Wholesaling is a great way to get started, and networking is key to success.

Quote from @Felicia Nitu: Quote from @Jay Hinrichs: hope it works.. but throwing in the affordable housing requirement a lot of times kills the project right there.Also at least in markets I have worked the time lines START from completed submission.. you make your submission and then get an incomplete letter this goes on for months and months soo time lines still extend.. but at least its a step in the right direction hope if works.Hi Jay, the affordable housing requirement can definitely be a dealbreaker for some projects.

@Xavier Perera If it’s financially feasible I suggest starting by house hacking a 4-plex.

Being a broker in Western Washington and an investor in Tacoma, I completely understand the challenge of getting started in this market.

It's no guarantee but it's a good place to start.

You can do less than 20% down (as low as 3.5-5%) if you intend to occupy the home for at least a year.2) There will be an HOA (homeowners association) which restricts rentals, so be sure to read the CC&Rs (governing documents) to ensure that your rental strategy is allowed, even if you intend to live there at first, eventually you'll be transitioning it to an investment property, so this will be important.

That said, even with conservative rental income estimates, my living expenses would eventually drop to several hundred dollars less than what I’m currently paying in rent once the house hack starts generating income.I do have cash reserves to weather some rough patches, but the idea of pushing my budget this hard makes me uneasy.

(One went with another manager eventually, and the property is listed for $400/month less than we listed it, and the other finally got rented to a solo professional.)

So guess which route I started with? 

I’m a young entrepreneur in the real estate space, and I’ve recently started my own company.