Ex-tennis player arrived in US with $500, now owns $12M rental empire

When Andres Bernal arrived in the United States with $500, his immediate goal was not to build a real estate empire. The Dominican-born former professional tennis player had come to pursue the sport he had played since childhood. But after years of teaching tennis and working long hours, he began looking for a different route to financial independence.Real estate, a concept he had first encountered through his family in the Dominican Republic, eventually became that route. His first investment came in 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.From tennis courts to property sealsBernal's introduction to real estate began long before his first investment.