Hello from Jayraj, SF Bay Area

[Jayraj Jog]

Hi everyone, I'm Jayraj. I am a software engineer in the SF Bay Area. I'm very much a newb to real estate; both personally and as an investor. I'm hoping to learn from all the wise folks here about investing in real estate.

I heard about Bigger Pockets from a couple of personal finance blogs I follow: Mr. Money Mustache and Frugal Vagabond. I was frankly too intimidated to join the community for a long time; I've never owned any real estate and felt a bit like an impostor :-) . 

EDIT: I thought I panned my profile pic to show my face but it's only showing my coat right now. Will try to fix it :-)

[Andrew Syrios]

Originally posted by @Jayraj Jog:

Thanks for the warm welcome @Andrew Syrios @Chris Mason I read your blog post (The Case for Managing your Rentals Yourself) and was wondering if you had any thoughts about how close you should live to be able to manage a property effectively yourself vs hiring property management. I know from your video on your profile (which is great btw!) that you don't recommend investing in out-of-state properties, but how close is close enough in your opinion? Thanks for your time :-)

That article assumed you lived in the same city and I think you really have to live in the same city (preferably 30 minutes and really no further than an hour away) to properly manage your own rentals. I should note, I don't think all out-of-state investing is bad, it just needs to be done very, very carefully. And when it is done, you'll need to hire a property manager.