Rookie looking for advice

[Ashley Guerra]

So I am a college student interested in purchasing real estate within the next 2 years as I have a job coming up. I'm familiarizing myself with my market, understanding terminology, and overall learning. I am open to buying a good deal, with my parents help, if it crosses my path but I want to better understand the process; I want to make offers weekly just to see how the numbers work but I am not sure how a real estate would react to sending 2-3 offers weekly to a college student who doesn't have an official pre-approval, (although I have used better.com and amerisave.com to see what i qualify for using a soft pull on credit), nor a full time job just yet.

Does anyone have any advice? Should i bother reaching out to a real estate agent regardless of my situation? Should I stick to reading and learning more until I get a job?

Thank you for any input

[Michael Dumler]

@Ashley Guerra, to be blunt, no real estate agent is going to take you seriously unless they are new to the industry. 

Here's my very basic but vital advice that I've been preaching for years: obtain a W2 position that you genuinely enjoy and/or are interested in. Seems like you've already tackled this. Save religiously. If this means taking on a side hustle to increase your savings rate then so be it. Build your credit. Hopefully, you have established credit, if not, apply for a secured credit card ASAP. Limit unnecessary debt. If you have a car payment or student debt, pay off those obligations ASAP. House hack your first deal. Please familiarize yourself with the house hacking strategy. I still come across newbies who won't pull the trigger on a deal because they say it has to cash flow. In my opinion, this mindset is so wrong! The house hacking strategy is designed to offset a significant part of your housing expenses while building equity. It's as simple as that, no need to overcomplicate things. 

In your free time (evenings/weekends), join and attend your local real estate investment meet-up. Try to find someone who has house hacked in your market and have them share their experiences. 

Best of luck!