Accidental House Hacking (My Introduction Story)

[Ryan Velarde]

Hello BP Community,

My name is Ryan Velarde and at the end of 2019 I purchased my first home (condo).  My home is 3 bedroom  and 2 1/2 bath. I bought it at a good price right before the pandemic hit. I was living alone for about 4 months before a friend asked me if I was willing to rent out a room to their coworker for 6 months. Having never lived on my own I was reluctant, but figured I could use the extra income to help pay off my student loans. Prior to this I hadn't heard of house hacking nor Bigger Pockets. 

Right before my first renter left I lined up a new person to rent that room. About a year into the pandemic I was able to pay off all of my student loans by house hacking (humble brag). Through social media, I started seeing more information about real estate investing. I began doing more research and decided to continue house hacking by renting out my second spare room. I've been saving my money and learning as much as I can about REI. I feel like I have a decent grasp on the how to go about my first real estate investing venture but my nervousness has caused me to hold back. I know I need to just start in order to gain the knowledge and experience. I have been struggling to select my market. I hope to pick a market soon, and focus on finding my first deal.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story! Any positive feedback is greatly encouraged.