Tony Piraino
I've called Decatur home since 1987, growing up in the Sunnyside Park area. My fascination with residential properties began early on, as I loved exploring new homes in my neighborhood. If you have a house built between 1987 and 1997 in Sunnyside Park, there's a good chance I walked through it during construction!My passion for renovating old homes ignited when my family moved to a Victorian-style home in Cerro Gordo in 1997. We spent countless hours on renovation projects, which sparked my interest in the real estate field. After graduating from Cerro Gordo High School, I earned my Bachelor of Science degrees in Physics and Mechanical Engineering from Illinois State University and the University of Illinois.While still in college, I began reading about real estate investing and convinced a bank to grant me a loan for my first investment property in Bement. After a year of extensive remodeling, I successfully sold the home for a profit shortly after listing it. I continued my…
I've called Decatur home since 1987, growing up in the Sunnyside Park area. My fascination with residential properties began early on, as I loved exploring new homes in my neighborhood. If you have a house built between 1987 and 1997 in Sunnyside Park, there's a good chance I walked through it during construction!
My passion for renovating old homes ignited when my family moved to a Victorian-style home in Cerro Gordo in 1997. We spent countless hours on renovation projects, which sparked my interest in the real estate field. After graduating from Cerro Gordo High School, I earned my Bachelor of Science degrees in Physics and Mechanical Engineering from Illinois State University and the University of Illinois.
While still in college, I began reading about real estate investing and convinced a bank to grant me a loan for my first investment property in Bement. After a year of extensive remodeling, I successfully sold the home for a profit shortly after listing it. I continued my education by earning an MBA from Millikin while working as an Engineer at Caterpillar in Decatur.
One key lesson I've learned in real estate investing is the importance of having a reliable team, including an accountant, attorney, mortgage broker, and a trustworthy real estate agent. The professionals I've worked with have been invaluable, and I'm excited to become a crucial part of someone else's team, building lasting relationships along the way.
On a personal note, I have four wonderful kids and an amazing wife who are the center of my world, and I'm eager to involve them more in the real estate business over the years. I am an active community member, serving on various board of directors, and volunteer for various local non-profit organizations. I'm also an avid CrossFit fan, a CrossFit coach, and recently broke the Guinness Record for number of air squats in a 24 hour period - 26,100!
After 14+ years at Caterpillar, I transitioned to focus on real estate full-time in 2018, following my true passion. While I miss the relationships I built at Caterpillar, I love that I've been able to dedicate myself fully to real estate. Feel free to reach out to me by call, text, email, tweet, Snapchat, or Facebook message—I'm always accessible!
Email: tony@brinkoetter.com
Office Phone: (855) 539-8326
Cell Phone: (217) 972-2867