All Forum Posts by: Benjamin Sulka

 Thanks for your response! I appreciate the clarity. 

" If you can reframe decisions as a starting line rather than a final destination, progress becomes a lot less daunting." 

This is spot on. When I'm in a financial position to purchase a property, I am absolutely going to come back and re-read this post. 

Josh, 

This is very insightful.

Definitely going to try this. 

All the best! 

I just graduated from college in May of 2023 with my BBA in Digital Marketing. I wish I would have known about the power of real estate when I was in high school. 

Most people in this forum are reminiscing over years of experience but I'd like to give a different perspective. When I was in high school, I goofed off and got grades far lower than I was capable of doing. This kept me from attaining college scholarships and now I have a bunch of student loans despite having a 3.92 GPA throughout college. 

My only regret is not finding out about real estate or Bigger Pockets until later. I wish I would have known about it when I was 16 years old. It's never too early to start developing your strategy and a plan for your life. 

I love digital marketing but I would have involved real estate into my college education if I would have known about it earlier. There needs to be high school classes that go deep into finance and different asset classes. During your entire early education you are set up to work for somebody else and go into careers that aren't going to help you build long term financial wealth. 

Noah,

Welcome to BP! 

Find a local investor/mentor and learn as much as you can from them. See if there are any ways that you can help them with their investing/properties. People are super receptive to helping out young people. I'm 22 and people have been very receptive about helping me get started. 

Stay active on Bigger Pockets and network with people. You can learn so much from this site, books, and YouTube. 

Get a credit card as soon as you turn 18 (I didn't get one until I was like 20 and I regret it). This should help you start to develop credit history. 

At this point in your investing career, you would have to invest with a partner who does have established income history. Most loan programs require 2 years of income history. 

Even if you can't invest right away, stay consistent with the education and networking. It's easy to let the fire die when you can't get involved right away. 

You got this! 

Albert, 

Welcome to Bigger Pockets! 

Talk to some local lenders and see what programs they offer! You could also start by finding an agent who is familiar with the strategy you are looking to pursue and they should have some lender recommendations. 

All the best! 

Age shouldn't matter here as long as you're over 18. It's great that you're getting involved and seeing how you can make it work at your age! 

The bigger implication, like others mentioned, is your income history. 

FHA typically requires two years of W2 income in order to qualify. Look into getting a co-borrower like the others mentioned.

Best of luck! 

Welcome to Bigger Pockets!!

What Andrew said. 

It would be hard to get a traditional loan without W2 income history. They typically ask for two years of documents. 

Keep saving up your money! If you're going to save, consider putting it in a high yield savings account with solid terms. Check out Wealthfront. 

All the best! 

I hear good things about Holton Wise Property Management. Check them out! 

James Wise is one of the founders and he was an early guest on the BP podcast. Show 120 something.