New guy from Los Angeles, CA

[Sean Abbott]

Hello BiggerPockets community!

I'm an avid lurker on most communities, particularly the /r/realestate and /r/personalfinance subreddits on Reddit which is where I came across this network!

A bit about myself? Hm. I'm 28 years old. Born and raised Los Angeles, CA native, as rare as we are among the transplants. My family's owned small apartment buildings in the Simi Valley/Northridge/Van Nuys area all my life growing up. To get my feet wet outside of the family, I'm currently working in property management for a local, regional REIT that specializes in class A commercial space, but has a small residential portfolio.

I'll be looking to start purchasing rental properties in the Tampa area probably around the start of 2016, as I have a few GC connections (father-in-law is a fairly successful GC) out there able to assist me in renovations, repairs and maintenance. I'm also considering some other out-of-state markets like Richmond, VA, Washington, D.C. and others. Unfortunately, staying in my local market isn't an option for me, as the purchase-to-rent ratios aren't there compared to other markets except in buildings with extremely high financial barriers to entry (at least for me currently!).

Aside from just being "in the mix", as it were, growing up, I've got no formal education on investing (yet!). Definitely looking for advice, education. anecdotes and anything else I can sponge up.

Thanks gals and guys, and I look forward to being part of this community. =)