Bigger Pockets Introduction Post!!!

[Christian Bukle]

Good Afternoon Everyone,

My name is Christian Bukle, and I’m excited to introduce myself to you all. My journey has been anything but conventional, but it has shaped me into who I am today.

After high school, I pursued a career in the military, where I proudly served for seven years. Unfortunately, my service was cut short due to an injury during deployment, which required spine surgery. I separated from the military in 2021 with full disability benefits, a transition that fundamentally changed my outlook on life.

I’m a proud union Ironworker apprentice with Local 5 here in Baltimore, Maryland. My wife and I are working toward financial freedom, and I’m grateful to share that we’ve reached some significant milestones. My initial goal was to earn $100,000 per year, and with our combined efforts, we now make approximately $16,000 per month. This progress has been a blessing, and we’re committed to continuing on this path.

Our next big objective is to eliminate our housing expenses by purchasing a triplex or fourplex using my VA benefits. As a 100% disabled veteran, I'm exempt from property taxes on such properties, which makes this strategy even more feasible. By adopting the house-hacking method—living in one unit while renting out the others—we plan for the tenants to cover the mortgage and gain valuable property management experience.

My immediate goal is to acquire our first property and spend the next two years mastering the basics of real estate investment. ( Refining the Go and No property search criteria/ Learning the value of taxes and avoiding them as much as possible/ 1031 exchanges)

Depending on my wife’s career orders, we may remain in Baltimore for 1-2 years, but I’m also exploring opportunities in West Texas, Sierra Vista, AZ, and Houston, TX. I hate being cold!!!

On a related note, after leaving the military, my wife and I purchased a home in the Baltimore area. This decision turned out to be a tough learning experience due to the location and condition of the property. Determined to avoid such mistakes in the future, I earned my real estate license to better understand the buying and selling process. While I’ve completed six transactions, I now primarily use my license for referrals rather than active practice.

Thank you for taking the time to read my introduction. I’m eager to learn as much as possible in the coming year and look forward to connecting with many of you. 

Best regards,
Christian Bukle

[Jonathan Greene]

Welcome, and thank you for your service. You are on a great trajectory and learning curve because you are learning from your mistakes and also preparing to move slowly instead of scaling before you are ready. You have built a great foundation to work from. With your VA benefits and tax break, you are really set to do exactly what you want. A 4-plex would be ideal and you could play around with doing 1 long-term, 1 mid-term, and 1 short-term, plus you, if it works on your area to upgrade your income. Good luck!

[Dan H.]

Thank You for your service.  Use the ge benefits that you have earned to their fullest. 

Are you sure prop taxes are forgiven?  This would be news to me.  Private mortgage insurance i believe is not charged on va loans.  Is that what you were referring to?

I think you have a good start and sometimes you learn more from mistakes than if all goes well.  

I do believe you are entering a tough market.  From the Great Recession to Q1 2022 it was easy to find RE that seemed very likely to produce outstanding return. 

In this era of increased rates, obtaining properties that will produce a good return are harder to find and often involve quite a bit of work.  

Good luck