When Andres Bernal arrived in the United States with $500, his immediate goal was not to build a real estate empire.
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goal → arrive → empire
The Dominican-born former professional tennis player had come to pursue the sport he had played since childhood.
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he → bear → childhood
But after years of teaching tennis and working long hours, he began looking for a different route to financial independence.
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he → teach → independence
Real estate, a concept he had first encountered through his family in the Dominican Republic, eventually became that route.
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he → encounter → Republic
His first investment came in 2016.
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investment → come → 2016
Nearly a decade later, Bernal says his Connecticut portfolio has grown to more than 60 rental units valued at over $12 million, states a podcast interview published by Harbordise Partners.
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interview → say → Partners
From tennis courts to property seals
Bernal's introduction to real estate began long before his first investment.
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introduction → begin → investment
His godfather was a builder in the Dominican Republic, and Bernal had watched him acquire and develop property while growing up.
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him → watch → property
After playing professional tennis for nearly two years in the US, Bernal began teaching the sport, sometimes working 50 to 60 hours a week.
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Bernal → play → hours
Looking for a way to build income beyond trading time for money, he started studying stocks, businesses and real estate, states the interview.
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interview → look → stocks
He eventually focused on property investing, learning the fundamentals before making his first investment in 2016.
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He → focus → 2016
The strategy has since expanded beyond long-term rentals.
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strategy → expand → rentals
Bernal completed more than 50 property flips during 2024 and 2025, building a business around acquisitions, renovations and sales while continuing to grow his rental portfolio.
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Bernal → complete → portfolio
A portfolio built around different tenants
According to the video interview, his Connecticut holdings include multifamily properties, duplexes, single-family homes and student rentals.
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holdings → build → properties
Some properties operate through the federal Section 8 housing program, while others serve traditional tenants.
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others → operate → tenants
Student housing has become an important part of the portfolio.
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housing → become → portfolio
Bernal owns properties near three Connecticut universities and typically rents homes to groups of students whose parents or family members co-sign their leases.
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parents → own → leases
Keeping properties within walking distance of campuses is another central part of the strategy, reducing the need for parking and transportation.
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Keeping → keep → parking
His Section 8 properties provide another source of rental income, although they come with additional inspections and administrative requirements.
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they → provide → inspections
Bernal says he has about 22 units connected to the program.
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he → say → program
Building the business behind the properties
Managing dozens of properties and completing frequent flips requires more than finding deals.
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Managing → build → deals
Bernal has built a network of contractors and property-management support to keep the operation moving.
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Bernal → build → operation
His flipping operation includes about a dozen contractors handling work such as carpentry, painting and basic plumbing and electrical tasks.
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operation → flip → carpentry
A smaller part-time team manages the rental portfolio.
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team → manage → portfolio
That structure allows the same network of workers to move between renovation projects and maintenance needs, reducing the need to constantly find new contractors.
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network → allow → contractors
Knowing when to hold and when to sell
Bernal's approach has also evolved with the performance of individual properties.
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approach → know → properties
He and his partners have sold some older Connecticut properties where substantial equity was tied up but cash flow no longer justified holding them.
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flow → sell → them
His renovation philosophy follows a similar hierarchy.
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philosophy → follow → hierarchy
Safety, structural problems and major mechanical issues come first, followed by improvements that can increase rental value and appeal.
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that → come → value
Cosmetic upgrades come later when the numbers support them.
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numbers → come → them
Deals need to be conservatively underwritten, renovation budgets need room for surprises, and projected resale values cannot be treated as guarantees.
What began with $500 and a career on the tennis court has evolved into a Connecticut real estate business spanning rentals, student housing, affordable housing and property flips.
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began → need → rentals
The Aporia
