Hello from California!

[Shelby Van Horn]

Hi there,

My name is Shelby and I am new to the forum.  I am a 26 year old Paramedic looking to transition into real estate investing.  I have left the field and recently starting working as an assistant for a prominent Orange County real estate agent.  As much as I love EMS, it doesn't pay the bills (at least not here), and I have always been fascinated by homes, flipping, selling, designing, etc.  Additionally, my boyfriend will be applying to medical schools soon, and I am anxious to start my career in real estate investing to hopefully be able to support both of us and hopefully start a family at some point, something that would never happen if I continue to work as a medic while he's in school.    

I live in southern California, but am considering attempting to invest in my first properties in Vegas, as it is an easy drive from here and considerably more affordable for a first venture.  My main interests are flipping until I generate enough cash to dive into rentals as well.  I am also interested in wholesaling, but find myself wrestling with the ethics of it, and hope to learn more about that here.

I am very much still in the learning phase, and I am trying to learn as much as I can about how to get into this.  I do not come from money and do not have a lot to work with, although I will be receiving a decent amount soon from a settlement, and want to learn how to make that work for me in this field, instead of just watching it get spent away.  Although I am trying to learn as much as I can, I do not want to get stuck in the trap of reading forever without taking actionable steps, and I feel I am at the point where I am ready to dip my toe in the water.

If you've made it this far (sorry, I didn't mean to write a book), thank you and I look forward to interacting with you all!