I don’t know where to start. Looking for direction

I don’t know where to start. Looking for direction

Member since 2024 · 11 posts · 6 votes

Hi all. I’m completely new to bigger pockets and real estate investing.  I’m feeling overwhelmed with beginning and not sure where to even start. The internet is information overload.  I need some direction. 
I regularly listen to the bigger pockets rookie podcast. The information is great but broad I feel like.  
I’d like to connect with other local investors in order to learn but I don’t know where to find them. Meetup.com only shows webinars in my area. Beginning to wonder if Charleston isn’t the place to learn.  I’m close to Charlotte. Maybe that’s better?
Overall I just don’t know where to begin and would like some advice from others who have done it. 

Thanks in advance 


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Manny VasquezBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Orange County · Member since 2022 · 317 posts · 293 votes
2y

Patrick -  Welcome to the BP community! This is the best place for all things real estate related. This is what I recommend for you to get started in your real estate journey:

1. Keep saving as much as you can. Depending how much you earn you can step up those savings by getting a side-hustle. It could be any side-hustle you want just as long as you like it and your able to save some extra $$$.

2. Read as many RE books as you can get your hands on. Here are a few I recommend: "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Roberto Kiyosaki; "Set for Life" by Scott Trench; "The Unofficial Guide to Real Estate Investing" by Spencer; "The BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginners Guide" found here on BP; "The Book on Rental Property Investing" by Brandon Tuner. This will give you a good starting point.

3. Buy a property as soon as you can. The earlier you start in your RE journey, the better off you will be in the future. Almost everyone here on BP will tell you that they wish they had started earlier, myself included.

4. House-hack, house-hack, house-hack. This will give you several benefits. The most obvious is that you will be able to offset your mortgage with renting out a few rooms. You will then have a few options with that rent money....you can put it into principal or you can start saving it to purchase yet another property. House hacking will also give you some personal "property management" experience. This will come in handy as you begin to scale.

5. Decide which game you want to play. Do you want to be a house flipper? BRRRR? General Contractor? Buy and Hold? Do you want to LTR, MTR, or STR? Or maybe you want to do a combination of the above?

6. Attend meetups and meet as many people in RE as you can. You will meet people from different walks of life that will give you different perspectives on real estate investing. You might also meet someone that could be a potential business partner. Or you could buy a property from another person at the meetup. Keep an open mind and try to meet everyone at these meetings. I've developed some great relationships and also a business partner from these meetings. As they say, your network will be your net-worth.

7. Timing the market does not work. However, time in the market makes all the difference in the world!

8. Take Action! None of the above works unless you take action and put it into practice. Don't wait for the perfect deal to come up, the most important thing is to get started. Just like everything else in life, get started, keep honing those skills (i.e. keep reading, keep learning, keep attending the meetups) and watch yourself get better and better witch each property you buy.

I hope this helps and good luck on your real estate journey!

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  • Wyatt WolffPro Member
    Lender · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2019 · 466 posts · 278 votes
    2y

    Best place to start is to get clear on what you want. Then, you can build the how. 

    Charlotte is a great market, and if you can make it here, great. But you can get clear from Charleston. 

    The grass is greenest where you water it. 

  • Wale LawalBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Houston | Dallas | Austin, TX · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    2y
    Quote from @Patrick Gerety:
    Quote from @Wale Lawal:

    @Patrick Gerety

    Breaking down estate investing into manageable steps involves understanding your goals, networking with local communities, researching local markets, and researching financing options. Start small with a financially sound property and scale up as experience grows. Connect with local real estate professionals and consider upgrading to a BiggerPockets Pro Membership for more insights.

    Good luck!


     Good advice.  Thank you Wale Lawal


     My pleasure!

    Keep learning and growing...

  • Real Estate Consultant · Greenville, SC · Member since 2015 · 45 posts · 35 votes
    2y
    You may want to consider SC UPstate. UCREIA is a great REIA with many focus groups. Meets in Greenville SC. Keep reading. Make sure you truly understand money and how it works. Make sure you understand houses and how they work if you're doing residential. Make sure you truly understand your goals (desires).
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