All Forum Posts by: Victoria Winters

The wholesale business is one of the choices many new investors choose to begin in order to raise capital. Although this is not the only way to earn money in real estate, it is certainly popular. 

First and foremost, wholesaling is a business. It is one of the areas of real estate that offers a low threshold to start. I recommend reading and asking questions.  Learn and take action on what you learn. You can absolutely begin and earn while you learn. 

Love this post!  The property you want to buy must meet your criteria. An existing area "is what it is".  You have control and choice over your own decisions. The surrounding properties and their conditions are the business of those respective owners. Can you live in the area with the existing conditions?  The choice is yours. 

@Leslie Fludd

Welcome to BP and real estate investing. You are certainly among friends on this site. It is always nice to make acquaintance with a new investor. Everyone on the site is looking forward to hearing about what you will bring to the investing world. 

I look forward to your success stories. 

The situation you described, unfortunately, is not uncommon. The good news is, all of that is in the past. You cannot do anything about the past, so move forward with your investment plans. Start by assessing where you are today.  Write a goal and then a plan to reach your goal. Take the first step toward your goal. 

I know this may sound a bit superficial, but that is the truth about how to move forward. There are a lot of choices for getting started in real estate investing. Pick one.  Choose an area that you are interested in pursuing and get going. Help is readily available along the way.  

Feel free to contact me.  Also, contact other investors here on BP. This is a wonderful resource for both new and seasoned investors. 

There are a lot of friendly agents around. What services are you looking for from an agent?

Wonderful post, "How to make serious money".  The short answer is get serious about making money.  Setting goals, working a plan and taking action is the recipe.  From your post it appears that you have an understanding about how to make money. To increase requires a change in plan. You may also want to look at your goals to determine if they are set high enough.  Clarity is important. 

@Denise Smith

Hi Denise. One of the best sources for comps is the MLS. Licensed agents have ready access to this information. The trouble with relying on an agent to run your comps is the fact that an agent is looking to work with a client who will work with them on a purchase or sale. The agent is compensated on the close of a transaction. Unless you are planning to employ the agent, you are essentially asking the agent to work for free. That is the reason many investors find it difficult to obtain comps from agents.

Fortunately, there are alternative ways to get sold comparable information. You can purchase the information you need. You can also get a real estate license.  I can recommend sources to purchase comparables at a reasonable price. 

To be in control of your business is a worthy goal. When looking for help with anything, keep in mind that it is the act of giving that brings things to you.  Offer something of value to another person and you will receive something of value in return. 

@Brooke Robinson

To pass the state exam take the practice exam over and over until you are scoring 90 to 100% on the practice test.  Strive to memorize the answers to the questions.  Forget about failure as a possibility for you. You can and will pass the exam if you keep that thought in your mind.  

Getting a real estate license is  great endeavor and you'll be so glad when you receive the license. There really is nothing to be gained by discussing failure unless you want to fail.  Practice passing the test and you will pass the test. 

@Jedd Braunwarth

Hi Jedd.  Great question!  Responding to your question, I say no.  The cause of any inaction is simply the person not taking the first step toward their goal. Gaining knowledge through reading is one of the best ways to learn. The trouble many people have is putting their newly acquired knowledge into action. This is akin to buying a new tool and then setting it on the shelf. It is of no use unless it is put to use.

The best thing a person can do is to be honest with themselves about what kind of help they need while in a learning mode. Do they need a coach or mentor to "push" them along the way?  Can you learn and be accountable to yourself to take action?  Whatever a person needs, help is available. 

Thank goodness for Bigger Pockets and all the people who participate for the benefit of their fellow investors. 

Education comes in many forms and each one has a price tag, cash or sweat equity. Whether or not it is a good idea for you to pay for seminars, classes or mentoring is entirely up to the individuall seeking help. Everyone learns differently and has different tolerances for how to acquire the education they seek.

To pay for a seminar or class that may be of value is a perfectly legitimate thing to do. Everyone will offer an opinion about a course or seminar they took.  Depending on their perspective, the review and critique will be from their point of view.  If you want to trust the opinion of another person, and follow their advice that is always your choice. The bottom line is, decide for yourself how you want to gain knowledge.  

Keep in mind that knowledge is only useful when it is put to use by taking action. One can purchase thousands of courses and none of them will be any good unless the principles taught have been followed up with personal action.  There are a lot of great seminars, classes, courses, mentors and programs available for real estate investors. The great news is that they all have different price tags, so there is one to fit every budget. 

There really is no such reality as something for nothing. Free may imply doing your own research through reading and asking questions on blogs and forums. BP is an excellent source for "free" education. It is up to you how you wish to learn.