wannabe with a dilemma

[Byron Maddox]

Hi there. I've been reading and soaking up a ton of info from BP on a daily basis. I'm reading the books, listening to the podcasts, scouring the forums and I am or was getting excited about starting a career in real estate. I know I have a huge amount of learning to do and probably won't be prepared for any of it until I dive in head first. Now for my dilemma. I'm an overseas contractor working 4 months on and 4 months off in the Middle East. When I'm home I have no income coming in. This job pays enough to carry me while home until it's time for me to redeploy. I really can't afford to leave this type of work at this time. Working for someone or some company back in the states cannot replace the income I'm making now but I do see REI as being a financial alternative if given enough time. Hence my dilemma. I'm fairly certain I know the answer to my problem and I'm not sure if I'm looking for an answer here or if I'm just venting my frustration. I want to hit the ground running when I do get home in a few months and jump into this but like I said, when I'm home I have zero income coming in. I've looked at multiple properties listed here and from other sources that I think would be a good investment for flipping but I don't see that I have enough time while home to purchase, rehab and sell before I have to pull the trigger and make a decision to stay and continue real estate or head back overseas for my umpteenth time. Again, I guess I'm not looking for someone to give me a solution to this as I don't see there being one until I can find a career back home and grow a portfolio in time.