I've been studying real estate on my own for about a year now and I know how difficult it can be to get approved by a mortgage lender.

Then I can keep them for later projects.With all that said, would you think a year worth of studying every day, and then acquiring spreadsheets, checklists, contracts, team members, networking, analyzing markets, etc., be a pretty good amount of time to not be too risky to start my first flip.

Definitely check out the webinars custodians put out there to get first hand look at case studies.

Anytime you will be filling vacant spaces or selling homes, the most important task to perform prior to acquiring a park is a thorough market demand study.

I don't think most tenants see pools as an amenity worth more.Maybe you fill it in and make it common area like a gym or community room (I've seen one guy make a study center for kids to do homework outside their apartment and tenants loved it). 

I used to work for a couple of companies that did market studies for developers of apartment complexes and other large developments, and we used the sites where renters find apartments to see what others are charging to help estimate a market rent for the subject project. 

Let me know if you want to talk story sometime but I would suggest you study a specific market (I chose Makiki) and mentally go through say 15 deals from soup to nuts before diving in because this market is not forgiving.

Also you will want to make sure to check for or get a phase one environmental study if there has been equipment and fuels used or stored on the property.  

I already plan to use my VA home loan once I get settled and find a civilian job, but the idea of investing in real estate investment trusts has come up in my research and studying.

Don’t build without a feasibility study.