New Member Introduction, Fond du Lac WI

[Joe Grebe]

Hello,

My brother (@Christopher Grebe) lead me to BiggerPockets and I am thinking about real estate as a way to do 2 things for my family.  One, help us afford a bigger place to live by buying a duplex and house hacking.  Two, covering the gap we have in our retirement plan by purchasing a rental property.

The largest hurdle I am facing is I am limited on cash for a down payment. I have no problem using the equity in my current house to get a new house, but to use it on something I will not live in is a risk I am not sure I want to take. On the flip side I can use my VA loan for a primary residence. Another advantage I have is I am currently a substitute teacher, so I have a flexible schedule. After listening to a couple dozen BP podcasts this seems simple enough. Does any one have any feedback?

Thank you

Joe