I'm Christopher Smith, and I'm the Founder and Managing Director of EquityScout.com and its parent company Paladin Equity LLC. I originally started Paladin Equity as a vehicle for investing in real estate. As an investor I was looking for a user-friendly, intuitive tool for evaluating investment opportunities. I didn't find anything, so I began working on EquityScout.com in 2003.Prior to turning to real estate, I worked in finance with Citibank and J.P. Morgan in New York City and London.  I also spent some time with a major international oil & gas company, including spending three years living in Bogota, Colombia where I headed up business development for the company's in-country exploration and production operation. I started my career as an officer in the U.S. Army, serving tours of duty in the Republic of South Korea and Hawaii. I graduated with my Bachelor of Science degree in engineering management/mechanical engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and later with an MBA from Cambridge University, where I sit on the Advisory Council for the Business School Alumni Board.  I live in Houston with my wife and two children. In my spare time my hobbies include spending time with my family, photography, running, travel, and blogging.  My primary real estate investment focus is on cashflow-generating buy-and-hold residential properties.   This is a flavor that you'll get from reading my posts. I'll also try to give you some insights of markets, economic evaluation, and the process that we go through here at equityscout.com to understand the needs and wants of real estate investors like you. I love hearing from Real Estate Professionals and I learn from every interaction.  Email me at csmith@equityscout.comRead my Real Estate Investment Blog to learn more about me.