Newbie interested in REI in New Orleans, LA

[Matt Godwin]

Hi all,

I recently joined BP after hearing it mentioned numerous times on the "Mad Fientist" podcast and after reading @Scott Trench's "Set for Life." I'm a complete novice when it comes to REI but from what I've seen so far, BP is the place to be to get started. I've spent a little time exploring the forums, blog, etc. and figured if I'm going to make any progress, I need to introduce myself and start networking.

I'm in the New Orleans, LA area and know I will be here for at least the next 2-3 years minimum. At present, my goal is to get my financial house in order and build up sufficient capital to invest in my first house hack (likely a 2-4-plex). While my training is as an academic research scientist, my dad was a "jack of all trades, master of none" so I've got a very small background in some DIY areas and the "why pay someone else if I can do it myself" attitude so I'm definitely up for learning to fix-up a property myself. I know my limits though and am not one to get too far out of my depth.

Beyond my initial goal, my interest is primarily in small MF properties and perhaps the occasional SF, all purchased as either a house hack or straight rental.

I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone in the weeks/months/years to come and I'm always open to advice. I'm always happy to offer my own advice too, though as it stands, unless you need advice on experimental design or assay optimization I don't know how useful my advice will be. lol

Best,

Matt

[Braden Smith]

@Matt Godwin Welcome to BP! I'm a local real estate investor and licensed realtor here in New Orleans. Been in the REI game for about 10 years and licensed since 2013. You've come to the right place to learn anything and everything about real estate investing. Be sure to check out the "education" tab at the top. Lots of great resources there. A good place to start is with the free guides, such as "The Ultimate Beginner's Guide To Real Estate Investing". The bookstore has some great books and the podcast is full of valuable information.

Find and connect with other BP members that are in your area: https://www.biggerpockets.com/search/users

Set up keyword alerts to be notified of the topics that interest you: http://www.biggerpockets.com/alerts

Read Beginner’s Guide: http://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investing

Check out BP Podcasts: https://www.biggerpockets.com/podcast

If you wish to tag someone in the conversation on the forum, type @ followed by their name and then select the name of that person which should appear below the comments box. He or she will be notified of being tagged so that the conversation will continue.

House hacking can be a great way to get started in real estate investing. Check out these posts:

An Intro to House Hacking: Here’s How I Get Paid to Live for Free

House Hacking Basics: Where to Find Properties & How to Analyze Deals (Tips From an Expert)

House Hacking: A Beginners Guide to Hack Your Housing and Live for Free

House Hacking? Consider These Factors First

BiggerPockets Podcast 252: House Hacking (Your First Deal) & Life Hacking with Craig Curelop

Bonus Audiobook Excerpt: The House Hacking Strategy

The Tax Implications You MUST Understand Before House Hacking

The 7 Drawbacks of House Hacking (& How to Overcome Them!)

3 House Hacking Mistakes I Made (& How I Could’ve Prevented Them)

A New Way to Look at the Concept of “House Hacking”

3 Levels of House Hacking: How to Reduce—or Eliminate—Your Housing Expense

The Problem with Traditional House Hacking (& Why I Had to Find a Better Way)

Why I’m Not House Hacking (& the Strategy That Will Cover More of My Rent)

Best of luck to you, and happy investing! Feel free to reach out anytime if I can answer any questions for you or you just want to chat about our market. I follow the market here very closely and can fill you in on anything you would like to know.