Mike Sheppard from Northern Virginia

[Mike Sheppard]

Hello all! I am very happy to have found these forums!

I am Mike, I am 24 years old, and I work a day job that I am very good at. I am a commercial burner technician. I work with my hands and my brain day in and day out, fixing, installing, troubleshooting, you name it. At 24 I get payed more than most people double my age for what I do. I rent a house in Northern, VA. I have a Nissan GT-R upgraded with 700 horsepower that will do over 200 miles per hour, among many other toys. I'm not talking about these things to show off. I am mentioning them, because I am giving them up. I'm selling my toys, downsizing my house, getting roommates (which my girlfriend will not like), and working even harder at my job. I am going to save as much capital as I can while learn and figure out my path.

Obviously I am here because I want to do something with my life. No matter how good I am at my job, I've been enlightened and ready to move on. I'm selling my toys, and I am ready to create freedom. I've always wanted to get into real-estate investing, and it's time to do something about it. All the better while I am young.

I work day in and day out at different apartment and commercial buildings in DC. I sometimes get to speak with owners. I've always dreamed about being the guy that owns that building or property or land and lives off that passive income along with his/her additional assets. It's time to take action.

I look forward to getting to know all of you, and learning from you. I plan on going to my first REI club meeting this Saturday at 8am in Upper Marlboro Maryland. If anyone knows of this one, expect to see me there! I want to make friends, network with knowledgeable and experienced people, and hopefully learn as much as possible from them(you).

If anyone has any advice for me, please share. Books to read, people to meet, seminars to go to, classes to take, you name it. I am open to absolutely everything.

[Mike Sheppard]

You are right @Joe Fairless . Lots of my friends tell me I'm crazy for wanting to get rid of my sports car and house and what not, and they tell me I am successful. My response is usually something like, "The only thing I am successful at right now is making someone else rich, and not securing my future." Most people don't get it... I'm not doing this because I want to be super rich and own a ton of sports cars (cars are a passion of mine). I'm doing this because I don't want to have to worry about if I will be able to retire one day... whether there will be retirement money left for me. I want a clear future, clear retirement, and more time for myself to enjoy life. Not to say cars and houses are not motivations, they sure are, and everyone has material motivations, but they are not the main driving force. I want my money to work for me, not the other way around. When I tell people this, they either say it is dumb, or it is risky. I know this to be neither. It is risky - to the un-educated person. And that is why I am here, to get educated.

@J. Martin I am going to a meeting this Saturday at 8am. I even convinced a friend of mine from our GT-R club to join me. He had mentioned being interested in real estate investing and I told him to come along. I'm very excited to meet some like-minded people, and am hoping to meet some experienced investors that have time to talk with me.