All Forum Posts by: Brian Stieler

I'm still a beginner at all this, but here's what I've been reading/doing.

I also did my first "driving for dollars" this weekend. Instead of just looking at properties for sale, I made notes of houses that were the ugliest on the block. I then found them on zillow.com and starred them. The best deals most likely haven't come to market yet, and you want to be the first to discover them. I've read it's good to make a business card saying you're an investor, and actually talk to people in the neighborhoods. Give them your card, and hope they call you when something turns up.

Good luck!

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. I'm looking forward to being a contributing member on the site.

@Brandon Turner I have the beginners guide printed and very highlighted already. The podcasts are great too, and referenced your site to a client just the other day.

See you all in the forums.

Thanks @Cody Marchant , I'm sure there's a niche for me somewhere here. I'm originally from Detroit, and lived in Atlanta for awhile, but San Diego is where I want to be, and I'll just make that work.

Hey BiggerPockets,

I'm getting started in REI and will be interested to see what the San Diego scene holds. I have a background in advertising and web design, and plan to bring my marketing abilities into finding/selling properties. Sorry if you've tried to check out an REI book from the downtown central library, they're all currently covering my coffee table. I've been reading a ton, and trying to wrap my head around the different strategies, payment options and "first steps".

At the moment I'm focused on flipping and buy/hold. I've heard buy/hold isn't very profitable here, but I'm sure I can find something.

If anyone in San Diego is interested in meeting up, feel free to connect with me. I find that doing > reading any day, and look forward to getting out there and getting some true experience.

My weekends are open, so if you have some marketing questions or on site work that needs to get done, I'm happy to exchange my time for knowledge/experience.

I look forward to seeing you all in the forums.

- Brian