Entrepreneurial real estate investors – what advice do you wish someone had given you before you went off on your own?
Anyone here that worked a corporate job (RE or otherwise) and decided to go off on their own buying property?  

What did you experience that surprised you, and what advice would you give someone considering doing the same?  Thanks!
[{"id": "ccrlr8x", "text": "Here's my advice:  Don't quit your day job.  Keep it until you are an established investor and you have no choice but to go out on your own.  I went out on my own in January of this year and this summer was slow.  I had to go back to my old job and dial back the real estate.  I'm ok with this, as I make good money at my old job, but I will probably keep investing on the side until the day I retire.  That might be in 1 year, that might be in 10 years.  But be careful about going out on your own with no safety net.  ", "replies": [], "depth": 1}, {"id": "cd284c8", "text": "Exit Strategy - never buy or invest in anything without knowing how you're going to get out of it.  Want to build apartments, find out what type/# of units REITS are buying (200 units, etc).  Medical office? Institutional investors have specific SF and distance to hospital requirements.  Retail?  SF and credit tenancy.  Office?  SF and credit tenancy.  ", "replies": [], "depth": 1}]