Newbie from Tampa Florida!

[Joe Ferguson]

Hello BP, 

I guess it is about time I come out of my analysis paralysis, take action and join the community I have been spying on for so long. I am a full-time Electrical Engineer who has spent almost every free moment of the last 8 months studying Real-Estate investing while saving for a down payment. I have always been interested with spurts of serious study here and there but didn't fully commit, become obsessed really, until 8 months ago. I believe I have obtained a great foundation of knowledge through many books, many many hours of Bigger Pockets podcasts, blogs and forum posts as well as the process of obtaining my Florida Real-Estate license. It's funny, I have rented my entire adult life (never had a mortgage) and have always thought "Whoever owns this building ........ well, they are set for life". What's keeping me from doing this?

With the ultimate goal of quitting the W2 job and transitioning to full-time investor, I have adopted a buy and hold strategy aimed at generating maximum cash flow. With little capital to start with, the plan is to start with residential multi-family and slowly but surely work my way up to commercial apartment buildings. I am actively searching for my first deal which will be a house hack using a FHA or 203K depending on the amount of rehab needed. A quick visit to my profile and all motives and goals will become clear, perhaps too clear :)

That said, I really look forward to interacting with all of you, continuing to learn from you and hopefully providing value where I can to return the favor. My goal is simply to get out of my comfort zone and begin to build a network and who knows maybe even some friends in the process. Being that this is my first post ever, I would like to say thanks to all of the active members of this site. The knowledge you provide to us newbies is invaluable. Also, I think it goes without saying.... Brandon Turner and Josh Dorkin, you guys rock!