New member introduction

[Mike Quealy]

Hi everyone

I'm new to BP and would like to introduce myself. 

A bit about me: 

After two tours of combat service in Iraq, I was honorably discharged from the Army in 2007. From there, I worked for NBC in Boston as a Broadcast Engineer up until 2012. Since 2012, I've been working for the National Football League. It's a great company to work for. Time consuming, but a lot of fun. 

My wife and I own two properties, a town house which we receive rental income from, and a single family which is our primary residence. Both homes are a few miles west of Philadelphia. 

There are many reasons I believe I was drawn to RE. I enjoy being a landlord and I really enjoy working on homes. I could definitely see myself investing and devoting myself to RE full time in the future. 

I enjoy listening to BP podcasts during my work commute. The past few days I've been glued to my laptop reading some really interesting stuff here in the forums. There are some really smart men and women on here. I'm grateful to have found such a valuable resource!

I'm not entirely sure which area of RE investing is most appealing to me. I will say that I am very excited to acquire a third property soon--I'm just not sure how I'll go about it!

The number one takeaway thus far is education. I'll find a mentor and continue to hit the books and educate myself. 

Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I look forward to networking with you all.

-M

[James Brand]

Welcome Mike!

Great introduction and thank you for your service! 

As you continue to explore BP I am sure your satisfaction will only grow with the different avenues it has for gaining knowledge. I believe you are in a unique position because with every podcast you listen to, or post you read, you have some experience you can tap into to relate to what is being discussed. Setting your goals and aligning them with the lifestyle you want now and in the future can really help in developing a path. I have always found that laying out what you are looking to accomplish and setting deadlines helps you realize your ambitions. Brandon breaks down a similar line of thinking along with strategies in the blog link below:

http://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/2013/05/03...

As always, keep absorbing through the podcasts, webinars, and blogs available here. I also work and live in the city and am always happy to chat about REI, so reach out anytime.

Best of luck!

-James