Beginner looking to learn fix & flip by helping on real deals

Member since 2026 · 1 post · 4 votes

Hi everyone! I'm brand new to real estate investing and right now focused on learning fix & flip with the long-term goal of building a rental portfolio with BRRRR/house hacking. I'm not looking to sell anything or jump into a deal unprepared but I'm here to learn the right way. I'd love to connect with experienced investors who wouldn't mind letting me help, observe, analyze deals, or assist on a flip in exchange for learning. I'm open to doing the work and really want hands-on exposure rather than buying random courses. If anyone has advice, resources, or is even open to connecting, I'd truly appreciate it. Thanks in advance, excited to learn from this community!

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Alfath AhmedBusiness Member

Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes

8mo

Quote from @Aezia Smith:

You would need to look out of state to do that. FL is great and my cousins over 30+ SFR there but always complain about hurricane and flood insurance.

You should look into Columbus. Ton of tech companies are investing here like intel, google, amazon. Good market for cashflow and strong appreciation.

I've got 28 units here and sold over 120 properties this year to OOS investors here.

[email protected]614-802-5698

ReafCo | Ahmed Group 530 Reviews

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Janice Carter
Real Estate Broker · Atlanta · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 605 votes
8mo
Aezia, welcome to the BP community. You are taking the right approach by focusing on education and hands-on experience before jumping in. I strongly recommend joining your local REIA. Those groups are one of the best ways to meet active investors, find mentors, analyze real deals and get exposure to flips and BRRRR projects in your market. Attend meetings consistently, ask good questions, and offer value and the relationships will follow.
1 Reply
Alfath AhmedBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
8mo
Quote from @Aezia Smith:

Hi everyone! I'm brand new to real estate investing and right now focused on learning fix & flip with the long-term goal of building a rental portfolio with BRRRR/house hacking. I'm not looking to sell anything or jump into a deal unprepared but I'm here to learn the right way. I'd love to connect with experienced investors who wouldn't mind letting me help, observe, analyze deals, or assist on a flip in exchange for learning. I'm open to doing the work and really want hands-on exposure rather than buying random courses. If anyone has advice, resources, or is even open to connecting, I'd truly appreciate it. Thanks in advance, excited to learn from this community!

You would need to look out of state to do that. FL is great and my cousins over 30+ SFR there but always complain about hurricane and flood insurance.
You should look into Columbus. Ton of tech companies are investing here like intel, google, amazon. Good market for cashflow and strong appreciation.
I've got 28 units here and sold over 120 properties this year to OOS investors here.
[email protected]614-802-5698
ReafCo | Ahmed Group 530 Reviews
Website View Page
1 Reply
Jimmy LieuBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2019 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
8mo
Quote from @Aezia Smith:

Hi everyone! I'm brand new to real estate investing and right now focused on learning fix & flip with the long-term goal of building a rental portfolio with BRRRR/house hacking. I'm not looking to sell anything or jump into a deal unprepared but I'm here to learn the right way. I'd love to connect with experienced investors who wouldn't mind letting me help, observe, analyze deals, or assist on a flip in exchange for learning. I'm open to doing the work and really want hands-on exposure rather than buying random courses. If anyone has advice, resources, or is even open to connecting, I'd truly appreciate it. Thanks in advance, excited to learn from this community!

