All Forum Posts by: Bryan Potts

Systems Engineer

Great video @Justin Lenk, thanks for sharing it! Very powerful and inspirational!

Thanks @Paul Timmins! 

I've been listening to the BiggerPockets Podcast from the beginning while driving to and from work and even while working out at times (I think I'm up to episode 7 or 8). 

I've downloaded the two BiggerPockets books that you mentioned: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Real Estate Investing and Real Estate Rewind. I just need to finish reading them (probably more than once).

I also bought the two @J Scott books (The Book on Flipping Houses and The Book on Estimating ReHab Costs) as well as two of @Brandon Turner books (The Book on Rental Property Investing and The Book on Managing Rental Properties). I need to start/finish reading those as well. 

I do need to look into attending different local REIA club meetings and getting started networking with other investors.

I appreciate the post!

Thanks @Joe Splitrock, I'll take that advice to heart! I'll also look into signing up for a local Dale Carnegie program, which perhaps my company will even pay for which would be lovely. 

@Tyler Hunter- Thanks for the advice on checking out a local Toastmasters group, I never thought about that. It definitely seems something worthwhile for me to look into to help out. It seems it will also help with my current job and having to give training classes in front of people.

@Hugh Ayles - I appreciate the insight and analogy. It's always tough to go outside of your comfort zone, but you're right about trying to find ways to do it. 

@Jeff V.- Yeah, it seems that the best way for me to move forward is to partner up with someone that has the same goals/interest but can do the stuff/interactions that I don't feel comfortable doing. 

Thank you everyone for your input and advice, it's much appreciated and helpful!

Thanks @Russell Brazil, great advice!

That's a great idea @Dawn Anastasi, and it's probably what I'll need to do. I would like to partner with someone for my first couple deals anyway, as I feel it will ease me into everything a little better and take away some of that first-timer's fear as well. And that's why the networking/connections is so important as well, huh? 

Hey BP, I wanted to talk to you today about something that has affected me pretty much my entire life (as far back as I can remember at least), and that's social anxiety. Just as the name states, I get very anxious during social events/interactions (especially when I don't know anyone), or whenever I'm the center of attention (all eyes on me). I've played sports my entire life and for the most part was able to block it out, or at least press through it, when it came to that (for instance; up to bat in baseball or at the free throw line in basketball). My current job sometimes requires me to give training classes, which I absolutely dread since the whole fear of public speaking goes hand-in-hand with social anxiety, but in those instances I really have no choice but to suck it up and be miserable for those days. 

Unfortunately, this really holds me back in a lot of aspects in life. I do have a wife, kids and a good job (so it hasn't completely held me back), but this job isn't something that I want to continue to do for the rest of my life. I really feel that the social anxiety is my #1 reason holding me back from pursuing deals and stepping forward onto the path of real estate investing. Perhaps some of you can relate and share some stories that have helped you overcome this, or at least subside it some?

The fact that networking and making new connections is the most important thing when it comes to real estate investing, and it's one of the hardest things for me to do because of the anxiety, can someone like me overcome this? Or perhaps this "career" just isn't for me? There is an informal investor meet-up next week close to where I live that I would like to attend, and in doing so would be a huge step outside my comfort box/zone, so maybe getting out and making those new connections would help some? 

I really would like to pursue real estate investing (in some capacity) and would most likely regret it if I never tried.

Hey fellow BP members!

My name is Bryan Potts and I currently reside in Adamstown, MD (just south of Frederick, MD). I grew up and went to high school in Poolesville, MD (which is another small town) that is located in Montgomery County outside of DC. After high school, I joined the U.S. Air Force and spent time outside of Maryland, but eventually gravitated back once my enlistment was up after 6 years. I'm currently working as a Systems Engineer for a satellite communications company, which was my expertise in the Air Force. 

I've had an interest in real estate investing going on probably 10+ years, but have succumbed to the dreaded "analysis paralysis" and never pursued anything further other than reading several books and websites/blogs. Hopefully that time is now to push through the paralysis and take action! I have however purchased and sold a townhouse that was my primary residence for a few years, helped my wife renovate and sell her townhouse, and we just recently (within the past year) purchased a SFH that we live in with our kids.

My main interests are buy & hold properties, with perhaps doing the occasional flip on the side. I really enjoyed the "before & after" of my wife's townhouse and how beautiful it looked when we were all done with the work, and I think I would really like that aspect of any investing going forward whether it's from flipping, or rehabbing a rental property. My ultimate goal is to one day either have enough cash flow to be able to "retire" from my normal 9-5 job and do REI full time, or at least be able to have a sustainable cash flow for retirement.