Newbie from Southern California ... Los Angeles / Orange County

[Whitney T Redfield]

Hello BR Community!

I love that you call this a community. It is one, but it also makes getting involved more inviting and friendly. 

My name is Whiney Redfield. I'm a landscape designer for a landscape architecture and planning firm in Costa Mesa, California. I live in Huntington Beach, and have family in Long Beach where I grew up. I'm originally from Chicago, Illinois. 

I've wanted to invest in real estate for a long time. I've spent a lot of time learning, listening, watching, and am probably suffering from a bit of analysis paralysis. BUT I'M DONE! I'm done with my excuses and I want to introduce myself.

Hello BR Community!!

What do I know? Not enough ... I'll always want to learn more! I understand the principles of Wholesaling, but need to save up some money for marketing. I know the formulas for rental properties exist, but I haven't crunched numbers for real properties to see if I can buy them. Student loan payments have crippled my ability to save, which also limits my options. I've also attended Flipping seminars, and can see myself enjoying one or two of those a year, but only after I have several rental properties flowing cash. 

What do I want? I LOVE multifamily properties and can see myself as a very happy person living on passive income from 50+ rental units. BRRRR Baby!! I really want my first purchase to be a 2-, 3-, or 4-plex. I am SO determined to get started. I would even buy a condo and rent it out immediately just to get started. I am determined to buy my first real estate investment this year, and there's only 10 more months left in 2018.

I want to be FREE! I want to be Wealthy! Freedom is wealth to me. Freedom to go anywhere, at any time, for however long I want. I want to work if I want to, not because I have to. That's financial freedom and the freedom of time. Four hour work week all the way (although, atmittedly, I haven't read the book yet ... it's on my list). I want to travel the world. I listened to a podcast 35, and this awesome woman, Paula Pant, set a goal to travel to 30 countries before she was 30 years old. Well, I've been to many countries in the world, not 30, and I'm already 36 ... so, my goal will be 40 countries by the time I'm 40. And I know I can achieve this goal ... because now I have you!

What about me? Well, I've been fortunate enough to have an expensive, I mean extensive education, but wracked up a LOT of debt in the process. I have three, yes 3, jobs: landscape architecture, rideshare driver, and some freelance design work.  With this income, I have finally balanced my credit card situation. The last one being paid off next month. My credit score has finally hit 700, and after a fair bit of research, I will be refinancing my student loans. I'm opening up and being honest with you all because all of the podcasts I've listened to, and forum posts I've read, you all open up so much and talk REAL numbers. So, here are my real numbers. I have ZERO saved, like too many people; but unlike many people, I've eliminated my high interest credit card debt. I give myself 6 months and I can have have $5,000-10,000 saved up. I have no idea how much I'll need for my first investment, but I have met potential partners. Still, not sure how they'll react when we speak real numbers and mine is zero.

How did I find you? I'm not afraid to talk to anyone. I've actually been promoted at work to include Business Development and have been put in charge of marketing. I used to work for a marketing firm when I was a photographer for a magazine. I reached out to my old boss, Rob Key at Enlarge Media in Los Angeles. He and I spoke about the firm I work at and he gave me some marketing advice, but then the conversation switched and we were talking about real estate investing. He told me about BiggerPockets. He said he was interested in wholesaling, and he owns his own marketing agency, so it would be pretty low barrier of entry for him to get started and hit the right target markets. I may still connect with him for help with that, but I'm more interested in buy-and-hold. I want an FHA loan. I want a 203K loan and fix up the property. I want to finally do all the things I keep learning about. Rob told me about BP podcasts, and I've been binge listening ever since. 

I'm still learning. I'd like to get started as soon as possible. And, one day, God willing, I'd like to repay the kindness shown the the knowledge learned by sharing and teaching others how to be as free as I will be.