New member here, or I should say poster as I've been a lurker for a few months.

My name is Robbie Fontova and I'm a personal trainer in New Orleans, home of Mardi Gras, Bourbon St., and some of the finest dining in the world. I just recently became interested in RE investing. I don't know what it was, but one day a light went on in my head and I knew what I wanted to do. Since then I've been educating myself on the topic like crazy, saving as much money as possible, and have been very motivated in taking the steps towards purchasing my first property.

I'm currently in the process of searching for my first property. I've met with a lender, met with a couple of agents, and have scoured the this city trying to find the right one. If anyone isn't familiar with New Orleans presently, it is much on the upswing. New development at every corner and an unseen influx of young professionals has this city pulsing with potential. And as a result, real estate prices are beginning to climb.

As a first timer, and one who has a relatively small income, it's quite a challenge to find a property that fits the mold of some of the criteria I see posted here and elsewhere. I plan on implementing the buy and hold strategy, and mainly want to focus on multi-family homes, as there is an abundance of them in New Orleans.

I'm very interested to hear about how other investors "got in the game", and any advice I can take along the way would be greatly appreciated.