Newbie from Carson, CA

[Brian Lo]

Hi, everyone! My name is Brian Lo and I’m a newbie to real estate investing.

I don’t have any real estate investing experience. Currently, I’m trying to figure out my niche through listening to BiggerPockets podcasts. I hope to start reading some of the books mentioned from some of the Famous Fours.

I’m interested in real estate investing for a two reasons. First, I’d like to create more cash flow because some more money would be very helpful since my wife is at home with our children. Secondly, I hope investing could us prepare for retirement.

I discovered BiggerPockets through searching iTunes for podcasts that talk about real estate, business and personal finance. I started listening to the podcasts and was really impressed by the vast amount of knowledge and experience shared by everyone on the show. I got the feeling that BiggerPockets is a safe and encouraging environment for people who are involved in real estate investing from the newbie like myself to the professional investor. As a result, I thought that I should give BiggerPockets a try.

I was born and raised in Palo Alto, CA and went to the University of California, San Diego where I received a BA in Urban Studies & Planning. I worked as a current planner for the City of Palo Alto for a few years before quitting and moving to Hong Kong. I lived there from 2003-2005. I moved back to the States to attend seminary (graduate school for theological studies) in southern California. I finished my degree in 2010 and soon after, began working as a hospice chaplain. I love my job.

I live in Carson, CA (about 15 miles south of downtown Los Angeles), am married with two young kids. 

My first question is: Do I need a large amount of money to get started? What prospects do I have in investing in southern California where real estate is so expensive versus the rest of the country?

Thanks for reading my introduction!