So confused and nervous

[David Brooks]

Hi all, been doing a lot of research into REI and want to get my first investment as fast as possible. I am too nervous to reach out to a realtor to help or make an offer. I am confused as to where/how to find a deal. I live in Northern NJ, specifically, Hoboken and the area around me is very expensive.

I am a young guy, upper 20s, accredited investor and have a good amount of capital from stocks. I would ideally like to start with around $100k max budget whether that be the full purchase price or down payment. But once again, because of the area in which I live, I haven't found anything yet. I have looked out of state, but am struggling with the idea of just wiring some random person a good amount of money. This is also part of the nervousness.

I have an LLC that everything would flow under and am mostly looking for cash flow and depreciation benefits to continue building my REI empire. I would like to double my properties every year. That would be my real estate goal.