Just wondering everybody's education/background?

Upstate, NY · Member since 2012 · 26 posts · 2 votes

I was just wondering what everybody's education or background is? seems that a large percentage of you folks have some type of formal "business" or finance education, or come directly from the world of Real Estate?

I'm an engineer (Civil/Structural) from NY.

Thanks all.

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Joel OwensBusiness Member

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Real Estate Broker · Canton, GA · Member since 2010 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes

13y

My family has a history of business owners and entrepreneurs and inventors.

Went to high school and had a 96.1 GPA. My dad was killed in a car wreck my junior year so at that point had to re-evaluate my life and what direction I wanted to go. I loved learning but mainly did the school thing for him. Ended up finishing high school still in the 90's for GPA but average went down some because junior and senior year was rough to focus.

Went to college for a few years and was making A's but really was bored and didn't know what I wanted to do for a career (major). Left college after 2 years and have owned different businesses ever since. Settled on commercial real estate transacting for clients and also my own investments and wouldn't have it any other way.

What I have learned in life through the school of hard knocks is worth much more than theory taught in a class room. Many of these teachers have book knowledge but very little practical real world experience.

I have always walked my own path and do not like being confined to corporate ideals in a box. A degree or designation doesn't define a person. I believe pushing yourself everyday to learn and be the best will take you much further than many in life.

Podcast Guest on Show #47

NNN Invest53 Reviews

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Aaron R.
Investor · Phoenix, AZ · Member since 2012 · 108 posts · 49 votes
13y
I have a M.S. in Mechanical engineering and have been working in process technology development in the semi-conductor industry for 6 years.

I started real estate investing in SFH's about 2 years ago. Eventually when I get bored with my day job I will pursue real estate investing full time.
0 Reply
Thom H.
Investor · Central Virginia Area, VA · Member since 2012 · 80 posts · 28 votes
13y
B.S. Computer Science

20+ years in the corporate world, mostly pharmaceutical supply chain.

Stumbled into real estate a few years back when looking for alternative investments. Planning to soon to be a full-time RE investor/retired with another acquisition or two. Wish I'd stumbled into real estate sooner, and I would've skipped the corporate world all together!
0 Reply
Ryan B.
Investor · -, IL · Member since 2010 · 409 posts · 616 votes
13y
Spent 4 years studying beer and women at the local community college. Started working for a large health insurance carrier and been working my way up ever since. No formal real estate education/experience.

Spend time studying on this site and you will get a better education than any class can teach about real estate.
6 Reply
Joe Haas
Real Estate Broker · Houston, TX · Member since 2012 · 40 posts · 2 votes
13y
Just joined the group. BS in Healthcare Administration, ROTC followed by 6 years in Army. Been in diagnostic lab sales the past 13 years. I want to transition into REI full time.
0 Reply
Joel OwensBusiness Member
Moderator
Real Estate Broker · Canton, GA · Member since 2010 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
13y
My family has a history of business owners and entrepreneurs and inventors.

Went to high school and had a 96.1 GPA. My dad was killed in a car wreck my junior year so at that point had to re-evaluate my life and what direction I wanted to go. I loved learning but mainly did the school thing for him. Ended up finishing high school still in the 90's for GPA but average went down some because junior and senior year was rough to focus.

Went to college for a few years and was making A's but really was bored and didn't know what I wanted to do for a career (major). Left college after 2 years and have owned different businesses ever since. Settled on commercial real estate transacting for clients and also my own investments and wouldn't have it any other way.

What I have learned in life through the school of hard knocks is worth much more than theory taught in a class room. Many of these teachers have book knowledge but very little practical real world experience.

I have always walked my own path and do not like being confined to corporate ideals in a box. A degree or designation doesn't define a person. I believe pushing yourself everyday to learn and be the best will take you much further than many in life.
Podcast Guest on Show #47
NNN Invest53 Reviews
Website View Page
9 Reply
Joe Delia
Involved In Real Estate · Rochester Hills, MI · Member since 2010 · 812 posts · 178 votes
13y
Degree from Central Michigan University:
Major in entrepreneurship
Minor in marketing

During college I started a painting company, personally managed 64 large home exterior jobs in 4 months for 96K in a summer. Made over 30K, when I was 19, at the time I thought it was 300K!!

From there I created a wrestling (real wrestling, not male soap opra's) brand that is now one of the largest in the midwest. Wife needed to move for work, so i sold me interest in that and moved west.

I then joined a gold business and personally bought over 2 million worth of gold in a year, was making great money but decided that I wanted a bigger piece of the pie!! I left that company and a couple of partners and I started our own gold buying business. We bought 1.6 million (todays value 4 million) worth of gold in 6 months. That was some of the most fun I've ever had. After 6 months it died off, due to numerous reasons.

