Newbie from Joliet, IL.

[Sam L.]

Well, we all want to be financially independent one day and one tool I feel that will best help me get there is owning rental properties. I work nights at an oil refinery as an industrial electrician and there is lots of downtime, thus I've been doing loads of research and so far have read:

"Start Small, Profit Big in Real Estate: Fixer Jay's 2-Year Plan for Building Wealth - Starting from Scratch"

"Investing in Fixer-Uppers : A Complete Guide to Buying Low, Fixing Smart, Adding Value, and Selling (or Renting) High"

Both titles by Jay Decima (which were both good, informative reads)

and am currently reading "Property Management Kit For Dummies".

I'm currently set to close on my first home (for living purposes, NOT RENTAL) May, 8th. But I have been studying the local market and been looking at potential income properties. I would like to get my feet wet by the end of the year or early 2015, right now I'm just being a sponge trying to absorb as much info as I can.

One step at a time

-Sam