Ashley Kehr - Real Estate Rookie: 90 Days to Your First Investment

ROOKIE

90 DAYS

TO YOUR FIRST INVESTMENT

ASHLEY KEHR

Fun, easy to read, and insanely thorough, this book will become a bible for a generation of up-and-coming real estate investors!

Brandon Turner, Best-selling author of The Book on Rental Property Investing

Every new investor MUST read this book. Real estate can be one of the best ways to achieve finical freedom, but you can only get there by taking the right steps. Ashley walks you navigates you through these you through the basics of real estate investing to get you going on your financial journey.

James Dainard, Managing Partner at Heaton Dainard Real Estate and co-host of the On The Market podcast

Nothing is more daunting than embarking on a career in a new domain without a formal education, mentorship, know-how, or a roadmapyet this is commonly the case for new real estate investors. Ashleys book is exactly what Id recommend for the rookie investor. It demystifies a complex industry and provides a clear framework for building the tools you need for long-term success. This book will provide the perfect jumpstart for the self-starter!

Leka Devatha, President of Rehabit Homes

This publication is protected under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 and all other applicable international, federal, state, and local laws, and all rights are reserved, including resale rights: You are not allowed to reproduce, transmit, or sell this book in part or in full without the written permission of the publisher.

Limit of Liability: Although the author and publisher have made reasonable efforts to ensure that the contents of this book were correct at press time, the author and publisher do not make, and hereby disclaim, any representations and warranties regarding the content of the book, whether express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. You use the contents in this book at your own risk. Author and publisher hereby disclaim any liability to any other party for any loss, damage, or cost arising from or related to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of the book, including any errors or omissions in this book, regardless of the cause. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be held liable or responsible to any person or entity with respect to any loss or incidental, indirect, or consequential damages caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the contents contained herein. The contents of this book are informational in nature and are not legal or tax advice, and the authors and publishers are not engaged in the provision of legal, tax, or any other advice. You should seek your own advice from professional advisors, including lawyers and accountants, regarding the legal, tax, and financial implications of any real estate transaction you contemplate.

Real Estate Rookie: 90 Days to Your First Investment

Ashley Kehr

Published by BiggerPockets Publishing LLC, Denver, CO Copyright 2023 by Ashley KehrAll rights reserved.

Publishers Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Kehr, Ashley, author.

Title: Real estate rookie : 90 days to your first investment / by Ashley Kehr.

Description: Includes bibliographical references. | Denver, CO: BiggerPockets Publishing, 2023.

Identifiers: LCCN: 2022947438 | ISBN: 9781947200845 (paperback) | 9781947200852 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH Real estate investment--United States. | Real estate business--United States. | Personal Finance. | Investing. | BISAC BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Real Estate / General | BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Investments & Securities / Real Estate | BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Personal Finance / Investing | BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Real Estate / Buying & Selling Homes

Classification: LCC HD1382.5.K84 2023 | DDC 332.63/24--dc23

Printed on recycled paper in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Mr. Emerling

Everyone who tries something new starts out as a rookie. Thats the truth. Even though I have bought, sold, owned, and managed a large real estate portfolio and now help others get started in real estate, I began the race at the starting line like everyone else. To prove it, here is my Real Estate Rookie origin story.

First, let me begin by telling you that there is nothing special about me or my ability to achieve success. In school, I worked hard to receive average grades. I went to college, but I didnt excel there right away. In fact, I failed an accounting classand I was an accounting major! I transferred to a different university and eventually graduated with a degree in public accounting and finance.

See? Nothing remarkable so far.

After college, I started working for a public accounting firm, one I had interned for while still in school. I couldnt wait for the day when Id receive my first full-time salary offer. I was ready to finally be paid the big bucks. But, to make a long story short, when that long-awaited offer came, I was super disappointed.

The dollar amount shocked me. It was so low! When I finally held everything I had been working for in my hands, I was left feeling less than satisfied. I remember talking with another employee and sharing my disappointment. She was the youngest partner at the firm, a successful woman I admired immensely. Through her, I learned that even the partners (the top dogs at the firm) didnt make great money, even after years of hard work and long hours. That moment was one Ill never forget. I didnt want to be her. I didnt want what she had. I wanted more.

But I didnt know what else to do. While I didnt love my line of work, I still had the idea in my head that a job was a job. A job was a necessity. So I swallowed my pride and frustration, and I stayed.

I worked at the firm for about six months. During that time, I started studying for my CPA exam and took the first of the four required tests. I failed. I was so embarrassed. Maybe I wasnt good at being an accountant; maybe I had wasted my degree; maybe I would be broke forever. When tax season came around, each day became more painful than the last. I didnt want to go to work. Even though Id worked so hard to arrive at this destination, I wanted out. The thought of spending the rest of my life like this killed me. I wanted to go somewhere else. To do something else.

I talked with my husband, and his blunt answer was, Well, if you want to be a barefoot stay-at-home mom on the farm, I think it would be great if you quit. I put in my two weeks notice, and a week later found out I was pregnant. It seemed meant to be.

After six weeks as a pregnant stay-at-home soon-to-be mom, I was approached by a family friend to help him organize his business. It was a part-time position where I could work at home and make my own hours. I wasnt really good at doing nothing, so this seemed like a good solution. The organize part of the job ended up being managing a forty-unit apartment complex. Without even knowing what a property manager was, all of a sudden, I was one. I was shown my setupa small office with no windows or AC, a drawer full of keys, and a box full of leases. In that little office, I started a property management company and grew the courage to start investing myself (after I had my