I took my gold money and started investing!!! Couldn't find a realtor that I really liked and felt understood what I wanted as an investor. When my wife needed to move for work again, I decided to get into RE full time and my license. To me, it's real estate, whether it's my transaction or my clients.

Real estate is fun, exciting, and a passion for me. I love it.
0 Reply
Shanequa J.
Realtor · Houston, TX · Member since 2011 · 916 posts · 296 votes
13y
The army was my first job ever. I did that for 6 years as a surgical tech. After I got out, I went to nursing school.
1 Reply
Jeff Kennedy
Investor · Yuba City, CA · Member since 2012 · 59 posts · 25 votes
13y
Hi Adam

Thanks for starting this fourm. It's been interesting to read about eveyone's background...

I worked as as an EMT for a couple years then a paramedic for a couple more. From there I went on to Paramedic Supervisor for a mid-sized ambulance company (very fun job!) for several years. Now I work as a general manager for an air ambulance company.

I love real estate investing. I have only been doing it for one year but I can't get enough of it. I have to be careful because it is becoming a bit of an obsession (just ask my wife - ha ha).

Formal Education:

-Paramedic School/lisence
-BS - EMS Management
-Masters - Public Administration (MPA)
0 Reply
Manuel A.
Rehabber · Albuquerque, NM - New Mexico · Member since 2011 · 283 posts · 38 votes
13y
Dropped out in the 10th grade, went to community college at the age of 16, and am going to graduate next year with a degree in Pre-Med Health Sciences with a concentration in Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Finally! But I still have more to go!

Even once I finally get wealthy in REI, I'm going to go to school as I love to learn! I haven't taken a break from school since I started!
1 Reply
Dale Osborn
Mobile Home Investor · Spanaway, WA · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 578 votes
13y
HS - GED
Associate - Business Administration
Bachelor - Technical Management
Real Estate - at least 500 books self-learning.
0 Reply
Jon Klaus
Developer · Garland, TX · Member since 2008 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
13y
Originally posted by Dale Osborn:
HS - GED
Associate - Business Administration
Bachelor - Technical Management
Real Estate - at least 500 books self-learning.

500 books! Time to write one, Dale.
2 Reply
Bryan Hancock
Investor · Round Rock, TX · Member since 2010 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
13y
-BSEE from UT-Austin
-MBA from TCU (Lockheed Martin paid for it....every cent)
-2 years training in real estate from specialized niche training program (worth every cent)
-10 years in corporate world (transportation industry, designed fighter pilots control systems, designed automated test equipment, tested computer software)
-10 years of real estate experience now (SFRs, multi-family, fix/flip, new construction, small development, ran coaching program for almost 2 years)

Finance coursework has proved very useful as has the MBA training. Experience leading teams is also quite useful for development projects.
0 Reply
Cheryl C.
Investor · Reston, VA · Member since 2011 · 683 posts · 191 votes
13y
BS Econ - IVY (was also captain of IVY Champ team all 4 yrs - now in Athletic Hall of fame and still hold a lot of records).

JD

No others lawyers here????

Childhood - cut lawns, shoveled snow, baby-sat, cleaned and painted my mom's apt. houses, had a bait stand at the lake (to make gas money for the boat and water-skiing), lied about my age at 15 to get a cashier job for 30hrs/week in high school, had a full-time summer job and worked another 30 hrs all through college. Worked full-time and went to law school at night.
0 Reply
Amy A.
Portland, ME · Member since 2012 · 616 posts · 550 votes
13y
I did small jobs in my parents' manufactured home dealership in Maine when I was a little kid. Ironically, I hated real estate and couldn't wait until I was 13 so I could go work at my grandparents' dairy farm, where I mowed hay, fed calves and milked cows all summer.

I graduated magna cum laude with a BS in Biology and went on to earn a MS in Genetics at the University of California, Davis. I loved working in molecular genetics, but the money was terrible and I gave it up when I had my first child and now have 3 boys. My husband and I bought a "fixer" in northern California and sold it at the peak of the market. At that point I didn't think real estatate was so boring after all! We moved to Maine and bought two small apartment buildings in 2007 and 2008, which I manage. I started "flipping" houses in 2009 and complete 2 - 3 per year.

