Community Highlights: Meet Liz And Matt Ziegler of ZZ Properties

Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz And Matt Ziegler

Hi Liz And Matt, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m from MA and Matt is from NY. We met in NY in 1985 at the Culinary Institute of America. Both of us loved cooking, feeding people and eating good food; we both had aspirations to become great chefs. Matt was offered a job in Breckenridge, CO. after graduation and asked if I would like to come along saying, “if it doesn’t work out, I’ll help you get back home”. We stayed a ski season and then there was a new opportunity in Kauai, HI. with the same management company. We eagerly went. From there, we also spent some time working in John’s Island, SC and eventually made it back to CO. – Colorado Springs where we have been ever since 1987.
We both stayed in the food industry in many different capacities over the years. We had worked together in professional kitchens so we knew we were compatible to work on our own business together. Matt tried his hand at a business that I didn’t care to support and when he ignored the signs it was failing, it devastated us financially. We were in foreclosure and it put our marriage in jeopardy. With help from family members we were able to pull out of the foreclosure and got steady jobs. We were risk averse for years (and are to this day) and stayed very safe for years at our day jobs.
In 2004 we read Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad and ventured out to buy our first rental property together, a duplex. We both liked to work on it and make improvements and we found that our different skills balanced each other out well. Over the years, we have bought, renovated and rented a number of houses and duplexes all in Colorado Springs. We also built a Build-to-Rent house in 2021 on some land we already owned.
In early 2023 we retired from our day jobs to pursue real estate investing full time. It was a scary jump but we knew it was the right move. We realized how much passion we have for helping people and now our lives have so much more meaning and we use much more brain power than we ever did with our 9-5’s.
Our past experience with foreclosure made us passionate to help others in that situation. It’s very gratifying when your business is based on helping people live a better life. Just being human and helping others without the concern of “what we get” changed the trajectory of our own lives. Like Zig Ziglar said ““You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Of course, when you have rental properties you have obstacles! Our first applicant for our first duplex in 2004 gave us a personal check to hold the property (with someone else’s name on it) and it turned out to be a hot check she stole from a business a few doors down! The police met her at the house and took her away in handcuffs after we called to report it. We have also had leaks, floods, water mitigation work, angry tenants, lightening strikes, hot water heater failure and much much more. We quickly take care of anything that comes, no matter how much it takes. And we can proudly say that in the 20 years of business, we have never had an eviction. We always work closely with our tenants to find the best solution for all parties.
The struggles through foreclosure in the late 90’s were tough times. Our youngest had just been born and our eldest son was only 5. I don’t think they ever realized how poor we were, and how stressful life was; we squeaked by. But because of that experience, we are well equipped to help others in the same situation. In the past year, we have changed the trajectory of two families’ lives that were in foreclosure because we could educate them on what their options were (which we learned from our mentor) and we could speak from our own experiences. In the past 20 years, we have helped dozens of people move on and that is something we hold dear.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
ZZ Properties buys, sells and rents houses. We do off-market deals that benefit all parties. (These deals are transactions that are not listed on the MLS and do not involve a real estate agent- we are not agents or brokers). We are in business to help others find the best solutions that improves their lives.
When we rent our properties, we use a detailed rental application and screening process. It’s important to find the right people to take care of our assets; ones who will love the house and take care of it like it was their own. We are quick to solve tenant issues and always respond in a timely and courteous manner. By doing so, our tenants tend to stay a long time with us; they are treated well! That is what sets us apart from other landlords.
Really, what we do is creatively solve real estate problems. This may be a distressed property, an inherited property, foreclosure, or other reasons that happen in life. In the end, we want everyone to walk away better off.

What was your favorite childhood memory?
Liz: Visiting Breckenridge, CO. on a family cross country trip when I was 6.
Matt: I remember my grandfather’s advice early on: don’t grow thirsty trees. I didn’t understand it at the time, but it’s proven to be wise advice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zzpropertiesco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zzproperties/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zzpropertiesco/