When you hear about the South Side of Chicago you often hear talk of violence, death, and destruction. Unfortunately, the high crime rate has tainted the image of the city for many.
Two twin brothers Anthony and Anton Downing are helping to change the city’s narrative by their tireless work in the community. The @thedowningbrothers are South Side Chicagoans through and through. They answered the call of service early in life and became neighborhood firemen.
At the age of 23, a challenge from their mom forced them into real estate investing and changed both of their lives forever.
After Anthon was living with his mom for a few years in his early 20s she told him that he “wasn’t a real man until he owned the floors he walked on”. Those words hit him like a brick and inspired him to save $7,000 in two years to purchase his first condo by way of a 203k renovation loan.
Seeing Anthon’s journey into real estate inspired Anthony and the two have been head first into investing ever since. Their lively personalities and feel good community story made them a perfect fit for a HGTV show called “Double Down”. In the show, they renovated houses in the Pill Hill section of Chicago.
They specifically choose that area because it’s a black middle-class neighborhood on the South Side. The brothers thought it was important to show the world that Chicago has more to offer than what is shown, and although the negative aspects are a part of the fabric there are also entrepreneurs and vibrate families as well.
In an effort to encourage ownership in the neighborhood they recently teamed up with the Cook County Land Bank Authority to give away a home. They see great value in South Side real estate and they are encouraging people from the area to buy homes now while they're still reasonably priced. They believe that the best way to change the narrative of the city is for natives to do it one block at a time.
The brothers told their story and broke down Chicago real estate on episode 46 of @earnyourleisure. EYL 46 will be out today at 5 pm est.
Article by @rashadbilal