New Member: Recent College Grad Seeking Advice on First Steps

Investor · Waxahachie, TX · Member since 2025 · 14 posts · 6 votes

Hey Jagger, im Elijah. Im also fairly new to this but, ive been educating myself for the past 2 years with the help of the bp rookie podcast. Im about 300 episodes in and i feel like its covered all corners of the industry.

As for choosing a strategy, they always say to focus on fleshing out your why, and personal preferences/strengths.

Right now, im reading Wealth Without Cash by Pace Morby and I highly reccomend it. Id also recommend going to meetups and making more friends in the industry.

1 Reply

Jagger Lynn
OP
Member since 2026 · 12 posts · 5 votes
5d
Hey, Elijah!

Thanks for the advice. I'll add that book to my reading list.
I’ve also been looking into real estate groups in my area. I’d like to start building a professional network in the industry, and they seem like a great place to start.
I appreciate you taking the time to reply. Feel free to reach out if anything else comes to mind, or if you ever want to compare notes on what we’re reading!
1 Reply

Diana KhanPro Member

Attorney · 10451 Mill Run Cir #755 Owings Mills, MD 21117 · Member since 2024 · 563 posts · 197 votes

5d

Quote from @Jagger Lynn:

Hey, y'all! My name is Jagger and I am interested in real estate investing. I just graduated college a couple of months back and have been working and getting my finances in order since then. However, since I first heard about it a couple years ago, investing in real estate has seemed like the way to go to create generational wealth and achieve financial freedom.

Currently, I am almost finished reading How To Invest In Real Estate the Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Getting Started by Joshua Dorkin and Brandon Turner. I've also been browsing the forums and reading blog posts on here, listening to podcasts, watching YouTube videos, and reading other related articles on the internet. That being said, I feel like I am overwhelmed with information and not even sure where to start or how to come up with a plan to eventually buy my first property.

As of right now, house hacking, buy and hold, and flipping are some of the investing strategies that I've found appealing. Anyways, I don't want to ramble too long, but I wanted to just go ahead and put myself out there and ask for any advice anyone has on getting started. I would love any book or other media recommendations people have that helped them. I would also love the opportunity to connect with anyone interested in sharing their journey. I'm eager to learn and would be incredibly grateful for any guidance you can offer.

@Jagger Lynn, I think you've already made a good start by taking the time to learn and get your finances in order. My advice would be to pick one strategy that interests you most and start looking at actual properties, even if you're not ready to buy yet. Since you're considering house hacking, buy and hold, and flipping, I'd probably start by learning more about house hacking. It could give you experience with owning a property and being a landlord while also having a place to live.

I'm a real estate attorney, broker, and investor in Maryland, and I work with people who are buying properties and planning for their future. One thing I've learned from working with buyers and investors is that understanding what you're agreeing to is just as important as finding a good deal. Things like financing terms, contracts, property condition, and landlord responsibilities are worth learning about before your first purchase.

I also like that you're thinking about generational wealth this early, @Jagger Lynn. Estate planning is another big part of my work, and I believe building wealth is also about knowing how to protect what you build. Wishing you the best as you get started, and I'd be happy to stay connected.

[email protected]240-266-0291

2 Reply

Jagger Lynn
OP
Member since 2026 · 12 posts · 5 votes
5d
Good morning, Diana!

Thank you for your reply. I agree that house hacking would be a good place to start, as it would give me experience owning a property while also having a place to live.

I'll start looking at properties soon to get a feel for what's available, even though I am not quite ready to buy yet.

I appreciate your well wishes, and I'd love to stay connected!
0 Reply

James JonesPro Member

Investor · Collierville, TN 38017 · Member since 2017 · 788 posts · 591 votes

5d

Jagger — pick one strategy and learn its numbers cold before you look at houses. Three strategies at once is how beginners stay busy for a year and buy nothing. If buy and hold is the pick, learn three numbers in your market first: what a 3BR actually rents for, what a real rehab costs line by line, and what a finished house appraises for. My filter in Memphis is simple: single-family under $100K, ARV $180K to $265K, rent that clears the 1% rule, and I prefer 3BR+ because that is where the rent holds up. You are in Atlanta, so your price numbers will differ, but the order does not: rent first, rehab second, purchase price last. A cheap house with weak rent is not a deal at any price.

