Introduction and Brief Personal Description

[Matthew Phillips]

Good Evening all!

A little bit about me: my name is Matthew Phillips, I'm 22 years old, married to my beautiful wife, and play football for Geroge Fox University.

I created my Bigger Pockets account in April of 2022, but I have recently become more serious about investing in real estate. I've been listening to the Bigger Pockets Podcast and just finished episode 102. From what I've learned, I'm most interested in long-term rentals and house hacking. Because I'm currently enrolled in University and looking to apply to Law School, money is tight and I don't have much to put toward investing. I'm continuously looking for ways to invest even though my finances are slim. Any advice for me? I've been looking into the different options of using hard money lenders and or private investors. Being that I live in Newberg Oregon, the market prices are pretty high for someone without much capital. Is it best to find an area where market prices are cheaper? Also trying to figure out what a "good deal" is. I know Brandon and Josh talk a lot about finding "Good deals" when looking at real estate, but I'm still unclear on what authenticates a "Good deal."

[Lawrence Potts]

Hey Matthew! Glad to have a Bruin on here (Class of 2016). I was part of the Zero year in 2013. Ask Coach Casey if he remembers me 👍

Everyone starts somewhere and often times it's similar to yours. But it's never too soon to start. I have friends who are able to house hack SFR's in the area and rent out by the bedroom. I also have a buddy who rents out to traveling nurses. And others who build commercial BRRRR's. So the beauty is that you can start anywhere at anytime.

Here’s some solid advice that applies to all levels of real estate:

1. Read up as much as you can! There are some really good books out there: Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Power or One More, Set for Life, etc. 

2. Network! Go to meet ups, talk to other investors, learn from others. See how you can serve other seasoned investors and watch how they operate their business.

3. It doesn’t hurt to talk to a realtor and lender now. They’re more than happy to take a look at your situation and give some guidance. Good deals depend on your unique situation. One deal makes sense to one person but is a bad deal to another. @Grant Schroeder would be my first recommendation to reach out to, former QB and good friend of mine. He started with a duplex and built up his portfolio is Newberg 👍.

Hope that helps! Don’t hesitate to ask questions, we are all here looking to help each other out. Congratulations on your season and Go Bruins! TAPE 👊🏈