Hi BP Experts,We had a roof leak that basically destroyed most of the inside of a house we own.  

@Alan MorrisonI'm not an expert by any means, but I would recommend you go with what is popular or common in your neighborhood.

I'm no expert and perhaps don't have the knowledge nor ability to give anyone here tremendous benefit yet but I do believe I can be an asset with my background and hopefully with some investment savvy.

I also have a background in education (BS and MS) so I'm sure you'll do very well :-) There's a lot of excellent information given for free here from the novice to the expert.

As you already know, you can learn a ton from the real estate experts on the site.Best of luck to you!

If you have some experts in that area, that will be interesting to me.

As Matt mentioned, a Realtor or licensee can act unethically which can translate into infractions of the law.Licensees are seen as the expert in the room, they may not be but the license demonstrates a greater knowledge than the general public.All professional licenses are based on protecting the public from unqualified actors in business.

Experts Needed -You have received some good comments and suggestions from others to your post. 

Hey Mike,For beginners like you and myself I seem to get the advice that it is easier to start in your own market or the market you are extremely familiar with and it sounds to me that you are an expert in Blairstown. 

You could also read the classic "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki and some of the books published by experts right here on BP in the area of interest that you resonate with.I hope this helps with your starting point.