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Updated about 6 years ago on . Most recent reply

Just Getting Started
My name is David Schroeder and I am 34 years old. I have a lovely wife and two beautiful children. I have lived in the Greater Chicago Area for 12 years. My wife and I just bought our first home in July 2018 in Mundelein, IL that we live in. I am just getting started in real estate investing. I currently work full-time in sales for my family's window company. We sell Andersen and Marvin windows to developers, builders, architects and remodeling contractors. I started and ran a handyman business in Chicago from 2012-2016 mostly working for developers and investors who owned condos in downtown high-rises. My handyman company performed various maintenance work such as painting, plumbing repairs/fixture installation, electrical fixture installation, tile installation, flooring repairs/installation, as well as vacancy turnover and the occasional whole unit remodel. I want to break into real estate investing to create wealth and generate an additional income stream for my family. I have a lot of good experience working in the industry that could help me on my journey. I have been looking at properties for a couple months, as well as exploring financing options. I hope to purchase something and have it ready for the rental market this spring 2019. I love reading the posts in these forums and learning what is working and what isn't from those who are further along in their adventure than I am. I also like to read a lot and have found several great books on real estate investing through BP and other authors. If you have any book recommendations I would love to hear them. I am also available to grab a coffee and chat with anyone in my area that is interested in expanding their network. Thank you for reading this!
Most Popular Reply

Hi David,
Welcome, here are some great real estate books:
Multifamily Millions by Dave Lindahl
The ABCs of Real Estate Investing by Ken McElroy
The Complete Guide to Buying and Selling Apartment Buildings by Steve Berges
Commercial Real Estate Investing by Dolf De Roos
Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received by Donald Trump
Tax Free Wealth by Tom Wheelwright
Commercial Real Estate 101: How Small Investors Can Get Started and Make It Big by David Lindahl
Raising Private Capital: Building Your Real Estate Empire Using Other People’s Money by Matt Faircloth
The Definitive Guide to Apartment Marketing by Josh Grillo
Investing in Apartment Building by Matthew Martinez
Crushing It in Apartments and Commercial Real Estate by Brian H Murray
The 7 Secrets to Successful Apartment Leasing by Eric Cumley
2 Years to a Million in Real Estate by Matthew Martinez
Burn Zones: Playing Life’s Bad Hands by Jorge Newbery
Commercial Mortgages 101: Everything You Need to Know to Create a Winning Loan Request by Michael Reinhard