New Real Estate Rookie

New Real Estate Rookie

Member since 2026 · 17 posts · 22 votes

Hi I'm Martin

I'm a resident around San Jose Area. A specific city I've live in is Los Altos which is the westside of San Jose. I'm a full/overtime w-2 employee. I'm looking forward to investment opportunities and I somewhat discovered this Biggerpockets few years ago that I'm looking for a proper connection with people who can help guide me into real estate investment sooner which is better than later. I have little to no real estate investment background myself since I don't own any properties but my mother knows more since she got the property first. I have a little budget to which I have enough to contribute into my retirement account every once a year and save for groceries, also for emergencies as well. I heard plenty of strategies in real estate investment such as wholesaling, fix and flip or househacking, etc. that I can start off capitalizing when I'm little budget and being careful how I'm using it. In the future I'm willing to pay for vacations or travel since I have plenty of time to enjoy. The issue that I'm having a hard time picking on one of those strategies since I've lack of knowing them or having the means to begin one of those unless there's any other way.

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  • MD/DC · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8mo

    Hi and welcome! It is excellent that you are prioritizing saving for retirement through your employers program. I would recommend continuing at the very least enough to get the fund match. If you are currently paying rent consider purchasing a home that you could live in for around or ideally less than you currently pay. If you aren’t paying rent and your budget is tight the options will be making more and spending less. It may be necessary to work extra hours, get a side gig and/or consider a job change but it is doable. 

  • Property Manager / Investor · San Jose, CA · Member since 2013 · 780 posts · 301 votes
    8mo

    @Martin Penn If wanting to start in the bay area, I would consider either house hacking or buying a multifamily, living in one unit and renting the others. Eventually repeating the process and getting your own home.  (Family situations and priorities will guide when to do that)

  • Wale LawalBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Houston | Dallas | Austin, TX · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    8mo

    @Martin Penn

    Real estate investing is a great idea for you to get involved in House hacking with your budget and novice level of experience might be the best option because it helps you to begin with $0 out of pocket costs and the use of rental income to pay the mortgage. Wholesaling is a less capital intensive alternative but it entails a lot of networking and learning the ropes. I suggest picking a method that aligns with your risk appetite and time commitment then slowly growing from there.

    Good luck!

  • Real Estate Broker · New York, NY · Member since 2020 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    8mo

    Hey Martin,

    I think the first step is figuring out which strategy works best for you personally. With your smaller budget, some approaches like house hacking or smaller-scale rentals can be a great way to start building equity and cash flow without needing a lot of upfront capital. Wholesaling or fix-and-flip can work too, but they usually require more connections, local knowledge, and sometimes faster access to cash.

    At this stage, the key is to learn, explore, and network. Attend local San Jose REIA meetups, participate in BiggerPockets threads, read case studies, and connect with experienced investors. Once you get a feel for different strategies, it becomes much easier to pick the one that fits your goals and resources.

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