All Forum Posts by: Alan Malicse

@Giovanni Isaksen Thank you for that great piece of advice. Those are definitely a lot of aspects to consider that I know as a beginner would overlook at the moment. I'll look to build a solid foundation as recommended and see where my sights fall

@Karen Margrave - Really appreciate the feedback! I'm definitely all for building a solid foundation before jumping into anything. I've already started on the beginners guide and for sure plan on getting as much education as possible. I guess my question really is what have most people started with when first investing. Regardless - thank you again!

Hello - My name is Alan Malicse and I live in Hercules, CA

I'm guessing this has been asked before but I'd like to bring up here.

I've recently made the commitment to change career paths after being laid off from a career I've been in for 17 years. I've taken the step towards my Real Estate license in which my state exam is scheduled for Jan.

My question is - I had first set my sights on retail / strip mall type property but considering my lack of experience - what would you advise as good properties to start with? I know many have started with 4 - 5 unit apartments and moved up from there.

Could someone with no experience invest in retail as opposed to multi family units?

Thanks for your time!

Thank you everyone for the warm warm welcome - means a lot believe me!! J Martin - I went ahead and clicked monitor topic on that link. Thank you very much for pointing me to it!

Ned - thank you - I skimmed thru that link earlier. I'll definitely read thru it in detail. It's for sure something I'd like to pursue.

Paul - awesome links!! Thank you so much for your advice! I'm like a sponge right now and I'm always looking for good research. I'll keep in touch with you hear on BP!

Joey - GREAT to hear from you! I will definitely reach out to you!! I truly appreciate it! 3 months? wow! I believe I made sure all my information was correct on the application so hopefully no hang ups. Look forward to speaking with you!

Just to add to my last post. Very eager to find a Mentor in the commercial investing side. A career change like this seems so daunting but knowing someone who can guide me in the right direction early on would be a great step in that direction. Thanks again!

Hello - I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Alan Malicse. I stumbled upon the Bigger Pockets site while doing research on other Commercial Real Estate and Investing forums.

I live in Hercules, CA and have been in the Bay Area since 1975. I just turned 41 and my background and career for the past 17years was in Desktop and Systems administration. I was recently laid off in Aug from Lucasfilm which is what prompted me to assess my current life and pursue a career I can be passionate about!

I've always been interested in the field of Commercial RE but didn't have the liberty to focus all of my time in building a portfolio for my future. I've taken some early steps since being laid off. I completed my Real Estate Lic classes in Oct and just scheduled my State Lic exam in Jan. My plan after getting my license is to work with my cousin who has been a broker in commercial lending for the past 10years.

I'm taking this step in order to educate myself more on the backend of commercial deals and with that knowledge, my goal is to purchase my first commercial property in 2014. I have listened to a few podcasts here on BP and recently which I had purchased back in 2006 (yes I know) the J Scott Scheel DVD programs.

At first I had my property type focused on retail but because I am starting off small and very little money in the bank - I've decided to switch my focus to small Apartments 5-6 units just to build my experience. The extent of real world knowledge in real estate has been limited to just buying my personal home which I've lived in for the past 10 years.

Needless to say this new venture in life is scary as hell! But I know inside this is a field I've wanted to get into for a long time and something I know I can do for the rest of my life. I'm hoping I can network with all sorts in the business and please all and any advice is welcome!

Thanks for your time and maybe we'll work together in the future!

Alan Malicse