New to REI - Charleston SC

[Davis Wood]

Hello Bigger Pockets Community! My name is Davis Wood, I am 24 and live in Charleston, SC. I graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2019 and currently work as a Land Development Engineer (EIT) with a global architecture, engineering and construction firm. My interest in REI started towards the end of my college career and has grown since. I have read REI books including "How to Invest in Real Estate, the Ultimate Beginners Guide to Getting Started" and started listening to the Bigger Pockets Podcast. I am now at the point where I feel like I need to take action whether that be networking, property analysis practice, obtaining a RE license, etc.

The purpose for this post is to get in touch with local investors, expand my real estate investing knowledge, and determine my next steps to becoming an investor. I am also interested to hear from other engineers who have had success in REI by leveraging their career skills. I find myself considering the following questions frequently:

1. Should I obtain a RE license to gain access to MLS and network with local agents?

2. Should I continue to pursue my Professional Engineering (PE) licensure if my interest is in REI? I don't want to be stuck drafting plans for developers and taking on the associated risk when sealing the plans. However, I have found that typically a PE license validates good ethics and commands more respect from peers which may open doors in REI.

I greatly appreciate any feedback whether it is general advise for someone starting out in real estate investing, or specific insight to the questions listed above. I would love to meet with any local Bigger Pockets members whether experienced investors or not. Thank you for your time in reading this post. I'm looking forward to the journey ahead.