What I hear from a lot of potential investors is that I just want a property that hits all the numbers I've read about in a book or heard about in a seminar.

The other option would be diving deep with a bookkeeper to have them help run more updated books than just monthly.

Listen to the BiggerPockets podcast for expert advice, read books like "The Book on Rental Property Investing" and "Set for Life" by Scott Trench, and join local real estate investing groups or meetups.

I’d also love any recommendations for beginner-friendly books, podcasts, or other resources that are suitable for a teenager. 

It's a great way to give them a better sense of the space, especially if they're on the fence about booking.

Let’s say you’re starting from zero in 2025—no properties, no deals, just the knowledge and lessons you’ve picked from BiggerPockets, books you have read and videos you have watched.What would you do differently this time around?

Check out the book "Long-Distance Real Estate Investing" by David Greene.

I wouldn't worry too much about it, if you have a competent CPA or bookkeeper they should be able to review your books and within minutes have a strong grasp on who gets a 1099 (spoiler alert, not every contractor gets one, I'll be annoyed if I get one since I'm structured as an S corporation) and the amounts to report.1099 filings are usually a loss leader for us, so if you're working with a professional make sure you take advantage of them filing everything for you.

Podcasts, books, and forums like BiggerPockets were invaluable, and when the right deal came along, I leaped and you can too!

I've been reading a few books on Bigger Pockets.