All Forum Posts by: Dennis Estenson

I've been looking seriously at investing in real estate for the last month and have been learning a lot. Obviously, I've only scratched the surface of information in that time, but I'm itching to get started.

How much do you really need to know before you get started talking to sellers and prospecting for deals? On one hand, I think you should have a strong base of knowledge to be credible and have a good chance of success, but on the other, there's no teacher better than experience.

What would you recommend as a game plan for someone in the first, say, 6 months of a real estate investing endeavor? How much time should you spend studying before getting your feet wet? Should I spend 6-12 months learning the business inside and out before doing anything, or should I go out and do sooner rather than later?

Thanks,

Dennis

Thanks for the welcome. I'm learning a lot from BP and I'm grateful this site exists.

Dennis

Hi all,

My name is Dennis and I have been living in San Diego for the past 6 years. I have been working as a embedded software engineer here ever since. I moved here to start a life with my new family and I have done my best to provide for them. While I have been fairly successful as a software engineer, I'd like to increase our wealth beyond that which I can achieve by working for someone else. I'd like to learn more about real estate investing and apply that knowledge to become more wealthy.

I have no experience in real estate at all, so I'd say I'm an embryonic investor. I know I have a lot to learn, but I'm a fairly young and bright guy and believe I can eventually become a successful real estate investor.

Last month I came across a guru online named Marko Rubel (who also happens to be in San Diego). I watched some pitches from his free DVD and supplemental online videos and became intrigued by his methods. In researching those methods independently, I came across BiggerPockets.com and now I hope that this site will be an invaluable resource as I move forward in my real estate education.

I understand that the competition in San Diego real estate is fierce and a difficult place to start, but I hope that I can overcome that challenge and allow the "steel to sharpen steel", and become a more knowledgeable and successful investor for it. I'm also hoping that eventually, I will surround myself with successful people in my area and find an invaluable mentor or two.

-Dennis