It seems I am the first to post for this region.

I'd like to thank Brandon Turner for his successful efforts in establishing a community for would-be and aspiring real estate investors. I'm looking forward to discussing investment strategies (traditional and fringe) with many of my house-hacking friends and peers over the next few years--especially in the Green Bay region!

A little background on my current situation:

I just recently moved from Wetumpka, AL to De Pere, WI. Reasons were many, but financially speaking, I had received a growth opportunity from my employer in exchange that I relocate to another part of the country. My employer offered a 25% pay increase, a relocation bonus of $5000(pre-tax), and a guaranteed pay for 40hrs/week. On top of that, my company provides a vehicle, gas card, and I am paid from the moment I dispatch my home. My company also provides insurance, 401(k) matching up to 4%, 2 weeks PTO that can be used immediately, profit sharing ($1200/year), and weekly bonus/commission opportunities.
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The reason I am sharing all of this with you is because one lesson needs to be learned (from my perspective) before you can even think about investing in real-estate. Interestingly enough, its a lesson quite commonly adopted by real-estate investors themselves. What am I getting at? Maximize your leverage.

Your job is the ultimate leveraging tool when you're (let's face it) asset poor. The biggest pitfalls I have seen among many of my peers while growing up in my 20s is that they tend to either get wrapped up in student loan debt, other debt, or lose aspiration in exchange for financial contentment. You know who these people are or you wouldn't be here yourself.

So what job am I working? I work in Field IT. Its a niche and fast-growing industry that many of you should consider trending in your personal careers. It requires virtually no education, but demands higher availability in exchange (on-call). Companies invest heavily into training because its actually relatively cheap. Certifications take a mere 3 days to earn--converting a high school dropout into a licensed and certified technician by day 4. A license that can earn you well over $100k in less than a year if you are earnest about training in the industry.

Be flexible. Be available. Travel as much as you can. In 3 years you will be paying cash for a house.