1 Reply

Jagger Lynn
OP
Member since 2026 · 12 posts · 5 votes
3d
Thanks, James. I will definitely narrow down my strategy to one and learn all of its ins and outs. I'm blown away by all of the support and replies this post is getting. I really appreciate your insight and will keep your filter in mind. I may reach back out with questions!
0 Reply

Hersh ShahBusiness Member

Realtor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2016 · 123 posts · 81 votes

5d

@Jagger Lynn Great name! Feeling overwhelmed by information is normal at this stage. The fix is to turn it into a plan with numbers attached. If house hacking is the front-runner (it's where I'd start too), here's the order I'd go in:

Get connected with an agent you want to work with in your market of choice.

Know your buying power. Your agent will connect you to amazing lenders. Discuss your unique situation and programs you may qualify for. FHA allows 3.5% down on 1–4 units, and Fannie Mae conventional loans now allow 5% down on owner-occupied 2–4 units. Both require you to live there as your primary residence.

Set a buy box: a price ceiling, 2–3 target areas within your commute, and a property type (a duplex, or a single-family with rooms you can rent). In metro Atlanta, rent-to-price swings a lot from block to block, so narrowing geography early saves time.

Analyze 20–30 deals before you buy one. Use leased comps, not asking rents. Budget for vacancy, repairs and CapEx even while you live there. Then make sure the deal still works once you move out and rent your unit. This will be tough given current interest rates so consider new construction homes with builder incentives to make it work.

Plan reserves. Keep 3–6 months of PITI in the bank after closing.

Know the 3–4 unit catch. FHA's self-sufficiency test requires 75% of projected rent from all units, including yours, to cover the full payment, and many triplexes and fourplexes fail it at today's prices. Duplexes don't face it.

I'd hold off on flipping until you've owned something and have reserves to weather a loss. It's a different business with different risks.

Happy to compare notes on Atlanta anytime.

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1 Reply

Jagger Lynn
OP
Member since 2026 · 12 posts · 5 votes
3d
Thanks, Hersh. I like your name as well!

I'm putting all of this in my notes for review. I agree that house-hacking sounds like the smart way to start, so that I can get a feel for owning a property while living in it. Once I get started and have some notes of substance, I'd be happy to compare and hopefully could help you out too! Thanks again for taking the time to reply.
1 Reply

Brad SeidBusiness Member

Lender · Licensed in 28 States · Member since 2026 · 178 posts · 57 votes

5d

@Jagger Lynn Hey Jagger! Congrats on graduating and taking the first steps toward building your financial future! Real estate can be a great wealth-building tool, and having the right financing strategy is key. If you ever need help exploring lending options for your first investment property, feel free to reach out. Happy to help you explore your options!

[email protected]248-408-3855

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Jagger Lynn
OP
Member since 2026 · 12 posts · 5 votes
3d
Thank you, Brad! I will be sure to get in touch once I get to that step. I appreciate your reply!
0 Reply

Michael Dumler

Real Estate Agent · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes

5d

@Jagger Lynn

To piggyback off others — the strategy you pursue depends on your goals, but I'm going to push you toward house hacking. It's one of the best ways to enter real estate while mitigating risk.

There's a lot to learn with house hacking, but the two most important things, in my view, are understanding your debt structure and properly underwriting properties. If you want to take it a step further, that means getting familiar with your return metrics — cash-on-cash return, cap rate (especially relevant once you move out and hold it as an investment), and internal rate of return. For a solid reference on all of this, Real Estate by the Numbers by J. Scott and Dave Meyer is worth picking up. That said, at its core, house hacking is really about minimizing your living expenses so you can position yourself to start building that income snowball. As for underwriting tools, I'm still old school and use Excel, but there are plenty of online tools out there. Pick one, stick with it, and practice consistently.

On house hacking specifically in Atlanta and the metro area — there's more to explore than just the typical duplex example of living in one unit and renting out the other. The subtype of property you're going after is going to change how you underwrite it. Happy to connect and chat more about this.

Also — there's a real estate meetup tonight if you're interested. Search "Atlanta Real Estate Meetup" on meetup.com — solid group worth joining.

2 Reply

Jagger Lynn
OP
Member since 2026 · 12 posts · 5 votes
3d
Michael,
Thank you for the advice and the book recommendation. I would actually love to connect and chat more about real estate in general and more specifically in Atlanta. Too bad I missed Wednesday night's meetup; I've been busy this week and didn't see this message until just now.

