What did you guys do for a living when starting out?

San Mateo, CA · Member since 2013 · 3 posts · 2 votes

Greetings BP!

I'm new to the real estate community and i'm looking to getting into real estate investing. From what i have concluded, real estate investing takes quite a long period of time before you start to see actual high profit returns. What did all you successful BP investors do for a living before you hit that success stage? I own a few restaurants and I can honestly say that I'm not use to seeing slow and timed cash flow every month.

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Bryan L.

Residential Real Estate Agent · Cookeville, TN · Member since 2013 · 1k+ posts · 948 votes

12y

I was an engineer. Masters degree and all that with over 15 years of experience. Mostly product design/development in big-corporate-world. I walked away from it in '07 to go full-time RE. That lasted for 3 years until the market crash caught up with me. Went back into cubicle-world full-time for two more years, until that company was nice enough to lay me off. For the last year I've been 1/2-time engineer with a small firm and 1/2-time RE.

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Siye Baker
Investor · Tallahassee, FL · Member since 2014 · 246 posts · 89 votes
12y
Mech Engineering background, worked a couple internships, hated being a cubicle. Now work for logistics company. Great people to work with. Plan on going fulltime withing the year, and will build a spec house. Things don't always work out as planned, but I venture to say that there is a reward waiting after each obstacle(Napoleon Hill).

A lot of technical people on this forum! Interesting, and I wonder where everyone falls on the political spectrum...hmmm, time for a new thread
Sebastian
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Jason Hartman
Rental Property Investor · Scottsdale, AZ · Member since 2012 · 314 posts · 146 votes
12y
A good old fashioned W2 job can make it pretty easy to start a real estate investing career. I'm sure @Sara Liskey will agree but there many creative alternatives too - just takes more time and effort.
2 Reply
Tom Yung
Investor · Winnipeg, Manitoba · Member since 2013 · 303 posts · 321 votes
12y
took Marketing in College(76), start out with major retail firm for 4 years.

Use seller financing , getting into restaurant business(79) for the past 35 years.

Again use seller financing to buy my first house(81)( no bank will loan to me based on my time in business & self-employed at that time.)

Bought my first commercial property(87) .RE broker for 12 years(89-01).

get into US market (2011).
1 Reply
Sandra K Shirah
Real Estate Broker · Pineville, LA · Member since 2009 · 70 posts · 18 votes
12y
I was a hostage negotiator with a municipal police department. I loved it :) Unfortunately, the pay wasn't very good at all, so I moved on to work for Uncle Sam.
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Account Closed
CA · Member since 2011 · 762 posts · 182 votes
12y
Originally posted by @Sandra K Shirah:
I was a hostage negotiator with a municipal police department. I loved it :) Unfortunately, the pay wasn't very good at all, so I moved on to work for Uncle Sam.

Now there's a truly transferable skill to RE! Lawyer's, CPA's, MBA's Engineers are all a dime a dozen. If you were in CA I'd want you on my team ... if I had a team :)
2 Reply
Kimberly T.
Investor · Colorado Springs CO · Member since 2014 · 535 posts · 253 votes
12y
I'm a structural engineer. Bought our house with my husband (also an engineer) 1 month before our wedding, then bought our first rental (triplex) a couple years later, then a fourplex in AZ the next year, then another fourplex in AZ last year. When I was growing up, my parents were landlords, so I already had an understanding of the process.
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Cory Adams
Investor · Tampa Florida · Member since 2013 · 68 posts · 30 votes
12y
Background is enterprise software engineering for over 2 decades. I moved a lot when I was contracting and renting a home that I had purchased was my pathway to investing. I am just now getting back into the game after falling into the wood chipper during the crash (as well as a bit of Hurricane devastation on one property).
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Jeff Blanchard
App Designer · Chicago, IL · Member since 2013 · 124 posts · 31 votes
12y
Graphic designer, filling the gaps as a bike courier. I went into RE biz with two other friends who were also bike couriers.

We bought highly distressed properties and put a lot of sweat equity into them.
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Account Closed
SFR Investor · Member since 2011 · 198 posts · 61 votes
12y
I started out as a labor for several contractors then I moved into carpentry, by 21 I decided to try truck driving and then I went to real estate school. While I was in school I started a custom car shop and ended up doing that for five years. We had a recession and no one was spending money so I went back to truck driving and I started a modeling and talent agency, I ran that for about six years.

On my final leg of my adventure I started a personal training and sports rehab clinic in Napa Valley and teamed up with a local chiropractor. I ran that place in Napa for five years there then started a new center in Danville CA, I started investing any spare money I had into stocks for a little start up company. That company was purchased by HP and my stock went from about a dollar or two, to 33 dollars and that is when I retired and started investing in real estate.

