New Investor, Ready to learn and stop spinning my wheels

Nicholas L.Pro Member

Flipper/Rehabber · Pittsburgh · Member since 2018 · 6k+ posts · 5k+ votes

11mo

@Kidany Cabrera

can you start with a house hack instead

0 Reply

Kidany Cabrera

OP

New York City · Member since 2025 · 5 posts · 5 votes

11mo

Thank you for your reply Nicholas! From what I understand a house hack to be, I don't think it'll be doable. We're in a small NYC apartment and don't have any extra space to rent out.

0 Reply

Elealeh Fulmaran

Specialist · Member since 2025 · 483 posts · 270 votes

11mo

Kidany, keep it simple and consistent. Pick one market to own first, define a tight seller list (pre‑foreclosure, code violations, tired landlords), and commit to a daily pipeline: pull leads, call or text with a clear problem‑solver script, send offers same day, follow up weekly. Build your buyers bench now by meeting active flippers and hard‑money lenders, collecting their buy box so you reverse engineer offers. In NYC, stay compliant by marketing your equitable interest, not the property, and use an attorney-reviewed assignment/option. Track everything in a sheet, measure contacts to contracts, and iterate your script, not your strategy. This week: choose your zip focus, add 100 targeted leads, have 20 real seller convos, and book two buyer walkthroughs. Momentum beats another course.

3 Reply

Kidany Cabrera

OP

New York City · Member since 2025 · 5 posts · 5 votes

11mo

Thank you so much for your reply Elealeh, that was awesome. I will put your advice into motion. Question, would you say texting is just as effective as calling? And is emailing effective as well? Thanks again!

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Account Closed

Member since 2025 · 47 posts · 23 votes

11mo

Buy a secondary home wether it be single family or multi family with just 5% down that generates cash flow. Make sure the property has ARV potential so that way you can pull equity out of it and use that to go buy another and slowly build up a portfolio of rental properties wether they be STR, MTR, LTR. My cousin @Jason Wray and me work with clients all over doing this. I see your from New York as I know that area well and all of New England and Florida and North Carolina . Reach out would love to help you build your future .

1 Reply

Abel CurielBusiness Member

Real Estate Agent · Queens, NY · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes

11mo

Quote from @Kidany Cabrera:

Hello BiggerPockets community!! My name is Kidany. I hope everyone is doing well. I am here to learn how to start a real estate investment business. I am trying to start with wholesaling real estate and eventually get into something more passive. I am still new so I'm still trying to figure things out. I've been at it for a year and I still feel like its a struggle.

I am based out of New York City and I plan to invest here and if possible, in Florida and Texas to start off. My plans are to start a wholesale business as soon as my efforts allow. I first got interested in real estate investing because of my better half, she always spoke to me about passive income and building a financial wall for our family through investments, so here I am jajaja.

I guess my first question to the community is how did you guys build your real estate investment business? or wholesale business? I do not understand how to make it work. I have been trying for a year and have not gotten any luck. I get close but then sellers back out. I feel like there hast to be a better way but my knowledge is limited. I have tried very expensive courses but they talk a big game and just leave you in credit card debt. Looking forward to seeing this communities replies. Thank you all!

Hello Kidany,

It sounds like you're putting in the work and not seeing results. This could be an issue related to your system for generating and converting leads. There could be any number of other reasons but you aren't the only one. Many people take months, sometimes a year or more before closing their first deal.

I started 'wholesaling' (I closed zero deals) by calling and mailing a lis pendens list in Queens. After many instances of missed opportunity, I decided to get my real estate license and haven't looked back.

Sellers backing out is part of the business. Buyers back out too. It seems like you got into wholesaling to monetize your contacts, along with your interest, passion, and knowledge in Real Estate. As a wholesaler, you could be missing out on other clients - mainly, buyers and traditional sellers.

If you're already making calls and other marketing efforts to get deals, consider partnering with someone to buy those deals. Househacking is another way to get into REI.

Lastly, look into the Real Estate sales business and decide if getting licensed makes sense for you.

All the best!

Abel

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Kidany Cabrera
OP
New York City · Member since 2025 · 5 posts · 5 votes
11mo
Quote from @Abel Curiel:
Quote from @Kidany Cabrera:

Hello BiggerPockets community!! My name is Kidany. I hope everyone is doing well. I am here to learn how to start a real estate investment business. I am trying to start with wholesaling real estate and eventually get into something more passive. I am still new so I'm still trying to figure things out. I've been at it for a year and I still feel like its a struggle.

