How to go about looking for a mentor!

[Victoria Spagnolo]

Hi BP fam! 

My name is Victoria Spagnolo. I am an attorney in New York but looking to eventually transition to real estate full time! I currently am house-hacking my primary residence with my partner (we closed back in June). We get $2200 for the unit upstairs which helps us immensely in paying the mortgage. We also just bought our first out-of-state property in PA, using a DSCR loan, and rent it out to students. The property has the potential to cash flow almost double the mortgage payment.

I am extremely motivated to buy a third property and looking into seller-financing and private lending, but as I am new to all this, I always have so many questions. I'm interested in connecting with experienced or even new investors from whom I can learn from and share knowledge, but I imagine there arent many investors out there looking for mentee just because. How do I go about looking for a mentor? I don't want the relationship to be completely one-sided, but as a new investor, I only have so much knowledge and experience to offer. 

I have been to a few BP meet ups in my area and am planning to go to the next one soon. What advice do you all have for connecting with other investors and finding a mentor?

Thanks in advance!

[Min Zhang]

That's awesome, Victoria! sounds like you've already hit the ground running with house hacking and even diving into DSCR lending. Mentorship in real estate usually comes more organically than formally. A lot of it is just building real relationships! asking thoughtful questions, sharing what you're learning, and showing genuine interest in others' journeys.

Meetups are great for that, sometimes the best connections start with just grabbing coffee after an event or following up on a conversation you had there. I’ve also found that even newer investors bring value to the table whether it’s a fresh perspective, different professional background, or even just making introductions.

What’s your vision for property #3? Are you leaning more toward another house hack, student rental, or something totally different? Happy to keep the conversation going!