The Homeless Landlord With 12 Properties
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He owns 12 properties. He lives in his mate's spare room. And he accidentally bought a Chinese restaurant from an airport while flying back from Japan.
🏠 In this episode of the Scottish Property Podcast, Nick and Steven sit down with Isaac Cross — a former offshore worker and CERN technician who saved £140k, came off the Scottish Property Podcast course in January, and went all in on property faster than almost anyone they've had on the show.
This one is raw, honest and genuinely funny. Isaac doesn't just talk about the wins. He talks about the bridging nightmare on five properties at once, the deals he overpaid for, the sourcing fees that didn't add up, the solicitor with 98 problems to solve — and what he'd do differently if he was starting again.
🕐 TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Welcome to Isaac Cross & the 52 properties in 52 weeks goal
02:04 – Growing up between Aberdeen and Lanarkshire with a single mum
04:35 – ADHD diagnosis as a kid — and how it shapes the way Isaac works
05:21 – Wanting to go offshore like his dad
06:28 – Electrical apprenticeship & how he was the only one who applied
10:55 – Life offshore: earning £90k in his early 20s
16:20 – Moving to Switzerland for the CERN job
16:29 – The best job title, the most boring job
18:59 – First property: Holytown two-bed at 20
21:14 – Bad mortgage advice, blowing the profit, starting over
26:16 – The power of a good power team
33:24 – The Dennistoun flat — bought at home report in peak Covid
35:04 – Social media, personal brand & why Isaac went all in on content
36:38 – The January networking event that flipped the switch
44:04 – First deal in Aberdeen on a plane to Australia
52:07 – Five properties on one bridge — and 98 problems to solve
60:19 – The Chinese restaurant accident
62:53 – Bidding at auction from Heathrow flying back from Japan
66:45 – The community hub plan for the Carluke commercial unit
71:55 – First private investor on board & what comes next
🔑 KEY TOPICS
✅ How Isaac went from zero to 12 properties in 3 months
✅ Bridging five properties at once — the fees, the problems, the lessons
✅ Why cheap Aberdeen stock served a purpose but he'd do it differently now
✅ Sourcing fees that don't add up — and how to spot them
✅ Accidentally buying commercial property at auction
✅ Building a private investor relationship from scratch
✅ Why social media is already bringing the right people to Isaac
✅ His honest advice to anyone thinking about starting
📲 CONNECT WITH ISAAC
Follow Isaac's property journey on Instagram — @isaaccrossproperty
📅 NETWORKING EVENTS
First Wednesday of every month
📍 Aberdeen | Dundee | Edinburgh | GlasgowFollow our socials for speakers and details
🎙️ ABOUT SCOTTISH PROPERTY PODCAST
Real conversations with real Scottish property investors. No fluff — just honest stories, market updates, and investor journeys.
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💬 Would you have bought the Chinese restaurant? Drop it in the comments 👇