Late introduction from Jacksonville Beach, FL

[Craig Barnthouse]

My name is Craig Barnthouse from Jacksonville Beach, FL. I signed up wit Bigger Pockets a few months ago and have spent a good deal of time learning from the posts contained in the forums. Certainly an invaluable resource.

A little about me....I've been a lifelong professional in the retail business and finally progressed to owning my own chain of Convenience Store/Gas Stations. After a few years of building the business value I sold the company and turned my efforts toward managing my own investments and growing my net worth in a manner that interests me. For me the path is flipping single family properties. I am now on my 3rd flip and have averaged a final net ROI of 27% on the first 2. Each of the first 3 properties are very different and have been designed to expose me to different aspects of the business.

I am firm in my decision to flip versus hold and rent. I have no interest in the the landlord/tenant dynamic at this point in my life. My "unfair advantages" are that I am fortunate to be able to work with my own cash, and I have an incredible source of additional income via my wife who is a business professional as well. Those two factors take a ton of pressure of developing this business.

My key interest at this time is in reaching out to others in the Jacksonville area for strong referrals on contractors of all types. As I am preparing to close on this 3rd property, I want to work on assembling a strong team of vendors from a strong handyman to a reputable GC and everything in between.

The first 2 projects were done with me as the primary source of labor but 2 shoulder surgeries in the last 5 months has taken hammer out of my hands. Now it's time to assume the role of Investor/Manager and engage professionals to do the physical work.

Please feel free to direct me to any source of referrals and/or networking opportunities for the same.

Thanks,

Craig