The only house flipping that seems to be going on in my area is from one company, Nation One Realty Group, Inc.

Thanks for letting me join this group BiggerPockets I feel grateful.

It seems a great option now and although I could be making more elsewhere, I'd still be living rent free in a house that I'm already settled into.I appreciate everyone's time and I'm glad to be part of this group.

I am in process of closing a deal on a group of 16 properties in Kansas City Missouri.

We've got a pretty tight knit group of BPers that meet up regularly and bounce ideas off of each other, and share leads when we can.

Would love to attend a meetup group of local BP'ers as well!

Like you as a mortgage underwriter, I have many years of experience being a professional supporting real estate investors as a CPA, but I now wanted to become a real estate investor myself.In late November of last year, like you're doing this November, I wrestled with the question of investing locally with a 4-unit purchased with FHA financing vs. investing out-of-state and got a lot of great advice.Like you, my goal is to retire within the next 10-15 years via real estate investing.As a result of some of the advice I've read through the forums (I would recommend you pay attention to guys who have been in real estate for decades like @Jay Hinrichs rather than the younger folks who are often just pushing their turnkey products) and speaking to investors at local real estate groups, I decided that given my place in life I would be wiser to place my bets on California appreciation over the next 20-30 years rather than investing in some beat-down property in Cleveland for an extra $400 or whatever in cash flow per month.Given the facts that (1) I could get into a property for a measly 3.5% down, which would free up cash to invest in other places if I so chose, (2) I was already throwing away rent every month such that I could still be cash flow negative of $650/month (what I was paying in rent) and still be better off because a portion of my monthly payment would be building my equity and the rest would be tax deductible, and (3) I'm in my 20s and have the time to take a long-term view of appreciation potential, it was a no-brainer to go the FHA 4-plex route in LA, despite the fact that it is one of the most expensive markets in the country.This isn't to say that the process was easy.  

Hi Tom,Welcome...check meetup.com for RE support groups in your area and continue to educate yourself and network with other investors who you like.Have a great weekend!

I am Brad Moncado, co founder of the Springfield, Missouri Real Estate Investor Group ( REInvestorGroup.com ), operate as a full time Real Estate Investor completing wholesale deals, flip homes, new construction, lease options and more.  

I suggest reaching out to any experienced REI folks in your area and find an active REI investment group and attend.