New BP member from the Greenville, SC upstate area

[Brandon Thomas]

Hey everyone!

My name is Brandon Thomas and I’m new to the BP community and fairly new to real estate investing. I’ve been coast to coast, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. I like to say I’ve seen a lot of the US but none of it at the same time. [tourist stuff doesn’t count] I’m currently living in and investing in the South Carolina area, specifically the upstate “Greenville” area(at the moment). Hopefully expanding to the “Clemson” area, as well as the “Charleston” area. Not quite all the way into real estate however. I do work a full time job, and have a part time job as a individualized personal trainer and nutrition specialist.

Probably unlike most of you, I never saw myself getting into real estate. Never even thought about it really. It’s a long story actually, but to keep this intro short, I guess I kind of stumbled into it. Upon building my mom a new house, she passes away with cancer. After 2/3 years of family living in it, all while my pockets continuously dwindling down to pay for the needs of the house; I eventually ended up renting it out. Realizing this could be a good deal for me and my family, my wife and I start looking at other properties.

Two years later, we now have four rental properties. Two of which we just recently purchased and currently looking for tenants. All seems to be going well, but I know there’s more out there. I honestly believe I’m just now scratching at the surface of this market. I know i can learn so much more with the help of the BP community.

I recently went to a real estate event that my friend invited me to. I spent the majority of my time there learning about opportunity housing, as well as a 1031 exchange. Still not quite sure I completely understand everything about the 1031 yet, but it’s a work in progress. I met a few people or mentioned the Bigger Pockets podcasts. Thought I’d take a listen when I got home. I really liked what I was hearing and decided to join right away. I can honestly say that I’m completely fascinated with real estate now. There’s no turning back for me.

And this is why I’m here. So like I said earlier, I’m fairly new to Real Estate. I’m here to meet people, network, and build a great team that has the same mindset as I do. At the moment, I’ve currently only been investing in SFHs, but I’m hoping to expand to MFHs in the next few years. I’m excited to see where this may lead. And I hope to make some great connections as I go forward.

Thank you!