Hi, I'm Nikayla - a newbie in St. Paul, MN!

[Nikayla Snyder]

Hello everyone! My name is Nikayla Bautista. I'm a super newbie originally from small town, North Dakota, just learning & soaking up all the information I can from Bigger Pockets, especially while I drive around for work. I'm located in St. Paul, Minnesota now & I am a real estate photographer full-time. I grew up loving art, painting, design, music, etc. & always drew my "future dream homes" & pretended to create my bedroom into my own "house". I eventually grew up & went to college, where I got a Bachelor of Fine Arts with emphasis in Photography. Six months after graduating, I married the love of my life, whom I met doing missionary work and putting on Catholic youth retreats. I moved to St. Paul a few months before we got married & got a job as a real estate photographer. I've been having an amazing time analyzing homes that I get to walk into everyday (even before they go on the market!) and dreaming about what they will become!

The last several weeks, I have slowly learned that you don't have to have a million dollars to begin this journey of real estate investing, and I want in. As I learn more, it seems to become so clear before my eyes that this is what I want to do with my life! Although I haven't come up with the resources to make an offer quite yet, I am trying to analyze deals & watch or read at least an hour of podcasts or books on real estate daily. I want to begin with house flipping & eventually grow into doing rental properties! 

Thanks so much for even reading this. I am so excited to be a part of this community! If any of you are in the twin cities area, I would love to chat or go to a meet up. I drive all around the metro area (and sometimes even outside of that) every day for shoots. 

Cheers!

[James W.]

Welcome @Nikayla Snyder!  There is a lot of good info on here, and some I don't necessarily agree with..., but I think you will find it a good place to use as a free resource.  In addition to the resources on here, I think you should connect with some of the local groups to learn more about the local market as well.  I cannot speak to them from experience since I travel a lot for work, but many people are willing to share their experiences, what works for them, and give you advice.  Take advantage of that and make sure you really understand the numbers before diving in.

As you may already be aware, the twin cities market is tight from an investment standpoint at this time.  Good connections and understanding the market are important in ensuring you make a good investment so leverage the resources you have available.  

Good luck!