Newbies evolution/timeline/getting started

I've started this blog to track my progress as I enter real estate investing. This will hopefully accomplish a few things:
1-keep me on track with my goals,
2-give me a rear view mirror perspective to track progress for days when I feel like I'm getting nowhere and
3-to help others who are new to real estate follow a bread crumb trail to get started.

So as of today, here's how this whole thing has evolved for me:

Feb 28th 2013: My wife and I pray and ask God for a vision for our future and how we can serve and help others-specifically kids/youth. We need more income than we currently make however, to make that vision a reality. (it's our "WHY") You'll understand this if you attend one of the conferences.

2nd week in March: My wife randomly asks me, "Have you considered real estate as a source of income/new career?" My quick and simple answer, "No".

Several days later: I stumble upon a Dean Graziosi commercial advertising a free conference to learn more. It looks interesting so I mark my calendar and ask my father in law if he can go with me.

5 Apr 2013: He and I are sitting in the conference in the Denver Tech Center area. We both like what we hear. We both buy into the next level of training--the 3 day education seminar. I also bought the tax lien software and training kit.

12,13 & 14th Apr 2013: We are at the Double Tree Hotel in Denver for the 3 Day Real Estate Investment Education with about 150 people. It was not only about real estate to my surprise, it was about personal growth, building a dream, not giving up, conquering doubt and fear--feel good stuff that inspired me and at times almost brought tears to my eyes with some of the videos they played. We had to decide whether or not to buy into the next level of training. My father-in-law and I both did. We receive a kit that contained CD's, DVDs & workbooks to study and prepare for the next training.

2,3 & 4 May 2013: We are at the Boots on the Ground 3 day training at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Denver with a group of about 14 people. Our leader, Andrea, is personable and knowledgeable--I like her immediately upon introduction. Due to the small group size, this was the first time, to date, that all of us really had a chance to ask many questions about real estate...and get answers. All of us we excited to be a part of the group and moving forward through the process. We got a lot of inspiration from our our group leader! At the end of the 3 days, we all exchanged emails. We leave the training with these 3 next step assignments: 1-Build our buyers list, 2-Find an investor friendly realtor and 3-start walking through properties and select which ones to make offers on.

7:00-8:30pm 4 May 2013: My father-in-law and I attend an investor's networking group at the Embassy Suites in Denver. We hear an in-depth presentation on property auctions. It's deep and a bit confusing but I learn a lot from it. They offer a training course for a price-we don't buy in at this point although eventually I'd like to learn more. My credit card is about to melt from all the other training I've been purchasing so I decide to hold off!

6 May - current (8 May): I am now working on my own plan to lay the groundwork to start my own business in real estate investing. This has involved several things that I feel I need to accomplish before I work on the 3 goals from BOG: I set up a new email for business, get a new business phone # through google voice, select a business name and search its availability on the Colorado Secretary of State website, create a logo, create business cards, set up an account on this website, create a blog, email our group from BOG training to check in and see how all are doing and continue to read and study materials that I purchased from the prior training conferences. I work full time at another job so I budget my morning time by getting up at 6am, coffee, Bible study & prayer and then work on real estate until about 10:30am.

Remaining goals for May: to call the DG help line to set up my LLC, select my mentor for the 3 day one on one training, order and receive my biz cards, finalize building my power team and continue to read and study real estate materials so I can start looking at properties and make a few offers in June. Some of the others from my BOG training are already making offers; some are still working through hesitation. It's all good though because it's not where you start, it's where you finish and not all runners run at the same pace! I keep a favorites quote list and read it daily to stay motivated--look at my profile to see a few of them. Until the next post, be blessed with progress no matter how small a step it may be...