The participation must be regular, continuous, and substantial as defined by the IRS.

I have been trying to get a note "deal" on Pre-REO for about a year. 

I think PropStream is a must have. 

Are there any local meet ups, groups, or anything going on to start meeting people and continue trying to learn more about real estate investing?

So, let's try some local real estate meetup groups.

Of course you could roll the dice and try to show that he is an "independent contractor" and respondeat superior does not apply.

Can try to reposition to Class B, but neighborhood may impede these efforts.Vacancy Est: Historically 10%, but 15-20% should be used to also cover tenant nonpayment, eviction costs & damages.Tenant Pool: majority will have FICO scores of 560-620 (approaching 22% probability of default), many blemishes, but should have no evictions in last 2 years.

I do try and tweak pricing just so it sees that there is active updates on the listing sites.

The parent must file a gift tax return annually, and any remaining balance is included in the estate.If the home was your primary residence for at least 2 of the last 5 years, you may exclude up to $250,000 ($500,000 if married filing jointly) of capital gains from taxes.

If you want to get involved with a great training program, try Lifestyles Unlimited, they have over 55,000 members nationwide.