Newbie in Kyle/Austin. Here to learn and plan.

[Mandy Walker]

hi! I’ve been lurking on BP for a while and listening to the podcasts. A writer I admire contributes here and I’ve been hooked for months. 

I hope to eventually make it into real estate, hopefully multi family. Also interested in sober living homes as investments, as I care about the opioid crisis and would love to make an REinvestment that suppOrts recovery. Right now I’m in the education phase. I know my area well and did ok with stocks as a young woman. But my goal this year is to get my **** together financially so I can begin investing in the next 2-3 years. Following a bad breakup, my credit was trashed—partially by fraud. I’m still living paycheck to paycheck, but have been saving aggressively. Lack of capital is my barrier.

But learning on BP has given me the hope that I can at least upgrade to a nicer rental and study habits of successful investors here. I have no RE experience but know to use all the free info, expertise, and networking options here to build a plan. If anyone has ideas on low level investments I could use to build capital until I can afford real estate,would love that. Also have questions about finding housing in my increasingly expensive hometown with horrible credit. My job pays well and I am saving what I can, but never make same mistake twice. The one thing I have going for me is being a good student.

Any advice or intros welcome! Also where is an appropriate place to connect w potential Austin area landlords for my own housing? Literally wondering where to look online besides CL but wouldn’t mind hearing from others who use services to find renters. Seeking info to aide search and education only, not asking for a deal. 

Thanks to everyone who made it through this long post. Glad to be here!