Originally posted by @Erik W.:
@Izaya Sanderson, hi and welcome to BP.
First, congratulations on thinking about your future at such a young age!
Now a few questions...
1) What are your skills, talents, and experience? I ask because you said your goal was to get a high-paying job to save up for real estate investing? What kind of job are you planning to get, and how well-qualified are you?
2) What do you want to do with your life? Right now, you've listed at least 4 options: high paying job, real estate investor, military, or community college (trade school). Those are all vastly different routes. Some people are able to successfully combine 2 or 3 of those things, but it takes time. I can speak to this because I work full time in Info Tech, just retired last year with 23 years in the Army National Guard, and also have a Bachelors degree in English/History and an Associated Degree in Info Tech. I am also a real estate investor since 2005. Spend some time thinking about what you really want to do and how you will get there. It took me 27 years to do it.
3) Why do you automatically refuse a job? Been reading a lot of blogs and listening to podcasts about FIRE? Many people find fulfillment in this area and do a world of good.
4) Who says a 9-5 job has to last for 50 years? Mine has about 5-8 more years to go, then I'll be done in my mid-50s.
You seem like an enthusiastic go-getter. I want you to spend some time really focusing on your goals and finding your WHY. Why do you want to do the things you said you want to do? What goals will you need to achieve your WHY? What natural talents do you have that will make you well-suited to being a real estate investor? What area of real estate investing do you want to get into? What skills, education, training, and hands on experience will you need to acquire? How will you acquire them?
Please don't say "freedom" and "options." Those are vague. You will get nowhere with them.
Write the answers down. Be specific. If you can't explain it to someone, it's not good enough. Try again. We're glad to hear you bounce some specific ideas around here and offer some thoughts.
To answer some of your questions:
My skillset includes minor welding, minor housework (I lived in fostercare and the father owned property in which I helped lay tile, wood paneling, drywall etc.). I don't know if this is considered a skill but I also love to learn, and honor myself on my ability to solve problems.
In regards to what I want to do with my life. . . I want to be absolutely affluent, as I want my kids to have what I didn't, and my mom to have what she couldn't, but wanted to give me. I like the idea of owning a business but struggle to find something I'm passionate about other than the Stock Market and Real estate, and making money.
The plan was always just go to the Marines, and serve my country, but now I'm more focused on creating an income to support my family with. So that's why I'm so against a 9-5. Because unless I go to college for eight years with money nobody has, Im doomed to the mediocre 9-5, survive, not thrive lifestyle/cycle forced upon just about my whole family.
I honestly don't know my WHY statement... Other than to be able to let my grandmother and mother retire before death. And also I feel like it would be pretty amazing to leave a legacy of assets to my coming generations.
Hope that kind of gave you an insight as to where I am right now (which is stressed about what to do when I graduate to stay productive)
