New Member in Clearwater, FL

[Vince Salvo]

Hey all!  I'm sure these introductions get old after awhile, but wanted to just quickly throw my hat the ring.  I'm an IT director who has fairly recently been transplanted to Clearwater (Safety Harbor), FL and have always been interested in real estate investing. It all started when I got run over on a home back during the mortgage crisis and rather than just be a victim, I started to learn the industry to make sure I didn't make the same mistake twice. Took a little while to build my credit back up to a level I felt put me in a good position, but I'm finally there and looking to hit the ground running. 

My primary focus at the moment is finding a good deal on a SFR in this area (preferably Safety Harbor) and doing a live in flip over the next 2 years. I'm already working with a local agent and lender, but if anyone has a great suggestion on either, i'm not very far down the path with them and to be honest, haven't been overly impressed. During the flip, I'll be looking at 2 or 4 unit duplexes (probably 1 every 4-6 months) to add to my portfolio as rentals.

I just recently found Bigger Pockets and have already learned so much.  Would love to chat with anyone local (or anywhere for that matter) whether you're just starting out or a seasoned veteran.  Thanks to everyone in the forums for all the amazing discussions and input and I can't wait to get the ball rolling and hope to meet several of you through BP and the local meetups.

Go Gators!  Vince

[Andrew Davis]

Hey @Vince Salvo, welcome to BP and the Florida investing community!

First of all, good for you for learning from your experience and not letting a setback discourage you!  Seriously, so many people let something like that totally take them out of the game.

Since you're looking at doing a live in flip, definitely listen to this recent podcast with Mindy Jensen:

http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2015/07/02...

Also, you should reach out to @Eric Odum, he is an experience investor over that way.  

@Jonathan Drago is another local you'll want to connect with.

Here are a couple more tips to help you get the most out of BP:

Start here. You'll get a wealth of REI knowledge and learn how to take full advantage of Bigger Pockets (including how to connect with other Tampa investors).

Listen to the podcasts , get active on the forums & set up key word alerts to be notified when people are discussing topics you're interested in. 

I'm an active investor & agent in Orlando, so feel free to reach out anytime.

I wish you all the best Vince!