Great topic! I personally research a subject to death in order to educate myself, and then seek out professionals to validate, and keep me in legal compliance with any endeavor - whether personal or business. That may be a benefit of my experience in business administration where I had a team of professionals and colleagues to help me make the right decisions. In the corporate environment, that's just the norm. Not everyone has that foundation to draw upon when starting out in REI. It's a completely different ballgame in real estate. We need to learn the difference between a colleague offering good solid advice, and the stealth sales pitch. Trust but verify. Check out quality of posts, websites, LinkedIn and any other background information.
Since I'm new to the REI arena, I've spent considerable time learning, observing, following and reading select member posts on BP that I've come to trust, just to understand the nature of this diverse business. With the exception of REIA membership fees (which I consider equal to professional association fees) most of my REI education has been free, and I've taken it slowly. There are so many facets of real estate investing, one can easily become overwhelmed by the sea of information available. Focus on a niche, learn from a number of sources, and pay attention to the details. And when ready to start, make sure you have a real estate attorney and accountant on your team to keep you out of trouble.
