But there’s a dedicated group of MeetUp Members out here who aren’t letting MERS, rain, or the fact it’s Saturday stop them from pursuing their goal of investing in real estate.

In this anniversary article written by BiggerPockets CEO Josh Dorkin about the 10th Anniversary of BiggerPockets, he mentioned a small meetup out in South Korea:

(In fact this ‘small’ group has grown quite large, going from its 3 original members: @John Van Uytven, @Benjamin Hauser, and me to over 247 registered members.)

This past Saturday, June 20, we had our latest meetup. Our virtual guest was none other than Turnkey Provider Extraordinaire, @Chris Clothier of Memphis Invest. (Chris has been featured on BP Podcasts #122 and #26.)

Chris was great, staying up way past midnight to answer questions and share his experiences and I know our members learned much from him.

Chris delivered great value, getting REAL with us by talking about the BIGGEST MISTAKE he's made as an investor: https://youtu.be/tnPX4g0vzns

(If you want to hear the full 53 minute interview, there's link in the above video).

So the successes seem to keep coming for us here in Seoul, Korea, as our meetup grows and we continue to draw great speakers.

It’s personally been a success story for me as well.

In 2014, I really didn’t know what I was doing AND I was/am living in Korea, thousands of miles away from the US where I wanted to invest.

But thanks to BiggerPockets, it’s now been a little over a year, and in that time, I’ve:

Formed a JV and purchased a SFR in Jacksonville, Florida
Helped build a meetup from 3 to 247 members
Presented to others on the basics of investing
Worked with an investor on underwriting a $6m condo deal
Worked with another investor on creating a Due Diligence System that will hopefully help them grow their portfolio to 8,000 units
Explored the possibility of co-writing a book together with a CPA on investing in the US from abroad
Connected with many great investors and entrepreneurs

NONE of these opportunities would have been possible without BiggerPockets.

It hasn't been easy.

- I was nervous when I sent my first colleague request.

- I was nervous when I sent money to the states for my first SFR purchase.

- I was nervous when I had to stand in front of a room full of strangers and to help host a meetup.

- I was nervous when I had to conduct my first virtual interview with Joshua Dorkin.

None of this has come easily or naturally. It’s all been new to me.

But the more I’ve reached out, the more I’ve talked with others, the more comfortable I’ve gotten with everything.

- Buying my next investment doesn’t seem as daunting as the first.

- I colleague request people all the time now.

- I now enjoy the opportunity to present at our meetup group and the interviews have become fun. I’m not ready to step in for Joshua or Brandon yet, but as with everything, reps and practice have made a difference.

There are people who are born into a real estate family. There are others who become accidental investors through inheritance or other circumstances.

My own journey has literally been one of a thousand miles. I’ve had to cross oceans, battle fears and self-doubt, and learn from the experiences of others to go from knowing nothing about real estate to making presentations on it.

It’s possible. It’s all possible. If you’re reading this and hoping to find some inspiration or nugget of wisdom, all I can say is you don’t need a ton of money or experience to get started.

All you need is a computer, the internet, and a willingness to go a little outside your comfort zone.

In the process you'll risk having to come face to face with your biggest fears - that's a good thing and a sure sign you're on the right track to progress.

The rewards.. only the limit you set for yourself...

And perhaps best of all, I got what even Josh and Brandon couldn’t get on BP Podcast #122 - I now have Chris Clothier’s home phone number!! ^^

Thanks to the BP Community as always, including former virtual speakers:

@Joshua Dorkin , @Brandon Turner , @Ali Boone , @Engelo Rumora, @matt faircloth

Thanks to all our meetup members who are also BP members:

@Sandra Roddy, @Dustin Karns, @Paul Wurster, @Jacob Michaels, @Katie Kim, @William Strong, @Natalie Heo, @Dominic Jones, @James Wise,

@John Kantola, @Robert E. Medlock II, @Richard Harrington, @Josh McNicoll

Here are a few of the places in the US our members are currently investing in:

Jacksonville, Florida; Illinois; Kansas City; Indianapolis; Las Vegas; Nebraska; California; Yuma, Arizona; Seattle, Washington; Memphis

In Korea

Busan, Sokcho, Seoul, Gangnam, Samsung

Worldwide