Thoughts on Turnkey for 1st

[Adon Ripple]

Hey Everyone, let me outline my financial situation for more context. 

I currently work in construction full time, make about 48k/year. Have only been working for 8ish months so far, no previous job history before then. I've got about ~25k saved up, eager to put the rubber to the road. I'm doing video/marketing on the weekends for a full-time investor, is sort of a mentor. My dad is currently going through his first BRRR.

I recently messaged someone in my network and they have an occupied duplex. He's transitioning out of holding properties. Most likely could do seller-financing. The down payment would be all of said 25k. He has a different one that is a SFH currently renting for 1,050/mo that has a new roof.

Here's my main point--is there cause for not going through with this for a turnkey property? Assuming tentats are good and due diligence on property(s) looks good, would just focusing on cash-flow be alright for a first deal?

My ideal strategy is to BRRR a property, and to get to the point that I can do that full-time (i.e. managing a team, etc) as there is more potential from what I understand. He's also offered to coach me through this deal if it works out for us. Any thoughts or advice is appreciated. 

[Steve Daddeo]

Hey Adon, thanks for sharing—you're in a really solid spot for just 8 months into your career. $25K saved on a $48K income while working full-time and doing video work on weekends? That’s hustle, and it already puts you ahead of a lot of people.

On Buying the Duplex or SFH: If the duplex is seller-financed and fully occupied, that's a great first deal on paper, assuming you verify the rent roll (tenants are paying consistently); expenses are well-understood (taxes, insurance, maintenance, CapEx, etc.); and you're getting at least $200–300/month cash flow per door after all costs. I prefer investing in assets that generate cash flow.

Turnkey properties can be a great first step—especially when you’re light on experience, have a mentor to walk you through the process, and you’re using your own saved capital, not borrowed money. You’ll build confidence, equity, and credibility that you can roll into future BRRRs.

You're spot on thinking about cash flow first. This does a few things: 1)De-risks your entry into real estate. 2) Gives you real-world landlord experience. 3)Helps you start building reserves and momentum. Even if it's not a "perfect" BRRR or home-run deal, your first base hit is sometimes all you need to get in the game.

Since BRRR is your long-term strategy, this deal could be your training ground, so use it to learn property management; understand tenant screening and maintenance; build a lender relationship and show a track record.

If your seller will coach you through this deal, that’s worth a lot by itself. Free coaching + seller financing + a cash-flowing duplex is a very strong combo.

Note the major con here is capital consumption. Once you use the $25K to put down on the duplex, it will be harder to take out versus doing a BRRRR, which is meant to take as much capital out of the deal so you can reuse it later.

Good luck and all the best!