Sunny Shakhawala, Author at Sunny Shakhawala

Sunny Shakhawala

Author Archives: Sunny Shakhawala

Why Renting is Better Than Buying (For Us)

My parents came to the US in the early 80s, a couple years before I was born. If you’re a first generation American in an Asian family, we’re practically siblings. We grew up with a basic understanding of a few things. 1) Always finish the food on your plate. 2) Don’t wear shoes in the […]

Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss

Negotiation serves two distinct, vital life functions: information gathering and behavior influencing. Negotiation is simply communication with results. Psychotherapy research shows that when individuals feel listened to, they tend to listen to themselves more carefully and to openly evaluate and clarify their own thoughts and feelings. LISTEN.In negotiation, each new psychological insight or additional piece […]

My Thoughts on Happiness

I’ve delayed writing out my thoughts on happiness for far too long. Mostly because I didn’t know which format I wanted it to take. Would it be better as a list, an anecdote, or a preachy sermon?A second obstacle to overcome is dealing with Imposter Syndrome. Am I qualified to write about happiness? Is my […]

Never Be A Busboy

In September 2017, I took a trip down to Fayetteville, North Carolina. I went down with a small team of investors to perform due diligence at a 200 unit apartment complex. After the first day of touring the property, we found ourselves at a bar/restaurant trying to get a feel for the locals. It was […]

Negative Visualization

If you’ve come to know me in any capacity, you’d think I’m high on life. I like to think I come off as an optimistic and generally happy person. And it’s true: I love my life. So much so, that I kind of feel like the quantity in which I am content, comes off as […]

Private Money Lending 101: Restructuring a Deal to Avoid Default

Often times a fix and flip takes longer to complete than originally projected. How you structure a deal and who you’re doing business with can make or break you. Fortunately for me, I partnered with Matt Faircloth (again) for my third Private Lending Deal. We had some struggles along the way, but we both walked […]

Private Money Lending 101: How To Make Money Even When The House Sells At A Loss

There’s an old adage, “If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. The real estate deal you’re about to read about happens to fit that saying perfectly. Everything seemed great going in, but not everyone made it out alive. Read on to find out who bit the bullet, and who walked away […]

The Day I Learned About Private Money Lending

I first learned about Private Lending through the Bigger Pockets Podcast, an excellent resource for all things Real Estate related. By the time I caught on to the podcast, one particular investor couple, Matt & Liz Faircloth, had already been guests on the show twice.I noticed they did business in my home state of New […]

How I Structure My (Flexible Eating) Diet

Let me start by saying I loathe the word, “diet”. It needs a major rebranding. Its’ connotation is undoubtedly negative and anxiety-ridden. Most people associate the word “diet” with restriction and unhappiness. Not me. I’ve come to terms with the word “diet” to mean what it actually means: way of living. I’m excited to tell […]

My First Real Estate Deal

I’m finally getting around to writing the summary of my first Private Lending Deal. In a perfect world, I would have started this post around the time the deal hit my desk, and updated it along the way. That obviously didn’t happen. Let’s see how well my memory serves me.Starting at the Beginning:This deal started […]