There are plenty of people who have made it big in the real estate investment game. First of all make no mistake, it is virtually a game. If you don’t know how to play it, you are going to get hurt badly. This is why you need to know as much as you can about it before you even get into it.
The first thing to do is to read and research. This will give you a taste of what is in store for you ahead. You will need to learn about tax laws, zoning laws, rehabbing, etc. Don’t worry if you don’t get everything in the beginning because you are not meant to. The whole idea is to make you aware of key areas in real estate investing. Once you get to the practical aspect, you can start correlating between the two.
The practical aspect is where you need to be careful. Buying a property, just because it looks good or because you like it is a completely bad idea. You need to have sound reasons behind the purchase. To know what to buy and what not to buy requires experience. One way to get this experience without engaging in any monetary investment is to work at a real estate agency.
If you can get a job at a good agency, even the tedious job of reading up on the industry will be taken care of. You will get hands on experience which will serve you well. However, this involves an investment of at least one year of your time to understand the industry. With this behind you, you can safely begin your venture into the world of real estate investment.