Architect trying to get into RE

[Brittany H.]

Hey everyone!

I'm going through the moment I'm sure everyone has gone through that encompasses the phrases "what am I doing with my life" and "how can I feel the freedom I need?" Quarantine has been the fuel but the fire started a while ago...

I have always been interested in RE. My grandfather started a home building business and my dad continued it on when he passed. I grew up in construction sites and visiting model homes. Although I can't imagine myself getting into the home building business after seeing the stress it put my dad through, I found my love of real estate during these years. 

I went to school for architecture. Got my masters, moved to NYC, where I am now. I work at a development firm, doing the architectural side but now I've also been getting into the acquisitions side and taking RE classes at NYU. I'm in my late twenties, and I am super eager to start my first project. But NYC is so expensive that I really don't know if it makes sense to put all my savings towards one crappy apartment. 

This is why I joined bigger pockets... NYC is a big scary town and is so competitive and expensive, I either need to have the best deal and the best plan, or look elsewhere. I'm here to learn different strategies and whether a deal in NYC is actually a good investment in the long term even if it consumes all my capital. And how I can strategize so that my first deal allows me to do the next. 

I would love to hear from anyone who started out in an expensive city or started with a deal that consumed all their capital. But really, advice from anyone is helpful at this point. 

Glad to find such a great place for people to meet!