Newbie from New York

[Isis Benson]

Hey everyone, long time lurker here finally ready to introduce myself. I've been reading through posts, absorbing what I can, and trying to understand this world I'm stepping into.

I'm currently based in New York, which is the market I'm most familiar with, though I don't own any property yet. I'm particularly drawn to house hacking as an entry point and am focused on building toward thoughtful, long-term investment strategies.

My situation: I have some student debt under $20K, no credit card debt, and a strong credit score, so I believe I'm in a reasonable position to begin. The piece I'm navigating is that I'm hoping to move back to Europe eventually, so I'm trying to understand how to structure things now in a way that allows for international management down the road. That's the vision—creating something I can oversee from wherever life takes me.

I know there's a great deal to learn about the mechanics of it all—financing, taxes, property management, the full picture. But I'm a diligent learner and genuinely excited to understand how all the pieces fit together. I work in tech sales now with a background in finance, travel, and operations, and I'm hoping that foundation serves me well as I grow into this.

I appreciate this community and everything you all share here. Looking forward to learning from your experiences and connecting with anyone who's walked a similar path or has guidance for someone at the very beginning.