Newcomer just getting started! Oregon area

[Mark Tiersma]

Hi everyone! I'm Mark T. and I'm here to get started with potentially networking with folks, learn a lot, and get the ball rolling in investing for my wife and I as our long term goal is to not have to hold a 9-5 job to make a living. Some call it leaving the rat race.

A little history about us financially. We are both 30, my wife went to OSU and I went to trade schooling (pilot/mechanic) and aquired debt that we have been fortunate to focus and work hard enough to pay off, partly from the sale of our first home. An now we find ourselves ready to take some risk in creating cashflow. Over the last 5-6 years I have read and listened to the various rich dad poor dad books, and listened to may videos and podcasts from bigger pockets. The hardest thing for me is to make that jump when I don't know necessarily what i'm doing. But I think with other investors help and advice I can get this ball rolling. For my wife and I our eyes were opened after selling our first home, though the odds were in our favor, we bought a new stick build home for $150k in Bend, OR in 2013, and by 2015 we had to sell and move to Salem to help my parents with their 3 buisinesses. This was a blessing for us, because we owed about $70k in debt from past schooling, and when we sold our home in 2015 for $233k we walked away with just enough to wipe out our debt. WOW! What a load off our shoulders, BUT! we recognize the pro's and con's of good debt and bad debt. That $70k in debt was not making us any money at all. So we have been saving money for our first investment. It's difficult for us newbies to find opportunities when the real estate market is up. 

Some of our goals are to move back to central oregon, potentially starting a family, but start building investments not only for building wealth, but mainly cashflow. We are excited to move forward and learn what we can from bigger pockets, but we know we will learn the most by getting our feet wet. 

Thanks Everyone!

Advice and pointers welcome! :-D

[Karen Margrave]

@Mark Tiersma Welcome to BP! This is the best place you can come to find real information and network with investors. The Bend market is extremely tight. There was an article the other day stating that there are 20 people a day moving to Bend. There is a BP member meetup the first Thursday of the month at Level 2, in the Old Mill District. We started it last year, and @Grayson Graham is leading it. Watch the Event forum, and be sure to set up your keywords for various areas, types of property, etc. 

As for cash flow, with prices where they are, short term rentals might be the way to go. I know in some areas that works.