All Forum Posts by: Erik Stratton

Welcome @David Velasco!

I started attending Capital REI because it was launched by some BiggerPockets members who are outstanding guys and investors (Roger Lin, Justin Pierce & John Rubino). We meet in Fairfax and just had our most recent meeting this past Thursday, so the next on is March 30th.

Additionally, I've attended ALFA Community once so far and thought it was a good group, too.  I've also heard the CAZA network is good, so I'm checking them out as well.  All 3 are on MeetUp, so that should get you started.

Good luck!

Erik

I'm in!

Welcome Mike. I'M active Air Force and recently moved to the area as well. I found an REI group here of BP members that meets monthly. @Roger Lin set it up, as well as the Facebook site Capital REI Group.

I wish I could be there, but I'm "stuck" in paradise (Hawaii) until the Air Force moves me in January.  I know it'll be a great event!

I appreciated it @Joe Sillaman , we're not looking forward to leaving the beautiful weather in Hawaii and arriving in chilly D.C. in January.  But, we are looking forward to a new adventure!

Thanks @Michael Mazzella I'm just so motivated to learn this business and get started with something.  Flipping definitely seems like a thrill, but I have zero experience with it.  I've been looking at wholesaling as a good entry into real estate, but even if I just learn how to find and evaluate deals would be a great start before we leave for D.C. in January.

Hi @Shayne Brescia .  I'm originally from Wisconsin (central, rural part), but have been to the DC/Baltimore area during military travels.  I'll be working on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, but just started looking for possible places to live.  I'd love to "hack my housing" but I'm not sure if there are multi-family homes that 1) my wife would want to live in and 2) that we could find a good deal on.  I'll definitely be looking for people to network with so I greatly appreciate your offer.  Do you also attend any local REIs or meetup groups?

Thanks @Johnny Aloha !  I checked out your profile and saw that you've got a good foundation to succeed in real estate, and obviously a lot of passion for it!  Do you network with others on the island, such as attending the HiREI, meetups, or the like?  I've only got 5 months left before we head off to D.C. but I'd go nuts not doing something while I'm still here.  I'm even willing to provide cheap/free labor just to keep learning from people with experience.

@Elizabeth Colegrove We came back to the US from a 4-year tour in Germany in mid-2005, and bought a house thinking that real estate was always a great investment.  We left for Hawaii in 2011, so the Rich Dad lesson of your house not being an asset has played out in our life!  I've been thinking about managing the property myself to save money, but haven't analyzed it yet.  Any recommendations for setting systems up to cover things like handymen, planning for emergency repairs, etc.?  My biggest concern would be how to handle things like a burst pipe or broken furnace in the middle of winter.

Thanks and nice to hear from you Jason.  I look forward to seeing you succeed!