Day Job Vaporizing!
Hi all,
Just go word today that my professional day job is being eliminated soon. While I'm going to try like he** to replace it with a similar professional job I also want to take this opportunity to ratchet up my long-term goal of becoming an RE investor.
Since cash flow earmarked for investments is going to have to be kept in reserve to feed the family, I want to jump into bird-dogging to learn and generate income. Any advice from this very knowledgeable board on starting out would be great!
Many thanks in advance - . 
Alison
Koki,
Liberation does come with a price. Of course in the long run of life, it is fun to look back on and smile, or cry, or www.hicup.I prefer the latter.
I am going to share a secret with you, now do not tell anyone. Otherwise they will all be doing it.
On your first day of enforced leasure. Start a list all your close friends and relations and casual friends etc. etc. No not the pets.
Then sit and examine each of them in turn and see if any of them have a need for some service in Real Estate. Want to buy a house, tired of renting, want to get rid of a house, changing wives, or jobs or just inherited money. Which ones have money sitting in a CD drawing 2% interest. Which ones have relatives that want to buy, sell or mortgage real estate.
What I am saying before you go out into the bitter world, work over all the persons you now know. You will be amazed as to what will come out of all this gentle massage of peoples.
Go for it. Luck Lucius
Alison,Sorry to hear that your day job is www.vaporizing.If you want to become a REI join your local REI club there you will meet experienced investors who are seeking birddogs.Another way to learn about REI is to seek employment with a mortgage broker/banker or a bank mortgage dept.
Local groups are good. Additionally you might want to start advertising I buy houses. Then start contacting the folks that have FSBO houses in the paper, some of them will be investors who will be interested in purchasing your deals. You then have both the seller flow and buyer setup. Put them together and bam, you have a deal.
[addsig]
Before you jump, You need to make sure you study this site. Questions you will encounter in the field is sure to have been asked and answered here.
Don't be a stranger to the site either, the info is invaluable.
Sorry to hear about your job
Thanks all. DH and I have already started making the rounds of the investment clubs. Question: Would it be a good idea to have cards printed to hand out to investors at these meetings?
Also, in your experience how many of the bandit-sign posters really know what they're doing? I've called on a few of them looking for investors, but am wary.
Lufos, I appreciate your tip to practice my act close to home first. Great advice!
Alison
Hello koki2,
Have you determined what market you want to pursue? I would start there and then work into the rest. As far as the Bandit sign people...I think you will find that there are people with various levels of experience using them. You will have to determine if what they want or offer is within the arena of your investing. I would also reccomend reading as much of this information on this site as you can possibly take, and then I am sure you will have only read a small portion of the great info here. You will also need to know the state statutes in the arean you are focusing on as well as the local procedures on that area. I wish you the best of luck in your future, and remember, once you commit, don't give up. Holler if you need anything.
Good luck
koki2- I think you are on the right track. If you want to get into the biz, try working as a bird dog for some investors (run an ad or ask those in your group) to make quick cash and earn an even more valuable reputation. (Not to mention great experience!) Cards wouldn't be a bad idea, but let people know you are new and hungry- you'll find people to work with.
Sorry about your job but remember we create our own luck!
First of all, koki2, best of luck to you! This is the perfect oppotunity to take up the challenge of REI. First, you need to decide which areas to focus on and set some specific, challenging, and attainable goals. Spend a lot of time on this site learning from some of the best. I've only been using this site for a little while, and my knowledge seems to grow by the minute.