Is that the question you’re asking yourself on a regular basis? It’s what my wife and I asked everyday for 2 years when we were neophytes to real estate investing.

As I look back I realize that the problem was we wanted all of the answers up front – even though we didn’t even know all the questions. Now with over 15 years experience I realize the folly of that desire. There is no way to learn everything before you even start.

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Even if the program feeds you every morsel of information you could ever need, the problem is that you don’t have the experience to understand the context of the information. It’s useless at that point.

So what do you do? How do you get started? Here are my recommendations:

  • Get an overview of many different strategies and techniques to see what best fits with your interests and skill sets. Consider more than just how much money it will make because if you hate doing it, you will never make a dime.
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  • Start with a complete strategy. In other words you need a complete system from acquiring properties. If you don’t know how to complete the transaction, how will you make money. Understand that some programs are designed to add specialized knowledge on one facet of the business while others are designed to provide a full strategy.
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  • Once you select the strategy that is best for you, look for the right teacher and the right product at the right price point for you. Do you learn better from a home study program where you an learn at your own pace; or from a live event where you can interact with the instructor; or do you learn best from private one-on-one instruction.
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  • Pour through the material once for a broad understanding, then lay out a plan for implementation. Go back and study each step, and most importantly: TAKE ACTION. Nothing happens until you take action. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. The same is true here.
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  • Zero in on what is going to move your business forward. In other words – avoid busy work.
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  • Realize that much of your learning and understanding is going to come from experience. You will not start with a perfect understanding of the techniques. Just like when you start a new job. You may go through extensive training, but you never feel comfortable until you start DOING the job. Training is designed to point you in the right direction and reduce the learning curve. Experience is where you learn.
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  • Believe in yourself and in the strategy. You really can do it. Believe that and be persistent.
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  • Treat obstacles and bumps in the road as simply part of the process and not a roadblock. For every problem there is a solution. Focus on the solution!
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  • Stop looking for the next silver bullet that is going to change your life and focus on the material you already have. Dedicate yourself to making it work.

I know that getting started can be quite a daunting task. My wife and I spent the first 2 years just spinning our wheels until we got so frustrated that we just decided to make something happen. So if I had to give you just one piece of advice it would be “Make something happen.”

Expect abundance,

Lou Castillo

P.S.  Please share your thoughts and your story below. I’d love to hear from you.