Newbie Seeking Advice and Guidance

[Mark Millich]

Hi, everyone! I am brand new to the world of real-estate. However, what I lack in experience, I make up for in passion, drive and work ethic. I’m currently reading The Book on Rental Property Investing and just upgraded to the Pro Membership on BiggerPockets with the hopes of networking and learning as much as I can.

A quick background: I’m currently a safety manager for the one of the nation’s premier electrical contractors. I graduated from college in 2017 with a degree in safety management and criminal justice. My career has taken me all around the country over the past several years and I couldn’t have been more fortunate to have the opportunities that I have. I’m also a soldier in the Army National Guard and was recently promoted to Sergeant. Over the past two years that I’ve been out of college, I’ve done my best to save my money and not frivolously spend it on materials that I don’t need (ie. new car, toys, etc.). My career pays relatively well for being 25 years old. I’ve had plans to ultimately invest my savings in something that will make me money, and after learning that a close-coworker of mine began investing in real-estate several years ago, I became immediately interested. My coworker recommended I read the book Rich Dad, Poor Dad, which I just finished recently. It was an inspiring read to say the least.

Currently, I’m working on gaining as much knowledge as I can in the industry before I make an investment. While I’ve been doing this, I’ve also been looking up houses on Zillow and Realtor.com to get an idea of what to buy. The issue, however, is that I’m not certain what is considered a good deal and bad deal. I’m finding decent properties, but everything I’ve been learning has me questioning whether or not there’s a better deal (which I’m sure there is, I’m just not sure where to find them). My coworker is apparently finding properties for half the price of what I’m finding. Essentially, he is able to buy several properties for the price of just one property that I’m finding on these websites. He told me that he’s been finding all of his deals through networking.

This is my goal with the BiggerPockets Pro membership: I’d like to network with as many people as I can, build professional relationships, learn what I can from the best minds in the industry, and hopefully learn about some great deals and opportunities along the way.

I’m currently living in Charles Town, WV. Proctor and Gamble just established a large manufacturing facility in the area, which is bringing in many jobs for people. I figured this may be a good area to start investing in. However, I also have family in the Pittsburgh area (Greensburgh, Pittsburgh and Aliquippa area to be specific) and am hoping to find some great deals out there as well.

Any guidance, advice and information potential opportunities would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, everyone!