New Member starting out in The Greater St. Louis Area

[Leah Cooper]

Hi everyone,

My name is Leah Cooper and I am brand new to real estate. I'm trying to pinpoint exactly what my first steps should be, and in my search I came across Bigger Pockets. I'd like to begin growing my business little by little as time and capital allow. Eventually, I'd like to be able to live comfortably (and then some) off of my profits. 

Does anyone have any tips for what my first investments should be? I'm most interested in land-lording at the moment because I feel that requires the least capital - or am I wrong about that? Any helpful insights will be much appreciated!

Thanks all!

Leah Cooper

[Peter MacKercher]

Welcome to Biggerpockets Leah. I am in STL please let me know if you need anything.  I love 4 families as a first investment property. 

In the meantime here are 9 tips to help you grow your business using BP:

1. New to BP? http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere

2. Check out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.

3. Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice. And you get the benefit of having over 100 past ones to catch up on.

4. Develop your own business strategy. -- Don’t just be a “jack-of-all-trades" Even though I am.

5. Grow your business by developing your business plan. - Remember there is a difference between goals and a plan. http://www.biggerpockets.com/files

6. Locate and attend several different local REIAs as they’re great opportunities to network and meet wholesalers, lenders, and contractors.

7. Stay away from the “guru” sales-pitch events - they rarely increase your investment knowledge, they merely empty your wallet!

8. Spend some time every day on Bigger Pockets by connecting with “colleagues,” perusing blogs and videos, and engaging with others on the forums: http://www.biggerpockets.com/meet

9. Set yourself up to receive free alerts to be notified of subjects that interest you: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alerts