Newbie looking for direction

[Dennis Small]

Hey everyone!

I'm hoping you guys can give me a push in the right direction. Please allow me to explain where I am right now.

I am brand new to real estate investing. I'm currently reading books, going to local REIC meetings (looking to join one) and hitting these forums as much as I can. I'm also listening to the podcasts here and they are awesome. I'm a big reader and love to educate myself so this part is a lot of fun for me.

I'm working full time in a job that is not flexible with hours. It's strictly 8-5 and I usually end up working until 6 or 7. Weekends off. My wife and I are currently putting any extra money we have towards paying off debts so we can be debt free except our house. That should be complete by the end of the year.

Because of this, we have no money to invest right now. The soonest that I could would be next summer. I don't want to wait that long. Also, our credit pretty much sucks right now so I'm worried about getting loans for REI.

My long-term goal is to buy and hold around 100 properties debt-free. To get there, I plan on doing a combination of wholesaling and flipping to cash-flow the 100+ properties. My goal is to hit 100 properties in 15 years.

So a quick summary. I'm eager to learn. I dont have much money to invest and my credit sucks. I'm a hard worker and willing to work under a mentor for as long as it takes for me to learn the business.

While reading these forums and various books, it can be a little overwhelming when you look at all of the different avenues one can take in real estate. That's one thing I love about this business but it's also giving me Analysis Paralysis right from the start.

What avenue should I take given my situation? All suggestions are welcome!