Hi there
I'm a 23 y.o. university student from Switzerland. I have taken up an interest in real estate investing after reading Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki earlier this year (from what I read on the forums and heard on the BP podcasts so far, this is a popular starter drug among investors). Anyway, I'm at the very beginning of my life as a real estate investor and am not yet looking for actual deals. At the moment, I'm working on my financial education by reading all sorts of books about real estate investing (e.g. several from Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Advisors and BP's Brandon Turner as well as your president-elect), listening to podcasts (BP, Rich Dad Radio Show) and checking out the BP forums and blog posts.
What I'm looking for at the moment is basically any knowledge, best practices and tips you guys can provide, especially concerning the Swiss market, because that's where I will most likely start for practical reasons (living close to your investment). What I'm also glad for are book and seminar/event recommendations, specifically for the Swiss market if possible. Speaking of events, has anybody here visited the "EXPO REAL" in Munich? With that being such a large event, I would assume it's worth the travel/hotel costs?
Over the course of the next year, I will probably be looking out for some good advisors. So if anyone has any leads to good advisory firms in Switzerland, I'm all ears. Advisors/the team is another topic I would like to hear from you about. Robert Kiyosaki and his Rich Dad Advisors keep talking about the importance of having a whole team of advisors together before you even set out on your first investment property: An attorney, an accountant, a real estate broker and a property manager. Later, you can (and should) add more members, including, but not limited to: mortgage broker, a contractor, appraiser, insurance agent and tax advisor. Yesterday, while browsing the BP forums, I found a post of someone saying they own several properties but have never spoken to an attorney. So what is your philosophy here? What are your experiences with team members (or without them)?
Hopefully by now you can see what I'm about at the moment. It's still quite a big jumble up there between my ears, any information you can provide will likely help me out and will be appreciated.