What happened today -- intense study

It is July 14, 2018.  Wow, I felt like an academic again today!

When I was an undergraduate at the University of Kansas, my best year was my Junior year.  Not only did I have intense upper-level science classes (including organic chemistry--the only class that ever made me cry), I was studying for the MCAT.  I'm not a great standardized test-taker, so my MCAT scores were a bit above average, but I destroyed the grade point average, taking down a straight-A lineup both semesters!  I thought I could do anything after going through that hell!

Alas, I dropped out of med-school about 4 months in, after going through the entire process of applications and interviews.  I realized it was not for me.  My creative ambitions were calling.  Everyone says chase your dreams, don't they?  What if you don't know the path?

Today, I listened to Brandon's 90-day challenge webinar and took copious notes.  I read blogs and articles for about 3 hours.  I bought J. Scott's "The Book on Flipping Houses" and "The Book on Estimating Rehab Costs" (digital versions), and started plowing through the former for about an hour and a half.  Rehab especially scares me because, in my mind, there seems to be so many ways it could go wrong:

- Underestimate costs

- Completely MISS an expense

- Contractors find something new that an inspector did not, something VERY expensive to fix.

- Contractors overcharge you.

- Contractors turn out to be incompetent.

Onward though:  I analyzed a few deals.  And then I read some forums about how the Chicago market is dead for flips.  Who do you believe?  I think you have to have multiple points of input to make good decisions in this business.

I made an appointment to talk to someone at Do Hard Money because I'm very curious about that process and I want to know if it's completely legit.  I hope it is, considering they're on Bigger Pockets' list of HM Lenders.  I'll write about that after the phone call on Monday.  I don't know if I could buy a place in 90 days and rehab it and get it sold without some serious scratch, and without taking a bath on it, but we'll find out.

All in all, I feel pretty good about how much I've educated myself so far.  If there's one thing I can do, I can READ for hours and hours and absorb and comprehend easily.  In fact, my ex kind of hated this about me.  I'd read until I'd fall asleep on the couch.  All the time.  Ha!

But reading is just reading.  It is not action.  It is not making money.  It is hopefully just laying the foundation and avoiding dumb mistakes, but it is not the same as buying and selling.  I want into the game.  I want that freedom.