Newbie from St. Louis

[Ben McGowan]

After months of lurking the forums, reading blogs and listening to podcasts while contemplating getting into the business I am finally ready to jump in with both feet!

I do not have any, real, real estate experience apart of what I have learned here and purchasing my own home. Though I have browsed sites like this and have looked at sites like zillow almost daily for years now. I have some handy man experience working as a job while in college, though it has been awhile since I have laid hardwood flooring. I am currently looking at applying for an appraiser trainee job, though this will be mostly commercial as well as getting a real estate license. It has not been fun being tied down to an agent to look at properties.

My short term goal is to get 1 deal done! lol

Then to fix and flip 4 houses a year while beginning to build a portfolio of rentals. Long term I would like to be flipping multiple houses a month and own at least 50 rentals units though the sky is the limit.

I am working on my first deal, no luck yet getting one under contract but hopefully soon. I look forward to connecting with many of you throughout my journey as well as hopefully passing on my knowledge some day as many of you do currently.

Talk to you soon,

Ben McGowan

[Ben McGowan]

Thanks for the welcome! 

@James Wise Thanks, I can't wait to get one done. I tend to be very fundamentalist and disciplined person. I have been telling friends and family about going full steam into this as to pressure myself to stop thinking about it, as I have been doing the last 2-3 years, and actually DO IT. Now the pressure is building to get it going it makes it nerve wrecking until I get one underway. 

@Peter MacKercher Thanks for the tips, I have been going over the forum daily and listening to 2-3 podcasts a week trying to get caught up. So much to process, lol, but I am taking notes and will review as needed. 

I have a written out business plan I spent almost 100 hours developing for buying into restaurant franchise I currently work for. I agree on having a plan and will definitely use your advice to develop one for my REI future.

I look forward to meeting up with you and others in the business in a couple of weeks.

@Paul Timmins I am definitely interested in those books and will be looking to purchase in the near future. I am trying to soak up as much as I can on this website first then will look into those books. Peter extended a hand into one local meeting, 2+ to go :-)

thanks again