You’ve read a few books and listened to a few CDs about real estate investing and how easy it is and how much money you can make from it. You should be pretty excited by now unless you’re in love with your boss and think more money would be a pain. But the question is: how do you start investing in real estate? There is nothing wrong with going to another class or buying another book, you will do a lot of both throughout your investing career, but in reality your real estate investing career begins with a decision. It is true that at first you simply have to decide to become a Real Estate investor, but then there is a decision that makes all the difference.

If you’re really set on it, you may have already looked at some properties, but maybe you don’t know how to analyze them yet, or maybe you do, but you’re not sure how to pay for them. Most novice investors go through this phase; Some may even forgo buying an investment property because they don’t know what they’re doing. The reason is because they have not decided what type of property they are going to invest in, simple as that. The most important decision for a new real estate investor is choosing what type of property they are looking for, based on their current financial situation. Many new investors are stuck in a high-paying job they no longer enjoy, for them the ideal property would be something that offers strong cash flow but has little need for management or repair. Others may start with next to nothing, for these investors the ideal property would simply be one they could get financing for and still make a profit.

To make the decision for yourself, first take a look at your finances, for some it may be advisable to sit down with a financial planner or accountant in the same way you would talk to a doctor before starting a new diet or exercise program. Then go back and listen to those CDs and read those books again, and pay attention to the things that appeal to you and what your vision of real estate investing success is. Lastly, find someone who can act as a mentor or at least an occasional adviser, talk to some experienced realtors, and ask about successful investors who were in your position when they started. The advice they give may not be revolutionary at all, but it should point you in the right direction. Once you know what type of property you’re looking for and start gathering the necessary tools and people, you’ll be amazed at how quickly things seem to fall into place.