Freshman Investor from Baltimore, MD

[Travis Lauchman]

Good Evening BiggerPockets! My name is Travis Lauchman. Currently I work as a fund support manager in the project finance group at a global solar energy company called SunEdison. I 'stumbled' upon this site after reading fellow member Brandon Turner's blog and minibook, and being inspired by all of the good things he had to say about the site and this community. I am a complete and utter rookie looking to find my way in the world of real estate investment, and potentially make a career out of it. I am intensely fascinated by the market and the fact that this investment provides tangible and human links that are unique to this field (which I'll bet for many has had both positive and negative implications!).

A good friend and I are looking to begin a partnership and invest in our first buy-n-hold rental property this year. We are still in very early research phase and have not yet defined the parameters of the eventual property purchase. Goal is to fact find for the next couple of months, build as many contacts as possible, and clearly define our investment goals/strategies. For me the end goal is to build a portfolio of passive income that will enable me to permanently depart the rat race and do what I love without feeling any heartburn. Gotta aim high, right?

We are channeling the sponge and preparing to soak in and retain as much information as possible. I look forward to meeting fellow members and delving into this venture. I will ALWAYS welcome any and all advice and hope to be humbled someday in the future by being able to pay it forward to the next generation of upstarts.

Cheers,
Travis