New Member from Macomb, MI

[Eric Diem]

Good Day all,

My name is Eric, I have been a student of Real Estate Investment since I was 16. I kept jumping in and out of the pool and learned a lot of "Creative REI" methods although I was never able to gather the self confidence to put theory into practice.

I served in the US Army for 14 years combined active and reserve including a tour in Iraq in 06-07 at which time my wife and I purchased our first home and instead of going with the REO that needed work we went with a more middle ground outdated but move in ready home at double + the price. I am not sure if I thought that was a sign or something but I let that delay things even further and continued to be a side liner that was always researching the latest creative strategy.

I only recently found biggerpockets.com from being on @JSCOTT mailing list over at 123flip. Adding that to the new found self confidence and ability to focus and F.O.C.U.S I believe that I will finally be able to make waves in this business starting this year.

I plan to start by finding a mentor, networking and with perseverance getting my first deal done this year.

Stay tuned.

Thanks all,

Eric D.

[Walker Hinshaw]

@Eric Diem

 Check out the following links that I believe will be helpful as you begin to familiarize yourself with the site:

Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area:http://www.biggerpockets.com/meet

Set up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you:http://www.biggerpockets.com/alerts

Read Beginner’s Guide:http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investing

Check out BP Podcasts:http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/category/podcast/

Check out the calculators on the Analyze tab: http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investmen...

If you want to expand your network and find a mentor, find a local REI club or Bigger Pockets meetup and start meeting people. You can do this by searching BP for meetups in your area or posing the question yourself in the forums.

Also, stay active on the forums. People on this site are more likely to trust you and work with you if they see you are actively posting and you will gain a ton of knowledge as well.

[Walker Hinshaw]

And I almost forgot, thank you for your service, welcome to Bigger Pockets, and good luck! Hope to see you around the forums!

[Eric Diem]

@Walker Hinshaw

Thanks so much it was my pleasure & pain at times. 

Thanks also for the quick links to the resources as well. I have been eating this site up over the last week or so. 

[Philip E.]

@Eric Diem Thank you for your service and welcome to Bigger Pockets!!

[Eric Diem]

@Philip E.

Thanks much, hows the D.C. Area treating you? My wife wants all of this to lead us to South Carolina in the next 3-5 years. Having traveled in the Blackstone VA and surrounding areas it seams like traveling the coast would be fun. Do you ever scope out any other markets around you or do you stay local?

[Philip E.]

@Eric Diem I really enjoy living here in the DC area; However, the real estate realm is VERY competitive! However, I HEAR the market is more forgiving as you move further out to the bordering rural/suburban areas (Montgomery County, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County, etc.)

I would be happy to chat more if you send me a PM!  Happy investing!

[Dave Visaya]

Hey @Eric Diem welcome to BiggerPockets! This is the perfect place to learn more about REI. You can check the Learn tab above to get some free resources on getting started.

[Brandon Turner]

Hey @Eric Diem welcome to the site! Definitely start jumping into the community here! Be sure to read through The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Real Estate Investing to help you get started.

Also - here's a couple articles you might enjoy:

The 21 Best Real Estate Investing Books Ever

How to Rent Your House: The Definitive Step by Step Guide

How to Be a Landlord: Ten Tips for Success

Finally -be sure to setup some keyword alerts - especially for "Macomb" so you can jump into local conversations.

See you around the forums!

[Eric Diem]

@Brandon Turner, @Dave Visaya,

Thanks guys will definitely use the advice.

[Mark Shaffar]

Hi Eric, Welcome to BP. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do

[Eric Diem]

@MarkS39

Definitely enjoying the plethora of information available so far and I am sure it will only continue. Thanks for the kind words.

Eric D.

[Dmitriy Fomichenko]

Glad to have you here @Eric Diem You are in the good company and you are in the right place to learn all about REI! All you need to do is read the blogs or post a question and the responses will be educating and gratifying.

See you around the site!