The dream of many real estate investors is to acquire enough rental property, or do enough flips, to be able to earn their living that way and not have to have a “real job.” (Not that real estate investing isn’t a real job! It is.)

 

But getting there doesn’t usually happen overnight or with one single investment. Even if you do hit a home run right out of the gate, you may want to hold on to your job until you’ve strung a few successful investments together.

 

Most investments aren’t home runs; rather, they’re solid base hits and maybe a double here and there, to use the old baseball analogy. Be happy for the base hits (they’re way better than striking out), and relish the ones that pay off big time.

 

Over time, once you accrue enough successful investments, you might consider living the life of a full-time investor. But even then, it may make sense for you to keep your job for the sake of borrowing money. Lenders tend to want to see gainful employment as proof of income, and having a job makes that easier. But if you’re making good money investing, be ready and able to show lenders proof that you’re earning your living through real estate investing.