New Member Introduction from Richmond, VA

[Trae B.]

Hey There,

My name is Trae Borden and I'm not only new to Bigger Pockets but new to investing as well. I currently live in Richmond, Virginia but own one property in Charleston, South Carolina. I am an engineer by day, mostly designing natural gas pipelines and facilities, and in the evenings I've been trying to expand my knowledge of REI. My goal at this point, in both careers, is to retire at some point with financial security.

My first experience with REI came when I decided to move from Charleston to Richmond for a girl, now my wife, and I couldn't find a better arrangements for dealing with my existing home. That's when I became a landlord…by accident. At this point I had my "aha" moment and started looking into REI as a vehicle for financial freedom. Some how I was lucky enough to stumble upon this site and after listening to some podcasts and reading the forums, decided to become a member. So far this has been the best source of information, and most user friendly, that I've found on the web or in a book.

My goals to date:

-Utilize the "buy and hold" strategy to purchase single/multi family homes

-Retire comfortably (preferably before I'm too old and senile)

-Learn as much as possible and contribute to the BP community

-Network and collaborate with other BP members (maybe even become a mentor myself)

-Most importantly, be successful and make money in REI

I look forward to making some BP connections and learning from everyone, thanks.