Seeking Mentor & Looking for 1st out of state rental

[Nick Thanaet]

I've been studying real estate investing the past 3+ years but never took any action. After a recent wake-up call I realized I had the classic "paralysis by analysis" and am looking for some help in taking that first step. For some brief context on myself, I've always had a passion for investing, which led me to getting a BS in finance and a job in financial planning. I started with stocks & derivatives trading, but eventually realized that real estate is much more scalable and offers long-term financial freedom.

Being based of out LA county there's not many realistic 1st time investment opportunities, so my search has been aimed towards out of state single family rentals. It seems that TX/OH/TN are popular locations and easy to get into as a new investor. I know that out of state can be difficult, but my hope is that with proper due diligence and a solid team I can find success. I feel that single family will be the easiest to get started, but my goal is to eventually transition into multi-family & commercial properties.

I've always struggled with taking that first step, so I'd love to speak with someone experienced that can walk me through their first investment. If there's other 1st time investors that are open to having a conversation, I'd love to connect and learn from each other!