Hello from Houston...

[Alexander Stafford]

Hello BP. Thanks for having me. I've lurked on and off around here and am a member on another RE forum for years. I figured it was time to join here and contribute to and learn from even more RE investors.

About me:
I'm a regular guy. Family of four. Full time job. I have a couple of rental properties and a small patch of dirt that I will one day build on and sell (i think). I have a RE license in Texas, but it's inactive. I only really used it for informational purposes for myself, but found better uses of my time and other ways to get info (friends).

I figured out the stock market isn't a place for a small-timer like me to make money except if I have cash and can spot a bubble before it forms and pops. Real Estate is how I will pay for retirement, or I won't retire.

I have lots of friends and peers ask me for advice about being a landlord as a "regular guy", and I try to help them out with some advice as an investor who is really only a few steps ahead of "how do i get an investment property".

My RE goal is in 15 years, I want enough doors to pay for my retirement. I don't know how many that is, but I'm assuming I'll need about $10k a month for my wife and I to keep living like we live. I don't need to be filthy rich, but if I figure it out, I'll go with it. I don't have to make money now, but I can't stand to lose any, either.

I want to help others who are starting out and going through analysis paralysis. I know a lot of noobs walk away because they see the most successful investors and think, "I can't get there from here, because I don't know where I am and I don't know the next step." A relatively new investor is sometimes a better sounding board than a successful expert. Of course, I should become a successful expert eventually, right?

That's where I hope to gain from BP. There are a lot of people here. I see there are several from Houston, even. It would be great to meet you and learn with you and from you.

The biggest challenge I have is figuring out how to finance the next property without having a bunch of cash laying around (remember the part about family of 4?!) Great credit != cash. I haven't dug into solving this problem, but I have to... or work forever. So here I am, with my small shovel.

I look forward to learning & working with you.