How to Start my Real Estate Journey

Question

Have really been wanting to get into real estate for the longest time. I just graduated college last December and don’t have a lot of capital because I’ve been focusing on paying off my student loans this entire year. I know real estate isn’t get-rich-quick and that’s 100% fine by me. I like the idea of spending the next 10-20 years of my life doing this even though I know it won’t be easy. Just genuinely curious where I can find someone and learn about what the best ways to break into real estate are.

My plan from here-on-out was to either:

a) Become a wholesaler. Get good at analyzing/ making deals and finding what would be a good property. After I learn a good way to find/make a deal and I made a little bit doing wholesaling, to take the information I learned and do the deal myself.

b) Work and save my butt off this year while working my W-2. I figure I can put aside 35-40k by the start of 2027 while still having a 3 month emergency fund. I actually enjoy what I do so hitting overtime would not be painful and easily give me even more. Then put a down payment on a house and rent it out.

c) Do the same steps as b, but instead look for a fix & flip.

I've already begun by attending a few REIA's in San Antonio and I've networked with a couple of great people, but I'm really looking for someone that I can hook up with and learn from them or a place I can just get some great advice on where to learn (without them being some guru trying to upsell me a course). I really want to niche down because I don't want to end up in the “Jack of all trades, master of none” category.

If anyone could point me in the right direction to where I could find someone / a community that has good knowledge about which route I could and how to go about it given my current situation (preferably in the San Antonio area because I know the strategies you want to go with are highly dependent on the area), that would be super helpful and appreciated.

David Ojo · Answer

Hey Jacob, congratulations on your graduation, that’s a major milestone!

You’re off to a solid start. I’m based in the Baltimore market, so I can’t speak specifically about San Antonio or the best strategies there, but the first thing I’d recommend is identifying which approach fits your goals whether it’s fix-and-flip or BRRRR etc. Keep an eye out for properties you can run mock analyses on to understand whether the deals in your area make sense. Keep saving, and look into creative financing options that require less upfront capital.

I’m happy to talk through that and share my experience, especially with the creative financing methods I use for my BRRRR projects in Maryland.

Caeli Ridge · Answer

Congrats on getting started so early — and honestly, the fact that you’re approaching this with a long-term mindset already puts you ahead of a lot of investors.

A few thoughts based on what you shared and what we see often with new investors in markets like San Antonio:

• You don’t need a ton of capital to start learning — just clarity on your lane.
Wholesaling can be a good training ground because it teaches deal analysis and negotiation, but it’s also very marketing-heavy and inconsistent. It’s not always the easiest entry point unless you really enjoy lead generation work.

• Saving up for your first buy-and-hold is a completely valid path.
SA still has neighborhoods where the numbers work with a reasonable down payment. A lot of first-timers use a conventional loan or FHA to get started and keep things simple.

• Fix-and-flip is doable, but just know it’s the highest-risk option on your list.
Margins in Texas can be thinner than Instagram makes it look, and rehab costs are still volatile. Most investors recommend doing a lighter value-add rental first before jumping into a full flip.

• You’re already doing the most important thing: attending local REIAs.
San Antonio has a strong investor community, and relationships matter more than any course. If you keep showing up consistently, you’ll find someone to learn from organically — usually another investor just a few steps ahead of you.

• BiggerPockets, local meetups, and investor-focused agents/PMs are the best “free education.”
No guru required.

At this stage, your best move is to pick one direction and go deep on it for 6–12 months. Whether that’s analyzing deals for wholesaling, underwriting buy-and-holds, or shadowing someone doing small rehabs — focus beats dabbling every time.

You’re absolutely on the right track. Keep plugging into the SA community and your path will become a lot clearer.

– Ridge Lending Group (Licensed in 49 states, excluding NY)

William Thompson · Answer

You’re already ahead of most beginners just by being honest about where you’re at and getting involved locally. That alone will save you years.

With limited capital, the highest-leverage path is skills first, money second. Wholesaling or partnering with someone experienced in San Antonio will teach you deal analysis, ARVs, rehab budgets, and negotiation way faster than going straight into a flip and risking your cash.

If you decide to save up and buy later, that works too — but the investors who move fastest usually build relationships and learn how to spot a real deal before they pull the trigger.

Since you’re already attending REIAs, double down on that. Look for:
• flippers who need help running comps or walking properties
• wholesalers who’ll let you shadow
• lenders who can teach you how they underwrite deals

And ignore the gurus. Real investors are in the rooms you’re already showing up to.

If you ever want to bounce questions or sense-check numbers as you go, feel free to reach out — happy to point you in the right direction.

Juan Yepes · Answer

@Jacob Q. you'd be surprised how much you can do in real estate without a lot of capital as long as you have the right team in place (realtor, lender, appraiser, contractors, title company). I bought my first property with only $11k cash and sold two years later for $200k above the price I paid.

Right team, good strategy, consistent deal modeling and good financing.

Feel free to DM if you'd like to discuss further!

Wale Lawal · Answer

@Jacob Q.

I think you are already ahead of most people as you approaching this correctly. I think unless you truly enjoy sales and grinding I would avoid wholesaling in San Antonio if you have limited capital. From my experience the best course of action is your B option, which is to keep the W-2, save heavily and then either buy a small rental in a working class submarket where cash flow is still available or house hack.

Good luck!

Nicholas L. · Answer

@Jacob Q.

start with a house hack

then house hack a few more times

good luck

Elealeh Fulmaran · Answer

Love the long view and that you’re already hitting REIAs—great start. Two moves: pick one lane for the next 90 days (wholesale or save for a buy-and-hold) and build a simple weekly routine—analyze a few real deals, talk to two buyers/PMs, and walk properties to learn faster.

Which path are you leaning toward for this year, and what’s your target month to land deal number one?

Allie McAlister · Answer

Hey Jacob,

You're doing the right first step with becoming educated before jumping in and you'll find a ton of great advice on these forums. Have you already spoken with your banker? They'll be able to give you a really good idea of what you can buy right now so that you know exactly what you're working with. The next step after that is to narrow down your target market(s) which is sounds like you've already done. You're doing great!

Best of luck!

How to Start my Real Estate Journey

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