As for internet marketing on Zillow - when your listing goes live and if your listing broker ...and... their MLS has a data sharing agreement ..and.. if the brokerage hasn't opted out then the MLS listing data will overwrite your Zillow listing.

Yes, horror of horrors, there was no internet or social media!

There are commercial vendors on the internet selling foreclosure lists but I have not tried them so I can't vouch for their accuracy or value. 

You may add income streams to the home by offering internet and tenants insurance, for instance.

For me at least they require concentration and thought and time to digest. 

Ask what you can learn that is not already out there on the internet and what is special about this class from the other 1000 people doing this.Lastly ask for the contact info for last ten people who have taken the class and when, reach out to them as well. 

Currently, with your layoff situation, you have the opportunity to concentrate on market analysis, studying trends, rental needs, property values, and potential value growth.

I love it when strangers on the internet tell someone that it is a bad idea to take $220k in tax free cash.

The difference is you have the risk concentrated on a very small sample size.

Just because some dude on the internet did it one way does not mean that you also should.