Hello from Newbie Investor in San Antonio, TX!

[Wardell Picquet]

Hello, everyone!

My name is Wardell Picquet. I am relatively new to the world of Real Estate Investing.I am still currently working a fulltime job as a Graphic Design Instructor at Sanford Brown College – San Antonio. I am also a Fine Artist and Illustrator.

My first awareness of this field was a Flip or Flop free seminar in February. I chose not to pay and walked out. My next experience a month later was a free Rich Dad seminar. This time I decided to invest in the 3-Day workshop. Prior to the workshop I devoured all of the instructional material and went online to discover the even larger Real Estate Investing universe. I attended several local REIA meetings and joined one. I originally came across Bigger Pockets then and signed up but have not posted until now.I declined the Rich Dad offer of a $40,000 training curriculum and chose instead to try my lot with my local REIA.

I am currently almost swimming in information from online forums and email posts and training videos. But its time to stop reviewing and get some things started! I am dangerously close to the Paralysis by Analysis syndrome.

I still have not gotten my LLC created but should within the week. I have made an alliance with a trustworthy Real Estate agent and even procured some tentative future financial investment.I have done "driving for dollars" and picked out several "farm areas" here in San Antonio and had numerous, vigorous comps done for me. I am still in the process of putting together a Power Team.

My original intentions were to stay with the "no money down" REI strategies but I now want to start with Fix and Flips while the San Antonio market is so hot and before our Market bubble bursts and before the national market begins its downswing.

I am open to any information from seasoned investors and particularly those here in San Antonio with similar interests.

Thank you!

[David Markette]

Hello Wardell, welcome to BP and welcome to RE investing. Working with a RE agent will certainly help you to determine ARV for properties you are looking to buy. If you are looking to tackle "fix and flips", I recommend you get together with someone in the area who has done rehabs, to learn the process. There are tons of moving parts, and a copious amount of skill sets necessary (managing people, determining rehab costs, buying at the correct price, picking a good location, to name a few).

If you can learn to recognize what a deal truly looks like, you will be far ahead of most people getting started.  Keep reading posts on BP, and ask TONS of questions.  

I recommend reading the book "How to Flip a House" by Brant Phillips.  This was written by a guy who is active in Houston, not a seminar coach like you encountered already.  

Give me a call if you would like some advice.  I'm local, and I'm active full-time.