I will start off by disclaiming that I cannot take credit for the idea behind this post. I recently read and responded to a post initiated by @Adam Zach surveying all members wanting to see who in the real estate investing world came from an engineering background. I posted a reply mentioning that the ironic thing about this topic was that the group of people who should know THE MOST about real estate (minus the investing part) were architects! And then went on to say that it was likely because of an architect’s (low) income versus an engineer’s which prevents architects from investing. But then I gave it more thought, and what’s even more ironic is that...most architects are so preoccupied with their craft that they fail to see the what their clients are doing right under their noses...Developing buildings to make money! I know there’s at least a couple of us out there...let’s represent!
Hey @Jason H., thanks for the notice to jump in on this!
I completed my 5-Year Bachelors of Architecture from IIT in 2013 and was pursuing a Double Major in Structural Engineering. After I graduated with my 5-Year Bachelors I started working full-time for a Residential firm downtown where pretty much 100% of the clients were Developers. I think that is when I started to realize that these developers were making a Killing with the projects they were doing, and the Architect I was working for was also doing quite well for himself by catering to them and providing efficient designs, fast turnaround, and an extremely detailed understanding of what is required by the City of Chicago in order to obtain building permits. Our office managed to do about 300 projects per year with about 5 drafters, 1 designer, a permit expediter, and the owner.
I started the Masters degree in Structural Engineering, but realized it didn't make sense for me to be working my *** off to obtain my License as an Architect to then have to go and work for years as an Associate Structural Engineer in order to obtain that license as well. I took a couple-year break from my studies while I worked and took my ARE Exams while completing my IDP Hours (5,600 hours required at the time). I then decided to go back and get my Master's in Construction Engineering and Management from IIT as it would only take me the equivalent of 1 extra year to get the degree. All tho it took longer because I was going back part-time.
After I got my Architecture license I changed jobs as I didn't see much potential for growth and worked for a short while for a Design+Build firm, and then for a commercial design firm. I loved the Idea of Design+Build but I didn't mesh well with the owner and parted ways pretty quickly. While working with the Design firm I decided to start my own Architecture Firm. This presented me with a unique opportunity to work full-time for the design firm, while also picking up my own side projects as well.
I have now found a similar set-up working full time for a Design+Build residential remodeling company who does about 100 projects per year and within about a 50 mile radius of Chicago. They have me Managing their Architecture and Interior Design departments. With this company I have learned a lot about the efficiencies of remodeling and how to spot concerns before jumping into a project. They are not a developer, and instead cater specifically to homeowners, but understanding these things ahead of time can save our clients money as well as the company headaches of having to pay for things that were not in scope and only having to charge extra for things that were truly unforeseen. This has also helped me gain a lot of knowledge about different building departments, how they interpret and enforce codes, and the specific things they want to see on their drawings in order to expedite permit approval.
I am now Self-Certified in the City of Chicago, NCARB Certified which allows me to pursue expedited licensure in any other state, Actively Licensed in Illinois, Indiana, and Texas, and have extensive knowledge of many building departments throughout Chicagoland. With that I have learned that I had a unique skill set that can greatly aid local developers. I am working with a handful of contractors and developers on the side and always looking for more opportunities to grow my business, but I realized that there's no reason to stop there. I decided I definitely wanted to get into real estate investing myself.
And here I am now, looking to gain knowledge from the members of this forum, and connect with others who have similar desires. My only current investment is the Condo in which I currently live in Chicago, but it has been building equity since I moved in about 5 years ago with my wife. We have been focused on paying off debt over the past few years and I am now feeling closer than ever to begin my journey into real estate investment.
@Jason H. You asked earlier in the thread what is our advantage? I believe it is two things.
We know how to read zoning codes. We know how to use them to our advantage and are not scared at pushing those limitation. We also know when not to test the waters thinking that a variance is doable. Zoning knowledge is big.
The other factor is that we can go into a space and understand what may be built. Our creative thinking doesn’t limit or scare us. The wealthy Architects don’t get old a lot of money to produce a construction document set. They get paid the big bucks to find creative solutions. Architects need to use that to their advantage in real estate investing.
I'm an ex-architect. Allowed my license to expire about 15 years ago because I wasn't practicing anymore and didn't want to spend time on the required continuing education. I've never regretted it. Real estate investing pays much better and it's a lot more fun.
