time.
They say to invest in what you know and what you're passionate about. For me, that's real estate.
Whether you're buying your first home, looking to sell, considering an investment property, or simply wondering what opportunities might be out there, I'd love to be part of your story.
📲 Give me a call anytime. I'm always happy to answer questions, talk through the process, or share more about our family's real estate journey.
Your real estate story has to start somewhere. I'd love to help you write the next chapter!
— Judson Casebeer
REALTOR® | Century 21 Scheetz
