Hi there, my full name is Ethan Michael Roscoe, but all my friends and colleagues know me asEthan, and I’m a Professional Property Investor.
Whether you’re reading this because you’ve invested with me in the past; or you’re thinking of working with me, thank you for taking the time to read my page. If you’re anything like me, you realise life is full of challenges and overcoming them by persistence, knowledge and action, you will achieve your goals.
My journey in life started in a small farming community in Zimbabwe where I grew up before my parents immigrated to South Africa when I was 6. My parents crossed the border to South Africa with 3 little boys (7,6 & 4), 2dogs, the possessions we had in the car and just enough money to get us through the first month. I went to school and studied in Durban South Africa, where I qualified with a National Higher Diploma in civil engineering.
Being boarders at school, my parents had to travel long distances when visiting us during the term. My parents decided it would be a good idea to buy a property close to the school where they could stay during the weekend while visiting us, instead of spending money at hotels or B&B’s. At the time they did not have a lot of money and could only afford a studio flat. How we all fitted in over weekends I will never know, it was just like been back at school in a dormitory, mattresses everywhere! After a few years they were able to sell the studio flat and buy a 1 bed flat which they later upgraded to a 2 bed flat and eventually ended up with a lovely 3 bed house in a secure complex overlooking the Umgeni River. Through this I learnt the importance of property and how it can improve one’s financial position over time.
After qualifying in 1994 I got a job with the National Roads Department where I gained valuable experience before taking voluntary redundancy after 8 years’ service. I am fortunate to have dual nationality as my mother was born in Plymouth, so I decided to come to the UK in April 2002. After freelancing for the first 6 months I was then offered the opportunity to join one of the UK’s largest construction companies, Laing O’Rourke. I worked for Laing O’Rourke on many multi million pound projects thought the West Midlands, while staying with my aunt in Redditch. After 2 years in the industry I realised I was building someone else’s dream and never got any recognition for the hard work and long hours I put in.
After noticing a sharp rise in house prices each year, I decided I have nothing to lose and made a decision to use property as a way out of the construction industry. Over the next 4 years, with little knowledge and experience compared to what I know now, I completed on 12 properties. It was by no means easy and took a lot of hard work and determination, especially holding down a full time job and working the long hours expected of me on site.
After the property crash at the beginning of 2008 I decided to consolidate my assets as borrowing became more difficult.
Due to the down turn in the economy which followed and affected the construction industry in a big way, I was made redundant at the beginning of 2010. It was a very uncertain time and I now understand how worrying it must be for people who have a family to support. It came as a big shock especially after been part of the engineering team for 7,5 years. My immediate thought was how am I going to pay 12 mortgages? After reviewing my finances I noticed, my monthly cash flow was positive. It was at this point I decided I would never want this to happen again and wanted to be accountable for my own destiny. I realised that Laing O’Rourke had helped me make my decision and I hung up my boots to pursue my dream to become a property investor.
Through property I now have the freedom and choice to do the things in life I enjoy and hope to share my knowledge and experience with others.
Contact me anytime. Best regards
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