Even the Assistant Needs Assistance!

[Zachary Gwin]

Hey Everybody!

Well, as some of you may know ( most probably don't ) I'm the Assistant to Mr. BiggerPockets himself, Joshua Dorkin. I've been working here at BiggerPockets for about 3 weeks now and it has been BY FAR the best experience I've ever had. The team is incredible and they bust there back ends off to provide the best source of REI knowledge out there ( in my opinion ). That being said, as much as I would love to write a full post on how much I love my job and BiggerPockets, that's not my objective for this one.

I came into this position knowing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about Real Estate or Investing. The only background I had was a more than mild obsession for HGTV's Property Brother's and Flip or Flop. The idea of taking the neighborhood's eye-sore and flipping it into a grand profitable property instantly hooked me. Like many, it seemed to be the perfect job- "easy", fun, and potentially very rewarding. But other than a select few television shows, my knowledge on Real Estate Investing was about as useful as a house with no roof.

Which brings me to the main purpose of this post. To all the "newbies" and beginning investors out there, I understand how the beginning process can seem overwhelming and the question "Where do I start?" will occur. Well, for me, the biggest problem I had was the lack of Real Estate lingo and an insufficient foundation of Real Estate knowledge. So, before exploring the forums for anything and everything, before asking for a mentor, and definitely before giving up- I highly suggest and recommend to start by reading "The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to REI" provided by BiggerPockets. 

After reading the UBG I instantly felt ready to dive into specifics and that my goals of becoming a successful investor were not only possible, but very much so achievable when you combine pure hard work, a desire to continually learn, and the ability to save some cash! I'm currently working on that last one ;) 

Next and just as important if not more, GET INVOLVED! I am learning that if you are serious and want to be successful in this business you need to network and meet people! Not only in Real Estate but in life as well. Don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for help. That's what this site is for. You can start by following me or shooting a message my way! Always looking to help my fellow investors on their journey to success!  

To wrap it up for all of those reading this, I hope that this post in someway helped settle some of those newbie nerves and that you can continue to learn and grow in this great business. Read the UBG, get involved, and enjoy the process. I'm very blessed and very thankful to be given this opportunity and to share it with all of you in the BiggerPockets community! I would also love to hear anything you guys have to say as far as advice, tips, or things to think about for us beginners. 

Thanks guys and good luck to all of you!

-Zachary Gwin