I hope this information was helpful.Thank you for the valuable information Elle!

Don’t underestimate how valuable those relationships can be.Also, consider attending real estate seminars or workshops—both national events and local bootcamps.

My wife and I live in California, but we are planning to retire and move to Georgia (GA) within the next three years.We’ve considered various tax benefits and the relatively lower cost of living.I would love to hear valuable opinions from those living in Georgia and from real estate investors about which area we should choose.I have two options in mind:First, we could purchase a new home in Braselton (Jackson County), GA for around $450K with a 30% down payment, rent it out for now, and move in when we retire.

You’re not reinventing the wheel, but you are building yours for the first time — so don’t hesitate to learn from others who’ve done it before.Some of my most valuable insights came not from courses or books, but from local meetups and real conversations with investors.

All of your ideas are super valuable — I’m noting them down and will work on implementing them.

$40k is a steep price to pay, especially when there’s so much high-quality content available for free—or through reputable real estate investment communities that charge far less for valuable education.As you begin your real estate investing journey, regardless of your chosen strategy, two critical yet often overlooked foundations for long-term success are tax planning and asset protection.

The market is defined by this freedom, and that includes wholesalers who, rather than buying properties outright, make offers to sellers and then assign those contracts to end buyers.Wholesalers provide a valuable service—by facilitating these transactions, they help bridge gaps in the market, especially in situations where homeowners are distressed or need to sell quickly.

The best way this was ever explained to me when I was just starting (even before I was a CPA and I was just an investor) was that an IRA is meant to be a tax-advantaged retirement tool, but not a way to shelter tax on your own earned income.The theory here is that if you were to invest through an IRA but then render valuable services to the asset (i.e. significant repairs and renovations) you are performing a valuable service that you are receiving income for (in the form of forced property appreciation in this case) but you are receiving that value in a tax advantaged manner. 

As Sam Williamson, Senior Economist at First American, says:“A home is more than just a place to live—it’s often a family’s most valuable financial asset and a cornerstone to building long-term wealth.”Bottom LineReal estate isn’t about overnight wins.

It’s definitely a learning curve, and the “good, the bad, and the ugly” all teach you something valuable about running a successful rental business.Would love to hear if you’ve developed any go-to techniques or philosophies over time for balancing all those personalities?