New to the site

[Winona Wyatt]

Hello all!

I'm a brand newbie to the world of REI and this site and I'm looking to go ahead and jump in and get my feet wet. I'm usually a lurker and information hoarder when it comes to forums, and very rarely ask our participate in discussions.. but I'm looking to make a change and am hoping this is a step in the right direction for me.

I've basically been a professional renter for about 15 years (I've moved about an average of once a year and have been in about 14 different rentals) .. I'm kind of obsessed with Real estate overall, and never really realized I should maybe try to do something with that obsession, until now ... so here I am.

I'm in the process of trying to learn all I can about the industry (there's a lot of information) but I don't want to get stuck in perpetual student mode (which I'm really good at). I'm not going to ask where to start, because the site seems to be pretty good at pointing me in the right direction. But I am interested in getting some hands-on (or at least eyes-on) experience with others that are actively doing what I want to do. -- I'm leaning more towards getting into single and multi-family home rentals

While I'm fixing my financial situation (I have terrible credit and my student loan debt depressing), I figured I could learn all I can and be ready to hit the ground running, once my personal finances allow me to get to the point of comfortably getting out there.

Since I don't have much money (or I should say I have zero money) to work with, I was thinking about using my web design and photography skills to build relationships with others that are currently in my area doing what I want to do. My question is (if you've happened to read this much) - how do I go about finding these people? Is it all about going down a list and cold-calling individuals who are advertising properties for rent, or is there a more tactful way to go about it?

Thanks for any who respond. This is an awsome site and I've been sucking up the knowledge like a thirsty puppy. (I have no clue if that analogy even works - and now you know the other reason I don't post on forums - I'm a rambling typer, once I get started I just go on and on and on.....)