When one thinks of real estate in cities, the first thing that comes to mind is small, overpriced homes in bad locations. Up-and-comer Sammy Lyons is challenging and changing this notion of living in urban areas. Originally introduced to real estate by a co-worker, Sammy, who according to his website holds an “M.A. in Education, Leadership & Change from Antioch University and spent 10+ years leading innovative education programs at schools and non-profits,” became obsessed with real estate. He started by investing in out-of-state rental properties before starting his business. Sammy now runs GoodRents, a successful real estate business in Los Angeles, CA. His company set itself apart by doing what’s known in the real estate business as “house hacking.” Essentially, Sammy buys a property and rents units or apartments off said property to make it more affordable. Not only that, GoodRents also donates 5% of their revenue to various social and environmental organizations to further benefit communities. Through his business, Sammy constantly tries to prove to people that it can be possible to affordably live in expensive areas like Los Angeles.

Since founding GoodRents, Sammy has expanded his business ventures in many ways. Sammy now offers the traditional buying and selling of homes along with project management for those who want to build, instead of buy, houses (an often cheaper alternative to buying an already built home in cities like LA). He also helps people get into real estate investing, move up to their next property, and/or buy their first home. Sammy also intends to buy apartment buildings in LA for additional rental income and wants to be financially free by age 40. To read more about Sammy and his real estate ventures, visit entrepreneursherald.com and check out his website lyonideas.com.