New member, from Hawaii but live in Seattle

[Ryan K.]

Hey BP! I've been in Seattle for about 5 years now, but was born and raised in Hawaii. I joined Bigger Pockets because I quit my job selling cars to co-found a start up, but I've always had an interest in real estate. My grandparents did a great job buying several properties in Hawaii and I want to continue their work. My dad and his siblings haven't grown the portfolio, so I feel that it's up to me to expand the portfolio and create a better future for me, my brother, and my cousins.

With some money my dad got from selling a property in Hawaii and some money I had saved, he and I bought a townhouse here in Seattle and I started renting it out a few months ago to some tenants who (so far, fingers crossed!) have been great. My goal is to use the equity in the townhouse to start buying more properties in and around Seattle, particularly multifamily with a buy and hold strategy. The market here seems overheated at the moment, so I am looking westward towards Bremerton and Port Angeles, and also northward, towards Mount Vernon or Oak Harbor.

I've been listening to the BP podcasts nearly every day and got a copy of Rich Dad, Poor Dad from a  friend of mine. I haven't been on the forums too much here yet, but as I educate myself through the podcasts and books, I plan to be more active on the forums. I am also currently learning about the whole real estate investing process from a property developer that I met through a mutual friend and a former property manager that I sold cars with.

Thank you very much to the BP community and the founders of the website. I also want to give a special thanks to Brandon Turner because my first real taste of BP education was a multifamily webinar that he gave. Afterwards, I got the typical post-webinar email blast that included a link to re-watch it, as well as some reading material. I had a few questions and not knowing Brandon's email, I just replied to the email blast. I was blown away when I saw a reply from Brandon only an hour or so later. He replied thoughtfully to that email and several others I sent. At that point, I knew BP must be run by great people who want to see others succeed and I knew I found the right place to begin and continue my real estate investing education.

Thanks in advance to anyone that reads this and I look forward to being a part of the BP community!

Best,

Ryan