New 22yr Old Member from Northern California!

[Jonny Allen]

Hi!

Hi there, my name's Jonny and I'm living here in Fairfield, CA. I have never purchased a property, but hope to in the very near future.

I'm 22 years old and currently own and operate a Cell Phone & Tablet Repair Business locally; about 4 years in and would love for it to run on its own, but have been scared to replace myself -- shutting down seems foolish after establishing such a great name. (unfortunately, I'm not at all excited about the business)

My girlfriend and I are currently studying for our RE License, mainly for access to the MLS. Heck, I may enjoy selling homes, but who knows?!

What Brought Me Here?

• I have never enjoyed paying rent. To save on living expenses, my girlfriend and I stay with her family, but it comes at the cost of our sanity and we are quite ready to get out!

• I have yet to be employed by anyone but myself and really love the flexibility. There is also something so rewarding about taking care of the people that support your business.
• My current business is of no interest anymore. It's rewarding, but not what I want to be doing.
• There is a certain drive that keeps me moving forward, and REI seems like a perfect fit.
• Nearly every successful person around me owns a significant amount of RE. They seem far happier than those who don't. 
• All my life people have worried about money. I don't want that worry, and I want to help others rid themselves of it too.
• For the last year or so I've listened to every existing BiggerPockets podcast and finally decided to begin following the online community as well. I have been analyzing deals locally and out of state to get a better grasp on what numbers look like for different types of properties. 

What Type of REI?

• Buy and Hold Multi-Family Properties

Eventually, we would like to have our hand at flipping but aren't in a financial place to do it on our own at the moment. If the opportunity presents itself through friends and/or family, we will definitely tackle it. 

Short-Term Goal:

• Purchase a duplex or 4-plex, ideally, that can be house hacked. We are incredibly open to purchasing elsewhere if it means Cash Flow!! 

Long-Term Goal:

• Build a portfolio that replaces our income. 
• Be financially stable and independent. (I don't mind giving up some fun now if it means more flexibility in the coming years) 

Problems:

• In previous years, I wasn't thinking about RE or buying a house. I should have been! Now, my tax returns are weak and are insufficient for a loan. 
• Being in the same house as my girlfriend's parents, we had always wanted to be somewhere else. This led to careless spending and purchases that prevented us from saving.

Potential Advantages:

• Never having been employed, I am incredibly creative and fight to make things work even when they seem impossible. (Often succeeding)
• My girlfriend and I have parent's that could potentially co-sign and/or give us a loan to get started. (We have yet to ask!)
• We have met a great variety of people in the area who are well established in their lives.
• Recently, we realized we weren't saving and have started!

HELP:

Everyone's help and opinions are so greatly appreciated, and we look forward to hearing from you all.

Please definitely leave some feedback and advice. My ears are open, and we're ready to do what it takes to get started as quickly as possible!

Happy Holidays!

Jonny