What's up ya'll!  I'm Darryl from Orange County!  This forum appeared multiple times after searching on Google as a good point of reference and it seems to have more people engaged in this niche so I figured I might as well join haha.  

Just a little background on myself I grew up in Silicon Valley and went to school in Orange County studying Economics.  My parents wanted me to be an Engineer, but I switched to business.  Being resourceful, I always liked buying/selling things on Ebay, Craigslist, and various niche forums.  If I wanted something that was expensive retail, I didn't like paying full price.  So, I find ways to lower my cost basis by reselling or buying second hand.  That's where I fell in love with the secondary market.  

I ended up working in investments and financial planning for a few years after college until the market crashed and I was laid off.  It was a time I was still discovering myself so I backpacked around the world for a few years around SE Asia.  I learned so much about the world, mainly how spoiled and good we have it, but I also realized I had a passion for food/hospitality so ended up cooking for friends/family and a few small parties, and working at a restaurant.  It's still a passion, but I have a deep yearning to apply my business skills.  I'll sell anything: cars, limited release Nike shoes, sunglasses, mountain bikes, bike racks, concert tickets, etc.  Anything relevant to my hobbies and can easily flip.  

After a combination of saving, investing, hustling, careful spending, and finding the right real estate agent, I purchased my first live in house-hacked duplex in October 2016.  I live not only rent free but also generate income from the rent I'm able to charge and cover property taxes!  

I'll be lurking and poking my head in some threads here so watch out!  :D