In late 2006 I had just received my first ipod as a birthday gift from my wife. A few weeks later I discovered these little audible downloads called “podcasts”. As a very busy full-time appraiser at the time I spent many many hours driving all over Southern California. Podcasts were a great fit for me as I could listen to hours and hours of whatever podcast show, discussion, topic I chose to subscribe to.I came across a show called Get Real Real Estate Investing. At the time it was rated in the top 5 business / real estate podcasts on itunes. I listened to several shows that day and I decided I had to become a real estate investor. Hundreds of hours of shows and many other educational sources later Andrea and I were buying, selling and renting property full-time. Of course, there were many things to learn before we purchased our first property.
Much of the best education that we have received has come from free or very low cost information that is out there available to you every day. Here are a few of the sources that we have used and are extremely valuable resource for real estate investing education:
Podcasts: Although I started out by listening to Get Real Real Estate Investing, I don’t listen much anymore. It is not as good as it used to be. If you can get some of the older episodes when Lynn Voss was co-host, those are worth listening to. A new one I like is Escape the 9-to-5. It’s from an experienced wholesaler in the Pheonix market. The Norris Group Radio Show. This is Bruce Norris’s weekly radio broadcast with interviews of important figures and investors in today’s market.
Real Estate Investing Clubs: Actually, by listening to podcasts I learned that there was such a thing as real estate clubs. The truth is there are lots of them out there. They usually run $10-25 per person but it is well worth it for the learning and the networking. Simply the best place to meet other investors in your area. Just google “real estate club” in your area and I’m sure you’ll find some.
Blogs & Forums: There are many blogs and forums that provide excellent information, education and networking opportunities. Here are few of the ones I like: BiggerPockets.com, FarBelowMarketForum.com, ForeclosureForum.com, ForeclosureRadar.com.
There is certainly a case to be made for spending good money on weekend seminar training from the respected professionals. We certainly attend our fair share. However, don’t overlook the value in the free or low cost learning out there. Take advantage of it.