I'm an ex-architect. Allowed my license to expire about 15 years ago because I wasn't practicing anymore and didn't want to spend time on the required continuing education. I've never regretted it. Real estate investing pays much better and it's a lot more fun.
This is motivating! I've been on the fence of getting my arch license or pursuing construction and real estate investing. I think I'll put my efforts in Design+Build and my personal developments. The arch licensing would just occupy all my efforts. Thanks!!
I'm an ex-architect. Allowed my license to expire about 15 years ago because I wasn't practicing anymore and didn't want to spend time on the required continuing education. I've never regretted it. Real estate investing pays much better and it's a lot more fun.
This is motivating! I've been on the fence of getting my arch license or pursuing construction and real estate investing. I think I'll put my efforts in Design+Build and my personal developments. The arch licensing would just occupy all my efforts. Thanks!!
I don't know how the exams are setup now, but when I took mine nearly 15 years ago, I paced myself doing one exam a month, or maybe one every two months if life really got in the way. I was still single and childless back then, so it helped...I can't imagine doing that now! But just like Athol, if you don't really have a need for it in the future, there's no reason to get licensed...I would say for the mass majority, it's done for a sense of accomplishment after five to six years of schooling and the three years of internship...
I am late to the party but I am here. Thank you @Samuel Pavlovcik for bringing this thread to my attention. I think Architects would make brilliant developers. Every Architect who has a love for the business side of the profession should get into development. We are the quintessential "Jack of all trades". Another theme I noticed is about licensure. I believe every one who goes to Arch. school should get licensed and do the CE to stay licensed. It just adds value to whatever else you are doing. I owe everything I have now to licensure. If I was not licensed, I would not have been able to take advantage of any of the opportunities that came by me. I also got a real estate license and now a general contractor's license. I constantly stress the importance of being licensed. However, I am sure you can make your big bucks without it as well. It just takes alternate skills. I am so happy to see Architects part of the RE discussions here at BP. Every successful investor needs a good Architect as their partner. However not every Architect is a good partner. We all have similar skillsets but our personalities make us unique. So I emphasize that a lot when talking to a client. Good luck to all and hope to be part of several other discussions~
Prashanth
@Filipe Pereira My husband and I met while at Wentworth, both studying architecture. I stopped after my Bachelor's and went to work with my co-op employer (graduating during the last recession, happy to have a good paying job in related fiedl), he continued to get his master's. I'm in facilities management while he's still working for a architecture firm. Investing started more as my passion but now we're investing together, buying houses, redesigning, renovating, and renting them. So far working out really well. Definitely helps us see potential when others can't in a property.
Hey @Jason H. joining this conversation late, but becoming an architect is something that takes enough time an effort that it usually weeds out those that aren’t full in it for the love of architecture. I am 12 years in now, and though I agree there are better professions to make money, there aren’t many that allow you to use such a broad range of skills and manage a large group of talented individuals... but then I came across real estate investing... Though the design aspect is limited, the coordination and management of many moving parts and a skilled team is very similar. I’ve always been more interested in the management and business side of the architecture profession which I guess naturally pulled me towards investing. I am just starting out but have been studying diligently, making connections and preparing financial to posture myself to get off to the races! Playing it patiently right now though until we start seeing how the economy plays out with unemployment, election and “the virus”. Hoping for some good opportunities ahead!
Thanks for posting this, great conversation! And for the recovering architects, everything we learn will give new insight and provide a different lens to view the world in. I’d optimistically say that the skills an architect develops in their career won’t ever fully go to waste 😁. All the best!
@Bryan LaRoche sounds like you and I have a pretty similar background. Been designing schools, and public buildings for 12 years in the Seattle area. I am a licensed architect, but haven’t bought my first deal yet. I’ll let you know once I do and you can add another architect Who is also an investor to your list 😁.
Hey everyone! You are my people!! Looks like this thread went quiet for a while, but getting some traction so I'll chime in too. I'm an Interior Designer out of Phoenix, AZ - have been working in the commercial design field for over 14 years at a few different architecture firms. @Ali Altieri - glad to see you representing Interiors on the forum too! I have been reading BP posts and educating myself on RE investing for some time - although my attention toward making progress on my RE investing goals seems to vary greatly depending on how busy I am with work. I am currently a homeowner, looking to make some small but strategic improvements on my own home to increase equity, and then hoping to tap into that equity to purchase of a rental property (or two!) before the end of 2020.
