Starting a career in real estate investing can feel exciting, overwhelming, and intimidating all at once. Many beginners jump into deals without fully understanding contracts, inspections, negotiations, or how to protect themselves financially. In this episode, veteran real estate investor Dwan Bent-Twyford shares the biggest mistakes she made when she first started investing and the lessons that helped her build long-term success.

From door knocking before Google existed to learning expensive lessons about termites, fire damage, and contracts, Dwan explains how beginner investors can avoid costly setbacks and build a stronger foundation in real estate.

How Dwan Bent-Twyford Got Started in Real Estate Investing

Before becoming a nationally recognized real estate investor, Dwan was a broke single mom trying to figure out how to support her daughter after losing her home to foreclosure.

Without internet access, online courses, or YouTube tutorials, she started learning real estate investing the hard way. She visited county courthouses, searched foreclosure records manually, mapped out neighborhoods using paper maps, and knocked on doors with her baby on her hip.

Her first successful deal earned $22,000, which completely changed her life and showed her the potential of real estate investing.

However, behind that success were major rookie mistakes that nearly cost her everything.

Mistake #1: Starting Without Real Estate Education

One of the biggest mistakes beginner investors make is jumping into deals without proper education.

Dwan admitted she started with almost no understanding of:

• Real estate contracts
• Property inspections
• Negotiations
• Title companies
• Rehab costs
• Investor systems

At the time, there was no Google, no webinars, and no online investing communities. Today, beginners have unlimited access to information, but that also creates another problem: not every coach or course provides real experience.

According to Dwan, finding the right mentor, trainer, or real estate investing program can help beginners avoid expensive mistakes and shorten the learning curve dramatically.

Mistake #2: Not Understanding Real Estate Paperwork

Another major mistake was not understanding contracts and legal paperwork.

Dwan explained that during her first deals, she used contracts she barely understood. She relied mostly on trust, handshakes, and simple agreements without realizing the legal risks involved.

Today, she recommends investors properly protect themselves using:

• Sales contracts
• Equity sharing agreements
• Homeowner agreements
• Deeds
• Land trusts
• Proper closing documentation

Understanding paperwork is critical because it protects both the investor and the homeowner involved in the transaction.

Mistake #3: Not Having the Right Real Estate Scripts

One of the hardest parts of real estate investing for beginners is knowing what to say to homeowners, buyers, banks, and contractors.

When Dwan first started, she knocked on doors telling homeowners:

“I see you’re in foreclosure. I’ll give you $500 and buy your house.”

As expected, most doors were slammed in her face.

Over time, she learned that communication and scripts are everything in real estate investing. Instead of focusing on foreclosure, she learned to ask homeowners how she could help solve their problem.

Good scripts help investors:

• Build trust with homeowners
• Negotiate with banks
• Talk to contractors
• Work with buyers and rehabbers
• Handle objections professionally

For beginners, learning proper communication strategies can significantly improve conversion rates and confidence.

Mistake #4: Not Knowing How to Close Deals Properly

Dwan also admitted she had no idea how title companies or closings worked when she first started.

She didn’t understand:

• What title companies did
• How title searches worked
• Why clear title matters
• How investor-friendly closings operate

Eventually, she discovered local real estate investing associations (REIA groups), where she connected with:

• Title companies
• Contractors
• Real estate agents
• Insurance professionals
• Mortgage companies
• Other investors

Building a reliable network became one of the biggest turning points in her investing career.

Mistake #5: Failing to Properly Inspect Properties

Perhaps the most expensive lessons came from property inspections.

Dwan shared several examples of costly mistakes involving:

• Termite damage
• Fire damage
• Water damage
• Mold
• Foundation issues

The Termite Disaster

One property looked like a great deal until she discovered the home was infested with termites. Structural beams, cabinets, and walls were severely damaged.

What she expected to be a profitable deal turned into a project that nearly wiped out her profits.

Fire Damage Problems

Another property had previous fire damage. While the visible repairs looked complete, hidden water damage from firefighting efforts had destroyed the drywall throughout the house.

Foundation and Mold Issues

She also encountered:

• Cracked foundations
• Tilted garages
• Severe mold problems

These experiences taught her the importance of thoroughly inspecting properties before purchasing them.

Today, she encourages investors to learn how to identify red flags early and avoid properties with repair issues beyond their experience level.

Why Real Estate Mentorship Matters

One of the biggest themes throughout the podcast is the importance of mentorship.

Dwan believes many beginners fail because they try to learn everything alone through random webinars and free online content without real guidance.

A strong mentor can help investors:

• Avoid legal mistakes
• Understand inspections
• Structure deals correctly
• Learn negotiation scripts
• Build confidence faster
• Prevent costly errors

Instead of relying on trial and error, beginners can accelerate success by learning from someone with real-world experience.

Building Long-Term Wealth Through Real Estate

Despite the mistakes, Dwan built a successful real estate investing career spanning more than 35 years.

She credits her success to:

• Persistence
• Learning from failures
• Continuous education
• Building systems
• Taking action despite fear

Her story shows that beginners do not need to start perfectly to succeed in real estate investing. However, having the right education, mentorship, and preparation can make the journey significantly easier and less expensive.

Avoid Rookie Mistakes and Start Building Smarter Real Estate Deals

Real estate investing can be one of the fastest paths to financial freedom, but only when you avoid the common mistakes that most beginners make. As shared in this episode, success in real estate is not just about finding deals, it’s about having the right education, systems, communication skills, and due diligence in place before you ever close a transaction.

This is exactly what Dwanderful, the real estate investing platform and podcast hosted by Dwan Bent-Twyford, is built to support. Through years of real-world investing experience, Dwan provides practical tools, training, and mentorship designed to help new and experienced investors make smarter decisions and avoid costly errors.

On the Dwanderful website, you can also access valuable resources including Dwan’s free book, Real Estate Lingo, which breaks down essential industry terms in a simple, beginner-friendly way, and her paid book, Five Pillars of Real Estate Investing, which dives deeper into the foundational systems needed to build long-term success in real estate.

Visitors can also take a quick interactive quiz game that helps you discover how you could potentially generate six figures in the next six months, whether you’re buying your first property or scaling your next deal. The quiz takes less than a minute to complete and is designed to give you clarity on your investing path.

With the right guidance, tools, and mindset, you don’t have to learn everything the hard way. Instead, you can start building confidence, closing better deals, and moving toward real estate success much faster. Contact us now!