Hi all,

I have been an aspiring RE investor for many years, but more recently decided to act on my desire to free myself from the corporate 9-5 that was taking its toll. Fortunately, I've got a loving wife with a good job that affords us the opportunity for me to explore REI more. I recently obtained my Florida RE license as a way to become more familiar with the transactional aspects of RE. I've always been a DIY kind of guy and hope to source and market my own properties one day, but would like everyone's advice about using a Realtor for my first go.

Specifically, I would like to focus on fix and flips/rehabs to gain some additional working capital, then look into buy and hold rentals. I have done a lot of work myself (plumbing, electrical, trim, finishing) on our 1924 bungalow that we purchased in 2010 that was a duplex at the time. Since then, we have converted it to single family and have enjoyed a good amount of appreciation, allowing me access to a decent HELOC balance to fund my first flip.

I have enjoyed reading BP thus far and look forward to contributing to the community as well. I have picked up J. Scott's book and am making my way through it. I also look forward connecting with other Tampa area investors to network with.

Cheers,

Andrew