I have a few different theories as to why there might be a low representation of A&D professionals in RE investing:
1) TIME / Maybe it's because we are ALWAYS on a deadline (or multiple deadlines), while trying to balance the industry's cultural expectation that "overtime is a necessary evil to create great work" (while, you know, also being unpaid)...by the numbers, it simply leaves fewer hours in the day to pursue other things on the side, especially if you have other responsibilities like kids/family. Although I realize this is not impossible to overcome if you're game to hustle hard, it's just one possible hypothesis.
2) INCOME / Additionally, I agree with others on the forum that it could be a result of low wages. Unfortunately, the highest density of jobs for A&D pros are also generally in cities with a high cost of living, with a pretty negligible increase in salary to address the higher costs. Certainly there are jobs in smaller cities with a lower cost of living, they're just harder to come by. I have seen so many young designers and architects barely scraping by to make enough for daily expenses, much less to save for a future investment opportunity. It takes real will-power and focus to keep to a strict budget for a goal that seems so unattainable when you've only got two nickels to rub together at the end of each month. I've been at this 14 years and just recently started feeling like I could relax a bit with my aggressive budgeting and start pursuing some diversity in my investing.
3) REDUCED VOLUME OF A&D PROS / The last hypothesis I will offer is the big gaping hole of talent that left during the last recession in 2008-2011. Designers and Architects in all experience levels just felt this business just wasn't resilient enough in hard times and chose to pursue a different profession entirely. I'll be the first to say that was probably a smart move on their part, although I don't regret staying in the biz myself. I have found my work in the public sector to be incredibly rewarding over the years!
Ultimately it's probably some combination of the three above. I have definitely been sharing the BP network, and what little RE investing knowledge I have, with my colleagues as well. I hope it piques their curiosity to pursue RE investing and diversify their income streams to weather the storm of any future recession/job loss in the future.
I agree with you that we work for developers and get nothing in return so my goal is to become an Architect + Developer with my own projects. BP has helped me understand the thinking of an investor or flipper and about 50% of my clients are real estate investors. It is different speaking to an investor compared to a home owner. It is a completely different set of goals.
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Just thinking out loud here, but would love to have some dialogue with others about this concept that's been rolling around in my head:
Your quote above got me thinking...so many architects (and designers) work with clients/developers with a fixed fee arrangement. Has anyone explored an alternative fee arrangement that was more tied to the sale price of the final product?
What if Architects and Designers proposed a partnership approach to the fee structure? Don't most developers have agreements with their investors/banks that are structured in a similar fashion? The idea being that the developer's financial success becomes your financial success as well - since you're all on the same team and developing the product together. I would assume that for a structure like that to be appealing to a client/developer, the A&D team would need to withhold fees up front for all the design and construction work, and would instead collect revenue on the back end once property is sold or leased... Does anyone think that developers would be receptive to a structure like that for the architecture & design services?
I realize this opens up a whole set of questions about legal agreements, and revenue concerns for A&D teams for an extended period of time - and I'm sure there's way more to development/financing/investor partnerships that I just don't know. But if anyone here was able to make something like this work out, would love to know more!
@Colleen Cunningham I am doing exactly what you are describing on a few of my projects for various reasons. When I start a conversation with a potential client I always tell them that I want to do my own projects and possibly partner with someone. You never know who may know someone that needs your skillset. I'll give you two examples.
This was for a single-family home being converted into a duplex. This was the developer's first time doing a project this big as they normally did smaller projects that only required finish work. They were nervous and didn't have that much money. They never do. I gave them my proposal and it was too expensive for them. Rather than walking away, I offered to do the permit set for a reduced fee of $5k. However, once the two units were sold I would be paid the $5k and get a percentage of their profits. I think in the end I'll make around $3k - $5k more. The drawback is that I do have to wait for a year or two but it will feel great to get that check.
The other scenario is I have a client who I did some work for on his rental property. We were speaking how to take an existing building and build it out to the maximum allowed by-right scenario. He found a building but we will have to get a special exception and heard by the public review board. To get to that point for the hearing it may cost up to $25k in consultant fees and it may be denied. If we are denied the special exception we will split the cost. If we are approved then I continue with the permit set of plans and pay for all the soft costs and provide some capital to meet the investor quota. In the end, my payment will be one of the 12 units we build. Once again this is a risk. I may lose thousands of dollars. However, if this works out I will have a unit that can sell for around $200k or earn rental income around $2k a month.
