Hi from Abu Dhabi

[Warren Foster]

Hi All.

Just wanted to make a quick introduction. My name is Warren Foster and I am a retired US Army Officer, currently working and living with my wife and kids over in the Middle East. We have been here for more than 3 years and love it, although the 140 degree summers do get a bit uncomfortable. The price you pay I guess for a steady income and the ability to be home with the kids every night (I did three years in Iraq over a 4 year stretch at one point of my active career so I needed a bit of family time!)

Anyway, I have a few rental properties that i picked up using the old military system of moving to a new base, buying a home, then getting transferred after a few years and buying another one (while keeping the old one as a rental.) They didn't quite meet the 50/2% rules, but then we had to live in them and not just rent them out. On the positive side, 3 are now paid off and are just begging to be switched up to bigger and better cash flow properties.

Right now, I am trying to figure out a good system to invest safely at a really, really, long distance. Due diligence is tough from a few thousand miles and an ocean or two away! On the other hand, its hard for me to fork over the inflated home prices of the companies that offer turn-key investments. But hey, thats what I am here for, to listen to the good ideas and advice of others and hopefully minimize my mistake curve as I figure out a workable systems (or systems.)

Well, I look forward to hearing from many of you in various forums and I hope I can provide a little experience of my own after a while in the trial and tribulations of "Out Of Country" investing.

Thanks,

Warren