Single Mom in Houston

[Jameika Southern]

Hello! Newbie here to Bigger Pockets and REI. Looking to invest into a real estate however I feel that my situation is making it difficult.

I currently rent in a suburb of Houston with great schools. I need the schools for several reasons , but an important one is because one of my kids is special needs. Being a single mom those extra services are so important. Ideally I would think a MF unit would work best but there are not many/any in this area. I have thought about investing in single smaller units (condos/townhomes/etc). 

Putting my kids in the HISD district is not an option, nor is paying the expensive $20k plus tuition for private schools in Houston. Let me add that I am self employed and my business is out in the area where I currently live.

I am excited about getting started, but am unsure of what would be the best avenue. Any thoughts?

[Faraad Mohamed]

Welcome to the BP family @Jameika Southern @Knashae Smith! Most people prefer to invest somewhere comfortably between home and work - especially for your first couple of investments at least because it's very easy for people to take advantage if there is no oversight. Based on your post, it sounds like the next step for you would be to build your criteria of what you're looking for (area, condition, proximity to work/home, etc.). Are you looking for something turnkey or something significantly discounted that needs a little work? Then after you figure that out, the next step is to start analyzing deals. Brandon Turner does weekly webinar's on how to analyze Real Estate Investments. Take good notes then start analyzing. You can either spend hours and hours looking for deals on the MLS or get people to start sending you deals directly to your inbox for you to crunch your numbers on. Once you find a deal that works for you, pull the trigger and don't hesitate because in the Real Estate Investing world speed always wins and if you're not quick to make decisions, more seasoned investors will beat you to the punch every time. Don't get too caught up in the self-education aspect of it because it's very easy to do. The best way to learn is by doing. And if you need help finding deals... I know a guy :) I hope this helps!