Maria Friström is an investor, designer, mother, and business owner from Finland, and she’s one of the only few people that can match Brandon Turner in height. Maria was working in Silicon Valley before she voluntarily left her position to build an empire of her own. She took her down payment savings for a primary residence and on a whim bought a rental property in Fort Collins, Colorado.
She and her husband then decided to move to Finland to raise their children. Through some challenging life events, Maria was left heartbroken and grief-stricken, with a business that became a full-time job for her. She wanted to express her creativity via design, so they decided to move back to America to flip their first rental property in Colorado.
Maria’s inspiring story is a testament to how real estate investing can pull you out of financial, emotional, and mental depths. She has built a real estate empire worth well over two million dollars and has the financial freedom to spend time where she wants, with who she wants, doing what she wants.
Brandon:
This is the BiggerPockets Podcast, show 549.
Maria:
It was a dark time for me. My husband’s like, “What do you dream of? What would you want to do?” And I had lost myself again, like completely, and I still don’t know who I’ll be after losing her, I’m still working on that. And I’m like, “You know what? That house that we bought six years ago in Fort Collins, I’ve always dreamt about designing that.”
Brandon:
What’s going on, everyone? It’s Brandon Turner, host of the BiggerPockets Podcast, here once again in Las Vegas, Nevada for a live podcast recording, but David Greene is not in Nevada, sadly. He is in California. What’s up, David?
David:
Not much, brother. I’m a little jealous, you’re in a 7500-square-foot suite.
Brandon:
I’m still here. People who listened to the show a week ago would be like, “Wow, Brandon’s been there for a week?” No, we are recording both these episodes in one day,…