17yo looking into getting into real estate after high school.

[Javen Harris]

I’m a 17 year old going into senior year of high school, and I have a mindset to get into real estate, but having a hard time on figuring out where to start. I have a plan of going to a trade school, and getting a certificate for industrial maintenance in order to make a base, and be financially stable and in doing that be able to have money to support this path into real estate. Yet I’m clueless on where to begin in educating myself on the topic. Besides watching YouTube videos here and there on it with some saying wait to get a real estate license, and some saying go ahead and get it out the gate. The reason I’m interested in this is that I’ve seen multiple people make a life out of doing this all the way from people helping people with foreclosures so it doesn’t go on their record to people helping people sell so they can move to have a better life for themselves to just having a good source of passive income and I would like to get myself into this field.

[Wendell Fong]

I thought about this question for a while.  My kids are older than you so if they asked me what do do the answer would be different because they have a lot of support.  

If I were on my own with no help at 17, I would start off with something hard on the body but easy on my mind so I could learn a lot in my spare time.    ie. I would most likely start off in a construction company as a drywaller or carpenter's apprentice.  After 2years I would ask to be moved to a plumber or electrician's apprentice. (my preference would be plumber) At 21 after 4 years that is when I would make my first purchase.  

You would have W2's,  (T4's in Canada) a stable income to get a mortgage and should have a few dollars saved up for that down payment.  Not sure how it is in the USA, but minor's cannot execute a contract so you would need to be 21.  In Canada that is 19.   I would try for a duplex and house hack.  I would be looking for a problem home with "plumbing issues."  I would use my knowledge and free time to fix the plumbing issues /drywall.     As a property manager,  I see these issues all the time.   Leaking pipes, causing water stains in the ceiling/wall etc. 

Well that is my 2c for how to start.