Heartfelt Hello from Los Angeles, CA

[Nathan Yee]

Hi everyone! My name is Nate and I'm 28 years-old from Los Angeles, CA. I feel that I'm arriving a little late to the BP party, but better late than never, right? 

So a little about me:

Currently, I'm a second-year FEMBA student attending UC Irvine in Southern California. I concurrently hold a full-time, contracted job as a Management Consultant working on a Cybersecurity project for a large utilities client. Admittedly, I am somewhat "ADD" when it comes to projects, so the career works well for me. New and frequent changes in my professional life switching from one client to the next have always been welcome and invigorating. But please don't confuse my "ADD" as impatience...I've never wanted to be "stuck in rut" as I feel it's detrimental to your well-being and places self-limits on your potential. 

Unfortunately, this hasn't translated well to an interest I've had in real-estate. Up until this point, my interest has been more passive. I've been sidelined over the last year viewing real-estate investing as something I'd like to do in the future, but without taking the actionable steps to immerse myself in the learning process and the network/community. 

Then there's another factor: I still live with my folks, who are of the more fiscally conservative variety. *On a side note, shout out to my parents for their understanding and love. Because of them, I'll be able to graduate with an MBA debt-free with more than a little saved up. I consider myself lucky and have so much gratitude towards them.

Back to my story...

Living with my folks has instilled this burning desire to get out on my own again. I've always had an aversion to renting from someone else, although I understand it does have its place. This is probably the main reason why I'm living with my parents. I thought that my main goal was to save and build enough capital to buy a place to call my own. In Los Angeles that's easier said than done. I've watched friends get outbid by all cash offers above asking price and deals come and go in a matter of days.  So I thought to myself, maybe I need to change my strategy a bit and learn more about real-estate, especially real-estate investing. About the same time, a close friend turned me on to the BP podcast when I mentioned I wanted to be more serious about real-estate investing. Wow mind blown...

So what are my real-estate investing interests/goals:

-I carry a J-O-B, and haven't considered replacing it with a career in real-estate investing. This would definitely be something "on the side". I say this loosely because I know it's so much work. But you never know...

-I want to own multiple properties (3-5, or a lot more) that create an income stream, so buy-hold scenarios interest me (whether its condos or SFH, I'm not quite sure). Local markets are preferred as I've known this area my whole life.

-Wholesaling has me curious due to its ability to generate capital for future deals, but I wonder about its effectiveness in the LA market (it's crazy out here to find a deal).

-Partnering with other investors would be ideal. Let's face it, others have more money and experience than I do. But I'm willing to learn this business and do it right.

-Meeting other individuals including lenders, appraisers, attorneys, contractors, etc. to help with my real-estate pursuits and expand my knowledge.

-Joining a local real-estate club where I can network with people nearby and hopefully find a mentor. Until I can figure out a way to truly add value, I'll always buy lunch!

I'm sure there are other things as well, but to prevent this post from becoming more long winded than it already is, I'll stop here. Thanks everyone, I look forward to meeting some of you soon! Any advice and tips are welcome!