Advice on My Real Estate Journey (27 Years old, Illinois)

[Aahil B.]

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice on growing my real estate portfolio. My family and I own a couple condo rentals in Illinois, and I’m the main income earner (27 Years Old, graduated in 2023). My approach so far has been using my W-2 income to acquire one rental property per year. The properties have appreciated by about 60K per unit, but my cash flow is roughly break-even after mortgages and expenses.

I want to continue growing and learning more. I’ve been considering fix-and-flip projects, but I’m wondering if joining a mentorship would be beneficial at this stage. My long-term goal is to get into new developments, as I’m really passionate about that, but I know it’s not something that happens overnight.

I don't have much of a real estate network, and I'm the first in my family to get into this space. The properties I've bought so far have come from good timing on the MLS or opportunities within buildings where I already own units.

For those who have been in a similar position, what would you recommend as my next steps? Should I focus on scaling rentals first, or start branching into flips? Also, is mentorship worth it, or should I just keep networking and learning on my own? Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!