23-year-old Newbie - House Hacking Multi-Family Home - Irvine, CA

[Kevin Nguyen]

Hello all! I graduated UCI with a degree in civil engineering just last year and am currently working full time as an entry level design engineer. I'm currently living with my parents in Irvine, CA and am saving up to invest my very first property.

Although I am completely new to investing in real estate, I have already started reading books, listening to podcasts, and very soon will begin to attend events in order to network and build a team. (Note: I HATED reading so I'm really serious about this)

My end goal is to become financially free which, to me, means generating enough passive income to cover my expenses, to pay back everyone who has helped me get to where I'm at, as well as being able to to help other loved ones with their financial troubles who might not have the same opportunities as I've had. 

From the research that I've done thus far, my first milestone would be to house hack a triplex/fourplex. Locationwise, I was possibly thinking of finding one in OC as of now (subject to change) but will start driving for dollars this weekend to really start getting a feel for the optimal location for my situation. 

Now that I have laid out a game plan, I would like to ask all of you for any tips and suggestions that I can use in order to prepare myself for my real estate journey Thanks for your time!

[Geordy Rostad]

Hi @Kevin Nguyen

Sounds like you're already well on your way. After you've driven for dollars a couple of times in your car, you can probably start doing a lot of it from Google streetview instead.

That said, it's not always the most efficient method of chasing down a deal.

I would highly suggest going to some local real estate meetups. Meet some people, see some presentations, etc. Try meetup.com or the Bigger Pockets events section.