New member from Lodi, CA

[Dave W.]

Hi, all!

I just signed on to this site so I can ask some questions of my own. Have enjoyed reading a lot of the questions, & the thoughtful & varied answers especially!
I am new to r.e.i. I own a home, but do not have any investment property, & in fact have one of those adjustable loans on my own house (not a good thing!), so I have a lot to learn. I've been interested in r.e. for quite some time (I even bought the Carlton Sheets program on cassette, b/4 cds existed!), but have never taken any real action. My recent research has shown me that Nouveau Riche is NOT the way to go--imo you can get the same education for free thru this site, or mentors. And I've given Armando Montelongo's "Flip & Grow Rich" program the free 30-day trial (don't think it's worth $400!--I sent it back w/in 30 days).
I'm not sure exactly how I want to ultimately get into r.e.i. (flips, rentals, etc.) I'm leaning towards rentals, but right now we're basically living paycheck-to-paycheck, so I need to learn a way to get into r.e.i. w/ little or no money out of my pocket. (from what I've read here so far, wholesaling or birddogging may be the way to go?).
I'm very close to Stockton, CA, the "foreclosure capital of the nation", but I don't know if "foreclosure" necessarily means "great deal".
Any recommendations for how to get started would be appreciated! And can anyone recommend a good investment club in my area?
Thanks!
Dave. :D