The first scenario was pretty straight forward with the contract. The second one there will be lawyers involved. However, I see this as a great opportunity and mainly my time and some money are at risk. Hopefully, these go well.
In some book or maybe podcaster they said to always tell everyone what you want to do in real estate because you never know who will be able to help you on your journey.
@Filipe Pereira My husband and I met while at Wentworth, both studying architecture. I stopped after my Bachelor's and went to work with my co-op employer (graduating during the last recession, happy to have a good paying job in related fiedl), he continued to get his master's. I'm in facilities management while he's still working for a architecture firm. Investing started more as my passion but now we're investing together, buying houses, redesigning, renovating, and renting them. So far working out really well. Definitely helps us see potential when others can't in a property.
I think if I did it all over again, I'd probably go the facilities management or construction management route. I enjoy some of the design stuff, but lack the "creativity" so I typically got assigned the boring stuff (but what new employee doesn't?). The thing that I wasn't too crazy about on the CM side was the potential of having to travel quite a ways for job sites. Not my cup of joe.
I do enjoy the management side of property management (which is what I do now in Connecticut). I guess we will all find our way eventually. :)
@Eric Teran / That's awesome, glad to hear you've been able to make that fee structure work for you! I will continue to noodle on how I might be able to propose a similar structure for Interior Design services as well. And yes, I think I've heard that same podcast/quote before - a great reminder to be clear on my goals, and share those goals with my network. Some great deals might present themselves simply by putting my interests out there!
I know three personally and they do have advantages over other non-architect investors. But that can be said for a lot of things. I am a private lender who happens to be an attorney. Do I have an advantage, probably yes... Knowledge is always an advantage and applying that knowledge is always an advantage. That being said I am a big proponent with aligning yourself with professionals in the field. I am not an architect, but I know where to find one - and he is on my speed dial. (Well on my apple contacts...) Surround yourself or have access to professionals. Lawyers, Contractors, Architects, anyone who lend to your ability to make a great deal possible because you will then be well informed on the subject matter at hand. Best of luck!
Hey @Jason H. joining this conversation late, but becoming an architect is something that takes enough time an effort that it usually weeds out those that aren’t full in it for the love of architecture. I am 12 years in now, and though I agree there are better professions to make money, there aren’t many that allow you to use such a broad range of skills and manage a large group of talented individuals... but then I came across real estate investing... Though the design aspect is limited, the coordination and management of many moving parts and a skilled team is very similar. I’ve always been more interested in the management and business side of the architecture profession which I guess naturally pulled me towards investing. I am just starting out but have been studying diligently, making connections and preparing financial to posture myself to get off to the races! Playing it patiently right now though until we start seeing how the economy plays out with unemployment, election and “the virus”. Hoping for some good opportunities ahead!
Thanks for posting this, great conversation! And for the recovering architects, everything we learn will give new insight and provide a different lens to view the world in. I’d optimistically say that the skills an architect develops in their career won’t ever fully go to waste 😁. All the best!
I'm glad you found this discussion and I'm glad other architects & designers have as well. We're definitely part of the real estate investing industry whether you feel that way or not (especially in new development) and it's just therapeutic to have group chat with other like-minded individuals who have been through the similiar educational and professional experiences and can relate. For better or worse, I totally agree that we have a different lens on viewing the world!
Hey everyone! You are my people!! Looks like this thread went quiet for a while, but getting some traction so I'll chime in too. I'm an Interior Designer out of Phoenix, AZ - have been working in the commercial design field for over 14 years at a few different architecture firms. @Ali Altieri - glad to see you representing Interiors on the forum too! I have been reading BP posts and educating myself on RE investing for some time - although my attention toward making progress on my RE investing goals seems to vary greatly depending on how busy I am with work. I am currently a homeowner, looking to make some small but strategic improvements on my own home to increase equity, and then hoping to tap into that equity to purchase of a rental property (or two!) before the end of 2020.
