Houma is #104 on the Forbes list for "Best Small Places for Business and Careers" and #23 for "Job Growth" It is close enough to New Orleans that I can still benefit from that area as well ranked #29 on the Forbes list for "Best places for Business and Careers" and was Forbes's 2012 fastest growing city.Not the best numbers but good enough that thinking about getting into real estate investing in the area just made sense.

Hello All,Been a member for almost a year, have read for countless hours, here at BP and also in my ever-growing RE library!

I am fairly new to BP and am so excited to have found a community to grow with as we consider delving further into this type of investment.

Definitely jump in, ask questions any time, send colleague requests, and start to grow through the relationships you'll build!

I have heard of instances where a fake tenant signs a lease and then places another person in there and takes the money.

In most instances it is also subject to self-employment tax.Hope this helps.

Unless you're going to go with a hard surface of some kind, any carpet will show wear and tear unless you are ready to either spend some $$ on a great, quality carpet (a Triexta fiber carpet for instance) that has superior stain resistance qualities (not stain proof), or go with the nasty, cheap sculpted carpet that you see in low end rentals all day long.

I like the idea of flipping and holding properties, I think that is a balanced way to grow capital and build a portfolio over the long haul, that is exactly what we are doing.See you around the site!

I really believe that those who engage the most in the forums tend to grow the fastest.

My family is now to the point where my wife and I think we'd better settle down so I am actively looking to grow my real estate holdings in other ways.