Hi BP community!

My name is Chris, I'm a new BP member located in the Chicagoland area, and I'm super excited to get involved in the Bigger Pockets community! The amount of information I have learned from you all over the past 6 months has been absolutely incredible, and I'm so thankful for everyone's willingness to help and teach. As I continue to grow and learn, I plan to do all that I can to give back and/or pay-it-forward. Since I discovered the podcast and this site, I’ve been practicing a rigid morning routine, going to local meet-ups, and flooding myself with real estate, marketing, or mindset education wherever I can find it.

I am 31 years old, married, have a degree in pharmacy, and spent the last 7 years working in a hospital caring for patients and leading healthcare teams. I officially started in real estate in 2013 with the purchase of a 4 unit property in La Grange Park, IL.  I still live in one of the units today, and rent the other three, which my wife and I have slowly renovated over time. Regardless, I still consider myself a complete beginner, and am prepared to learn (or re-learn) everything from the ground up.

I've recently reached a major turning point in my life, where I decided to commit to building a real estate business, instead of continuing to focus on my pharmacy career.  I'm currently in the process of making that transition.  I'm grateful to have learned some valuable life lessons along the way.  If anyone needs help deciding between progressing down the leadership/corporate pathway versus real estate, I'd be more than happy to share my experiences.

Although I have my investment roots in the Chicago suburbs, I'm struggling with whether to continue investing in Chicagoland, or focus my energy and efforts on a better opportunity long distance.  I'm also struggling with exactly how to evaluate and identify a strong market with data to back up the conclusions.  I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts, or resources you've found on either of those topics!

I'm thrilled, and feel lucky to be a part of this awesome community.  I can't wait to connect with you all, learn, and grow!  Feel free to message me at anytime, and if you're local, I'd be interested in meeting up for more conversation.  And if I can help in any way, please don't hesitate to ask.  Thank you for being the most helpful, influential, and inspiring community on the internet!

All the best,

Chris