All Forum Posts by: Sam Schultz

Hi everyone,

I recently watched my first webinar here at BP. Along with the literature I'm reading, it made sense at the end to purchase the Pro package. Even though I know it does not guarantee success, there are just so many perks that make it a valuable purchase for myself. These perks can help navigate challenges that may arise.

I have always enjoyed challenges. That is probably why I enjoy working in the refineries as either a Rigger or Crane Operator. Being faced with a challenge is exciting to me. I may not be the best problem solver, but knowing that the job has to get done forces me to think outside the box.

Both of these paragraphs help to shortly explain two things. One, challenges excite me and help me to continue moving forward. Two, and most importantly, I have skin in the game in both scenarios.

In my line of work, my name is always on the line. If I am uncomfortable or unsure of how to get something done, the best option is to ALWAYS ask or search for help. If I do not, the risks of life and limb could increase substantially. This, in turn, would also damage my reputation that would follow me wherever I go. Reputation is the skin in the game. Carrying on without facing the challenges could very well mean the end of your career.

In the Real Estate world, sure reputation is also on the line, but so are the monetary investments regardless of how large or small. Purchasing the Pro subscription forces me to always be conscious of the fact that I have already started investing my hard-earned money. To allow that money to go to waste would be a shame and would likely cement in stone that I would not go any further than reading or posting.

To summarize this post, challenges can either be your motivation or your demise. I have never been one to allow a challenge to defeat me, rather they excite me. They give me the motivation to pursue things that, although make me uncomfortable, make me want to become a better version of myself.

Food for thought, if you find yourself going nowhere for whatever reason, consider the things that prevent you from taking another step forward. What challenges are you facing? Are friends and family questioning your decisions to the point you question yourself? Are you having financial trouble? Are you stuck in a state of paralysis? Do you find yourself unable to organize your thoughts? Do you find it hard to network or simply hold conversations with others?

Whatever your challenge, take a step back from that wall and evaluate the entire situation. I have had these issues myself. What works for me is getting these thoughts of motivation out for others so that I may do the same for myself. I've found myself too close to the wall to see the route around it time and time again. Remember though, what works for others may not work for you, but maybe it can help to figure out another way to move past that wall.

I have not yet even started my first deal, but I am more than happy to talk and get to know many of you. If you experience any issues, reach out to either someone with the experience or someone with the willingness to learn and find the answer. If you have advice for me or anyone else, please reach out. I have heard this is a community of passionate investors. Treat it like one. Thanks for taking the time to read and God Bless each and every one of you.

-Samuel Schultz

@Alan F.

I planned on it. I even contemplated working only turnaround work in the refineries during spring and fall, leaving the summer open to do a flip ever year. There are many options and strategies to consider. I guess it really comes down to what I am able to finance and what time I will have. Nonetheless, I plan to do extensive research and analysis before making any decisions.

@Eric DeNardo

I had not actually thought about that aspect of it. But I'm still not sure how to get to that point. My mind is racing a million miles an hour thinking of everything I can to get this process going. I seem to have a hard time organizing these thoughts and trying to even simply write them down seems to be an impossible task.

Hell, I've even left out much of my personal experience from conversations and even these posts as I have so much I want to say, but throughout the post I get distracted so much so that I leave out things even Alan reminded me of.

@Alan F.

Your reply is very much appreciated. It helped me to realize that I never even considered relating my construction experience to this world. I think you may have very well narrowed down my strategy choices down to one of three; the BRRRR method (although this might be too much to start with for a newbie), the live-in flip that you mentioned (probably the most practical as I've been part of many different projects in the construction industry), and a combination of house-hacking/live-in flip (probably the most rewarding with a potential to swap between units as I finish one in order to bring better rental income). The last method seems to be the most practical for me if I can just get the right deal and makes the most financial sense to reduce my overall expenses in the long-term. And I have to say, it sounds like a lot of fun. There is something about working with my hands that makes the ending results that much sweeter.

 Definitely something I've thought about. But I'm not sure how to go about it without sounding pushy, needy, weird, or expecting something for free in return. I don't really like asking for help in such ways as I'm typically an independent kind of person. I guess I've just watched too many friends and family members taken advantage of in the past that I don't like to present myself as one of those types.

Hello everyone,

This is my first post outside of my introduction. If you'd like to know a little more about me, please read that post and feel free to comment or send me a message.