Welcome to BP, Aezia! That's an awesome mindset and the best way to start—getting hands-on experience and learning from actual deals beats any course or theory. If you're focused on fix & flip and eventually building a rental portfolio, one thing I'd suggest is finding a market where you can still buy properties at prices that make sense for both flips and rentals, because it sets you up for future BRRRR or house hacking moves. A great example is Columbus, Ohio—prices are still affordable in the $120–180K range, you can hit the 1% rule, cash flow on rentals is strong, and the population and job growth is booming with big companies like Intel, Amazon, Google, Facebook, Honda, and more expanding here. There's also a lot of opportunity to network with active investors, find hands-on projects, and learn deal analysis in real time. Getting in the trenches, observing contractors, running numbers on flips, and then seeing how those same properties perform as rentals can be incredibly valuable. Happy to connect and answer any questions you have!
[email protected]614-300-7535
Jimmy Lieu, Red 1 Realty4.9120 Reviews
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Arman AhmedPro Member
Real Estate Agent · Columbus Cleveland Dayton, OH · Member since 2024 · 2k+ posts · 921 votes
8mo
@Aezia Smith
Hi Aezia — welcome! It's great that you're focused on learning by doing. Hands-on exposure is by far the fastest way to get comfortable with fix & flips and BRRRR strategies. One tip: start by connecting with investors who have off-market deals and boots-on-the-ground teams—property managers, contractors, and lenders—so you can see the full process from acquisition to rehab to rental. Observing and assisting on real deals, even small ones, will teach more than any course or book.

[email protected]614-418-6081
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Mustafa Ibrahim
Wholesaler · Nationwide · Member since 2026 · 13 posts · 5 votes
8mo
Hey Aezia, welcome to the group.

Your approach makes a lot of sense, especially wanting hands-on experience instead of jumping into courses. One area that often gets overlooked early on is deal sourcing. Understanding how motivated seller leads are generated and filtered is a huge part of successful flipping and BRRRR.

I work closely with investors by helping them generate and manage off-market seller leads, and I’ve seen beginners gain a lot of real-world exposure by assisting with lead intake, initial screening, and deal analysis before anything is under contract. It’s a practical way to learn how deals actually come together.

If you’d like, happy to connect and point you in the right direction or share how that side of the business works.

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Bo SmithPro Member
Hinton, WV · Member since 2026 · 1k+ posts · 373 votes
8mo
Smart approach - too many people jump in without a foundation and get burned. One thing that really accelerated my learning: pick ONE strategy (wholesaling, BRRRR, whatever) and study just that for 30 days instead of trying to learn everything at once. Way less overwhelming and you actually retain it. What strategy are you most drawn to right now?
1 Reply
Vladimir Kovrizhnykh
Real Estate Broker · Miami · Member since 2023 · 23 posts · 9 votes
8mo
Shoot me a DM, we buy a lot of houses including two we just acquired in Fort Lauderdale
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Bo SmithPro Member
Hinton, WV · Member since 2026 · 1k+ posts · 373 votes
7mo
Smart approach, hands-on beats courses every time. One thing I'd add: start tracking deals even before you find a mentor. Pull comps, estimate rehab costs, run the numbers on properties you see. When you do find that experienced investor, you'll speak their language and they'll take you more seriously. What market are you focusing on?
1 Reply
Pierre Guirguis
Lender · Marlboro, NJ · Member since 2025 · 243 posts · 149 votes
7mo
If you're serious about learning fix & flip with a BRRRR end goal, getting close to real deals isn't only the right move, but the only one.

Start paying attention early to how the deal exits, not just how it’s bought.

A few practical things to focus on when you’re helping on real deals:
- How rehab scope and timeline affect financing options
- What lenders actually look for when it comes time to refinance
- Where projects go sideways (budget creep, delays, overestimating ARV)
A lot of new investors learn acquisition and rehab first, then get surprised when the refinance doesn’t pencil the way they expected.

If you’re observing deals, ask questions like:
- “What does this need to look like to refi?”
- “What assumptions have to hold for this to work?”
- “What’s the backup plan if timelines slip?”
That mindset alone will put you ahead of most beginners!
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Mose Gebremeskel
Investor · Member since 2022 · 234 posts · 144 votes
7mo
Welcome to the community! It took me a while to jump in with a lot of what-if questions. IT wasn't until I just tried a route and stuck with it. My wife and I house hack, and it's been the greatest decision. Listen to podcasts and people you respect in these spaces.
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