Newly Minted BP Member

[Mark Manship]

Good afternoon! I'm Mark Manship, newly arrived to Niceville, FL from Clovis, NM and after almost a year since first signing up for (and avoiding) BiggerPockets, I'm finally taking a deeper look and more involved approach to real estate investing. I'm originally from "everywhere" as I come from an Air Force family, but call Florida home as it's where I spent the most time during my learning years. My own Air Force career hasn't transplanted me much (with the exception of this most recent PCS), but I have traveled in my own time to many parts of the States/world, and love experiencing the cultures and respective markets of other areas & countries.

While I wouldn't consider it a true investment, mine and my wife, Ines', first dealings with real estate occurred over the past 3 years through the purchase of our first single family home (and fixer-upper). We spent that time pouring our blood, sweat, and tears (all literal) into the property, and recently listed it for sale prior to our military move.

We have a two-year-old daughter, Amilia, who gives us much to be proud of and thankful for. Aside from our time spent on our New Mexico property, we love spending time together and watching her grow into a charismatic, passionate little ball of energy.

Until this point, I have been reluctant to delve into real estate investment due to a number of excuses, but mostly concerns over available capital and status with loans, debt, etc. This most recent combination of dealings involving listing our New Mexico home and going under contract on our Florida home have very much impacted how I view mine and my family's financial state. The looming threat of holding two mortgages and all of our related life expenses has been the spark in wanting to find alternate sources of income. More specifically, I am looking for investment vehicles other than "playing the stocks" in which to generate long-term wealth and an additional supplement to retirement. While I understand real estate won't make me a millionaire overnight, or even over the next decade, I hope that it will provide a means by which to focus less on our bank accounts, and more on our life experiences.

My goals over the next year are to commit myself to my own real estate education, network with individuals in my area, and most importantly, "get off my duff" and sign for our first investment property (aside from our own residence). My hope is that through this forum and its resources, I will achieve the first two, and consequently gain the mental fortitude to accomplish the third.

I am excited to give this form of investing my full effort, and look forward to hearing from those with similar experiences. If, like me, you are newly arrived to the Niceville/Destin/Fort Walton/Crestview area or are moving to the Clovis, NM region feel free to give me a shout. While I may have been dislocated from the area for a few years, I'm familiar with the neighborhoods and culture, and might be able at the very least to point in the direction of some good seafood.

- Mark