3 Reasons You Can't Start Investing -- and How to Take Action

Mark Twain once wrote: “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

As 2014 comes to a close and you reflect on the year, how do your successes stack up against the goals you set at the beginning of the year? I remember years ago reading articles, forums and blogs about real estate investing… I was energized by the new information I was taking in, but coudn’t bring myself to take action. It was years of thinking about real estate investing before I actually took the plunge and started my investing business.

I wonder how many of you have filled your minds with endless articles, strategies and advice about real estate investing, but have yet to do anything with it. Some of you have likely purchased expensive home study courses promising to unlock the secrets of wealth, but haven’t implemented the program yet. While there is nothing wrong with educating yourself, at some point you simply have to take action.

I would venture to say that for most of the reasons you’ve told yourself you can’t get started, there is a good response as to why you can.

3 Reasons Investors Don’t Take Action

I Don’t Have Enough Money

While there are varying degrees of what somebody might consider “enough money,” even somebody with a few thousand dollars can implement any number of strategies to make money as a real estate investor. Here are just a few of the strategies I would suggest looking into:

Using the seller to finance your purchase
Using the seller to provide you with a lease purchase
Using a private lender (or partner) to help you acquire a property with little or no money down

I Don’t Have ANY Money

Many investors start out with almost no money to invest. This should definitely not be an excuse to remain on the sidelines. There are tons of good articles on wholesaling.

Even if you don’t have the money to send postcards or flyers, you can always begin building a buyers list. Simply meeting other wholesalers and investors can be a path to a referral fee — that may eventually turn into a wholesaling business, and that may eventually turn into a flipping business. The point is, you don’t need capital to get into the game.

I Live in a Difficult Market

I would probably tell you that there ARE good buys in your market; you just don’t know how to find them. Or if your market is too expensive, find a market in another state that fits more comfortably in your desired price point. I’ve met a number of investors and wholesalers over the years who live in other markets, but still somehow find a way to wholesale and flip properties in my market. We live in an information age that has truly torn down geographical barriers. Don’t let a difficult market keep you from your dream of investing in real estate.

As 2015 approaches, what kinds of goals will you set? Will you continue to let your dream of investing in real estate slip away — or will you do as Mark Twain wrote: “Throw off the bowlines. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”?

Leave a comment below, and let’s talk!

Note By BiggerPockets: These are opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of BiggerPockets.