First time poster, bio, with two very simple and basic questions.

[Mike Cousineau]

Hello BP!

My name is Mike and I am new to the site, and to the world of real estate investing. I consider myself very responsible with my money, and have always had the ambition to seek out careers to afford me financial freedom, and to release me from the 9-5 rat race, but have never quite found that niche or opportunity. I have held an interest in the field of real estate investing longer than any other, and I am genuinely excited about the prospects.

Before my questions, let me tell you a little bit about myself to aid with answers! I am 29 years old, and married. I work 40 hours a week, and make about$ 35k a year. My wife is a 26 year old teacher, and is pregnant with our first child! She makes about $38k a year. We live in a small town in Michigan, and those wages allow us to live quite comfortably. We have a $66k 30 yr mortgage after our original $30k down payment, on our home that is valued at $120k. We have no debt, beside the 66k mortgage. We have about $22k in *emergency* cash savings, plus relatively new retirement accounts (3-4 years)

There were two things holding me back from entering this world... The first being that I am not rich. I thought real-estate investors were all Donald Trump types who just had money to throw at every opportunity they find. Luckily, the main thing I have learned from BP is that most investors start with little capital, and it can sometimes be beneficial to have "leverage" provided by loans.

The second problem, is my wife! My wife is very frugal with money, and can save like no other. She finished a 5 year college program and graduated nearly debt free! While that alone is a GREAT problem to have, any time the word investment reluctantly leaves my mouth, she shuts down and gives me the stink eye. She would rather bury every penny we have in a coffee can in the back yard than risk any of our earned money. While that is OK for some, that approach in our financial situation will not afford us financial freedom or early retirement.

So that is the basis of my two (of many) questions:

1. Upon the realization that you don't need vast amounts of start-up capital to enter real estate investing, what would be the best approach to financing an opportunity? I think I would be more interested in flipping, because I like seeing things come together and building and what-not, but I also like the idea of monthly cash-flow from buy and hold. Which is easier to begin in?

2. Does anyone have similar experiences with your significant other not supporting your "investor mindset"? What do/did you do to ease their anxieties about taking the risks?

Thanks for reading, and I'm so happy to be here! Sorry about sneaking more than 2 questions... :]

-Mike