New member from Houston, TX

[Jimmy Chin]

Hello BP community, it's great to be here! I'm 35 years old and currently am a Software Developer working in Houston, TX. I was in the process of looking for a new home and thought about renting out my old home which led to me stumbling onto BP.

I started reading up some of the articles, some member postings, and also listening to some podcasts and I have to say that I am excited at the possibilities of real estate investing! The problem with stumbling on this site though is that I would now rather use the down payment reserved for my new home to purchase an investment property and stay at my current house - the wife will NOT be happy! What to do?!?

In any case, I'm hoping to learn as much as I can here before jumping into the pool. My current goal is to start investing beginning in January 2016 so that gives me some time to learn about the business and lingo. Other than wanting to invest in rental property, I'm still trying to define what realistic goals would be for me and my financial situation. I would greatly appreciate any starter advice from those who know the Houston market and surrounding areas! 

Thanks!