New member from Northern Virginia

[Jonnathan Thompson]

Hello everyone,

New guy from Stafford, VA who is just stepping into the real estate field. My experience is minimal, with my only real estate purchase being my house. I made the purchase last year from across the country while I was getting out of the military. Currently, I am a Satellite Communications Engineer and pursuing my MBA. I enjoy working with numbers and learning new things. It has been fun being able to relate the real estate investing to the course work for my Master's degree.

My goals for real estate are rather simple. 1, gain financial independence. 2, no longer having to plan family events with the anticipation of me not being able to attend because I have work. 

I came across this site while researching different properties and real estate lawyers, trying to get a plan set up. I am trying to learn as much as I can to get started. I am not looking to really do the whole "fix and flip", but more of an investment to obtain a fairly consistent income. 

I was looking at local real estate investment organizations in my area, but I don't know if I can justify the ~$300 fee.