New Investor in Orlando, FL

[Kevin C.]

Hey Everyone!

I'm a software engineer currently located in Winter Springs, FL but have lived in Oviedo and Lake Nona as well. About 6 months ago, I started doing some long-term (10year+) planning, sort of building something similar to a bucket list. Then I started putting hard time-frames and hard numbers on what it would take to accomplish the list. It was a daunting feeling to actually to see these numbers and realize how likely (or more like unlikely) I was going to be able to accomplish every last thing I wanted from my life given my current trajectory. The idea of picking and choosing which dreams I would might to let go motivated me to question what was possible, to question what I had considered as 'normal'.

This prompted me to start becoming financially literate. I started with a quick evaluation of my budget and where I was being too 'loose' with my money. I also quickly begin figuring out ways to bump my income. I thought about starting small businesses, building apps, writing, etc. The flood of information that came next changed my world. The difference between who I am now and who I was a year ago is the single biggest shift in perspective I've ever had in my entire life. My ideas and strategies began to evolve and adapt as I learned more and more. A few constants came out of all this learning: 1) I wanted to be financially free; I wanted to never have to depend on someone or something for my livelihood; I wanted to dictate where I go with my life and not be pressured or trapped. 2) No matter how I spent my time or earned my primary income (free lance work, starting a small business, etc), real-estate investing was always showing up as the best overall vehicle for building wealth and could complement any path I took.

So, I've been diving into the real-estate investment world the last few months and came across Bigger Pockets almost immediately. I'm about 20 podcasts away from having listened to them all. I have a list of books that have been curated from the podcasts and other research and have started knocking them out one by one (currently finishing up 'Cash Flow Quadrant'). I have been setup for keywords on BP and have been reading them regularly.  I have been accumulating and refining lists and processes in a shared google drive to condense the information I've learned thus far.  I also started regularly scanning for deals 2-3 times a week by going through Redfin, Zillow, Realtor.com, craigslist, auction.com, hubzu, loopnet, etc. This has helped me to start understanding the markets in my area. I also have been so deep in the material that I talk to everyone around me about it (sometimes annoyingly so according to some!). This has led to the creation of a small group interested in real-estate that meets every week or two to help each other learn and motivate one another. And then there is also a few others that are interested and have offered to put up money or eventually get involved in the group in some capacity. I'm also going to my first real-estate association meeting tonight (Central Florida Realty Investors Association (CFRI)).

That brings the story to where we (my longtime girlfriend and myself) are today. We know that our long term goal is to have a portfolio of real-estate properties generating an income that surpasses our current W2 incomes. That portfolio might consist of single families, multi-families, and eventually apartment complexes. We have some more detailed plans of how that may come about and what happens afterwards, but that's the general gist of it at the moment. We are hardworking, super-motivated, and willing to sacrifice now to build a better future. We are currently debt-free except our current home and we are saving about 40% of our income to be used for investing. We are also looking to bump that 40% to 50% by downsizing to a smaller home while also using the spread in equity to invest in another property. If possible, we are attempting 3 birds with one stone by House Hacking into a duplex/triplex while also buying another property (downsize, buy investment property-1, buy investment property-2). However, we are having a hard time finding a multifamily in an area near both of our work locations.

So....That's me at the moment. I appreciate what BP has helped me learn thus far and look forward to what I can do armed with the information I've learned. I'm eager to further my learning and start building some real-world experience. I'm excited to meet others and more than willing to accept input or advice, and assist where I can. So, feel free to reach out, offer your opinions on what I'm doing (right or wrong-I promise you won't hurt my feelings) or what I can do, or ask me a question, or just to say Hi.

Apologies for the long post; Hope all is well, 

-Kevin