New to REI, looking for guidance and mentors

Seattle, Washington
New Member Introductions
7moFollow

New to REI, looking for guidance and mentors

Jeremy BautistaPro Member
Lynnwood, WA · Member since 2026 · 6 posts · 6 votes

Aloha everyone,

My name is Jeremy Bautista. I recently separated from the Hawaii Air National Guard and graduated from Chaminade University with my nursing degree. I just moved from Hawaii to Washington to start working in a hospital as a new grad nurse.

After reading Rich Dad Poor Dad, my mindset completely shifted when it comes to building wealth and financial freedom.

I’m here to connect with other real estate investors — especially those in the medical or military fields — who are a few steps ahead of me. I’m definitely stepping outside my comfort zone (introvert here), but I’m serious about networking, learning, and growing.

My goal is to use my VA loan to secure my first rental property and build from there. I'd love to connect, learn from your experiences, and hopefully find a mentor along the way.

Looking forward to connecting with you all!

3Reply
117 views

Most Popular Reply

Grant SchroederPro Member
Lender · OR ID AZ CA WA CO NV TN MT · Member since 2018 · 598 posts · 312 votes
5mo

@Jeremy Bautista, I would highly recommend connecting with @Sean Smith locally if you have not already in Seattle!

[email protected]541-231-1256
1Reply
See this reply in the discussion

6 Replies

Jump to latestLatest
  • Janice Carter
    Real Estate Broker · Atlanta · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 605 votes
    7mo

    Jeremy, welcome to the BP community. Congrats on the nursing career and the move to Washington. Using your VA loan strategically for your first property is a smart move, especially early in your career. If you need help finding an investor friendly real estate agent and a mortgage broker in your area who understands VA loans, feel free to reach out to me. Happy to help point you in the right direction.

    0Reply
  • Ken M.
    Investor · Get yourself trained before doing something inadvisable. · Member since 2024 · 3k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    7mo
    Quote from @Jeremy Bautista:

    Aloha everyone,

    My name is Jeremy Bautista. I recently separated from the Hawaii Air National Guard and graduated from Chaminade University with my nursing degree. I just moved from Hawaii to Washington to start working in a hospital as a new grad nurse.

    After reading Rich Dad Poor Dad, my mindset completely shifted when it comes to building wealth and financial freedom.

    I’m here to connect with other real estate investors — especially those in the medical or military fields — who are a few steps ahead of me. I’m definitely stepping outside my comfort zone (introvert here), but I’m serious about networking, learning, and growing.

    My goal is to use my VA loan to secure my first rental property and build from there. I'd love to connect, learn from your experiences, and hopefully find a mentor along the way.

    Looking forward to connecting with you all!

    Hi @Jeremy Bautista: welcome. I'm from Seattle, in fact I got my start there doing foreclosures. Not much about the market I haven't experienced. I don't invest anymore in Washington, now I'm sticking to Arizona and Texas. 

    Before you get too involved in real estate, have an escrow officer explain the punitive Washington excise tax on selling properties, so you can calculate profit or lack thereof, before you take on a project. Ask about difficulties in evictions and the looming income tax. 
    Just be aware of where you are putting down shop for investing.
    0Reply
  • Benjamin AakerPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Brandon, SD · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    7mo

    Hi Jeremy, Welcome to BP. It's always nice to see a fellow healthcare professional on the forums. You've got a great benefit with the VA loan. I recommend looking into house hacking a 4 plex when starting.

    0Reply
  • Joel BongcoBusiness Member
    Investor · Honolulu HI & Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2018 · 370 posts · 178 votes
    6mo
    Quote from @Jeremy Bautista:

    Aloha everyone,

    My name is Jeremy Bautista. I recently separated from the Hawaii Air National Guard and graduated from Chaminade University with my nursing degree. I just moved from Hawaii to Washington to start working in a hospital as a new grad nurse.

    After reading Rich Dad Poor Dad, my mindset completely shifted when it comes to building wealth and financial freedom.

    I’m here to connect with other real estate investors — especially those in the medical or military fields — who are a few steps ahead of me. I’m definitely stepping outside my comfort zone (introvert here), but I’m serious about networking, learning, and growing.

    My goal is to use my VA loan to secure my first rental property and build from there. I'd love to connect, learn from your experiences, and hopefully find a mentor along the way.

    Looking forward to connecting with you all!

    Aloha Jeremy!  There is a BiggerPockets event in Seattle on March 27th.   I highly recommend that you register and attend!  http://biggerpockets.com/seattle

    [email protected]808-427-2444
    Inspired Life Investments LLC.
    WebsiteView Page
    0Reply
  • Grant SchroederPro Member
    Lender · OR ID AZ CA WA CO NV TN MT · Member since 2018 · 598 posts · 312 votes
    5mo

    @Jeremy Bautista, I would highly recommend connecting with @Sean Smith locally if you have not already in Seattle!

    [email protected]541-231-1256
    1Reply
  • Arman AhmedPro Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus Cleveland Dayton, OH · Member since 2024 · 2k+ posts · 917 votes
    5mo
    Quote from @Jeremy Bautista:

    Aloha everyone,

    My name is Jeremy Bautista. I recently separated from the Hawaii Air National Guard and graduated from Chaminade University with my nursing degree. I just moved from Hawaii to Washington to start working in a hospital as a new grad nurse.

    After reading Rich Dad Poor Dad, my mindset completely shifted when it comes to building wealth and financial freedom.

    I’m here to connect with other real estate investors — especially those in the medical or military fields — who are a few steps ahead of me. I’m definitely stepping outside my comfort zone (introvert here), but I’m serious about networking, learning, and growing.

    My goal is to use my VA loan to secure my first rental property and build from there. I'd love to connect, learn from your experiences, and hopefully find a mentor along the way.

    Looking forward to connecting with you all!

    Respect for your background and making the jump into REI, that mindset shift is the biggest step. Since you're using a VA loan, that's a strong way to get started locally, but don't limit yourself there. A lot of military and healthcare investors I work with end up scaling faster by also looking out-of-state in Midwest markets, where you can still find under-valued properties that actually cash flow, instead of just breaking even. Plus, we've got boots-on-the-ground support there with property managers, contractors, and lender options already in place, so you're not figuring it out alone. Happy to share ideas if you want to compare strategies.

    [email protected]614-418-6081
    0Reply
Join the conversationCreate a free account to reply, vote on answers and follow this thread.
Log InJoin for Free