I have 3 years to learn 1 skill - name it

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Sep 29, 2004
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Realtor, meaning selling houses for an agency? I sure dont have money to go buying houses, not even with a mortgage.

Don't worry about buying rentals yet. That can come later as you save money.

But yes, exactly this! Get a realtors license. I don't know how one finds a job though. It seems like you need to know someone. Realtor's are crazy friendly. A lot of them are older. Walk into a few agency's and tell them you want to be a realtor and you'll probably get some great advice. If you go into enough offices, you'll probably find someone to get you under their wing and even help you get a job.

Realtor's are basically people that know the process of buying/selling along with having all the contacts to make repairs on houses. You'll become a subject matter expert. Truth is, most know who to call to fix an issue. Truth is, most of them don't know what a load bearing wall is. AS long as you are sociable and willing to work strange hours, it can be a lucrative career.
 
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DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
14,629
3,003
136
Well i know what a load bearing wall is (hint: the name explains the function) so i guess thats a point for me.

Python, ill look into it, coding is a zero-cost solution which is always good.
 

highland145

Lifer
Oct 12, 2009
43,973
6,338
136
I think being a realtor would suck. People don't show up on time or at all. Show some schmuck 20 places and still don't get a sale. Market's in the toilet, you don't eat. Dealing with the public sucks. Very time consuming.

Yeah, I deal with the public. The upside for me is that I can be an asshole if they piss me off.

python + raspberry pi :thumbsup;
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,857
31,346
146
Well i know what a load bearing wall is (hint: the name explains the function) so i guess thats a point for me.

Python, ill look into it, coding is a zero-cost solution which is always good.

Machine Learning is also really hot these days, hotter even than Hansel. Plenty of orgs from Industry to Academia are looking for contract-based or salaried data analysts in pretty much any field you can think of. I'm biased, but I can say that if you were to also pile on some life science/bio stats knowledge so that you can get a decent handle of the functional aspects of that type of data, then you are gravy in all sorts of fields. In most fields, it's just the math; but grasping the molecular biology behind that sort of data more than double your prospects. ...then again, those type of people commanding that sort of money have already spent at least 6-8 years total for PhD work. But I believe that anyone can learn it.
 

ultimatebob

Lifer
Jul 1, 2001
25,134
2,450
126
Hmm... COBOL programming? All of the legacy programmers who have been keeping our banks running for the past 40 years are dying off.
 

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
14,629
3,003
136
I should add that all this is done in the perspective that i will be making zero profit during the next 3 years. If i had 20 grand i would know exactly what business to open, in the uk, and im confident it would do well.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
51,515
7,227
136
I think being a realtor would suck. People don't show up on time or at all. Show some schmuck 20 places and still don't get a sale. Market's in the toilet, you don't eat. Dealing with the public sucks. Very time consuming.

It helps if you're an extrovert. I have a couple friends who are realtors & make bank & really enjoy what they do. I, OTOH, would not enjoy that particular career choice so much. "JUST PICK A HOUSE OFF ZILLOW AND BUY IT ALREADY" :D
 
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herm0016

Diamond Member
Feb 26, 2005
8,516
1,128
126
WELDING

you can go to some classes and pick up a cheap machine to start. 500 bucks should get you a decent welder.
 
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Ken g6

Programming Moderator, Elite Member
Moderator
Dec 11, 1999
16,695
4,658
75
Explanations:

I can learn, say, Photoshop, because i can do it at home. I can pay for a course in Drawing, but i cant learn a job that depends on me being hired into that job. So, things like mechanic or carpenter are out.

I can dish out fifty bucks a week for tutoring, but i cant buy myself a five grand machine.
Why is carpenter out? You do need a few things to get started, but not much. You can start with a hand saw, wood glue, and sandpaper. You also need some kind of measuring device, a ruler, tape measure, or triangle square. A hammer and nails would probably be a good idea too. Edit: Oh, and clamps are good. At that point you can build yourself a miter box.

Other useful hand tools could include a chisel and a sharp knife for whittling, particularly if you want to do intricate surface designs. Then you can start building and selling little furniture projects. You don't even have to finish them - "unfinished furniture" is a thing. Useful power tools at some point would be a hammer-drill, a small hand router, and a circular saw with track. (Build your own sawhorses for use with the circular saw!) But you could probably "build up" a little capital without them.

Note: I've never actually done carpentry - I just watch PBS a lot.
 

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
14,629
3,003
136
Well "carpenter" jobs are people who work in construction. And then you got carpenters, who build stuff. I guess i *could* learn that (my stepdad is a wizard) but it doesnt lead in any way to carpentry jobs; and the truth is that in the uk, polish people have that job locked down, a pseudo-intellectual italian wouldnt have a chance in hell.

For now we got Python, 3d modeling, and beekeeping. Three pretty good choices.
 
Nov 8, 2012
20,842
4,785
146
I think being a realtor would suck. People don't show up on time or at all. Show some schmuck 20 places and still don't get a sale. Market's in the toilet, you don't eat. Dealing with the public sucks. Very time consuming.

Yeah, I deal with the public. The upside for me is that I can be an asshole if they piss me off.

python + raspberry pi :thumbsup;

On that note from the opposite perspective... Realtors are dicks. The market is fucked up. We tell them 20 things that we want in our next home and they take you to shit that is the exact opposite of what you said.

The fact that you sell a house yields a % of the property value is mind bogglingly stupid. Selling a 1,000,000 home in California isn't any harder than selling a $150,000 home in Texas. Thankfully people are starting to realize this and are opting to try and do a direct sale - and there are even realtor companies popping up that have much smaller fees than the 6% standard.
 
Nov 8, 2012
20,842
4,785
146
Hmm... COBOL programming? All of the legacy programmers who have been keeping our banks running for the past 40 years are dying off.

I've said this before - I graduated in 2010 (so obviously not long ago). We had a professor in my business school that teaches COBOL still - and he swears by it because no one is learning it anymore, and it's basically an instant 6-figure pay because they are very much still needed.