Newbie in New York! I want to have my first deal done in 2018

[John Livanos]

Good Morning BP Clan! I am new to real estate investing and have just begun my research and quest to finding my first rental investment.  I live in Manhattan, but cannot afford to get started here.  I've been looking to find a multfamily rental in Jersey City, Southern Westchester (Yonkers, Portchester, White Plains) or some parts of Brooklyn and Queens (hard to find!)  I've mainly been looking on Zillow and Realtor, but would love to find a real estate agent who can assist.  I am also open to long distance investing, but feel like it would be better to find something local for my first deal.

A little background on me! I am in the restaurant business and currently am the General Manager of a new Mediterranean restaurant in Hells Kitchen, Manhattan.  I have lived in Napa Valley, Washington DC and grew up in Westchester, NY.  I love the restaurant business and see this playing a large role in my life, but it requires a lot of hands on management and is difficult to get away from the store for more than 2 days at a time.  I would love to grow my passive income on the side to generate financial freedom and more free time for the things I love to do!

I've been spending a lot of time on this forum reading the great articles, listening to the BP podcast, and reading some great books.  

Thanks for reading! I look forward to being a part of this community!

J