Finding a niche and learning in South Dakota

[Jonathan Harms]

Hi all! My name is Jonathan Harms and I want to say this is a fantastic community! For the last year, I've been reading the blog and searching out a few specific questions in the forums. It is remarkable to see people rooting for each other and offering their insight. Now I am a member! My REI'ing began in 2010 when I bought a 2/1 SFH in which to live in a quiet neighborhood on the good side of town. That gave me the bug. A few years went by and I got married. Guess what?! My bride is into this REI'ing thing too! So over the next few years, we purchased a buy and hold and are renting it as a vacation home near Mt. Rushmore. We also flipped a home we were living in and are now doing that with our current home yet again. I resigned my W-2 job last week (March 2017) to pursue this thing full time and I hope this career takes me (us) to retirement. There are two REI projects that will keep me busy for the next several months--rehabbing a buy and hold and flipping a foreclosure. I need these to be successful for me to continue. I hope to be a valuable member of the community and I anticipate learning a significant chunk of what I need to know about REI'ing from this community. Personally, I really enjoy general aviation, but I haven't decided yet if I am a Cessna or Piper person. I also love listening to the Grateful Dead. I am tickled to bits John Mayer is stepping in and touring with the boys this summer as he has the last couple of years. See ya next time!

[Jonathan Harms]

@Mark Gruetzmacher You're kind to be so welcoming! I will root for our small So. Dak. community here on BP and be as active as possible. The vacation rental does ok. We take the attitude that we are subsidizing a place for our family to stay once every couple months.

@Joe Splitrock Hello in Sioux Falls. Thanks for the encouragement and reply formatting idea :) A cleaning service doesn't pencil out these days on the vacation rental, especially since the North Dakota oil boom isn't performing like it used to and bringing those young folks down to the Black Hills. And you know what is interesting about those Black Hills hotel prices is that the hotel groups in Rapid City are pushing legislation in Pierre to increase the "Business Improvement District" tax so that the city can build more parks. That translates to another $5 to $10 more per night on a hotel room.

@Ryan Folk Hey yourself over there in Watertown. "Arrow Pride," right? Actually, I live in Aberdeen, so I am just up the road from you. Maybe coffee sometime soon if we can cross paths?