Becoming a property investor

This week I have had lots of potential investors pop in to see me, all wanting to be budding property investors writes property blogger Lea Beven.

Being a property investor is not a regular 9-5 job and you must be prepared for the changes that this will make to your lifestyle, whether you do this part-time or full-time.

Like most things in life, property investment requires commitment, dedication and a certain amount of discipline - it won't happen all by itself, you need to put effort into it.

At times it can be hard work - other times it can be fun and entertaining, but you will only get out of it what you put in.

Make sure you have the right attitude before you start or you may just end up wasting your time and money.

Those around you may not necessarily agree with your choice of occupation or investment. Some may even call you crazy and try to talk you out of it.

But this is a genuine way of earning an income and some people do very well out of it.

You need to remain positive and focused. It is often futile trying to help all of your family and friends to understand what you are doing or why as no amount of explanation will make them agree with you.

Learn to accept their view, but not to adopt it.

It would be foolish to ignore every opinion or piece of advice that people give you - you might learn something from someone else's experience.

However, they are not necessarily right and just because one person had a bad experience doesn't mean you will follow in their footsteps or make the same mistakes.

What will other people feel about you once your achieve your goals? Will they change their negative attitudes?

Many people experience a strange phenomenon when they leave the rat-race and become financially free - others often assume that you are wealthy, some may even become difficult to deal with because of this.

When you are doing well some friends may expect you to pay for everything, family members can become jealous and cause friction.

You must be prepared for these changes in those around you.

Where do you see yourself in two years? What about five years from now or even ten?

Most people want to have achieved something in that time frame - will you if you continue what you are doing now?

People do not plan to fail, but they do fail to plan. Establish and understand your goals or targets, ensure that you work towards them and not in the other direction.

It is hard to measure success when you are working for yourself, but you can always see the results of your efforts.