All Forum Posts by: Adrienne G.

@Chris D. I'm almost in the same situation as you except I don't have the cash and I'm not licensed yet. :) I'm in class now finishing up to take my license exam. I've been trying to figure out how to get some actual working experience with real estate investors up to and including posting ads on Craigslist to see who would respond. Nothing worthwhile. I realize I will not make my previous pay so I've had to get over that sticker shock. But I've been working on packaging my skills to work as an independent contractor, should investors want to contract me. I haven't pulled the trigger just yet but hopefully soon. I want to get this exam out of the way.

I like @Grace Ng's suggestion of managing your own properties first. I can speak to the buying property because I haven't yet gotten my first one (aside from my own home). But I'd be interested in seeing the responses. I think we all (newbies) have similar needs and questions. 

Best of luck to you!

Good for you @Myles Brown! Great to see young people starting out so early. 

While I'm new to BP and real estate investing, I can't offer any buying advice just yet. But as far as books, I can suggest what probably everyone else will suggest. Read (for 1st time home buyers):

Nolo's Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home by Ilona Bray J.D.

Home Buying Kit For Dummies by Eric Tyson 

The other two books on this subject I have are specifically for women so I don't know if you'll find them useful.

If you're talking about your first investment property, then hands down get:

The Book on Investing In Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down: Real Life Strategies for Investing in Real Estate Using Other People's Money by Brandon Turner, Joshua Dorkin

The Book on Estimating Rehab Costs: The Investor's Guide to Defining Your Renovation Plan, Building Your Budget, and Knowing Exactly How Much It All Costs by J. Scott

Best of luck to you!! Starting out this early and with the track record you already have, no doubt you'll do just fine.

I am currently taking my class via Real Estate Express. I'm almost done and need to take the final exam. 

However, what I did do was take the free review class through one of the brokerages. It was like having a refresher that made all the material I studied so far really click. That class pulled it all together for me plus the instructor answered any questions. Once I wrap up this week, I'll be taking the review class one more time before I sit for the licensing exam. 

And as Erika said it depends heavily on how you learn. I'm already taking courses online so it was easy to make the decision to do the real estate class online too. All things considered, I probably would have taken a live class, but the online class cost less.

@Chad Brumley I am so glad you brought this up. I've been watching it since I read about them in Forbes. I haven't used it yet but I'm curious to hear from others who have. I am a little worn out on the crowdfunding thing, mostly because they pop up every day in almost every vertical. But I'm trying to keep an open mind.

Hey @Kadian F. we're neighbors! :)

I'm going to the GOREIA meeting this week. I may also suggest the Osceola Chapter of CFRI. There's also an Orlando chapter as well. Depending on where you want to invest, it might be beneficial to check out the different chapters and get a feel for who you want to network with. I went to Osceola and Lake County this month and loved them both. 

And please know I am all for connecting and meeting offline. I've been hoping to get a casual group together to do a meet & greet at either Downtown Disney or Celebration. So if you ladies are interested, let me know. And feel free to connect.

Hey @Amanda Arredondo welcome from one newbie to another! And YES come on down to sunny Florida. I came for the holidays and never left. LOL Let me know when you come down. I've been trying to get some ladies together for some fun, food and networking. 

I would also recommend the books everyone else has shared. My iPad is fast filling up with books so I'd be happy to share other titles. Feel free to connect with me and also connect offline. 

Thanks @Donald Placide. I'm really trying to immerse myself in real estate. I have considered trying to find a contract recruiting gig but the ones I've interviewed for have said I'm "overqualified". I hate that. I've even reduced the pay I'm looking for and that's even still more than what most real estate companies will pay me with no field experience. So it's kind of frustrating because I know what I can earn but if they won't pay, oh well. 

I've never heard of homepath.com. I will check it out. I did register for HUD's website though. I've been watching the site for homes for sale.

As for the Youtube, you're probably right. I do already have videos out on the web and I guess I can redo them or edit for the real estate industry. I haven't gotten that far yet. My social media track record for myself has been outstanding. The problem is, it's not geared towards real estate. So I'll have to start secondary profiles. 

