Holding a card in your hand that ranks above all others is a secret weapon in the competitive game for the best ideas at the best price, allowing us to gain an advantage.” - Warren Buffett For those that are casual/passive investors in the bay area eager to buy investment property, I tell them there is nothing wrong with buying a house within 15 minutes away to have a free and clear property in 30 years that's easy to manage and in a great area.

Many hours were wasted on a sales pitch to entice into continued education that cost $41,297 for Diamond Enrollment, $26,297 for Platinum Enrollment, and $21,297 for Gold enrollment".The upshot is, you DON'T need to spend thousands on discovering so-called secrets of real estate success (before you even find a deal)!

This is not a new concept or practice, but the agent is being secretive about it for some reason, which is not good.  

(Btw, Though I truly feel that carlton's course is one of the most comprehensive beginners course, he was still guilty of the gurus dirty little secret.

podcast which seems to be very informative but, as I have read a lot on these forums and in the BP book for beginning Real Estate Investors, I should be leary of those that claim to know the "secrets of real estate investing". 

Is there some secret magic I am missing or have yet to learn?

I enjoyed Secrets of a Millionaire Mind as one of my more recent reads.  

Unfortunately I do not have the secret on how to get these.I would recommend you expand your search zone and look at cheaper properties in North East, or Longfellow.  

It is an article from 2014 but it is an interesting look into the mind of a billionaire.http://www.dailyfinance.com/2014/03/24/warren-buffett-real-estate-investing-secrets/

Recognizing which tool you need for the job is the secret sauce.When reaching for your 401k, just be aware of the tax implications that might apply and how it will contribute to your net profits.