Aspiring Investor Needs Starting Place

[Mike Garrett]

Hey Guys,  

I am not new to the business as my parents struggled through housing rentals when I was growing up. I remember days of fixing things and painting, my favorite part was the fast food that came along with the hard work. Now that I am older I know that there is a better way to do this then what my parents went through. We have bought in the Seattle area for my wife and I to live in and fixed some things that didn't "work" properly, after all I am an architect. But I know that there is a better way to "do" real estate. I have been reading and studying both real estate and business for some time now, including BP podcasts. They tell you so much but they never say "Start Here". I know we are all looking for the road map to financial freedom, and I truly believe that real estate is a great vehicle for that. In my day job as an architect, which is the coolest job on the planet, I get to work with all sorts of people, even some investors, so I understand a huge amount of the real estate process just from a vastly different angle (I can tell you an approximation of cost per square foot for new construction in the Greater Seattle Area, but if I am off by $20-$30,000 no big deal). Through what I have been learning and studying there is much more to this investing thing than meets the eye, but I am sick of studying and researching. It is time for me to get out there and make some money.

I live in Bothell, Washington, which I see as a great market to be in, and I do not plan on quitting my job (or my license), but I am interested in all aspects of real estate: wholesaling, rehabbing, and buy and hold (truth be told I would like to buy and hold a high rise building some day). I think that money is the issue holding me back, as I have none. I want to learn and try to think of myself as a creative thinker, hence the job thing. I am looking to connect with people and build a community around me so that we can navigate the terrestrial waters together!

[Troy Fisher]

Originally posted by @Mike Garrett:

 They tell you so much but they never say "Start Here". I know we are all looking for the road map to financial freedom, and I truly believe that real estate is a great vehicle for that. In my day job as an architect, which is the coolest job on the planet, I get to work with all sorts of people, even some investors, so I understand a huge amount of the real estate process just from a vastly different angle (I can tell you an approximation of cost per square foot for new construction in the Greater Seattle Area, but if I am off by $20-$30,000 no big deal). Through what I have been learning and studying there is much more to this investing thing than meets the eye, but I am sick of studying and researching. It is time for me to get out there and make some money.

Well Mike,

First Welcome to BiggerPockets!  Second, welcome to the Local BP community!  Fortunately for you there are so many different networking events in the area you can be networking 4 days of the week somewhere in the Tri-County area.  I host the PacificNW Meetup group in Kirkland on the First Friday of the Month. 

Second, the reason there is no "Start Here" is because there is no way for anyone to be able to tell you where to start.  Each individuals skill set, money situation, credit situation, and time situation is different.  Some people have the set that lets them start giving $500k to large apartment syndicators, some have 20k and live in Ohio where they can pay cash for a house! I always advise to start with what your goals are in 10 years, and work backwards from there.  Do you want to deal with Tenants?  Do you want to have your phone ring with people yelling at you to take them off your list? Do you want to negotiate with people in financial trouble to turn around their non-performing notes?  So many questions to ponder about you and your personality, needs and wants before you can "Start Here".