Newbie introduction from Puyallup, Washington

[Mike Bassett]

Hello BP community members!  My name is Mike Bassett and I live in Puyallup, WA.  My head is swimming right now with information overload regarding real estate investing.  And to top it off, I have never been much of a forum participant so I hope I am doing this right.

I work for the State of Washington and am fortunate to have a small pension headed my direction when I retire. I am 53 and attended my first retirement seminar just a few weeks ago.  It was interesting but the only thing I came away with was that I was going to be broke when I am eligible to retire.  That seminar started me on a journey which has led me here to BP.  My wife and I have been talking about real estate investment for many months; but that's all it was...talk.  The seminar was the catalyst that caused us to take action.  

We attended a local real estate workshop on February 8 and have been hooked ever since!  (I would like to give a shout out to James Marszalek who organized the training and introduced us to BP.)  So far I have taken the online course Ultimate Beginners Guide, read Rich Dad Poor Dad, attended last weeks webinar Brandon hosted and signed up for Pro during that presentation.  I listen to at least two podcasts every day and have ordered a couple of books that I am anxious to read.  I have interviewed a real estate agent, two general contractors, and a property manager.  And today I found a home for sale that I want to use the calculators on to determine if the numbers work as a flip or rental.  It is a start but I know I have a long way to go and look for your feedback to point me in the right direction.  

From my studies so far and the conversations with my wife, we are leaning toward multi-family properties as rentals but are considering flips to help fund our long term investment strategy.  It is never too late to start and I am excited to prove that!  

I look forward to learning and growing in the real estate investment business and passing that information on to our children so they can be better prepared for their future.  Many thanks BP! Glad to be a part of the community!