The Hardest Part (and it isn't money)

[Hannah Reichert]

After more than a year of reading, podcasts, practice analysis of deals, and discussion, I feel that I'm ready to commit to being a real estate investor once we start our new chapter (Husband is exiting the military next year and we're moving & buying our first dental practice as well as first VA loan house hack multi-family next year). What's tripping me up is believing I can do it. I feel shame in the Masters degree (MSW) I don't currently use (and the license I recently let purposefully lapse). I feel overqualified in my office manager job yet underqualified in comparison to friends/family. I know I have an awesome set of skills to bring to the REI table (people-driven, experience with government/lengthy paperwork, budgeting responsibilities, managerial, a love of the deal hunt, etc) yet the moment I start to talk to my future plans with my friends/family, I feel like a deflating balloon. I think getting more deals underwing will help me feel more accomplished, I hope. I am definitely open to any and all advise/wisdom. Thank you!

[Linda S.]

@Hannah Reichert,

First,  some might disagree with me.. but stop talking to your family/friends about your interest in real estate.    What do you gain?    Unless they are active investors, they'll likely just deflate/warn you of all the bad stuff.   Lets be real, they don't likely have the guts to do it themselves.. so why waste your time/energy telling them?    Talk to LOCAL REAL ESTATE GROUPS!   Meetup is great!   Investors who get real estate are different than normal friends, find investor friends!   Find people with common goals that you can bounce ideas off, those will be your biggest cheerleaders!     Find people who are doing what you want to do, and offer to help them!  Surrounding yourself with the right people is crucial IMO.   

Keep your regular friends, but don't bore them with your real estate talk..  and don't bore you real estate friends with your family talk! Sweet and simple!

Second, why do you care what others think?   Do you want real wealth, or do you want perceived (keeping up with the jones)aka  fake wealth?    Stop comparing yourself, it's not a race.    There will ALWAYS be people richer/poorer.

If you chose to be an investor, just know.. things will go wrong, things will go badly, it will be expensive, it will be stressful,  it's hard work!  You will be sacrificing time/money/energy.