New to real estate, BP and Portland

[Hoi Mak]

Dear all, 

My name is Hoi and I just joined BP today! I have been listening to the podcast for a couple weeks and just finished the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". I am learning so much from the podcast, but hope to learn more from all of you on this forum. 

I work full time, but my goals for real estate are in two buckets: rental and flip. 

1. Rental: I am looking for a good neighborhood, somewhere I would be happy renting in myself. Some place lively, close to restaurants, shops and bars. Also, safe and less crime. The goal here is to establish my asset column and make a little on the passive income. Interested in single apartments and/or duplex-quadplex with budget as limiting factor. 

2. Flip: I don't know how realistic this is, since most people flip as a business, but I am interested in starting with a flip for my own home. I am looking for a good neighborhood for families, more quiet and in the suburbs with great schools and good comps. The goal here is to learn from experience and what better way to understand functional design than living it yourself. 

I hope I am not biting off more than I can chew. I welcome anyone's suggestions on this topic and please be upfront with the realities of my dreams. Also, if you have books, events to attend or other suggestions, I am open to any help. 

Thank you all in advance.

Hoi 

[Hoi Mak]

Thank you @Jonna Weber and @Dave Visaya for the welcome. I greatly look forward to tapping into this wealth of knowledge in the podcast and website. 

When you mentioned local meetups, are there any preferred ways in finding those? We have the Pacific NW REIA, but I've heard mixed reviews on how effective those can be. Is the Meetup app viable or are there other options I have overlooked?