​Newbie (sorta) in Houston, TX

[Evan W. Jones]

Hi, My name is Web and I am new to BiggerPockets.com. I got into the real estate investment market space by accident and I am ready to be here intentionally now. I owned a townhouse that I moved out of in 2009. The market was down so I decided to keep it and rent it out versus sell it. Today, I still have the property and it is paid off and cash flowing.

I am married with a 9-year old son. My wife is a stay-at-home mother who has time to assist with our venture into real estate. We plan to embark on this adventure together. We will use my income as capital to begin our investing and her time to review properties and work on the business.

Currently, I work as an operations manager for an offshore drilling contractor. My plan is to use real estate to supplement my income and advance my potential retirement date. I’m not ready to retire; only to have the security of knowing that I can. My goal is to expand my portfolio beyond the one accidental investment property (I don’t count my residence as an investment property for obvious reasons).

One of my newbie questions is if I need to start in SFH or if I can move into MF straight away? I have some experience in real estate from the townhouse I own and lease out plus I have business operations experience from my present job.

Another newbie question is why go lead on a deal? Why not just get passively involved? What are the advantages to taking the lead on your own deal?

Best Regards,

Web