Arizona based newbie vet looking to connect

[Derek Jackson]

My name is Derek. I spent 5 years on active duty in the US Army as an intelligence officer before moving back to the East Side of Phoenix. I'm married, have an almost 3-year-old son, and I'm incessantly focused on how I can replace my income, and become completely financially free while my kid is still young.

We bought our home up in Lacey, WA, and sold it before moving back here 3 years later. We purchased the 5 bed 3 bath 2700 square foot home that we are currently living in but will be renting it out next month. And we'll be moving into a 3 bed 2 bath in South Gilbert. Everything I've done has been on VA loans (since my wife and I are both veterans, we have dual VA benefits).

Now I'm reading a ton of books, listening to Podcasts, analyzing deals, and trying to get ready to dive into more rental properties and other real estate investments.

I've noticed that it seems like the entire Phoenix metro area is extremely competitive and it's difficult to find anything that remotely resembles a "good deal" for a rental according to any of the benchmarks.

Regardless, I'm not deterred. I'll find something. Data analytics is a game the government trained me for, so I know I just need to be patient.

I'd love to connect with anyone, but especially with people who are local to the Phoenix market or have expertise in this market.