Beginner with some questions

[Billy Hollis]

Hello everyone! Hope everyone is off to a great start in 2015. I posted in the new member introductions a little while back, but I wasn't entirely sure where I saw my business going. After doing some further reading and researching I have come up with a more defined business plan. 

Starting in 2015, I plan to wholesale properties. I plan to continue working my full-time job while wholesaling properties in order to eliminate my consumer debt and my student loans. This will give me a better chance of being able to quit my full-time job to go full time in RE. Once that is taken care of (shooting for spring of 2016 - lots of student loans between my wife and I) I plan to still continue to wholesale while doing some fix and flips as well. This will be the end goal for my business - fixing and flipping what I can, while wholesaling the leads I can't handle or don't want to deal with. 

Just a few questions:

Is this how most fix and flip investors get started, or do they jump right in?

When flipping, is an unfunished basement something that rehabbers often look for as a way to add square footage?

How long does it usually take to come up with a buyers list?

Do most rehabbers sell their own properties, or do they contract and agent to do that so that they can focus on the next one (I realize there are other benefits of having your agent's license such as MLS - this will be part of my continuing Ed as my business grows).