Unless you bought RE a few years ago, created equity via successful BRRRR, flip, or do a combination you're just playing the appreciation game. 

@Scott Trench Ive bought office spaces in the last few years as the market has collapsed in that sector. 

@Austin Wolfffair point, but there are also tons of threads on BP from folks in HCOL areas who bought a property in Baltimore or Cleveland or Memphis and got absolutely crushed by deferred maintenance.of course it's possible to invest successfully from California but it just seems like a lot of new investors are very much not set up to do it property. 

Purchase price: $326,000 Cash invested: $19,900 Sale price: $460,000 Basement was already set up as another unit, so I bought furniture and converted it to an Airbnb while living upstairs.

I’m currently renting and haven’t bought my first house yet, but I’ve decided to start investing in real estate.

Is that the percentage gained on the portion spent on flipping or the percentage of the price you bought the home for + the amount it costs to flip?

Again, the BiggerPockets store has some books on this topic, or you can learn about it by watching podcasts, reading blogs, and interacting on the forum.

Hi @Will Newmiller - I bought my first 3 properties with conventional 20% down loans, using funds from my business and loans from my wife's TSP.

I bought my first house in Abilene with a VA loan.

I’ve personally just closed on my 4th in 3 years and even just the two I bought last year have netted me a starting engineer salary 👀!