Getting Started in Real Estate – Just Do It!

Many potential real estate investors come to us asking questions about what to do and where. Where’s the “best” place to buy real estate? What’s the “best” way to market? What’s the “best” way to find funding?

Our preferred method of real estate investing is to be prepared for any situation and to be able to create a deal, a plan, an exit strategy no matter what opportunity appears. In that way, the “best” answer is to be ready to create opportunity out of whatever comes to you next.

So don’t wait – don’t try to figure out the “best” anything because only by doing will you discover what is your “best” way of investing.

To share a personal, non real estate story: I’ve wanted to be an oil painter my entire life. I have no idea where the desire came from, it just feels like part of my soul – part of who I really am. Whenever presented with the question, “What would you be if you could be anything?” my answer was always the same, an oil painter. Just the thought of Monet, Manet, or Pissaro inspires me. I took art history classes, have books on art history, have books on drawing and painting.

But, I limited myself by seeing oil painting as an ultimate luxury, something I would do “when I finally have time.” I came to realize that those five small words are completely limiting and have stolen much of my life. So, I signed up for an oil painting class and it happened to be portrait painting. Not necessarily the easiest way to start, but I was starting. And, guess what? Turns out I’m pretty darn good and I love it every bit as much as I thought I might. People in my class refused to believe I hadn’t done this before, and here’s what I learned:

Don’t wait. Do what you’re longing to do. You just might be great at it. And, besides, it feels really good.

No one else can tell you what you should be doing or when or how. They have no idea what’s inside you. Most people can’t even hear what’s inside themselves, so why are you asking them?

And, I love starting with a painted background. Nothing is so halting as a blank, white canvas staring back. So, I always start by painting the canvas a color. Originally, I painted the canvas blue. I figured there’s a lot of blue in the world – the sky, water – so blue should be a good background. Then I went to green, pretty much for the same reason (in addition to the fact that I thought I should try a color other than blue).

Then something magical happened. I picked up a tube of terracotta to paint a background and I fell in love. Just looking at my terracotta canvas inspires me to paint. To paint anything. I just can’t wait to paint on that beautiful canvas. Who knew I loved terracotta? I certainly didn’t. And I would never have found that out if I wasn’t picking up colors and painting. No one teaches (I don’t believe): “Start by painting the entire canvas terracotta. You will then be inspired to paint.” Some things just can’t be taught, they have to be discovered. If I wasn’t painting I would never have discovered terracotta as my muse.

What in you is waiting to be discovered? What in you has yet to be found because you’re still waiting to get started? What in you won’t you know about until you try? If you wait to have the “right” answers, you’ll never start.

What would you be doing if you had no limits?

To use a most amazing quote from a very talented creative, may I encourage you to “Just Do It.”