New Investor looking for Friendly Advice !

[John Costanza]

Hey Everyone ! My name is John, and I am new to Bigger Pockets as well as Real Estate investing. I turn 30 years old this year, and spent the last 10 years earning my Bachelors Degree in Business Management from East Carolina University, then continuing on to earn (4) I.T Certifications and I am currently working as a Systems Engineer. My recent promotion had me thinking for the first time in my life I might be able to get ahead, but like most of you I found I was sadly mistaken. Feeling the middle class struggle, I took to the books. "Subtle Art of Not giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson taught me to embrace the fear of failing and use it as a learning tool. I read "Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Rich Kiyosaki next which got me thinking outside the box and thinking about Real Estate. That is when I read "Rental Property Investing" by Brandon Turner which brought me here. As you can tell I am dedicated to learning and I have been bitten by the Real Estate bug. I honestly cannot wait to get started. I ordered more books and I am analyzing how I should make my first move.

Living in Jersey City, paying cheap rent in a bad part of town... my initial thoughts were to buy myself and wife a Single Family home to live and begin our life together. Hopefully have some children..... but these books got me thinking maybe I should instead use my First Time Home buyer advantage to purchase an investment property that could boost my cashflow. I have family roots in Jersey City but the taxes are too high so I was thinking maybe in the surrounding suburbs. Maybe I should "House Hack" first so my wife can continue to be close to her office in Jersey City so the commute isn't bad. Our ultimate goal is to make enough money to replace her income so she can quit, as I work from home and that would free us from being stuck in North Jersey for good ! These are the "Why" I am interested in investing.

I could also pursue a place in Toms River New Jersey, by Seaside Heights which is a popular summer location by the beach where I was born and raised and also have roots.

Finally, I could think about pursuing Greenville, North Carolina where my Wife has roots, or Naples Florida where my parents currently live and are developing incredible friendships I could use to my advantage.

Thanks for reading and any comments are greatly appreciated.