Then in reading through BP, that thought evolved into a decision to make this a business that can grow into something profitable for the long term and not just a vacation home that I rent out.

Welcome Danny Langston I agree that as investors we learn more by working together and growing together as well!

Livingston is growing steadily and there is extremely high demand there right now and lots of new business coming in, which will drive even more demand. 

And oh, learn how to use BiggerPockets to grow your business by checking this quick guide: http://www.biggerpockets.com/bizSee you around!

I look forward to interacting with the BP community as I learn and grow! 

You definitely want a way to keep growing your capital.  

I've always been interested in real estate investment and thought it would be a great opportunity here in Seattle, which is growing very rapidly.

Bring the job to the contractor and have them use their architects/designers to give me more time to focus on deals and growing my brand.

Some areas have stopped growing and some areas are growing well.  

I am a young professional working for a bank that has seen many real estate investors grow their portfolio through using leverage and investing smart.