Introduction (Step Three: Introduce Yourself)

[Ian Crane]

Hi everyone!

My name is Ian Crane and I live in Vancouver, WA. I'm a software engineer at heart and by trade, and I'm currently closing on my first investment property, a 1-level condo. I listed additional non-real-estate interests in my profile.

I'm currently VP of Development and a partner at Event 1 Software, Inc. I'm also dabbling in cloud / phone apps in a startup company on my own.

I haven't liked the way the stock market has been behaving for a while, but I want to invest more. I've always been attracted to buying and selling things - cars, gum, whatever. If I had more cash I'd probably be flipping houses. Instead, I've made a much smaller (read safer) investment in a local condo that should generate about $300 / month in positive cash flow while the property appreciates. That's the plan, at least.

I've filed to create an LLC in Washington state and my first deal is scheduled to close on June 18th.

I still need to select and implement an accounting system (Excel, Quicken, QuickBooks...) and set up a separate bank account for the LLC. It seems like I'm on the right track, but I sure am nervous about the possibility of messing up on something costly.

I've been reading the site looking for advice on how to get set up, pets, smoking, screening, etc. There's a lot to figure out and the 18th isn't that far off...

I'm in the market for good advice and I wouldn't mind networking with someone in the area.

Thanks for reading!