Thanks for commenting!

@Michael Worley So does this also apply if you get multiple single family homes to rent? Or each individual multifamily property? I'm new and confused. 

I forgot to add- I'm starting to put a team together (in my head and on paper).

I went to a Bookkeeping for Business class hosted by the SBDC and met some great people. I know I need an attorney, a CPA, general contractor, title closing person and such. I'm working on those. 

In my class I met someone who does general contracting (we're meeting), a couple that does cleaning (commercial and residential), a painter, a couple who owns a custom cabinetry company, and a stager/designer (good to know, but my sister is great at interior design and I'll probably collaborate with her for staging/decorating at least in the beginning). Doesn't hurt to have them on file. My brother in law is licensed in HVAC.

I also met a few investor/agents. So now I'm looking for plumbers, electricians, landscapers, and carpenters. Even the guy who taught the installing a toilet class at Home Depot was an investor. He shared some really good info with me. 

I'm keeping my eyes, ears and mind open. I know it's way too early to pick one in each category, so I'm gathering 2-3 each and keeping them on file. 

Oh and I forgot, a woman who does just rehabbing and flipping offered to let me shadow her on a project. I'll be taking her up on it. But for now, my big three are attorney, CPA and GC.

OK, I didn't want to create another thread just for an update. So here goes.

I am in the home stretch of my real estate license class (hallelujah!!). Now i just have to pass the class final exam and set my test date. I'm still reviewing agencies. The interviews have been informative. And I am going to have to make a choice soon. But first, I need to pass this exam.

I have continued to pour over the blogs and forums, as well as listen to podcasts and webinars here. I am learning tons. It does get quite confusing though when I run into a subject (like wholesaling and bird dogging) and there are such conflicting opinions. So I've been trying to sift through all of that. I'm also making use of Youtube and other blogs and ebooks that have been helpful. I listened to @Brandon Turner's The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money Down twice and loved it. There are still some things I have questions about, but no doubt, I can probably find the answers here. Next up is Rewind. I'm just trying to get my school work and this real estate course done. 

Oh yeah, did I mention I'm in school finishing my degree? Only 13 more classes and I'll have my bachelors...23 years after the fact. LOL Advanced Statistics is kicking my butt but I'm loving International Business. But I digress....

I continue to go to seminars, meetings and even have been taking some Home Depot classes in repair and such (installing a toilet, laying tile, etc). I have a few coffee meetings with some people I met at different REIA meetings.

Now for the most important- money, funds, cash.

I have been checking out the job ads for any kind of real estate position that I can take without being required to have a license. It is insane here in Florida! Granted, I know I won't make what I was making as a contract recruiter, but it is dramatically lower....like $25-30 less per hour. So it has given me motivation to really sell my skills independently. 

I had started planning to do a consignment store online for plus size women but that fell to the wayside a few months back. I have revived the interest in that. I have some inventory to unload....the problem is, it's back at my home! So I have to make a trip back up there to get it. Or I can list them on my website and have my sister ship. Luckily I have the Excel spreadsheet and photos of all the inventory still on my computer and iPad. I also forgot I had 6 plus size wedding dresses I can sell but have been struggling with finding places that would want to buy outright and also brides who aren't looking for freebies and to pay under $100. It's tough out there!

I have just today applied to both Uber and Lyft (after reading another poster suggest to someone else). So I'm waiting on the application process to be complete. Problem is, I may run into difficulties because while my car is registered and insured and my license is current and valid, everything is registered back home and not in Florida. So I'm waiting on word back from both companies. 

Finally, I have been working on ways to approach real estate investors and smaller companies to offer my skills. I need to work on pricing for those and the marketing. Again, as I said in another post, from what I've been hearing many investors are not interested in additional expenses and see the things I do as added expenses. So now I'm working on changing that mindset. I'm researching the Florida market to see what I can fairly charge and be comfortable with.

So that's my update. No properties yet. I am looking though, even if I'm not yet in a position to buy. More to come.