My sister Melissa has been a major source of inspiration for my own real estate investment strategies and career.  Being in the top 10 of her high school graduating class, a continuous strait A student throughout her life and through college, she is currently a nurse practitioner but has a skillful knack for numbers and finance.  With strong determination she bought her first home at age 22 and paid it off by age 27 and subsequently by her mid 30's owned a portfolio of 6 single family homes with half being paid off.  Her buy and hold strategy has made her a very successful real estate investor.