I currently have a career in the blue collar industry as a Crane Operator. The hours are long, the pay is great, but I know that this isn't where I want to be 5 years from now. I recently had a major lower back problem, at 31 years old, that put me out of work for a few weeks. As of this post, I have not yet had my appointment with my neurologist to discuss the findings and route of treatment. As such, I have been using this "free" time to continue working. Only this time, my work consists of reading books and educating myself in the world of real estate. I am currently focused on reading the BP Publishing books "How to Invest in Real Estate" and "Investing in Real Estate with No (and low) Money Down".

My current goal is to read, at the minimum, 3 books a week for the next 2-3 months. These books will include real estate specific, as well as self-improvement subjects, among others. I can honestly say I have never enjoyed reading to the point I could sit down and read more than a couple of pages before getting bored. But something about this gets me excited and makes it hard to put these books down.

At some point I hope to aquire a mentor, but as of this moment I don't have anything of value to offer. All I can say is I have a burning desire to gain the knowledge necessary for success in real-estate.

Down to the point of this post, I would love to hear from any of you who would be willing to provide me with suggestions of materials that were key to YOUR success and how it helped you. Of course there is the obvious such as the podcasts, forum posts, and blogs here at BP. But I want to hear more about things outside of BP.

What book(s) helped you and how?

What are some suggestions you would recommend to a newbie to get started?

How fast were you able to successfully aquire your first property?

What investing method would you recommend to a first-timer and why?

Did you have a mentor and how did they help you?

These are just a few of the questions of the many that come to mind, but feel free to provide any information you feel could help myself and others. I want to be successful in this endeavor as I don't think my back problem will allow me to continue working in my field of expertise much longer.

Thanks for reading. I hope to hear from the lot of you!

Hello everyone,

My name is Samuel Schultz. I'm completely new to everything real estate. I've been following a couple of the typical investors that come up through personalized ads on Facebook. I know these are mostly gimmicks as they all claim to provide "free" information in order to bait you into paying for their insanely priced courses. After much research on sucj individuals, I actually found out about BP through Reddit of all places.

I would like to provide you all with a quick little background about myself. I grew up in Southeast Houston, Texas with my sister in a single-parent household after my parents divorced. With dad absent for most of my childhood (for reasons unbeknownst to me), my mom did everything she could to keep the bills paid, a roof over our heads, and food on the table. I watched as cheap cash cars were bought with income tax every few years when they got too expensive to maintain. We moved a few times as necessary for mom to afford the basic necessities. It was a constant struggle for her and pain that she never knew I saw. We eventually left Houston and moved to the Bolivar Peninsula just south of Galveston. Little did I know, my own personal struggles with life as a teenager would begin. Keeping things short and sweet, I managed to keep myself out of serious trouble, but I had to drop out of high school in 2010 and obtain my GED for personal reasons. Now here I am in 2024 with a career as a Crane Operator making six figures on a good year, two beautiful children, and a loving a supportive wife.

There is a large gap there I know, but its all stuff that I keep to myself. Just a bunch of screw ups and burned bridges along the way that paved the road that lead me to where I am today. The problem is I still live with family. The wife and I currently live in a 3BR house we are renting along with my older brother and my mom. Covid left us all with thousands in credit card debt and a living situation that neither of us want to be in.

In my life experiences, I've come to dreams and aspirations that aren't of the typical variety. It seems as though most people in this world are so focused on themselves that they forget to care about others. I want to be a change in the world. I want to make a difference in others' lives. I want my wealth to be measured in care and compassion, not by the digits in my bank account. Of course, that means I still need to make those digits in order to achieve what I know my God wants me to achieve.

My dreams are to have two major businesses. I would like one to be of the investment type where I make all of the money to provide change in other lives. The second would be a business dedicated to providing opportunity to responsible individuals who just can't seem to get ahead just because they are yet another number (i.e. credit score) on a piece of paper. An example would be those who can't afford a mortgage of less than their cost of rent simply because they don't have a down payment and the score to back it, yet provide accurate and detailed rent payments over X amount of years. I look at it this way: you need a roof over your head to survive, don't you? You're either gonna do what it takes to make sure that happens and be rewarded in the end by one way or another, or you're gonna wind up losing everything. I like to believe most people would choose the former. I guess I'm just sick of watching banks and corporations ONLY care about the dollar and not the people who bring the dollars to them.

With my background and goals put forth, I look forward to getting to know a lot of you and gaining insight into this market and how it can help my to enrich not only my family, but families everywhere. Be on the lookout for future posts and comments as I plan to become very active and engaging. I am more than ready to get to work and start grinding towards a better future.

Thank you for taking your time to read this and may God Bless you and your families and friends.