everyone's circumstances are different & its knowing your own & working with that not feeling like u have to keep up with someone else's spreed...its great to be here as a newbie & inspired & educated...it really is, but we do have to be careful that we are using our discernment on each decision moving forward & when to take action, when to pull back...that its a life time journey we have committed to & BP does state this regularly from the forum but some may be blinded to that out of desperation & impatience.Newbies with bad credit & poor financial management skills definitely have to get that area sorted first, there are principles involved in building the right foundation, if newbies aren't educated they will think "This will bring me money to sort out my bad debts or management" but it doesn't work that way, this was an area I wasn't aware of until a couple years ago...so I do think there should be some type of Caution Statement for newbies, maybe a check list they need to have in place before they consider taking action in REI.

Please share your story, lend us inspiration as we dig deep to get that first big break, that first great investment, that next one or even that last one.

The main focus of my post was to inspire people who may have made irresponsible financial decisions in the past and to give them hope that even though you made mistakes it doesn't mean they cant be amended.

Welcome to Bigger Pockets Account Closed BP is loaded with all the information you will need to succeed in whatever niche of real estate investing you wish to pursue and the community is filled with knowledgeable investors and professionals to learn from and connect with.Listen to the podcast for extra inspiration and investing advice and post in the forum for any questions you have.

1% inspiration 99% perspiration is key lol

Steve you are quite the inspiration!

He still feels like a ghost.This lack of understanding and resources to help me better understand who my Dad was as a man has inspired me to document my business and my life, so that if someday I head out the door and never return, my three children will have an understanding of who I was and what I was like.

Can anyone share some of their favorite books and resources (blogs, YouTube channels, etc.) on craftsman homes--be they guides with practical insights on renovations, historical resources, or mere sources of inspiration?

Lots of great, inspiring posts especially from.... 

Joseph Theriault Your apology was inspiring.