Investing in Real Estate And Stocks at a young age (21)

[Stephanie J. Valme]

Hello everyone,

So I invested in my first stock. It was nothing big but it was a big step for me because this was the beginning for me. I want to invest in real estate and want to make this my career but I read more and more on this website and I see professionals say get rid of all school debt before you start investing in real estate and I feel like if I do that I will never start. My debt is looking at 40k+ right now and I still have a year of college left. So I guess my question is, what can I do to get into real estate without paying off my debt first? I want to start getting into real estate now while I’m still in college but I don’t know where to look. Do I need my real estate license to start? Can I invent without getting my license? Are there internships that help young people like me get into the business? 

[Shiloh Lundahl]

@Stephanie J. Valme there is a lot on this thread that I disagree with and only a little that I agree with. As an investor you will need to learn to manage debt. Never get into consumer debt (buying things on credit that go down in value) except for possibility a car that is reliable and very inexpensive. 

Having student loans of 50k does not have to be a big deal. Yes it will effect your debt to income ratio but it will also force you to learn how to invest like a professional, which is to say investing using other people’s money. I wouldn’t tell you that you have to pay off your debt before you start to invest. I would say you have to learn to manage your debt and finances before you start to invest.

The best way to start may be to find someone who is successful at the type of real estate you want to do and offer to be a free assistant in exchange for knowledge and experience. Yes I said “free.” You have to get out of the hourly wage or salary mindset if you want to be an investor.

As far as college goes, I don’t think college is a waste of time if it has helped you learn how to work hard, how to problem solve, and how to set and reach goals. If you didn’t learn those things then yes, it was a waste. Because those are 3 things that successful people have in common that you need in order to succeed at this business on a large scale regardless of the subject you studied.