If you’re an FC Cincinnati fan, you probably know Bret Halsey but you might not know he launched his real estate career while climbing the ranks in MLS.
When he left college early in 2021 to join the MLS team Real Salt Lake, he needed housing in a new city. Instead of renting, he bought a single‑family home and “house hacked” it by living in one room and renting out the others. That first experience opened his eyes to the power of real estate.
A year later, he landed at FC Cincinnati and repeated the strategy, this time with a four‑family property. That’s where he found his niche. He’d done a few deals and even a flip, but four‑units offered clearer valuations, multiple exit strategies, and strong demand from both investors and owner‑occupants. After practice, he’d go home and cold‑call every four‑unit owner in the city, hunting for off‑market opportunities.
In about 18 months, he grew his portfolio to roughly 40 units, starting with very little capital. To scale further, he decided it was time to sell his 4-families. He began to look at his 4-family holdings as essentially chess pieces on the board full of equity that could reposition into larger deals like the purchase of a 20‑unit building financed by Spring Valley Bank in October 2025.
Tips from the Property Flipper- Bret Halsey
Buy properties with clear value‑add potential—cosmetic updates, under‑market rents, or operational inefficiencies—and every deal has a defined exit strategy, whether refinancing after renovations or flipping to trade up.
My strategy is aggressive and requires a lot of hands‑on work since most properties I buy are distressed and need full renovations and rent increases.
The numbers drive every decision. I’ll buy in any condition or any neighborhood if the deal pencils out. That requires knowing your true backend value, the cost to reach it, and every risk or blind spot that could derail the plan.
Operations are the most critical component (outside of landing the deal). After buying several heavy‑lift properties last year, I learned quickly that great deals only work if you have great people and strong systems.
Building a reliable team is mostly trial and error— good contractors, partners, and managers come through trial and error, especially when you self‑manage.
Systems matter— managing software, leasing processes, renovation checklists, and anything that improves efficiency is key. I’ve learned to study investors ahead of me and adopt the systems that make them so effective.
The Financer
That hunger to learn is exactly why we publish this monthly blog. Our borrowers featured in these blogs are seasoned investors who believe in sharing what they know—so you can build confidence, avoid common pitfalls, and accelerate your own investing journey.
Because when knowledge is shared, everyone grows.
Spring Valley Bank is your local community bank offering our investors SOLUTIONS in 2026:
- Quick decisions with in-house underwriting
- Certainty to close on eligible loans
- Availability of real estate & banking experts to listen & stay connected
- Flexible financing options for flips, refis & income producing properties
- Dependability of an established banking institution
A monthly series showcasing tips from professional property flippers partnering with Spring Valley.
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The content of this page is not intended for investment advice.
