Balancing Rental Market Research with Full Time Job

[Trent Warner]

Hey folks, loving the BP community thus far, hoping to make my first purchase soon! Stuck on a bit of a hard-spot though, might be over thinking. 

A lot of the education (books, podcasts, forums, etc) I've been taking in thus far seem to generally encourage a few things when looking for a market and a deal

-Get intimately familiar with that market. Drive around, call around, check out other properties, etc.

- Don't be afraid to explore outside your own backyard.

In my case, my 'backyard' is AZ. Born and raised there for 24 years. Currently in San Diego on orders, and it's a short drive away. HOWEVER, from forum reading thus far, and generally getting a rookie feel for it, AZ does not seem like a good place to start for a first time investor. Which is fine, because i really want to look somewhere else, like Houston.

Problem is, I'm starting a sea duty here shortly that's going to be 12 hour days, easily. Plus underways! Any home time, I want to have with the kids! Flying/driving to other markets, then,is practically out of the question!

So, how do you do serious, in-person market research and familiarity development if constrained by a demanding full-time job? For that matter, is it even wise to buy sight-unseen for a first-timer, given these constraints? 

Thank you all!

[Sam Yin]

@Trent Warner it is a matter of commitment and motivation. Find your "why". When you find it, you will find your will and your way.

AZ is an EXCELLENT market. There are excellent markets in every state.

To put into perspective, my wife and I both have full time jobs. I also runs a motorcycle repair shop on the side and I teach occasionally at the local college. We have 3 young kids and I take care of my mom. I continue to be able to invest in real estate.

My "why"... build a legacy for my bloodline and FIRE. It took me about 14 month to achieve FIRE... or FI. But I continue to work, leverage, and invest to build a larger base. There are 24 hours in a day. You need 4-6 hours of sleep and 1 hour for exercise everyday. The rest is available to you.

Find that WHY.