Im new and clueless.......

[Ben Woodsum]

Hello all!!

My name is Ben, and I am an elementary school teacher in Tallahassee. I have a wife and a two year old son. I have recently been learning about and been interested in investing in real estate to supplement my income or possibly do full time as a career change. It seems like the odds are stacked up against me. I know NOTHING about real estate, I currently do not own any properties and was wondering what would be the best thing for me to get started. I do not know if it is best to buy small homes or units and rent out, buy a property and flip it (I know nothing about home improvement) or what. My wife and I have very little money to start up with and I am very nervous getting involved with something I know so little about. But I am very interested and would love the opportunity to create a better life for my family through real estate.

WHew....... sorry for the long winded introduction, but any advice or help would be VERY helpful

[Jeret Foshee]

@Ben Woodsum Hey Ben! Welcome to BP. Im not far from you, about an hour south. I would agree with what everyone has said so far. I would encourage you to try to read and learn as much as you can before you do anything. There is nothing like actually buying your first home and learning from that but you can definitely avoid many mistakes by reading and learning from others. 

I would personally stay away from trying to flip because like @Mel Petersen said there are just so many variables with it. The way I got started was by finding a single family home that looked a little rough but really just needed some cleaning (pressure washing, scrubbing, painting) but because of that I got a pretty good deal on it. I also have two amazing mentors who have helped me with every step so if you can find someone who can help guide you then that is invaluable. 

I don't know your situation but a lot of people go the "house hacking" route to get started. With that said, each person and situation is unique so I don't know if one person could really tell you whats going to work for you. Best of luck to you!