How many real estate investor meetups have you gone to? 

Based on what my real estate agent thinks that this quote will be, roughly, and the after repair value, it looks like I could buy this property in cash, spend a month or two fixing the damage, and then put a mortgage for roughly 1.6x what I paid for it and thus have a cash flowing property at a few hundred dollars per month and a little more money in my bank account ready for a down payment on the next deal.

Imagine making millions of dollars over the course of your career and then having to pay 30-50% every year to uncle sam instead of compounding that cash over time.This is exactly what real estate professionals have learned to mitigate.To reduce their taxable income, they just buy a building every year, do a cost seg, and use depreciation to reduce their tax liability dramatically.Their personal wealth snowball grows much larger and much faster than their W2 counterparts who give most of their money back to the government each year.Following this strategy as a real estate professional is one of best ways to end up with a much larger net worth at the end of your career.

Here’s a more polished version of your message:Hello BiggerPockets community,A close friend has been encouraging me to get into real estate investing for years.

Get ready for a month full of learning, networking, and real estate opportunities.

@Christopher ReynoldsIt's exciting to see your enthusiasm for real estate and your vision for financial independence.

He is our local expert realtor and real estate investor! 

Hi Ella, welcome aboard,Your post about your real estate ambitions, encompassing the purchase, renovation, and sale of properties, as well as the ownership of Airbnb rentals, is indeed an exciting endeavor.

I am new to the group, real estate investing in general, and trying to learn so that I can take my first step into real estate.

I'm exploring the demand for 3D virtual tours and high-quality real estate photography for both real REIs and (REAs).