If I were a betting man, I'd say there is a good change that the Midwest will outperform FL next year.

My husband and I purchased 3 properties in CA over the years and recently exchanged into 6 rental properties.

If we built a spreadsheet of the overall responses from the Mafia and how many were veiled attempts at business, I would bet it is close to 80 percent.I know I am not the only one annoyed every day, so please post your thoughts here so BiggerPockets can review them.I do know someone who bought multiple properties with a former Mafia member and the properties are still performing so this isn't a referenda on how good the agents are.

I'd also go in with your own agent.I'd bet the listing agent's company is keeping the deposit even though it is meant to be in trust. 

(vii) would seem to indicate that you'd be acting as an unlicensed broker.(1) "Broker":(A) means a person who, in exchange for a commission or other valuable consideration or with the expectation of receiving a commission or other valuable consideration, performs for another person one of the following acts:(i) sells, exchanges, purchases, or leases real estate;(ii) offers to sell, exchange, purchase, or lease real estate;(iii) negotiates or attempts to negotiate the listing, sale, exchange, purchase, or lease of real estate;(iv) lists or offers, attempts, or agrees to list real estate for sale, lease, or exchange;(v) auctions or offers, attempts, or agrees to auction real estate;(vi) deals in options on real estate, including a lease to purchase or buying, selling, or offering to buy or sell options on real estate;(vii) aids or offers or attempts to aid in locating or obtaining real estate for purchase or lease;(viii) procures or assists in procuring a prospect to effect the sale, exchange, or lease of real estate;(ix) procures or assists in procuring property to effect the sale, exchange, or lease of real estate;(x) controls the acceptance or deposit of rent from a resident of a single-family residential real property unit;(xi) provides a written analysis, opinion, or conclusion relating to the estimated price of real property if the analysis, opinion, or conclusion:(a) is not referred to as an appraisal;(b) is provided in the ordinary course of the person's business; and(c) is related to the actual or potential management, acquisition, disposition, or encumbrance of an interest in real property; or(xii) advises or offers advice to an owner of real estate concerning the negotiation or completion of a short sale; and

If I was a betting man I would say the answer to that question is NO and they are likely promoting the 2-3% success stories as the norm and therein lies the problem. 

You can also call realtors and see if they have any work you could do in exchange from learning from them.

You want overnight money, go bet on penny stock small cap biopharma and biotech stocks.

If you can start with a 2-4 unit house hack and add cosmetic rehab that’s your best bet to get your feet wet.

I bet it’s less than 1/2 the cost of solar to go this route.