Educated, Financed, Ready to Go. My Intro

[Nick Barreto]

BiggerPockets Community,

This will be my first of many blog posts on BiggerPockets and felt it only necessary to begin with an introduction of myself and how I got here. Over the years, I’ve spent countless hours reading BP material from both professional and newbie investors. After etching out a path for how I want to approach my goals, I finally decided it’s time to put myself out into the world of networking in order to build the necessary relationships to further my knowledge.

As I write this post, I hope it reaches those who are stuck in "Analysis Paralysis" because I feel your eagerness. But also, the seasoned vets with invaluable guidance. Luckily, with my extensive (almost obsessive) education of REI, I now have the confidence to pull the trigger.

I digress, My Name is Nick and I am a 27 year-old Bay Area resident and native. Throughout college I found myself looking for lucrative ways to make money. I promised myself at a young age that I would not live my entire life working for someone, so with this mindset, I fell in love with Real Estate. The more I learned the more I loved it…

After college, I started as a Loan Officer, financing everyday homebuyers. While I was there, I met an investor that offered to mentor me with a more hands-on approach to REI. Being out of an office sounded great, so I took it. For a year I learned the ins and outs of his business, and honestly, by the end of my stint, I probably could have run it for him. I offered to take on more responsibility for a stake in his properties which he did not accept (His loss). So, with expenses piling up I needed to find a job that would put me in a better financial position and in a timely manner.

I found and still work with a startup called OpenSpace that provides a 360º photo documentation solution for large commercial projects around the world. Selling software these days is easy and in a relatively untouched industry like construction, I saw a huge opportunity and again I took it. After only a year, I have doubled my initial liquid cash.

Step 1 was to educate extensively, Step 2 is saving enough cash, and Step 3 is taking the bull by the horns.

My personal goals include an “early retirement” as Brandon Turner would call it, building a family that I can spend time with as much as I’d like, creating an empire of real estate across the state of California and beyond, and fulfill my creative ambitions with a film studio in Southern California.

Here on out, I will be much more active on the BiggerPockets forums and I urge those who relate to my extensive analysis paralysis stage, to reach out and follow along and use my stories as proof/learning experiences for your own goals.

Look forward to connecting with each of you!