I have a few different theories as to why there might be a low representation of A&D professionals in RE investing:
1) TIME / Maybe it's because we are ALWAYS on a deadline (or multiple deadlines), while trying to balance the industry's cultural expectation that "overtime is a necessary evil to create great work" (while, you know, also being unpaid)...by the numbers, it simply leaves fewer hours in the day to pursue other things on the side, especially if you have other responsibilities like kids/family. Although I realize this is not impossible to overcome if you're game to hustle hard, it's just one possible hypothesis.
2) INCOME / Additionally, I agree with others on the forum that it could be a result of low wages. Unfortunately, the highest density of jobs for A&D pros are also generally in cities with a high cost of living, with a pretty negligible increase in salary to address the higher costs. Certainly there are jobs in smaller cities with a lower cost of living, they're just harder to come by. I have seen so many young designers and architects barely scraping by to make enough for daily expenses, much less to save for a future investment opportunity. It takes real will-power and focus to keep to a strict budget for a goal that seems so unattainable when you've only got two nickels to rub together at the end of each month. I've been at this 14 years and just recently started feeling like I could relax a bit with my aggressive budgeting and start pursuing some diversity in my investing.
3) REDUCED VOLUME OF A&D PROS / The last hypothesis I will offer is the big gaping hole of talent that left during the last recession in 2008-2011. Designers and Architects in all experience levels just felt this business just wasn't resilient enough in hard times and chose to pursue a different profession entirely. I'll be the first to say that was probably a smart move on their part, although I don't regret staying in the biz myself. I have found my work in the public sector to be incredibly rewarding over the years!
Ultimately it's probably some combination of the three above. I have definitely been sharing the BP network, and what little RE investing knowledge I have, with my colleagues as well. I hope it piques their curiosity to pursue RE investing and diversify their income streams to weather the storm of any future recession/job loss in the future.
Glad that you found this discussion and contributed your thoughts and experiences. I mentioned earlier in the discussion that I believe that interior designers (depending on what sector of the industry you're in) have a niche in the profession whose services could be much more readily accessible to the investment community than architects, only because we deal with things that require a lot more effort and capital to accomplish. Developing a vacant lot from scratch versus renovating an existing room or home. Anyways thanks for posting and hoping other types of designers jump in as well!
Just saw this post come up in my keyword and thought it was an interesting discussion. I'm a licensed and practicing Architect who decided to leverage my experience, my network, and my license to work for myself. I'm a graduate of the BAC in Boston and I've been in architecture for about 14 years. I'm also a licensed Real Estate Agent. With all of this, I decided to get into investing and developing about 5 years ago and started my own company 4 years ago, [RE]Architect. We're a Design-Build firm who also invests/flips. This has allowed us so far (fingers crossed for the future) to never have to worry about having projects and to be choosier about the projects and clients we do decide to take on. Our flips and our BRRRR properties keep us busy and funded and create the income we need (not to mention, they're just fun to do), so projects with outside clients become even more fun as they're a want instead of a need. For us it's the best of both worlds. We get the additional income and security from real estate (as most people have already mentioned, Architects do not make much) and we get to practice our craft, but on our own terms. I do think this has given us some advantages in certain projects, especially commercial, but for the everyday single family or small multi investor, I don't think there's much of a difference. Love seeing all the posts and all the Architects getting into the investing world. Not sure about any of the rest of you, but I was personally inspired by 2 pretty well known Architect turned developers, Jonathan Segal based in CA and Tim McDonald of Onion Flats in PA. Would love to hear about any other Architect/Developers that have helped inspire others. Cheers!
Fellow Architects...wanted to reach out to you all and revive this discussion. Hope you are all doing well during these never-ending crazy times.
I’m curious how the architecture and design industries are doing in your respective markets across the country. I am actually based in Asia (but invest back in the States) and we are quite busy here with a lot of work.
Would be great to hear how your businesses and firms have been faring this year. Which building sectors have been active and which have slowed down tremendously?
I left architecture school at Syracuse, and instead studied liberal arts and business, and now I am an investor. If anyone here is interested in upstate NY, please reach out. I want to develop residential property here that promotes current best practices, such as green building, and eschews the ubiquitous boiler-plate suburban home tropes that are rubber-stamped throughout the country.
