Newbie from NYC

[Jacqueline Pelzer]

Hi, my name is Jacqueline. I am a 13 year veteran of the NYPD. Back in 2006 at the height of the market I purchased a 5 unit house in Brooklyn. It went well for a few months until the sewer went and I had to dip into my savings to repair it. The market collapsed shortly after that and my tenants one by one stopped paying. I got judgments from 2 and the other 3 disappeared but not before they completely vandalized and destroyed my house, making it uninhabitable. Long story short I ended finally getting an approved short sale after battling with Bank of America for years in 2013. Basically I've had a terrible experience. But I'm finally ready to get back into it. Just smarter this time. 

I live in Westchester county, which is 10mins north of NYC. I purchased my coop apartment with no bank financing in Feb 2015. I've been bringing my debt to income ratio down and my credit score up (the short sale and the waiting really ranked my credit). 

I am looking to start the process of investing in rentals here in Westchester county (possibly Yonkers), or Philadelphia (my sister lives there) or Atlanta (my mom lives there). I'm trying to gain knowledge and figure out where to start instead of diving in like I did last time. 

I look forward to sharing ideas, gaining knowledge from all the experienced investors and networking with everyone.