New from Ann Arbor, MI

[Marcus Coleman]

Hi, my name is Marcus and I'm just getting into real estate investing. I'm from Ann Arbor, MI. My plan is to become a full-time investor so that I can leave my job(I work in information security... a booming field I know, but I'm tired of being stuck in my office all day) in the next 4 months. That might be a bit ambitious, but I'm hopeful.

So, I'm curious how do you all feel about other investors in your city? I see 141 people from Ann Arbor on BiggerPockets and it freaks me out a little. I've read that you should try to invest within 2 hours of where you live, but seeing so many investors here makes me nervous. How do you all feel about this? 

Also, what are some ways a newbie can get a leg up on the competition? I may not be as knowledgeable as others, but are there other areas I could improve that would help me in investing? Something besides learning marketing(I'm studying up on it now), and I'd guess I should learn more about interior design. But is there anything else that might help?

My current strategy is to gain a real estate license, become a wholesaler to learn more about the world of REI, start flipping and get into renting at around the same time. But this could change as I learn more about REI. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.

By the way, I just read(listened to) Brandon Turner's No Money Down book and I loved it. I'm planning to listen to it again. I've also just started listening to Rich Dad Advisors: ABCs of Real Estate Investing.