All Forum Posts by: Timothy Durham

@Costin I. Any suggestions on some good jobs/types of jobs to look for upon graduation? Something that will help me develop practical and useful skills while letting me save for RE investment. Management is a fairly broad degree and can land you in a number of places. I know I still have over a year before I begin job searching, but it wouldn't hurt to start getting an idea on where I want to get that first "real job." I am aware that a degree doesn't entitle me to any job I want or an endless list of options, I'm just trying to get a general idea of what I can shoot for. I suppose there is no one path to becoming a RE investor, but I have to believe that some jobs/careers can put you in a better position to get started.

@Blake Luken there is definitely a huge demand for trade jobs, especially as the baby boomers reach retirement. It seems as if an entire generation skipped skilled labor. Do you have any idea what particular trade might prove most useful in flipping a house? Obviously knowing how to do everything is ideal, but being great at one thing wouldn't be too bad either. I was thinking that perhaps plumbing would be the most useful. Electrical work seems like the most complicated aspect of construction to me.

@Blake Luken

Did you have to do any form of trade school or training before you started your HVAC job? Or was it on the job training? I would love to learn a trade, I'm just so far into my bachelor's that it doesn't make since for me to stop it now. 

@Costin I.

Thank you for your very elaborate reply. I will be taking time to look into each of the things you said. You mentioned the importance of W2 income a couple times. Would it be wise to look for a full time general labor construction job upon graduation? I'm young and set to graduate a year early with my bachelors, so I'm not too concerned with a giant paycheck for my first year or two out of college, because most of my friends will still be paying tuition while I'm making money (at least a little). I definitely prefer physical work and being outdoors as opposed to sitting at a desk or in a classroom. I would rather not spend two years staring at spreadsheets and emails. Is it reasonable to plan that I could start out at the bottom of the totem pole and climb the ladder a little on a construction crew over a few years, gaining that consistent W2 all the while? During this I would learn a tremendous amount of experience in construction that could help me down the line, maybe sooner rather than later. As I said in my original post, I am fairly handy and have some basic knowledge in the field, so I would not be totally helpless.

Hello everyone, I am new to Bigger Pockets and this is my first post. My question is about how to prepare myself and gain the necessary skills to flip houses and fix up rentals for a living.

I am a sophomore in college majoring in business management. To be quite honest, every second of it feels like a waste and I constantly wonder if I should transfer to my local community college where I will be just a couple classes short of an associates degree. I have no desire to get an office job and climb the corporate ladder because I get very frustrated when I have to sit inside all day. I am very much interested in the construction side of flipping/renovating and love to get my hands dirty. I am much more handy than the average 20 year old and have undertaken some pretty big fixer-upper type projects with my dad at our house, but I don't know if I have all the skills to flip a house from start to finish by myself. Where do I start? Do I just go all in and get a fixer-upper and learn as I go? And am I crazy for feeling like the bachelor's in business is a waste of time for me? I am not sure if it is realistic or not for someone my age to just jump into flipping homes full time (or perhaps part time) as opposed to getting a traditional job.