Hello! Newbie from the Bay Area, California

New Member Introductions
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Hello! Newbie from the Bay Area, California

Sharon Tseung
Bay Area, CA · Member since 2014 · 47 posts · 54 votes

Hi,

Nice to meet you all! My name is Sharon, and I'm excited to join the Bigger Pockets community. I've always been interested in real estate investment. After a month solo trip around Europe, seeing the amazing sights and meeting people from all backgrounds, I was inspired to take risks and take action on my goals. This is what brings me here today. 

I am completely new at this and don't know anything, really. I'm starting a new job soon, and with this job I am hoping to raise enough capital to purchase an affordable buy and hold rental property in 2015. Before then I would like to study hard and network as much as I can through this community and any resources you all suggest. I've bought the following three books based on things I've read, which hopefully will help out:

1. Buy It, Rent It, Profit!: Make Money as a Landlord in ANY Real Estate Market
2. The Book on Flipping Houses: How to Buy, Rehab, and Resell Residential Properties (BiggerPockets Presents...) 
3. Rich Dad Poor Dad: What The Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!

Looking forward to meeting you all. If you have any suggestions on how to get started please bring them my way :) 

Thanks,

Sharon

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Jay Y.
Investor · Santa Clara , CA · Member since 2013 · 155 posts · 144 votes
11y

Welcome @Sharon Tseung  from a fellow Bay Area investor! Are you looking to buy locally, or out of state? I invest in both, so feel free to message me if you have any questions.

Not sure which part of the Bay you are in, but there are some great meet up groups all around that you should check out.

Best of luck!

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  • Account Closed
    Professional · Noblesville, IN · Member since 2014 · 222 posts · 66 votes
    11y

    Welcome to the community!  You will benefit in experience quickly from the deep resources here.  Enjoy and learn!

    0Reply
  • Paul Timmins
    Specialist · Rockland, MA · Member since 2010 · 7k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    11y

    @Sharon Tseung 

    Welcome. Time to build the foundation below.

    Check out the Start Here page http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere

    Check out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.

    Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice. And you get the benefit of having over 90 past ones to catch up on.

    Locate and attend 3 different local REIA club meetings great place to meet people gather resources and info. Here you will meet wholesalers who provide deals and all the cash buyers (rehabbers) you will need.

    Consider checking out HUD homes for small multi's owner occupied gets first crack.

    You might consider Niche or Specialized Housing like student housing. Rents can be 2-4 times more. Remember you don't have to own a property to control it.

    Download BP’s newest book here some good due diligence in Chapter 10. Real Estate Rewind Starting over

    http://www.biggerpockets.com/files/user/brandonatbp/file/real-estate-rewind-a-biggerpockets-community-book

    Good luck

    Paul

    1Reply
  • Dave VisayaPro Member
    Moderator
    Audio Engineer and Investor · Cebu City, Cebu · Member since 2013 · 7k+ posts · 881 votes
    11y

    Hey @Sharon Tseung welcome to BiggerPockets! This is certainly a great community and it is also a perfect place to learn more about REI. Feel free to jump in and never hesitate to ask your questions. See you around!

    BiggerPockets
    0Reply
  • Brett SynickyPro Member
    Solo 401k and SDIRA Consultant · Orange, CA · Member since 2013 · 872 posts · 495 votes
    11y

    @Sharon Tseung 

    Welcome to BP!

    I recommend checking out this video ASAP:

    http://www.biggerpockets.com/pages/webreplay

    Good luck with everything!

    0Reply
  • Sharon Tseung
    OP
    Bay Area, CA · Member since 2014 · 47 posts · 54 votes
    11y

    @George Helms @Paul Timmins @Dave Visaya @Brett Synicky Thanks so much for all of the resources! I'll be sure to look through them :) 

    0Reply
  • Dmitriy Fomichenko
    Solo 401k Expert · Anaheim Hills, CA · Member since 2012 · 18k+ posts · 6k+ votes
    11y

    Welcome to BP community @Sharon Tseung  It is a great place to meet new friends and learn about various aspects of real estate and more. Here are a few recommendations for you:

    Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area: http://www.biggerpockets.com/meet

    Set up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alerts

    Wishing you the best! 

