Newbie from San Antonio, TX

[William Hall]

Hello!

My wife, two kids, and I moved here from Colorado about three years ago, chasing the oilfield.  Prior to that, I owned my own, and then later ran a framing company, building 6k+ sqft homes.  I have been involved in building houses my entire life.  Even when I was a kid, we lived on the jobsite in a trailer.  (Dad owned his company for 22 years.)

I've never known what I wanted to do, "when I grew up".  I've floated from job to job, doing whatever caught my interest.  The oilfield pays great, but I'm starting to get sick of it after seven years, and don't fancy looking back at "30 years in the patch".

Everywhere I read, says to get involved in something your good at, and passionate about.  I would look at my hobbies, and while fun, weren't something I'd care to make a living at.  Especially when doing your hobby as a job, is the quickest way to ruin your love of that hobby.

Then, it hit me!  Why not go back to houses?  I told my wife I'd never go back to full-time framing.  The market is too cut-throat, and it's almost impossible to stay afloat, and be competitive, when you're doing it legally.  But she always talks about how she likes fixing up houses, and it is something we're good at.  In fact, when I started my business, she was my employee.  She's a tough, stick with it, kind of girl.

I'm not sure what to do next.  My schedule is two weeks on, one week off.  I have fifty grand in the bank right now.  I will net almost 200k this year, and my credit rating is a meh, 650ish.  Do I finance several houses at once? (assuming I can get the loans.)  Do I flip them?  Do I rent them?  I need some kind of starting point.

My worry is that I'm sitting here making good money, but not enough to matter by the time I'm too wore out to work anymore.  I don't want to be broke down and broke at 75.  I'm only 34 right now, and I'm sick of worrying about the future.  My vision is buy a few houses, flip them, always investing right back into the business, until I make enough to continue doing that, and quit my job.  Then, let it snowball into a larger and larger business.  Start a firm, buy a firm, merge with firms....Aim big, right?

I have a very strong background in construction.  I have a substantial income at the moment.  I have 50k in the bank.  HELP ME, PEOPLE!

P.S.  Glad to be here. :)