Removing the Obstacle of Inexperience: a tip for the timid newbie

[Chase Jones]

So you've got a dream: financial freedom. But you've also got no money, no time, no knowledge and no experience. I get it, those are all valid reasons to stand by on diving into real estate. But there is something that you do have that can compensate for all the things that are lacking: your voice.

Having no money means saving more and earning more. Having no time means making time through effective task management. Having no knowledge means absorbing it various resources. Having no experience means gaining it through applying principles, big or small. But having a voice more than makes up for anything you're lacking. If you need help, ask. If you've got a story, tell it. If you have advice, share it. Having no money, time, knowledge or experience can be made up for by simply asking someone how to satisfy those needs.

The irony in me saying this is that it took me 1.5 years to post on BiggerPockets for the first time. I was a shy newbie (still a newbie) who never contributed to the community. Why? Well, to be honest, I was intimidated to put myself out there because I didn't feel "qualified" enough. I decided to sit on the sidelines and wait until I felt like I had enough experience for people to listen to me. Looking back, I see how misguided that sentiment was. Largely because in order to gain experience, I needed the help of other investors! Keep in mind that I am well aware of the fact that we have newbies contributing to the site each day. But this post is intended for the newbies like me. Who hide in the shadow of their IP address but never make a name for themselves.

I recently came back from a deployment to the middle east. While there, I ordered 4 BP Publishing books to occupy my spare time. I was hooked. I talked to anyone and everyone about what I was learning. But alas, it fell flat on a majority of my audience. But not here! Shortly after returning from my trip I posted on the New Member Introductions page. Within hours, I had gotten several warm welcomes and a handful of colleague request from investors in my area. I've spoken to many of them in my down time and I'm looking forward to the kinds of relationships we can build and the value we can add to one another. Over the last 19 months, I've earned over $19K through "house-hacking" (my first blog post explains how), and now I'm ready to put that money to work in my next deal!

The BP community is so unique because most of us are here in search of a very similar goal. In my military work life, I have so few friends that get fired up about ideas like disciplined money management, wealth building and financial freedom. But for the BP community, that's what gets us out of bed each day!

I invite you, timid newbie--no, I challenge you to take the dive into the BiggerPockets forums. Do more than just watch; participate! You'll greatly jumpstart your journey by taking an active role in this community. And there's no telling how much this community can learn from hearing your perspective.

So, what are you waiting for?