Newbie From Tampa, FL

[Lari A.]

Hello BP Community!

I'm one of the hundreds (thousands?) of newbies in Tampa who's interested in Wholesaling. I attended myriad seminars/webinars, plunked down $$$ for some REI classes, attended a local REIA meeting (as a non-member), and kept my ears open to all of the info that was being shared... yikes!

I jumped right in. I contacted the cash buyers from my list, qualified those that would speak to me, and found a property in a hot neighborhood in St. Pete that was of particular interest to one of them. I pulled the comps, informed myself about the area, and was so sure that I was gonna get my first deal under my belt. Not bad for someone in the REI arena for only 2 months, right?

I FAILED MISERABLY!  I revealed more than I should have to the cash buyer, and when dealing with the seller, I didn't really know what to say (but he was a seasoned pro, and graciously guided me though the process).  Plus, my "qualified" buyer turned out to not be so qualified.  Still, I learned a lot from the experience and don't regret it, even though my pockets didn't get any bigger!  :-(

Obviously, I jumped in too quickly, but I will continue to immerse myself in trying to learn this business.  I believe that guidance from someone doing this is key (at least for me), but it's great that forums like this exist.  The wealth of knowledge being shared on BP is priceless, and I'm enjoying learning from all of the active (and successful) investors who take the time to post here.

Thanks so much everyone, and happy investing!