Hi All! I am new here, and would have posted in the new member section to introduce myself but have a question now and need some advice right off the bat.

In a nutshell, my issue goes like this. I am 22 years old and I want to go to college, but I dont want to take out loans and be in debt at all. I decided to pay in cash. I currently have one FT job and one PT job. I do pay bills, about $700 a month worth of them, and so I dont get to save as much as i'd like due to that. That also does not include food, gas, etc. I make OK money at both jobs and have been saving up as much as I can but I just feel like I am not getting anywhere and not saving up as much as Id like to. I have this lady I am friends with who is in Real Estate doing just about everything from rentals, to houses, etc. She told me its a great career to get into. She informed me of some things, and I did some research of my own on the career. Sounds really interesting, deff something I'd be great at and probably would love.

Now here is the issue. I know you cant go into Real Estate thinking your going to get RICH, especially FAST. I am not that un informed, but I did ask her if me going into real estate Full or Part Time would be a better option then staying with these two jobs in order to save up for college. The idea would be there is more potential to make bigger and faster money depending of course how good I am, the market, etc. Would this be a bad idea for me to go into real estate to be able to save up to go to college? I mean if I eventually loved Real Estate I am deff not against doing it Full Time, however I do have other dreams I'd like to do more and need to get a degree. I would also probably be working RE if I was still in school Part Time since it can be a flexible business.

So to recap my questions,

Is this a bad idea to quit these jobs, go into RE and save up that way to get to college?

and

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of issue or know anyone who can give me advice?

I just wont want to screw myself over. Thank you for reading this long story.

-Anthony

If you're now 22, have you been saving for the past 4 years?

How much do you want to accumulate before you start College?

Ever think about starting college part-time?

Time marches on.

Start up costs are pretty high, just like starting any business.

How successful you are will of course depend on you and the actual market where you are.

In your situation I would not recommend giving up both jobs. Research the market first, see what kinds of homes are selling, find out what kinds of commissions are being paid, etc. It's not a business where you can just "make money." It requires a considerable investment of capital, time, and hard work....and you may need to wait months for your first paycheck.

[quote=Vermont]If you're now 22, have you been saving for the past 4 years?

How much do you want to accumulate before you start College?

Ever think about starting college part-time?

Time marches on.[/quote]


**"I havent been saving for the past 4 years, just the past 1 year, and Id like to start at community college which they charge significantly less then other school, and broke it down to, I would need about 3 to 4k to pay for each term, so I'd like to save up to pay for 1 term or a semester (2 terms). I have also no problem starting college part time, its just that both jobs are not bringing enough money in with bills to able to save for college. I dont want to start 5 years from now."**



[quote=Perky_REALTOR]Start up costs are pretty high, just like starting any business.

How successful you are will of course depend on you and the actual market where you are.

In your situation I would not recommend giving up both jobs. Research the market first, see what kinds of homes are selling, find out what kinds of commissions are being paid, etc. It's not a business where you can just "make money." It requires a considerable investment of capital, time, and hard work....and you may need to wait months for your first paycheck.[/quote]


*""The market around here for houses seems actually fairly well. I dont have figured in front of me, but the lady I know wouldn't steer me wrong and she assures me that the market here is good in Massachusetts. I know its a deff business were it takes hard work and you dont get rich quick. I just am in a tight spot and want to know the best way to approach it. I dont mind starting college if I had to in 2 years and start RE before then to start saving, but just trying to figure out the pros and cons. Have regular jobs and save for another 1 to 2 years or start RE and save for 1 to 2 years and hope its more money then a regular job.""*

Is it important for an agent to have a college degree?

Not really - you can be a very successful agent without a college degree.

What I think is important (but often is not displayed by my peers, lol) is an ability to read and understand the real estate contracts, an ability to communicate clearly and intelligently, knowing the difference between a Victorian home and a farm house, able to take decent pictures and process them with post production software, knowing the difference between they're, their, and there...much of what is needed to be a successful agent is common sense.

That said, education never hurts anyone. I would love to go back to college, and some day I may.

I think a college education is important for any job, especially one that is very marketable and in demand. (if income is important to you)

I think that the consideration of college as a portal to higher income, or only as vocational training, just cheapens it.

College should be a mechanism for broadening your horizons and allowing you to appreciate the finer aspects of life, regardless of what you do.

A College Education does help to prepare oneself for traveling in more cultured, or more highly educated circles; and there are other ways to do that . . . . but they're all much harder.

