Discerning Next Best Step for New Real Estate Investor

Austin, Texas
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Discerning Next Best Step for New Real Estate Investor

Garrett Clawson
New to Real Estate · Austin, TX · Member since 2022 · 1 post · 2 votes

Hey all!

So excited to be here. My name is Garrett Clawson, and my wife and I (and our 15-month-old!) live in Round Rock, TX (just north of Austin). I've been listening to the BP podcast for quite some time but really wanted to take action and get started on my real estate journey. 

My wife and I are both in the nonprofit space but want to get into real estate investing. While we have ~$25k set aside for this purpose to use in some capacity, we aren't sure whether we should try to make a play for something local in Greater Austin (given the challenges cash-flowing something and the depreciation we're seeing) or to look somewhere like Shreveport, LA where the rest of my family live (and could potentially help with property management).

Unfortunately, something like a HELOC isn't on the table, as we bought our house in July 2021 and have seen significant depreciation since (although we have a 2.75% interest rate, which is nice!).

With that being said, where should I go from here? I feel like I've been reading all about BRRRR and seller financing but am a bit overwhelmed with what to do NEXT. The dream would be for me to quit my job in the nonprofit world and go full-time in real estate investing.

Grateful to be part of this community and your feedback!


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  • Elealeh Fulmaran
    Specialist · Member since 2025 · 483 posts · 270 votes
    10mo

    Garrett, love the drive and the clarity on your why. Two quick moves: pick one lane for the first deal (simple buy‑and‑hold or a light rehab) and set a tight buy box so you’re not chasing Austin and Shreveport at once; then sanity‑check rents and expenses with a local PM in your chosen market before you underwrite anything.

    Given your $25k, which market do you want to test first, and what’s your buy box for that first property?

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  • Alfath AhmedBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10mo
    Quote from @Garrett Clawson:

    Hey all!

    So excited to be here. My name is Garrett Clawson, and my wife and I (and our 15-month-old!) live in Round Rock, TX (just north of Austin). I've been listening to the BP podcast for quite some time but really wanted to take action and get started on my real estate journey. 

    My wife and I are both in the nonprofit space but want to get into real estate investing. While we have ~$25k set aside for this purpose to use in some capacity, we aren't sure whether we should try to make a play for something local in Greater Austin (given the challenges cash-flowing something and the depreciation we're seeing) or to look somewhere like Shreveport, LA where the rest of my family live (and could potentially help with property management).

    Unfortunately, something like a HELOC isn't on the table, as we bought our house in July 2021 and have seen significant depreciation since (although we have a 2.75% interest rate, which is nice!).

    With that being said, where should I go from here? I feel like I've been reading all about BRRRR and seller financing but am a bit overwhelmed with what to do NEXT. The dream would be for me to quit my job in the nonprofit world and go full-time in real estate investing.

    Grateful to be part of this community and your feedback!



     That's awesome man. I brrrr'ed my way into 28 units in the midwest. Find a good market in the midwest that is landlord friendly. There should be a ton of tech companies that are investing here like intel, google, amazon. 

    Connect with a good investor agent that can give you deal flow, contractors, property managers, and connect you with the lenders.

    [email protected]614-802-5698
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  • Aaron Gordy
    Real Estate Broker · Austin, TX · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    10mo

    @Garrett Clawson Welcome to BP. Just a thought. You could rent out your house and buy a duplex owner occupied with the 25k and likely have money left over. You could hopefully create cash flow with the house and cut your living expenses down considerably with the rent from the other side of the duplex. That should get you well on your way to real estate investing full time. 

    Personally, I wouldn't buy a rental in Shreveport based upon family or friends helping with management. It could really strain relationships if things go south, not saying that they will though.  I would buy a rental in my hometown which isn't that far from Shreveport, if I had a family member that was retired AND was just bored to death AND needed something to do AND was very capable of maintaining it cheaply. I capitalized and because its critical imo. As a long time real estate broker I have seen relationships get very strong from this activity and very strained from this activity so its critical to be on the same page. 

    Hope that helps. Reach out if needed. 

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