Not sure how I missed this thread the first time around but I'm glad I found my people (and former people) on BP! I'm an Architect in Pittsburgh and obtained my Masters in Architecture and Masters in Business Administration from Kent State. Like many on the outside, I had assumed as an 18 year old looking for a major, that architects were rich, got to draw buildings all day, and were just super cool people. Who wouldn't want that life right? Haha! While I probably would never go back and do it again (cost of college is a complete scam), I don't regret my education or all of the hard work, time, and money that got me to here. I actually do love my job, but as mentioned previously, the money is just not there. Somehow after 1000's of years, we the architects have not figured out how to convert the importance of our job into clients willing to pay us for all the things we bring to the table. But Real Estate can pay us that way and I think the skill set an architect develops is a 1 for 1 translation directly into REI. I spend my days finding and solving problems (that usually involve maintaining a budget), talking and coordinating with a wide range of people, and also feeling lost a lot of the times because yet another brand new issue arises that must be dealt with. This seems to be the daily life of an investor as well. Financial freedom and a total correlation to the skills I already have is what lead me to REI. I'm excited to get my first property and I think that will open the flood gates to the future.
@Jason H. here in Pittsburgh, I have some friends who are super busy at their firms while my firm is beginning to feel the affects of the pandemic. I think it is entirely based on clients. Our primary client is K-12 schools and municipalities. The schools are just trying to figure out how to get kids through the school day so fixing roofs, building new buildings, and renovating interiors have just completely halted. Hopefully some sense of stability starts to take shape after the election, regardless of the winner.
My keyword alert just alerted me to this thread, too. Fellow Architect here from Chicago. Here's my story:
I graduated in 1996 and did the opposite of most architects' career paths. I was fortunate enough to come right out of school to work with my dad in his one-man firm. He is a licensed Structural Engineer and Architect. I got to learn the ins and outs of the profession, business development, and client interaction. Most of our clients were small time real estate investors developing small commercial and industrial projects, which peaked my interests. When I became licensed in 2003, I opened up my own firm and my dad worked for me!
I began reading books on real estate and began flipping houses, soon thereafter, with my brother and my dad. We were quite successful and eventually turned to rental properties accumulating about 25 rentals between the three of us. When the recession hit in 2008/2009, our architecture business came to a halt. Our properties were cash flowing, so we were able to ride it out on the real estate side. I was fortunate that my wife was employed to carry us through the slow times. I paused my real estate investing for about 15 years.
I eventually found temporary work for an industrial designer for a few years, which eventually led me to a medium-sized firm in the West Loop of Chicago. I've been there for 6 years and recently made partner about 6 weeks before the pandemic! I think my opposite career path was fate to lead me to a partner position in a medium-sized firm later in my career. Usually, an architect starts off at a big firm, becomes licensed, and goes out on their own to start their own business. I did the opposite, and it has been a big advantage at this stage of my career.
In June, my best friend approached about investing in rental properties again. We formed a business plan, LLC, and strategy to accumulate 35 properties over the next five years. After the accumulation phase, we will shift to paying off the portfolio as quickly as possible, to eventually retire into the sunset. Three months in, we have purchased three properties together. Fingers crossed they will be filled after rehab, and we can BRRRR our way into the next set in six months.
That's my story in a nutshell. I'm happy to network and connect with any fellow architect and/or investors.
Good Luck,
Erik
@Bernadeau C. beat me to it! I am a Infrastructure Architect in Information Technology :) I imagine quite a few shared traits with structural architects in engineering and designing solutions to solve problems.
These skills are very translatable into real estate! It's all about solving problems and coming up with solutions which create opportunity. Be interesting to see if this post creates more replies then the "How many RE investors are engineers?"
Not sure how I didn’t see this thread earlier. Architect in Charleston, SC. Originally licensed in Colorado. Glad to see so many others out there.
I used to do large commercial, educational and healthcare work, but got bit by the REI big a few years ago. 60-70 hour weeks didn't leave a lot of free time, so I opened up my own office and focus on residential and small commercial now. Gives me a lot more time to work on both my businesses.
Definitely in agreement here that we have a skill set that lends well to investing. I like seeing you all here, and hope more architects get into it.
This is a great thread! I studied architecture for few years at Kent State then took the infamous "break". Fast forward 15 years, here I am, a Realtor still working with houses! I've live-in flipped/house hacked with a few contractors who taught me a lot of great information, and I hope to have my own property within a year. If I can create enough income streams to become financially free, the FIRST thing I will do is go back to school to finish my degree! It will be on my own time without having to work a full time job.