I started a thread about this very thing a year or two back with no real answer. 

Or is there another way I can begin my real estate investing journey?

This collaboration underscores the importance of strong partnerships and local insights in identifying and negotiating profitable real estate opportunities.

I am curious if classifying my spouse as a real estate professional can offset ordinary income when filing jointly.  

At this point in the run up I pinpointed all the potential pitfalls for real estate investing in the first 11 properties.

I am currently navigating the Bigger Pockets website as I am at the beginning of my Real Estate Investing Career. 

@Justin Reyes Let me ask you this...If you owned a marketable piece of real estate and no longer cared to own the property what would you rather do: (a) Sell the property, pay off your mortgage and move on to other opportunities; or(b) Sell the property without paying off the loan,  remain liable for the loan as the note signer and trust the buyer will continue to make payments on that loan, and if they don't your personal credit is damaged? 

Go to local real estate presentations / events / awards (maybe you have a local annual NAIOP awards or a BISNOW breakfast). 

Hello Bigger Pockets, I am very excited to finally write this. I (Dillon Duffy) have been working on a building for a few weeks now and listening to Bigger Pockets podcast and videos on YouTube and trying to self lear...

Vacancy rates:The overall office vacancy rate in Tampa is 9.4%, which is below the national average of about 13%.For residential properties, the homeowner vacancy rate is 1.0% and the rental vacancy rate is 4.2% in the 33619 zip code.Days on market:Specific data on days on market wasn't provided for Tampa overall, but the median days on market for homes is 89 days according to one source.Promising areas:The Westshore and Downtown Tampa submarkets have seen increased occupancy, with an uptick of 175,000 square feet over the past year.The Westshore submarket has seen its vacancy rate drop by 100 basis points year over year to 12.5%, hitting a four-year low.Rental property insights:Tampa has a high percentage of renters, with 53% of the population renting rather than owning homes.The median rent price in Tampa is $2,941.Market trends:Tampa's real estate market has seen strong appreciation, with a total appreciation of 129.39% since Q1 2000, at an average annual rate of 4.41%.The city is experiencing population growth and an influx of young, educated professionals due to increasing employment opportunities.Regarding your interest in a brand new construction SFR with live and work usage, this could be a promising investment given Tampa's growing population and the trend of people seeking to live close to their workplaces.