New Investor Looking to Learn and Get Involved
Member since 2026 · 3 posts · 2 votes
New Investor Looking to Learn and Get Involved
Most Popular Reply
Specialist · Member since 2025 · 82 posts · 31 votes
3moQuote from @Rex Miller:
Hi everyone,
I’m new to real estate investing and looking to learn by getting involved in a deal. I’m willing to help, learn, and add value however I can.
What would you recommend as the best way to get started and gain real-world experience?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Best advice?
Get close to real conversations and real operators as fast as possible.
Most people stay stuck consuming content instead of learning how deals actually move from lead → conversation → contract.
Get close to real conversations and real operators as fast as possible.
Most people stay stuck consuming content instead of learning how deals actually move from lead → conversation → contract.
Momentum comes from action, not information overload.
18 Replies
- 4moNicholas L.Pro MemberFlipper/Rehabber · Pittsburgh · Member since 2018 · 6k+ posts · 5k+ votes
hi Rex and welcome.
no offense intended but most experienced investors don't need brand new investors to "help" with deals. you're welcome to network locally and see if anyone is interested, but that has been my experience.
can you save up for a house hack, and house hack? that's the best way to get started.
hope this helps
- Member since 2026 · 3 posts · 2 votes4mo
@Nicholas L. That would be a good idea! But for now I'm looking to gain any experience, knowledge and anything to do hands on to learn as much as possible from someone.
- Specialist · Member since 2025 · 82 posts · 31 votes3mo
Quote from @Nicholas L.:
hi Rex and welcome.
no offense intended but most experienced investors don't need brand new investors to "help" with deals. you're welcome to network locally and see if anyone is interested, but that has been my experience.
can you save up for a house hack, and house hack? that's the best way to get started.
hope this helps
- Virtual Assistant · Member since 2026 · 54 posts · 20 votes3mo
Hey Rex! Cape Coral is a great market. Start by connecting with local cash buyers and wholesalers in your area. BiggerPockets is perfect for that. Also study your local comps obsessively — knowing ARVs and repair costs cold is what separates serious wholesalers from beginners. Happy to connect!
- 3moJames WachobBusiness MemberReal Estate Broker · Memphis, TN · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 888 votes
Hello @Rex Miller! Welcome! The best way to gain real-world experience is to get as close to active investors as possible. Books, podcasts, and YouTube are great, but there's no substitute for seeing how actual deals are sourced, analyzed, financed, renovated, and managed.
I'd recommend focusing on three things:
- Learn how to analyze deals and run numbers consistently
- Attend local investor meetups and networking events
- Offer to help experienced investors with tasks they need done, whether that's property research, lead generation, market analysis, or project coordination
A lot of successful investors got their start by providing value first and learning alongside someone who was already doing deals.
Also, don't feel like you need to wait until you have a large amount of capital. The sooner you understand how deals work in the real world, the faster you'll be able to identify opportunities when you're ready to invest yourself.
I'm a real estate agent based in Memphis and work with out-of-state investors building rental portfolios. One thing I've noticed is that investors who spend time learning a market, networking, and analyzing deals before they buy tend to make much better decisions than those who rush into their first purchase.
Keep asking questions, keep learning, and focus on building relationships. If you'd ever like to learn more about rental investing, deal analysis, or markets like Memphis, I'd be happy to connect and help however I can.
- Member since 2026 · 3 posts · 2 votes3mo
@James Wachob That would be awesome James! I'll shoot you a direct message with my contact info to reach me!
- 3moRobert EllisBusiness MemberDeveloper · Miami, FL · Member since 2014 · 3k+ posts · 1k+ votes
Quote from @Rex Miller:
Hi everyone, I’m new to real estate investing and looking to learn by getting involved in a deal. I’m willing to help, learn, and add value however I can. What would you recommend as the best way to get started and gain real-world experience? Thanks in advance for any advice.If I were starting over today, I wouldn't focus on finding a deal to help with. I'd focus on becoming exceptionally good at one skill that investors actually need. Most new investors spend months looking for a mentor, while the people getting opportunities are the ones who can analyze deals, estimate renovation costs, source leads, or understand a local market better than everyone else.
The reason I say that is experienced investors rarely need extra hands, but they always need people who can solve problems. Once you become valuable at something specific, you'll naturally find yourself around more deals, more operators, and more opportunities. That's usually how real-world experience happens. The experience comes after the skill, not before it.
Which part of real estate interests you most right now: finding deals, analyzing deals, financing, construction, or property operations?
Section 8 Launch52 Reviews - Specialist · Member since 2025 · 82 posts · 31 votes3mo
Quote from @Rex Miller:
Hi everyone, I’m new to real estate investing and looking to learn by getting involved in a deal. I’m willing to help, learn, and add value however I can. What would you recommend as the best way to get started and gain real-world experience? Thanks in advance for any advice.Best advice?
