Especially if you market your work as a professional and charge accordingly.

Get Pre-Approval from Hard Money Lender.2.

Hi @Justin Snead, I would say just make sure wherever you take the pre-licensing class is IDFPR approved. 

The bigger thing is understanding that pre-approvals give you a ballpark, but your actual rate gets locked only when you have a signed contract.

This means sizeable monthly payments, but if utilizing with Value Add you can pay off the loan without a pre payment penalty at any time.Hope this helps!

College isn’t a must for real estate, but it can definitely help with things like business, marketing, and communication skills.

I’m open to brokerage inquiries and excited to contribute my skills to the local market.What I'm Looking For:I'm actively seeking "live and flip" opportunities to kickstart my real estate portfolio in Arizona.

And are there any other skills I should focus on and develop?

Sometimes they forget to tell you that many tenants in Detroit don't pay (depending on the property manager skill and the type of tenant) - but taxes are very high in the city and so is insurance. 

Leverage your construction skills for flips, start with smaller projects to minimize risk, and consider house hacking or long-term rentals for a steady income.