If you want to listen to a horror story click on my appearance on the podcast (in my signature below). I lost a lot of money first time out. I've made a whole lot since then. 

If you weren't nervous or scared then you would be delusional or a psychopath. That feeling is your brain telling you to beware. But beware isn't the same thing as do nothing. A lot of money can be made in real estate.

Start small. Forget about gurus and BRRRR and all the other hype and nonsense you hear all over the place (including around here). Find one decent little house in a decent area that you can clean up and rent for a reasonable amount of money. Don't try to hit a grand slam - just put the ball in play. Accept that you're going to make some mistakes. You're going to improve things that don't get you any more rent and you're going to cheap out on things you should have replaced. You'll probably pick at least one tenant that's not ideal. You'll be here every other day asking about collecting rent and vaping in the house and sneaking in dogs and complaining neighbors and a thousand other things you don't even know about. All of that is OK. It is part of the learning process.

Real estate is a long game. If you buy carefully, select tenants carefully, and hold long enough there's almost no way to lose money. Almost always the money lost in real estate is when you have to sell when the timing is not ideal. Think of it this way - if you bought a house on a 15 year note, where the rent didn't put a dime in your pocket but at least covered your costs, in 15 years without doing anything else you have an asset worth probably at least your initial cost + inflation, free and clear, paid for by your tenants. And you didn't even have to commit very much of your own money because the bank loaned it to you. And you got tax breaks along the way from the government.