Help a beginner

[Colton Leonard]

Hello all!

I am a complete beginner to real estate investing and have a few questions. I am 25 and live in dallas. I make about 99k a year before taxes and want to get started in this! I have about 4 days off a week with my job so I don’t mind being hands on with whatever area this becomes-but I would like to eventually be some what passive once i’m more successful. My main question is in the Dallas area market where would you reccomend I start and where do I work towards? I know this is a very loaded question and a lot of people will probably respond “it’s different for everyone and your goals” but answer it for example if you had to restart in this field to be successful- my main question is should a beginner start in multi family and do house hacking or should they learn to whole sale or do syndicates? I know there are also some more specialized areas like group homes, or co living, or tv parks, and I didn’t realize how much there was in real estate and honestly just want to start somewhere I can be successful for my family. I know this question has probably been asked too many times but we all start somewhere at some point and this is my start so any help would be extremely appreciated. Also if anyone knows where I could find a real deal mentor and not some one trying to scam or sale a course or use a beginner for a deal, if appreciate any shared knowledge! 

[William Thompson]

Quote from @Colton Leonard:

Hello all!

I am a complete beginner to real estate investing and have a few questions. I am 25 and live in dallas. I make about 99k a year before taxes and want to get started in this! I have about 4 days off a week with my job so I don’t mind being hands on with whatever area this becomes-but I would like to eventually be some what passive once i’m more successful. My main question is in the Dallas area market where would you reccomend I start and where do I work towards? I know this is a very loaded question and a lot of people will probably respond “it’s different for everyone and your goals” but answer it for example if you had to restart in this field to be successful- my main question is should a beginner start in multi family and do house hacking or should they learn to whole sale or do syndicates? I know there are also some more specialized areas like group homes, or co living, or tv parks, and I didn’t realize how much there was in real estate and honestly just want to start somewhere I can be successful for my family. I know this question has probably been asked too many times but we all start somewhere at some point and this is my start so any help would be extremely appreciated. Also if anyone knows where I could find a real deal mentor and not some one trying to scam or sale a course or use a beginner for a deal, if appreciate any shared knowledge! 

Great place to be starting — Dallas gives you options.

If I were 25 again in DFW with your income and time flexibility, I’d keep it simple and boring at first. One clean buy-and-hold deal beats five half-baked strategies.

House hacking a small multifamily is still one of the best learning paths if it fits your lifestyle. You learn financing, property management, rehab decisions, and cash flow all at once, with lower risk. If living on site isn’t appealing, a solid single-family or small duplex in a landlord-friendly suburb is a strong first step.

Wholesaling can teach deal analysis fast, but it’s a sales business first, investing second. Syndications and niche plays are better once you’ve owned and operated property yourself.

Focus your first year on:
- Learning how to underwrite deals correctly
- Understanding financing and reserves
- Running one property well from start to finish

For mentors, stick close to local REIAs and smaller investor meetups. The best ones usually aren’t loud online and aren’t selling courses. Build relationships by showing up consistently and asking good questions.

Start simple, get reps, then scale. You’re early — that’s a big advantage.

William