I'm now finally here in person, and have started to go view places in person with the intent of purchasing. 

As titled, I am looking to finally step out of my comfort zone and buy my first property.

Have been talking about getting into real estate investing for the last 2-3 years and finally pulled the trigger on a 3 unit house hack in Soulard that will be closing later this month and will be self-managing the property.I'm trying to network a bit with other investors, build a solid team of contractors / handymen, and set my systems up in way to scale, but also so my tenants have a good experience.

The auction will often take place at the property although these days that's usually combined with an online auction that starts up to 2 days before the final bid is accepted. 

We’ve been working towards this for a few years, and it is very exciting to finally see the fruit of our labor!

I finally pulled the trigger on my very first deal.

.✅ This avoids wasting time screening unqualified tenants.3) Before Lease Signing (Final Step)✅ Run the background check before approving the tenant, so you can verify:Credit history & income stability Eviction & rental historyCriminal background (if applicable in your state)Final ThoughtThe best time is after the showing but before lease approval—this ensures you’re only screening serious applicants while minimizing wasted time and costs.

What would you recommend when I finally do begun to build my network?

When we moved, we turned it into a rental, hoping this would be the start of our real estate journey—something we’d like to continue once my husband retires.Some key details:My husband is active duty and will retire in 3 years.We have one final move coming up this summer to Raleigh, NC.Our current debts are crippling us—the high interest makes it tough to stay afloat every month.The plan me and my husband are thinking bout:Sell the rental property.Use the proceeds to pay off all our debts, set aside emergency funds and a down payment for our next home.Free up $1,500/month from debt payments, and that also can stash in a high-yield savings account.Regain full VA loan entitlement, allowing us to purchase a multifamily home and use the house hacking strategy for up coming move.Avoid capital gains tax, since April marks five years of ownership, and the tenant’s lease ends in May.This wasn’t our original plan, and we hate the idea of using our equity to pay off debt.

I've finally made the decision to get into the market to Build to Rent.