Greetings from Chicago('s Western Suburbs)

[Jake C.]

Hello All,

I am very new to the REI game and am looking to soak up as much knowledge as possible from any place I can find it. Books, Journals, websites, BP's, etc... I find all aspects of this field to be quite fascinating and hope to make a career/life out of it. I think this might be the first time in my life when someone asks "what do I want to do when I grow up" (pushing 30 already), I think I finally have an answer for them!

Where I'm at now, I think I'll be focusing on a buy and hold strategy, initially targeting single family homes. I'm hoping to acquire my first property by April and continue on from there. If anyone is familiar with the western suburbs of Chicago (DuPage, Western Cook, Kane, etc..) and has any tips on market selection, it would be much appreciated. If not, any tips in general on evaluating potential markets would be also be appreciated.

Thanks for having me, and best of luck to all!

Peace