Incoming dental student - hopeful investor

[Ethan Brown]

A little information about me, I am a incoming dental student and looking to start investing in real estate. I have been out of school for a couple years and have built a decent sum of funds to contribute to this unless I end up deciding to hold off. I have put down a deposit for Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska. I had a late interview with Minnesota which is located in Minneapolis. Unless granted acceptance to MN, I will attend Creighton. 
I am interested in getting started by doing the standard house hacking technique. I know you have to learn the market, crunch the numbers, and find a property that will work. Was just wondering if others have had experience with investing in real estate while in grad school? Is it smart? I like the idea of house hacking because it has the potential to decrease my living expenses while learning the fundamentals of this type of investing. I do have family members in the real estate business so I have mentors in that way and they may potentially go in on this with me. I don’t want to 100% jump into real estate and focus on that  hence why I am pursuing dentistry, but I do like the idea of eventually having a few properties to have that additional income and contribute to to retirement.

Maybe I’m crazy but any insight would be greatly appreciated!

[Grace Wang]

Hey @Ethan Brown, house hack where you end up going to dental school! If I were you I'd rent the bedrooms out to your fellow dentistry classmates and hold epic study sessions. I'm not familiar with those markets you mentioned, but generally speaking, renting out a bedroom is WAY more affordable than renting out an apartment. If you're able to purchase a turnkey place with a decent bedroom-to-bathroom ratio, you'll really have a win-win situation. 

To become more familiar with your market, find some investor-friendly agents and ask them which areas are best to invest in. You should also ask if they have other clients house hacking/investing and ask about the successes in which those clients have had.  If possible, use an agent that also invests themself! Once you feel confident in the market, start house hacking. You'll be glad you did, as it will help you get into the real estate game, save on living expenses (and pay off dental school?!?), and contribute to retirement. 

Message me if you have any questions and i can help as best I can. Hope this helps!