Hello everyone!

[Shawn Wilson]

I'm a newbie here that has been interested in investing in real estate for MANY years. I live in the Austin area (Round Rock) and am 43 years old and recently purchased a new home and will be leasing our home out ASAP (as soon as some work on it is done). I've got the bug and want to keep moving forward with more investments. I had a real estate sales license many years ago but my license has long been inactive. I've worked in the tech sector for my entire life and wanted to do real estate "on the side" and found out quickly you can't be a quality agent while doing it on the side. My only interest going forward is investing, not being a sales person. I look forward to learning a lot and meeting people on here.

[Joseph Baldini]

Hey Shawn.

Looks like you've hit the one of the hottest and fastest moving markets in the country right now. 

There may be some factors about austin that you may want to take in to consideration when considering the Austin area to engage in your real estate venture. 

First, using a buy and hold strategy can be very tough. The price point of most homes here is simply too high for the amount of rent you'll receive each month. (Not to say that those unicorn houses aren't out there.) Running the risk of negative cash flow is a very real danger. In the Round Rock area it doesn't seem to be quite so dramatic as central Austin, but those pitfalls do still exist.

Conversely, for those who want to rehab and flip homes here in the Austin area the situation could really not be any better. When up to date homes get listed they really don't spend more than a few days on the market. I know that at my firm, it's rare that one of our listings even makes it to the end of the day. Yes the price points on buying homes before the rehab is high, and yes that can cut into the profit margin. However, even when if the profit margin is low, this market gives you the chance to create lots of deals very fast. 

Let me know if there's anything I can help you with, especially if it's finding those pre-rehab, distressed properties

Good Luck