I really want to get out there and learn as much as I can though, so I'd be happy to have a call sometime or meet for coffee or lunch since you're in the area. I'm going to check out meetup.com as well.
0 Reply

Matthew Tregoning

Property Manager · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2019 · 373 posts · 157 votes

5d

Jagger, since you’re already feeling overloaded on reading, you could ask a local landlord whether you can help with a turnover. Seeing the cleaning, repairs, vendor scheduling and move-in prep gives context to the numbers in the books. It’s also a way to learn what owning a rental asks of your time before you own one yourself.

1 Reply

Jagger Lynn
OP
Member since 2026 · 12 posts · 5 votes
3d
Thanks for taking the time to reply, Matthew. I hadn't thought of this as something I could do, and I like the sound of getting the experience before owning a property. I'm going to give this one a shot.

Would you recommend finding landlords on Zillow, or driving around, or is there another source you use? And would you just help the first person that said yes, or are there particular things you look for in doing something like this?
0 Reply

Harrison C.

Member since 2017 · 58 posts · 27 votes

5d

Jagger, if house hacking is on your list, the easiest version for a new grad is renting the other bedrooms in a regular house you live in. no duplex needed.

say a 4 bed. you take one room and rent the other 3. i rent rooms for $600 to $775, so 3 rooms at that is $1,800 to $2,325 a month toward the payment. your town will be different, so find your own number.

3 things that will help more than another book:

call 2 lenders this month and ask what you can buy with a low down owner occupied loan
2. look up 10 room listings near you and write down what each rents for
3. find 4 bed 2 bath houses near a college or a big employer and run payment minus 3 rooms

once you have those 3 numbers you'll know if your first one is a year away or 3. and when you get there, give each person their own lease, not one lease for the whole house.

1 Reply

Jagger Lynn
OP
Member since 2026 · 12 posts · 5 votes
3d
Harrison,
I like the actionable advice. Putting those on my to-do list now. I've definitely been thinking lately that I need a solid number to strive for, so I appreciate you saying this. Thanks for the insight!
0 Reply

Matthew MorrowBusiness Member

Investor · PA - NY - NJ · Member since 2019 · 627 posts · 219 votes

3d

@Jagger Lynn Welcome! Feeling overwhelmed is normal, there's a ton of info out there. For books, Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Millionaire Real Estate Investor, and literally any BP publication are exactly what you need. Then pick one strategy, learn the numbers on it cold, and start talking to local agents, lenders, and investors. You'll learn more from your first deal than from any book. Starting this young is a huge advantage. BP is a huge resource, so dive in. Best of luck!

[email protected]484-791-6200

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1 Reply

Jagger Lynn
OP
Member since 2026 · 12 posts · 5 votes
3d
Thank you, Matthew! That sounds like great advice. I've heard of both of those books too, so I've definitely got to give them a try now. I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my post!
0 Reply

Matthew MorrowBusiness Member

Investor · PA - NY - NJ · Member since 2019 · 627 posts · 219 votes

3d

@Jagger Lynn Happy to help. Once you've read them, start running numbers on real listings in your area, even ones you'd never buy. That's when it clicks. Glad to have you here!

[email protected]484-791-6200

CORE Team | Realty ONE Group Supreme547 Reviews

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1 Reply

Jagger Lynn
OP
Member since 2026 · 12 posts · 5 votes
1d
I appreciate your warm welcome, Matthew. Excited to get started!
0 Reply

Jim SternBusiness Member

Real Estate Agent · ATLANTA Metro and Surrounding Counties · Member since 2025 · 12 posts · 2 votes

2d

Hey Jagger,
Tons of good advice here, so just a couple of ATL-specific things.

Housing Hacking is HUGE here both in small multi-family and single-family conversions. Work this angle if you can as we are in a great town for this play. Where are you open to living? I have a few thoughts on great house hacking neighborhoods depending on if you're doing Co-Living, LTR, MTR or STR...I have clients doing all of these successfully in ATL right now.
See whether you qualify for Georgia Dream or other first-time buyer down payment help, it's a path to 100% financing. It's a pain, and closings will take longer than other financing paths, but your Agent and Lender can set expectations with the seller and you'd be fine.
And get pre-approved early, even before you’re ready. It shows your real buying power and what to clean up on your credit.
Lastly, I'm watching experienced flippers struggle in today's climate...be cautious.

678-369-3793

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1 Reply

Jagger Lynn
OP
Member since 2026 · 12 posts · 5 votes
1d
Good advice, thanks Jim!

The more I read on here and elsewhere, the more it seems like house hacking to long term rentals may be the strategy that will work best for me.

