Total Newb from Los Angeles CA

[Nick Coonis]

Hello, my name is Nick Coonis and I am brand new to this site, and to investing. I am a father of four, and have a beautiful wife who has been a trooper with me for 10 years. I currently work in commercial construction as a Safety coordinator/shop manager, and have been for the last 10 years. My wife and I just had our forth child, a baby girl named Charley Rae, and that was pretty much the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I don't want to be away from them for 12 hours a day anymore with not much to show for it. I need freedom and wealth. 

Real Estate has always been a passion for me, I started in residential remodeling, furniture refinishing, plumbing and electrical maintenance, etc. I've even done a few office additions for my current employer. I recently fell deeply in love with designing homes. Though I'm not an architect at all, I'm pretty good and CAD drafting and hand drawing designs. I starting taking design courses and learning CAD programs because I bought some land with the intent to build my family a home. The home never happened, but at least I discovered a new passion... and I still have the land of course. 

My goals in real estate investing are to jump right in as quick as possible. I have been researching like crazy, and the most attractive model for me I think is to fix and flip for living expense income, while holding and renting at least one property a year to keep as rentals for long term wealth. I think I may have to briefly start with wholesaling to gain some initial capital, but that's not what I want as a career. Developing raw land into custom single family homes is also an option I would like to pursue in the future. I'm kind of at the age (35) where if I'm going to make a career change, I need to make it happen like... NOW.

PS, I love this site so far and I'm so glad I stumbled upon it. Thanks in advance for your comments and advice! I'll take any knowledge or insight you can give to a "greenhorn".