I am based out of New York City and I plan to invest here and if possible, in Florida and Texas to start off. My plans are to start a wholesale business as soon as my efforts allow. I first got interested in real estate investing because of my better half, she always spoke to me about passive income and building a financial wall for our family through investments, so here I am jajaja.
I guess my first question to the community is how did you guys build your real estate investment business? or wholesale business? I do not understand how to make it work. I have been trying for a year and have not gotten any luck. I get close but then sellers back out. I feel like there hast to be a better way but my knowledge is limited. I have tried very expensive courses but they talk a big game and just leave you in credit card debt. Looking forward to seeing this communities replies. Thank you all!

Hello Kidany,
It sounds like you're putting in the work and not seeing results. This could be an issue related to your system for generating and converting leads. There could be any number of other reasons but you aren't the only one. Many people take months, sometimes a year or more before closing their first deal.

I started 'wholesaling' (I closed zero deals) by calling and mailing a lis pendens list in Queens. After many instances of missed opportunity, I decided to get my real estate license and haven't looked back.
Sellers backing out is part of the business. Buyers back out too. It seems like you got into wholesaling to monetize your contacts, along with your interest, passion, and knowledge in Real Estate. As a wholesaler, you could be missing out on other clients - mainly, buyers and traditional sellers.
If you're already making calls and other marketing efforts to get deals, consider partnering with someone to buy those deals. Househacking is another way to get into REI.
Lastly, look into the Real Estate sales business and decide if getting licensed makes sense for you.
All the best!
Abel
Hello Abel,
Thank you for the message.
It could very well be a system issue. I was just using PropStream and Google Sheets. When you tried wholesaling, was it in NYC as well? Can you please elaborate a bit when you say "partnering with someone to buy those deals," a bit more? Thank you so much for your help! I appreciate it.
0 Reply
Abel CurielBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Queens, NY · Member since 2016 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11mo
@Kidany Cabrera Yes, I was doing this in Queens.
Partnering meaning finding someone within the local RE investing community OR someone in your personal circle/sphere of influence to buy the deal with you. They would put down some, most, or all of the money to fund the deal and you would work out an agreement detailing responsibilities for each of the partners. in order to find a partner, you would need to present the deal in as much detail as possible, including purchase price, closing costs, holding costs, renovation cost, resale costs, etc.,
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Ashish AcharyaBusiness Member

CPA, CFP®, PFS · FL · Member since 2017 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes

11mo

Hey Kidany, first off, I love your drive and that you’re thinking about real estate as a way to build wealth. If this year has been a struggle, one of the easiest ways to get started is to house hack or start with just one rental in an area you know you can comfortably afford (don't try to do too much).

The reason many investors start with a house hack is that it lets you live in part of the property, offset your living expenses, and gain hands-on experience managing tenants, all without taking on too much risk. If you can find a place in New York where you’re comfortable moving out of your apartment and into part of the property, that’s often the simplest entry point.

You also want to make sure the income from any investment or rental you pick works with your current finances and makes sense from a tax perspective. That’s actually a big reason many people get into real estate. Tax planning can help offset income (using strategies you probably see mentioned a lot on here -- cost seg, depreciation, 1031 exchanges, etc.), let you keep more of what you earn, and give you extra capital to reinvest, all while building long-term wealth.

Florida and Texas are great markets, but some areas can be pricey or competitive. Widening your search to up-and-coming neighborhoods can let you get your feet wet, connect with a real estate agent in the area you're interest in, start with one property, and then leverage that first investment with tax strategies and growth plans to keep building. Good luck! Happy to connect!

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Clark Thornton

Property Manager · Orlando, FL · Member since 2025 · 110 posts · 51 votes

11mo

Quote from @Kidany Cabrera:

Hello BiggerPockets community!! My name is Kidany. I hope everyone is doing well. I am here to learn how to start a real estate investment business. I am trying to start with wholesaling real estate and eventually get into something more passive. I am still new so I'm still trying to figure things out. I've been at it for a year and I still feel like its a struggle.

I am based out of New York City and I plan to invest here and if possible, in Florida and Texas to start off. My plans are to start a wholesale business as soon as my efforts allow. I first got interested in real estate investing because of my better half, she always spoke to me about passive income and building a financial wall for our family through investments, so here I am jajaja.

I guess my first question to the community is how did you guys build your real estate investment business? or wholesale business? I do not understand how to make it work. I have been trying for a year and have not gotten any luck. I get close but then sellers back out. I feel like there hast to be a better way but my knowledge is limited. I have tried very expensive courses but they talk a big game and just leave you in credit card debt. Looking forward to seeing this communities replies. Thank you all!

