FLY Book 1: Become a Homeowner and Real Estate Investor Before 25
Author
Mike Nie, CPA, CFA, CFP, EA
Book Title
FLY Book 1: Become a Homeowner and Real Estate Investor Before 25
With a Parental Guide to Financial Freedom
Publisher
Gifted Books, Releasing TBD
Socials
ABOUT THE BOOK
Want to know the real-life story of two young brothers buying their first home before age 20, and building a real estate portfolio before most people finish college?
FLY Book 1: Become a Homeowner and Real Estate Investor Before 25 is the first book of the Financial Literacy for Young People (FLY) book series. It teaches young adults how to achieve early homeownership and build long-term wealth using real estate, tax planning, and disciplined financial habits. Through the real-life stories of Chris and Kevin Nie, who both purchased homes at the age of 18, the book explains why real estate is a powerful wealth pillar, how leverage amplifies returns, and how young people can utilize low down payments, campus rentals, and tax benefits to accelerate financial independence before the age of 25. It also introduces the four major wealth pillars: stocks, cash-value life insurance, real estate, and crypto, showing how they balance risk and growth.
The book provides a clear step-by-step learning roadmap: building credit, securing financing, choosing locations, analyzing rentals, screening tenants, and maximizing deductions using Schedule C and Schedule E. Case studies and expert interviews make the strategies practical and easy to follow. It concludes with long-term planning tools—scaling into more properties, using 1031 exchanges, and incorporating family legacy planning—showing that early homeownership is not just achievable but life-changing for building generational wealth.
Whether you’re a young adult ready to take control of your financial future or a parent hoping to empower your child with real-life wealth-building strategies, this book provides the roadmap. Early homeownership isn’t a dream—it’s a plan. And your journey starts now.
EARLY PRAISES
“Real wealth is not built by comfort, shortcuts, or entitlement. It is built through discipline, patience, and the willingness to do hard things early in life. Become a Homeowner and Real Estate Investor Before 25 delivers this message clearly and honestly. This book does not promise easy money or quick wins. Instead, it challenges young people to think long-term, take responsibility, and build real assets step by step.
If more young people followed the mindset taught in this book, we would see fewer handouts and more hands raised to build, learn, and lead. This is the kind of financial education our next generation needs.”
- Dr. Thomas Forbang
Ph.D. | Real Estate Developer | IT Consultant | 2018 National & International USA Yoga Champion
“Time is the greatest asset a young person will ever have, yet it is the one most often wasted. Become a Homeowner and Real Estate Investor Before 25 understands this truth. This book is not about getting rich fast. It is about getting started early, staying consistent, and letting time do the heavy lifting.
I have seen too many people wait for the ‘perfect moment’ to buy their first property, only to realize years later that the cost of waiting was far greater than the cost of starting. This book teaches young people what schools rarely do: ownership creates freedom, income replaces stress, and action beats intention every time.”
- Dr. Maxwell Adekoje
Real Estate Investor | Mentor | Author of Just Eat the Worm
“Most people are not held back by a lack of opportunity. They are held back by fear, impatience, and a mindset shaped by short-term thinking. Own a Rental Under 25 challenges that mindset head-on. This book teaches young people to think strategically, act intentionally, and use leverage wisely rather than living paycheck to paycheck.
Real estate rewards discipline, delayed gratification, and consistency. Those lessons are missing in today’s culture of instant results and easy credit. This book does not glamorize shortcuts. It teaches responsibility, mentorship, and the courage to take the first step even when it feels uncomfortable.”
- Brett Korade
Luxury Real Estate Advisor
LAB Realty Group | Keller Williams
Washingtonian’s Best 2025
EXCLUSIVE PERKS FOR EARLY SUPPORTERS
When you buy a ticket to my launch, you’ll receive:
A signed paperback or eBook at publication
A handwritten thank-you note
Your name in the Acknowledgments (“Special Thanks to…”)
Access to my private Author Community for behind-the-scenes updates
Early excerpts, including the Introduction, with a chance to give feedback
A vote on the final book cover and title
A bonus worksheet or toolkit inspired by the book
Exclusive launch event invite (virtual Q&A or celebration)
A sneak peek at future projects and offers
Join this journey—your support means everything!
OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT
Some people may not be able to contribute, but that doesn't mean they can't help:
Please share my book on WeChat, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn with your friends, family, and network. Please use #FinancialLiteracyForYoungPeople #FinancialFreedomForFamilies #BuyHouseUnder25 and tag me as well as my publisher, Gifted Books, so we can help amplify your efforts.
Please recommend my book to five (5) friends, family members, or co-workers who you think would enjoy it via text or direct message on social media.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Mike Nie, CPA, CFP®, CFAR, EA, has spent more than 25 years helping families turn everyday financial decisions into lifelong opportunities. His career includes leadership roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers (10 years), the PCAOB (4 years), and a federal financial regulator (11+ years). He holds multiple professional credentials, including FRM®, SCR®, RAI® and DTM, and leads Smart1040 LLC specializing in faith-based, family-centered tax planning
Mike and his wife, Olga, live in the Washington, D.C. area with their blended family of four adult children. Mike is the author of the SMART Family Tax Guide, published in October 2025.
Chris Nie, a Certified Flight Instructor Instrument (CFII) at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, blends aviation discipline with financial storytelling. By 20, he had built his own brand as a flight instructor, investor, and mentor.
Chris believes young people can master money early using the same principles he applies in the cockpit: systems, structure, and situational awareness.
Kevin Nie, a 19-year-old student and entrepreneur from Fairfax, Virginia, represents the next generation of purpose-driven youth leaders. He founded Gym and Home Operator LLC, mentoring high school students in strength, discipline, and mental resilience.
As Marketing Manager of Smart1040 LLC and COO of the SMART Life Family Foundation, Kevin teaches youth financial literacy, real estate basics, Roth IRAs, and purpose-driven living-bringing professional strategies to his peers in a way they can truly use.