New investor, $30k to invest, work full time, 24 yo please help!

[Aaron Mercado]

This is my first time posting and am looking forward to all the knowledge here!

I am 24 years old and have been working as an accountant and have managed to save around $30k for investing (outside of retirement accounts). I live at home still and am also looking to move out / buy a condo or such in the next few years. I live in Southern California and prices are very high. 

I have two goals: 

1) to buy a personal residence / move out

2) to begin my real estate investing journey

I originally thought of throwing down 20% on a condo, moving out and calling it a day, but I’m so intrigued by investing and I want to eventually build enough wealth passively to leave my job. 

I’ve read the Book on Rental Properties from BP and am currently reading the Out of State investing book, as well as a couple others. I listen to the podcasts and watch a lot of investing videos as well. 

It seems like for cash flow and wealth building, out of state investing is one of the only reasonable options for me. House hacking doesn’t seem feasible in SoCal without moving way out into nowhere. I’m currently in LA County for reference. 

Even with reading books and podcasts and videos, I still feel overwhelmed and lost as to what I should really do in my case.

Between a personal residence and investing, with my $30k and how to utilize it wisely and efficiently without being a real estate agent or having a vast knowledge of real estate. I understand the concepts but don’t know what to do. I don’t want to become an agent and I’m skeptical about turnkey. 

Can I possibly accomplish both of my goals in some manner?

I’d love to hear some input and ideas on what I can do. Thank you for reading!

[Trent Stone]

Hey!! Welcome Aaron! I honestly wouldn't recommend turnkey, the returns are usually low. Also, just because you can't get your mortgage completely covered doesn't mean you can't "house hack". If you get a duplex and your mortgage is $3,000/mo maybe the other side rents for $2,500/mo. You would only be paying $500/mo to live in a nice place and your tenants would still be helping to pay down your mortgage, and hopefully you buy in an appreciating market.

Grant Cardone's philosophy is to rent where you live and buy where you rent. I personally agree, but I am not opposed to taking advantage of government sponsored loans either. They are just a tool in your belt so take them into account when weighing options. The price to rent ratios here in Utah are NOT great for investors so I invest out of state. If you are looking for pure cash flow, there are some markets in the midwest and the south that are great. A few markets in Florida, DFW, Ohio, and Indiana are offering a pretty good mix of appreciation and cash flow. 

My advice, know what your goals and criteria are, master a market then get to work. I would personally look more at price to rent ratios to determine where to put my money. Let me know if you need help tuning your criteria a little. Good luck!!