Hey Kidany, if you are ever looking to buy in Florida, feel free to hit me up. I'm not a realtor so can't help there, but could help you understand the Fl market better!

0 Reply

Drago Stanimirovic

New to Real Estate · Miami, FL · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 457 votes

11mo

Welcome, Kidany!

Appreciate your honesty, many of us have been exactly where you are. Wholesaling in a market like NYC takes serious hustle and strategy, especially with sellers backing out or overpricing. Courses often overpromise, but experience and networking are what really move the needle.

Focus on consistency in lead generation and building trust with motivated sellers. Don’t ignore markets like Florida and Texas, they can be more investor-friendly to start out. It’s a grind at first, but you’re laying the groundwork for something long-term.

1 Reply

Melissa HaworthBusiness Member

Real Estate Agent · The Panhandle | The Emerald Coast | Panama City Beach | Destin · Member since 2017 · 257 posts · 101 votes

10mo

Hey Kidany! Really appreciate your honesty, it’s super refreshing. So many people feel this way early on, but not everyone is brave enough to say it out loud. You’re not alone in the struggle, and honestly, the fact that you’re still showing up after a year says a lot.

Wholesaling can be a tough first step, especially in a high-cost market like NYC. It’s very hustle-heavy, and like you said, it can feel like a lot of spinning wheels when deals fall through. I dabbled early on too but eventually pivoted to short-term rentals because I wanted more control and something that could turn into semi-passive income a little faster.

Since you mentioned Florida, have you looked into the Panhandle? That’s where I live and invest (Destin, 30A, Panama City Beach). The demand is strong, especially from drive-to vacationers, and investors are able to cash flow with the right property and setup. It’s a different game than wholesaling, for sure, but if building long-term wealth and passive income is part of the goal (which it sounds like it is), STRs might be worth exploring.

Also, major respect to your better half for planting the seed. Having someone pushing for financial freedom with you is a gift. Keep learning, stay skeptical of overpriced “guru” courses, and lean into communities like this where people are actually doing the work.

You’ve got this!

[email protected]469-658-2869

0 Reply

Kidany Cabrera
OP
New York City · Member since 2025 · 5 posts · 5 votes
10mo
Quote from @Melissa Haworth:

Hey Kidany! Really appreciate your honesty, it’s super refreshing. So many people feel this way early on, but not everyone is brave enough to say it out loud. You’re not alone in the struggle, and honestly, the fact that you’re still showing up after a year says a lot.

Wholesaling can be a tough first step, especially in a high-cost market like NYC. It’s very hustle-heavy, and like you said, it can feel like a lot of spinning wheels when deals fall through. I dabbled early on too but eventually pivoted to short-term rentals because I wanted more control and something that could turn into semi-passive income a little faster.

Since you mentioned Florida, have you looked into the Panhandle? That’s where I live and invest (Destin, 30A, Panama City Beach). The demand is strong, especially from drive-to vacationers, and investors are able to cash flow with the right property and setup. It’s a different game than wholesaling, for sure, but if building long-term wealth and passive income is part of the goal (which it sounds like it is), STRs might be worth exploring.

Also, major respect to your better half for planting the seed. Having someone pushing for financial freedom with you is a gift. Keep learning, stay skeptical of overpriced “guru” courses, and lean into communities like this where people are actually doing the work.

You’ve got this!

Hey Melissa, Thank you so much for the advice! I haven't looked into the Panhandle. I have just been trying to work in the Tampa and Jacksonville areas because I was told that they are good wholesale markets. So I was told, lol. I will look in those areas you mentioned, thank you. I will also definitely explore STRs.
I appreciate the encouraging words. I will definitely run the other way when I see another "guru."
0 Reply

Basit SiddiqiBusiness Member

Accountant · New York, NY · Member since 2015 · 8k+ posts · 3k+ votes

10mo

Is it what you want to do or something your better half suggested to you?
If it is not something that you want, you may want to let them know.

Working on something for a year is a long time. If you haven't seen results, it might mean to try a different strategy, focus on one aspect or give up and move on.

You mentioned several different topics from investing, wholesaling along with different areas such as Texas, Florida and New York.
I would pick one strategy - wholesaling or investing.
I would pick one location - New York, Texas or Florida

Go 100% for the next 6 months. If you haven't had any success, you might have to revisit this

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New Investor, Ready to learn and stop spinning my wheels

New Investor, Ready to learn and stop spinning my wheels

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