Seriously Considering Online Real Estate Classes
I've been really thinking about taking online real estate classes to try and get my license. For years I've always been drawn to real estate in some way but I never really pursued it due to needing a good paying job with steady income and benefits. So for the last 16 years I've been lucky enough to work full time making decent money and having great benefits with the same company and at the moment I do plan on staying till I retire which will be at least another 20+ years. But real estate really does interest me a lot. I've had people ask me if I was to get laid off from my current job and could do something else that I would actually enjoy doing all while making a decent living the only thing that comes to mind is real estate.
I've always been interested in real estate investing, actually purchased a small 1 bedroom, 1 bath condo years ago not knowing anything and has been occupied for pretty much the entire time. I learned later on after visiting here that I did not get a good deal on it but I made the best of it and have had someone else pay my loan down for me while adding a few bucks into my pocket which I save for repairs and other things associated with it. I also like the tax benefits I get from owning it and the appreciation from the years I've owned it. I've always wanted to purchase more rental properties or try to rehab and flip some properties but never really took the next step.
The last year or so I've been thinking of trying to get my real estate license and after speaking to a good friend of mine who has been a realtor for over 25 years and is very successful in her field I'm now seriously thinking of giving it a try. Her advice was to do it, we have spoke greatly many times about real estate and she's told me she can see how much I enjoy talking about it that I should give it a shot. I'd want to do it more for the investment side rather than buying/selling but I would love to help anyone I could buy or sell a property. But all this would be done as a part time agent so not sure if it would even be a good idea due to the cost associated with being an agent.
It would take a lot for me to transition to a full time agent and leave my job. My job allows me to leave work at 1:30 PM Monday - Friday with weekends off so I feel like I still have a good amount of time through out the day to do real estate. I also like the idea of everything I could learn by having my license and being an agent as well as being able to look up comps myself and not have to reach out to my friend every time I come across a property. And I'm sure there are some good tax benefits of being an agent just not sure how that would work being part time and having a regular full time job. It would be nice to make a little extra income, at least enough to pay whatever fees I have to as an agent and anything extra on top of that is just a plus.
Have any of you been in my same situation? Would you recommend giving it a try or does it look like it would be a waste in my situation? My cousin was once an agent/broker years ago but failed at it for some reason. He's a very smart guy and not real sure what happened but I believe he just wasn't bringing in enough money so had to change careers, got a full time job with benefits and is doing well now. Also had a older co-worker who did it all while working full time here but after about a year she gave it up and I never got to ask her why. I feel like if I don't do it now then I will be looking back years later and asking myself why didn't I at least give it a try. Any advice would be much appreciated.