All Forum Posts by: Darien Gipson

@Chase Hayden welcome to BP. This site is a great source of information. There are a lot of Houston investors here so you've come to the right place.

Hey @Eric Stone welcome to BP. I have similar investment goals as you and I'm also a Realtor in Texas. There's a ton of info on the site. I've met a few BP folks in person so definitely get out there and network. I also encourage you to get active in a REIA such as RICH. There's some great opportunities to network there as well. Best of luck.

You can partner with someone who has money. You find the deals and they give up the money. This may require you to give up a big share of the profits, but it's a good way to start. Are you active in your local REIA? If not that may be a place to go to find potential partners.

Congrats @Mike Todd on getting your license. I recently received mines as well and for the same purpose as you. I'm with Champion Real Estate Group in Houston. They have a very generous commission split. They only take a set fee per transaction. I think this is perfect for an investor simply wanting to do their own deals. You can check out their site. http://championsrealestategroup.com/

@Blake Williams welcome to BP. This site is a great resource of information. And there are quite a lot of Houston area investors on this site. Best wishes.

Welcome to the BP. This is a great place to learn. I'm tired of looking at my computer all day as well so I know the feeling. Best of luck.

Hey Mike sorry for confusing you. No they are not the same per se. A REALTOR is a licensed agent. But a licensed agent isn't necessarily a REALTOR. A REALTOR is a licensed agent that's a member of the National Association of REALTORS. It's a trade organization. It's kind of like how some doctors are board certified and some are not. But you want the doctor that's board certified. So you want the licensed agent that's also a REALTOR. Most agents are also REALTORS. I wouldn't get too caught up in the difference. A REALTOR has access to MLS and other documents such as leasing agreements and such. The public sees them as one in the same. Joe Blow doesn't distinguish the difference. But it's just an fyi for you as a potential agent to know that you'll have to pay additional fees to have complete access to MLS.

Essentially yes. But you have to become a Houston REALTOR first. And you can only be a REALTOR by being a licensed agent. There are additional fees/dues that you must pay. But it's kind of pointless to become an agent and not become become a REALTOR as well in my opinion. It's worth it to be able to buy and sell your own properties and have access to the comps.

I've actually recently received my real estate license. I used Champions School of Real Estate. You can take classes online or in person. I did a combination of both. http://www.championsschool.com/

Hey Mike, welcome to BP. There are a lot of great folks here to help. Also quite a few of us in the Houston area as well. I'm relatively new myself hoping to make my first deal the first quarter of next year. Have you looked at the site's Ultimate Beginners Guide to Investing? That's a good place to start. Best of luck.

Darien