New Member From Sedona, Arizona

[William Hamburg]

Hello fellow BP members. I am so happy to be here and grateful for all this great information. I have been on bigger pockets for about a month now and I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Will and background is in E-commerce and Import/Exporting. I am 29 yrs old and have built up a couple businesses that are as close to auto pilot as anyone could wish.

I have be interested in Real Estate Investing since I was 17 when I found out that my late grandfather had developed major parts of the town I grew up in and was very successful in the Pennsylvania area as Real Estate Agent back in 60's. The main reason I want to get into real estate is to create something outside of my current business partner who is also a family member.

I am clear within myself that Real Estate Investing is the next chapter of my life and I have been reading, researching and listening to a couple hours a day of the BP Podcasts as well to get my feet wet. I am not interested in the get rich quick styles like flipping or wholesaling. Although I would love to do that at least once for the experience, I know that buy and hold is going to be my route for the first few years then commercial.

A close friend of mine's father is a successful Real Estate Broker and has his own agency. I have been picking his brain about Real Estate and I have asked him if he would be willing to take me under his wing. I let him know that I would be willing to do everything from running errands to cleaning toilets and that I am not desperate for cash so he doesn't need to pay me wither. He has recently accepted my request to be somewhat of an "intern" while I get my license. He's asked me to "hang" my license with his agency once I get the license. He knows my successful background and influential personality and I can already feel his confidence in me. 

Upon talking about everything they discussed in the near future (3-5 years) about bringing in younger people like myself to run their company while they fade into retirement. He has already mentioned them opening a new office in the town I live in to expand their operations. His wife mentioned that her sister just got her license as well and they could see us running their new office.

I feel honored but to be honest I don't know anything about real estate yet other than a half a dozen books I read. I am confident I will learn a lot with them in the next few years but my concern is that I will be getting into another "partnership". 

In response, I have already told him and his wife that I would want to work for them for sometime and then I would want create my own thing. My wife is from Switzerland so we travel a lot back and forth. It is hard for me to commit to being in one place for a long time and I am tired of living in the town I grew up in. I want to get into real estate but I know starting in my town I would be successful because I know everyone.

I already feel pressured and I haven't even started yet.  In my heart, I know my plan is to get my license, work with them for a year or so and then create my own thing. However, I don't want them to think my plan is to abandon them or to compete with them if they are willing to teach me everything they know. 

I know him and his wife see my passion for success. However, what I don't want is to recreate the same "problems" I have today. I would love feedback or advice as to how I should proceed and how you would feel if I was working under you and you knew my plan.