New investor in Raleigh

[Xavier Mazza]

Good morning BiggerPockets community! 

I am a new investor in Raleigh intent on beginning my real estate journey with a house hack. Having spoken to a number of realtors and investors (if we've talked before, thank you for taking the time to share your advice) I have been informed that a college student without a W2 income is unable to qualify for a FHA or conventional home loan.

That being said, I will not have a full-time job secured until I graduate in 3 years. What is the best course of action for me to get my foot in the door and begin investing within the next year? I have access to a decent chunk of capital, however, am uncertain about going the routes of either private or hard money. Syndications are also an option; I will continue to research these options to determine whether one of them appeals to me.

[Brendan Bello]

Hey Xavier, it's great you're looking into real estate investment earlier than most! Private and hard money is a great way to leverage the capital that you have, just make sure you do your due diligence in shopping for lenders and terms. The majority of investors who buy my deals utilize hard money for flips. House hacking is also a good way to start with real estate investment.

Let's connect! It'd be great to follow you on your REI journey