BP Community, I finally took the plunge and created an account.

I see few of your posts and seems like you're just eager to plunge in to get your first property.

They certainly wish they did but never took the plunge (they didn't paint for 50 cents an hour either).We bought our first rental at 23 or 24. 

Don't worry about what you sound like, taking the plunge and getting over the fear of sounding inexperienced is your first step.

I took the plunge like so many others after watching house flipping shows on TV. 

Hi Fay,Several years ago, I took the plunge as well into a self-directed IRA and I was nervous at first, but read several great articles on this and decided I had had enough of paying for someone else to take my money and give me no attention.To start, I opened a broker account (like TD Ameritrade, eTrade, etc.) and funded it with my current IRA money.

I'm not for or against the hot/cold water idea because I know it works for some people but I personally didn't notice any results, and I had to endure the Polar Bear Plunge in the shower after working all day while covered with insulation on top of it.

I am very serious about my real estate goals; after taking this initial plunge, I plan to purchase 20 units in the next 5-10 years.

But it's all worth it because I'm trading a smaller portion of profit for something just as valuable; networking.I want to get into investing myself, and if I'm able to make connections at my age and through being a real estate agent, I will have a decent network around me by the time I'm able to make the plunge.

I've recently taken the plunge and I am in the process of purchasing my first buy and hold property.