I'm thinking of getting an MBA because every discipline has it's own language and I want to learn the language of money and expand my investments. I also have a real estate Broker's license and am on some town government boards and am active in my church.
1 Reply
Daniel Fisher
Real Estate investor · Atglen, PA · Member since 2011 · 90 posts · 21 votes
13y
I have an eighth grade school education. Grew up on a farm and started construction at 18.
0 Reply
Tom C.
Investor · Kingwood, TX · Member since 2012 · 97 posts · 21 votes
13y
BA & MA in Accounting. 2 years of missionary service. CPA & licensed real estate salesperson. ~7 years professional experience, currently as a mid-level manager in a publicly traded oil company. Like the rest on BP, I aspire to take over the world one propery at a time. :-)
0 Reply
Brian K.
Rental Property Investor · Buffalo, MN · Member since 2010 · 511 posts · 92 votes
13y
One year of tech college was it for me and then found a job working tons of hours with little time for anything else. Always knew I wanted to do something where I had my own freedom to do what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it and now I've found it.
0 Reply
Seth WilliamsPro Member
Specialist · Grand Rapids, MI · Member since 2012 · 582 posts · 353 votes
13y
B.A. in Business & Communications
M.B.A. in Business Administration
7 years as a commercial real estate banker
5 years heavily involved in real estate investing, particularly concentrated in raw land, rental properties and seller financing
Podcast Guest on Show #39
0 Reply
David Beard
Investor · Cincinnati, OH · Member since 2010 · 1k+ posts · 928 votes
13y
Have undergraduate degrees in Finance and Accounting.
Completed about half of an MBA, then started studying for CFA exam (Chartered Financial Analyst) and completed that instead.

Started career down in Jacksonville in retail banking, then mortgage lending for a few years, them relocated back to Louisville, worked full time for a bank for a year while attending law school at night (thought I'd go into tax law). With two small kids at home, was just killing me and decided that the price was too high at that point. Got on with one of the larger life insurance co's in the world, eventually became Manager of Financial Analysis in Institutional Markets division, and last couple of years as Risk Manager working in a corporate-level actuarial group.

Elected to take severance at mid-year upon my company relocating our division out of my area. Have full or partial interest in 60-odd rental units, so I'm OK but am casting about for how I want to deploy my time. Enjoy RE deal-making, analysis, financing, etc. Have been active in RE for about two years now, got my agent's license recently, looking hard at turnkey selling, soliciting private lenders to grow unit count, and looking at another apartment turnaround with partners.
2 Reply
Callum K.
Rental Property Investor · Tulsa, OK · Member since 2012 · 291 posts · 102 votes
13y
Degrees in both Finance and Accounting as well.

Owned a multi-family trash hauling service business and sold it a few months ago

Work in the engineering field for government contracting for fueling systems for the Navy as a Project Manager

Acquired my 3, 4, and 5 properties this year and am on track to double it next year.

I guess, like everyone else on here, my situation is all over the place :)
0 Reply
Dean Teter
Investor · Florida Gulf Coast · Member since 2012 · 46 posts · 7 votes
13y
I spent 6 years in the US Air Force after high school. After leaving the USAF I was a Police Officer for two years. I left the Police Department and went back to school in order to use up my POST 9/11 GI Bill:

A.A. in Behavioral Science
B.S. in Emergency Management

Currently I work as a Environmental Health & Safety Manager for a large hospital. I have been taking the coursework necessary to get my Real Estate Brokers License since 2011 in my spare time.
0 Reply
Account Closed
Toronto, Ontario · Member since 2012 · 1 post · 0 votes
13y
I've got a degree in Chemical and Materials Engineering, and close to 20 years experience in various manufacturing industries. I have considerable experience writing business case proposals and executing optimization or transformation projects.
0 Reply
Ben Stout
Real Estate Investor · Pensacola, FL · Member since 2012 · 136 posts · 83 votes
13y
MS in International Business/Undergrad in Mandarin Chinese
Translator/Instructor
I mostly work in war zones, but prefer B neighborhoods for real estate.
1 Reply
Julie Grupke
Involved In Real Estate · Canton, MI · Member since 2012 · 34 posts · 5 votes
13y
BBA in Marketing
14 years in market research & IT project manager

Own two properties - 1 primary rez and 1 SFH rental. Been a good experience so far - very nice family with 7 kids! The guy couldn't change a light switch cover though, so sometimes get panicky calls over small things. Rehabbed both of these along with my mom's house.

My primary rez was an REO that needed TONS of lipstick and mascara but luckily nothing too earthshattering (have a great inspector). My grandfather was in real estate - both flipping and land contracts - for 20-30 years, now I'm doing it full time with my retired dad as investor & handyman.
0 Reply
Mike Cartmell
Residential Real Estate Broker · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2008 · 100 posts · 4 votes
13y
Civil Engineering degree
6 years project management for local Dept. of Transportation.
Interesting how many engineering backgrounds many people have. I was expecting most to have business or marketing degrees.

Own 3 SFH, (2 rentals and 1 primary residence). Still haven't flipped a home but hoping too in 2013. Buy and hold is my strategy but will need to perform flips to build capital. I do not plan on leaving my 9-5 as the benefits are too good. But will eventually once I acquire enough units.

Great thread!
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