I have a lot to learn, and hope to have a lot of fun while building my portfolio.Welcome to the club. 

If you use hard money for acquisition, then use the proceeds from the flips to fund the long-term holds, it will allow you to build capital and also retain some properties for the long-term hold.

everywhere you look, gurus are telling people to start wholesaling by doing agent outreachthey make it sound simple,  just call agents, get deals, and make quick moneybut the truth is, this advice is misleading and it’s hurting the real estate marketagents are getting flooded with calls from people who don’t understand contracts, laws, or even what wholesaling really meansit wastes time, damages trust, and makes agents less likely to work with real investors who actually know what they’re doingwholesaling can be done the right way, but not by spamming agents with bad advice from youtubeif people want to wholesale, they need to learn the business, follow state laws, and build real relationshipsanything less just adds more confusion and gives wholesaling a bad nameso if you're wholesaling, I'm telling you try off market deals first, get the experience, build up the capital and once you're able to start buying houses then contact agents

.: Quote from @Sarah Wang: Hi BP friends,I’m totally new to building and real estate investing, and would really appreciate your thoughts on building an ADU in Torrance, SoCal.My property:Lot: 7,800 sqftMain house: 1,700 sqft, 4B3BMain house Includes a 1B1B in-law suite with a separate entrance, connected to the main living areaThe area:Torrance median sale price: ~$1.02MMy home is in Northeast Torrance— a more affordable part of the city compared to West and South TorranceSchools are solid (ratings 9/7/9)My plan:convert current 2-car garage to one-car garage, and build 1B1B ADU (700 sqft)Designed with vaulted ceiling + great natural light (stronger interior feel than most local ADUs)Budget: $175K (ADU) + $80K (lot landscape)Build time: 8 monthsEstimated rent: $2,300/moCan do long term or mid-term rental (20 min to 3 medical centers), no short-termROI looks strong and easier to manage locally than out-of-state investingLocal ADU = lower management cost + easier eviction if issues come upMy questions:A few years ago I saw posts saying banks appraise ADUs below build cost, making it hard to pull the equity out or sell — is that still true today?

Are you house hacking mainly to reduce or eliminate your living expenses and then move on, or are you intentionally stacking smaller “base hit” deals with the goal of building a long-term portfolio?

What are some of the best ways to build a network with investors looking for potential homes to fix and flip?

If he delays build, you take 2/3 of the brunt on construction interest.3. 

I’m currently analyzing deals, building my buy box, and connecting with experienced investors to learn from real-world execution.If anyone is open to sharing lessons learned or offering guidance to someone who’s serious and doing the work, I’d really appreciate connecting.

I've been using non smart Schlage BE365 locks for 10 years or so for 2-3 unit buildings I've owned.   

Build up job skills, build up savings, and increase your W2 income.