Newbie from Southern, Illinois near St. Louis, Missouri

[Gene Jordan]

Hi folks,

My name is Gene Jordan.  I do not have a background in real estate.  I'm from the Greater St. Louis Metro Area and I live in Southern Illinois.  I'm an Information Technology professional.  I've signed up here to continue my research into real estate.  My goal is to save money on one of life's most expensive purchases, a home. 

I have spent the last several years researching ways to build my own home without a mortgage, by doing as much of the work myself, while I save money for this process.  Eventually, I would like to teach others how to accomplish this goal as well.  

My plan includes the use and repurposing of alternative building materials which cost less and require less time and effort to complete the basic structure.  This process may not work for everyone, but I believe it will work for me and enough people who will be interested in what I have learned along the way during my own personal journey.

[Kerry Smith]

@Gene Jordan Welcome to Bigger Pockets! This community has singlehandedly changed my life, and I am certain it will change yours as well!

A great starting point is the Bigger Pockets Ultimate Beginner's Guide. It breaks down all of the basics of real estate investing, and will give you a solid base to launch your real estate investing from.

One of my favorite resources is the Bigger Pockets Podcast. Each week Josh and Brandon interview a different real estate investor. These podcasts cover everything from Buy & Hold investing, Flipping, Wholesaling, to Note investing and beyond. Josh and Brandon do a great job of keeping the podcasts lighthearted and entertaining as well!

Another great resource is the Bigger Pockets File Place. In the File Place you can find several deal analysis spreadsheets, due diligence checklists, and numerous contract and agreement templates.

Lastly, once you have a real estate investing deal in your sights, make sure you stop by and check out the Bigger Pockets Real Estate Investment Calculators. I have personally used the .PDF report that they create to present my deal analysis in a professional and concise manner to my lenders.

Oh! If you want to tag someone in a post, simply use the @ symbol and then begin typing in their profile name. A drop down list of names will appear at the bottom of the reply box, and you can then click on the person you wish to tag.

Again, great having you on the site. Please do not hesitate to ask questions and be active on the forums!

All the best!