New member from Northern CA

[Douglas Quayle]

Hello.  My name is Doug, but you might as well call me Dr. AnalysisParalysis, because I have an honorary PhD in procrastination via research.  

I've spent a few years reading and listening and combing through all the ideas, but I'm still stuck at the starting line.  Married with a (special needs) 19 year old kid and fairly debt free, but there won't be any appreciable cash-savings to play with ANY time soon working and living where I do.  In the past decade, the free cash has never escaped the 4th figure bracket.

I'm active duty Military out of the Silicon Valley in NorCal, and I make the civilian (tax-advantaged) equivalent of approx. $105k/yr, but I am barely existing as a vested member of the paycheck-to-paycheck club in my run down rented 2BR, 1k sq ft house, enjoying my up to 2 hour each way commute to go 32 miles of bumper-to-bumper pure joy.  :-/

This HAS to end.  There HAS to be something better than this 'existence' life.  When I retire from Uncle Sam, I couldn't so much as pay my rent here with the pension that 20 years of service will buy you.

I need to pick a new club.  New peer group.  I just turned 40.  I better pick one soon, or my fate is sealed.  I didn't even celebrate the big "4-0" last month, because I am so upset with my lack of forward progress paddling against the stream.

So, that's why I ended up here on this site.  I can't buy a house to LIVE in here, much less to flip or buy and hold.  I better get smart, or I'll blink my eyes and find myself old(er) and broke(er).

I know I am not alone.  And I hope I don't have to re-invent the wheel.  Hope to make some friends here that are smarter than me, and have more experience. 

Even if that experience tells me to "get real" and to "move away from that insane place".