Newbie Looking To Learn

[Scott O'Neil]

Good Morning,

Just popping in to make my first post and say that I'm happy that I just discovered this forum. The reason I'm here is to learn as much as possible as I'm tired of working so hard and only relying on my day job to just get by. Recently, I just had my daughter in July and my wife had to shut down her cleaning business as we couldn't acquire employees to work. I work 55-60 hours a week and am looking for other ways to build a financially healthy life.

I know I've got a lot of research to do here and podcasts to look into but, I'm hungry for knowledge and want to learn. My interest was created by reading "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" which opened my eyes to the truth about money and want to take action on the value I'm learning from it. I do have a quick question though, which I'm sure I would find in my research reading forums here. But, would it be a good idea to pursue a Real Estate license to learn the ins and outs of the market? Or could I do that by just researching?

I guess a little clarity of my financial situation would help as well. My debt to income ratio is horrendous and I've been doing my best to slice my budget down to live below my means to cut out and work on this debt. So, I would be trying to make money with little to none to begin with. My goal is to get as educated as possible and start making moves that will help increase my revenue stream and from some of the research I've done wholesaling seems to be a good way to get started. Any advice? Thank you in advance for any responses and I look forward to spending the whole day soaking in the Bigger Pockets forums and space!

[John McCombs]

Hello Scott, 

Congratulations on the birth of your daughter and your interest in being a dad who can take care of your family financially.  I would probably recommend that you consider this season of your life as a season of learning and preparation.  Connect with some property managers, contractors, and landlords who can help you gain hands-on experience with a few hard skills while you are also reading, listening and developing your understanding of the breadth of the Bigger-Pockets- related fields.  Is it possible the the contacts that you and your wife have had in the cleaning business could be maintained as they are a related industry that can support landlords and homeowners in the future?  I would recommend that you continue to work hard to save money for a down payment, consider moving to another house and keeping your current house as a rental.  That's how a lot of us started as landlords (myself included 30 years ago).  Keep on keeping on!