Graduating Soon – Unsure How to Start in Real Estate

[Brice Peterson]

Hey everyone, I’m graduating college this December and want to get started in real estate investing. My original plan was to house hack right out of school, but my girlfriend isn’t really comfortable with that and would rather buy a house for us to live in. I don’t have a career lined up yet, but I’m planning ahead financially. My first move is to sell my truck, buy a cheaper car, and put the leftover money toward saving for a down payment. I want to make sure I’m setting myself up for the smartest first step into real estate. A few questions I’d love advice on: • If I don’t house hack, what’s a good path into real estate investing right out of college? • Should I focus on saving aggressively for a rental property first, or does it make sense to buy a primary home and invest later? • How do you balance starting life with a partner while still moving toward long-term investing goals? • Besides saving, what should I be focusing on right now (networking, market research, skills, etc.) to prepare for my first deal? I know these first few years are important, and I’d love to hear from people who started investing young or who’ve been in a similar situation. Thanks in advance!