Trading on margin or investing in real estate with leverage are both acceptable practices in my mind.  

A lot of developers don't want you (or any potential competitors) to know their trade secrets and efficiencies, which they've taken years and maybe decades to master.....

No, if you’re an LP in a real estate fund or shareholder in a publicly traded REIT, you won’t qualify for a 1031 exchange.

There are lots of meet up groups around Orlando, you'll have to travel a bit for most of them, but if that is your goal...Also check out CFRI dot/net if you would like to network with other local investors and trades.

It's a tough time to flip because properties, even dumps, are trading at a premium.

)  - 60K in cash for downpayment +more for renovations- Strong local connections with contractors of all trades - Ability to get building materials at cost through family/business connections- Have a strong eye for style and design (Tends to lean on the high end of things as that is my business)  - 750+ Credit.

Life is about trade-offs, so figure out which ones fit you.

Any specialized trades/subs will be under the umbrella of your selected GC. 

I ended up selling the larger buildings and traded them for 1-4 unit Class A properties in better locations.

A heloc add another trade line to your credit and can cause issues with fico scores dropping or DTI going up causing issues with credit limits or other risk based issues.Regarding the $4K in closing costs that is pretty much the standard for a loan amount of $100 to $150K.