New Investor: What more can I do to prepare?

[David Wier]

I am a college student set to graduate with my Masters in May of 2017. I am interested in real estate investing, and am curious about what I should be doing to prepare. 

Where I live will be dependent on where I can land a job; likely in a college town in the state of Michigan, but I cannot be sure where. I'm interested mostly in buy-and-hold, and plan to purchase a multifamily and house hack. 

I recognize one thing I can be doing now is learning, which I am doing with resources on BP (books, podcasts). I also plan to attend some local REIA meetups in the near future.

 My main question is what, if anything, can I do to set up a team to make my first purchase go as smoothly as possible? Considering I do not know where I will live, is there anything I can be doing now to streamline that process? What other things should I consider that I might not think of? I appreciate any and all feedback. 

[Faith Steller]

Hi David, I would start with reading as much as you can about REI and figuring out what your personal game plan is. There are so many great ways to be a successful investor but it has to be the right way for you are you more of a fix and flip type or a wholesaler or looking to get into the long term rentals? You have to ask yourself if you planning to buy-and-hold or house hack what is your exit strategy on any property. Attending local REIA groups is a great way to meet other local investors as well and potential contractors and build up your knowledge base.

As a local REALTOR in the Greater Lansing Area, I watch all the surrounding housing markets and keep up with local trends to help my buyers as much as possible during negotiations and make sure they get the best deal possible. Good Luck and it may be difficult to build a team if you  are not sure where you are wanting to invest but if it's here in Michigan know that there are a great bunch of resources out there available to you.