Get close to real conversations and real operators as fast as possible.
Most people stay stuck consuming content instead of learning how deals actually move from lead → conversation → contract.Momentum comes from action, not information overload.
- Investor · Hendersonville, NC · Member since 2016 · 498 posts · 285 votes3mo
Quote from @Rex Miller:
Hi everyone, I’m new to real estate investing and looking to learn by getting involved in a deal. I’m willing to help, learn, and add value however I can. What would you recommend as the best way to get started and gain real-world experience? Thanks in advance for any advice.I think Robert’s point is the right one. “I’ll help however I can” is a good attitude. If you’re in Cape Coral, I’d start by learning that market really well. Comps, rents, repair costs, flood/insurance issues, code problems, neighborhoods, and what investors are actually buying. If you can help someone quickly figure out whether a property is worth looking at, that’s real value.
- 3moJeff TumbarelloPro MemberReal Estate Broker · Fort Myers, FL · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 323 votes
As someone local to Southwest Florida, I always tell people to start by understanding what a deal actually is before getting lost in national headlines.
Every market has its own quirks. A lot in Charlotte County with Scrub Jays is usually just another item on the due diligence checklist before pulling a permit. Take that same lot into North Port and it can become effectively unbuildable. Same species, completely different impact on value.
- Member since 2024 · 3 posts · 1 vote3mo
Quote from @Jeff Tumbarello:
As someone local to Southwest Florida, I always tell people to start by understanding what a deal actually is before getting lost in national headlines.
Every market has its own quirks. A lot in Charlotte County with Scrub Jays is usually just another item on the due diligence checklist before pulling a permit. Take that same lot into North Port and it can become effectively unbuildable. Same species, completely different impact on value.
Hey Jeff,
I'm thinking about moving to the North Port area in the next couple of years and house hacking. I'm not quite ready to buy yet, but I'm trying to learn as much as I can beforehand.
One thing I'm curious about is insurance in Florida. When you're analyzing a deal, can you rely on Zillow insurance estimates and similar tools, or do you typically need to contact insurance companies and get quotes for each property?
Thanks—I appreciate any advice.
- 2moJeff TumbarelloPro MemberReal Estate Broker · Fort Myers, FL · Member since 2008 · 1k+ posts · 323 votes
Quote from @Trent Pappas:
Quote from @Jeff Tumbarello:
As someone local to Southwest Florida, I always tell people to start by understanding what a deal actually is before getting lost in national headlines.
Every market has its own quirks. A lot in Charlotte County with Scrub Jays is usually just another item on the due diligence checklist before pulling a permit. Take that same lot into North Port and it can become effectively unbuildable. Same species, completely different impact on value.
Hey Jeff,
I'm thinking about moving to the North Port area in the next couple of years and house hacking. I'm not quite ready to buy yet, but I'm trying to learn as much as I can beforehand.
One thing I'm curious about is insurance in Florida. When you're analyzing a deal, can you rely on Zillow insurance estimates and similar tools, or do you typically need to contact insurance companies and get quotes for each property?
Thanks—I appreciate any advice.
I get quotes from an agent
- Wholesaler · Charleston WV · Member since 2026 · 234 posts · 126 votes3mo
Dang man you're everywhere! haha
- Virtual Assistant · Member since 2026 · 54 posts · 20 votes3mo
I think both of the points here are solid.
One thing I’d add from what I’ve seen working with newer investors is that the biggest gap isn’t motivation — it’s understanding what actually makes a deal a deal in real numbers.
A lot of beginners get stuck because they’re trying to “get involved” without being able to quickly break down:
whether a property actually cashflows
what rehab scope might realistically look like
and how small changes in assumptions completely change the outcome
Without that, even being around deals doesn’t translate into learning that sticks.
In my experience, once someone can evaluate a deal at a basic level (even roughly), they become way more useful in conversations because they can actually interpret opportunities instead of just observing them.
I’ve been experimenting with a lightweight AI-assisted deal breakdown tool that helps speed up that learning curve (basically simplifying early-stage analysis so new investors can understand deals faster), but I’m still refining how it fits into real learning workflows.
Curious — for those mentoring newer investors, do you think the bigger issue is lack of opportunities, or lack of ability to interpret deals when they see them?
- Coral Springs, FL · Member since 2018 · 468 posts · 97 votes4w
Robert's advice about becoming exceptionally good at one skill is the right starting point, and Jeff's point about understanding what a deal actually is in your specific market is the follow-up that makes it real.
Here's what I'd suggest for the one skill you can start building this week in Cape Coral — costs $0, no courses, no software:
Learn to read county public records to find motivated sellers before anyone else knows they're motivated.
