New Member from Sacramento, CA

[Thanh Nguyen]

Hello, my name is Thanh (Pronounced as Tawn) and I am a new member to the BP community and also new to real estate investing.

I graduated from UC Davis with a Managerial Economics major and currently working full-time as an Engineering Project Manager in Napa. Similar to many REIs here on BP, I want to find my financial freedom through real estate investing. My mission is to invest in highly appreciating single-family homes by researching foreclosures, borrowing from banks and sellers, holding rental properties from five to ten years, and obtaining tax leverage through depreciation. My short-term goal (1 year) is to buy my first rental property deal with positive cash flow by June 2017 in Sacramento/Elk Grove areas.

I am seeking for mentors, partners, and friendships from BP community. I have experience in project management and proficient in administrative duties. If I can assist with your RE business, please let me know as it will be a great opportunity for me to learn more about the industry.

[Wes Blackwell]

Hi @Thanh Nguyen! Welcome to Bigger Pockets! You're in the right place!

There are several things you can immediately do to set yourself on the right path to become a full-time real estate investor, here they are:

1. Educate Yourself -- first and foremost, you'll want to arm yourself with the knowledge you'll need to make your investing strategies work. Since you're just starting out, I'd HIGHLY recommend the many free articles and podcasts you can find right here on the Bigger Pockets site. Just spend a couple hours a week increasing your knowledge, and in no time you'll be miles ahead of the average real estate "investor!" Don't get lured into any "gurus" pitching you $40,000 boot camps either, as you'll be able to learn most of what you need right here from some of the books Bigger Pockets has authored. You'll be surprised at how much insight and knowledge you'll gain from reading these, as they're easily worth 10X the cost!
2. Network with Others -- the second thing you'll want to do is network with other real estate professionals in the area you'd like to invest in. Bigger Pockets has a Local Real Estate Networking Forum and you can tune into the Sacramento Forum and see if you can add anything to the conversations going on there with other like-minded individuals. You'll particularly want to keep an eye out for other investors, real estate agents, loan officers, and other real estate professionals you can add to your "team" to help you reach your investing goals.
3. Learn Your Market -- lastly, you'll want to learn your market and discover what sort of investing opportunities it offers you. What are the best neighborhoods to buy in? What types of properties offer the best return on investment? What other statistics like crime, school ratings, and appreciation rates do I need to be made aware of when choosing a property? You'll find lots of this kind of information on the Sacramento Forums, but you'll also want to team-up with a street-wise agent who can help you shortcut the learning curve, as you aren't the first investor to want to know these questions.

Most importantly... HAVE FUN! Try not to get overwhelmed with all the learning, and don't feel like you have to pull the trigger and make a purchase anytime soon. Socialize with others here on the site and in your local area and things will fall into place on their own time. Welcome, and best of luck!