Erie Army Vet Looking to Learn

[Justin Russell]

Hello all,

My name is Justin Russell and I am an Army veteran, retired Corrections Officer, and a current electrical student.  I am looking to get into real estate mostly in wholesale, flipping, and eventually rentals.  My brother has been very successful as of late and has inspired me to learn the business.  I live in the Erie, Pa area (just a bit south in Edinboro), and would love the oppertunity to learn under a local wholesaler and/or put my electrical studies to good use buy helping out a flipper in order to learn that side of the business.  

[Peter MacKercher]

Welcome to Biggerpockets Justin. I am in STL please let me know if you need anything. 

In the meantime here are 9 tips to help you grow your business using BP:

1. New to BP? http://www.biggerpockets.com/starthere

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

3. 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 100 past ones to catch up on.

4. Develop your own business strategy. -- Don’t just be a “jack-of-all-trades" Even though I am.

5. Grow your business by developing your business plan. - Remember there is a difference between goals and a plan. http://www.biggerpockets.com/files

6. Locate and attend several different local REIAs as they’re great opportunities to network and meet wholesalers, lenders, and contractors.

7. Stay away from the “guru” sales-pitch events - they rarely increase your investment knowledge, they merely empty your wallet!

8. Spend some time every day on Bigger Pockets by connecting with “colleagues,” perusing blogs and videos, and engaging with others on the forums: http://www.biggerpockets.com/meet

9. Set yourself up to receive free alerts to be notified of subjects that interest you: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alerts