Hello from Central NC

[Donna S.]

Hello all,
I have been lurking aound here for a while and finally decided to introduce myself. I stumbled onto this site about a year ago and found it useful in helping my daughter and son-in-law purchase a bank owned foreclosure at a very good price about three months ago. I am pretty knowledgeable about conventional real estate practices but I am interested in creative stategies for investing.

My background:
I am an insurance property claims adjuster and have been working catastrophes for the past 7 yrs. which requires quite a bit of travel. I have been searching for a financially lucrative project to keep me busy during the quiet months and REI seems to fit the bill. I am experienced at inspecting properties and determining repair estimates. I own my own home. I have some money and good credit although since my accountant tries to keep my tax liability to minimum, it is difficult for me to qualify for conventional financing. Because of the travel, I don't feel being a landlord would be a good fit for me.
About My Market:
We have a very high unemployment rate in this area and have our fair share of foreclosures and distressed properties as a result.

I have read volumes of post on this site and like alot of new folks looking to get started with REI, I am suffering from info overload. Anyway, I will continue to read and hope to converse with you kind folks on a regular basis. I am really impressed with the helpful advice dispensed here.

Look forward to working with ya'll. Thanks, Donna