    1Reply
  • Jon HuberPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Boca Raton, FL · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 713 votes
    11y

    @Sharon Tseung

    Welcome to the community! BP has a tremendous amount of information to help you, but it is only available if you seek it out. Be sure to be as active as possible. Read blogs, post questions, and the podcasts are the greatest. The best free education you can get. Good luck!

    1Reply
  • Jay Y.
    Investor · Santa Clara , CA · Member since 2013 · 155 posts · 144 votes
    11y

    Welcome @Sharon Tseung  from a fellow Bay Area investor! Are you looking to buy locally, or out of state? I invest in both, so feel free to message me if you have any questions.

    Not sure which part of the Bay you are in, but there are some great meet up groups all around that you should check out.

    Best of luck!

    2Reply
  • Sharon Tseung
    OP
    Bay Area, CA · Member since 2014 · 47 posts · 54 votes
    11y

    @Dmitriy Fomichenko @Jon Huber Thanks so much! 

    @Jay Y. Both! I'll definitely message you!

    0Reply
  • Johnson H.Pro Member
    Investor · San Francisco, CA · Member since 2010 · 910 posts · 889 votes
    11y

    @Sharon Tseung  Welcome to BP! Lots of resources here on BP to learn. I would read as much as possible and then decide on what real estate path you want to take. @Jay Y. is knowledgeable in the South Bay, @J. Martin loves Oakland and I live in San Francisco but invest out of state (I hope to change this soon!). I hold regular meetups in San Francisco and San Jose and J holds them in the East Bay and in San Francisco also. Join one of them and I'm sure you'll meet all of us soon. 

    http://www.meetup.com/SF-Bay-Area-Real-Estate-Investing-Club/

    2Reply
  • Robert Musallam
    Investor · San Jose, CA · Member since 2014 · 294 posts · 113 votes
    11y

    Hi @Sharon Tseung Welcome to BP! See you around the forums!

    1Reply
  • Jessica Skupien
    Investor · Oakland, CA · Member since 2014 · 19 posts · 14 votes
    11y

    welcome @Sharon Tseung! 

    I'm a newbie from the Bay as well (Oakland) and hope to make my first purchase late 2015/early 2016, depending on when/where my husband gets transferred with the Coast Guard. Aiming for an owner occupied 4plex.  

    In the short time I've been on BiggerPockets, everyone has been SO nice and helpful and I've learned a tremendous amount from the BP Podcast (it helps that Brandon and Josh are hilarious). Also, Rich Dad Poor Dad was the catalyst that changed my whole outlook on my future so happy reading!    

    Good luck and hope to meet you at a Bay Area meet up soon!

    2Reply
  • Jeff Pollack
    Real Estate Investor · Redwood City, CA · Member since 2012 · 272 posts · 399 votes
    11y

    Hey @Sharon Tseung

    Welcome to BP!  Great place to gather info.  I invest in the Bay Area and out of state.  My partner and I also hold a Meetup in San Jose.  Feel free to ping me some time if you want to chat.

    Cheers,

    Jeff

    2Reply
  • Sharon Tseung
    OP
    Bay Area, CA · Member since 2014 · 47 posts · 54 votes
    11y

    Hi @Johnson H. thanks for the warm welcome! I just joined the meetup, and I'm really excited to meet you all.

    @Robert Musallam Thanks so much; glad to connect!

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    Real Estate Investor · Toronto, Ontario · Member since 2014 · 17 posts · 2 votes
    11y

    Hey Sharon! Welcome to the BP community :) 

    Rich Dad, Poor Dad was the book that changed my perspective about real estate, money, business, and just my career direction in general. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as well.

    By the way, I really recommend listening the the Bigger Pockets podcasts, they're great!

