Many people ask me how I was able to go from making $30,000 a year in a corporate 9 to 5 job to controlling over $460,000,000 in real estate. Much of what I learned has come from hours spent reading all the best real estate investment books that I could get my hands on. Now, to help you begin your journey, and to help you understand the ins and out of entrepreneurship and apartment investing, I outlined some of the books that I have read (or wrote).

These real estate finance books can be read before or during the process of starting your apartment real estate investment career. To make it easier to find what you’re looking for, I have divided these resources across four main categories.

First, you can learn general entrepreneurship from Tim Ferriss, Malcolm Gladwell, and others who know what it takes to venture out on your own and make it. Next, you could start with one of my real estate investment books, or dive into other apartment investing books by Matthew Martinez or even Dave Lindahl.

Alternatively, because success is partially congruent with mindset, I have suggestions on this topic that were written by Tony Robbins, among others. Finally, learn the art of sales and negotiation, the real estate investor’s bread and butter, from experts like Carmen Simon, Dale Carnegie, and more.

If you would rather listen to advice while you’re on the go, check out some of my favorite real estate podcasts.

I like to keep things simple because that'll increase your likelihood of sticking to it which will help you be more successful with it.

• I use a computer.
• An ATR2100 microphone
• Cheap earphones
• Mic stand
• A foamy spit protector thing on the mic. I like these colorful ones because they make me happy

I do the interview via Zoom, where it is also recorded within the zoom portal. I now hire an editor; however, when I started I edited my own audio file via Audacity. The file is uploaded to Libsyn. Libsyn then publishes to the universe (iTunes, Facebook, my blog, etc.).

I recommend using Libsyn and encourage everyone to follow this link www.libsyn.com and use the code JFBEST to receive one free month of hosting!

• Best Real Estate Investing Advice Ever– real estate professionals give their best advice ever with a slant towards raising money and buying apt communities because that’s what I do
• Apartment Building Investing with Michael Blank – as the name suggests this podcast is strictly focused on apt investing
• Target Market Insights Podcast with John Casmon
• Before the Millions Podcast - Exclusive access to the minds of millionaires & entrepreneurs who live their best life everyday through online business, investing and real estate.
• BiggerPockets - long-form podcast that has some phenomenal multifamily investors on the show. If you haven't joined the community then go over there an set up an account because being active on the site WILL increase your bottom line.
• The REI Foundation Podcast - Hosts Jason and Pili give you all the steps and missteps towards achieving your investing dreams. From Multifamily Mondays to Foundation Inspection Fridays.
• Corporate Investor Podcast - Matt Nusbaum talks to successful real estate investors who began investing while working full-time in the corporate world.

1. Spending time with the ones you love and love you.
2. Having a big ole cup of water with a scoop of wheat grass every morning.
3. Appreciating what you have.
4. Volunteering.
5. Reading lots of books then acting on the advice in those books that speaks to you.
6. Creating something around something you enjoy then cultivating it daily for 90 days to determine if there's a biz idea within that venture.
7. Focusing on the solution and next step, not what already happened. However, always try to find out how the bad thing happened to mitigate it from happening again.
8. Putting yourself in the best position to be massively successful by identifying what you're really good at and then identifying a way to build a biz around it.
9. When you think about doing something nice for someone do it at that moment in time. Stop everything and make a call. Send a text. Write a letter. Buy a present. Make an intro. Thoughts are just that - thoughts. They don't show up in the real world unless you act on them. And others can only experience the benefits of our thoughts by us taking action on those thoughts.
10. Surrounding yourself with the right people. High achievers with strong morals and character. People who fill you up. Not drain you. "You are the product of the expectations of your peer group," says Tony Robbins. Be careful here. Be selective.