All Forum Posts by: Jake Bledsoe

Hey Jake! Congrats on all of that and joining the BP community. I always like recommending David Greene's Pillars Of Wealth book as a great foundation for you to build your real estate portfolio on top of. Once that is set in place its really up to you where you take it. You mentioned cash flowing properties and appreciation properties as a goal and thats great! I'd start with whichever is closest to you, learn your market. If your area has great prospects for cash flowing properties - lets go ahead with that strategy. If it's appreciation market then the same is true. Starting RE investing in an area you know best is always an advantage than trying to invest in a state you've never been and bonus points if you learn that market and know what to expect from the investments. Once you know what to look for in terms of an investment in your market then you can start speaking with lenders about using that 20k to determine what you can afford and then move into actually narrowing down properties and making offers! As far as investment strategy goes you'd again want to consider what kind of market you're in -- but a personal favorite to start with is definitely House Hacking as that should lower or get rid of most peoples largest expense in Housing -- leaving you with more money to save to invest! Hope that all helps provide some direction but as long as you commit to learning, you will do great. Best of luck! 

Figure out your unfair advantage and which strategy works best with that. What can you do that I or other competing investors cannot? 

Examples - owner occupied loans for house hackers, specific market knowledge (ie - friend of mine that ice fishes and bought a short term rental cabin in an ice fishing spot that you and I would never know of), ability to do renovation on your own or cheap, contacts with local companies or organizations that would be a tenant source for mid term rentals, ways to source off market deals, etc.

Whatever it is, figure that out and get started. Lower your expectations and expand that time frame for your goals. It's a long game and slow and steady still wins the race. Feel free to reach out if you think that I could be a resource. I have nothing to sell and would be happy to help.

Hey Jake, welcome to Bigger Pockets! I like starting in the Midwest because it's affordable and offers good cash flow. Following David Green's Core 4 strategy (realtor, contractor, property manager, and lender) gives confidence to invest anywhere. I focus on Columbus, Ohio, which has seen significant growth, especially with tech giants like Intel, Meta, Amazon, and Google setting up operations, driving up property prices and job opportunities. I also invest in Cleveland and Dayton where you can find cash flow single family homes under $100k. Let me know if you need assistance!