I have also worked part time for the last 15 years as a professional corporate photographer. In this job I have traveled all over the world and worked for many major companies doing everything from product shoots and trade shows to executive shoots for magazine covers.
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Mark Ferguson
Flipper/Rehabber · Greeley, CO · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
12y
A real estate agent. A perfect fit!
0 Reply
Wendell De Guzman
Investor · Chicago, IL · Member since 2013 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
12y
Chemical engineer. Invested in real estate while I was working...but after 16 years, I quit my job, took an 18-month vacation and into real estate full time ever since.
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Anthony GaydenPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Omaha, NE · Member since 2014 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
12y
I work for the government.
Podcast Guest on Show #21
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Adam F
Mount Vernon, WA · Member since 2012 · 52 posts · 22 votes
12y
Electrical Engineer.
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Kyle Hipp
Investor · Appleton, WI · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 464 votes
12y
I worked in manufacturing plants in my adult life. The bulk of it was in the plastics industry which is when I started REI in 2006. I have been growing quicker every year since. I went from the floor running various machine to becoming a journeyman millwright. I recently switched to another employer in a tissue mill in a similiar millwright position. I am currently 28 and have 7 properties (10 rental units). I plan on going full time by age 40. My wife is primarily a stay at home mom which allows me to get a ton of work done :)
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Joe Sillaman
Ewa Beach, HI · Member since 2013 · 145 posts · 42 votes
12y
Active Duty Air Force Transportation Officer when I started. Now AF Reservist/Realtor/MBA Student/Vacation Rental Property Manager.
1 Reply
Derrick Mehal
Houston, TX · Member since 2014 · 27 posts · 5 votes
12y
New Nurse in the Emergency room. learned quickly that I needed to get out of the rat race. Still in it but much better off
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Rick Reed
Murphy, TX · Member since 2014 · 60 posts · 8 votes
12y
I started out on the railroad in PA as a brakeman/conductor. One of the old timers I worked with told me he was making more money in rentals than he was on the railroad. That piqued my curiosity. After 17 years of working as a network admin/engineer, building our (almost dream) home, we've saved enough to finally take the plunge.

We're making our first offer this week. Thanks to the folks of BP for the encouragement and the education. Still lots to learn though!
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Brandon Hicks
Investor · Avilla, IN · Member since 2013 · 796 posts · 769 votes
12y
I'm a buy and hold guy with 28 units. I'm still not full time yet but I'm getting closer! In the next couple of months I'll be leaving my factory job to start a painting business. It will give me more flexibility to run and grow my real estate business. I should be able to quit painting for others and just focus on my real estate in the next 2-3 years.
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Peter D'Amico
Investor · Mays Landing, NJ · Member since 2014 · 1 post · 0 votes
12y
Graduated with an Electrical and Computer Engineering Degree last May. Currently 22 y/o and working in R&D as a gov contractor.
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Robert AdamsBusiness Member
Real Estate Broker · Henderson, NV · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 373 votes
12y
When I first started out 12 years ago I was 21. I was working at a cel phone store and flipping cars on the side. After I saved enough money I bought my first property on my own. No partner, no family loan, no co-signer, etc. At the time I was 1 of 3 people in my circle doing this completely on my own. everyone else had rich parents or some sort of partnership to get them started. I take pride in knowing I did it myself. Here is a link to my first investment: My First Investment Property

Good luck with your real estate journey. If I can be of any assistance please let me know.
[email protected]702-349-9175
The Adams Team at Rothwell Gornt Companies4.972 Reviews
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George P.
Property Manager · Livonia, MI · Member since 2011 · 4k+ posts · 1k+ votes
12y
engineer
0 Reply
Justin S.
Residential Real Estate Agent · Chandler, AZ · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 928 votes
12y
I have a degree in Engineering Physics and an MBA. I worked for a Missle Defense company in their propulsion department before moving into Program Management. I have been full time in real estate for about 3.5 years.
0 Reply
Anson YoungBusiness Member
Flipper/Rehabber · Denver, CO · Member since 2009 · 1k+ posts · 726 votes
12y
When I started I was bartending in Phoenix in 2004-2005- then started investing, moved back to CO, got my real estate license, been agenting and investing ever since.
Podcast Guest on Show #235
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John Ma
Investor · Arlington, VA · Member since 2014 · 151 posts · 37 votes
12y
I started my real estate investing about 3 years ago when i got my job as a nuclear engineer. Currently I'm still doing both.
0 Reply
Joe F.
Greensboro, NC · Member since 2013 · 6 posts · 3 votes
12y
I am a physical education teacher and football coach. I currently own 2 sfr and am looking to add another this year.
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