First time real estate investor

[Noelle Johnson]

I’m a first-time real estate investor based in Philadelphia, excited to start my investment journey. I’m currently looking for a turnkey property to get started—ideally something that’s already rehabbed and rent-ready.

I’m here to connect, learn from experienced investors, and hopefully find a mentor or two along the way. If you have any advice, leads, or resources for beginners in the Philly area, I’d love to hear from you!

Looking forward to growing in this community and taking action on my first deal. 🙌

[Melissa Justice]

@Noelle Johnson,

Hey, welcome to the community and congrats on taking that first step toward investing! 

Starting with a turnkey, rehabbed, rent-ready property is a smart way to build confidence and generate cash flow without getting overwhelmed by a full-blown rehab on your first deal. Philly has some solid neighborhoods, but like many urban markets, you’ll want to be really careful about property taxes, tenant laws, and block-by-block differences, especially as a first-time investor.

A few quick tips:
Things to Start Doing Now:
*Connect with investor-friendly agents and property managers in Philly - they’ll help you spot good zip codes and avoid the trouble spots.
*Run your numbers conservatively and make sure you're accounting for CapEx, vacancy, maintenance, and management even if you plan to self-manage short-term.
*Start networking locally (meetups, REI groups, etc.) and also explore the forums here - tons of people have shared Philly-specific advice in the past.

Many first-time investors in more expensive or tightly regulated cities eventually look at out-of-state turnkey markets in places like the Midwest or Southeast - areas with lower entry points, stronger rent-to-price ratios, and landlord-friendly laws. These can be great for building early momentum and learning the ropes while working with a solid property management team.

Keep learning, ask questions, and don’t be afraid to take action once you’ve run the numbers and built a small team around you. Happy to help if you ever want to talk through a deal or compare markets.

Best of luck,

Melissa