Young man seeking mentor

Individual mentorship is a high risk proposition in this game. I have a landlady whose journey into PI via an experienced friend has been nothing short of a disaster. Less than 1% of 1% of investors have a clue about property. I know several people who own in excess of $5mil in property but have got there through good luck not good management. Then there's professional mentorship programs. Many are designed to separate you from your hard earned dollar. 

Forums like this offer you the opportunity to express your ideas and strategies. Elaborating here enables others to critique your ideas from a variety of perspectives and offer solutions. You can think of forums as a lot like a nursery if your prepared to exploit it along those lines. That's what they're designed for. 

Two things you need to get your head around in the early stages are behavioral not knowledge base. Patience and objectivity. Newby's are usually busting their britches to get in the game and consequently are prone to acting in haste. They tend to see an opportunity as something that should not be passed up. When you let an opportunity slide without feeling like you've just missed out on winning the lottery you'll have started to mature as an investor. Opportunities are endless so patience will always reward those who wait for the right opportunity.

Objectivity can be hard to maintain in the early days. There'll be times when certain properties appeal to you at the emotional level. That's often a sign to give that one a miss. Emotional decisions in this game are rarely good ones. You need to be able to assess deals on the cold hard facts not because you think the fixtures and fittings are cool.

Very refreshing to see that you see mentoring as a two way street Sebastian!  (ie that you are keen to absorb information and even do the gardening for someone!)  Plenty of folks out there stumble onto forums demanding free information in a less than polite fashion.  Good manners and common courtesy will take you far . 

There will be many folks that will have an influence over your investing approach in some way or another.  Little nuggets of wisdom that spill out in the course of dealing with your accountant and mortgage broker are two examples.  Point being, be sure to choose your support crew wisely.

You are already showing some of the traits required to achieve success. Goal seeking requires a certain amount of extrovertedness, aggression in pursuing objectives and resilience to failures. Life rarely progresses in a straight line. Others here won't drag you along. You have to push yourself along to get to where you want to go. There are many members here who sign up but do or say nothing. The lurkers.

Getting involved in threads and discussions has to be a proactive pursuit by you. You can't catch fish if you don't throw your line in the water.There are no monsters here. Everyone here has been where you are and understands where you're coming from and the difficulties you face. If you choose to proactively tap into the knowledge base that exists here (and other forums) you will build relationships with professionals who will invariably become your investment team. They by default will mentor you in their areas of expertise.

There are also heaps of free seminars and events that you could attend (if you are confident you can resist the selling angle). I really like these events because it is an easy way of picking up the lingo and some key strategy points etc. Also a good place to network with other people who are interested in property, you could even put a shout out here to see if anyone from the forums is going.

Many of the above people also have free DVDs they give out (again it is all a selling technique so go in with your eyes wide open).

I agree with previous responses. Check forums. It is the best mentor for you. Please do not pay money for any mentorship programs. Mostly it is just a waste of money and might get you into a debt.

Hi Sebastian.

You've started your journey, and this Forum is rich with knowledge and good people willing to share it.

All the investors here know how to succeed, NHG nailed it too, read read read. If unsure of a strategy, work on motivational and general basics in the meantime with

books like Rich Dad Poor Dad, Think & Grow Rich. Read what appeals. Search the Forum for "essential reading" and see what titles get the most recommendations.

Perhaps from these a strategy will take shape. Haunt the Forum and you'll be plugged into a huge storehouse of knowledge and mentors.

Great people hang out here.

Good luck

Cheers

thecrest

Sebastian from an aged forum member to a newcomer welcome.

I don't think you can go far by joining in the forum banter and discussion and you will learn a lot from members with all areas of expertise.

Read, educate and take nothing for granted and you won't go far wrong.

I like your attitude about realising investor mentoring is a 2 way street.

Good luck and make sure you hang around to ask questions.

Cheers

Yours in Finance