Starting out at 19

[Wes Minks]

Hi! My name is Wes and I am 19 years old going to college here in Arizona. I am from Minnesota and I've grown up working in the trades and being around construction. Real estate has always intrigued me so I've spent the last year or two learning as much as I can about REI. I want to get my first property as soon as I can, but I'm not exactly sure where to start. My long-term goal is to own multifamily/ apartment complexes, but for or now, I just want to get in the game however I can. Whether that is house-hacking, STRs, or fix-n-flip, I am hungry to learn and willing to do whatever it takes. The areas I would like to focus on are Minneapolis and Phoenix. I would love to hear people's thoughts on which market I should focus on, and what strategies have been working in those areas. Thanks!

[Benjamin Sulka]

Wes, 

Love to see that you're thinking about stuff like this at 19 years old! I sure wasn't but luckily I discovered this community when I was 21 so still pretty early. 

I don't know anything about those markets or what works there but as a general strategy, I think house hacking is an awesome way to go. If a single family house hack is more feasible then go that route. 

House hacking will give you hands on landlording and property management experience. You'll also pay less than you would renting and you'll be building equity. 

The one thing I would mention is that you need documented income history to qualify for a loan (typically two years). If not, you may have to get a cosigner. Talk to your parents or other family about your strategy. 

You got this!