Community Highlights: Meet Julio Davila of Talio Team and Talio Travel

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julio Davila.

Hi Julio, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I joined the Air Force in early 2016 where I met my wife in training. We got married a year later and got stationed in Aviano, Italy. While in Italy for about four years. We got to travel all over Europe and the Middle East. A couple of years in, we wanted to start a family but didn’t want to keep moving from duty station to duty station. We wanted our kids to have a steady childhood in one location. In order to make this possible, we knew we have to make a plan to leave the military. I was always interested in Real Estate and by this time, I had already read Rich Dad, Poor Dad and watched YouTube video after YouTube video on how to successfully invest. From 2018 to 2019, we saved enough money to start investing. In late 2019 we made our first purchase of a single-family home in Papillion, Nebraska. We never saw the property before we bought it. I hired a real estate agent who, with my mom and stepdad, helped find it and update it to become a long-term rental. In 2020 we got orders to Clovis, New Mexico where we bought a duplex and lived in one side while renting out the other.

During this time, we had our son and wanted to buy a third property soon because our military contracts were almost up and we didn’t want to resign. We didn’t have the money so we decided to sell the single-family home we bought the year before. We were able to profit over $50,000 from that home. We used the profit for a downpayment on a triplex in Clovis. At this point, we did the math and knew we could successfully separate from the military if we bought one more multifamily property. In late 2021, it was almost time for us to renew our military contract or separate so we found a duplex in Clovis and bought it. We were officially set to leave the military and move to Atlanta, Georgia. When we got to Atlanta, we rented an apartment for a little less than a year while saving and looking for a single-family home to live in. During this time, I also started a car rental company called Talio Travel. I’ve been able to grow the car fleet to 6 cars that helped pay for our next home. We finally found our home in Johns Creek, GA. After moving in, I decided to become a Real Estate Agent and start a Property Management Company. Now I’m working to gain clients and expand my real estate company and profile.

Overall, our journey from joining the military to becoming real estate investors and entrepreneurs has been a challenging but rewarding one. We have learned a lot about finances, investing, and entrepreneurship along the way. We are grateful for the opportunities that the military has given us, but we are also excited to pursue our passions and build our own businesses. We hope to inspire others to take control of their financial futures and pursue their dreams.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My wife and I getting on the same page about how much money to save and where to invest our money was a struggle in the beginning. Once we got over that first purchase it got easier. The initial savings required a lot of changes in our lifestyle. We moved into a small one-bedroom apartment that felt like a box in a run-down apartment building. The apartment building was right next to the Air Force Base where we worked so we walked to and from work every day to save money on gas. We bought a cheap $200o car that couldn’t go past 60 mph and was cosmetically falling apart. We shared the car to save on insurance. We meal-prepped and only traveled on the weekends with budget flights. Flying in Europe is a lot cheaper than the States. We also stayed at cheap airbnbs.

The first property we bought was not making any cash flow. Were breaking even every month for the entire time we owned it. It just ended up being worth it because of the dramatic increase in hope appreciation that happened from 2019 to 2021. When we moved to Atlanta, I learned quickly that I was not going to be able to fully manage the properties from across the country so I had to hire a property manager that I can trust.

When I started my rental car company, I made a lot of mistakes in the begging. I bought cars that were not reliable and I kept losing money because of constant repairs and maintenance. I learned what cars to buy and what ones to avoid. I learned how to streamline my process to be able to effectively upscale and grow.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Talio Team and Talio Travel?
Talio Team is my property management company. We strive to be the best in efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Being an investor myself and having to hire my own property manager, I have first-hand experience in what the property owner’s needs are and what they expect. The fewer the calls to the owners, the better. We make it a goal to not contact the owners unless it’s absolutely necessary and we develop the trust needed from the owners to feel comfortable knowing that everything is taken care of the right way.

Talio Travel is my car rental company. We strive to be “the easiest way to rent a car” at an affordable price. We use the Turo platform (like Airbnb for cars) to attract renters but keep the renters coming back to continually rent our cars because of our efficiency and quality. We offer quality, economical cars with a VIP experience. The entire process is automated through an app and we never meet the renters in person. The renters are not stuck to a certain time of pick up and drop off and they don’t have to wait in long lines or have to deal with third party insurance. Everything is taken care of in the app and Talio Travel provides the flawless cars and processes.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Bigger Pockets podcast and YouTube channel has been the biggest help in my real estate journey.

Saimahs Experience channel and Aubrey Janik channel on Youtube have been the biggest help with my car rental business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://turo.com/us/en/drivers/19584569
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julio.d.realty/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliodavilarealty
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julio-davila/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AtlantaVirtualHomeTours

Image Credits
My wife, Tatiana Davila (Age 26). My son, Josiah Davila (Age 2).