From Your First Rental to Development: Building Your Real Estate Investing Skillset Presented by Derek Caffe, Owner of Code Black Properties Every successful real estate investor started somewhere! Join GaREIA for an informative discussion with Derek Caffe, real estate investor, developer, licensed real estate broker, and general contractor, as he shares his journey from purchasing his first investment property to preparing for his first mixed-use development. Designed especially for new and aspiring real estate investors, this session will explore how starting small, gaining experience, and building the right skills can lead to bigger opportunities. What You'll Learn Getting Started: How to take your first steps into real estate investing. Evaluating Deals: How to identify opportunities and determine whether a property is a good investment. Renovations and Costs: Understanding renovation budgets and avoiding costly mistakes. Financing Investments: Exploring ways to fund your real estate deals. Property Management: Learning the fundamentals of owning and managing rental properties. Building Your Team: Connecting with reliable contractors, lenders, and other professionals. Growing Your Portfolio: Understanding when you're ready to move from rental properties to larger projects and development. Learn From Real-World Experience Derek will share how his investing journey progressed from buying and managing rental properties to renovations, value-add projects, construction, and development. He'll explain how each experience helped him develop the knowledge, relationships, and confidence needed to pursue more complex opportunities. You don't have to start big to become a successful investor. The skills you develop with your first rental property can become the foundation for future investments. Whether you're preparing to purchase your first property or looking to take your investing to the next level, this session will provide valuable insights, practical advice, and lessons learned from real-world experience. Join us to learn, network, and take the next step toward achieving your real estate investing goals!