Nearly 18 and need advice on REI while i'm away overseas!!!! HELP!!

[Tiarnan Gormley]

I'm about to be 18 in a couple of months, and I've been reading all about rental property investing for the last year. I particularly want to get started with the househacking strategy using an FHA loan to get a multifamily in Texas, which is where I'm from. However, the problem is that I currently live in Northern Ireland and will go to university either at the University of Edinburg, in Scotland the London School of Economics to study economics and politics. I may also take a gap year and travel. I'm not sure how I can get into real estate while I'm over here because I don't want to start investing in the UK, but the thing is I'll be doing school over here for 3, 4, or 5 years which is a long time to wait to get started. And that is the main thing; I want to start REI early and build up a decent portfolio of cashflowing properties by the time I'm 30. I'm going to get a USA-secured credit card this year to start building my credit score, but does anyone have any advice as to what I can do to get started if I'm going to be in the UK until im 22 or 23? Should I try and get properties over the summer? But then I couldn't house hack because I wouldn't be able to stay for a year. Could I just invest in a rental property and try to manage it while I'm overseas? If so how difficult is that? I just need some advice and help because I don't have any mentors and live away from my family, who are in Texas. Any help or advice would be much appreciated!!!!!! Also I do plan to come back to the states after university.

[James Hamling]

@Tiarnan Gormley I think your really going about this in the worst way. 

Your looking at this really cool and unique position your in, and focusing on it as a problem. 

So all you see is problems. 

You already decided what it is you "should" be doing, while simultaneously stating you don't know what you should be doing..... So yeah, of course it's confusing and vision filled with problems. 

Do you want to be great at Real Estate Investing? 

If so, step 1 is rewiring how you look at things. You need to rewire yourself to ALWAYS look for the opportunity. LOOK at what ADVANTAGEOUS, what competitive edges do you have, how can those be best used to engage in the opportunities at hand. 

Right now, your fighting saying this square peg won't fit into the round hole. 

So stop, stop trying to put square peg's in round holes. Step back, take in the situation around you, what peg's do you have, what hole sis there, what is there that CAN be connected. 

Right away the most obvious is STR. And with that, oh-man there is SOOOoooo many things you can do.

Fear the issues of tenant nightmares, fantastic because you won't have that with STR.

Your right there buddy, freaking LONDON, literally a "bucket list" destination for people the world round. Are you kidding me. What a GREAT golden opportunity. 

You are positioned right at one of the top 10, if not 3, STR markets on the planet buddy!

Ireland..... Scotland..... I mean come on! How many people every year pour out there life savings to come for a vacation, just from TX, not even mentioning the US or rest of world. 

Now let's compound that natural advantage by fact your from TX. Is this connecting yet? Be that person who set's up some STR's there, runs em there, and really caters it to the US "bucket list" tourist.

Look, if you've spent any time in UK you already know the US tourist is WAY different than say the German tourist. Way WAY different. 

How many Ameircans have culture shock when get there? How many struggle in there bookings, to find way around, ask "what is this corn-dog like thing"..... 

You could be "The" STR "guy" for American tourists. Setting them up to do well. Prep that if gonna be in London public rest rooms on every corner is not a thing, so empty that "tank" before head out.

Prep em on the need to experience a Sunday Roast at the Royal Windsor with a pint. (seriously, it is legit "last meal" worthy". 

There is SOoo much opportunity for you it's insane. You'd be a dang fool to waste your energy or effort's on ANY US standard rental more or less Sec8, are you kidding me?! 

And all those skills you going to have to learn and master in UK to get a property under control, operate it, market it, monetize, operate etc., ALL 100% translates to anything and everything you will do when back in US. 

Will it be difficult? Hell YES. 

Guess what, it ALWAYS is. What matters is it will be WORTH-IT. 

To go from 0 is "breaking in" the the biz. It WILL always be like smashing through a wall with your head as fists as the hammer, you will "get bloody", it will hurt, it will exhaust you, it will test you to your breaking point and beyond. That is the reality. 

Simple does NOT mean "easy" or pain free. 

But man-alive, you are in such a GREAT place with amazing advantageous. Don't waste that. 

When you deliver a PREMIUM experience, especially one so curated for those persons what do you think they will do? You'd be delivering BIG and powerful solutions. People reward you with there appreciation and $$$$. 

Don't be average, be AWESOME. If for no other reason than you can. 

You wanna be the 2% so BE the 2%. Stop focusing on problems and focus on opportunities and solutions. And BEING exceptional. 

BE the 2%.