I currently work in Midtown, so I'd prefer to be closer to that area. If that's way too expensive to do at the start, I am happy to look a little farther away. I still need to start searching around and find a goal number for what I would need to purchase a multi-family property to get started house hacking. What are some good areas that I should search around in?
0 Reply
Jim SternBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · ATLANTA Metro and Surrounding Counties · Member since 2025 · 12 posts · 2 votes
1d
Hey Jagger,
For housing hacking in ATL here's a general guideline:
- Midtown/Ponce you'll be doing MTR or STR to make the numbers work.
- MTR/STR also works well if you're doing Cobb/Gwinnett or N Fulton suburbs.
- West End works well for co-living targeted at young professionals.
- If you're tight on budget and need to be at $300k (or less), there's pockets of East Point, College Park and Hapeville that can work for you.
Let me know what else you need, and let me know if you need a good lender to get the conversation started with that can really dial the numbers in for you.
678-369-3793
The Hardie Stern Group533 Reviews
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Stevan Stojakovic

Financial Advisor · FL · Member since 2024 · 466 posts · 112 votes

1d

Welcome to the community and congratulations on graduating, Jagger! It is completely normal to feel overwhelmed by "analysis paralysis" when you are just starting out.

Since you are young and organizing your finances, house hacking is arguably the most powerful first step. It dramatically reduces your living expenses while teaching you the fundamentals of property management and financing. My biggest piece of advice is to pick just one strategy and hyper-focus on it until you close your first deal.

Let's connect, and I wish you the best of luck on your first acquisition!

0 Reply

Matthew MorrowBusiness Member

Investor · PA - NY - NJ · Member since 2019 · 627 posts · 219 votes

17h

@Jagger Lynn anytime. Looking forward to following your progress.

[email protected]484-791-6200

CORE Team | Realty ONE Group Supreme547 Reviews

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0 Reply

Jeff Roth

Real Estate Consultant · Ann Arbor, MI · Member since 2022 · 467 posts · 257 votes

16h

Jagger-

Congratulations on being a recent college graduate with an interest in real estate investing.

I am seeing more and more younger people asking about and seeing the value of real estate and real estate investing as a way to build wealth and financial independence. Good to start at any age.

You talked about learning and feeling overwhelmed about how to get started. Understandable.

The good news is you have decided to begin.

I would start with a place to live. Think about buying a property as a primary residence that you can rent out rooms to roommates or designed to have other tenants like a duplex

You can put minimal down as a primary residence and there are downpayment assistance loans regardless of income. Then, after a year or two, you can refinance and pull some money out and go do it again.

Try to keep it simple to begin and look for an investor friendly Realtor with a teacher's heart who understands your goals.

To Your Success!

0 Reply

Ashley RigsbeePro Member

Customer Success & Onboarding Specialist at BiggerPockets · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2023 · 103 posts · 40 votes

6h

Congrats on getting started, Jagger! With your timeline househacking is a great first step because you live in the property while building equity. It may be helpful to start talking to 2-3 lenders about low down payment options.

0 Reply

Sandra EdmondPro Member

Investor · Orlando, FL · Member since 2013 · 27 posts · 28 votes

2h

@Jagger Lynn Coming from someone who's been doing this for over 20 years I'd say learn to comp like it was your cardio. That will be one of the best skills you can have in real estate. Finding the correct comps will prevent you from ever paying too much for a property.

I'd also recommend you volunteer to be an experienced investor's intern. You'll learn a lot about various deals and you can find a mentor that way. What goes around comes around. You can offer to run their comps, help them research properties or just go out on the road with them or help with a rehab from start to finish. Over the years I've hired many college interns in my business and they all have gone on to work in real estate either the commercial end, with builders etc. It's fascinating and gratifying to watch someone that didn't know what the property appraiser's website was end the semester in charge of spreadsheets of property research from all over the state with formulas recomeneding "go sees" and "no gos".

Here are some books I'd recommend that you don't hear too much about...pardon any misspellings.

The Power of Broker by Daimon John (from shark tank);
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss;
Deals on Wheels by Lonnie Scruggs (if you can find it);
The Millionaire Real Estate Agent by Gary Keller (when he says "listings" you substitute "offers") He has another book Millionaire Real Estate Investor ( I didn't find it as good)
Building Wealth One House at a Time by John Schaub

All the Best!

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New Member: Recent College Grad Seeking Advice on First Steps

New Member: Recent College Grad Seeking Advice on First Steps

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