Will I become suicidal after the 5,000th call?  

I am interested in meeting people from whom I can learn more about real estate investing. 

So not a "real" corporation.

With that, I want to ensure that my approach to real estate is starting with the niche that generates faster returns from the beginning) as a rough example:I can buy Focal Utopia headphones for 8K or I can buy headphones from kmart for $25.

The Real Estate Guys do a great newsletter with lots of high-level information about the economy and how it impacts real estate.  

Real estate is all about learning as you go and playing the long game.

With theming, it can be done but you still need to weigh it against the saturation even within the theming submarket, which has exploded.Regarding your questions1) Saturation is very real here, and the biggest "problem" for owners by far. 

Ideally, you should have consulted a real estate tax pro before doing that.

There are definitely ways to make money in real estate without needing initial capital but I would say those are fewer and less likely in the current market. 

Many thanks for the warm welcome I received at the Alabama Center for Real Estate Transformative Tuesday.