Real estate life question

[Wayne Freeman]

My goal is to be a real estate buy and hold as well as flip a coupe houses a year.

I make 1200 a month. Should I get a second job and make 2000 a month, and save up for my down payment or should I go to school to be a maintenance technican. Which I will no the basic plumbing, electrical, hvac, drywall, landscape. The school cost 5000. My rent is 300 a month.

I asked a simular question before but I worded it wrong. Just want the community s input.

[Sam Erickson]

If I could start again....

I would work as much as you can and build up your savings.

First purchase would be a flip and I would live in it, do as much of the work you can yourself. Ask for help from friends who might know about one of the trades (Pay them with beer if you can). Even if you screw up by doing the work yourself you should have enough room in your numbers (due to your labor savings) to have it fixed. I feel you learn a lot more by being hands on and doing the work then if you sat in a class room.

I would move from house to house and live in them as I flipped them. If you do some of the work in all of them you will learn and see a lot that will just help you later.

I personally would continue to do this until I had enough cash to buy multi-tenant buildings (or SF if that's what your prefer) and begin renting them out. I wouldn't spend everything though, I would try to keep enough cash on hand to continue flipping at least one property at a time while getting income from the rentals, which appears to be your ultimate goal.