Greetings from LA. Beginner investor getting into rentals

[Annis Naeem]

Hello all,

I have lurked for a few weeks and thought I'd sign up. I've gone down the Bigger Pockets rabbit-hole that I was lucky enough to stumble across on the podcast App Store on my phone. It has changed my life.

I work in the Entertainment industry as a designer on films. I love my job, but after 6-8 years of working 9 am-9pm, I find myself on the eve of the last year of my 20's finally getting spooked about retirement, and the true gravity of what the future may hold especially with our current political climate. I realized that I have built other people's castles all these years, with nothing more than a padded resume to show for myself. I am lucky to do what I do, and get paid well enough for it, but an injury tomorrow would result in immediate time out from work and starting a cycle of eating into my savings.

I have re-oriented my life goals. My greatest asset is my work ethic and I find real estate to be the most rewarding. Having invested in the stock market, it is nowhere close to what I feel real estate can provide. I am utterly mesmerized by the idea of turning this into an eventual full time job. I want to be a real estate investor specializing in Multi-family rental properties.

After reading many rich dad series books, Bigger pockets books, Tony robbins books, and any other book I find out there on investing; I find that I need to start getting my feet wet.

I have set a goal for myself. That in less than 12 months from today, I will invest in one property, in the US (I am looking at Fort Worth, Dallas, Texas or North Carolina, as Los Angeles where I live is far too unreachable at the moment) that will generate at least a few hundred in cash for me past the mortgage, debt service, expenses, etc. I am open to looking into any other markets that may be good for a beginning investor. 

Glad to have found a resource where everyone is so open and collaborative! I am finally excited for the future these last few months rather than afraid, hopeful, or wishful.