Looking to start my investment journey

[Todd Mason]

Hi all - I'm new to BP and must say so far I appreciate how everyone seems to give genuine responses and that everyone is willing to help however they can. I am a former criminal and corporate investigator of nearly 25 years combined. I obtained my RE license Charleston, SC 3 years ago and have been doing lots of research on investing and the plethora of ways to get started, etc. As such, I am ready to find my first deal and start my journey to building a portfolio. Ultimately, with time and experience, I'd like a diverse mix of STR, MTR, long-terms and maybe mix in some fix / flips a couple / few times a year. I have around $100k to start with, but am currently stuck in the paralysis by analysis quicksand. Using a baseball analogy, I'm simply looking to initially hit singles on small properties to get my feet wet, then strive to find the extra base hits in due time. Any advice, guidance and wisdom is greatly appreciated!

~Todd

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Todd Mason:

Welcome to the BiggerPockets forums!

Find a state that is generally Landlord friendly. You can Google search for a list.

Find a city you believe in. Decent schools, low crime, stable or growing population, and the real estate market meets your goals.

Look for a good property manager. If you can't find one, move to a different city. If you do find one, get serious about looking for an investment. It's better to buy a mediocre rental with a good property manager than to buy a good rental with a mediocre property manager!

Buy a nice house in a nice community where the numbers work. People invested in real estate 20 years ago, 40 years ago, and even 60 years ago without all the tools we have today. Just buy something you believe in, rinse, and repeat. Figure out how to get better at it as you go.