Hello, all! I'm new to the site and presently live in NYC.

[Kevin Doherty]

Hey BP members,

My name is Kevin. Right now, I work as a marketing art director in Manhattan and live on the Lower East Side. NYC real estate is a little out of my league, so I'm looking to make a move to the Portland, Maine, or Portsmouth, New Hampshire, area to both get out of this great (but expensive!!!) city and get out from behind a desk (eventually).

Many members of my family own/have owned rental and investment property in the Boston area, so I've grown up with it as a normal part of life. I just had no interest in considering this path myself until recently. I've decided that in order to free myself from the corporate grindstone, I need to have more irons in the fire. I was also laid off of my last job (along with my partner) and my present company recently went through several rounds of layoffs, so I'm looking for something I have more control over.

I'll be using my family connections for some advice, but I think that this community will be very helpful for a beginner like myself, nevertheless. I don't want to wear out the good will of my family with stuff I can learn on my own.

My main interest is in rentals at this time—smaller multifamily and apartment buildings. I'm also intrigued in the hospitality field and might like to own a small hotel or inn.

I have pretty stellar credit but no history in real estate outside renting. The bubble never really deflated much here, so buying real estate has been elusive. I've also been thinking about leaving NYC for a few years now, so it's hard to commit to buying a home when you have the idea of moving in the back of your mind. I do have some liquid assets. Nothing outrageous, but I am a saver.

Well, I guess that's it in a nutshell. I'm excited to start reading and talking about real estate investing with a like-minded group.

Cheers!