Newton, MA newbie here, glad to be a part of the BP community!

[Craig Richardson]

Hi everyone! My name is Craig Richardson. I'm from Newton, MA. I started doing construction and landscaping as summer jobs back in high school. I really enjoyed working on and around houses and, after accruing a hefty college loan debt from University of Wisconsin trying to follow the "get a degree, go work for a corporation, climb the ladder", found myself back in the construction field. I went on to get a degree from ITT Tech in construction management but after working with a few companies began to realize that I wanted to be more involved with the actual purchase, design, and sales aspects of the industry.

I came across BP a little while ago and began reading posts, listening to podcasts, and learning everything I could. After a minor back injury cost me my job, I decided to get out of construction. I will be taking my real estate salesperson license test on October 3rd and am looking to join a local brokerage, hopefully with a good training/mentor program. I'm a motivated blank slate with a voracious appetite for learning and a construction background. Even though I'm still a little overwhelmed I'm making progress one step at a time.

I'm currently trying to get involved and meet people in my area. So if anyone in the greater Boston area needs a hand, wants to grab lunch, or just wants to share ideas of how I can get the ball rolling, I'd love to get in touch. I don't really have much to offer other than a commitment to work hard and do whatever it takes.

[Paul Timmins]

@Craig Richardson 

Welcome. Time to build the foundation below.

Check out the Start Here page http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere

Check out BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide - A fantastic free book that walks through many of the key topics of real estate investing.

Check out the free BiggerPockets Podcast - A weekly podcast with interviews and a ton of great advice. And you get the benefit of having over 80 past ones to catch up on.

Two Great reads, I bought both J. Scott The Book on Flipping Houses,The Book on Estimating ReHab Costshttp://www.biggerpockets.com/flippingbook

Locate and attend 3 different local REIA club meetings great place to meet people gather resources and info. Here you will meet wholesalers who provide deals and all the cash buyers (rehabbers) you will need. South of Boston there are meetings in Rockland, Taunton Plymouth and Cape Cod.

Consider checking out HUD homes for small multi's owner occupied gets first crack.

You might consider Niche or Specialized Housing like student housing. Rents can be 2-4 times more. Remember you don't have to own a property to control it.

Download BP’s newest book here some good due diligence in Chapter 10. Real Estate Rewind Starting over

http://www.biggerpockets.com/files/user/brandonatbp/file/real-estate-rewind-a-biggerpockets-community-book

Good luck

Paul