New member from Skokie!

[Kristopher Toribio]

Hi everyone!

My name is Kris Toribio. A little background information on me - I'm currently living in Skokie, IL. I'm a full-time graduate student at DePaul University pursuing my doctorate degree as a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist. In the little spare time that I have, I've become fascinated in educating myself on the topics of personal finance and real estate investing. I came across BiggerPockets as a referral from a friend, and have since began listening to the podcasts, reading the books, attending webinars, and watching youtube videos that they have been putting out.

My fiancee and I are planning to start our REI career with a househack in a multifamily property. I'm hoping to take advantage of being a broke college student and using the FHA loan, the 203K loan, as well as the "Nurse next door" grants as a means to put little money down in this initial property.

Any advice from the more seasoned members would be greatly appreciated, and I would definitely be interested in networking with some of the local investors, especially those who have also successfully done a house-hack of some sort in the north Chicagoland area. If there's any way I can be of use, I have a pretty unique skill set that includes proficiency with computers, automotive repairs, as well as writing/editing. 

In any case, thanks in advance for the warm welcome and it's nice to meet everyone!

[John Warren]

@Kristopher Toribio welcome to BP! Which areas of Chicago are you looking to house hack? North Side? South Side? Suburbs? If I were you I would look into the 5% down conventional loan instead of the FHA 3.5% down. I like to see my clients "buy equity" by getting something that needs a little TLC. FHA forces you into pristine properties which tend to not cash flow well in today's market!