?One Step at a Time

[Blake C.]

For the past two and a half years I have become focused on increasing my real estate activity and investment. During that time, I have been rather silently soaking in Bigger Pockets Blog articles, forum conversations, and the podcast to increase my experience and knowledge. It hasn't been an over night success, and at times its hard to feel the progress from week to week. But as I look lack, every months or two, I have been able to make one more stride. Some strides were clear success, others were failed attempts. Here are a few I have made over the last new years.

·finding a local mentor

·making a connecting with a realtor that specialized in investments

·buying a property from another investor via word of mouth

·helping my mentor manage his properties while he is on vacation

·finding another realtor that works with investors

·Networking with a private money lender/local real estate investor

·Making a few low ball offers that got rejected

·connecting with a wholesaler

·sending my first small batch of yellow letters after driving for dollars and actually getting a call (didn’t turn into a deal though L)

·Having a family friend tell me about a property he knew was distressed.

·attempting a birddog deal to the wholesale contact I made (they verbally accepted our offer and then rejected it the next day… bad business!)

·making another wholesale contact

·Discussing land lording with local investors

·Meeting with local portfolio lenders to explore options

·Buying a property from a wholesaler

·Making new contractor connections

·Finding a potential partner

·Buying a property before it hit MLS

Some of this activity has directly lead to profit, and other steps are simply adding to my experience and knowledge. Each one of these steps has been critical to developing the skills and needed life experience to becoming a successful real estate investor. I would have loved for it to happen faster, but I think this pace has been more appropriate… at least I know its biblical: “Wealth gained hastilywill dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it” (Proverbs 13:11).