New Investor, any advice is appreciated

[Caleb Davis]

I'm Caleb, my wife and I are trying to start our investing journey this year. Looking to house hack a duplex/triplex by the end of the year and trying to learn as much as we can until then. We're currently working our way through Brandon Turners book on rental property investing and absorb as much information as we can before beginning this journey. It's a bit unnerving to start as we've been stuck in the mindset of low cost index fund investing as a tool for retirement but we've realized that that strategy is not going to get us to financial freedom as quickly as we would like so discovering the power of real estate investment is both exciting but scary at the same time. I never thought real estate was going to be something we could pursue, outside of maybe buying a modest starter home, but over the last year we've been able to grow our income quite a lot compared to recent years so real estate investing seems attainable now. Looking for any opportunities to network and get advice if anyone feels like reaching out, Thanks!

[Aaron Zimmerman]

Welcome Caleb! I definitely understand the feeling of being uneasy. There's a lot to learn and a lot you don't know.

I'd encourage you to actively network in your local market and on here. The more connections in your local market, the higher your likelihood of success.

I would look to start with a house hack if that suits your lifestyle. Lower down payment and the tenants paying down the mortgage. Ideally, you reduce living expenses while living there and have positive cash flow upon move out.