New Guy from Northern California (Mendocino County)

[Orion Walker]

Hi Folks,

What a great site. Glad to have stumbled upon it a few weeks ago. Here's a bit about me:

I live in the hills outside of a little town called Ukiah, about 2 hours north of San Francisco. I grew up here, and moved back about ten years ago with my wife to build a green/natural house and raise a family. We now have a nice little house on a beautiful plot of land and two great kiddos. I have a BA in Environmental Studies and an MBA with a focus on sustainable/green business. I work at the local community college where I started a sustainability/construction/renewable energy/energy efficiency program and teach some courses. I know a fair bit about green building, solar, renewables, energy efficiency, eco-development...

As for real estate, we bought a triplex (now 4 plex) in Fort Bragg in 2012. I knew very little about real estate but I knew enough to see that prices were at historic lows, interests rates were at historic lows, rents were still strong, and it seemed like things were beginning to turn around. I think we did pretty good on the place. I've been enjoying fixing it up and getting a feel for being a landlord. Now I'm hooked. Looking to figure out a next buy, educating myself as much/quickly as I can, networking, and working on getting my real estate license as a way to get more knowledgeable and perhaps open some additional doors (I think I found BG googling pros and cons of getting a license as a way to progress as an investor). At this point I'd say I'm a buy/fix and holder, but looking to learn about other avenues and interested in national/international as well as local. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I look forward to being a part of this community. 

-Orion