Future Successful Real Estate Investor from Baltimore, Maryland

[Dustin Burns]

My name is Dustin Burns and I am a 28 year old Certified Public Accountant (CPA) from Maryland. I was born and raised in Montgomery County, MD my entire childhood until I purchased my primary residence (townhouse) in Howard County, MD at the age of 23. During the search for my first home I instantly fell in love with everything real estate had to offer. From originally searching for a row home in Baltimore and contemplating rehabbing to 5 months later purchasing a new townhouse in suburbs of Howard County.

After graduating from the Robert Smith Business School at the University of Maryland, College Park with dual degrees in Accounting and Information Systems I began working at PricewaterhouseCoopers as an auditor. After almost four years of working there, earning my CPA license, I transitioned to a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) that specializes in commercial office buildings and data centers. I have now been at my current job for about 18 months and working here has further increased my enthusiasm and love for the world of real estate. I have been going back and forth over the past year about taking the first step into real estate investing but have not gotten as close as I have over the last 24 hours since I found Bigger Pockets.

After purchasing my first home, I struggled with being able to save money but over the last 2 years my expenses have flattened out and I have been able to save a little (still not as much as I like but in a much better position than I was years prior). With my love for finances and real estate, and everyone's dream of financial freedom, there is no better time to start than NOW. I look forward to meeting and networking with my fellow members of Bigger Pockets and am here to soak up as much knowledge as possible as I look to find my first property to invest in.