Tim McGarvey - New Member from California Bay Area

[Tim McGarvey]

Hello BP,

My name is Tim McGarvey, a new investor from California. I've been catching up on the podcasts over the last weeks and months (I'm up to show #46 right now) but I'm brand new to the forums. It seems like a great place to ask questions, share experience, network with other investors. I'm sure getting involved in these discussion will help expedite my leaning and growth as in investor exponentially. I also grabbed copies of @Brandon Turner's "The Book On..." that I'm digging into as well. I look forward to conversing with you all!

A little about myself, I graduated in 2014 from a small school on the central coast called Cal Poly with a degree in City and Regional Planning and a minor in Property Development. I spent most of my free time with the Construction Management department however and was hired as a Project Engineer for a large general contractor in San Francisco. I've been working in construction management for the last 3 years (mostly large commercial project upwards of $100 million) doing everything from estimating to change orders to managing subcontractors in the field. I've heard a few interviewees on the podcasts mention leveraging "unfair advantages" and I guess right off the bat mine would be that I have experience working for/with contractors and have made a number of great connection along the way. From my time in school, I'm also familiar working with local municipalities, zoning codes, etc.

I'm interested in gaining passive income owning rental properties. I work long hours to I would like to set up specific processes in system to help my side business run itself. The goal is eventually to make enough that I can comfortably travel and explore the world at will (just got back from a 4 week trip to Eastern Europe), without having to worry about what to do for work.

In terms of disadvantages, it's easy to feel intimidated as a beginning investor who owns no property in one of the hottest and expensive real estate markets in the world and has very little savings. While I make a great salary for someone my age, it's difficult to save with the costs of living and sky high rents in these parts so I'm constantly strategist to save pennies here and there to add to my savings for a down payment. I'm sure there is some way(s) for me to "get in the game" here so I will be asking tons of questions in the forums about investing in California, house hacking, and specific tactics for gaining funding to get started. I have a couple ideas/plans right now that I will bounce around in the forums.

I appreciate your guys help in advance and hope to be in contact in the future!

Tim