Lee County publishes everything you need online:
• Lee County Tax Collector — tax delinquent properties (owners falling behind on payments)
• Lee County Code Enforcement — properties with violations (tall grass, structural issues, unpermitted work)
• Lee County Clerk of Court — probate filings and liens (inherited properties, financial distress)
When all three converge on the same Cape Coral property — tax delinquent AND code violations AND a probate filing — you've found documented distress from three independent government sources. That's not a guess. That's public record proof of motivation.
Here's why this makes you valuable to experienced investors (Robert's point):
Dominic mentioned learning what investors are "actually buying." The answer is: they're buying from people who bring them deals with proof, not just addresses. An investor will always make time for someone who shows up with "I found a property where the county records show tax delinquency, active code violations, and an open probate case — all on the same parcel at [address]. Here's the link to each public record." That's not a cold lead. That's a sourced deal with documentation.
Jeff's point about Cape Coral having specific quirks (like the Scrub Jay example he mentioned) applies perfectly here — Lee County's public records tell you things unique to this market that a generic lead list never would.
Justice Okpara's point about understanding "what makes a deal a deal in real numbers" connects directly: when you can show an investor that three county data sources converge on one property, you've already answered the most important question — why is this seller motivated? The numbers conversation becomes much easier when the motivation is documented.
So my specific recommendation: spend this week on Lee County's website. Learn where the Tax Collector publishes delinquent lists. Learn how to search Code Enforcement violations. Learn how to find probate filings in the Clerk of Court. Then cross-reference until you find properties where all three overlap.
That's the skill. It costs nothing. It works from your laptop in Cape Coral. And when you walk up to an experienced investor and say "I can find you properties where the county itself has documented the seller's motivation" — you're not asking to help with their deal. You're bringing them something they don't have. - Real Estate Broker · Cape Coral, FL · Member since 2014 · 382 posts · 300 votes3w
Good on you Rex for puting yourself out there and looking to learn!
I think every RE investor has a unique path to investing, and there are so many areas to get into. I started out buying a small apartment building that I was actually looking at to provide a painting quote to the owner who was prepping it for sale. I thought, "Why don't I buy this?" It was a mess, but I saw the potential. I spent the weekend reading every book I could (pre-internet) about valuing apartment buildings and all the pieces started to come together. I borrowed down payment money from my family, hooked up with an experienced partner who I knew, and we bought the building 50/50, and still own it today.
I understand that not everyone has family they can tap for a loan, or have an experienced partner, but as others in this thread have mentioned, if you learn to analyze deals, can demonstrate the potential winners to investors (friends, family, your neighbor, your dentist, whoever...) you can find the money. Start small, dig in, and go for it.
Good luck!
- Investor · Pacific Northwest · Member since 2026 · 538 posts · 302 votes3w
I checked the places we can reconstruct this from: prior conversation context, Gmail, and the ChefreyOS Library/queue material. I found no prior Rex Miller contact, reply, DM, or email. So operationally I’d mark Rex NEW / UNTOUCHED unless BiggerPockets itself shows something we haven’t captured.
For the internal process, I’d rename “time capsule” to State Drift Review.
That describes what we’re actually doing: capture what someone said at T₀, reconstruct the conditions around it, compare that with T₁, then respond with what changed, what held up, and what we know now. Publicly, we never need to call it anything—the reply should feel native to that specific discussion.
And I’d lock the channel rule as:
Fresh post → First Response. Answer the actual question early, with enough depth that we become the useful first voice.
Older post → State Drift Review. Don’t just answer the stale question. Look at the original thesis, the conditions when it was written, what subsequently happened, and give them the updated version.
For Rex, because he’s three months old, I’d use a lighter State Drift version:
Rex, I’m curious where you landed three months later, because I actually think the distinction in this thread matters.
I agree with Nicholas on one piece: an experienced investor usually doesn’t need a new investor standing beside them saying “I’m willing to help.” That offer is too undefined.
But I wouldn’t jump from that to “therefore save until you can house hack.”
The better question is: what can you become useful at before you own anything?
Three months is enough time to have learned underwriting, pulled and organized comps, built lead lists, walked properties, talked to owners, followed up with dead leads, learned a local submarket, or helped somebody keep a deal moving. None of that requires owning a house.
The path I’d recommend is:
Don’t ask an investor to teach you.
Pick one painful piece of the acquisition process, get unusually good at it, and bring them finished work.
“I want experience” creates work for the experienced person.
“I analyzed these 30 opportunities and these are the three I think deserve a second look” creates value.
Rex — if you’re still working on this in Cape Coral, reach out. Tell me what you’ve done during the last three months and where you’re stuck now. I’d be happy to help you figure out the next useful wedge.
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