trying to do my first deal

[Andrew Brewer]

Hi Everyone, I am new to the RE investing game and looking to buy my first property. I am 24, I work full time and I live in San Jose. The housing prices in the Bay Area are crazy right now so I'm trying to figure out what the best way to get started would be. I have some money saved up to invest with but not enough to invest in San Jose. 

I have a general understanding of construction and rehab and a small amount of hands on experience, but i don't feel confident enough to rehab a house or estimate costs or even make sure that contractors are giving me an accurate quote. This is something i want to learn, but at the moment i don't have the knowledge. 

My question is: what kind of deal should i look for first? The strategy I want to follow is long term buy and hold for passive income. I'm thinking that something needing a lot of rehab work would not be ideal for a n00b like me, nor would investing out of state in an area i don't know about. both of these are deals i feel i could get to eventually, but for a first purchase i'm not sure.

does anyone have any advice on a good starter property and where?