NYC to Texas

[James Tobin]

Hello everyone! My name is James and I'm just getting started in real estate. My background is in marketing and hospitality, but I've always been interested in getting into real estate. So while I'm a little late to the game, luckily I found BP. A search led me to the beginner's guide and since then I've been listening the podcasts, reading blogs and following the forums. The amount of information and help here is truly amazing. I'm looking forward to continuing my education, participating in the BP community and getting started!

I currently live in NYC and have for the last 16 years, but am planning on moving to Texas sometime in the next 8-12 months. It's either home to Dallas, where my wife and I both have family, or Austin, where I lived briefly and loved. From setting up keywords, I see that Austin is a hot market, but I know that both cities have changed soo much since I lived there.

So I'm hoping to meet fellow Texas investors to network with and get some advice on getting started from afar. What's the best way to research areas/neighborhoods without the ability to put feet on the street? I know experienced investors have out of state properties, but starting out I'm not to that point just yet. I want to be armed with as much knowledge as possible for when I do finally move.

Thanks in advance and I look forward to meeting everyone!