New Investor Seeking Advice on the Best Starting Strategy for a Family of 4 👨‍👩‍👧‍

[Lindsay Custard]

Hey everyone! 👋

I’m new to BiggerPockets and excited to start my real estate investing journey.  We are located between Dallas and Tyler, TX in a rural area. My goal is to build long-term wealth and eventually reach around $9,000/month in profit through real estate.

Originally, I was really interested in multifamily investing and house hacking as a starting strategy, but with a family of four, I’m realizing that house hacking might not be the most practical option for us right now. I still want to start smart, learn the ropes on one good deal, and build momentum — just in a way that makes sense for our lifestyle and responsibilities.

I’d love to hear from others in similar situations:
👉 What starting strategies have worked best for families?
👉 How did you balance investing with family life and risk management early on?
👉 Any tips or creative approaches you’d recommend for someone in my position?

I’m here to learn, connect, and grow with this community. Thanks in advance for any advice and guidance you can share — I really appreciate it!

– Lindsay Custard-

[Drew Sygit]

@Lindsay Custard wow, can't believe that @Denise Supplee and @Ken M. are the only ones that really read your post and gave you appropriate advice:(

@Jason Koford why would a mother want to rent out a room to a stranger when she has a family to protect?

@Steve Karpowich her post stated she didn't think house-hacking would work with her family situation. Maybe she can find a duplex.

@Aaron Zimmerman do you have kids? How do keep them out of the mess a Live-in flip becomes and keep them safe?

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Building wealth and cashflow passively can take quite a long time, but there are less headaches.

Given your family-related time constraints, stay as local as possible. The further you have to drive, the less often you will make that drive and the more likely you wil experience, "out of sight, out of mind". 

While a duplex will work, finding them can be challenging and may take some time.
Another attraction with a duplex is you could experiment with STR & MTR in the other unit for more cashflow to spur your portfolio growth!

You could also do a flip to increase your funds and learn a lot about repairs and contractors - invaluable knowledge for an investor.

If you do a rental, again try to keep it as close as possible.