My Honest Advice to a 19-Year-Old Investor With No Money and No Support

TLDR
Ross does not tell this 19-year-old whether to join the military. He does say not to make that choice only for a VA loan because FHA may offer another path. His practical advice is to learn under active investors, bring them leads, practice underwriting, and study a small-multifamily house hack before buying.

Table of Contents

The Question

I’m breaking down a real question from a 19-year-old investor who posted on Bigger Pockets. He’s trying to build wealth with no money, no support, and one pretty creative idea.

Roel is 19, in college for business management, got introduced to real estate at 15. He’s dreaming of buying properties and building long-term wealth. He’s thinking about joining the Air Force just so he can get a va loan to qualify to buy a fourplex and finish school with military benefits.

His dad is not on board. Dad wants him to finish college. Doesn’t understand why the military or real estate is in the picture.

And now Roel is stuck. Finish college and wait to invest? Or join the military, get a VA loan, and start investing?

Roel’s dad, if you’re listening, this isn’t an attack on you. I’m a parent. You’re a parent. We all want what’s best for our kids. And my parents didn’t grow up investing in real estate either, so they weren’t thrilled with the path I chose at first either. That’s normal.

My Grandpa’s Advice

When I was 19, I was trying to buy my first house with an fha loan. Took me a few years to get approved. I remember telling my grandpa about it. He was kind of the patriarch of the family. I can still see him laying there and he basically told me I was an idiot. I was making a risky move. I was going to lose everything.

That was tough to hear from my grandpa. But I knew deep down that I wanted to pursue real estate wealth. That was my route. And that was before Rich Dad Poor Dad, before I read any of the books. I was just wired that way.

I remember riding to school every day and passing this one house with a shed in the backyard. I used to think, I could live in that shed, put a mattress in it, fix up the house, and sell it. I also thought maybe I should be a teacher so I’d have the summers off to work on houses. Weird kid.

The point: houses are the biggest thing everybody needs. People have been living in them for hundreds of years. They will for hundreds more. Why wouldn’t I invest my time, energy, and learning into the thing everybody needs?

Roel is thinking the same way. Good instinct.

Key Concept
There are countless people who have built real wealth and more importantly freedom through real estate. It’s not a scam. It’s not a pipe dream. It’s a very real path if you’re willing to put the work in. The alternative is a 9-to-5 where you give the best hours of the best years of your life to build somebody else’s wealth.

Mindset Beats Smart

Listen, I’m not the smartest guy in the room. Not even close. But I outlast people. I grind. I stay in it when everyone else is quitting.

From Roel’s post, he’s wired the same way. That’s the thing that matters more than the strategy.

You’re going to mess up. Everybody does. I know I did. I still do. That’s the best part. That’s how you get good. The key is you don’t go too far out over your skis. You don’t take on skinny deals and hope they work because things are going to go wrong. Get great deals on the front end with a great plan of attack, and when stuff goes wrong, and it will, you’ve got room to protect yourself.

Your age is your biggest asset. Roel is 19. I had the same advantage for my first seven or eight years. And honestly, for those first seven or eight years I basically broke even. Why? Because I didn’t take the time to learn the skills. I dove right in. That was a boot camp in itself, one that paid me back 20-fold, and I’m glad I went through it.

But if I could do it over, I’d have prioritized the skills and knowledge earlier. You can do that without taking on as much personal risk.

Do Not Make the Military Decision for a Loan

I’ve got nothing but respect for the people serving. I really mean that.

I am not going to tell Roel what to do about the military. That is a bigger decision than this article can make. But if the loan benefit is the only reason for joining, there are easier ways to begin learning real estate. You do not have to go through military boot camp just to get your hands on a property. You can go through the real estate version: bad deals, unreliable contractors, and unpredictable markets.

The source points to FHA financing as another owner-occupant path. It does not provide unit eligibility, down-payment figures, or a military-service term, so those details are outside this teaching.

The point is not that one loan is always better. It is that a loan benefit should not make the military decision for you.

The Mentor Path

Here’s what I would actually do at 19.

Go talk to real estate investors in your area. If you don’t know any, that’s normal. Hit up your local real estate meetup groups. Get on the real estate Facebook groups. They exist in every town. DM people on Bigger Pockets. Network.

Find someone legit who’s actually doing deals. Tell them whatever it takes. “I’ll work for free if you need. Obviously it’d be better if I got paid. But I want to learn under you.”

You are shopping for mentors. You’re trying to find the best real estate investors around and plug yourself into their world.

Offer to bird dog for them. Hunt deals. Bring them leads. You’ll get real practice underwriting deals, and they’ll tell you when your numbers are off. That feedback is priceless.

You’ll hear a voice in your head that says, “What if I mess up?” You will mess up. That’s fine. Everybody does. That is how you get good, as long as the deal does not put you too far out over your skis.

House Hack the Fourplex

Roel’s plan to buy a fourplex is a good one. I’d push back on the military path, not the multifamily path.

house hacking is one of the best moves you can make as a young single person. I did something similar early on. I bought a triplex, lived in the roughest unit, and rented the other two. After fixing my unit, I moved through the building and improved the other units. Once all three looked good, I bought another property and did it again.

Roel was looking at a primary home loan on a fourplex and planned to live in one unit. Ross’s own story was a triplex where he lived in one unit, rented the other two, and moved through the building as he fixed each unit.

Great idea, Roel. But don’t buy tomorrow. Get a little education first. Find a mentor. Bird-dog some deals. Learn what a deal actually looks like. Then pull the trigger with an FHA.

Pro Tip
Do not take a skinny deal and hope it works. Buy with enough room and a clear plan so the mistakes and surprises that come with learning do not wipe you out.

FAQ

I’m Roel’s age. I don’t have a mentor yet. What’s the first step this week?

Find local real estate meetups and investor Facebook groups, or message active investors on Bigger Pockets. Look for someone who is actually doing deals. Offer to help and learn, even if the first opportunity is unpaid.

What do I actually do as a bird dog?

Hunt for deals and bring leads to an experienced investor. The learning comes from underwriting those opportunities and hearing where your numbers are wrong. The source does not prescribe one lead list, tool, or payment arrangement.

What if my family is against me investing like Roel’s dad?

Concern from family is normal. My grandpa told me I was taking a foolish risk, and my parents did not come from real estate investing. I kept learning because I knew this was the path I wanted. That story is encouragement, not a command to ignore your family’s situation.

Do I need to buy right away?

No. Ross told Roel he was on the right track but did not need to buy tomorrow. Learn first, practice underwriting with experienced investors, and then act when the deal and plan are sound.

Is the FHA really as good as a VA loan?

The source’s advice is not to join the military solely for a loan benefit and to explore FHA house hacking as an alternative. It does not compare current loan terms or declare FHA the clear answer for everyone.

Stay With It

You are already ahead of most people your age if you have a vision, the desire, and the willingness to ask questions. What comes next is conviction. Real estate is a long, hard, slow climb, not a get-rich-quick game. Stay with it and you can build something that changes your family tree.