Hi everybody,I currently rent and want to start my real estate journey with a duplex. 

Nathan's list is a great starting point. 

Because it is a buy and hold, I consider it a decent investment to start me out on my real estate journey.

Because it is a buy and hold, I consider it a decent investment to start me out on my real estate journey.

That's a good way to start!

I even turned off the hot water tank to save money (until my then-girlfriend, now wife, convinced me to turn it back on)—all to use these savings as my launching pad of capital to get into buying income-producing real estate and starting a business.Fast forward to today, the foundational skills and inspiring stories I absorbed from the BP podcast have given me the confidence to take action and believe in myself, significantly advancing my investment career.

Not sure how anyone starting out can break in without being rich or cash heavy.

Just call around and get some quotes.I started with Liberty Mutual for all of mine once upon a time. 

Hey @Michael Walley - I'd start off by saying, you are generally in a pretty good position if you haven't already paid him.FOR SURE YOU NEED TO GET LIEN WAVIERS if you have any indication that things could go sideways - don't make a payment til you get them.I would also ask for some type of breakdown of the scope of work you are paying for as you mentioned.Here in Chicago / Illinois a general contractor has 4 months to file a mechanics lien from the last time they were working on the job.I wouldn't rush to get an attorney.

Keep reading that to start investing you need money.