Abraham Lincoln was self-taught, and despite his sensitive and sharp mind, still had some rough edges, and was thought to be a buffoon by many of his contemporiaries. He had no sheepskin to prove his knowledge . . . . he had to do it the hard way, with the quality of his ideas and the the power of his written and spoken words. I deal with many other people who have come up the hard way, and are now far better educated than many people with degrees . . . . but they can't prove it with a piece of paper; they do so with their actions.

All I know is that there's a level of comfort that comes with having a good general education, and it helps in Real Estate; but I also enjoy being able to speak comfortably about Animal Physiology with my Butcher, or Quantum Physics with my Auto Mechanic, or the details of Botany with some of the local Foresters. I don't have a degree in any of those specific areas; but a good general education helps me to engage with other people who know more about these special areas than I do . . . . but still respect the little bit of knowledge that I do have in areas where they have more expertise.

In Real Estate, we have to rub shoulders with people in all walks of life, and with all levels of education. While not necessary, I think it's does help to have a quality education when dealing with Preachers and Funeral Directors, Doctors and Lawyers, Bankers and Surveyors, Plumbers and Carpenters, Engineers and Appraisers . . . . anyone whoses works required an advanced level of education. What sometimes amazes me is the extent that even the most highly educated people know their own disciplines and that's it . . . . they take no interest (or very little) in the workings of this world beyond their own vocation.

I don't think a College Education will ever guarantee a certain monetary return on your investment in it; but if acquired with the right attitude, it will help you enjoy your 28,000 days on this planet more thoroughly . . . . and that includes the time you might spend in Real Estate. Get an education for your Self and your ability to appreciate life . . . . not your pocketbook.

Most everyone who says you can go through Life without a College Degree will focus on the economics only; and IT'S TRUE; but they don't know what they're missing . . . . and you'll never convince them otherwise.

The degree is not going to help you in real estate. A buyer or sellers is not going to recognize that you have a degree from XXX State and automatically think you're more well qualified to represent them. Now, you could learn things along the way in your education which may feed into your real estate career. This would probably be on the marketing/tech side as real estate is becoming more and more a game of SEO.

I took a communications class and a few hours of introductory business courses and then went to work for J.D. Reece as an intern.

Sounds like my sister in law, 2 bachelor and one masters degree, but unemployable.

As some individuals here have already mentioned, college broadens your horizons and allows you the opportunity to take on new opportunities. Having a higher education also gives you the opportunity to network and meet new and successful people (although this may be limited in your undergraduate). Why I say that is because many individuals still doing their undergraduate are trying to figure out what they want to do in life, whereas some are just there to party and eat up their financial aid. If you decide to pursue higher let say, and enter graduate school, there you will meet many people who are already successful, but want to do more to earn credibility to make their profile more attractive to investors, increase their pay, learn new marketing techniques, how to become a better leader, etc. I received my first opportunity to enter real estate because my partner for a project we had to do for our Masters class happened to be involved with real estate. Had it not been for that, I may not be trying to get involved with real estate now.

My take, if you are interested in becoming an agent for the career it’s self, then go for it! But as mentioned, it is just like starting any other business, there is a large start up cost. I tell people to get enough savings set up that you can maintain your current lifestyle for at least six months. Some of that will be used for that very thing and the rest in business expenses before you start making money. If not, you are ahead of the game! Working with another, more experienced agent is a great way to get into the field and learn the ropes. Value you time though, and make sure you are getting paid for it.

As far as college, try looking into online classes and/or a community college to start with. You can take two or three classes at a time on your schedule all year long (including summer classes) and get there with just a bit more time than those going full time (an extra year or two.) It is MUCH cheaper to take as many classes as possible at a community college (talk to a counselor to be sure that they are all transferable.) Buy your books on Amazon or e-bay to save half and often you can even rent them from your school’s bookstore or library.

However, you can do this with your current job(s) if Real Estate is not your ultimate life goal. Seems silly to get into a new career [i]just[/i] to go to college, when that career is not always stable and has a high cost to start (and continue as well). This can be a super profitable career, but it can take years for it to support you going to school debt free and to pay your bills.

What kind of degree would you be working towards?

Anthony, you really need to decide what you want to do. establish some specific goals. only you can decide them. It sounds like you have good financial sense. save your money and avoid debt like the plague. at this time, DO NOT give up a stable job. If you decide to go into real estate sales, ease into it. you will need startup funds, time and a lot of perseverance.