Looking to build connections

[Korey Ralston]

Hey everyone,

I’m a real estate investor based in Florida and wanted to introduce myself and share a bit about what I’ve been working on.

I got started with house hacking by purchasing a triplex, living in one unit while renting out the others. That experience really showed me how powerful real estate can be when you approach it creatively. Since then, I’ve continued that same strategy with my current home — renting out bedrooms and running an Airbnb in the in-law suite to maximize cash flow.

So far, I’ve focused heavily on maximizing the properties I already have and learning how to turn one property into multiple income streams. It’s been a great hands-on learning experience with both long-term and short-term rentals, as well as tenant management.

This year, my main focus is growth — both in my portfolio and in my relationships. I’m looking to take intentional steps toward acquiring more properties, especially small multifamily, while also building stronger connections in the real estate space. A big goal of mine is to eventually find a mentor who can help guide me as I scale and navigate more advanced strategies like creative financing and more complex deal structures.

I’m also working on building more confidence and consistency with deal analysis so I can move faster and make better decisions when opportunities come up.

I joined BiggerPockets to connect with other investors, learn from those who are further along, and contribute what I can from my own experience so far.

For those of you who have been investing for a while — how did you go about finding a mentor or building relationships that led to real guidance and growth? What actually helped you stand out or build those connections?

If you’re investing in Florida or working on similar strategies, I’d love to connect.

Looking forward to being part of the community.

[Jimmy Lieu]

Quote from @Korey Ralston:

Hey everyone,

I’m a real estate investor based in Florida and wanted to introduce myself and share a bit about what I’ve been working on.

I got started with house hacking by purchasing a triplex, living in one unit while renting out the others. That experience really showed me how powerful real estate can be when you approach it creatively. Since then, I’ve continued that same strategy with my current home — renting out bedrooms and running an Airbnb in the in-law suite to maximize cash flow.

So far, I’ve focused heavily on maximizing the properties I already have and learning how to turn one property into multiple income streams. It’s been a great hands-on learning experience with both long-term and short-term rentals, as well as tenant management.

This year, my main focus is growth — both in my portfolio and in my relationships. I’m looking to take intentional steps toward acquiring more properties, especially small multifamily, while also building stronger connections in the real estate space. A big goal of mine is to eventually find a mentor who can help guide me as I scale and navigate more advanced strategies like creative financing and more complex deal structures.

I’m also working on building more confidence and consistency with deal analysis so I can move faster and make better decisions when opportunities come up.

I joined BiggerPockets to connect with other investors, learn from those who are further along, and contribute what I can from my own experience so far.

For those of you who have been investing for a while — how did you go about finding a mentor or building relationships that led to real guidance and growth? What actually helped you stand out or build those connections?

If you’re investing in Florida or working on similar strategies, I’d love to connect.

Looking forward to being part of the community.

Hey Ryan, welcome to BP and sounds like you’re already doing a lot of the right things just by focusing on cash flow and trying to build your network again. For mentors, most investors don’t really “find” one in a formal way at first—it usually comes from consistently being in the same rooms (online forums, local meetups, or deal discussions), asking good but simple questions, and actually taking action on what you learn so people see you’re serious. What tends to make you stand out is not trying to impress anyone, but being dependable, quick to follow up, and willing to look at deals even if you don’t buy them, because that’s how conversations turn into real relationships. On the investing side, success with long distance or local really comes down to having a repeatable process for analyzing deals, knowing your buy box clearly, and building trust with a small team you can rely on so you’re not reinventing the wheel every time. A lot of newer investors over-focus on finding the “perfect mentor” or “perfect market” when the real unlock is just getting reps in, reviewing deals consistently, and learning how to spot good fundamentals quickly. Sounds like you’re already on a solid path just by being intentional about growth and relationships, so keep stacking that consistency and the right people usually come into your circle naturally over time.