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    Investor · San Jose, CA · Member since 2012 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    11y

    Hi Sharon,

    Welcome to Biggerpockets. You have found a great free real estate resource. A lot of good advice above. Keep reading and absorbing as much as you can. Whatever that don't make sense to you now, save them for later when you're ready. 

    The most important thing is taking action. It doesn't matter how much you learn. You are not going anywhere if you don't take action. Like the old saying "the best time to plant a tree is 30 years ago. The next best time is now."

    I have to admit that RDPD is a great book to read even though I don't like the author. Another good book to read that is not on your list is The Millionaire Real Estate Investor by Gary Keller. A couple more short, good and easy to read books are From Genator to Multi-Millionaire by @Rich Weese who happens to be on BP so you can pick his brain for free.  The other book is the Richest Man In Babylon. 

    If you need any assistance, reach out to @Johnson H. and @J. Martin . If these guys can't help you, you're SOL. JK. 

    Have a great weekend. 

    1Reply
  • Rich Weese
    Real Estate Investor · the villages, FL · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    11y

    Minh Le,

    Thanks for the publicity. You must use something like Dragon speak (as do I). Every once in awhile, I forget to check it before sending. Allow me to correct the name of my Book:

    From JANITOR to Multimillionaire.

    Thanks Minh.

    Rich

    2Reply
  • Mike Verrona
    Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2014 · 27 posts · 5 votes
    11y

    What's up @Sharon Tseung,

      I am also a NEWB newb from New Jerse . I glanced through some of those books you are reading. Are you liking/learning from them?  

    0Reply
  • Sharon Tseung
    OP
    Bay Area, CA · Member since 2014 · 47 posts · 54 votes
    11y

    @Account Closed Hi Mike, unfortunately Amazon is being slow so I'm still waiting for the books :( I'll let you know when I get them!

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    Real Estate Investor · Toronto, Ontario · Member since 2014 · 17 posts · 2 votes
    11y

    I was looking primarily at Wholesaling and Buy/Holding or newbie-targeted episodes, but I think you may like others as well. For me, though, episodes 2, 3, 11, 30, 74, 77*!, 91, 94 were enjoyable and helpful, and these were the ones that I remember the most. I haven't listened to lots of episodes in between, but I especially liked #77 and #2. The podcasts featuring newbie investors were also a nice breezer.

    0Reply
  • Jordan Thibodeau
    Rental Property Investor · San Jose, CA · Member since 2013 · 486 posts · 170 votes
    11y

    @Sharon Tseung Welcome to the forums! I'm from San Jose, it's nice to see more Bay Area folks from the forums.

    I would try to buy within state so you can at least learn the art of property management and real estate investing.

    Happy Hunting!

    2Reply
  • J. MartinPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · Oakland, CA · Member since 2011 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    11y

    Hi @Sharon Tseung ,

    You came to an awesome place with great people! I invest in the East Bay, and am definitely a fan of the owner-occupied duplex to 4plex to get started.. That's what I did. But there are lots of other young entrepreneurs like yourself who have already gotten started, or are in the process of doing so, so they are great people to meet. @Sam McClellan recently bought an owner-occupied duplex. Come out and say hi on Wed in SF!

    I've also had the pleasure of meeting, sharing with, and learning from a lot of the investors on here.. 

    @Jay Y. has invested in and out of state, so has a good perspective.

    Thanks for the shoutout @Johnson H.  Definitely a fan of Oakland and East Bay. Meetup on Wed eve in SF FiDi for whoever wants to come! Looking forward to your next meetup in San Jose also too..

    @Jeff Pollack  also has a good meetup down at the Hoffbrau in San Jose, with a speaker on a different subject each time.

    @Account Closed , Oakland rocks! I don't think we've met yet..? Come say hi some time!!

    2Reply
  • Jessica Skupien
    Investor · Oakland, CA · Member since 2014 · 19 posts · 14 votes
    11y
    J. Martin we have not yet met, I haven't been to any meet ups yet and unfortunately I'll be in LA on Tuesday. Hopefully next time because i would love to talk to other folks investing in east bay. It seems so daunting given the prices and seeming lack of inventory.
    1Reply
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